Dragon Ball Z 1. Radditzu and Nappa return!

**Nappa and Radditzu Return**

* * *

Beneath the flying alchemist leaving West Province 439, farmlands rolled and stretched in irregular patterns for miles. Farmers drove their tractors while life went about its usual course. Although many horrid things had marred the landscape, life had returned to the once scarred valley. Atomique, theCarbon Alchemist, and Z fighter for about six months, pushed herself to the limit streaking forwards in her flight. Son Goku had taught her much, including the power of flight, which she was having difficulty mastering, but eventually getting the hang of. She had him to thank for the care of her two children the past few years till she could make her way to this reality as well. Every day she could move further and faster, yet not sufficiently enough to match her friends Dragon Womyn, or Black Widow. Both were new students in the tutelage of Prince Bejita at capsule, and had been for the last two years. 

Up ahead, tall misty mountains gave way to more rocky ones. White snowcapped peaks jutted up into the blue sky, looming ever closer in the distance. Paozu's features gave way to the irregular rice patties, then more conventional squares of gold and brown. Already she had flown close to one hundred miles, saturating her clothing with sweat. One large peak ahead stunned her when she saw a jagged crescent moon shape carved inside its top. A realization dawned that no natural phenomenon could cause this.

She ground to a halt, hovering several thousand feet over the field. Slowly she drifted to a landing next to what appeared to be a huge meteor crater. Long since filled in with grass, its bowl shape dented the whole field for miles around. Tentatively she touched down on the rim, glancing left and right with curiosity. As a scientist she always enjoyed investigating unusual features, even if they weren't chemistry related. One of her second loves was astronomy.

"What caused this? I can't help but wonder if…"

Chikara shifted. Her mind tingled with multiple traces that appeared out of nowhere. Aware she was not alone; she froze still, tensing her muscles. Again she launched herself into the air, glancing wildly around. "Kuso," she cursed, inadvertently in Japanese.

Instantly she dampened her true nature, pinpointing the locations of the traces. Still it was hard to completely discern, but they appeared to increase geometrically. Reaching down she felt the silver pocketwatch around the waist of her patched Military uniform. While she knew it was somewhat risky, she preferred it when working out for any great length of time because it was ideal for fighting in many situations.

"Over there!" called a voice that made her blood freeze. She zipped behind the rim of the crater, pressing herself down in the lee of the stones. All her shutters she clamped down on her battle power, lowering it to nearly zero.

Footsteps crunched, as boots landed. She was aware that a huge ki flared into existence. Several of them, in the midst of the ki that designated Destroyers. Yet those other two… they were Saiyan!

"How?" she asked, blinking up from behind the rock. Two armored figures had touched down in the field, opposite a squad of six Destroyers. They raised their radar and trained them about while the strange massive giants towered over them, standing as still as statues. Both woresleek armored breastplates, with shoulder pads that stretched way beyond their waists. Armored groin and hip pieces matched the shoulder guards, while their boots were also massive, encasing huge feet.

The taller of the two figures was bald, with a moustache. Clad in blue and gold armor, he towered to a height of close to nine feet. Next to him, theman in black and brown armor him had a long mane of shaggy black hair that hung past his waist. Both them them wore strange headpieces over their right ears, covering one eye with tinted glass while concealing the ear like a headphone. Around their waists wrapped shaggy thick belts of brown fur. They carried no weapons, but from the ki she sensed they had no need for them.

"Kuso… those… are Saiyans… but there are only 2… how…" she blinked.

"So, we're here on this joy ride," said the taller of the two, the bald one. "Where's our prince?"

"Patience," said Leader. It had to be, judging from the harsh rasping female voice like nails across slate.

"This had better be worth our time. If Frieza discovers we've bailed we're history," said the other, with a deep rasping voice sounding similar to Goku's in a way. If Goku had been speaking an octave lower, that is.

"Frieza doesn't have to know! He's in another dimension. That's the beauty of it. The natives of this world have captured your prince…"

"These creatures are puny. I have a hard time believing any of them are capable of…" said the longhaired Saiyan, raising his hand to the earpiece of his headset. He punched a small series of buttons, then mumbled as lights flickered across the green lens of his eyepiece.

"Any significant battle powers?" asked his companion, punching his own headpiece buttons. "Cause I'm reading zip. A bunch of puny gnats…"

"Of course they could be masking their power," said his friend. "All the more fun for us, and unfortunate for them…"

"Nappa, Radditzu, those are your names, correct?" asked Leader.

"Yeah, tell us something we don't know, female. What's in this for us again? How do we know you're not going to dump us here and lead Frieza right to us?" asked the bald one. He glared at Leader through the blue lense of his headset with disdain.

"Patience, Nappa. You will find your prince easily. We shall divide our forces into two, one of you each…"

"What's bothering you, Radditzu?" asked Nappa, turning to the shaggy haired fellow. Oddly if he wore facepaint and dribbled blood he'd bear a striking resemblance to a certain rock star of a garish facepainted band of which she was fond, in the late seventies, thought the alchemist. She struggled to hear as much as she could. Someone had to inform the Z fighters that they were in trouble. Serious trouble!

"I'm sensing something nearby," muttered the other, named Radditzu. His dark eyes flashed, angling across the landscape as he punched the buttons on his scanner side.

"I'm getting it too. Several traces of note. They're coming this way. I think this might be fun after all," Nappa laughed, cracking his knuckles.

"Here, take these. Your 'scouters' are only good for tracing chikara, while these will give you the locations of the items of interest…"

"Talismen, huh?" asked Nappa. "You said our prince would be at the location of concentration… I'm reading more than just seven…"

"Thing must be broken," Radditzu grunted.

"There are false echoes. Only by going to the source can you find them. There is an alchemist among them who can make fake Talismen. Whatever you find, bring to us. Whoever holds it, bring as well, and don't hurt too much… unless they annoy you… we need intact specimens…"

"Fine then. But when we find our Prince, that's higher priority. No fooling around, because you may be powerful… but we're capable of taking you out in a heartbeat," said Nappa with a cruel grin.

"Shit," she mumbled. Glancing around she hoped that she could somehow wait till they vanished.

"I'm sensing one over this way…" Radditzu whispered.

"There's a high concentration of battle power to the west… I'll take that. You go that way, Radditzu…"

"I can't help but wonder if it's possible that… remember that pod we sent here and never heard from… in this dimension maybe Kakkarot is still alive…" Raddiztu whispered.

"Kakkarot…" whispered Atomique. She had heard Vegeta use that name to call Goku when he was angry with him. Was it possible that these two knew him?

"We meet back here in several hours. Take a few of our squad with you…" said Third.

"No, we work alone," said Nappa harshly. "You'll get in our way. If we need you, we'll call. But that won't be likely…"

"Remember we're your only way out of this dimension," said Leader. "Good luck…"

"Whatever," said Nappa, rising into the air. He streaked off towards West City, the alchemist realized. While the destroyers vanished, she waited to see if the other would take off. As he had his back turned, she quickly masked her chikara and ran as fast as she could. Throwing herself into the air she shot out towards the Son house. Mt. Pauzo was 100 miles away. If she could just get away and warn the Z fighters.

It had been about two weeks since Son Goku had taken the foster children and their mother to his home, where she worked as a tutor to Goten and Gohan. Every day he trained the boys and their mother, while she tutored his sons in return. Videl often sparred with the Alchemist. Every day she could fly faster and further. No sign of Destroyers had been noted by any of the Z fighters. For the past week Atomique had flown faster and further, struggling to master the art of budaken or bodily levitation. Son Goku had been a patient teacher. Videl had given her own support, relating that it had taken her the better part of two weeks to even fly. Reassured somewhat, Atomique was finally relieved when she managed to fly within ten days of training.

Now, on a relatively caln and clear day, Atomique had left the Son household to practice at around lunch time. Both her sons were in the care of Son Goku, trainign with him and Goten. Gohan and Videl had left for their class in Satan City, so she was relatively on her own.

* * *

"What the hell?" Radditzu mumbled, punching his scouter button. "I could have sworn there was something… for a second… of 1000!" 

Grumbling he levitated off the field, and happened to glimpse the bowl shaped crater. He blinked and then disregarded it in favor of the battle power trace he'd received. In his hand he carried the talisman tracker, bleeping with ten traces. One was very close by, he realized, almost in an identical place to the flare of chikara.

"All right, it seems fortune is on my side," he grinned. For a moment he punched his button again, picking up a trace that was streaking at good velocity over the farm fields. Launching himself into the air, he blazed after it.

A flare of ki touched her senses. It was flying rapidly after her, she realized with horror. Under her the farmlands still stretched, fanning for miles. In the distance she saw the gentle misty hills undulating. Within her breast her heart pounded, and she realized she was running out of steam.

"Kuso… and I forgot… I need to…" she gasped, dropping altitude. Glancing behind her she saw a shimmering speck of ki blazing into view. Every second it grew more intense, till she could see the armored figure rocketing at a ferocious velocity to close the gap between them.

She veered her course down into the edge of the forest underneath them. Wild beasts of every description lived here, according to Goku. Up in the distance the misty rounded needles of rock jutted in contrast to the more conventional mountains, resembling a Chinese wall scroll. Perhaps she could lose that warrior or whoever was after her in the monstrous jungle.

If the monsters didn't' get her first, that was. Massive chikaras flickered under the canopy, while she ducked lower. Overhead the trace suddenly winked out, and she dipped into a tree for cover. Clamping down her energies she struggled to gather them again. While she had no hope of outrunning that warrior, she might elude it long enough that it would give up.

Unfortunately a loud bellow shook the tree. She shivered; glancing through crackling branches at a medium sized saber-toothed tiger crashing through the trees after several large flightless birds. Close behind them something streaked, hurling a ball of yellow ki in their midst.

She shrieked, dropping from the tree. Flipping over she landed in the forest floor. Anxiously she glanced around, reaching out her perceptions to sense the ki nearby. Hands raised as she generated a long staff of translucent polymer to whirl around her head for a weapon. Movement flickering in the bushes turned her attention, and she flickered around to see a large tiger drop out of the trees.

"Kuso!" she yelled, hurling her arm, sending several large spikes of plastic towards it. Pressing her pole to the ground she levered herself out of the way.

A loud snarl sounded behind her. Something dropped between her and the feline. Shaggy hair concealed its back. In seconds there was a loud flash of gold energy, and the smell of burning flesh and hair. She whirled around to see it was the Saiyan with the shaggy mane of spiky black hair.

He spun about, dark eyes fixing on her as she began to run. She wheeled just in time to hear his loud voice speak, "So, there you are. No use running from me… whoever you are…"

Military training kicked in. She attacked first, generating a hail of razor sharp quills that sizzled towards him. With one wrist he batted them away, and gave a slight smirk. "That's unusual. How did you generate those feeble darts?"

She did not answer. Instead she let the shards of plastic do the talking that she hurled next. Zipping out of view, the figure was nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately for him she could just discern him moving at hyper speed in the same manner Son Goku did. As a large hand dropped down to grab her, she whirled and slammed her staff into it. It smashed like a matchstick against his raised gauntlet. His other hand flashed out, but she quickly blocked it with a kick, and then threw something into his face that made him shout in anger.

Radditzu cursed as something sticky and hot shot over his mouth and nose, sealing it off. He tore at the plastic cutting off his air, gagging and unable to breath. Momentarily he raised his hand, generating a small grade blast that sizzled towards the female. She whirled, bringing both fists before her face to block it. By the time she generated another plastic shard to throw, Radditzu had heated the plastic up with one hand enough to melt it away.

"Are you perchance that alchemist they speak of? Unfortunate that they told me I had to kill you…" he said with a small smile. Easily he breathed. How long could this guy hold his breath, she wondered. A small smile came over his face, while he took deliberate steps towards her. Unfazed by anything she threw, he simply batted the plastic missiles away with a flick of his wrist. "Impressive, female. You actually almost suffocated me. If I was a delicatecreaturelike you might have killed me. But unfortunately for you, I'm not a weakling…"

"You're a Saiyan warrior, aren't you?" she blurted out.

"You've heard of us in this world?" he laughed.

"What do you want?" she demanded, glaring at him through her thick glasses. They were set in gold wire frames before her dark brown eyes, gleaming in the sunlight. Her navy blue State Alchemist uniform fluttered in the breeze. Radditzu's eyes seemed to trace every contour of her uniformed body. Although the pants were baggy the jacket was form fitting across her sizable bust. Long brown curly hair was half pinned up, while long tendrils hung down from the braid in the back to blow in the wind.

"You're a warrior of some sort… and a female I see… too bad that your techniques are nowhere near powerful enough to face me…" he chuckled.

"That's what you say," she said firmly, holding up her hands in defensive posture. She was glad for the transmutation circle inscribed on the inner sleeve of her jacket. Taking a cue from Roy Mustang's flame circles on his gloves she had made sure to do so on strategic points of her uniform.

"What's the name of this world... not that it won't be soon either reduced to ashes and sold to our customers..." he asked.

"Chikyuu, by its inhabitants," she said calmly. "We know all about what Saiyans do. Or used to..."

"Do you now? Intersting. But I've not come here to chat. Apparently you've got some friends looking for you. If you give me little resistance I might convince them not to kill you..." Radditzu said with a mischevious smile.

"I'm no use to you dead, Saiyan," she said quietly.

"Although if you WISH to fight me,I do like the sport of it…" he said. "I'll give you a sporting chance..."

"Wait… don't… you can't kill me… I know where Kakkarot is!" she shouted.

"What?" he blinked at her, stopping short. "What the hell did you say?"

"I know where you can find Kakkarot! I overheard that you're looking for him. If I take you to him… will you promise NOT to attack me?"

"I don't make deals with natives, I order them!" he growled, reaching out his hand to grab her. She blocked his next move, leaping back to hold up her hands crackling with purple chikara.

"I'm serious…. I know where Kakkarot is. He's alive… and those beings you're with… they're just using you…" she gasped.

"Enough of these childish games, female. You had better NOT be lying… or I'll be very angry…" Radditzu said, dodging around the small ki ball she hurled at him.

"That was just a warning. If you try and attack or hurt me the next one won't be…" she yelled.

"That merely tickled, female…" he laughed deeply, blocking it and hurling it back towards her. Raising one palm to face up, he stared ahead with an evil grin. Gold power crackled into a slightly larger ki ball, which he hurled towards her.

"If you want to play catch, here's some REAL power…" he said with a chortle. She crossed her wrists again, bringing them up to intercept the blazing ball he generated. His eyes widened slightly to see her successfully reappear from the dust generated by his small blast.

"That only burned. Look, do you want me to tell you or not? Or are we going to throw ki at each other all day?" she asked, looking more irritated then afraid. Radditzu was mildly impressed. Since when did he come across females who could channel ki, other than Saiyan females.

"What manner of female are you?" he wondered, raising into the air. Soaring towards her, he reached out his hand to scoop her up. She hurled another blast towards him, which he easily dodged before zipping out. From several directions he appeared, throwing more blasts to disorient her. At the last moment when she turned to block his punch, something shot out from his waist and snared her legs. She hit the ground, spitting out dirt.

"Blah… ugh…" she coughed.

"Too bad you little ningens don't have tails," he cackled, reaching down and sweeping her up with ease. She yelped when he tossed her over his shoulder and rose into the air quickly.

"Hey… wait a minute!" she yelled.

"Struggle all you want, female. But I don't think you'd like it if I dropped you… would I?" he taunted, keeping a firm hand on her backside. She yelped, glancing sickly down at the movement of the forest below her. Radditz flared his ki envelope around both of them, rocketing off towards the direction where they had first materialized.

"No… but it won't be long before you get a rude welcoming reception from some more powerful beings than I," she shouted.

"I highly doubt it…"

"Try me," she said.

"I intend to," he said, voice dropping deeply. His hand tightened, giving her butt a squeeze that made her squeal.

"Terrific, I'm being carried by a homicidal, horny monkey," she mumbled.

"What was that, female?" he asked. "I didn't quite make that out!"

"Where are we going?"

"Someplace you can tell me about Kakkarot. If you're lying, you'll be very sorry. But if you behave, I won't hurt you… much…"

"Let's just say that it's better if I take you to him, because if he sees you carrying me around like a sack of potatoes, he'll be pretty upset…"

"So he's alive is he? I suppose that he's had some major issue…"

"He hit his head on a rock and forgot who he was, all right? So you can forget him joining you…"

"Dammit," he grumbled. "Are you trying to piss me off?"

"No, I'm just preparing you for a nasty shock. They know all about Saiyans on this planet, because in fact…"

"Shit," he mumbled, touching his scouter with one hand. "We've got company…"

"Told you so…"

"Shut up female…."

"Destroyers," she mumbled. "Look, if you hand me over to them… you'll never find Kakkarot, or your Prince..."

"Is that so?" asked Radditzu, squeezing her waist tightly. "Tell me more... and you'd better not be lying..."

"I have no reason to lie. You're holding me at a disadvantage..." she said. "Your prince is in the very direction your friend went... and he's going to be surprised as HELL to see you two..."

* * *

Radditzu zipped to a stop, hovering in midair near the crater where they'd first met. Three figures blurred into existence from gaping rips crackling in reality itself. Flashes of fire and lightening belched around them before spiraling shut behind each Destroyer. Unlike Radditzu, they flew by the focus of glowing red hover packs on their backs. Her stomach crawled because she saw the leering face of Third glancing at her from behind Radditzu's back. 

"So, you've found one of our enemies. Very good…" said the lizard being she reconized as Fifth.

"I thought I said we Saiyans work alone!" Radditzu said firmly.

"You've done well. We'll take over from here…" said Third.

"I'm not done with her," said Radditzu.

"You were told to find her. Hand her over…" Third snapped.

"You're in no position to order me, Third. This female has something I want, before I consider handing her over to you…" said Radditzu.

"It isn't wise to argue with Leader, Saiyan…" said Third.

"What are you going to do, burn my body hair with those feeble hair dryers of yours. Don't make me laugh!" Radditzu taunted them as they raised their blasters. Fifth and Ninth trained their laser sites on him while Third's medallion crackled with chikara.

"Don't hand me over to them please... I implore you they'll kill me, and you'll get no closer to finding Kakkarot…" she shivered, clinging tightly to him.

"So you say, female," Radditzu laughed. Radditzu threw her up into the air, and the Destroyers tensed, whizzing about. Just as one of them moved close, Radditzu zipped in, and caught her under the arms and back. She drew in her breath sharply, feeling his fingers again tightening under her thighs. Just around her back his other massive hand curled, lightly touching the side of a clothed breast but not hurting her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she gasped.

"Shut up female," Radditzu hissed. "Say NOTHING."

"Stop messing around you primate! Give her over now!" Fifth yelled.

"No," said Radditzu. "I changed my mind. I want her for myself…"

"You stupid simian! You're as thickheaded and foolish as these weakling hairless apes! Give her over now! Or you'll be stuck here on this planet forever!" Third snarled.

"Oh, I'm so hurt by your words," Radditzu snickered, clutching his prize close to him. "I'm going to need a moment alone to recover my pride…"

"I'm warning you, you dirty monkey. Hand her over, or else…" Third hissed, flickering his blue tongue across his teeth.

"You can't trust primates at all, Third. I told you not to…" hissed one of the other destroyers she recognized as Fifth. "These Saiyans are just overgrown relatives of the humans… they're useless and uncontrollable…"

"I don't think they like you, Radditzu," she said. He blinked down at her, suprised that she knew his name.

"Feelings mutual. I hate lizards, especially ones with attitudes…" he mumbled.

"Well they hate anything remotely resembling a hominid... be it ape, human, neanderthal... anything descended from primates... as you well have guessed..." she murmured.

"How do you know my name, female?" Radditzu wondered.

"Do you really have to ask that?" she mumbled.

"I've got a sudden urge to see if they taste any better then they sound…"

"YUCK! If you get me out of this, I'll find you some food that won't make you puke…" she whispered.

"They aren't good for eating then?" Radditzu asked.

"I know you Saiyans eat a large deal of protein… if I feed you, and tell you what you wish to know… and I can take you to Kakkarot myself..." she gasped.

A pencil thin beam zinged off his gauntlet that he raised before his face. Another seven or eight blasts crashed into his chest and legs. Irritated he zipped in and out, then raised his hand to generate another sizable ki blast. "I said NO!" Radditzu barked. "She's MINE!"

"Fool!" Third hissed, baring his teeth. "You'll DIE for this!"

"Oh crap," mumbled Atomique, flinching.

"Kill him!" yelled Third. Reaching for their backs, they threw small rod shaped objects that whizzed end over end towards him. Snorting, he deflected each with contemptuous ease, detonating the plasma grenades with kicks and punches wreathed in deadly orange blossoms of fire. No sooner had he dealt with these then shoulder mounted cannons was produced out of quick reality rips. Swinging them to bear, all three opened up full blast with wrist diameter particle beams.

Radditzu zipped upwards, avoiding the beams that crisscrossed and singed past their attackers. Reality ripped, and each one of them vanished to reappear at random locations around the Saiyan. "You're delusional…" Radditzu snorted, shaking his head. "Allow me to introduce you to a more powerful attack… which is far more devastating than you could even fathom…"

Zipping up to a higher altitude, he raised his hand, and shouted something in a harsh tongue that she didn't recognize. Twin balls of ki arched up and around, splitting off like twin comets towards their attackers. Third maneuvered out of the way, but the other two zipped off with the blazes of ki trailing them only inches from impact. Although their levitation belts nimbly ducked and wove, the blasts finally overtook each independent target. At opposite ends of a blazing Y from his beams, they erupted into bright yellow puffs of smoke and fire, vaporized instantly. 

"You… you… killed them… just like…" Third gasped, raising his hands. He stretched them high above his head, screaming loudly.

"Don't insult me… you were the idiot who provoked me!" Radditzu answered calmly. "What are you doing now?"

"Mental incendiary!" Third screamed, channeling chikara from the crystal around his neck to his extremities. Orange lightening crackled, centering on his head. The two flickers of pulsing orange chikara spread from either hand then joined the aura around his helmeted noggin to join into a devastating ball. It shot forwards towards them both.

However Radditzu transferred her to one hand, and merely raised his other gauntlet wrist to send another beam of greater intensity towards third's gathered chikara. The backlash lit up the entire world for a second around both beings. Atomique grabbed unconsciously to her captor's shoulder, burying her face against his neck.

* * *

When the radiance faded, she saw Third reaching for his device. He sizzled out seconds later, leaving them both alone. Radditzu felt the female trembling in his massive grasp, with great interest. Hot breath fanned his neck, and he brought his other hand to hold her more securely in his grip. Just before he could open his mouth and say something, multiple traces showed up on his scouter. Simultaneously the sky before and around him opened up with a dozen or so black holes swirling with blue lightening. Out of each belched forth a destroyer, armed to the teeth with shoulder-mounted cannons, and full armor. 

"Going to try again are we?" Radditzu scoffed.

"Oh hell we're in trouble..." she trailed off.

"Don't insult me female... they are ametures. Although they were customers of us before... it would take two hundred of them to even cause me to lift a finger to..." he started to say.

"Attack!" they cried.

Before Radditzu could move, flashes of bluish white ki rained on them from above. Radditzu clutched her close, and she saw everything slow down in relation to them while he moved far faster in reference beyond the range of their attackers. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw two destroyers burst into flame from a blast following the words, "Volcanic plume!"

"Draining web!" shrilled a familiar voice. Tendrils of long sticky chikara snaked out, surrounding another Destroyer, while solidifying into webbing. He turned into a slingshot whirled rapidly around the head of Black Widow, ten feet away. Nearby, Jeannie gestured with a swing of her arms, generating a scarlet battleaxe in her grip. With wide swipes she hacked into destroyers coming at her from both sides.

Radditzu punched and slammed two Destroyers materializing before them. They screamed at the sickening crack of his impacts. Another kick sent them spinning one after the other towards the ground. Upon impact their shoulder cannons exploded, sending debris rising into tall plumes from the fields below. Glancing around behind him, she saw the bald headed Saiyan whiz into view, grabbing two destroyers that zoomed nearby. He cracked their skulls together, then broke their necks, grinning fiendishly.

A blast slammed into his black armored back. Nappa turned, unfazed, and threw back his hand. A sizzling bolt spiraled in a deadly blue corkscrew, detonating the sharp shooter and vaporizing him to atoms. He charged headlong at a cluster to his left, smashing them with one punch, and sending his fist right through the armored chest of another. Blood spattered his black breastplate. He tugged the body off his hand, hurling it into the third's beam.

"What is it with these weaklings? Don't they know they're only going to their graves?" Radditzu said, moving well out of the fray. He appeared to be concentrating fully on something, surprise wreathing his face.

"What's wrong… are you all right?" she asked.

"Quiet female… our talk will have to wait," Radditzu shushed her. "I need to concentrate... apparently you were telling the truth... at least partly..."

"I told you so!" she snorted.

From above, a lone figure surveyed the battle, arms folded across his chest. Radditzu levitated up and faced him, astonishment on his features. "My prince…you're alive?"

"Bejita your Royal WHYNESS, what the heck too you so bloody long!" Atomique yelled up at him.

"Well, well well, I see you got into trouble, just like I thought, you baka female," he taunted, glancing at her in Radditzu's arms.

"Your Majetst... but they said… you mean you KNOW this female?" Radditzu stammered. "I just now heard your voice in my mind… how… when… why?"

"I was delayed, no thanks to these losers. What the HELL are you two idiots doing working for them?" Bejita cursed at him.

"They said you were captured by the natives of this world. This female says she knows where Kakkarot is…" Radditzu stammered, clearly flummoxed by the sudden appearance of his prince.

"Of course, you imbecile! He's alive as I am, unfortunately!" Bejita snapped at him.

"But… Sire…"

"But nothing! I'll explain everything after these clowns are obliterated! Shut up and protect the female. I'm going to see if it's worth even chiming in here…" he mumbled, zipping out of view.

"This is too easy!" Nappa yelled to the two females fighting around him. In seconds almost twelve destroyers were flying about, being tossed to the fields below. Splatters of blood rained down from the wholesale battle raging around them. More Destroyers seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Leader screamed with rage, barking commands left and right. Jeannie's axe whizzed, while Christine zipped back and forth, draining energy and directing beams of ki. Nappa simply punched and smashed with strength that seemed far in excess of anything she'd seen. He was good at what he did, killing another squad of six with contemptuous ease.

"Holy smokes," mumbled Atomique. Close to a whole army of Destroyers was pouring out of a huge spiral rip. All around them the air was thick with battle, screams and shouts of the Destroyers opening full blast on the three warriors.

"They really are gluttons for punishment," Radditzu commented, still remaining well out side the sphere of combat.

"Aren't you going to do something?"

"I am. Now shut up and let me protect you. The Prince commands and I obey…"

"No kidding," she mumbled, wildly watching the fast movements of the Saiyan No Ouji darting about. He seemed everywhere at once, punching and slamming with blasts here and there. Laughing he spun full force like a buzz-saw, before hurtling a few destructo discs towards Third, and Fourth rapidly pelting the area with huge blasts of their laser cannons.

"Kill them! Kill them all! Take no prisoners!" Leader screamed. Jeannie suddenly pushed through the fray, throwing herself on the tall figure gleaming with metallic chainmail. Blows were exchanged, and energies surged between both females.

"I'm not the weakling you faced, bitch! I've got real power and I'm not afraid to USE it!" Jeannie yelled.

Both of them crashed together like two forces of nature. Leader slammed into Jeannie's punch with her laser rifle used like a club. Swinging at close quarters, they exchanged blow for blow. The sounds of bone hitting bone were drowned out by the blue white rapid-fire blasts of Bejita tossing kiko ha beams around. Close to another hundred destroyers had come out of nowhere, adding to the chaos around them. How many had perished, wondered Atomique, glancing through the smoke and fire.

Within minutes the smoke cleared, and there came a loud scream of rage. Jeannie yelled and cursed; throwing blasts towards a gaping hole that suddenly spiraled shut. On the ground, Nappa held two destroyers in either hand, waiting to crush their skulls together. Christine dropped the body of the destroyer who she'd just drained dry of its chikara. Bejita lowered his white-gloved hands, and drifted up towards Nappa.

"Don't kill them. I have a few questions…" Bejita commanded.

"As you wish sire," he said, throwing one of them down at the Prince's feet. She saw that it was Third, dripping from multiple wounds.

"So, you miserable cowards thought you could use my own warriors against me. How pitiful…" he said quietly.

"We only wanted what was ours…" gasped Third, coughing up blood.

"Unless you want another entire army dead, I suggest you stay the hell off my planet!" Bejita snarled at him.

"You imbecilic monkeys are little more than savages. You can't protect the humans forever. One way or another we'll get the talisman and if we have to kill you to do it…"

"I'd like to see you try," Bejita said coldly. "Now, do you have any last words that might prevent me from incinerating your sorry ass?"

"Burn in hell, you stupid ape, and all the hairless primates on this forsaken mirror dimension. You're stuck forever!" Third crowed, reaching down for a device on his belt. Bejita's hand flashed quickly, and third dropped with a dull thud to the ground.

"Really? I've heard a thousand or more such speeches and that was by far the most pathetic, don't you think?" he said, glancing at his warriors.

"Holy shit, we… really cleaned house…" gasped Christine, aka Black Widow.

"Just like old times," said Nappa.

"Leader got away," said Jeannie aka Dragon Womyn, with thinly veiled rage.

"So? I'm sure that you'll get your chance for vengeance soon. Stop bellyaching and tell me what the fuck's going on?" Bejita barked at her.

"Sire…" Nappa said. "What if Freeza…"

"Freiza's dead in this dimension you stupid dolt. I suggest you two are better off staying here with me. On this planet we're free to do as we wish," Bejita said.

"Really?" asked Radditzu.

"Really," nodded Bejita. "Now, let's go back to my home and celebrate. There is much that you two don't know about this world…"

"You're… happy on this little mud ball? With all due respect, sire…" said Radditzu.

"Let's get out of here before the Z losers make things more difficult," Bejita said. "Now! Move it!"

"What about the female?" asked Nappa, pointing to Radditzu with a nod of his head.

"Bring her with us. She's an ally... unfortunately," said Bejita.

"Is she mated?" Nappa asked.

"I WAS," she mumbled.

"Her mate's dead," Bejita said. "And mind your manners!"

"Damn it," Nappa grumbled.

"Need I remind you there's a possibility your mate's STILL alive?" Radditzu asked him.

"Yeah right, you just want that female for yourself..." Nappa said.

"Now wait a minute!" Christine said. "She's our friend..."

"Silence!" Bejita barked. "Let's GO!"

* * *


	2. In Bejita's Service Again

**In His Majesty's Service

* * *

**

Quickly they all threw themselves into the sky, rocketing off far before the distant traces of Piccolo, Gohan, and the others zipped into view. A half dozen gasping faces stared at several retreating glimmers of flickering light rising over the horizon. All Piccolo could do as he stood there gaping was shake his head. For a mile the blood of almost a hundred or so bodies littered the fields, broken and twisted like discarded toys.

"Oh man, we missed the fight… WHOA!" Krillen gasped, zipping into view.

"Where's your better half?" Yamucha asked.

"I guess we didn't need 18 after all. But what the HECK did this…" Krillen mumbled.

"We should be glad they're gone," said Yamucha with an annoyed grunt. "They've killed dozens of people… who knows what they would have done…"

"But all this… death… it's too damn familiar," Gohan whispered, shaking his head sadly.

"Cute, really cute…" Krillen inhaled deeply.

"Its… it's…" gasped Gohan, blinking. Videl's eyes widened in horror to see the mangled mess.

"Those… are destroyers… but they're all dead… what could have…" she trailed off.

"That's what I'd like to know," Piccolo gritted, striding out with the other Z fighters fanning out behind him. Everywhere they turned they collided with patches of blood soaked ground, or bits of armor and machinery crumpled to dust. Bodies of the destroyers were piled in clumps of five, as if someone had kept a running tally.

"I'm glad your dad wasn't here to see this… unless…" Videl started. She shut up when Gohan shook his head violently no.

"It looks like the dead zone," he mumbled. "Dad wouldn't do this… and the only person I can think of is Bejita. But he couldn't do THIS much in so short a time…"

"Bejita doesn't pile bodies in neat groups of five," Piccolo grunted. "This looks like something ELSE…"

He leaned down and picked up a small smashed device. Tossing it to Gohan, he grunted, "What do you make of this?"

"It looks like a Dragon Radar," said Gohan. "But the technology is just like the one that made these…"

Here he pointed to the smashed belts and cannons that Yamucha and Krillen were collecting, under Piccolo's gestures. Whatever they could find that was technologically related, they figured would be of use to Buruma. Yet most of it was a lost cause. Quietly the Z fighters gathered up the bodies and made makeshift pyres to dispose of the dead. Although they were enemies, they needed some sort of burial. Finally it was Videl who suggested they pile them into the large crater in the middle of the field.

"It's ironic," said Gohan quietly. "You know where this is?"

"What?" she asked, wiping her forehead while the other Z fighters carried the piles of bodies and tossed them down into the crater.

"This is where I first learned about my powers… you see that big crescent shape in the mountain…"

"Yeah… that's… not natural… isn't that where Piccolo first…"

"Fired a special beam cannon," Piccolo grunted, looming over them. "Yes. This is where it first happened…"

"Where my dad died fighting Radditzu," said Gohan, fists knotting with anger at the memory.

* * *

Meanwhile, Radditzu had forgotten he was carrying the female in his arms. His eyes fixed forwards on the two ki trails before him and the other behind him. Bejita shot forwards at a tremendous clip, his royal blue ki trail splitting the skies like a blue comet. Close to him rocketed the two females, clad in Royal Elite trainee armor. On the outer portion of the V flew Nappa and Radditzu, their own ki trails shimmering lightly with a faint gold like Son Goku's did. Was it a distinctively Saiyan trait, she wondered. 

"So, where are we going?" Radditzu spoke into his scouter at Nappa.

"We're going to the Palace," said Nappa with a grin. "Seems our Prince has done VERY well establishing himself on this little world…"

"So we AREN'T going back?" Radditzu clarified.

"No, you baka," Bejita's voice blared on his scouter, making Radditzu wince. "We're staying HERE, and don't forget it. But you two need extensive training in fitting into the indigenous culture…"

"Don't you rule this place?" asked Nappa.

"Shut up you fool. The natives of this world are primitive but have the capacity for violence. I am taking my time studying them so I can effectively rule them. Already I've made my claim, and there are those that oppose me. But true domination is through economic power, and my Consort has control of a multinational corporation that is the most dominant on this world. That is how I rule. Don't question me again," Bejita snapped.

"Sorry Sire won't happen again. So we get to STAY here?" asked Nappa.

"Frieza will not harm any under my generous protection. I like it on this world, and you will too," said Bejita, in a voice that sounded more like a royal command.

"Um, not to rain on your parade… but the others… will be wondering about me…" Atomique said.

"Sire, what do I do about the female?" Radditzu asked, still carrying her with his arms under her back and shoulders.

"Bring her with us. There will be MUCH explanation to the indigenous life forms and I must handle this with the utmost delicacy. Royal diplomacy is needed. I am hated and feared on this world. You two were not exactly welcome here…" said Bejita. "Leave all the talking to me. Do nothing unless I say so, or you'll die…"

"What?" Radditzu shivered.

"Let's just say, that in this reality you two are dead, destroyed at the hands of the Earth's Special Forces," said Bejita with a laugh. "So unless you want me to hand you over to THEIR tender mercies you'll obey me and my chosen mate without QUESTION…"

"You found a Mate?" asked Nappa, grinning.

"Yes, there was one female worthy of my attention on this miserable mud ball. And I have produced the requisite heir. You will guard him Nappa with your life, and you Radditzu will be responsible as chief of security in the local perimeter. Since you are the only two Saiyans remaining, you will be promoted to Palace Guard as Elites in training. But make no mistake; you'll STILL have to go through the rituals…"

"What about Kakkarot?" asked Radditzu. "You promised you'd tell me…"

"Kakkarot is alive and well, and known to me. I'll make certain you are reunited with your brother soon. But I must warn you, he's quite powerful. And his family does NOT hold you in high regard. So you'll have to WAIT till I arrange a suitable meeting…" Bejita snapped. "Now, follow my course. The Consort awaits us…"

"Huh, wonder what females they got on this rock," Nappa wondered as he glanced at Radditzu. "If they're like those two…"

"They're weaklings," said Bejita.

"You are not a weakling female, but you do need to learn manners, in the presence of Saiyan betters," Radditzu said, giving Atomique a little squeeze under her thigh.

"You jerk," she mumbled.

"You'd break them in two. You'll have to find other ways of sating your urges. Since you don't have a mate, either of you, my Consort will endeavor to find suitable candidates, but you are NOT to molest or purge without my orders. Got it?"

"No purging?" asked Nappa, widening his eyes in surprise.

"No, fool. We have another enemy to fight here. Our race is on the brink of extinction. We must fight to preserve it at all costs on this planet. It's called Chikyuu by its inhabitants. Land here, and wait," he said, gesturing with a gloved hand.

"Huh, makes sense to me," said Radditzu quickly, grumbling as Nappa gave the closest expression to pouting that a mighty Saiyan could muster.

"This is no fun," Nappa mumbled.

"Shut up, baka and be glad you're alive!" Bejita yelled at him. Instantly he shut his mouth, snarling in Saiyaneese under his breath.

"Seems to me that you shouldn't push your luck. The Saiyan no Ouji is far more powerful here than when last we saw him… so if you wish to live…" Radditzu barked at his comrade over a private channel on their scouters.

"Tail kisser, and hair grooming whelp," Nappa mumbled.

"What was that? I don't' think the Prince could hear that," Radditzu smirked.

"Um, I take it you two don't exactly get along?" Atomique asked. Radditzu snorted, glancing down at the female.

"No. I can't stand him, even if he IS a fellow Saiyan. Do me a favor and keep quiet, Woman," he mumbled. "You mustn't speak in the Prince's presence unless bidden… I don't wish to see your comely self splattered…"

"What was that? If I didn't know better you gave me a compliment," she asked, raising a dark brow from behind her glasses.

"It was nothing, ignore it, female," Radditzu blurted out, turning his face to the side. A small reddish tint spread over his olive complexion, to her amusement.

"I didn't think Saiyans blushed," she teased him, unable to resist the urge to poke fun at the bloodthirsty warrior.

"It's NOTHING, now do keep QUIET! Or do you want me to regret following the Prince's orders? Do ALL earth women talk so much?" he growled.

"Some talk more, Radditzu," came Bejita's voice over the scouter.

"Sire, I apologize I didn't' realize I left the link open!" Radditzu spluttered.

"Don't worry, you clown. And as for you, female, do keep quiet… you're among my soldiers, and I advise you to follow your protector's lead…"

"But I don't NEED protecting!" she spluttered.

"Shh, be QUIET!" Radditzu hissed. "My apologies Sire!"

"Shut up and follow, we're almost there," Bejita answered. Radditzu clicked off the link, wrapping his tail momentarily around the female's body to do so with a free hand.

"Pain in the ass," he grumbled, then switched to Saiyanese presumably, judging from the choice grunts and snarls that resembled the Prince's choice curses. Atomique had often spent time with Buruma in her laboratories sharing scientific collaborations. She heard the few curse words echoing in the halls from the GR routinely when Bejita happened to push things too hard. Buruma provided her with a loose translation of what they meant.

* * *

Radditzu and Nappa landed, bending over in a salute as two figures rushed out to greet them. A blue haired woman in a long dress blinked at Bejita with a concerned glance, flanked by several Capsule security personnel. In her blue gown that matched her hair and fine jewelry, she shuddered at the appearance of two Saiyans that had been bitter enemies. Now they seemed as docile as kittens with her Prince glaring at them threateningly. 

"Woman, we're back. Have you made the necessary accommodations?" asked Bejita quickly.

"Just a minute… are you SERIOUS they're not going to…" Buruma asked, resting her hands on her hips.

"Don't question me in front of these dopes. They serve me. And you know the price of disobedience, don't you, third class?" he barked at Radditzu and Nappa. Both dropped on one knee, extending their right hands forward like roman soldiers, averting their gaze. Still carrying Atomique, Radditzu sat her on his inclined knee while holding her around the waist with one hand.

"Show your respect, female, avert your gaze!" he hissed at her. Rolling her eyes she did so, knowing he would be shocked that the Prince already knew her.

"Whatever," she mumbled. Bejita and Buruma cast each other amused glances.

"Whom do you serve?" Bejita asked, arms folded across his chest. "Well, I'm waiting…"

Together Nappa and Radditzu chorused, "Sire, we humbly renew our pledge to serve the Royal Hose… and your Chosen consort as well…"

"Oh great… I'm a consort?" Buruma hissed through her teeth.

"I'll explain later," he grumbled. "Radditzu, put the female down, and both of you follow me…"

"Sire?" he asked, slowly rising and keeping a grip on her.

Atomique squirmed in his iron grip, saying, "Um, your um… Majesty, Son Goku's going to be worried SICK about me… and by the time they…"

"I didn't give you leave to speak, ningen," Bejita smirked at her.

"Oh for Pete's sake," Buruma growled. "This is ridiculous."

"Of all the confounded…" she blurted out. "Buruma, will you please tell him I already KNOW you?"

"Be silent in his presence, ningen," Radditzu hissed in her ear, and clapped a huge hand over her mouth to muffle her. Indignantly she squirmed, purple ki flickering in her fingers as she kicked against him. Nappa guffawed, and both elite females glared at him.

"She seems a handful, do you need help?" Nappa leered.

"Mind your own damn business!" Radditzu shouted back. "Knock it off… hey!"

A burst of purple energy exploded in Radditzu's face. Cursing he dropped her on the lawn, sucking on his hands. "Owww! Serves you right, you big baboon!" Atomique glared up at him.

"That HURT!" he snarled. "Nobody's EVER done that… not a female!"

"Radditzu, enough," Bejita said. "You're not to kill her… I'm too amused by this whole thing…"

"You are this close to sleeping on the royal sofa, your Whyness," Buruma snarled at Bejita.

"I'll be happy to take care of this," Buruma snapped. "Come here… you… Radditzu, right? I order you to give her into my care!"

"Yes your highness," he said, bowing to Buruma. She blinked, swallowing hard as the massive Saiyan backed away without question.

"Well, I think I could get USED to this," she said, giving Bejita a smirk. He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"It's about time. Thanks," Atomique whispered.

"Are you all right?" Buruma asked, as Christine and Jeannie walked over.

Radditzu cast Atomique a glare that made her shiver. Especially when she realized it wasn't filled with anger because a small smile twitched the corner of his lips. Dark eyes fixed her in a stare that told her she wasn't in any immediate danger.

"I shall see you later I trust, female. And we shall have a reckoning," Radditzu growled softly, fixing her in his gaze.

"Behave!" Buruma snapped at him.

"My apologies, but I simply request what satisfaction is due me…" Radditzu said.

Behind a gloved hand Bejita stifled his laugh, and realized the nervous Atomique had quite enough from the glares that Buruma was giving him. He really hated a stiff neck. Perhaps Radditzu could have the best of both worlds. _Why should Kakkarot train the female to defend herself when it was against Saiyan tradition for a mated male to do so with a female? Kakkarot's mate was gone, but they were still bound by children. Radditzu would be a better choice, since Atomique was Buruma's friend._

"Enough of this garbage! Both you clowns, fall in behind me. We've much to discuss. I shall see you later, Buruma," he said, waving her away dismissively. She grumbled under her breath and watched the males march off.

"Black Widow! Dragon Womyn, fall in!" Bejita barked. They saluted and cast an apology, rushing off to follow the Saiyans into the recreation wing. No doubt Bejita was leading them to his Hyper Gravity chamber, from the direction they headed in.

"What the hell is going on here?" Atomique whispered as Buruma took her hand and led her into the main part of capsule.

"I think somehow the Nappa and Radditzu from a parallel universe got over her and got stuck. I couldn't believe it when Bejita told me he sensed their ki. Lucky for West City he flew out and met Nappa before he decimated Capsule!"

"OH great… the Z fighters are NOT going to be warm to this," Atomique mumbled, walking alongside Buruma into the main room of Capsule.

"Why don't you go to one of the guest rooms and freshen up. I've called Son-kun so he knows you're all right. He's got your kids. But I just know Piccolo and the others are coming here soon… I hope I can talk them out of it!"

"They did us a favor," said Atomique, walking up the stairs after Buruma. She walked through the door that her friend indicated, seeing the generous sized guest suite.

"I've got some fresh clothes for you. Don't argue, I know you don't like charity, but this is a Royal gift. If you don't accept it, I'll have Videl kick your butt," Buruma teased.

"Very well, thanks," said Atomique.

"Why don't you come down to the lab and we can see how you can work it off," Buruma blinked. Atomique nodded gratefully, and sighed deeply.

"That Radditzu…"

"He's Goku's brother," said Buruma. "And I'm sure you heard all about…"

"Yes… but he didn't kill me… I told him I could help him find his 'Kakkarot'…"

"Wise tactic. Bejita will handle their reunion. But I can tell you Gohan's going to hate it…" said Buruma with a shiver. "Throw your dirty clothes into the laundry and I'll have them cleaned and repaired. Dinner's going to be ready at about five… and Son-kun will be over soon as Bejita gets these two monkey men adjusted to Chikyuu…"

"Won't that take a while?" asked Atomique.

"Yes, but he can do it. At least stop them from following Frieza's orders and be loyal to him. Then we're going to have to break the news to the Z fighters," said Buruma.

"Good luck. If you need any help…" she said.

"Thanks," Buruma nodded, walking out the door and seeing her friend close it carefully behind her. A blush came over Atomique's cheeks when she thought of the monkey man who'd carried her here.

"Stupid baboon," she mumbled, and wandered to the bathroom to change for a shower.

* * *

In the dining hall attached to the main area, a huge table had been set with hundreds of portions of food. Nappa and Radditzu plunked down, and rapidly tore into the huge sides of beef and pork arranged there. Bejita snorted and sat at the head, watching them as they threw bones over their shoulders and stuffed their faces. Christine and Jeannie shook their heads, demurely eating their fried chicken with greasy fingers. 

"So, when do I see Kakkarot, begging your pardon, Sire?" asked Radditzu, biting into a bit of jivaragh fruit, indigenous to his home world. He threw the core into the center.

"Soon, fool. You're so damn impatient you're pissing me off!" Bejita barked at him. He grumbled, realizing he'd have to teach these two some table manners despite the fact that they were only eating as traditional Saiyan commoners were.

"Servant, more wine," Bejita barked. Several of the caterers rushed in, pouring huge glasses of wine for the two new arrivals. They dwarfed any human being who dared approach, not questioning the Prince thankfully.

"Yes sir!" squeaked the caterer.

"Hey, are you mated?" Nappa drooled at one of the waitresses.

"Um… well…" she blushed, realizing he looked just like one of the wrestlers she loved.

"Nappa, stop thinking through your hormones!" Radditzu barked at him. "It's not seemly to carry on so! We're not in Freiza's service, we're in the Prince's home! Start thinking like a Saiyan!"

"You'd be wise to follow Radditzu's lead, Nappa. Any pillaging and you'll end up skewered by a Gallic ho," Bejita snarled, pointing two fingers at him. They crackled and Nappa swallowed hard, glancing anxiously at the two females giggling, while Radditzu grumbled.

"Great Oorzu you're in for it now!" Radditzu hissed.

"Shut up, third class," Nappa snorted.

"Drek eater," Radditzu mumbled, burying his comment in a huge rack of beef ribs. Hardly any of the food was cooked, because Saiyans ingested raw meat for their strength, or so Bejita had told his two students there.

"Stop undressing me with your eyes, dork," Jeannie growled at Nappa.

"You're not Saiyan, but you're very powerful…" he nodded.

"I'm a Dragon you idiot," she mumbled. "And I'm Elite… right Your Majesty?"

"No fraternization with the upper ranks, stupid," Bejita groaned, slapping his forehead. "Great Galaxy how did I ever put up with you two clowns all those years…"

"I wonder that too," said Christine with a giggle.

"You?" Nappa asked, blinking hopefully at her. He wiped blood off his moustache with the back of his hand.

"I've got a mate, you dope, so don't even THINK of it!" she glared at him. With one finger she tugged aside her dark red AE suit collar. Nappa saw a telltale mark on her neck.

"Pity," he sighed.

"Guess you're out of luck," Jeannie snickered, tearing off a piece of bread and devouring it.

Philosophically Nappa folded his knees and grabbed his large goblet of wine. He drained it in one gulp and swirled the dregs with his wrist, "Ah well, I'm sure this world has plenty of eligible females… right Radditzu… although they are puny they at least LOOK remotely Saiyan… except for the lack of tails…"

"True. It's somewhat… reassuring but sickening," Radditzu mumbled, spitting out his mouthful of food that had gone cold. "Some of them are hideous with those hair colors…"

"That female you were holding looked Saiyan… and she had the right power signature…" said Nappa.

"Hmmm," Radditzu mumbled, hiding the flush on his cheeks.

"Radditzu's got a girl friend," Jeannie teased.

"Shut up," Radditzu mumbled, throwing a bone towards her.

"Knock it off now!" Bejita barked. Both Saiyans averted their gaze, mumbling apologies in their native tongue.

"That's better. Now I'll be waiting for you after you finish. Don't leave this room, or else…"

"Yes sire!" they chorused, under the watchful eye of Jeannie and Christine.

* * *


	3. Nappa's delusion, Jeannie's prank

**Protection of the Saiyan kind**

* * *

Within a few hours she had washed and showered. She managed to sleep a bit, then awakened in a Capsule Corps bedroom. Stretching, Atomique climbed out of bed, then hobbled over to find her clothes had been cleaned and neatly patched.

She redressed in her State Alchemist's uniform, hooking the pocketwatch at her hip. Then she drew on the gloves that held the transmutation circles in the palms. Mustang and Elric's suggestions had come to this step. Yet with all her vaunted transmutation of carbon into plastics, she had barely held her own against those warriors. Nevertheless, she had stopped that warrior from killing her. Two years ago, she wouldn't have stood a chance even with her Talisman.

She clicked the back of her watch, securing the Atomic Talisman into place. Then she wove her hair into a braided bun, letting the rest fall down around her shoulders. Part of her was curious about those Saiyans, especially the one who had bothered her. Radditzu was his name. He was Goku's brother, long lost, yet what did she know about him?

From Gohan's memories he was a ruthless bloodthirsty bastard with no remorse. One could complain Vegeta was that way, but he had a wife and child some 15 years later. How would he reacclamate them to this world, she wondered. This would have to wait for a while, so she crept downstairs after closing the door to the guestroom.

On her way she passed through the main dome. She overheard voices of two people talking animatedly. It was Goku and Radditzu, to her amazed surprise. Before she could investigate, she felt Christine's hand grab her from behind. Her friend teased, "I wouldn't go in there if I were you. It's a Son family reunion…"

"Don't' SCARE me like that!" Tomique complained, glaring at her friend.

Christine apologized, pointing to the nearby doorway where she heard voices echoing from. They remotely sounded like Goku and someone else in the living room. "Sorry, but Prince's orders. Nobody's to bother Goku while he's getting introduced to Radditzu…"

"How long did I sleep?" yawned the Alchemist.

Christine walked her over towards the living room area, saying, "Actually most of the night, and part of the day. Goku's been talking to him since early this morning when he came over to come get you…"

"My boys…" she asked.

"They're with Gohan and Videl," said Christine, patting her shoulder. "Don't worry."

That thought made Atomique uneasy. Seeing her frown, Christine nudged her. "What gives?" she asked.

"Nothing… it's just I feel like I'm not around them enough… there's a lot of lost time to make up for,' said Atomique.

"Hey, don't sweat it. They can't be safer," said Christine. "Or are you worried about that Nappa guy?"

"Actually…" she trailed off. "Yes. I am… Radditzu seems to have SOME sense of honor, but both of them give me the creeps…"

Christine heard a bleeping over her scouter. Raising her fingers to the buttons she tapped open the link. "Uh, yeah… she's awake Sire. No… okay… you what? Okay I'll bring her in…"

"A voice from your commanding officer?" Tomique teased Christine.

Her friend gave her a wry grin, and then motioned for the Carbon Alchemist to follow. Both women approached the archway leading to the main living room area, then strode through. Several couches and armchairs were positioned around a large plasma screen television. Occupying one sofa was Goku, while Vegeta sat in one of the comfortable recliners. Right next to Goku sat Radditzu, still wearing his armor and scouter. Dark eyes fixed onto Tomique the moment Christine urged her in.

"Here she is, safe and sound, and refreshed, Sire," Christine motioned.

At sight of Atomique standing in the doorway, Goku grinned. He waved to her, calling, "Hey, sleepyhead!"

Radditzu's dark eyes fixed on her. Vegeta sat nearby, steepling his fingers. "Well, you're finally awake… took you damn long enough…"

Goku launched himself off the sofa, and bounded halfway across the room. He caught her up in a bear hug, swinging her around, as he laughed, "I was worried sick! The boys were also!"

"Hey, I can't BREATH!" she gasped. She flushed with embarrassment and pushed away against his hug. Seeing her struggling, Radditzu automatically leapt to his feet and rushed over to grab Goku's shoulder.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Radditzu gave him a horrified look. "Let that female go at ONCE!"

"Haven't you seen a HUG before?" Goku laughed, letting Tomique go. She dropped to the floor, grabbing her neck. Radditzu stood immediately over her, glaring at his brother.

"Radditzu, don't be a fool. As disgusting as their customs are, you must learn to accept them, if you're to live successfully on Chikyuu," Vegeta said, glaring at Radditzu. "Now stop being an ass."

"I wasn't hurting her. That was just a way of showing affection. But I forgot you guys don't do that sort of thing," Goku said. He helped her to her feet, and she dusted herself off.

"Do you have something to say to the female, Radditzu?" asked Vegeta.

"I have a name," said Atomique annoyed. "DO you remember it, your majesty?"

"Greetings, female," Radditzu said as he stood nearby.

She spun around to see Radditzu standing only three feet away. His arms crossed over his chest, and from a height of nearly seven feet he smiled down at her with a set of rather sharp teeth visible. The canines were especially pronounced, giving Tomique the impression that he was eyeing her for more than just a casual glance. Heat burned in his dark eyes, bottomless and devoid of any reflection of her. "So, we meet again, little one. I am relieved to see you are all right… after your ordeal."

"Um… I uh… I'm sorry about nailing you in the face, but I don't like it when people tell me what to do… when I already know," she said, glancing up at him.

"No hard feelings, female," Radditzu smirked, glancing down at her. He strode forwards, causing Tomique to back nervously into Goku.

"No, it's okay. He won't hurt you… he's cool," Goku said, nudging her forwards. "I'd like to introduce Atomique-san, Radditzu… she's living at my place and taking care of the house… I know you guys got off on the wrong foot, but my brother has something he wants to say…"

"So, you ARE brothers?" she raised a brow.

"Indeed we are, Tomique-san. Allow me to formally greet you in a manner far more proper than our last encounter," he said. Radditzu dropped onto one massive knee, extending his hand forwards with his other across his chest.

"Is that a Saiyan custom?" she asked Goku, bowing slightly as was the Chinese or Asian custom.

"I think he wants to shake your hand," said Goku. She did so, reaching out to touch her hand to his. Radditzu lightly took her hand in his enormous one, pressing his widow's peak covered forehead to the bottom.

"I must apologize for the abruptness of our first encounter, Tomique-san," he said. She chuckled and shivered wondering why he'd mispronounced her name.

"Don't let it happen again…" she trailed off. Electricity seemed to tingle in his rough skin lightly massaging her hand in his grip.

"You did as you had promised, Tomique-san, you reunited me with Kakkarot. And for that I owe you a debt of gratitude," Radditzu continued, glancing up at her. The green lens of the scouter shielded one of his eyes, while the other gazed up at her.

"That means he owes you one," said Goku.

"I figured that!" she said in frustration. "But really it's okay… Radditzu… I mean you saved my can from the Destroyers…"

"Radditzu, stop groveling and stand up," Vegeta snorted.

"Yes sire," he said, letting go of her hand and standing to his full height that dwarfed her. She bowed her head to Vegeta when she saw Radditzu's slight warning gaze.

"Thanks for saving my butt back there, and your hospitality, but may I ask a question?" Atomique said.

"What is it?" Vegeta asked.

"What does this all mean? I mean Goku and Radditzu…"

"He's getting to it," Goku said. "Why don't you sit down?"

She saw the chair he indicated, and sat down in it. To her surprise, Radditzu strode over and stood at her left shoulder, arms folded as if standing guard. Blinking, she stared up at him. "Um… aren't you going to sit down…"

"It's not seemly so to do, in the Prince's presence…" he snorted, glancing straight ahead. Yet why he stood behind HER baffled her.

"Doubtless you have many questions. And since you were the one who in a way facilitated the ease of this, I owe you an explanation," Vegeta said, folding his gloved hands.

"He means he's gonna try and get them acclimated to earth," Goku said with a grin.

"Is that wise?" she asked. "No offense… but…"

"At least you are honest, woman. But make no mistake; they will remain here at the compound. If it's your children you fear for…"

"Not them, but the Z fighters," said Atomique. "I don't think Radz here would do anything stupid. But Nappa…"

"Fair enough. He's busy guarding my son. Nappa may not be bright, but he knows the consequences for disobedience. But you two must pledge NOT to interfere in my reclamation of my warriors. Don't let ANY of your fellow Z senshi interfere for at least a few months. That's all I ask. Stay OUT of my business…" said Vegeta.

"Okay, but it ain't gonna be easy," Goku said. "But will Radditzu have to stay here? I mean he COULD come and visit me…"

"Brother, I have my duties. You are permitted to visit me here. There is MUCH we have to catch up on," Radditzu said, glancing at Goku.

"He knows the price of obedience as well, Kakkarot," said Vegeta quietly. "Nappa and Radditzu will live here at Capsule as my security guards. Christine and Jeannie will train with them, and assist them with acculturation…"

"I could help," Goku beamed.

"And you will as well. But what of the children?"

"I can care for them," said Atomique. "When he brings himself over I'll care for them. After all I need the quality time…"

"Great, and Goten can come with, and he and trunks and your boys can play together!" said Goku with a grin. "But they're still training, and so are you…"

"You may take meals together, to acclimate yourself," Vegeta said. "But Radditzu must remain here. He'll be in charge of security for the perimeter, and for any visitors. You'll have time to get to know one another when I permit it. But considering your son's difficulty."

"Oh yeah I forgot. Gohan doesn't much… well… he's not nuts about Saiyans," said Goku.

"Why?" Radditzu asked.

"I agree," she said softly. "None of the Z fighters are used to Saiyans. Especially ones they once saw as enemies…"

"Good then. It's settled. But there is another thing. I know Kakkarot is training you, but my wife has requested your assistance with a certain project. Since you're a specialist with plastics and polymers due to your unique… ability… she's asked for you to spend a few afternoons a week here… she's set up a lab for you," Vegeta said.

"Okay… but why isn't SHE asking me?"

"Because she's shopping that's why," said Vegeta. "Will you do this favor for us? You yourself wished to pay me BACK for helping are for your brats. This is your chance… to…"

"I'll do it. Provided I can still train with Goku, and have time to see my children," said Tomique.

"You will," Vegeta said. "Now, you may go… amuse yourselves. Radditzu, escort them out… I shall hope to see you both tomorrow…"

"All right," Goku grinned. "I'm just glad you're okay Tomique-kun…"

"Wait, I'd like to see the lab, if I might…" said Tomique.

"It's this way," Christine said, motioning for her to follow. Radditzu watched them both as they left, and then glanced back at his brother.

"Where is Nappa now?" asked Goku.

"In the GR chamber. With Jeannie. She is assessing his skill level," said Vegeta.

"No offense but is he… safe?" Goku asked.

"He will not harm your family brother, if that is your concern," Radditzu said quietly. "And he will not harm your female…"

"My female? That's a laugh! It ain't LIKE that… she's not my…" Goku waved a hand violently.

"She isn't?" Radditzu asked, blinking.

"My wife and I are separated… but Tomique's just staying with me till she gets back on her feet. Sure her kids live with me, but it's only because…"

"Kakkarot is caring for that woman's brats because I ordered it. Their powers are such that only his unique… training can be effective to stem their destructive powers," Vegeta interrupted. Goku blushed bright red.

"So they are not mated?" Radditzu said. "I see."

"No way!" Goku protested. "I'm not LIKE that! Her husband…"

"So she IS mated?" Radditzu asked, confused.

"Her husband's dead, and I'm just helping her out… honest. But anyway… why are you so curious?" Goku blinked at him.

"Just curious," Radditzu sniffed. "Besides, I don't' want that fool Nappa getting any ideas. He's sniffing around like a dog in heat looking for unmated females… ever since his mate…"

"Nappa has a MATE?" Goku squealed.

"Indeed, but she's been missing or dead for a long time," said Vegeta. "AT least in our universe…"

"There is a chance she may still be alive," Radditzu said. "But till then I don't' want him fucking around and causing any harm… I mean what would the local fools think? It's messy. You know how he is… Sire…"

"Then all the better to keep him occupied. Jeannie can handle him, as can Christine. And he'll be busy watching my son Trunks…"

"Is that wise?" Goku asked.

"Don't be stupid. Trunks may be small, but his power level could trounce Nappa when he goes Super Saiyan…" Vegeta smirked. "But Nappa is a good drill instructor. He'll work with Trunks while I work with the others…"

"Sounds okay, but I still…" Goku blinked. "I mean Radz and I…"

"You'll have your bonding time. As brothers. But don't get any silly notions about teaching him your sentimental horsefeathers," Vegeta smirked, leaning close to whisper in Goku's ear.

* * *

Jeannie sensed the ki of Christine and Atomique as she walked in the direction opposite the labs. Around her neck she draped a white towel. She took a large swig from her water bottle, frowning. There had to be something she could do about Atomique, because something rubbed her the wrong way. Over the past six months memories long buried due to Paul's powers were bubbling to the surface. One in particular clawed to the forefront, burning her with the slow caustic of jealousy. Another painful fact surfaced the whereabouts of Jeannie's egg. Had Atomique deliberately left it behind when taking her babies the last few hours they were on Earth?

"My child could have died because of her. Well, she will pay for what she has done. I don't know if William is alive or dead…" she thought.

Nappa was close behind, sniffing the air. She turned to him and grunted, "You smell it don't you?"

"That female Radditzu rescued. She smells so delicious…"

"Her husband is dead, so she has no male," said Jeannie with a slow smile.

"Is that so?" Nappa grinned.

"You might consider pursuing her…"

"But the Prince…"

"Doesn't have to know," Jeannie winked. "Consider it a gift. If you take her now, I'm sure you can do what you want to…"

"She's your friend is she not? She didn't seem too interested…" Nappa chuckled, wiping sweat off his baldhead.

"Oh, you know how some females are. They say one thing, but mean the opposite," Jeannie purred. "Why not? She's available…"

"This should be fun," he grinned as Jeannie strode out, whistling to herself.

"Wait here, and don't come till you hear my footsteps are gone," Jeannie whispered, stopping him with one hand outstretched. Nappa moved back out of sight, waiting patiently for her footsteps to vanish.

Leaving him behind, she walked a good portion of the way towards Tomique. She felt the eyes of her friend on her, and shivered. Christine noticed the tension, and spoke first, "Hey Jeannie… what's going on?"

"I see that you're unharmed. That's good," Jeannie said warily, glancing Tomique up and down.

"Yes. I understand that you're responsible for helping the two Saiyans get used to Earth culture?" said Tomique.

"Well yes," said Jeannie. "Which reminds me, Christine, I've got some questions for you about that one series of battle drills… could you meet me for a drink…"

"I was supposed to show Tomique here the new labs that Bulma…" said Christine.

"Oh, they're not far away. They're past the GR that way. Go down to the third door on the left and you can't miss it," said Jeannie.

"But…"

"I'm sure I can find a simple lab. I don't' want to keep you two from whatever it is you're doing," Tomique said, noticing the strange look in Jeannie's eyes. She seemed anxious, her energy veiled from full perceptions. Something was making it difficult for her to sense ki. For some reason she felt as if she weren't alone.

"Okay… but let us know if you have any problems…" said Christine.

"I'll send Bulma to check on you in a few," said Jeannie. "C'mon Christine…"

* * *

Tomique shook her head at the two warriors striding away. Alone in the corridor, she continued down the hallways towards the bank of labs. On the way she had to pass the thick doors of the hyper gravity chamber. This was the new advanced model that Bulma had constructed especially for Christine and Jeannie to train in, and it was a ways from the other parts of Capsule's private labs. She followed the arrows written in Hiragana and English, hoping she was headed in the right direction.

Yet another ki flared nearby, and she slammed into the tall burly form of Nappa, sweaty and broad shouldered. "You lost, human?" he grinned.

"No, but I'm on an errand for your Prince, so step aside," she blinked up at him. He grinned, blocking her way.

"Well it could be dangerous for an unescorted female to be roaming around this huge place," he said.

"Get out of my way, now, you oaf," she snapped, remembering that Saiyans often responded to violent shouts the best. "Don't piss me off…"

"As if you could harm me, a small fragile thing like you," Nappa laughed. "You aren't mated, are you?"

"Even if I was, what the hell business of it's yours?" she glared up at him. "Move it, now!"

"Oh, just playing a little game… to see how strong you females are," Nappa snickered, his hand flashing out to grab her. She flipped out of the way, bringing her hands to bear.

"This isn't funny! Leave me ALONE!" she yelled, throwing a mass of confetti into his face to distract him. Before he could see straight, she rolled under his legs and burst into a run. He rushed after her, but she send small bits of plastic shrapnel towards him, then raised her hands to create a solid barrier between them. He hammered on it with his fists, laughing.

"Shit… this is GREAT…" she growled, then collided with something solid.

"Where are you going?" asked the voice as it grabbed her arms.

"Let me GO, dammit! Not you too!" she spat up at him.

"I thought you were on your way to the lab!" Radditzu said, his hand closed around her wrist.

"Just leave me alone! I don't know WHAT sick game you and that Nappa asshole are playing, but I don't want ANY part of it!" she snapped.

"What makes you think I have anything to do with THAT elite? I'm a third class… and anyhow, why are you trembling like that…" Radditzu asked, then felt her twisting her wrists as shards of plastic exploded into them.

"Shit… does THAT answer your question?" she asked. "That shit for brains is AFTER me!"

"Drek," mumbled Radditzu as he saw Nappa materialize before them.

"Oh, there you are… didn't expect YOU here, whelp," he laughed at Nappa.

"Are you playing that stupid game AGAIN?" Radditzu snorted, pushing Tomique close to his hip. "For shame! This female is OFF limits!"

"According to who? Are YOU claiming her?" Nappa asked.

"She lives in Kakkarot's house, you clod! If anything happens to her, he'll kill you!" Radditzu snapped.

"Oh, is she Kakkarot's whore?" snickered Nappa, rubbing sweat off his bald head with the back of his hand.

"I'm NOBODY's whore," she snarled back. "I belong to ME!"

"Hmm, that's what a lot of 'em say till they get a little taste of…" Nappa grinned.

"Play along female," Radditzu whispered into her ear as she glared up at him.

"This is nuts," she hissed. Radditzu slid his hand down to her backside, giving her a squeeze.

"Nappa, just knock it off," Radditzu growled. "I'm responsible for her safety. Even if it extends to protecting her from your little games…"

"Ah, is that the case?" asked Nappa.

"Try me," Radditzu glared at him.

"Humph, you know I'm stronger than you." Nappa grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"So? Why waste your time on her. She'd rather die than play along. Besides which, her offspring are Royal wards. And you know that means by Saiyan law… the Prince has the say in whose she is…"

"Now wait a minute…" Atomique protested, squirming to get her hands free.

"Shut up, female!" Radditzu snapped, glaring at her. She snorted under her breath, and then felt his tail unhitch and wrap around her waist.

"Hmm, is that so?" asked Nappa.

"There's thousands of females on this planet. Why so interested in this one?" asked Radditzu.

"But her friend told me she was available…" said Nappa.

"WHAT?" asked Tomique. "Who told you that?"

"Your friend Dragon Womyn…" Nappa replied, blinking in confusion.

"You're NUTS!" Tomique shouted. "That's sick!"

"Enough of this, Nappa. I saw her first…" Radditzu waved his hand before them.

"Ah, true," said Nappa.

"And I claim satisfaction. Are you going to try and take her from me?" Radditzu added, holding his hand not grasping Tomique up with the palm facing Nappa.

"Not when I could trounce you. You're not worth my time. Besides, if you want the little whore, then I suppose I can't dispute your claim. You DID find her fair and square…" Nappa laughed deeply, resting his hands on his hips.

"I'd rather be with him," she said, glaring up at him.

"Your loss then," Nappa said with a grunt of disappointment.

"Radditzu DID find me, and he DID say I was his…" She slid her arm around his waist, and he nodded slowly, gripping her hip possessively.

Nappa shrugged and then winked at Radditzu. "Well then I can't see any reason to delay you in having your fun. Bout time you fucked something, boy. Just remember if you're putting me on, I'll be extremely pissed…"

"Enough, I know what I'm doing," Radditzu snorted. "Come along female… I'm responsible for you…"

"No hard feelings?" Nappa winked.

"Whatever, let's just GO, Radz," she shivered, glancing back at him.

* * *

She felt Radditzu's tail still twined around her waist as he gently nudged her forwards. Once they were out of earshot, she heaved a sigh of relief. "My apologizes, but you shouldn't run around unescorted when he's out of training," Radditzu said, releasing her hip. However his tail lightly flickered against her rib.

"What the hell was that about? I've heard of horny, but dammit…" she shook her head.

"He and I have our needs…" Radditzu growled, not letting go of her completely.

"I thought Saiyans mated for life," she said.

"That applies to Saiyan females," said Radditzu. "But with spoils of war, if a male is unstated, he may pick a female to meet his needs… if he's not mated…"

"Oh great…" she groaned. "So because you found me, you're going to fuck me?"

"Is that your word for it?" Radditzu blinked.

"Better you than that fat bastard," she shivered.

"Hmm, you have better taste then I thought, female," Radditzu said as his tail tightened around her waist.

"Now JUST A minute, are you still going to," she asked, shivering. "You're not kidding me…"

"I had hoped to see you later, female," Radditzu said as he glanced down at her, pushing her hair out of her face. "You and I have unfinished business… and now that we're alone… we should discuss it…"

"What the FUCK Are you going on about!" she gasped.

"I demand satisfaction. Since I just saved you from Nappa… you owe me," Radditzu grinned lasciviously.

"So you can rape me, is that it? Because you're so horny you can't see straight?" she asked, trying to keep herself angry so she wouldn't panic.

"Not rape. It's far better if the female is willing…" he said, caressing her cheek roughly. "And you DO belong to me… even if you live in my brother's house…"

"Swell," she groaned. "You really are serious…"

"Are you frightened of me, female?" Radditzu asked, as she squirmed in his grasp.

"Yes, and no. Please don't' do this… my children… Radditzu this is CRAZY!" she yelled.

"I will not harm you, I give my word. But you do owe me your life… however there is the matter that you did me a favor in return. You reunited me with my long lost brother. And as such, that means I owe YOU something…"

"So doesn't it cancel out?" asked she.

"You're still a spoil of war…" Radditzu purred, gently picking her up in his arms.

"Oh shit," she groaned. "You can't just… HEY PUT ME DOWN!"

"I swear I won't break you, female…" he whispered, and gave her bottom a swat.

"What about if your brother finds out," she asked.

"It can be our secret," Radditzu said. Carefully he picked the female up and carried her with him to find someplace more comfortable. He wanted to enjoy as much as he could before she would return to his brother. Yet he hoped she would seek his protection again after this.

"Put me DOWN you lummox! HEY!" she yelled.

"Don't argue with me, female. You can't stop this," Radditzu said.

"You're nuts… Goku will KILL you when he finds out! You're insane! HEY!" she screamed.

"I would be silent if I were you!" Radditzu snarled. "Shut up! Do you want Nappa to hear you?"

"Let me GO you mother fucker!" she hissed.

"No female. Nappa's not gone. And I don't think you want to deal with him. Your only chance is to play along with me… and since you already…"

"I can't BELIEVE you're asking me this… has the world gone NUTS? I'll tell the Prince…" she said angrily.

"He can't get here in time. And unless you want Nappa changing his mind and suspecting something, you should shut up. He'll kill you, and me both if he's pissed enough… and I don't want you dead before I can have you…" Radditzu snarled, clapping a hand over her mouth. "You don't want to die do you? I'm doing this to save BOTH our asses..."

She grunted and kicked. "Stupid female, even if the Prince DID find out, Nappa will have killed us both… now will you SHUT up?"

"Fine, you got what you wanted. Let's just get on with it," she sighed, stopping her struggle. "It's obvious you want to rape me…"

"I don't rape. There's no fun in it. I like it when the female agrees to it. And usually if I spare her life, she gives me her pleasure in return. And my protection… till she's found of course," he sighed. "I DO have my needs… and Nappa will be suspicious if something does not happen… so if you're willing, it will be all the better for you. I won't have to work so hard to persuade you."

"So he'll know if we don't fuck or not?" she asked. "You seriously say you're going to have to FUCK me to keep Nappa from bothering me?"

"Yes. And it seems to me your so called friend Jeannie wants you harmed," said Radditzu.

"I can't believe that…" Atomique stammered. Urgently Radditzu's scouter bleeped, flickering patterns of yellow light across his eyepiece. Grumbling in Saiyago, he punched the button for a second or two, then frowned.

"He wasn't lying, Tomique," said Radditzu. "I sensed her ki. She deliberately led Christine away to leave you vulnerable. She knew Nappa was there, and I heard part of the conversation… I'd gone after you because I suspected something was wrong…"

"You mean to tell me that you heard the whole thing?" she asked.

"Saiyans have sharp hearing," said Radditzu, walking quickly along to put as much distance between them and Nappa as possible. Judging from the flickering on his scouter, he saw Nappa's trace pursuing them at a distance of ten yards. Apparently his comrade was trying to confirm that Radditzu really was going to take the alchemist for his own pleasure. Unfortunately Nappa got a sick thrill watching others mate. Including his fellow Saiyans.

"The Z fighters will stop both of you… you're as good as dead…" she gasped.

"Tomique, a lot of people on this planet will die. It's simpler just to submit to me and let Nappa think you're mine. He knows you're not Goku's…" Radditzu said matter of fact.

"Someone wake me up. This is EARTH; I don't belong to any of you! I refuse to…"

"Listen to me you idiot!" Radditzu growled. He brought his face close to hers, whispering right into her ear, "Nappa will stop at NOTHING once he sets his sights on it. He's happened to do that to YOU, because you're powerful enough. He likes chasing things and raping them. If anyone is more dangerous it's him. He'll grab you and rape you if you're not taken. And I don't want…"

"Goku will kill him…" she shivered.

"I know, but he can't get here fast enough. Listen to me Tomique… I don't just do this for me. ON Frieze's ship I would mark any female whose life I saved. Only by claiming them could I keep them alive for my own pleasure. Because they would torment me if I had no bed slave or whore. I have already had the experience of someone else my own sex… resorting to me… but he was a shape shifter. I prefer females… and well…" he trailed off.

"So you think the only way to keep me safe from your pal is to get to me first. It's as I figured…" she sighed.

"He's listening to us right now," Radditzu hissed urgently. "That's why I'm saying all these things…"

"Kami… you're joking…"

"Trust me Tomique-san. You MUST do as I say or he could destroy us both. And your Jeannie won't help, and Vegeta is too far away to get here fast enough. Nappa can disintegrate you with a snap of his fingers… you saw how he slew those vermin," said Radditzu. "My brother's already gone home… you don't have any options…"

"Do you have to FUCK me, maybe if you just got your scent on me…" she asked.

"That's not enough, female. He needs to sense my ki on you, marking you. You may have slept close to my brother and lived in his house, but you haven't been claimed. Nappa won't touch any female I've had," he said. "And you are my responsibility, since you helped me find Kakkarot…"

"Just… don't hurt me. My children need me… I'll give you what you want, but just don't hurt them Promise me you won't let Nappa harm them…"

"You give yourself so freely? Willingly?" Radditzu asked her.

"I'll do anything to keep my children safe. And it you're going to take me anyway, I might as well just submit and get it over with…" she said, squeezing her eyes shut as her body tensed.

"Keep quiet, and don't' fight me. I'm taking you somewhere we can be alone, and more comfortable," Radditzu said. She clung to his shoulder.

* * *


	4. Raditz' Solution to Nappa

**Lesser of two Evils is actually Good**

* * *

Carrying her into the barracks he found the room he'd been assigned, and then lay her down on the reinforced bed. Pinning her down with one hand, he crawled up and straddled her hips with muscular thighs. She closed her eyes, swallowing hard as she lay her arms to the side. 

"You are… beautiful for a ningen… almost Saiyan," Radditzu grunted. "I won't be too rough. This CAN be pleasurable for you…" he said. Radditzu leaned down and smelled her sweet scent. He roughly tore at her uniform, and she reached up to try and help him unbutton it. His fingers removed the pins holding her hair and it fell around her head like a brown aura.

"But if we ARE going to do this… don't I even get a kiss?" she asked.

"A what?" Radditzu blinked.

"Terrific, you don't know what a kiss is…" she groaned.

"Is it something sexual?" he asked.

"You'll like it. It's like putting your mouth over mine and tasting me. Without biting," she said leaning up and pressing her lips to his forehead and cheek.

"Hmm, biting without using teeth. Weird. We Saiyans bite each other like this," Radditzu said, giving her ear a nip so she shivered. She did the same, causing him to rumble with pleasure.

"Can I? As long as you're going to do this anyway… I'll show you what we do on earth… or at least my earth," she said, sliding her hands around his neck. He lifted her still straddling her, but supporting the back of her neck with one hand. She kissed the tip of his nose, then nibbled lightly over to his mouth where her lips lingered. Radditzu remained still; not quite sure of what to do, but knew that with his pleasure slaves he would have them take the lead.

Radditzu murmured as she teased his lips then pressed his more forcefully to hers. Sliding her hands up she combed through his mass of black hair slipping around on either side of her head like a waterfall of night. He glanced past her as she turned her lips to the side, and thrust her tongue against his. Of course he opened his mouth and let her show him what she meant, and it dawned on him what to do next. Some might think it disgusting, but it tasted good. Tasted of her.

"We Saiyans share food. But you aren't chewing anything up for me… how odd," Radditzu murmured. "But I comprehend…."

His hand tightened on the back of her neck, and he yanked her forwards, while keeping his tail around her waist and his other hand cupped a breast. Roughly his lips sealed hers off, slightly larger and ten times stronger. Small nips of his teeth on her tongue caused her to gasp, and she struggled to regain control of the kiss, slipping her lips from under his. Radditzu purred in delight, loving how she struggled to increase her pressure and move her tongue so forcefully across his palate, yet avoid the sharp canines.

He still pinned her down, and started to undress her. But she let him continue the hard kiss, instead trying to get the buttons undone before he ripped her clothes. She did like the uniform after all. Together they managed to get it off and throw it aside so it remained intact, save her bared feet and under things. Under her back the bed was soft and yielding, while his armor was also hard and cold. Radditzu divested himself of the breastplate so he could feel her soft body pressed to his.

She seemed so delicate under him, but enticingly female. Small welts on her body indicated where he had nibbled her, and he felt blood dribbling from the sharp bites she had made on him. Inhaling her heady scent, he pulled her hands towards under his armored skirt, which was the next thing to go. Finding what he most wanted touched, she willingly caressed him through the spandex.

"Very good, very good," he growled through their kisses. She was far stronger than he gave her credit for, and her wide hips fitted nicely under his thighs. Her fingers moved over his upper thigh, squeezing it under the thigh bracelet there. He trailed his hair over her skin, causing her to gasp as it scratched and tickled with his texture.

Tears spilled out of Atomique's eyes as she simply yielded. Radditzu's hands moved clumsily over her body, but did not squeeze hard enough to pinch. His hot breath fanned her face, and he held most of his weight off of her on those muscular thighs. Unwinding from his waist, his tail lightly tickled her body, then flickered over to wrap around one thigh and tease her midway up.

"What is this moisture in your eyes," he rumbled, wiping it away with a rough finger. "You really are scared of me, aren't you?"

"What does it matter anyway?" she asked, trying not to cry. "I just want to live… because what I already did to them… I couldn't be there…"

"Female, don't cry," Radditzu sighed as he cupped her cheeks. "I want you to give yourself willingly in exchange for a debt. But someone as strong as you are… it seems… hollow… I had expected you might give me some objection…"

"Just do it, and get it over with… actually come to think of it I haven't had a good lay for ages," Tomique snapped grabbing fistfulls of his dark hair and dragging his face down so her nose was inches from his. "If screwing you will keep me safe from Nappa, then let's do it. I don't' want that bastard to get his hands on me."

"That's not really why I want you. How strange. You act as if you've already known a male's touch, and you mourn and yearn for it at the same time. I smell the confusion and I want to know why. You're not just doing this out of favor; you actually do want this, don't you? You're looking forwards to this…" he asked her with a grunt.

"Maybe it's the only way I can get a male to be close, is to have some stranger do it… even if it's an alien… I already lost the man I loved…" she said, wiping angry tears from her eyes. "I'll fuck you in return if you fuck me. I might as well enjoy it, right?"

"Female, you are an enigma…" Radditzu pondered. "You haven't given yourself to my brother, and yet he's given you food and shelter… but you'll give yourself to me?"

"You saved my life. I owe you, right? And if I don't, then someone ELSE eventually will… and if it's a choice between you and that asshole… you're it hands down. I mean you DO look strong, and such, and as long as you don't break me in half I suppose I could live with it," she grunted.

"Hmm I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted," Radditzu said. She screamed as he bit her shoulder, breaking the skin. He licked the blood away from the ball of the shoulder.

"Oww you BASTARD!" she gasped.

"I've marked you Tomique, so he won't bother you," he growled quietly. "Now relax…"

"Why didn't you just do THAT instead of…"

"IT won't be enough… I can sense him nearby," said Radditzu. His scouter flickered with readings, and she gasped as she clung to him.

"You mean he's…"

"He's just outside the door," said Radditzu, pulling off his scouter and placing it on her head. "There's no choice…"

"Dammit…" she whispered, tears in her eyes. He took the scouter off, and set it to the side, still keeping it activated.

"You can't touch my tail, but it will touch you," he grinned, flickering it between her thighs while he pushed them apart.

"Damn…" she gasped. "Can I…"

"Be careful…" he said. From the scent Radditzu knew she was ready.

"I haven't…" she trailed off.

"I know. That's why I'm doing this," he mumbled. "My father had long ago told me to do this if…"

"Hmm," she said, realizing he had all but admitted he wasn't as experienced as he would like. But she pretended to ignore it.

* * *

She was shy when she realized they were exposed to one antoher. Well he wasn't completely because he still wore the boots from his armor, and the gauntlets, not to mention an armlet and a matching thigh ring on his left upper thigh. Several hours had passed, and she lay with her head pressed just under his chin. Soft fur flickered up and down her side, then snared her leg possessively in his tail's warm grip. 

"This isn't so bad after all," she whispered.

"Not so bad?" he snorted, glaring up at her. "I would have thought you had enjoyed yourself as much as I have. You're very good at this."

"It's incredible actually," she sighed. "I haven't for a long time…"

"I know," Radditzu said, reaching up and squeezing her upper arms. "It doesn't matter, and I can't tell anyway."

"I should be insulted, but I think you gave me a compliment?" she asked, swallowing hard.

"Hmm," Radditzu said. "I've not had my fill of you yet, Tomique… and I suspect you would like more of what I have to offer…"

"I thought you'd kill me… but I guess I could get used to this," she whispered. She leaned down and kissed him far more tenderly.

Radditzu wasn't sure how to answer this, for saw a certain fondness and acceptance in the female's eyes that he had hoped for. "Not when we owe each other a favor, female. But right now I'm going to sleep now, and I don't want anything happening to you… so I suggest you rest as well along with me…"

"Stay here with you then?" she asked.

"Yes. I don't' want Nappa getting to you," he yawned before he was out like a light. Soon she feel fast asleep, far too weary to move.

* * *

Radditzu woke first, and saw her laying there alongside himself. He reached for his scouter, then saw the absence of any trace. Residual ki from Nappa's presence still gave a faint echo of 4-battle power. Yet he was gone. Mumbling she clutched onto him, and he lay flat with her sprawled on top of him. For a long time they rested together, Radditzu sheathed in her body while she made small patterns on his chest. His tail flickered over her, and she slowly blinked in surprise. As she made to move, he held her down. "Where do you think you're going female?" he teased. 

"I have… a problem," she said.

"To the left," he murmured, letting her go. Carefully he pulled away, and disentangled himself from her. He flared his ki to dry the sweat from his body. A voice echoed in his brain, and he groaned with the intensity. Reaching to his left he slipped on a pair of boxers.

_A voice echoed in his brain, and he groaned with the intensity. **"Radditzu, get your ass down here. I need you on watch,"** Vegeta said. _

_Radditzu blinked fully awake, and yawned, **"Sire… I apologize for disappearing… I was… occupied…"**_

_**"I see,**" said Vegeta quietly. **"Well, finish what you're doing. Do you know where that female that was with Kakkarot is?"**_

_"She's… unharmed," Radditzu said._

_**"When you're finished with WHATEVER it is, then bring her to me,**" said Vegeta. _

_**"Very well sire,**" he said, pushing the covers off himself. **"But we only just…"**_

_**"Is there something you're NOT telling me?**" Vegeta's voice asked._

_**"I… well… was… satiating myself,**" said Radditzu, glancing anxiously at the door._

_**"Hmm, really? With whom?"** asked Vegeta's voice._

_**"That female of Kakkarot's…t he one I saved… I… well…"**_

_**"You had sex with her, didn't you?"** Vegeta's thoughts echoed._

_**"Was I not supposed to? You said I could have my satisfaction… and I didn't want Nappa to harm her…"** said Radditzu._

_**"WHAT was that about NAPPA?"** asked Vegeta angrily._

_**"Jeannie convinced Nappa that Tomique wanted to have sex with him. So Nappa got a delusion to take her no matter what. I sensed that you weren't close enough to help with my scouter, and Kakkarot was already gone. Jeannie was keeping Christine occupied, and it was the only way. I tried to get her to come with me, and she played along. But then Nappa pursued us to make sure that I was going to follow through!"**_

_**"Why didn't you CALL ME, you baka?"** asked Vegeta angrily._

_**"You know that he would have killed the female in his anger before even YOU could have reached us. I didn't want my brother to be angry with you or myself. If the female had not willingly given herself I would have thought of another plan… but we can't afford to have Nappa go crazy…"**_

_**"I know. I suppose you did what you had to. Is she unharmed?"**_

_**"She's fine,"** said Radditzu. **"She seemed quite happy to… do this."**_

_**"Humph it figures. I suppose that I can tolerate it, but you must be discrete about it, because I don't want the damn Z fighters thinking you raped her, because they'll give me NO end of bother!" **Vegeta scolded him**. "Does she want to continue this?"**_

_**"I don't know sire,"** said Radditzu quietly. **"But she seemed to enjoy it… and she was willing…"**_

_**"Did you bite her?"**_

_**"Her shoulder. Maybe Nappa will think she's mine… and leave her alone," **said Radditzu. **"And it's better that he thinks her mine, then Kakkarot, because Kakkarot has a mate already… and she's not a pleasure slave or whore…"**_

_**"Well Kakkarot's bugging me about if she's returning because her brats are asking about her, you fool. So clean her up and bring her down here. I don't want your scent clinging to her. She needs to return to Kakkarot's dwelling, though I loathe that fact."**_

Tomique stood in the doorway, seeing Radditzu sitting on the side of the bed with his head in his hands. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Sire, she's speaking to me, I need a moment…" he pleaded.

"Radditzu?" she asked.

"You may use the cleansing unit to shower if you wish," Radditzu said as he glanced at her. "You should find drying cloths in…"

"Thanks," she said, then glanced at him oddly, guessing that he was trying to keep her out of the room momentarily. She let the door slide closed, blinking in confusion.

_**"I don't' want to give her up,"** he said stubbornly._

_**"Fool. If you want to continue fucking her, I suggest you do it only here, and in complete discretion…"** Vegeta answered._

_**"As you wish sire," said Radditzu. "But can I at least keep her here till the morning? It is late…"**_

_**"FINE you moron. Fortunate for you the royal concubine needs her services. But she needs to contact Kakkarot herself and let him know she's not DEAD,"** said Vegeta angrily. _

_**"IF you are angry my sincerest apologies,"** Radditzu swallowed hard._

_**" Luckily for you this might work to our advantage. But I can't have messes. Since you fancy her, I'll let you protect her when she comes to Capsule, because it seems there is another that shows enmity towards her… and that idiot Nappa won't leave her alone. But enough of this. If she's willing you may have her stay with you…"**_

_**"As you wish,"** Radditzu nodded. _

* * *

He sighed deeply, then glanced at the bathroom, hearing the shower. Steam filled the air, and he saw her poke her head out of the bathroom door. "Oh damn I forgot… Goku is going to worry…" she called out. 

"He has left the complex. You are alone here, and in no danger," said Radditzu, completely at home with being in just his underwear before her.

"My kids…" she trailed off, then hid her chest with the towel wrapped around her.

"Don't concern yourself. I'm certain they are fine," he said quietly. "You need nourishment if I'm not much mistaken."

"Well, I am starving… how long have we…" she asked, shivering and keeping her back to him.

"Five hours," he said.

"Good grief," she groaned, then walked over to sit on the bed. Radditzu had put on a pair of boxer shorts while he moved around the room searching for something. He grabbed a box filled with items, and turned to throw it towards her. Quickly she caught it in her lap. Reaching into it she picked out what appeared to be foil wrapped food concentrates, making a face.

"Atkins bars?" she asked. He returned to the bed, carrying a large bottle of Evan water he had pulled out of a full sized fridge to the left of the desk where his armor lay. Her own stomach rumbled, and he sat down on the bed next to her.

"Because Nappa might be lurking about, I don't wish to leave this room, and these contain ten times the nutrient value of your feeble protein bars of the like. They're formulated for space rationing," he said, ripping a few open and quickly devouring five.

Shoving a half-eaten bar into her hands, he grunted expectantly. She nibbled, and tasted the strange meaty flavor somewhere between pork and duck. It then dawned on her it was compressed meat, not synthetic. Like super dried jerky. It was tough, and Radditzu grabbed it back to bite a bit off. He then shoved his lips over hers, thrusting his tongue with the half-chewed food into her mouth. Groaning she realized she was supposed to eat it, and did so without gagging. Still she felt ill. Yet the hunger was so intense she swallowed. He gave her the bottle and she drank greedily.

"You eat hardly anything, I don't want you getting sick before I've had more fun with you," Radditzu scolded her.

"I need to go home sometime," she reminded him.

"Stay here," he said. "You may share my quarters… after you call my brother and tell him you're fine. I don't wish you traveling back at this time at night. He will annoy me and the prince further… tell him you're working in the lab…"

"You seem awfully eager to keep me here," she said quietly. "I guess you like me after all…"

"It would be… awkward for you if you run into Nappa again, before tomorrow. He often likes to drill late into the night. And it's eleven…"

"Figures. You have yourself a deal, Radz-chan," she said, moving over to kiss him. He released her, and then pointed to the phone.

"I think that primitive device is hooked up… at least that is what the Princess told me…" he grunted, wolfing down more concentrates.

"Princess? What happened to Concubine?" she asked. When she got up, she felt something whack her in the backside.

"Off with you now, you silly female," he said.

"Jerk," she mumbled, grabbing the receiver. She punched the numbers for Goku's home, and waited.

"Hello?" a very sleepy Gohan answered.

"Um hi Gohan, is your daddy there?"

"Tomique chan, where are you?" Gohan gasped. "We were so worried…"

"I'm fine! I just ran into something involved at Capsule. I was going to spend the night… if that's all right…"

"Spend the night? My dad said you were being shown to the lab but it's so late!" Gohan protested.

"Are my kids okay?" she asked.

"No worries. Videl and I put them to bed. Are you SURE you're okay? You sound out of breath!" Gohan protested.

"Gohan-kun don't fuss! I'm fine!" she said irritably, sitting down next to Radditzu. He was licking food concentrate off his fingers and glancing at her in amusement.

"Okay if you say so. But I hope you're coming home, because the twins ARE worried…"

"Kuso… I'm sorry…" she said.

"Don't worry… it's not a big deal…" Gohan said quickly, sensing her self-deprecation. "I'll just send Dad to come get you. By the way, do you know what attacked those Destroyers? Dad told me that Vegeta and his students had taken care of it… and I wasn't to worry… but it doesn't look…"

"It's not something to worry about Gohan. Trust me, and your father. Please…" said she, pushing Radditzu's tail lightly away as it snaked around her hips.

"Are you sure? Is there something wrong?"

"No Gohan. Just go back to sleep, after you tell your dad I'm sleeping over at Bulma's home. I'll be back in time for lunch…"

"Okay I'll do it. But don't make us worried sick!" Gohan mumbled. "I mean there was something fishy about that whole scene. Vegeta and your friends were bloodthirstier than…"

"Goku will explain it all… please… I gotta go… okay? Goodbye, and sleep well,"

"Goodnight Tomique," said Gohan. She hung up the phone and sighed.

* * *

"He's suspicious," said Radditzu quietly. 

"Yes, but he's a scientist, like me," she said, glancing at him.

"Interesting. I should be pleased to meet my nephew," said Radditzu.

"Um, that wouldn't be a good idea just yet," she said. "Didn't Goku tell you?"

"Tell me what?" asked Radditzu.

"Well, it has something to do with the Z fighters not trusting you or Nappa. That's all I know," she said.

"Very well," he said.

"Do we have to leave here… I mean it IS late… and you aren't on duty are you?" she asked.

"I have mentally informed his Majesty you'll be staying. Then tomorrow you'll return to my brother's residence…" said Radditzu.

She sighed, and kicked off her boots. Radditzu lay down, and pressed her under himself to accept the kiss she so freely gave. Easily he removed her clothes, throwing them onto the floor. Purring, he began to caress her again.

"You can keep going for as long as you like," she said.

"I intend to. Saiyan males are quite difficult to satisfy completely. But I shall permit you to stroke my tail if you don't be foolish," he said. She gently caressed the fur around her waist, causing him to snarl loudly. Tomique was amazed that he hadn't killed her with the force of his body. Radditzu buried his face into her neck, softly nipping at it but not breaking the skin. He pushed himself off her, and lay to the side. However his tail snared her waist and he lay his arm across the back of her head.

"You're far stronger than you give yourself credit for, Tomique," Radditzu said, turning her over to face him.

"Didn't you give me a bit of your ki?"

"Yes, since I fancy you. I can treat you well, and there are few else who can give you as much pleasure as I, considering how weak these humanoid males are…"

"I'm not that kind of a girl, Radditzu… I'm not some cheap thrill, and I won't be spoken of as shit you clean off your boot, buddy," she snapped.

Radditzu seemed insulted and snarled, "Who says you are? There is a huge difference… a whore serves many, and a sex slave or bed slave serves but one. You're a scientist and one who has faced me in battle. I like you… and I think you like me, if I'm not mistaken… and Saiyans protect those who have done them favors…"

"I do like you, Radditzu, it's just that I don't do this with EVERY guy who's rescued me," she flushed.

"Good, because I don't want to share you," Radditzu said with a growl.

"I don't want anyone else right now. But I don't think I'm capable of…"

Radditzu grunted, grabbing her chin, "You need not worry. I will kill any male who comes near you or touches you in an inappropriate manner."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean that I will protect you and pleasure you, keeping you safe from danger, and in turn you give yourself to me in this manner whenever I want…"

"I don't know what I want, Radz-chan," she said, curling into his arms and nipping his shoulder lightly. "I just don't know if I can fall in love ever again…"

"Saiyans don't fall in love like ningen do," he said.

"I didn't think so," she said sadly.

"Sleep now. I'll wake you and take you back in the morning. Nappa won't bother you again…" he said quietly. "Not if he sees that mark on you…"

Radditzu felt great regret. She didn't want him. He was so close to offering her to be his mate, but she wasn't looking for anything lasting. Sighing, he curled up and fell fast asleep. Little did he know that she would possibly look at him in a different way as time went on? Unfortunately they had both misinterpreted the true nature of what could be something different and better.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own this! Except for Tomique aka Atomique, Jeannie and other fanchars non DBZ except for Christine, who belongs to Bulma the Babe. Toriyama owns DBZ, and I don't make any money off this. It's fanfiction! 


	5. Jeannie vs Atomique round 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama does. I own Jeannie, Atomique, and other fan characters, but Christine is owned by Bulma the Babe.

**Gravity of the situation**

Notes: this takes place during the first week after Radditzu 'rescues' Atomique from Nappa. Both Radditzu and Nappa are being confined to Capsule while Bejita tries to acclimate them to Earth's culture. Atomique is working on a special polymer for Buruma, but keeps running afoul of Jeannie's malicious pranks because Jeannie is remembering something to blame Atomique for from her past. Having failed with her first trick Jeannie's not done with her malicious mischief. It soon turns very nasty indeed when she and Tomique challenge one another in the GR chamber…

* * *

Next morning Tomique rolled over, feeling exhaustion slowly ebbing away. She slowly sat up, and then looked around Radditzu's quarters. It was a more remote part of Capsule, where most of the guests were housed. His room was a comfortable double bed suite, with a small kitchenette, and a bathroom with double shower. Small pieces of alien technology were scattered here and there, among bits of armor and other things.

She stumbled out of bed, and saw that a set of clean sweats had been placed there. They seemed rather large, but she recognized the capsule logo from the corporate design. Bejita had them wear these things when working out, in lieu of the 'casual clothes' when they weren't in armor.

"Stupid son of a bitch, what the hell DID he do to me," she murmured, glancing at herself in the mirror. Bruise marks graced her hips, and breasts, looking like ripe damaged fruit.

Bites marked her neck, arms and bare flesh, while the burn scar was healing nicely. Her eyes widened at the implications, and then she sank to the commode. Oddly she felt incredibly good, but her body looked as if she had been in a fight. On her shoulder were the round marks of his teeth that he said were a dissuasion mark, a ghastly purple hickey that would put an ex boyfriend to shame.

"Damn it… this is NOT going to look good… stupid idiot," she mumbled. Rooting in her bag, she grabbed one of the silk robes that Goku had given her, belonging to his grandmother. She buttoned the robe overtop the capsule T-shirt, and then found a matching pair of pants. Her uniform was still dirty, and the purple workout gi was in shreds. Grumbling, she threw her underwear on the bed, knowing he would probably want them for his own use when she was not there. He loved anything inundated with her scent, especially when he complained about missing her.

"It works for Master Roshi," she thought, putting the underwear under his pillow. If he's feral, then he'll have plenty to remember her by.

While he used scents and a scouter, Tomique sensed energies by thought and emotion. Yet lately her thought and emotion senses were greatly hindered, because they weren't as sensitive to non-human emotions. Namely Saiyans and altered humans. While she could sense Goku's emotions at proximity, after a certain point it was difficult to detect its direction. Even with great efforts it was hard for her to distinguish different identities of emotion.

So as a result, Goku had taught her how to sense ki. Although most of the Z fighters were far better at this than she ever could hope, it was enough to avoid significant danger. The more she trained, the better she grew at this ability, but one could hardly catch up with seasoned fighters. Even the weakest of the Z fighters were more adept. As for strength, she had worked up to raw martial arts abilities where she could hold her own against Videl. Daily they worked on exercise in the gym, before she rushed out to see what was going on with her son's training. Videl and she often worked on ki focusing, because the youth was fairly new to it herself. As such she was used to the frustration.

If not for her military training of martial arts, she would have been sunk. Fortunately what she had learned before that was impressed through telepathy, and training with her friends in the bunkers. A whole year of living with minimal food did much. Every day she joined in calisthenics then learned martial arts from some of her friends. When she had landed in the Alchemy world, she had spent close to a year in a special remedial boot camp for adult alchemists who had taken the placement exam. By the time she had stumbled into the Dragon Ball universe she was at least as good as a black belt. Sometimes the lessons with Goku involved sparring with some of his other Z fighter friends, namely Krillen and Yamucha. At least there she had human competition. Both were fast and strong, making her wonder how in the hell she could hope to face someone. But private lessons with Videl paid off. When she wasn't training, she was tutoring in chemistry. Six months later she was decent enough to finally outwit Videl, then move onto her other sparring partners.

It seemed hard to believe those two had saved her children and brought them into their foster home. Yet they were very capable fighters. Still they were nothing in comparison to the Saiyan who she had stumbled across. He had a presumably LOW battle power, but she had somehow managed to survive.

She hugged herself thinking of the feel of his massive hands on her body. Being slammed into with great pushes of energy barely restrainable. How did Buruma ever manage to overcome her fear making love to someone as terrifyingly powerful as Bejita? Or Chichi with Goku. Either man would destroy with a touch. Perhaps it was the exquisite control either had on their abilities, locking them behind massive breakers that required emotion to trigger them.

_"It's like a switch in your mind," Goku had explained to her, when he was trying to show her how he threw a basic punch. She wondered how in HELL she could ever learn anything. _

_"A switch?" _

_"Yeah, when you study martial arts you learn how to trigger your ki when you need it. Otherwise you hold it all back. You can't let it all out at once or there's no control. Basically you take your ki and add it to your abilities… and voila, anything's possible," he said. _

_"Huh, even if you haven't studied martial arts till very RECENTLY?" she asked. _

_"Well Gohan said you were a scientist. That's a very complicated thing. But you know how matter and energy work? Well you concentrate for that… that's something I'd NEVER get. But you've got all that energy from when you zap one thing into another? Put that into your punch… and it'll give it more… oomph," Goku tried to explain. He was far better at teaching then his son however. Especially when Videl told the anecdotes of how difficult it was for Gohan to teach her to fly. _

_"It's mental energy. Goku, you realize how much of an esper you are?" _

_"A what?" _

_"ESP. Star child had a tremendous amount of mental power. This ki… it's like telekinesis… when you levitate things…" _

_"Like when I levitate during flying. I get it. Psycho… kin whatever must be ki then," he shrugged. _

_"How the hell do you HAVE so much? Unless it's because you're Saiyan…" _

_"Well Buruma says it's because I'm a whole lot denser… and Chichi's always complaining about THAT, but usually it's because she's saying it in regard to my head…" _

_"Denser molecular structure holds more potential energy," she muttered. _

_"You've got a lot of ki bottled up. Otherwise you couldn't change stuff. Think how big of a ki blast you'd get if you didn't change it into matter?" Gohan suggested, looking up from where he was sparring with Videl. _

_"Matter and energy… yes… that makes sense…" _

_"Why don't you explain it, Gohan… you're the scientist… maybe I'm well… not explaining it all too well," Goku had relented. _

_"There they go again," Videl had shaken her head, while she struggled with the frustration_. Atomique shoved away the memory and returned to what she was doing.

* * *

At about the same time Atomique worked hard on Buruma's new polymer in her lab, Jeannie wandered down the hallways towards the gravity chamber. Across her body she had slung a workout bag, containing her armor. Instead of it she wore sweatpants that hung off her hips, along with a sleeveless shirt that said "Demon girl' across the breasts in red felt lettering. Out of her transformation her face was olive complected, her dark hair in a ponytail and its usual topknot trailing down her back.

Unfortunately her plan had not gone as she had anticipated. That morning she had noticed Radditzu and Nappa at breakfast. Yet Nappa gave her a wide berth, refusing to associate or even flirt with her or Christine. He and Radditzu spoke only in Saiaynese to one another, flatly denying her existence except the occasional grudging salute.

A sudden power spike in ki piqued her interest. She diverted her heading from the gravity room, letting her gym bag drop so she could investigate. There was no mistaking the signature of the sudden ki burst, for it was distinctly Star Child. Momentarily she thought it could be Paul or Elliot. Then it faded to a level and frequency that matched someone else. Jeannie's features twisted into a frown. She slid the door open, to see the white smocked figure moving around the lab with ease. Secretly she had hoped Nappa had done what she had hoped.

Atomic Girl, a.k.a. Atomique-san in this reality was assembling a set of glassware into a reactor. Glass tubes and condensers were latched together with green plastic clips. Several nasty bruises were visible on the back of her neck, and from what she could see of Tomique's wrists there were bite marks even on the tips of her ears that were healing.

Strangely, Atomique looked quite healthy and intact. There seemed no signs of any trauma which could have been the result of Nappa's little bizarre games and romps with women. What had gone wrong, Jeannie wondered with a frown. No wonder Nappa was giving her the cold shoulder. He might have caught on to the reality. However, Atomique was working in her lab that very morning. Jeannie had seen glimpses of her, but could not believe that she was still alive and functioning.

"Very interesting," said Jeannie to herself. "Either she actually hit it OFF with that loud mouthed SOB Nappa which I find HARD to believe… and those bruises look like Saiyan strength could cause them… or something ELSE happened that I hadn't accounted for…"

"Is someone there?" asked the alchemist. She had her hands cupped around a flask hooked to the bottom of the reactor. For a second her hands glowed purple, then stopped.

However Jeannie smelled only ultraviolet light, not the scent of alchemical change. Although Jeannie's sense of smell was not as acute as a Saiyan's, it was more attenuated to scenting types of chikara or ki. Instead of sensing energies like Goku did, she smelled them. Most Saiyans smelled chemicals such as hormones or personal scents, but she smelled energies.

Quickly Jeannie fell to her plan B. If she couldn't prove her point that Atomique was weak through passing her onto her Saiyan comrades as a girl toy, she would use another method. Surely Bejita would see Atomique as a liability to be rid of if she was found badly injured in some freak accident. The Gravity room wasn't far away. Even so, perhaps an explosion in the chemistry lab might prove effective if Atomique was onto her.

"That's interesting, you're not using your transmutation powers?" asked Jeannie.

"Jeannie, can I help you?" Atomique asked in a professional tone. Dark brown eyes met dragon green, noting the slight intimidating challenge. While Jeannie towered over the average height woman, Atomique's large shoulders and wide hips were packed with muscle and the same weight in a more compact package than Dragon Womyn's. Forgetting the height discrepancy, the way in which the chemist stared down the younger woman would intimidate most beings smaller then her.

"Actually I was curious just WHAT you were doing in here…" Jeannie said, putting on a fake smile.

"Work for Buruma," said Atomique, meeting her gaze with Jeannie. A gleam in her dark eyes partly betrayed to Jeannie that she was no fool.

"Shimatta," Jeannie thought. "This will be a challenge. Well, if she thinks that because she's a scientist she can outwit me, she's wrong…"

Instead, Jeannie cleared her throat and said sarcastically, "Aren't you usually sparring… or taking care of your children?"

"I could ask the same of you. Is there some specific reason you're here, because I've got a great deal of work to do…" Atomique said sternly, turning her back to Jeannie.

"Always hiding in your lab! How typical," Jeannie smirked. Atomique wheeled on her with a stern frown as she stared up at the tall warrior.

"Excuse me? Do you have something to say to me, young lady?" Atomique asked, giving her best teacher from hell look that pissed her off.

"Don't give me THAT," Jeannie laughed. "My dad was a teacher, and that doesn't work on me. I'm not one of your STUDENTS you can boss around…"

"What's your point exactly?" Atomique asked, keeping all emotion out of her face. "Unless you've got a reason for coming here, you're interrupting something vitally important. Please don't interrupt me. I don't appreciate..."

"Always trying to hide behind manners…"

"You're trying to provoke me into a fight, right? Well I'm not in the mood," Tomique said, turning her back and ignoring her. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Look at me while I'm talking to you!" Jeannie snapped.

"Unless you have something of note to say, leave. Obviously you've picked me for your target. I'm NOT interested," Atomique said.

"Too bad," Jeannie mumbled. "You know it always amazes me how you can get lost doing NOTHING in this damn lab when there are more important things to do. Not that you don't have your USES making plastics and things, but maybe it's better you do THAT instead of caring for young…"

"Hmm," Atomique said, ignoring Jeannie. She knew what the girl was trying to do, and was determined not to be bated into a fight. It became a waiting game, where the organic chemist simply started working with extremely noxious chemicals which left incredibly bad smells.

She opened a bottle of DMSO, which smelled like garlic. "Forgot to turn on the fume hood," she said when Jeannie wrinkled her nose. Swirling the product in a separation flask, she vented it, and then drained off the denser fluid, leaving the lighter on top. Then she poured the entire mixture through a large column filled with sand and other packing to filter it out and collect it at the bottom.

"Always playing the absent minded professor? C'mon, Tryn, that act's getting seriously old. You can't ignore me. I can be as big a pain in the ass as you can…"

"What was that?" Atomique asked, acting bored. "Oh, there's the ether… excuse me…"

"Humph, I see you're still trying to pretend I'm not here. Well surprise, I'm not going away…"

"That's nice," Atomique said. "So, what exactly IS your point? Don't you have training to do?"

"As if YOU had any say in what I do," Jeannie smirked.

"Uh huh," Atomique said, dipping into the 'I'm ignoring you because I'm running an experiment' mode. She poured the rest of her chemical into the reactor to start the polymerization process.

"I guess your alchemy powers aren't all THAT hot because you're not using them," Jeannie smirked.

"It takes energy to create matter. Why waste my powers on THAT when I can do things the old fashioned way," Atomique answered.

"Or maybe you're too weak or not as powerful as I thought," Jeannie said.

"So what?" asked Atomique. "You're the warrior. You tell me."

"I think you're hiding. Hiding behind excuses like you always do. You never WERE cut out to bear the power as I was…"

"Were any of us?" she asked, turning to stare at Jeannie. "You can go on and on about how I'm not this, that or the other, but frankly, I don't care. You've made it clear you don't care for me. So why not coexist with a minimum of friction since you hate my guts so much…"

"Always taking that path of least resistance. So very like a scientist… or academic hiding behind books. Well, while you hide in your…"

"If you're going to hurl insults, you're doing a piss poor job. You could at LEAST make up some original ones that aren't out of some stupid cliché comic book or bad SF novel," Atomique rolled her eyes at Jeannie.

"Ah, so we're switching to pop culture?" asked Jeannie. "Well, Miss Trekkie, I can bury you any day with useless trivia!"

"Term's Trekker, Miss Otaku. And no I don't wear my Spock ears to bed. They're next to my Bajoran Earring…" she quipped. "Probably the same place you left your Gundam mobile suit or your D-tector…"

"Very funny. Why don't you just call Scotty or O'Brian and beam yourself the hell outta here, or maybe I should just throw you in the nearest damn worm hole," Jeannie smirked.

"Go hope Galactic express 99, and leave me the hell alone," she grumbled. Cupping her hands around the bottom of the flask she struggled to generate the right frequency of UV light.

"Oh, now we're using our powers? I suppose you can't help but learn that alchemy you learned on the Full Metal world…" said Jeannie.

"Bugger off," Atomique said.

"May your white lab coat disintegrate spontaneously," Jeannie stuck her tongue out.

"Ouch, that was below the belt," Atomique mumbled. "Obviously you've been delving into that classic SF collection…"

"You wouldn't have the talent to make that sort of polymer. Not even you, who call yourself an organic chemist. You can't even muster the battle chikara for a proper attack. You just throw plastic at me. Funny how you were able to transmute left and right when you first GAINED the power… what happened?"

"I don't know. Maybe the same thing that happened to you? Your powers evolved over time. Considering you started from ground zero like I did?"

"My powers didn't change. You could transmute anything to anything else… and now all you can do is generate plastics. What happened? Lose your touch?" Jeannie said, darting around to block Atomique from returning to her lab bench. However, Atomique pushed her aside easily and hooked up her reactor once more.

"Any of the 92 elements or simpler matter," said Atomique. "But the power was random. I focused on learning the discipline of one element only. IN the Alchemy world, they think of the four or five elements as in archaic times. I chose the same approach, but picked the few elements that I understood. Since I'm an organic chemist, I best understand making things from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. I can manipulate these three because I comprehend them. Just like you use your powers geologically because you understand THAT…"

"How perfectly academic. I didn't come here to hear you lecture," said Jeannie, yawning.

"Then why did you barge in here. Did something not turn out QUITE the way you expected?" Atomique said with a grin.

"Depends on what you mean," Jeannie said elusively.

"I'm referring to a certain Saiyan who thought he could put the moves on yours truly," said Atomique. "Honestly do you think I'm that much of a fool not to know that was YOU?"

"Even if it WERE me, what would I have to GAIN by such a ludicrous scheme," Jeannie said quickly. A bit too quickly, she realized from the wrinkling in Tomique's nose behind her glasses.

"Deny it all you want, but sooner or later you're going to burn yourself with your fire, Dragon Womyn…"

"Please, the REAL reason I stopped by was just to see why I felt a feeble flash of battle power that disintegrated to nothing. That talisman is wasted on you. You couldn't exist without it…" Jeannie sneered.

"So, we're back to THAT old thing? Funny how every time I try and confront just what the HELL you think you're doing you go back to that! What's REALLY going on here?"

"Nothing. Except that you're deluding yourself. You may convince THEM that you are powerful, but I know the truth!" Jeannie taunted.

"As you would say, this is the lamest attempt to distract me from what's really going on. You're playing your stupid little games because I somehow got on your shit list. So what's your problem THIS time?" Atomique asked.

"You're my problem. And as for your so called imagination regarding what did or did not happen last night, you know how insane Nappa is…"

"Whatever. Obviously it's useless to go that angle. Since you've dredged up this subject of my powers, I'll clear things up. "Contrary to what you believe, I don't use my talisman for my transmutations. I learned how on my own abilities. Whatever you saw me do was by what I learned in the Alchemy world alone. While I needed the talisman or Paul's star powers to do what I accomplished in our world, this was my own ability… my own knowledge of Alchemy…" said Atomique, hands on her hips.

"No wonder. You're not USING your talisman. HAH," Jeannie laughed. "Well that laugh's on you, because I'm not either. Everything I do is based on the power that is part of me… my body's learned to push itself to the limits. The thing they didn't tell any of us is that the talisman…"

"Changed our molecular structure and mutated it. I know," Atomique mumbled.

"I was going to say mutated our cells and modified them into a more adaptable form," Jeannie interrupted. "Allowing my body to collect and metabolize geothermal energy…"

"Yeah I know you eat fire and heat. Christine can drain the life force of other beings and use it for her powers," said Atomique. "This I already know."

"None of us has need of the talisman now that our bodies have changed. And I can trigger the change to my Dragon Womyn persona at will…" Jeannie bragged, pacing about the lab. Suddenly chikara flickered around her form, and blew lab books and papers about as she roared. Fire flared around her form, bulking her height so she was transformed into the reptilian skinned, white faced Dragon Womyn with gleaming green eyes in patches of dark as black as the long hair cascading down her back. A long tail threshed about, serpentine and matching her draconian appearance covered in white scales.

"Just like a Super Saiyan change. How nice for you," said Atomique.

Dragon Womyn pointed a black claw towards her. Green eyes flaring red, Jeannie said in a dark haunting voice, "You're too scared to try and use the full extent of the power that talisman can give you. Only once or twice did I see you use its full potential. You amaze me how you can hold such power and just chuck it aside. It convinces me you're not worthy for it."

"So what? Show me someone who can use it?" Atomique challenged, unbuttoning her lab coat to reveal her State Alchemist's uniform. Hotly she stared at Dragon Womyn, deciding to try the ridiculous posturing to show her that she wasn't the only one capable of playing this game.

"Perhaps I shall…" Dragon Womyn laughed, baring her sharp teeth.

* * *

Atomique's fists quivered at her sides, white gloved hands positioned to transmute the moment she needed her abilities. She poked a finger towards Jeannie saying, "Look here! I didn't ASK for it. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't like using it. But the Talismen are only catalysts. That's why the Destroyers want them. Because it's merely speeding up what was already set in motion. Unlocking latent powers…"

"I already knew that, idiot," laughed Jeannie, giving her a condescending smirk worthy of the Prince of all Saiyans. "You're not the only one knowledgeable of science…"

"Please, I know that. What I don't get is why you're wasting my time and yours going on and on trying to piss me off," Atomique said in a very bored tone. She folded her arms and glared up at Jeannie, showing her that she wasn't going to fall for her stupid insults.

"Touché," said Jeannie. "Are you challenging me?"

"Okay, you got it! Because if it's a fight you want, we can go a few rounds in the gym and try and beat each other's asses if you REALLY want. Is that it… do you want me to see if I can fight you one on one?" Atomique asked, giving a slow smile.

"That would be interesting. I doubt you could last adjacent me… but then again…" Jeannie smirked. "You barely held your own against a third class Saiyan. And all five of us needed to RESCUE your ass."

"Try me," Atomique said quietly, wiping the smile off her face.

"Very well, be careful what you ask for," Dragon Womyn said, clicking her tongue. She darted forwards and grabbed the chemist by the neck. In another movement she strode towards the door of the laboratory.

Fortunately Atomique had anticipated this. At her sides her power crackled, transmuting air into a long slender rod. She brought it up and slammed it on the sides of Jeannie's head, then brought up her other hand with a bit of plastic shard to stab into Jeannie's wrist. Roaring, Dragon woman dropped her.

Atomique zipped out to crack Jeannie in the back of the neck with a blow. It stung her hand. Jeannie laughed and grabbed her, lab coat and all, throwing her into the hallway wall. Atomique managed to bring up her hands and form a strange gel like substance that coated her body and cushioned against the shock.

"Oh, now that's cute… it looks like some weird fiber," Jeannie laughed, flaring into her power with a blaze of crimson. "But why not take this into a more appropriate location…"

"Fine by me," Atomique said, wiping blood off her face and climbing to her feet. "Let's go…"

Jeannie grabbed her up and carried her to the nearest GR room in a flash. Atomique felt the crushing weight of two G's. "I doubt you can withstand anything more than your feeble bone structure can take," Jeannie laughed. "See if you can even survive twice earth's gravity…"

Atomique gasped as she felt her body pressed under its own weight. Jeannie turned up the gravity, striding in, as she was able to stand. Slowly the dials came up incrementally. She formed a thin shell of red ki, and saw the scientist laying there on the floor, flat. "So, you can't do anything you fool… can you?"

"I don't want to waste energy running my mouth and standing," Atomique answered, concentrating. Her bones seemed to transmute into something else. Slowly she pushed up, and faced Jeannie.

"Interesting. Ten times earth G and you're standing upright. How do you do it?"

"Same way your body does. Your molecular structure's denser. But there's a limit to how much you can take. But if my bones aren't calcium phosphate, but composed of nanofiber tubules…" said Atomique with a laugh.

"You transmute your own body. How quaint," Jeannie laughed. "I can simply screen the gravity out…"

"With ki. What a waste of energy…" Atomique whispered.

"I dare you to try to face 100 G for one moment. Your alchemy wouldn't allow you to last!" laughed Jeannie.

"Perhaps not…" she gasped as the gravity increased. A shiny film encased her skin, and before her eyes, Jeannie saw her transmute into a shining gleaming being of translucent crystal.

"Clever, becoming diamond itself. But I don't think even that form of matter can keep you from collapsing… when you can't even generate any ki field to…"

Atomique suddenly switched back, forming a sheen of purple ki. It then dawned on her what was happening. The thin film of plasma started to glow, making something akin to the surface of the sun. "You're making your OWN gravity field… to counter it…" she gasped.

"Bing, bing, genius," Jeannie laughed. "But you don't have the chikara to muster the energy field… I can tap into geothermal energy much like Leader does. I'm invulnerable to harm…"

"Making your molecular structure denser… but you're expending much energy to keep from collapsing under your own weight," said Atomique quietly.

"Wrong. I'm using the training Bejita taught me. Making my own energy shield to block the gravity. That's something you can't do…"

"You're making your own body's energy high enough to counteract gravity's effect somehow. Creating an antigravity field with so much mental power…" she thought. "Like a living star…"

"Try and do it without your precious transmutation…" laughed Jeannie.

"I can do whatever you can," she gasped. There came a knock on the GR door, and the power disengaged.

"HEY, you two, you're not SCHEDULED for this!" yelled Bejita. "Kindly vacate!"

"But I was just…"

"Get the hell out!" Bejita snarled at both of them. "Play your games elsewhere!"

Jeannie grumbled; marching out as her opponent slowly staggered. Atomique limped out, looking at Bejita in relief. He blinked, and then gave a worried scowl to see the annoyance on his student's face. Although he seemed his usual pissy self, he knew what had almost happened.

"This is getting downright annoying," he thought. "I've got two people trying to kill each other. Normally it wouldn't concern me, but Kakkarot would give me hell if I let it continue. Stupid baka females!"

Both women stormed out into the hallway, then glanced at each other panting. The GR room door clanged shut. Snorting, Atomique hobbled off towards her laboratory, ignoring Jeannie.

"You were lucky," Jeannie glanced at Atomique. "I'm mildly impressed. You're not as weak as I thought…"

"Fine, I need to get back to my work," Atomique gasped, then wiped sweat from her brow.

"Still, you should watch yourself. You never know when those destroyers might try and attack. And we won't be there to pull your ass out of the fire…" Jeannie laughed. "Not if something were to… HAPPEN…"

Rapidly Jeannie phased out, her hand reaching to grab Tomique's throat. But the chemist was ready, for she zipped under at hyper speed, and slammed her elbow in Jeannie's back. Unharmed, she turned, snorting, only to feel Tomique's fist slamming into her jaw, then a foul smelling gas in her face that smelled like rotten eggs.

"Ugh, you are DEAD!" Jeannie gasped, coughing at the stench. She started to feel a bit giddy when another substance wafted into her nostrils.

"N2O, or laughing gas," though Atomique. Gleefully happy, her opponent opened her mouth and hurled fire towards her. A stream of foam slammed into Jeannie's face, and she coughed and spat.

"That was DIRTY," she gasped. "Fucking CO2 fire extinguisher! That won't stop me! Nothing but a child's GAME!"

She grabbed her opponent's ankle, and swung her around her head. What was that move that Goku had taught her? Having mastered Bukujutsu, the chemist whirled and snapped her body, then shook off the grasp by flaring a bright light in her face, "SOLAR FLARE!"

"YIEE!" Jeannie yelled, blinking as she was blinded. Atomique levitated, streaking down the hall with Dragon Womyn after her.

"Kuso!" Atomique gasped. "You have to be KIDDING ME!"

"I can sense your ki you fool!" she laughed, hand over her eyes. "And SMELL you… very clever… but you haven't reckoned with my other senses!"

"Can't blame me for trying," she thought. Jeannie slammed face first into a thick dense barrier. Angrily she hammered on it, and then punched the wall it was adhered too, clawing her way through the wall as if it were paper. Grumbling, the alchemist glanced behind her to see Dragon woman phase out, then right before her. Solidifying her body to a dense structure, she rammed Dragon woman full force, knocking the wind out of her.

"You can't fight me in close quarters," Jeannie panted, as they parted. Her claws slashed out, barely blocked with an arm raised. A blast of fire slammed towards Atomique, who raised her left arm to block it. She suppressed a scream as she reached with her other hand to surge nitrogen or something over it to smother the flames. Another blast slammed into her thigh, igniting. Fortunately the generated nitrogen stopped the flames, but the heat seared deeply into her body.

Her fist made contact with Tomique's ribs, knocking her back with a sickening crack. Then she raised her fist and punched her in the jaw. Atomique crashed her consciousness fading.

* * *

As Jeannie moved forwards, a fist flashed out and slammed her hard in the face. She flew back, crashing into a far wall. Blinking, she glanced around to see who had hit her. A large blast of ki exploded against her, and then someone grabbed her by the ankle and whipped her around. She slammed into another wall, and then was hit by a rapid series of kicks and punches. Disoriented, she blocked each, and then shook her head as she glanced around.

Another sharp kick cracked against her skull, knocking her to the side. Rapid kicks and punches connected from all around, then a violently bright ki blast slammed into her. Although it didn't hurt much, Jeannie was having difficulty keeping up with the fast attacks from all sides. She sensed a much lower battle power but whoever was using it was fighting dirty and not pulling punches. By the time she felt her sight swim back, Atomique was gone.

"Huh, someone came to her rescue after all. How unfortunate…" thought Jeannie. Suddenly a fist flashed out and punched her in the back of the head. She grunted, crashing to the floor.

Over her loomed the big figure of Nappa. His mouth opened, spewing a blast towards her. She raised her arm, blocking with her hands raise, and then sent her own crimson fire slamming at him. "What the hell is YOUR problem?" she gasped as Nappa merely shook off her flames.

He stabbed the air before her face with a thick finger, snarling, "You are. You thought you could fuck with me? Well, you and I are going to play a little game…"

"Excuse me?" she gasped, barely deflected the second blast that he spat towards her.

"Your so called friend was already claimed. I don't like it when people weaker then me dick me around. Granted I don't care much for the tail kissing whelp, but he's Saiyan. And when you fuck with a fellow Saiyan of mine, you get fucked over back," Nappa growled.

"Volcanic plume…" she roared. Lightening crackled around Nappa's form, dispersing her fiery plasma blaze.

"Don't even insult me, you scaly bitch. You think you're so clever, using me to play your little cat games? Well, you're really gonna be sorry, because you neglected to mention that your little friend likes Radditzu better. And seeing as he just carried her off, and claimed her, and you fucked with him, you're gonna have me to deal with…" He snickered maniacally, advancing on her as he raised his hand, fingers extended.

"You fool… you don't stand a chance!" Jeannie gasped. "You can't attack me… I'm a student of your prince!"

"Shut the fuck up, you stupid broad," Nappa growled. "Someone's gonna put you in your place. I kinda like you, but you're way too arrogant for your own good. And you shouldn't have messed with me and Radditzu like that. You earthlings think you're so smart? What you did to your friend was downright stupid and sloppy. "

"I thought treachery came natural to people like you…"

"I might kill and maim, and rape, but I don't screw with my comrade's heads for some sick thrill. I get enough with my own brand of fun. But you're just plain annoying. Using your little psychological warfare instead of fighting your problems out. You're no Saiyan, and it makes me kind of sick seeing you pretend. So you're gonna play MY way…"

"Shimatta this isn't going to be pretty," Jeannie whispered, realizing Nappa's power level had just spiked to 23000.

He snapped his fingers, and then hurled the energy towards her. Jeannie screamed as she felt her molecules starting to disintegrate. Angrily she flared her ki, struggling to hold her coherency in the face of Nappa's disintegration move. To his astonishment she slammed to the floor, smoking with damage, but still very much alive.

"Incredible. You're one tough little lizard. Nobody's survived my disintegration attack, except for other Saiyans of course. No matter. I guess we'll have to put you down the old FASHIONED way," Nappa said as Jeannie staggered to push herself up.

"Burn in hell you stupid ape," she snarled.

"That's another one I've heard a million times, lizard bitch," Nappa snorted. He batted off her feeble attempt to spit fire easily. Reaching down he grabbed her up by the neck and slammed his fist on the back of her skull. Jeannie blissfully dropped from consciousness.

* * *

"What the HELL is going on here?" Bejita demanded, and then glared at Nappa.

"Sire I didn't KILL her!" Nappa said quickly, dropping Jeannie at his feet. "She STARTED it!"

"I see, and you finished it? Nappa, you can't go beating up my students! This isn't Freiza's…"

"She tried to kill Radditzu. So was I supposed to let her trash him and his little bed slave?"

"Pardon me?" Bejita blinked.

"You know, Radditzu's bed slave. That girl who he rescued that first day. Anyway, I saw this lizard lady trying to kill that dark hair ningen, and I figured he might not want her damaged, because even though I wanted her, this stupid bitch lizard was smoking something…"

"Radditzu told me that Jeannie here hasn't exactly been truthful," mused Bejita. "Very well, take her to the med lab. Say nothing of this to any one. Hopefully we can sort out this mess before any of the Z fighters find out. Where's Radditzu now?"

"Probably looking after his whore," said Nappa quietly.

"Check on them. Make sure he keeps her there till she heals. I'll speak to my mate about this matter. But breathe nothing of this to anyone. I'll speak to Jeanie the minute she wakes…"

"I hit her pretty hard. I figure that she wont' remember much…" Nappa shrugged.

"It may be for the best. The last time I recall you hitting someone on THAT place on their skull they took quite a WHILE to remember much else… for your sake she had best only forget the last few hours, because I'm NOT reeducating anyone ELSE, got it?"

"Yes sire," Nappa bowed, grabbing Jeannie and carefully draping her over his shoulder. He saluted, following Bejita to the medical bay where the regeneration tanks were. Bejita frowned, not liking this turn of events at all. He had to do something about these distractions and fast. Without letting anyone know that anything was amiss.


	6. Nappa vs Jeannie

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama does. I own Jeannie, Atomique, and other fan characters, but Christine is owned by Bulma the Babe.

**Recuperation**

Notes: this takes place during the first week after Radditzu 'rescues' Atomique from Nappa. Both Radditzu and Nappa are being confined to Capsule while Bejita tries to acclimate them to Earth's culture. Nappa has settled his score to pay Jeannie back for convincing him Atomique wanted him, while Radditzu is tending to Tomique's injuries from her fight with the Dragon Womyn.

* * *

"What the HELL is going on here?" Bejita demanded, and then glared at Nappa. 

"Sire I didn't KILL her!" Nappa said quickly, dropping Jeannie at his feet. "She STARTED it!"

"I see, and you finished it? Nappa, you can't go beating up my students! This isn't Freiza's…"

"She tried to kill Radditzu. So was I supposed to let her trash him and his little bed slave?"

"Pardon me?" Bejita blinked.

"You know, Radditzu's bed slave. That girl who he rescued that first day. Anyway, I saw this lizard lady trying to kill that dark hair ningen, and I figured he might not want her damaged, because even though I wanted her, this stupid bitch lizard was smoking something…"

"Radditzu told me that Jeannie here hasn't exactly been truthful," mused Bejita. "Very well, take her to the med lab. Say nothing of this to any one. Hopefully we can sort out this mess before any of the Z fighters find out. Where's Radditzu now?"

"Probably looking after his whore," said Nappa quietly.

"Check on them. Make sure he keeps her there till she heals. I'll speak to my mate about this matter. But breathe nothing of this to anyone. I'll speak to Jeanie the minute she wakes…"

"I hit her pretty hard. I figure that she wont' remember much…" Nappa shrugged.

"It may be for the best. The last time I recall you hitting someone on THAT place on their skull they took quite a WHILE to remember much else… for your sake she had best only forget the last few hours, because I'm NOT reeducating anyone ELSE, got it?"

"Yes sire," Nappa bowed, grabbing Jeannie and carefully draping her over his shoulder. He saluted, following Bejita to the medical bay where the regeneration tanks were. Bejita frowned, not liking this turn of events at all. He had to do something about these distractions and fast. Without letting anyone know that anything was amiss.

* * *

Atomique blinked up as she saw someone huddled over her. Hands glowed as they smeared a paste over her body. She wheezed when she breathed in, gasping for air. "What the hell… I can't…" 

"Shut up and lay still female," Radditzu gruffly ordered.

"I'm the biggest… cough… idiot… letting her… fight me like that…"

"You are. Somehow you gave her a good fight, but I had to intercede before she almost killed you. I still can't believe she took you down so easily because she's a sloppy fighter who's hardly worthy to wear Saiyan armor. She's a disgrace," Radditzu snorted.

"You… fought her, and WON?" she asked, blinking up at him.

"Of course. Because I wasn't squeamish, and I would not hesitate to use my full power. She was just toying with you, and holding back because you'd disoriented her with some gas. Lucky for you whatever you nailed her with slowed her down enough…" Radditzu mumbled, covering her with a space blanket.

"Where are we?"

"My quarters. I would have taken you to the med bay, but I don't trust leaving you there alone. You stupid female," he ranted.

"Thanks for caring," she mumbled. "But she was going on and on about how she was so powerful, and that I was so lame because I let myself get beaten by a third class? It's funny how you just kicked her ass… if I'm still alive…"

"She doesn't know what real fighting is," Radditzu snorted, sitting down on the bed next to her. "She can kill and maim, but she's not ruthless enough to cause any damage. She was looking for a clean way to kill you, but she had no idea of what destruction she can cause with the right use of her powers… A True Saiyan warrior doesn't let the enemy recover when they find a weakness to exploit. Since she was already blinded, I didn't give her a chance to get her equilibrium back. She couldn't sense where I was coming from, and she had wasted much energy trying to fight gravity…"

"So you took her down…"

"Long enough to get your ass away," Radditzu snorted. "You have three broken ribs, and nasty bruises… you could have had your neck broken…"

"Lucky me," she mumbled.

"This compound is ki activated. I'm trying to get your body's system to repair itself. It's not enough to warrant a regeneration tank…" Radditzu grunted. "Lie still… it won't be instantaneous… but the compound should form a protective cast to brace your ribs while my ki pushes your bones to knit…"

"I thought you were my shadow for a while there…" she gasped.

"I was, but I wasn't letting that idiot see me. I was hunting her as she hunted you," Radditzu answered. "But trying to get to you when you two were fighting was difficult. Unfortunately the only time I could act is if she knocked you down and in that second I could slip in and hit her fast and hard."

"She's invulnerable…"

"No warrior is truly unstoppable. She wasn't wearing her armor, and she wasn't anticipating me," Radditzu grunted. His rough hands were tickling her skin, pulling away the fabric so he could rub more of the healing salve, and then channel more ki into her body.

"Don't you need your energy?"

"Please don't mock me, fool," he grumbled. Cool air wafted against bare skin, causing Atomique to shiver convulsively. Only the warmth of Radditzu's ki kept her warm. Glancing down she saw that he had removed her top and pants, leaving her in her under things. In turn he had removed his armor, only wearing the shorts and bottoms of his armor so he was bare chested in the dim light. Scars covered his massive chest and back, bearing witness to multiple battles.

Her hand and arm tingled with their own heat. Glancing down, she gasped to see the blisters on her upper thigh and hand. "What the hell… how did this…"

"She burned you, idiot," said Radditzu, carefully smearing some of the ointment onto her hand and thigh as well. "It must have happened while you two fought.

"I don't remember her burning me…" she blinked up at him.

"I don't know how you stopped the flames. But you've got nasty second-degree burns. They're already starting to heal…" Radditzu said gruffly.

"Why don't I hurt… wait I bet you did something to…"

"Blocked the pain. Or else you'd be screaming right now," Radditzu shushed her. "Now lay back and rest. It's taking a lot of my ki to push your body to at least try and heal itself…"

"The regen tanks?"

"I don't know how to operate them," Radditzu flushed quietly. "But this salve is made from the same chemical compounds that are in a nutrient bath. It serves the same purpose for local injuries."

"Shit, what time is it?"

"Nine PM by this world's time," Radditzu answered.

"Kuso, I can't lay here… Goku and the others…"

"I've called my brother to tell you that you were injured and that you're being cared for. He'll come and get you, but I don't want him to move you till you're healed enough. I also asked that he remain with your brats…"

"But Jeannie…"

"Nappa's taking care of her," said Radditzu.

"NAPPA?" she gasped. "Oh shit!"

"He saw us fighting and didn't comprehend what was going on. Doubtless when he heard I was being attacked and overwhelmed he stepped in. Your friend's in a world of hurt right now in a regen tank… and I doubt she's going to want to explain herself.

"Shit… why… I thought he wanted to hurt me…"

"I'm Saiyan, and he was saving my ass. We might not care for each other, but since he thinks…"

A fist hammered on the door, and she yelped. "Hey, whelp, you and the bed slave okay in there?" came Nappa's voice.

"We're fine. Leave us be," said Radditzu.

"I brought some med supplies and food. Can't have you dying on me, or the Prince will nail my ass to the wall. Though why he bothers is fucking beyond me," came his voice.

"Fine, come in, but don't stay too long," Radditzu growled. She pulled the sheets around her, yelping in protest as the hulking great warrior strode through.

"Am I interrupting anything?" he grinned. She grasped Radditzu's bare arm, and the sheet dropped.

"What are you staring at!" she yelled up at him. Radditzu blocked Nappa's view of her body and he snickered.

"You're one lucky bitch. Amazing you're still alive. Smells like something cooking in here… like seared flesh… no wonder you wanted the extra med kit…" Nappa said, throwing a box towards him.

"Thank you, now get out," Radditzu grumbled.

"Brought you some food. Can't have you running out of energy while you're tending to your bed slave, can we? And you don't go dying on him before he's had his fun…"

"Knock it off, and get lost… but before you go, tell me… what of the female?"

"Oh her? She's floating in a regen tank in the Med bay," Nappa said. "I kinda wanted to have a bit of fun with my prey, but the Prince wouldn't allow it…"

"Uh oh, I'm afraid to ask," shivered Atomique.

"She won't be bothering you for a while. I think after that fist to her head, she's going to be lucky to remember her own name," Nappa laughed as he sat in one of the reinforced chairs. Radditzu opened up the second kit, and started pulling out various bottles and containers to arrange them on the bed next to him.

"Does Vegeta know…? I mean does his Majesty know?" she asked, correcting herself when Radditzu glared at her.

"Oh, he knows. That she got out of hand and attacked one of us without provocation," Nappa said. "Naturally I was just defending your ass and mine…"

"How badly was she hurt?" asked Atomique.

"Why do you care?" Nappa shrugged.

"Morbid curiosity… to see how powerful you are?" asked Atomique.

"She's strong, but she's no match for Saiyan elite," Nappa sniffed. "She's an amateur. Even Radditzu could beat her ass if he had enough time… got all that battle power and she can't use it."

"She relies on her invulnerability…"

"That's all she's got going for her. Sure she's fast, and savagely strong. But she can't generate the energy blasts that an Elite like I can," Nappa laughed deeply, smirking at his superiority.

"You didn't disintegrate her did you?" asked Radditzu.

"Tried, but her body's far tougher then that. It merely knocked her for a loop and I just acquainted my fist with her hard head. I actually fractured her skull, but it's as hard as a Saiyan's," Nappa said.

"I see…" Atomique murmured. "Thank you… for saving my butt… and Radditzu's…"

"No thanks necessary, female. Just show Radditzu a good time for me, and we'll call it even…"

"GET lost Nappa…" Radditzu snorted.

"You're welcome, whelp," he grunted, and gave a suggestive glance at Atomique, who was flushing red. The door slid shut after he exited.

* * *

"I apologize for his boorish nature," said Radditzu, shaking his head. He smeared some of the contents of a small tube onto her burn. The paste penetrated the skin, slowly tingling. Raising another bottle he sprayed a compound all over the surface to bond it. She realized it was a light polymer that acted like artificial skin.

"He saved both of us… I can't believe…" she whispered.

"That a killer would do such a thing?" asked Radditzu. "Nappa's far more ruthless than I, but he will lay down his life for his comrades when ordered. If he doesn't his superior has the right to kill him…"

"Why am I not surprised…" she shuddered, then laid her head back to rest.

"By the way, this should counteract the burn. The salve has a natural coolant as you've doubtless surmised. As the new skin regenerates, it will slough off the old. Yet there will still be a burn as the scar tissue forms.

"Yes," she flushed. "Wait, does it just accelerate the body's natural process?"

"Of course. It won't be pretty, but it will heal naturally, albeit a bit faster. Given enough ki the skin will be far tougher and stronger… you'll have the scars as a reminder of your battle…"

"I suppose in Saiyan culture…" she shivered.

"I had forgotten you humans are squeamish about your looks. Unfortunately the Saiyan medical supplies don't do foolish things for your stupid earth vanity. Scars are a badge of honor, something both males and females openly display to show how strong they are…"

"And if she sees it she'll remember that I survived and I know what happened," said Atomique.

"That's the other function. If an enemy survives their attacker, they will be shamed that they were too weak to finish them off and let them live. Sometimes it's best to let them live with the humiliation of defeat, that you survived, and that shame will keep them from harming you again."

"Who are you talking about?" she asked Radditzu. Already it was easier for her to breathe with his hands passing over her body infusing more ki.

"I wouldn't tell anyone what happened here if I were you…"

"So we just pretend like nothing happened? Why not?" she asked.

"We can't afford to have prying eyes here," said Radditzu. "Bejita will deal with her in his own time… telling Kakkarot will not help you, and it will endanger our welfare…"

"Damn it… "Jeannie's definitely put me on her shit list… and I don't know what to do about it… I'm surprised Vegeta hasn't… unless that's ANOTHER Saiyan thing…"

"She won't. Nappa already dealt retribution today. She won't toy with him or me again. And I don't think she'll want to admit that she was fighting you. So her own shame will keep her silent…" said Radditzu.

"I can't just let her get away with it! Shit…"

"What good would telling your Z fighter friends do? IT would only cause more trouble. She'll only deny responsibility, and they would believe Nappa and I capable of causing you the injury rather than your friend. Do you wish to betray me and Nappa when we've saved your ass from her?" Radditzu growled.

"You put me in your debt,' she growled. "Terrific…"

"It was not intentional. But I can keep you safe, and Nappa will step in as he has. So just rest and heal. And let me watch over you," Radditzu said, stroking her hair from her face. She turned her head to the side, catching the palm with a kiss.

"Thank you for saving me, Radz-kun," she murmured. He grunted, and then reached down to remove his boots, then his remaining armor.

"Move over, and stop hogging the bed," he murmured, stretching out alongside her. Sighing she felt his body nudge hers over while he covered them both. Against her he was incredibly warm, giving heat to her shock wrought body.

"It stinks, having you so close when I want to…"

"What?" he murmured.

"You know," she grumbled.

"It's not my affair you are so fragile," Radditzu chuckled, leaning down to steal a kiss. He smoothed her soft skin with his rough hand, caressing delicately as he could.

"Mm that tickles... your hair tickles…" she chuckled.

"Allow me…" he whispered, bracing his hand over her chest and kissing her more deeply. His tongue roved around in her mouth to taste and probe the new custom.

"It's infuriating not to be able to touch you… damn it…"

"I'll attempt not to hurt you…" Radditzu shushed her, gently picking up one leg and cradling the other. Keeping her hips raised, he slid himself into her with a grunt of need. Against the tops of his thighs, the bottoms of hers rested, while he placed her injured leg over his shoulder out of the way. Draping her uninjured arm over his neck, she felt his soft spiky hair tickling her bare skin. He avoided the band of material solidified around her torso that braced her ribs.

She clung to his massive body in the aftershocks, shivering with his ki. Sated, he dropped into a state of purring snores beneath her. Muscular arms held her protectively, while his tail twined around her uninjured thigh.

* * *


	7. Raditz gives Tomique ki lessons

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama does. I own Jeannie, Atomique, and other fan characters, but Christine is owned by Bulma the Babe.

**Lessons in Saiyan Ki, Radditzu Style**

Notes: this takes place during the first week after Radditzu 'rescues' Atomique from Nappa. Both Radditzu and Nappa are being confined to Capsule while Bejita tries to acclimate them to Earth's culture. Nappa has settled his score to pay Jeannie back for convincing him Atomique wanted him, while Radditzu is tending to Tomique's injuries from her fight with the Dragon Womyn.

* * *

She chuckled, glancing down at the scale of his body in comparison to hers. Nearly seven feet tall, all muscle and compact bone like some wrestler or heavyweight boxer. Yet not overly blistering with muscle like Nappa. If she stretched out on top of him and lay her head just under his chin, she could just reach the tops of his ankles with her pointed toes. For a while she let him sleep, playing with his insane amount of hair pooling around his head and shoulders.

"Disintegration… of course," she suddenly blinked.

"Humph?" Radditzu asked.

"I know how he does it. Nappa's disintegration. I'm such an idiot! It's disruption of molecular bonds. Shit I could do that!" she gasped.

"Of course you baka," he mumbled as she held the wrapper around her. "What do you think…"

"No I mean it. That was how I killed those… Destroyers… and the ishballans…"

"Interesting, tell me about it," Radditzu said quietly, glancing at her with a strange look between respect and shock.

"About disintegration…"

"About your first kill," Radditzu said quietly. "I'm interested…"

"Well it was shortly before my friends were separated, and my husband was killed…" she trailed off. Radditzu listened as she told the history of her last few hours. For a time she forgot that she was relating a private part of her life to some bloodthirsty alien. Nevertheless, Radditzu was a captive audience, and he had asked.

"Extremely efficient. You are capable of doing what Nappa does, it sounds like. But I need a practical demonstration," Radditzu said.

"What, NOW?" she asked.

"Yes, now. Try disintegrating that chair… I don't care for it…" he snorted, pointing to it. Tomique slid out of bed, and then walked over to place her hand on it. Energy swirled around her, and Radditzu saw the object glow, then crumple to black dust.

"You see?"

"Impressive. MOST impressive. Why did you never use that as an attack?"

"I guess I'm squeamish? I'd rather hit or punch… and I have to be touching to do that," she said.

"I see. But you have that level of power, you should be capable of FAR more than you did when you attacked me. I had to admit that your polymer generation is… unusual. It caught me off guard. But to think that you could have done THIS to me…"

"I could have, but I didn't feel like it," she said quietly to Radditzu. "Besides even though you're a pain in the ass monkey man, I like having you around…"

"Doubtless. Has my brother taught you how to use this power? Or is it merely in hand to hand?"

"I know only basic attacks of ki. I want to know more…"

"Let me show you how it's done," Radditzu said, grabbing his boots.

"Are you joking?" she asked.

"Do I LOOK like I'm joking?" Radditzu frowned, putting on his spandex, then his armor. "Unless you have another reason for getting me out of bed this damn early. I suggest you get dressed and accompany me, or else be quiet and go back to sleep…"

"Sheesh, you're cranky in the mornings," she mumbled, glancing at him as he threw a bundle of her clothes at her. She unfolded them to see they were a set of purple gi that Gohan had given her for her sparring with Videl, and Goku. Chuckling she pulled them on, fingering the patch that pretty much bore his brother's adopted surname on them. Her sons wore orange fighting outfits of the same type. Including training shirt and bracelets. She'd brought it along in case she was going to use the gym and spar with Christine, but had stopped in favor of using the lab.

"Ready?" he asked, wolfing down ten concentrate bars and emptying an entire two gallon jug of gator aid.

"I suppose there's no changing your mind, huh?" she teased. "What would your prince say if you're late to duty?"

"He need not know. Besides, this is part of protecting you," he said as he glanced down at her. Grabbing her up over his shoulder he opened the window and rocketed off in the early morning.

"I CAN fly, you know," she said.

"You'll need all your ki with what I'm about to show you…"

"C'mon, I can fly. Lemmie down…"

"As you wish," Radditzu relented. She rocketed ahead, then dropped to fly alongside him. He coasted a bit, cutting back on his speed to allow her to keep up.

"How can I get any stronger if people are always babying me," she mumbled.

"Good point," Radditzu said. "See if you can keep up with me… since you bitched at me to let you fly yourself!"

* * *

They touched down somewhere outside the city, watching the burning stars of the morning gleaming in defiance of the bands of lighter blue. Clouds were barely discernible, and Tomique glanced at her watch to see it was only four thirty in the morning.

"Show me, like you did before," he commanded.

"Jerk," she mumbled. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she saw his palm flicker with light. Instantly she brought up her hands to block it.

"Not bad for a warm up. But the next will be bigger. See if you can push my ki back, instead of avoiding it," Radditzu barked. She saw the next surge, then threw her hands forward to cup a small ball of light that crashed into his.

"Humph, needs work. Narrower focus. But not bad for an amateur. NO less powerful then what you threw at me when we first met. But you can do much better, female," Radditzu chuckled, with a hint of amusement.

"What, a weak human like me?"

"I didn't say you were weak, idiot," he grumbled. "Come over here and stand by me. Watch what I do…"

Grumbling, she submitted to Radditzu's laborious explanation. However when he moved around behind her, his arms under hers, she felt a strange thrill. Just why he was bothering with this she didn't question. His hands positioned her palm facing up, while she felt his hot breath on her neck. "Let your energy gather at the center of your being. Fill yourself with that anger you've bottled away. Then push it OUT through the center of your hand. But don't let it go when you've formed it. Quantize it into an amount that isn't wasted…"

"Like a photon… with a certain quantum energy…"

"Exactly," Radditzu nodded. "Here, I shall demonstrate. You must learn to TARGET the energy and throw it. It's one thing to make it, but if you can't focus it, it's wasted… watch…"

She glanced down at his palm, then felt something crackling behind her. Chikara surged in an intangible prickling over her skin, only an inch from hers. Radditzu thrust his chest against her back so their bodies were in contact, and the energy surged over both of them. Gold light formed in slow motion into a sphere, glowing but still in contact with his skin.

"That's but a small fraction. Hold it… and feel the specific frequency…"

"The quantum nature," she said. Radditzu grunted, impressed as she held the small ball of his ki.

"Now, try and control it. Once you've controlled my ki, you'll work to generate your own…' said Radditzu quietly. "But don't stand away from me. Or else the energy link will be useless…"

His hand closed over her belly, and she wondered why. "Are you coming on to me… or is that… a chakra…"

"Your primitive name for it. Seven of them in most living beings. This one in you is particularly strong…" he said, rubbing her navel. Then he moved up to her heart, then to her neck. Each tingled, and it sparked a memory of her first time with Paul. Behind her it seemed he was lining up the meridians of energy to demonstrate.

"Each has its own frequency, right. Its own harmonic amplitude, wavelength, and it's different from the energy I generate to turn into matter…" she said quietly. "And mentally you can direct it… or throw it… but it's not hot…"

"It doesn't NEED to be hot. Not when you form it. It's the potential energy that's unleashed when it impacts your target," Radditzu said.

"It's THAT simple…" she gasped. "Quantum energy… of COURSE!"

Radditzu saw her focus her gaze on his small ki ball. To his shock he saw purple energy from her palm flicker around it, pouring into the sphere to double it in size. Purple chikara turned to the same frequency of his, burning in greater intensity. "Now… let it go! Send it wherever you want it…"

Eyes burning with intensity she let the ball slowly raise from her hand. IT levitated an inch above her palm, then slowly orbited Radditzu and her figures where they stood. A smile came over her face, and she increased the rate of orbit till the ball split into two small packets. Two spheres orbited them, at an X and an Y-axis.

"Cute, but I fail to see…"

"Shhh!" she hissed. With a nod of her head she sent one whizzing faster and faster, while letting the other one streak out and crash against a nearby tree. It smashed into it, punching a hole through the trunk, then suddenly exploding against a nearby rock. The other whizzed faster, then streaked off upwards at a ninety degree angle to explode in a harmless purple starburst.

"Hmm, that could work as a special technique. But let's see if you can generate a basic power beam… and push me back…" Radditzu said. He separated himself from her and stood about ten paces away.

"Try and move me. With just your ki," said Radditzu.

She nodded then put her hands at her side, in the manner of a Kamehameha. Drawing in her breath she felt her hair flickering and crackling with power. IT flew around her face, whipping in the increasing light of the rising sun. Purple lightening crackled as she formed words to put to the powerful attack. "At… omic…"

"Yes… more…" Radditzu challenged. "You've got MORE then that! Let me see it!"

"FORCE!" she yelled, throwing her hands before her like the Kamehameha discharge, but with a focussed beam that was arm diameter. IT slammed into Radditzu's chest, and he brought up his arms to block it.

"Tighter! Push harder then that. I barely felt it!" he taunted.

"You asked for it…" she gasped, then thrust harder against him. Radditzu laughed, as he slowly began to scoot backwards.

"You're barely moving me! Come on, you silly girl… I don't weigh THAT much in earth gravity!"

"Eeeeyyahhh!" she screamed, surging more power into it. Radditzu suddenly stopped blocking, and generated his own ki beam.

"Try and push back… stop me before mine hits…" he said with a gleam in his eyes. Tomique drew more from the center of her being, thrusting it all as she felt her body thrust back with his gold beam. It thrust backwards, till her beam shortened to a mere foot before her.

"Atomic force…" she gritted, increasing the amplitude to match his energy. Saiyan power was much higher in power, and she had to shorten the wavelength of it while keeping the amplitude equivalent. With one hand he increased his push, shoving her backwards.

"You'll have to try harder then that! I can barely feel its push!" he laughed.

"Shut the hell up you stupid baboon…" she gritted, pushing the anger into her beam.

"Are you a fool? Do you think THAT weak blast will do anything to me? Come on, you're hopeless…"

"Shut up!" she yelled, thrusting back at him. For a moment she replaced him with Gene, and any other person who had irked her or taunted her. Slowly her atomic Force gained in length, thrusting ever harder against Radditzu's gold ray. Her entire brow twisted with the strain that was causing her heart to pound.

"Enough," Radditzu said, and she collapsed when he disengaged his power blast. Quickly he zipped forwards and caught her falling body.

"Asshole," she panted, trying to push him away.

"You see how powerful anger makes you, Tomique-chan?" he asked.

"What did you call me?" she blinked up at him.

"Tomique-chan," he purred, pulling her to his body. "You are no weakling. You simply lack focus. And since my brother has failed to teach you the proper means, I suppose I must take it upon myself to…"

"Why bother with a human?" she taunted.

"Because I want to, that's why," Radditzu snickered, grabbing her backside and pulling her hips against his.

* * *

Knowing he was all too ready, she knew she had best not object. After all, he would give her a large amount of pleasure even if it would leave bruises. Not objecting, she threw her arms around his neck and seized his lips in a powerful kiss. Radditzu growled in approval, hands squeezing all over body with firm pinches. She felt his teeth nip her lips, and then bit hard down on his mouth, raking her nails through his hair and scalp. Angrily she squeezed his waist in her arms, and felt his fingers gripping hard enough to leave bruises on her hips.

Growling he released her mouth, giving her a heated stare. As the sun rose, it blasted them both with its radiance. Golden sunlight burned in her eyes through his hair, highlighting bared fangs that were gnashing with his desire. Seconds later his canines plunged into her shoulder and then she felt her blood seeping out. Fingers ripped her clothes to shreds, laying her bare in seconds before Radditzu lay her down on the grass and grabbed her hands. Something had unlocked the beast inside, and all she could do was let him have his way with her, or try and fight back.

"Hey, not so hard you animal," she snapped, whacking the side of his head.

"Yes, that's it… fight me a bit… I like rough…" he hissed. She leaned over and bit down on his ear, hard enough to draw blood. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them down, crushing her under his weight.

"This rough enough for you," she gasped, twisting in his grasp.

"Much better, but I'd rather save it for later. You'll need it," he purred.

"Two can play at THAT game," she laughed. She drew the arch of her foot down the back of one of his thighs, trying to somehow tickle him lightly, making him snarl a bit more with need.

"No more GAMES," he roared, wrapping his tail around her hips. Focussing hard, she struggled to generate a thin film of ki to reinforce her from harm.

"Two can play this one!" she gasped. He felt her teeth clamping on his bare skin, and laughed to himself at how Saiyan it seemed. To her annoyance his skin was far too tough for her to make any mark, except a few nips. However when she came close to the junction of shoulder and bit down, he tensed.

"Careful Tomique…" he purred, lifting her face from that place.

"Did I do something… wrong…" she asked.

"Hmm, not yet," he purred, then diverted her teeth to his bare shoulder. "Here is better… any where else you may, but NOT here, and not on my tail. Those are two places you NEVER bite a Saiyan. Unless you want yourself to suffer…"

She bit down, causing him to gasp and purr deeply. For some reason biting on the shoulder was fine, but that spot on his neck near the jugular vein. It pacified him till he was reduced to purring like a great cat, letting her run her fingers through his spiky mane that cascaded around both their faces. It inundated her with his scent.

Over and over they rolled, locked together groping and biting. Radditzu suddenly closed his mouth over her neck, and she screamed with the penetration of his teeth. At the same time she made a considerable welt on his right shoulder, matching the mark he had made on hers. "Great, he can bite ME there, but I can't bite him? What the hell?"

Iron surged into her lips, and she gagged on his blood, wanting to spit it out. However he was licking hers quite contentedly. "You taste far sweeter than I imagined… Tomique-chan…" he murmured, eyes closed.

"Why can't I bite YOU there… you insane monkey?" she whispered.

"Because I wanted it that way. And because you wouldn't like the result," he said quietly.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it, because I don't want you angry at me… I feel too good right now for a verbal world war three…" she panted.

"Wise choice. And don't you dare spit out my blood. Swallow it…"

"I figured it was an insult not to do so," she said, licking her lips. However Radditzu shoved her face to the wound again.

"Don't stop till it clots," he whispered, squeezing her close in his massive arms. Heat surged through her, his breath panting and his heart pounding against her with such force it seemed she was somehow merged with him. Slowly she lifted her face and Radditzu claimed her lips, driving his tongue deep. She could taste her blood in his mouth, and something else that seemed to increase her desire ten times.

* * *

Carefully he carried her back to the capsule corps. They had bathed off in a mountain stream, and she was shivering convulsively. Till he warmed her with a surge of ki. The taste of roasted game, that she had cooked lingered on her tongue, and filled her satisfied stomach. It was ten o'clock by the time Radditzu lay her in his bed, and kissed her gently.

"Stay here. Sleep. I have to report in…"

"Will you be in trouble?" she asked.

"No, I did my patrol when we… had our fun," he whispered. "Rest now. Don't question me."

"What about yours truly?"

"He'll be out training in the GR. I'll come back for you in a few hours," Radditzu said, kissing her again. Bruises wracked her entire body, and she whimpered with the aching between her legs.

"Oh hell I'll never walk again," she gasped.

"Yes you will. You held up very well…" he purred, leaning over to lick her lips tenderly with his.

"I feel like I've run a marathon…"

"You'll be better with rest," Radditzu answered. Kissing her one last time, he drew the covers over before leaving. Feeling safe, she curled up in the warm blankets. Every part of her body ached, but it was not from violence thankfully. Eventually she knew she would be far better off at the Son home, but she would miss coming back here, for now she had a reason.


	8. 18 vs Videl and Atomique

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Toriyama and Toei animation co do. I own Atomique aka Tomique, Jeannie and others except for Christine. This is not for profit! I don't' get paid for this!_

_**Z fighter's Picnic, Radditzu as Atomique's Bodyguard and Lab tech! **_

Notes: This is part of a sequence that shows Radditzu and Tomique's first time while she was human. Before he even took her as a mate, he sought to protect her from Nappa claiming her. Jeannie had hoped to get rid of Tomique by convincing Nappa that Atomique wanted him. So Nappa tried to rape Tomique till Radditzu stepped in. The only way for Tomique to survive was to give herself to Radditzu. Bejita, the Z fighters and her friends would not be able to get there in time because Nappa was watching.

* * *

She was at a picnic with the other Z fighters, wearing bandages over her skin. All they knew was she had a lab accident. Only Goku knew the true nature of her injuries, and he swore not to tell Bejita. They had heard only then about Nappa and Radditzu, but were kept well away from Capsule. So they were all unwinding with each other at a picnic at Kami house. 

It was Atomique's first time to visit Master Roshi, where Krillen lived with his wife No. 18 and their daughter Marron. Already a cookout was grilling, and she was sparring with Yamucha and Videl, showing them what Son Goku had taught her. An urge to show them her ki focussing from Radditzu surfaced, but she wanted to wait for the right moment.

"Ouch, you nailed me," Yamucha had laughed when they had traded mock blows, and he had tripped her. A quick throw he had shown her was applied, and he found himself flipped over.

"Good one, using your own moves against you, bro," Krillen laughed.

"Humph, give them any incentive and they'll fight with a new woman," 18 said, only mildly impressed. There were few that could match her brute strength, but she had fast reflexes on top of it.

"She's getting better," Yamucha gasped as Krillen helped him up. "Now, come at me and let's see what ELSE Videl's taught you…"

"Better get the Kleenex," Krillen had laughed. His daughter was eagerly clapping, sitting near the other kids lounging in the sun. She had stumbled on the unlikely bunch on this small island, not knowing what to expect.

Another sweep of the leg, and Yamucha flipped her over. But she rolled and then kicked his feet from under him. He toppled, and crashed near her, almost nailing her in the back with a touch. "Now if THIS happens, you can go WHAM in the gut, then when they roll over, nail 'em in the kidneys…"

"Wham bam, where's the thank you ma'am?" 18 commented dryly. Sweat soaked everyone's workout clothes. It seemed most of them had lost interest in any sparring, instead turning to a volleyball game in progress.

"C'mon girly pie, I KNOW you can land at LEAST one punch," Yamucha taunted.

"Do me a favor and shut up," Tomique snorted. Suddenly she drew back her hand and slammed it right into his jaw. He dodged in the nick of time, but her punch caught his ear and sent him reeling.

"Hey, nice shot," 18 said.

"What the… hold on honey… I didn't mean THAT hard," Yamucha laughed.

"Don't call me honey," she snapped, then slammed her knee up and hit him in the gut. Yamucha dropped like a sack of potatoes, hugging himself and gurgling.

"Wow, nice form,' said 18.

"Yamucha, are you okay bro?" Krillen gasped as he rolled over.

"Never… better… whoa… you didn't have to hit me THAT hard, honey…" Yamucha gasped.

"Sorry… I don't like being called girly pie," she mumbled.

"It's okay, it's his pride," Videl teased.

"I really wasn't aware I hit you THAT hard. I was letting you show me your throws," Tomique shrugged. 18 wandered over and leaned close, then grabbed her arm to tug her away.

"Well, where was THAT when you were first hitting him, huh?" 18 asked her, as Yamucha backed away with Krillen helping him up.

"Good question," said Videl, also leaning nearby. "You could have easily beaten him with the first punch if you were going to do that to start out with!"

"I think you enjoyed that as much as I did?" 18 asked her.

"Yes," she nodded. "He was asking for it…"

"Well not THAT much. He's not THAT much of a pill," Videl sighed.

"I could have hit him much harder," she shrugged.

"I could show you a few things myself," 18 said. "Come over here…"

"Whoo boy, she's in trouble," Yamucha coughed, spitting up blood.

"Man, are you SURE you're okay?"

"Don't worry… she's… whoo… she's got ONE hell of a punch. I guess Goku's training is paying off," Yamucha smiled. Krillen grabbed some ice from the cooler and helped his buddy to sit down under a tree.

"Daddy, is uncle Yamucha okay?" Marron asked.

"She's fine," said 18, walking over with Tomique and Videl behind her. "Now the real fun begins."

"This isn't gonna be pretty," Krillen groaned. "Don't be TOO hard on them, honey…"

"And ruin my fun?" 18 laughed, rolling her neck so it cracked.

* * *

By the time Videl and Tomique were midway through the fight, both were dripping with sweat. They whirled and levitated trying to avoid the rapid pelting of kiko ha. Not at the full intensity, they were still daunting enough to sting.

"C'mon, you're FASTER then that! I'm barely warmed up!" 18 called, throwing a higher intensity one. Videl took a swing, launching herself up, only to feel 18 catch her from behind. She rolled over in the dirt, then spit out sand.

Tomique felt 18's fist flash out then raised her hand to aim a blast right in 18's path. It knocked the female android back with a surprise. "Better… you actually caught me off guard for a second," 18 grunted, nodding in slow appreciation.

"HYAH!" Videl shouted, rolling over and kicking 18's legs out. Yet 18 rolled over, then twisted her legs with Videl's and flipped her over, delivering a punch that stunned her opponent.

"OUCH!" Krillen gasped. "You SURE you didn't hit her that hard, cause Gohan…"

"Please," 18 laughed flicking her hair and bringing up her hands to block Tomique's spinning kick, and then a phase out with a rapid-fire series of punches. 18 grabbed her and threw her halfway across the beach. While she was flying Tomique twisted around and landed with a bit of levitation. Videl got up, staggering as she saw the little mock battle escalate.

"C'mon, you want a piece of me?" Videl called out. "I'm just getting started! My DAD could do a better work out…"

"Oh is that so?" 18 smirked. "Show me what you've got…"

Flipping hand over hand, Videl started with her own volley of kicks and punches. 18 countered each with ease, giving Videl a grudging smile, but she appeared bored. Krillen sighed with relief, seeing his wife was trying to hold back for her benefit. Tomique saw the mock battle, which was close to ending when 18 grabbed Videl and threw her to the ground. She pinned her opponent.

"Well, do you give up?"

"Give me… a minute…" Videl panted. 18 gave a wry smile, which was her version of approval that Videl was at least giving her a mild challenge.

"Atomic FORCE!" Tomique shouted, gathering her hands at her hip. 18's head flashed around to see the alchemist crackling all over with purple fire.

"Now this is something new. So… she actually has some energy worth collecting," the artificial human mused. She braced herself for the impact, sensing the power levels sharply jutting up. A purple beam slammed into her with greater intensity, actually pushing 18 back. Quickly she regained her balance, then pushed back with her own crimson blast.

Tomique dropped, and generated a small ball of ki. She lobbed it towards 18, who simply batted it aside. It flew into the tree near Krillen and Yamucha, then exploded against the tree, reducing it to toothpicks and splinters raining down on everyone else.

"HEY!" Yamucha gasped.

"Kuso!" Videl gasped. Krillen seized Marron and flew her out of the way.

"JEEZ what are you trying to do? Kill us?" Krillen snapped angrily at them.

"It wasn't MY fault you didn't get out of the way," 18 said. "Besides, I'm testing your reflexes…"

"Shimatta, what the hell was that?" Master Roshi exclaimed, falling off his deck chair as he dropped his girly magazine. "Someone let me KNOW when you're setting those things off?"

"Wow, that was a pretty big bang," Gohan commented, landing near Videl. "I saw it from up there… is everything okay, Videl?"

"Yeah, just Tomique showing off. And 18 too," Videl chuckled. "I think it scared Master Roshi though…"

"Ugh… well are you two about ready to go? My dad's cooking dinner and sent me to get you all so you won't be late…" said Gohan.

"Tomique! Dinner!" Videl called. "Are you done pummeling us, 18?"

"Yes, thank you," 18 waved. "Actually that was the best workout I've had in a few days… not bad kid…"

She said this glancing at Tomique. "You know you could actually be dangerous…"

"Thanks I think," said Tomique. Yamucha and Krillen were staring at her nervously as she walked towards Gohan and Videl.

"What are YOU looking at? Not used to seeing more of us women actually putting up a fight?" 18 glared at both of them.

"No, nothing here… just… watching the ocean…" Yamucha stammered.

"Honey, relax… it was just… I'm not used to seeing any other woman as powerful as you… or nearly…" said Krillen nervously.

"Get me a wine cooler, goon," 18 said with a bored sigh. She wandered up and sat on the porch, Marron toddling up to her with a squeal of delight.

"Mommy you kicked butt!"

"Great, just great," Krillen groaned, marching over to the cooler and fishing out a drink for his wife. He lobbed it into the air, where she promptly caught it by merely sticking up her hand.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Videl asked, glancing at Tomique.

"Fine, why do you ask?" Tomique glanced back at her.

"Well, for starters I've never known you to be so… bitchy. Not that it's a BAD thing where those guys are concerned, but you're kinda not quite… well… you're all jumpy and edgy…" Videl said concerned.

"I've had better days. A whole lot of bad memories are floating around up here in my head," she said.

"Bad… memories… Gohan told me that you came from a pretty bad world… not the one you originally were from…"

"My whole world was destroyed, Videl… there's very few who could relate to that… except maybe Prince Bejita…" she said.

"Wow… I guess I've got no idea. I mean we went through a lot of terrible stuff when Majin Buu attacked…"

"But you have the Dragon Balls to fix things. We don't. Our heroes failed us, and my world is as good as ashes. I tried to make a new life on the alchemy planet with my two sons, but they were taken by those Kami damned destroyers…" she gritted.

"You don't have to worry about that. Goku and Gohan will protect them… and you're learning to fight. I mean come on; you already DO have pretty good martial arts skills, and the things you do with your powers… I mean you can use ki! I can't… not like Gohan…"

"You're lucky to have someone love you like he does…" said Tomique.

"Come on it's not… like that…"

"Uh huh," Tomique said with a knowing smile. "Just enjoy it. Don't let him go. Marry him and have kids. Just… don't wait… because you never know…"

"I do know," Videl said. "About your husband… I'm sorry…"

"So am I. But… I can't bring him back. Goku said the Dragon balls wouldn't work on someone who doesn't WANT to come back. And Paul's already moved on… to another realm…"

"Like King Kai's planet? Gohan told me about that… when he was training with his powers…" Videl explained.

"Goku mentioned about the Kais. The Four I suppose are like them. I still hear from Paul in my dreams. He tells me all sorts of things about how he has to fight in Other World. To think Goku trained him before he went to fight in the same Budakai you and Gohan were in… then the Buu thing happened," whispered Tomique.

"Funny coincidence…"

"Blackwell I suppose you could say was like Buu, but far more malevolent. The same force for destruction. But he needs a living host. The Destroyers weren't our only problem. Their agents, the Princess, Flame, Bandit and Foxfire were also implements of destruction. Then the Destroyers had their mutated pet dinosaurs. Odd because on your planet dinosaurs are still alive…"

"You mean on your world…"

"They were extinct for centuries. And we didn't have sentient animals like you do here. Things are quite different on my world…"

"Must be confusing to go from one dimension to another…" mumbled Videl.

"Parallel universes. Ace had the power to bend space and time, and he used that power before he died… to scatter us across the universe. I ended up in a world where Alchemy was the main science, and technology was probably like two hundred years in the past. There were cars and phones. But they didn't hover. And there was no television or computers. But my original world was much like Chikyuu..." she said.

"How long has it been since your husband died?"

"It's been at least four years according to the twin's time. And about two for me. Time moved differently between worlds. For them, four years went by without daddy…"

"You've been without your husband for FOUR YEARS?" Videl gasped.

"Yes," she nodded. "It's crazy…"

"Hey babe, here's a beer!" Yamucha called. She blinked up and saw him holding up a bottle.

"Sorry about earlier, Yamucha," she said.

"Hey, no hard feelings. I'm kinda glad you've improved so much, sweets. Catch," Yamucha called, throwing her the Budweiser. She caught it easily. Videl caught the can of diet soda that Gohan threw her, and both of them opened their cans.

"Thanks!" she called.

"Videl, are you okay?" asked Gohan.

"I'm just having a little girl talk over here. So give me a while, okay?" Videl called.

Gohan nodded and sat down with Yamucha and Krillen to play cards on the beach. Master Roshi and Oolong had pulled up deck chairs to join them on the porch of Kami house. 18 picked up Marron and moved to sit in the shade of the palm trees. Goku shot across the sky, with Goten and the twins rocketing after him. They landed nearby, and went to see what the others were up to. Marron squealed, joining her twins.

Videl glanced sidelong at her asking, "Aren't you… lonely?"

"Yes. There was… someone on the Alchemy world who I was with. But he was killed in a war I had to fight…" she said quietly.

"Isn't there someone HERE?"

"Who?" she blinked.

"You've got hickey marks all over your neck," Videl whispered.

"It's someone at Capsule," said Tomique. "But it's our secret."

"But it's GREAT… I mean you found someone ELSE!" Videl said. "Not that you NEED a guy friend but…"

"We're keeping it a secret. Because it's against company policy to date co workers…"

"You don't WORK for capsule!" Videl protested.

"I work in Buruma's research unit so I do," said Tomique. "I insisted on a job because I hate charity. Besides, I can't earn anything working for Goku as a housekeeper… I do lab work and research, and well… I only stay at Goku's because he has my sons there, and I don't' want to have them not know me as t heir mom…"

"My mom died when I was younger. At least they HAVE a mom. You know all about my Dad," she winced.

"Who can forget Hercule Satan?" she teased. "Well, the man I married was a rock star. So I know what you're dealing with…"

"A rock star. Boy I feel sorry for you," Videl winced. She glanced at Tomique's bruised skin and burns.

"A lab accident," Tomique said quickly.

"Are you sure you're okay? IT looks like a NASTY burn… wait THAT'S why you were gone for two whole days… you had an accident?" she asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Hey Atomique-san, why don't' you join us over here?" called Goku.

"C'mon, let's go join the boys," said Videl, crawling to her feet. She extended a hand to Tomique, who took it reluctantly. Yet she went into the circle of the Z fighters to pretend that she had some circle of friends for now. They were a ragtag motley crew, but they were accepting of most people. Even Bejita at times, who wasn't much for socializing.

"Lab accident, huh?" asked Master Roshi. "I wondered why you weren't showing off that cute set of legs…"

"Shut up you ecchi," Videl grumbled at him.

"Just giving her a compliment… sheesh!" Master Roshi threw up his hands. "Can't an old man in his twilight years enjoy looking at the merchandise?"

"Depends on if it's for sale or not," said Tomique glancing at him with a smile.

"Now SHE gets what I'm talking about," Roshi glared at Videl. "But I'm forgetting you're already spoken for…"

"Thank Kami for that," Gohan said, moving over and sitting next to his fiancée. She hid partly behind him like a shield, glaring at the two resident ecchi's, Roshi and oolong.

"Some people can't take a joke," Oolong glanced sidelong at Yamucha.

"Hey, leave ME out of it," Yamucha nervously laughed.

"Considering, you haven't got any claim on you, have you?" Oolong pointed at her.

"I'm seeing someone at Capsule," said Tomique. Goku blinked in confusion.

"Jeez, you never told any of us that…" he said.

"Buruma… well when I was working in her lab, I met him," said Tomique. "And well nobody had better make a HUGE deal, because it…"

"It's against Capsule policy to date co workers, boy I know that line!" Yamucha rolled his eyes. "Well luckily I didn't work for capsule when I was dating Buruma. I just lived there…"

"Even when you were…?" asked Krillen before Yamucha waved his hand quickly.

"Well, it WAS a nice place to live. Besides, Buruma and I go WAY back… I mean she's MARRIED now, but even after we broke up I still hung around to train there…"

"You mean the ten million times you broke up and got back together," Oolong commented.

"Ancient history, my man, ancient history," Yamucha sighed. "Because I've got a honey I'm seeing that's a nice steady sure bet…"

"So he says now," Gohan mumbled to Videl.

"Watch the circus, it will get fun from here," Videl whispered back, shaking her head. "And I thought my dad was hopeless."

Bohr and Fermi scooted over to sit by Tomique. "Mommy, why are you so sad?" asked Bohr.

"Did you get into a fight?" Fermi asked.

"Well… yes… I had a disagreement with… a co-worker…" she said. "And I was in the hospital…"

"Who?" asked Fermi.

"I promised them I wouldn't tell. It's nothing you two need to worry about. It's a grown up problem," she said quickly.

"Did Unlce Bejita-sama beat them up for you?" asked Fermi.

"Well, two of his friends did," said Tomique. "Look, let's not talk about this. It's not something you two need to worry about. I'll be fine…"

"You should tell Son-kun-san," said Bohr sternly. "He'll take care of them…"

"He already knows," said Tomique quietly. "He and Prince Bejita. They'll… make sure I'm fine…"

"Do you have to work so far away?" Fermi wondered. "I know you need money and all… but…"

"She doesn't want people to think she and Son-kun-sama are married cause he still has a wife and she's gone away a long time," Bohr said.

"Wait a second, you weren't supposed to know that!" Fermi glared at him.

"Oops," said Bohr, looking ashamed of spilling something he shouldn't.

"Who told you that?" she asked.

"Videl and Gohan-kun were talking about it," Bohr said with wide eyes.

"Look you guys, you don't have to worry about your Mommy. No matter WHAT happens with me, or Son-kun, you'll always have a family to care for you… got it?" she said to both of t hem. "I won't leave you again!"

"We know that you didn't leave us behind in a mean way," Bohr said.

"Don't be sad Mommy, you've got us. And we know you gotta work, okay? And that you gotta train to be strong… so don't cry!" Fermi said, hugging her tightly.

"You're too young to worry about those things," she said quickly. "You should be like Son-kun-san and just worry about learning to fight and enjoy life!"

"She's right, you know," Goku said, moving closer. "You guys don't' have to worry about those things. So stop already will ya? Now who wants some ice cream?"

"Thanks," She whispered to him. He nodded with a knowing wink, getting up to wander over into the house and find what the two boys were after. Bohr crawled on her lap and leaned against her, while Fermi leaned against her abused ribs. She hugged them closely, letting a few tears slip down her cheeks.

* * *

The next day or so she felt Radditzu's presence as she walked towards the lab. With long legged strides he shadowed her, his constant presence a comfort. Still her body tingled from the residuals of their encounters, making her feel far better than she had in ages.

As she passed the GR chamber she saw Nappa emerging with Trunks. "Hello Atomique-san," Trunks waved.

"Hello, how's things?" she asked.

"Your majesty," said Radditzu, inclining his head.

"You look well," Nappa glanced at her, his eyes falling on the strange purple bruise on her neck. "You behaving yourself, whelp?"

"Depends on what you mean," said Radditzu, giving a suggestive smirk to Nappa.

"You treating him good?" Nappa winked at her.

"The best," she said.

"What am I missing?" Trunks asked.

"You'll find out when you're older, your Majesty," Nappa laughed. "C'mon, let's go find the Prince, he'll nail my butt to the wall if you're not up in time for lunch!"

"Later!" Trunks waved. "By the way, Atomique-san, my Mom told me that she's cool with the last batch… whatever that means!"

"Thanks! Bye…" she waved to Trunks and Nappa. Her face flushed pink, causing Radditzu to raise a brow in question.

"Are you all right, Tomique-chan?" he asked. She flushed even more pink.

"How embarrassing!" She whispered. "No offense Radz, but he's looking at me like a piece of meat still!"

"He's jealous," Radditzu grunted with a self-satisfied smirk. His hand nudged her shoulder, urging her in front of him.

"I'm wondering if I'm tempting fate coming here…" she mumbled, stopping at the lab. Radditzu reached around her shoulder to tap in the numerical code. Only he, Buruma and Tomique knew the combination, in case Jeannie or someone else would try and bother her.

The door slid open, and Radditzu glanced warily around, urging her in with a hand on her shoulder. Nodding, he followed her, then let the door slide shut. He took up a position right inside, arms folded across his chest. Atomique slid on her lab coat, then bustled about the lab turning on equipment. "Okay, this is going to be an interesting project. I have the starting material…"

Glancing over her shoulder she saw Radditzu standing there like a statue, watching her. It made her nervous and excited at the same time. Off the shelves she grabbed her notebooks, then grumbled because the reagents she wanted were too high up. "Damn it… hey, Radz, could you help me?"

"Of course," he mumbled, striding over, and standing right behind her to reach for the jar of reagent she wanted. "Foolish girl you should have asked if you wanted…"

"Thank you. I hate being short," she mumbled. "Say, would you like being my lab assistant?"

"I would not wish to disrupt her Majesty's work…"

"Well, you're a smart guy, so if I direct you, why not? I need an extra pair of hands… and well, if Saiyans are from such an advanced race… or am I babbling?"

"You're babbling," Radditzu grunted in amusement.

"Are YOU a scientist?" she asked, turning on him.

"Why would you say that?" he asked with a wry grin.

"You know about quantum energies. Or is that child's play to an advanced civilization like yours?"

"Hardly," Radditzu snorted, then grabbed the glassware she directed him to get. He hefted a huge drum of acetone up and filled the reagent bottles she brought.

"Thanks. They get empty so fast cleaning this dang glassware. Now I'm going to be making another batch of the polymer, and I need just the right conditions… can you generate UV light?"

"UV light?" he asked. "You mean to polymerize?"

"Yes, exactly. Since you can create energy, maybe YOU can generate the specific wavelength I need. Radiant energy's not my forte…"

"Show me," he said, and she pushed the notebook over so he could pick up her research notes. Radditzu mumbled as he glanced through it, then watched over the top as Atomique assembled the glass reactors. He shot out his hand to steady the top of the condenser so she could screw clamp it down, then fasten the clamps in place. Putting down the notebook he then watched her pour nasty starting reagents into the round bottom flask, then clamp it in place as well.

"Okay, just cup your hands around the bottom here… I need something of a wavelength between 220 and 190 nanometers…" she said.

"Metric," he mumbled. "That would be 40,000 radver… all right… I got it…"

"You catch on quick," she said, slipping her glasses on with the filters. "Now just give it a few bursts…"

Radditzu closed his hands around the round bottom flask at the base of the glass setup. Atomique turned on all the appropriate water coolant valves and vapor traps. The magnetic stirrer swirled the opaque white mixture in its reaction flask. Concentrating, Radditzu's palms glowed a faint purple as he struggled to get the appropriate wavelength.

"Okay, I'll take aliquots out and see where we are," she said, inserting a needle into the septum port on one side of the reactor. Drawing out a bit of liquid in her syringe she walked over to the gas chromatograph and injected it inside. A series of peaks in a few minutes came out to indicate retention times before they were fed into a mass spectrometer. From the pattern of upright bars the computer whirled through its database of millions of chemical compounds.

"Not too long, I trust…"

"M244, we've got it," she said.

"Was this the material our replacement armor was to be constructed of?" Radditzu asked, glancing at the spectral pattern. "Because the molecular composition fragmentation pattern looks exactly like… one of the components of Saiyajin armor."

"A polymer as dense as diamond, but lightweight enough to be formed into any shape. That's it…" she nodded.

"You discovered this without your alchemy powers?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I deduced how to synthesize the material…"

"She could have simply asked one of us… but knowing the Prince he wasn't knowledgeable of the technology, since only a few of us are left alive," said Radditzu. "Unfortunately between Nappa and myself much of our technical knowledge is lost…"

"A damn shame. All this… the regeneration tanks, the scouters, all of this is extremely advanced. It would be a shame to lose it," she said.

Sheepishly Radditzu regarded her. "Can I stop the irradiation now?"

"Of course,' she said.

"Tomique-chan, the inventions you describe were only perfected by the Saiyans, not invented," he murmured. "The Prince would have my HEAD for admitting this… but since you're a scientist like myself… I think you should know."

"It's not necessarily always who invents something first, it's what the people after them do with it. You realize that nobody cared about half the things Edison invented till he found a use for them. Marie Curie had to work in a damn horse stable to isolate radium, and it was only when she discovered it did they even give a damn and give her any recognition! It took years for the significance of her work and others to make any impact…"

"I've read much about Earth scientists. Some don't impress me, but those in chemistry and physics are interesting," he said.

"You purged planets I take it. I supposed you'd have to know some science to know it they could be worth selling to support life," she said.

"I was an expert in exobiology, and atmospheric chemistry," Radditzu said proudly. "I was on the teams that determined the viability of transplanting customers to habitable worlds… before we… purged them of their native life…"

"Humans are JUST as guilty as you are. Remember the Spaniards, or the English? We would kill the natives to take their land, JUST like you Saiyans did with your worlds. So we're not as different as we thought," she reminded him. "And we're doing it in my century. Purging planets of their native life so we can colonize them… it's a principle called Scientification…"

Radditzu's eyes widened. "You don't say…"

"Well, Arthur C. Clarke talked about the human need to colonize other worlds. But others said that humans had no right to leave our world and pollute space with our race. But many scientists and technologist wouldn't hesitate to colonize other worlds regardless of what was there. We build oil wells in areas that we clear of wildlife… and build our homes in habitats and kill creatures we regard as 'vermin…' so you see…"

"Indeed. And some humans would say Saiyans were savage. Your race has an innate capacity for violence that rivals our own. Perhaps that's why the Prince wished to live here?" Radditzu said.

"It's our pride and shame. We're not so different, Radditzu. We're even simian in our ancestry. Humans descended from apes, according to the latest in theories…" she said, opening a textbook for him to see. She punched keys on the computer and rung up a website about Neanderthal and Australopithecus. "That's an ancestor called Lucy. She was an Australopithecus apherensis…"

"Looks very Saiyan," he mumbled. "But the tail's already lost…"

"We're basically only 1 percent different in DNA composition to chimpanzees," she shrugged. "We're hairless apes who've lost our tails. You Saiyans have retained them, but adapted to higher gravity worlds. We're just more fragile…"

"Humph, interesting. No wonder the Prince was able to have viable offspring. And my brother as well," Radditzu nodded slowly. "Perhaps it was wise to leave this world unpurged. The Saiyan race is hardly surviving. We were so fixated on purging that we had neglected the survival of our own species. But I was anxious to find my brother Kakkarot because he was what remained of my family…"

"Radditzu, didn't you ever have a mate?"

"No. My world was destroyed before I chose one. Frieza didn't think highly of breeding. He said Females were for sexual satisfaction only. Breeding was to be done in labs…" said Radditzu. "Only third class Saiyans and Royals bred the old fashioned way. There weren't many females by the time our world blew up… or was blown up… by Frieza…"

"You know?" she asked.

"The Prince told Nappa and I. That's another reason we aren't returning. He lied to all of us. And slowly he slaughtered all Saiyans by sending them on suicide missions. My friend Turles, my father and mother, Nappa's mate Cabernet… and her comrades Merlot, Chablis, Chardonnay… and all the others I'd ever known…" he said angrily. "It was so much easier to kill and purge."

"You're the last of your kind," she said. "As am I. My world is ashes Radditzu. Blackwell is much like Frieza. He destroyed my family… all I have left are my sons Bohr and Fermi…"

"I share your anger," Radditzu said, grasping her shoulders. "Perhaps my Prince will lead a mission to avenge you as well as us. Because the Destroyers in the reality Nappa and I originate from were in Freiza's pay…"

"WHAT?" she asked.

"It's true. Destroyers were one of the races Saiyans sold planets to. They inhabited worlds and needed ones that had requisite habitations for their experiments. They hired Nappa and I to help them purge your world, but we saw it was already in ashes and not worth our time. Then they sent us after you and your friends… in exchange for information on our Prince's whereabouts…" said Radditzu. She pushed away in anger, beating the table as she gritted her teeth.

"Shit…" she sobbed. "It never ends…"

"If you have enmity towards me I understand," Radditzu said. "But I did what I had to… for my own survival…"

"So did I," she said, raising her head. She moved over and buried her face in his armored chest, beating her fist on it. Radditzu swallowed hard, not sure of what she expected, but he recalled watching on television what the humans called comforting. Either that or she wished to mate.

"Don't cry female, you've every right to your anger,' Radditzu said.

"IT never goes away. You were sent to kill me… and you spared me… why?"

"You should know the reason now, Tomique-chan. I had my needs, and wanted you even then, because no female before had your power level," Radditzu purred, stroking her back and running his hands down to squeeze her backside.

"Thank god for horny monkey men," she sniffled.

"Hmm, speaking of… perhaps you'd be… improved in disposition if I attended to a need," he murmured in her ear, grasping her up and setting her on a nearby lab counter that was emptied. He climbed on top of her, pinning her beneath massive muscular thighs, his hands squeezing and kneading her body.

"Don't tear the coat please," she whispered. Radditzu managed to unbutton it then helped peel her out of it. Slowly he pulled her hands up to his chest, and she undid his armor…

* * *

"Ohhh, Kami," she gasped, biting on his shoulder but avoiding his neck. Radditzu flickered his tongue over her lips and body as he made love to her.

"Indeed," he growled. He bared his teeth while staring directly into her eyes with those bottomless pools of black she found so intriguing.

"Radz-chan," she groaned, reaching for him, and he crushed her lightly to his muscular chest with those massive arms.

"Would you like more, Tomique-chan?" he purred then disintegrated into a series of intelligible harsh syllables.

"As much as you can give… I can take it… I can't get enough…" she begged. "Please Radditzu, I need you… I need more…"

"Patience, female, and I enjoy how you're begging me so nicely," Radditzu purred, his vibrations rumbling through her with greater force.

Groaning, she lay there, feeling his hot breath pulsing on her neck. Shakily with one hand he braced his torso off her, taking most of the weight on his knees. His fangs sank into that juncture near her jugular, and he was sucking lightly on her blood like some blasted vampire. Tomique let him, and then felt dizzy. "Hey… I'm going to pass out…"

"Hmm, how rude of me, here," he said, pushing her face to his shoulder. "You may partake… it is still freshly scabbed."

"Vampire," she mumbled, tearing into the scab and letting some of his blood trickle into her mouth. Radditzu closed his eyes, humming in pleasure at the feel of the human drinking his blood.

"That's it, take as much as you need, love," he whispered, holding her on his lap as he straightened up. She withdrew her lips when the blood clotted, looking up at him as she licked the excess away.

"I never though blood could taste good. This is WEIRD," she whispered.

"It will increase your strength, Tomique-chan. Give you the energy you need to keep up with me," he said.

"It tastes like human blood," she said as he kissed her. A round mark on his shoulder matched one on hers, and that nasty purple bruise on her neck. Finally she tried to disengage.

"I'm not done yet, Tomique," he snorted impatiently. She groaned in protest.

"Won't your Prince get suspicious?"

"I'm guarding you, and your polymer needs to sit for ten hours. So I can't think of a better way to amuse ourselves, can you?" he said with a smirk.

"True, but it's not THAT comfortable, buddy…"

"What?"

"On a lab counter. Now like THIS I'm pretty comfy…" she said, shifting in his lap.

"I'm surprised I'm not DEAD. I'm black and blue all over…"

"Saiyan sex is rough, Tomique…" he laughed. "And you've left your mark on ME as well…"

She saw he was red in places where her nails had dug into his skin. Small half moon shapes and bite marks mottled his chest, thighs, and shoulders. Radditzu smirked and reached up on his upper arm to pull off one of the matching arm rings then latched it around her upper thigh.

"Hey, what's THAT for?"

"Interesting how it fits you there so well," he said.

"This is yours, you dummy I can't take this…"

"Don't refuse a Saiyan's gift," he growled mock threateningly. He reached around her upper right arm, and fitted another matching armlet that he had pulled out of his boot somewhere. Now he only wore the band on his right thigh, and upper right arm.

"I'm not even going to ask," she said, fingering the strange metal, which gleamed like copper with a shiny luster. "But if it makes you happy I'll wear them…"

"So you don't forget who you belong… I mean who protects you," he caught himself.

"IS there something you're not telling me, huh?" she asked, grabbing his cheek. "You biting me HERE where I'm not supposed to bite you, and now you're giving me jewelry…"

"None of your concern. It's meaningless to a human," he snorted.

"Hey buddy…" she snorted. "Don't give me THAT attitude…"

"Fine if you don't want them," he snorted.

"I want them damn it. I'm sorry I opened my mouth, sheesh!" she grumbled. "It's just that it's been ages since a guy's given me jewelry that's it!"

"Ah, I see," Radditzu said, finishing his last gasp into her, and she lay against him, sated as he lay back on the lab counter. Resting atop his body, she stroked patterns on his scarred chest. He ran a finger up and down the burns that were healing on her hands and upper thigh.

"It won't go away, but the color's better…"

"It looks good on you. A female always looks good with scarring. IT shows her strength," said Radditzu.

"You'd probably think Yamucha was attractive…"

"Hmm, yes," Radditzu nodded. "Although don't misunderstand… I have had… experiences with males, but it was only out of desperation or humiliation…"

"Doesn't bother me," she laughed. "Bisexuality isn't unknown on this planet. Just as long as you've had all your shots…"

"Saiyans don't get weak diseases," he snorted.

"Don't worry I'm not going to get pregnant…"

"What a shame," he mumbled.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Nothing, don't concern yourself," he mumbled, rubbing a hand over her body and wishing that he could plant his seed in this human. Her body was built for child bearing. Suddenly Radditzu tensed, sitting up. He let out a loud snarl, and blocked her body with his.

"What?"

"Get dressed, we're not alone," he said, pulling away and grabbing his armor. She quickly struggled into her clothes, and Radditzu rushed to the door, only wearing the bottoms of his armor. He tugged on his wrist guards, and stood just outside the door, raising his palm with ki flickering.

* * *


	9. Gohan's outrage at Raditz

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Toriyama and Toei animation co do. I own Atomique aka Tomique, Jeannie and others except for Christine. This is not for profit! I don't' get paid for this!_

_**Family Ties Stretched and Strained**_

* * *

Last time: 

_In the lab, Radditzu smirked and reached up on his upper arm to pull off one of the matching arm rings then latched it around her upper thigh._

_"Hey, what's THAT for?"_

_"Interesting how it fits you there so well," he said._

_"This is yours, you dummy I can't take this…"_

_"Don't refuse a Saiyan's gift," he growled mock threateningly. He reached around her upper right arm, and fitted another matching armlet that he had pulled out of his boot somewhere. Now he only wore the band on his right thigh, and upper right arm. _

_"I'm not even going to ask," she said, fingering the strange metal, which gleamed like copper with a shiny luster. "But if it makes you happy I'll wear them…"_

_"So you don't forget who you belong… I mean who protects you," he caught himself._

_"IS there something you're not telling me, huh?" she asked, grabbing his cheek. "You biting me HERE where I'm not supposed to bite you, and now you're giving me jewelry…"_

_"Get dressed, we're not alone," he said, pulling away and grabbing his armor. She quickly struggled into her clothes, and Radditzu rushed to the door, only wearing the bottoms of his armor. He tugged on his wrist guards, and stood just outside the door, raising his palm with ki flickering._

"Who is it?" Atomique asked, struggling to slide back into her clothes.

"Behind me," Radditzu hissed, reaching out and grabbing her by the front of her bra. He swung her round and hugged her to his hip, holding his other hand out to slam whoever it was with a bolt of energy.

"This is ridiculous, who the HELL is it now?" she griped.

"Shh, quiet," he hissed. Atomique groused silently about Saiyan warriors, unsated desires, and other things when the door blew open. Radditzu hurled a blast forwards with a shout, grabbing Tomique's lab coat to wrap around her.

Slowly the figure covered in masonry staggered to their feet. They glanced at Radditzu glaring down at them with his hand overtop blazing with energy. "Whoa, hey WAIT!" Yamucha gasped.

"What the HELL are you doing in here, trespasser! This area's OFF limits!" Radditzu growled. "You have FIVE minutes before I make you ROT in hell for…"

"Radditzu, calm down… what are you doing here?" Tomique gasped while Raditz shielded her with his body.

"Um...I was looking for Bulma… but I kinda… heheh got lost, and then someone…"

"You stupid idiot!" yelled Vegeta's voice. "What in the hell is that loser doing here?"

"I only hit him with a low grade blast," Jeannie said angrily.

"You'd better get out NOW," said Tomique.

"Hey wait… you'… you're… holy SHIT!"

"Leave now, Yamucha… he won't hurt you…"

"But… but…" Yamucha stammered.

"Shit," Radditzu grumbled.

"Let me, and hold your breath," she said, raising her hand. Chloroform filled the room, knocking Yamucha out in seconds.

Radditzu put her down and slammed the door shut again. Luckily it was reinforced with wood. He then turned back to her and tried to help her button the rest of her outfit up with his large hands moving clumsily over the fastenings. "Fricking ningen clothes… too many damn buttons…"

"Hey, I can dress myself, you," she snorted, slapping his hands away. For a minute she staggered on her shaky legs, feeling the stickiness of Raditz's excitement still coating the inside of her body. Grumbling in Saiyan, the warrior was gathering the other pieces of his armor including his scouter and putting them back on. Vegeta kicked the door open, glaring down at Yamucha.

"Great, that's ALL we need… what the hell happened here? Is the female…"

"I knocked him out," said Tomique, straightening up her hair.

"Good. I'm going to have to take this clown back to Bulma, and see if she can sort out this sorry mess. Or else my plans are going down the shithole," Vegeta cursed.

"Speaking of, my lab…" she started, then shut up when Radditzu glanced anxiously at her.

"Sire, this place seems to be dangerous for her to continue her work… is there an alternate," asked Radditzu.

"I'll arrange it. Meantime, take her out of here, and wait for my further orders. I don't want any more problems on my hands. I've sent Jeannie out to guard the Princess so she'll be out of the way. Don't go anywhere without him, because I can't risk any more stupid shit happening to the woman's friends," Vegeta mumbled.

"Thanks," she nodded, inclining her head. Grunting, Vegeta picked up Yamucha and dragged him away. Tomique grumbled staggering till Radditzu caught her.

"Are you incapacitated?" he asked.

"Yes," she gasped.

"My apologies," he said quietly, picking her up in his arms.

"Are you going to carry me everywhere for the next day then, you big baboon?" she grumbled. Carefully he carried her back towards his quarters, so she could rest.

* * *

The phone rang, jolting her out of sleep. Grumbling she reached for the lamp, almost knocking it onto the floor. Bold upright in bed Tomique sat, feeling the bed next to her. Nobody was there, to her sorrow. For a while she could almost swear Paul had been there. 

"I'm coming," she grumbled then realized the ringing was coming from a cell phone at the bedside table. Tomique grabbed the flip phone, opening it to see Goku's number flashing.

"Hello?"

"Uh hi, are you okay?" said Son Goku on the other end. "You didn't come back for lunch and dinner, and we got worried… it's almost ten at night!"

"Kuso, I'm sorry Son-kun, I had something to do today at the lab!" she cursed, gathering the blankets around her. She stumbled about Raditz's bachelor quarters, struggling to find something to wear. A few large civilian outfits were neatly folded, and she finally grabbed a pair of black silk boxers that must belong to him. Bulma had argued to Vegeta that his soldiers needed to practice wearing human clothes. So Raditz had adopted a biker look, according to Trunks' suggestions. She grabbed a Harley Davidson T-shirt and threw it on, pulling her legs in to sit Indian style on the bed. Then she got up and rooted through his full sized fridge to look for something to eat.

"Oh that's okay… don't beat yourself up… I was just hoping you were all right. Radz said you'd been… burned… and well…"

"Goku I'm sorry I wasn't there to visit the boys, I hate not being there…"

"Hey, easy there, no biggie," Goku cheerfully said. "I know that it's hard when you got something to do. I should know about getting sidetracked. It's just I figured you might want to come by and eat with us. We're having egg rolls…"

"Does Gohan know about… Nappa and Raditz?" she asked.

"Well, he's pretty much heard rumors from Yamcha… and well…" Goku said, and she heard him twisting the phone cord around his index finger.

"Shimatta, that idiot!" she cursed.

"No it's okay! Relax!" Goku said hastily. "I've got it under control! Gohan knows, but Videl's keeping him in line. They've got this big chemistry test… and they were hoping you could come and…"

"I'll stop by. Tell Fermi and Bohr I'll be there in an hour… oh damn…" she groaned, stumbling about. She landed headlong across the floor.

"Are you okay?"

"I've been… um training," she said quickly.

"You're breathing awfully hard, so it must be something! You practicing your Kamehameha wave? Cause Krillen said you knocked 18 flat on her back…"

"Goku, I feel SILLY shouting that!" she groaned.

"Well it WORKS," Goku laughed. "I'm just steaming the rice now. C'mon over and bring your appetite. And don't' do a guilt trip. It ain't necessary cause your boys know you're a busy woman!"

"Start without me, and I'll have the leftovers…"

"There's plenty… and tell my brother I said hi…" he said. "Bye!"

"Bye," she said, then grumbled as Raditz entered the chamber.

"Are you all right? What in the name of the Legendary are you doing on the floor?" he scolded her.

"Don't start with me, you annoying baboon! It's not me leaving my crap all over the floor!" she grouched.

"Silly female, little wonder you need me to look out for you," he scolded, picking her up effortlessly and sitting her on the bed. "I've brought something to eat…"

"By the way, your little brother says hi and he wants me to come back ASAP for dinner…" she said. "My kids are forgetting what I look like!"

"My apologies for detaining you," he said. "I'll take you back at once…"

"But your Prince told you NOT to leave the compound!" she despaired.

"He told me it was safe as long as I wasn't seen," said Raditz. "Besides, he mentioned that Kakarot had informed the Earth's Special Forces, and that I was fine as long as I came immediately back… and besides I'd like to see where my brother lives…"

"Um, I don't think that's wise…"

"I will NOT hear any further objections. You cannot fly that distance yet, and I'm taking you. End of story," he grunted.

"You're not the boss of me," she grumbled, throwing her cell phone down and reaching for her clothes. Raditz had neatly folded a set of the Chinese robes that Goku had given her, belonging formerly to his grandmother.

"Why do you not wear what the Princess provides?"

"Because I don't like owing people favors," she snorted.

"Wise choice," Raditz said, watching her dress. When she was buckling her china flats, he held out his hand to steady her.

* * *

"What a pain in the ass, stop fussing you big ape!" she mumbled, brushing his hand away as she leapt up into the air. 

"I'm supposed to protect you! I cannot go against royal command! What would you have me do?" Raditz shouted. He shot after her, leaving a long trail of white ki blasting into the atmosphere.

"Just chill, will you?" she called back. "You don't have to protect me like some caveman..."

Raditz didn't care to speculate what she meant. Instead he changed the subject by asking, "This way, correct? I can trace Kakkarot's energies…"

"You could ask for directions, but you males never do," she grumbled. Fortunately he was wearing the jeans, boots and leather jacket instead of his armor. All that remained of his Saiyan outfit was the ever-present scouter for detection.

"You know, Goku could teach you how to sense ki without that thing," she said.

"Prince's orders. One may never know when an enemy might strike… and the Princess upgraded it to account for higher battle powers…" Raditz explained. His arm slipped around her waist, pulling her along.

"Hey, what are you…"

"You wanted to get there fast, don't argue," he grunted, surrounding them both with his ki envelope. She shrieked as they rocketed at double her speed through the skies.

"Kami, almost nobody flies THIS fast… except your brother and Ve… I mean the Prince," she said.

"This is nothing. I can outpace most primitive native aircraft on this small world," he bragged.

"No doubt… but can you break the sound barrier?"

"Indeed I can," he laughed, increasing his speed to mach 1. Tomique gasped, clinging to Raditz when he sliced into the atmosphere, causing a faint boom that was muffled by his ki envelope. They shot over farm fields, and high mountains. Within the hour they approached the landscape resembling a Chinese wall scroll.

"Slow down, we're coming up on it… Mt. Paozu," she said, pointing.

"A pleasant environment, with much prey," he said, glancing at the pterodactyls winging their way around the place.

Suddenly out of nowhere, Goku zipped into existence, causing them both to be startled. "What the hell?" Raditz gasped. "Brother, MUST you do that?"

"Um, hi, didn't expect you to come here. Gohan nearly flipped out when he sensed both your kis, and I figured I'd see what it was… and well…" he trailed off.

"Sorry," Tomique said. "But Radz here insisted that he bring me…"

"My apologies brother, to disturb your repast, but you did wish her to return here quickly," he said looking a bit sheepish.

"Well, if you'd like to join us…" Goku said quietly.

"That is not necessary," Raditz said. "I'm not supposed to be out this long. Shall I see you tomorrow, Tomique-c… Tomique-san?"

"Yes, wouldn't miss it. See you tomorrow, bright and early, Radz-kun," she waved. Inclining his head he released her so she could levitated under her own power.

"Bye-bye, and see you soon I hope," Goku waved.

"Till later, Brother," Raditz nodded, then turned to streak away to a small glimmer on the horizon.

"What a shame," Goku said wistfully.

"You're worried about Gohan… right?" she asked.

"He'd throw a fit if he saw Raditz carrying you like that… but we know better. You two are getting to be good friends, huh?" Goku winked at her.

"It's merely professional," she said quickly.

"Then why are you blushing?" he teased her.

"Oh shut up will you?" she snorted as he grabbed her hand and touched his fingers to his forehead. That quick snatching sensation deposited them both in Tomique's room. The sun was going down, and Tomique asked to go right to bed. Goku left her, and slowly closed the door behind her so she could rest.

* * *

Next morning, Videl and Gohan were setting the table, while Goten rushed about helping the twins to bring huge pots of food in. Seeing Atomique slowly wandering in yawning, Gohan stopped. 

"Are you okay?" Gohan asked. "You don't usually sleep this late, Atomique-san…"

"Settle down I'm fine! Sheesh!" she grumbled.

"Gohan, relax!" said Videl, glaring at him.

Fermi and Bohr rushed up to hug their mom as she crouched on one knee. "Good morning mommy," they chorused.

She glanced at their orange training gi, and laughed, "What the heck is this?"

"Son-kun san and Nissan are going to be training us today," said Fermi.

"And I get to spar with Goten," said Bohr.

"If he can keep me from kicking his butt!" Goten laughed, plunking down his pot of rice.

"Um, hope you don't mind, but they needed some new workout clothes, and well, Goten's old stuff seemed to fit…" Gohan shrugged.

"Sheesh, it's fine, but who's who?" she joked, picking up one of them.

"Green undershirt for Fermi, yellow for Bohr," Goten explained. "Cool huh?"

"Just like brothers," Videl murmured. "Man, I remember the first time your mom met me… she was convinced that…"

"Ugh, don't remind me," a mortified Gohan groaned.

"All of you look cool," she laughed, picking either one up and setting them on her hips. She winced in pain because one of them brushed her taped ribs.

"Mommy you got hurt!" they gasped.

"Just a lab accident… I had some help though…" she explained, then set him down.

"That's good," Bohr said. Goku grabbed one of the twins, taking him onto his shoulders to carry him to the table playfully. Fermi slid down and rushed over to pull a chair out for his mom.

"Sit here between us," he urged, as Bohr climbed into the seat next to her. On either side of her the twins sat, flanked by Goten, then Videl, and then Gohan. They all waited for the customary blessings to the ancestors, and then it was time to help each other to the food piled on the circular trivet, and the rice piled on the sideboards. Two huge helpings of rice vanished as father, son, and younger son devoured them. Videl picked bits of rice out of her hair, and glanced at Tomique sympathetically.

"You get used to it after a while," Videl said.

"C'mon, aren't you gonna eat something? You've hardly touched your food!" Goku protested, showering the front of his blue and orange workout top with rice.

"Sorry, just preoccupied," she said, hoping they wouldn't smell Raditz all over her. Goku sniffed the air oddly and shrugged, as the aroma of food was far more interesting. Carefully she picked up her chopsticks and attacked the food with enthusiasm. More was instantly shoveled onto her plate from Gohan, or his dad.

"You smell like Dad, but not like dad…" Goten said quickly.

"Goten-kun, that's RUDE!" Gohan yelled at him. "C'mon!"

"Goten, don't do that, it's not polite! Didn't you learn ANYTHING?" Videl groaned, reaching over to bop the back of his head.

"Sorry Sissy, I just…"

"Calm down everybody," Goku called for peace. "There's enough food for all of us, so don't be shy!"

"Thanks Dad," Gohan said with a breath of relief. However he did smell a suspicious scent wafting from Atomique, but dismissed it as his imagination.

"You've got a healthy appetite for a change, that's good. Need lots of it to repair all the damage to your body," Goku mumbled through his mouthful of dim sum.

"How did you get hurt exactly? What chemicals were you working with?" Gohan asked, glancing down at the bandages on her right arm. She wore a sleeveless top that buttoned at the neck and shoulder, much in the style of something his mother Chichi would wear. But it left her arms bare, revealing the gleaming copper arm ring on her left arm he had never seen before.

"I was working with polymerization agents. And the GR blew up," she lied.

"Are you sure?" asked Gohan.

"Does it matter?" Goku interrupted, then winked at her. "She's fine, right? Anyway, you know Bulma would throw a fit if we brought her back HERE when she was hurt…"

"Mommy's fine," said Bohr. "She's an alchemist!"

"She had help, right?" asked Fermi. "Somebody had to put the bandages on her, right?"

"What?" Atomique gasped, spitting out her food all over Goten, who laughed.

"Don't worry, that was funny," he giggled, wiping it off his face and tossing some back.

"Fermi, what did I tell you about reading people's minds without their permission?" Goku said firmly at him. "You're NOT supposed to DO that!"

"Sorry, Son-kun sama!" he apologized. "I won't let it happen again…"

"Kids," Gohan shrugged.

"Wait, they can READ minds?" Videl gasped.

"It's easier only if the person is related to them. Usually they have a good handle on it," Goku said. "They have to concentrate harder when it's not a family member…"

"This is just getting weirder and weirder. Just when I think I've got this family figured out…" Videl groaned.

"You don't look so good Sissy, maybe you should have some more kim chee?" asked Goten, shoving some of his vegetables onto her plate.

"Now you KNOW you're supposed to eat what's in front of you!" Gohan groaned.

"I'll eat it if you don't," Goku laughed.

"Daddy will eat ANYTHING," Goten laughed.

"I'm not surprised," Atomique said, feeling a bit nervous and dizzy.

"Where the heck did you get that armlet?" Gohan asked.

"Where?" she asked.

"Well you're um… that jewelry looks like it's made of an unusual metal," said Gohan, pointing to the armlet Raditz had slipped on her right upper arm. She twisted it with one hand, and blushed.

"Hey, I got the bathwater going if you gals want to go first in the morning," Goku offered. "We'll just clear this stuff off, and you can give us a holler when it's safe to come out…"

"Bath sounds wonderful," she said. "But in the middle of the woods?"

"Who's gonna see you," Videl groaned. "Besides, I don't' want some dinosaur staring at me alone…"

* * *

Both girls wandered out wearing robes. Goku had set the water in the enormous cylindrical tub to steaming hot. Unlike most modern homes, they still bathed in a large outdoor hot tub area. While there were showers in the Capsule house, he still insisted on drawing the large bath for both girls when they were there. 

"I'm warning you, it's not going to be pretty," Atomique said, reluctantly dropping her robe and sliding into the bathwater.

"Hey, where did you get all those bruises?" Videl gasped. "You got into a fight, didn't you?"

"I… don't' want to talk about it…"

"Is someone beating on you?" Videl gasped. "Because if there is…"

"Videl, it was Jeannie," said Atomique.

Videl dropped the bar of soap and the loofa she was holding. "What? But she's your friend… why…"

"Shh! Goku already knows! Look, Vegeta's taking care of it…" Atomique hissed, pressing a finger to her lips.

"Kuso, you can't let her punch you around, what the HELL…" Videl spluttered. She reached down and tugged the soap off the bottom of the tub, then lathered it between her hands.

"It's all right, one of the security guards helped me…" Atomique explained, filling her hands with shampoo. Slowly she ran her fingers through her hair, scrubbing it.

"WHAT security guards? She's…" Videl asked, narrowing pixie blue eyes suspiciously at her friend.

"Videl, I was rescued by one of Vegeta's new guards…" Atomique answered.

"You mean… Goku's brother?" she asked. Seeing Atomique tense up, she reassured her, "It's okay, Goku told us that his brother is back. Gohan's not exactly thrilled, but as long as they stay at Capsule… you mean…"

"Yes," said Atomique, handing Videl the bottle of shampoo. "He fought Jeannie off, and his friend Nappa rescued us both…"

"Huh, weird names," said Videl, lathering her short hair easily. She leaned down to dunk it in the water, then let the suds roll off her scalp into the steaming tub.

Atomique had undone the bandages on her burned arm, causing Videl to blink and shiver. At her neck was a particularly nasty bruise that looked like a hickey. Reaching over she ran a finger over them, asking, "But what the heck are those bruises from? Jeanie must have really put you through the wringer!"

"Raditz helped me," she whispered. "He used a first aid kit, and tended to me. Then he made sure nobody bothered me…"

"Wow, sounds like quite a guy," Videl teased her. "You said he was Goku's brother?"

"Older brother," said Atomique.

"You like him or something? Cause you're blushing," Videl teased her.

"Come on I am NOT!" Atomique shouted back.

"Then why do you have this hickey on your shoulder, hmm?" Videl asked.

"Um… well, I was VERY grateful, and he sort of… oh good grief why are you asking me! You know what it's like… or on second thought your idea of a date is beating the crap out of a guy!" Atomique snorted.

"Uh huh, you got it bad. I guess the men in this family have that effect on us," Videl said, scrubbing her hair.

"Please don't tell anyone!" Atomique begged.

"Your secret's safe with me," Videl grinned. "I twist Gohan's arm, not yours."

"That's true," Atomique laughed.

"Have you been training with him?" asked Videl. "You really kicked Yamcha's ass that other day. Where did you learn that? It wasn't Goku was it, because it didn't look like Son Karate, or that Kame sennen stuff Gohan knows."

"Raditz," she said. "Goku taught me the Kamehameha wave, but…"

"Raditz, that's his name? Weird," said Videl.

"Considering Goku's real name is Kakkarot, are you surprised," said Atomique.

"Kakarot? Is THAT why Bulma's husband is always calling him that? But he's Goku…" Videl blinked, watching Atomique dunk under the water to divest herself of shampoo.

"Kakarot's his birth name. Raditz and he were separated when Goku was a baby…" said Atomique. "This Raditz is from my universe…"

"Really?" Videl murmured. "Well, where is he from? Another planet, right?"

"Outer space," said she. "A planet named Vegeta…"

"Wait, that's Bulma's husband's name!" Videl gasped.

"The planet and the royal house had the same name, go figure," said Atomique. "Vegetasei and each Prince have the same name."

"That's where the Saiyans come from, huh? Figured that Gohan acted like he was from another planet. He finally told me, but Goku having a brother…"

"Gohan hates Raditz, because the Raditz in this universe was cruel and mean," said Atomique. "So that's why he's keeping this a secret…"

"Oh I get it. Evil alternate universe doppelgangers," Videl grinned.

"I guess you could say that," Atomique murmured, enjoying the feel of the hot water seeping down her body.

"I don't know about you, but I'm wrinkled," Videl said. "You coming back into the house?"

"I'm going to soak for a while," said Atomique. Videl nodded, and nudged her.

"Well, your secret is safe with me. Are you sparring with him a lot?"

"He's teaching me to fight," Tomique said. "That's for sure. We haven't been… dating…"

"Even better. Nothing says you care about a guy when they let you kick their ass," Videl laughed, climbing out. She rushed into the house, leaving Tomique to remain alone and enjoy her solitary soak.

* * *

A quarter hour passed. Chilly mountain air rushed by, and she blinked up to see a Pterodactyl flying overhead. She groaned and let the water soak, then realized it was growing cold. Mumbling she hunted for her towel, to find that it was gone.

"What the hell?" she cursed, glancing around as she stood up in the tub. Crossing her arms across her chest she shivered, then realized her clothes were also absent.

The sunlight was blocked when an armored figure suddenly eclipsed it. Floating with extreme precision, two armored black boots came into view, followed by insanely long hair. She saw Raditz glancing down at her with confusion and amusement, hovering a few feet above the bath.

"How primitive… a bathing facility OUTSIDE the house?" he commented.

"What are you doing here?" she gasped, glancing up, arms crossed over her breasts.

"The Princess wishes you to come as quickly as possible. So she sent me to get you… but if this is an inopportune time…" Raditz said, blushing slightly.

"No, I was just taking a bath… and I can't find my damn towel…" she glanced around.

"Seems like the plot of one of those ridiculous pleasure slave movies Nappa's been watching," Raditz mumbled.

"Um can you give me a hand looking for them?" she said, a bit nervous about being in the altogether before him, but feeling more comfortable than a stranger. After all they had been sleeping together for the past two weeks.

"Allow me to help you dry off without those insipid drying cloths… they hardly work anyhow…" Raditz said, reaching down, and changing his position so he was parallel with the ground instead of perpendicular.

Hovering just a foot over the bath, he hauled her up by her armpits with two sturdy hands. Then he swung his armored form so they were both floating vertically with his massive hands clutching her sides. Atomique raised her hands to fold them behind his neck, enjoying the feel of something levitating her for a change. Her toes dangled nearly ten feet over the ground below. Backing out over the homestead he flared his ki around her, vaporizing the water.

"Nice trick," she mumbled, not shivering because he was enveloping her with his ki.

"This should cover you. I don't wish you to expose yourself to anyone else," he mumbled, setting her down in the grass, and handing her the missing robe. "I found this blowing in the wind and it happened to hit me in the face…"

"Thanks," she said, wrapping the silk robe around her. "I just need to get some clothes on… and say bye to the kids, then we can go…"

"I'll wait for you out here, if you wish," he said.

Before she entered the house, she turned and trotted back to Raditz. Throwing her arms around his neck she leaned up to kiss him on the lips. He drew back, blinking in confusion, and she said, "I forgot to kiss you hello…"

"You humans have very odd customs," he mumbled. Puzzled, he reached down to boost her up so she could reach him, and returned the gesture with a simple brush of his mouth against hers. Yet with one taste, he found himself unwilling to let her go, and held onto her waist, pulling her hips up to his.

Large lips closed over hers, his moist tongue parting her lips for a deeper taste. Turning his head to the side he brought to mind images of the television he had seen, determined to master the odd Chikyuujin custom that mimicked Saiyan food sharing without the food. Caught up in the kiss, she murmured her delight into his lips. One large hand slid down to support her butt, while the other squeezed the small of her back. There was something incredibly arousing about being held effortlessly off her feet by the massive warrior, and she wondered if this was what being swept off her feet should feel like.

"Aww isn't that sweet?" a female voice said. Mortified, she broke the kiss off and stared at Videl standing just inside the doorway with one of her Fight T-shirts and loose sweats on.

"Greetings. Do I know you, Miss?" Raditz frowned slowly. Still he clutched what he considered his female possessively close to his body, turning his back to her partway.

"Videl, Videl Satan. Don't mind me," she grinned. "You're Goku's brother, right?"

"That's correct," he said. "Was I doing something inappropriate?"

"Videl, where the HELL are my clothes? Did some idiot take them again?" Atomique said awkwardly as Raditz gently set her down and partly blocked the female's view of her with his body.

"Goten, you get your butt out here now!" Videl yelled, rushing into the house and yanking him out by his collar. "You know that's stupid! I don't' know WHAT Trunks is teaching you, but when your brother finds out…"

"Hey there," Goten said, glancing up at Raditz quietly. "Are you… my dad's brother?"

"Greetings nephew. I am," he nodded, inclining his head to the boy. "You must be the younger boy. You look exactly like your father…"

Footsteps echoed from inside the house. Gohan's voice asked, "Videl, what are you doing out there… did Goten do something he wasn't supposed to…"

"Um, we've got a visitor… he says he's here to pick up Atomique san…" Videl said, glancing over her shoulder when Gohan came into view. Seeing the occupants of the yard, he froze, eyes wide with fear.

The tension rose to breaking point. Atomique saw the abject look of horror washing over Gohan's face when his eyes took in the sight of her and Raditz. Suddenly she realized the reason, and shivered in anger at her carelessness.

"Greetings… I assume you're…" Raditz said, dropping to one knee and holding out his hand in the traditional Saiyan salute.

"Videl, go into the house with Goten NOW," Gohan said, anger filling his face.

"Gohan… what's going on?" Videl asked. He shoved his girlfriend and his brother behind him forcefully.

"Don't ASK, just do as I say!" Gohan yelled at her. "Goten, take her INTO The house!"

"Yes, Nissan…" Goten said, recognizing the tone of voice he dared not disobey. Grabbing Videl's hand he dragged her back into the house and slammed the door.

"Gohan, it's NOT what it looks like!" Atomique said, stepping forwards. Raditz rose to his feet, sensing he was not welcome, especially from the way in which his scouter was bleeping urgently.

"Damn… he's as powerful as the prince," Raditz murmured in shock. Power levels were flickering up by increments of one hundred, easily topping Nappa's readings of a Saiyan Elite.

"You're not wanted here, so leave now," Gohan said with a low growl as his hands flickered with gold energy.

"Knock it off, Gohan, he's not going to hurt you!" Atomique said, pushing between them. "You could easily harm him anyway…"

"Did I miss something?" Raditz asked, grasping her shoulder. Gohan's hair flickered momentarily gold, startling the Third Class when turquoise eyes glared furiously at him.

"Stop it!" Atomique cried, before Raditz shoved her behind him. His heart pounded with fear, but he knew he had to face whatever this new threat was, even if it meant he was hopelessly outmatched by the massive power levels dwarfing his.

"I don't care where you're from… you have five seconds to LEAVE!" Gohan hissed flaring with energies that shook the ground. "We don't WANT you here!"

"I did NOT come here to battle, young one, but I cannot let you endanger the female," Raditz said, letting his hair flare. Anger surged through him, and he felt strange levels of energy coursing through his body.

"How DARE you!" Gohan yelled, his hair standing on end. "I won't let you hurt anyone again!"

"I cannot let you do this, whelp… your power might be enough to vaporize me, but I won't back down without a fight…" Raditz growled, shoving down his fear. All he saw was a danger to the female that he was shoving behind his body. Anger arose from panic pounding through his body, and his own hair seemed to flicker and swirl in energies erupting from the pit of his soul.

"Knock it OFF now!" Atomique shouted, pushing Raditz back. "Raditz, step back now. Gohan, it's NOT what you think!"

"Gohan, what the HELL's gotten into you?" Videl asked, grabbing his arm.

"Get back in the house Videl! NOW!" yelled Gohan. "Do as I say! Atomique, get AWAY From him!"

"Gohan, he's not going to hurt me!" Atomique called out.

Raditz pushed Atomique to his side, taking a defensive posture. Dark hair flickered to gold momentarily, as his energies reached levels that he hardly believed possible. Not bothering to question them he snarled, "I've no wish for conflict whelp, but it seems that you've got stomach for challenging me… and I don't enjoy not knowing WHY…"

"I don't WANT him here!" Gohan yelled, pointing a finger at Raditz. "He has NO place here! I can't understand WHY you let him, Atomique-san! He'll kill you!"

"He SAVED me!" she burst out, glaring at him. To her shock she saw the same gold flames wreathing Raditz's form, flaring his hair upwards.

"How… you can't possibly…" Gohan gasped, gaping at his uncle flaring with super Saiyan energies. Raditz was unaware of his transformation, breathing deeply as he regarded his nephew across the space of fifteen feet.

"She will NOT come to harm around me, whelp," Raditz said angrily. "How dare you accuse me of…"

"You can't have that power… there's just NO way… but it won't be enough to stop me from…" Gohan panted, narrowing his eyes as he increased his level. Raditz couldn't believe the energies he sensed surging through himself, and wondered why the female was gaping at him with awe as she moved back.

"Radz-chan calm down," Atomique urged, hugging him tightly around the waist. "Please… he doesn't know… you don't know…"

"Gohan STOP!" Goku shouted, appearing between them in a sudden burst. Raditz blinked to see the same startling transformation in his own brother, that mimicked his Prince in Ultra elite form. Such things were only the stuff of legends, but his own nephew and brother were both shimmering with the gold hair and sea blue eyes that none thought they'd ever behold. Temporarily Goku seemed startled when he glanced from his brother to his son.

"Raditz, Gohan, Power down this INSTANT!" Goku yelled.

"But Dad…" Gohan gasped.

"Do as I say!" Goku yelled. "NOW!"

"But…"

"He will not endanger you…" whispered Raditz, clutching her tightly and forcing her behind his armored body. She felt the surging gold aura crackling over her, not burning her but surrounding her in its intensity as her fingers twisted into gold locks streaming down his back.

"Get BACK in the house. I will NOT have you attacking him! He's NOT the enemy!" Goku said angrily, glaring at his son. Gohan dropped his power, glaring at his father in confusion.

"C'mon, Gohan, let's go back in the house… okay?" Videl suggested.

"I can't believe…" Gohan gasped, breathing heavily. "He can't have the power to change… it's not possible!"

"ENOUGH!" Goku yelled. "I mean it! NOW!"

"Yes Otosan," Gohan bowed, letting Videl drag him away. Goku heard the door slam, and turned to Raditz who was shielding Tomique with his body.

"My apologies Brother… I didn't wish to cause conflict…" Raditz said, dropping his power. Instantly the gold faded from his hair, restoring it to the usual black, while his eyes darkened again.

"You didn't know. He… he doesn't' care for Saiyans. He's seen them as the enemy… I'm sorry Raditz… I wasn't thinking," Goku choked. Extreme happiness at his brother's sudden ascendance to Super Saiyan was marred by the agony of his son's hatred. Should he tell Raditz what had just happened, or not? Regardless, this wasn't the right time or place. For all he knew, Vegeta might have taught both of them to become Super Saiyan.

"It's understandable… I should not have come," Raditz said.

"I'll talk to him," Goku said. "And Raditz… did you know… what just happened to you?"

"What do you mean, Brother?" asked Raditz, blinking at him uncomprehending.

"I… there's some things you need to know… about when you get… angry… you… you saw how my son… and I looked…" Goku said.

"Just like the Prince… I had hardly imagined it possible that my own brother was… the Legendary… how…" Raditz stammered. Goku released the power, diminishing in stature as his aspect faded to its usual state.

"Anything's possible… look… I want to see you again… there's so much I want to show you… I can help you…" Goku said.

"I had best… leave now," said Raditz. "Till another time…"

"C'mon, let's go to Capsule. Goku… are my boys okay?" asked Atomique, glancing from one brother to another.

"Yeah… they're in the house…" Goku said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Maybe you'd better wait for me at the bottom of the hill, Radz…"

"As you wish. Again I'm sorry Kakkarot… I did not know your son would see me as an enemy…" Raditz inclined his head.

"Don't blame yourself," said Goku, reaching out to pat his brother's shoulder. "And please… you have to come spar with me. You need to understand why your power… did what it did…"

"Not now Brother. I had best leave. I shall wait for you, Tomique-san," he bowed to her, and then lifted off to fly to a safe distance. Atomique looked at Goku with angry tears.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"Don't be," said Goku, giving her a comforting hug. "Gohan needs to work it out on his own. But one day he WILL be okay with Raditz here… I won't give up on this…"

"Goku, you saw… does he realize?" Atomique asked.

I don't think so," said Goku sadly. "But… he's reached it without even knowing… and I have to help him…"

"Later Goku… later…" she whispered as he hugged her once more. Sniffling, she moved past him into the house to get her clothes and change. Suspicion crossed her mind with what had triggered Raditz's change, and it terrified her.

"Not again, please not again," she whispered. Goku bit his lip, and entered the house after casting a glance in the direction his brother had flown.

* * *


	10. Arboretum fun and sobering realizations

_**Arboretum Fun and Sobering Realizations**_

_There is lemon lime in this chapter! I don't own this, except for Atomique, Fermi, and Bohr. References to a yaoi relationship between Raditz and Turles are discussed, but not explicitly, just to warn those who are offended by such things. Toriyama owns DBZ, and Toei Animation Studioes brought it to life! I don't get any money! Please Read and Review!_

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She was very quiet on the flight back to capsule. Raditz sensed she was distracted, so he said little till they approached the huge dome. "Are you all right, Tomique-chan?" he asked.

"I'm fine, I'm just sorry about…" she said sadly.

"Don't think of it. I think you require a bit of distraction before you start your work for the Princess today. The new lab is still being renovated…" Raditz said, levitating just near the front doors. He seemed to hesitate a bit, and then entered.

He gave her thigh a squeeze, and then shot through the complex, levitating as he flew through the halls. She clung to his hair, taking great fistfuls of it through her fingers before scratching his scalp. Raditz purred like a great cat, enjoying the raking nails abrading his skin.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the garden complex," he said, holding onto her.

"How do you get away with all this, hmm?" she asked.

"All WHAT?" he murmured, biting her ear. Atomique winced at the feel of his teeth biting into her skin, then his tongue lapping off her blood.

"Guarding me without getting your prince pissed off because half the time we seem to try to be finding ways to sneak away and you know…" she groaned.

"What was that?' he rumbled.

"Damn you insatiable idiot!"

"It's not MY fault you smell and taste so delectable," Raditz purred. He kicked open the door to the arboretum, and strode forwards on massive black armored boots.

"Are we going to play Tarzan and Jane?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" Raditz glanced at her.

"Well, that's ANOTHER DVD we're going to have to introduce you to," she said, scratching him under the chin. She couldn't believe how at ease she felt with the bloodthirsty Saiyan warrior, who could crush her bones to powder in his hands. Nevertheless something about being around him excited and thrilled her.

"Is it another reference to feral humanoids?" he asked, levitating up into the enormous trees that they kept there. It reminded him of Vejitasei, and he wished that he could convince this human to accept him in lieu of her mate's memory. Yet the Prince would reprimand him for taking a ningen as a mate without permission. Unbeknownst to her, he already had marked her as mate. In all intents and purposes. Yet she had not accepted his proposal. It was a cruel joke he was playing on himself. If he hadn't the chance to constantly be around her and mate with her he would go mad.

"I don't know WHY but every time I'm around you I get… aroused…" she whispered.

"Mmm, likewise. Is that a problem?" Raditz mumbled, wrapping her in his tail as he began to unbutton her clothes again.

"Are you STILL going to…? Good god I'm going to be sore."

"Umm I think not," Raditz purred, throwing her clothes down onto the branches of the tree. He carefully turned her so she was facing forwards, and he could reach around to caress her bare front. Only his furry tail hitched around her waist, dangling her ten feet in the air of the greenhouse. He breathed into her ear, biting and nibbling. He sank his canines into the spot between shoulder and neck, feasting on the blood.

"Oho I'm going anemic… dizzy…"

"Relax Tomique-chan and mate with me," he growled, struggling urgently at his armor.

"Turn me around, monkey man and I'll help you with that problem," she said.

In pure daylight they levitated, Atomique reaching up to seize fistfuls of his hair while he supported her with his furry tail around her hips. She glanced down, rubbing his scar-covered chest. His tongue descended on her breasts, flicking each to life. Goose pimples erupted over her pale olive skin, body hair seemingly more abundant then she wanted to admit.

"I forgot to shave my legs again," she mumbled.

"Leave it," Raditz growled. "It resembles a Saiyan female…"

"Huh, since when do YOU have a say in what I do with my body?" she mumbled.

"Because, you're mine," he grumbled.

"Excuse me?" she asked, glaring at him through shortsighted eyes.

Raditz coughed uncomfortably, realizing he had almost given away his secret. He rapidly explained, "Because I'm accustomed to having a female for my pleasure when I was in Freiza's employ, and I know nothing of your earth customs. And Saiyan males are VERY dominant…"

'You'll be the death of me… but I want you," she mumbled. Being a size 18 had its advantages, she thought. Although she was just less than five foot five, her body was stocky; broad shouldered, big busted and wide hipped.

Raditz enjoyed pinching the gentle folds of flesh around her belly, back, and thighs. She weighed almost nothing to him, her dark eyes staring at the blur before them when he removed the glasses from her face to put them into his boot. Only his boots and gauntlets remained of his armor, the rest scattered about the forest floor. Presently her battle power was 300, a mere fraction of his. Yet when he got her going, there was the distinct possibility it would come close to his. Even without her powers she would still be a 15 or a 20 with the intensity of her mind, and adding the stockiness of her body. Weak, but not as delicate as some.

"Take the damn scouter off. I want to see your face, Tarzan," she joked.

"I insist if you're going to use such ridiculous pet names, kindly resort to the ones before that," he grumbled, making a face that indicated he wasn't pleased. However she pulled the device off his face. He folded it carefully, adhering it to his other boot so that he could still detect any nosy people who would interrupt them.

"Sorry, you're no fun," she mumbled.

"You're forgiven female, but be glad I'm patient," Raditz hummed, settling his lips on hers awkwardly. She rubbed his shoulders, tickling along his landscape of scars. Lightly he traced his finger down the healing mottled burns that were pink shiny blotches atop her olive complexion.

"Good," she mumbled against his massive lips, nipping them. For a time he practiced kissing her, letting his tongue roll across hers in her sweet mouth. Inhaling the scent of her arousal and the taste of her saliva mingling with his, he delighted that her heart was pounding faster against his.

Trying not to crush her bones, though they were a bit denser then most humans, Raditz joined their bodies as one. Taking pity on her, Raditz carefully flared his ki to surge into her body.

"Take some of mine… that should… push your body to get over its soreness…" Raditz mumbled. Temporarily drained, he felt himself drop towards the grassy lawn.

Atomique reached out, catching herself with the power of her mind to levitate. She gasped, "Let me help… I can… take some of the load…"

"Fortunately you are a genius by your species reckoning; otherwise you'd not be able to use ki like this…" Raditz whispered. "Just stay still and let me move this time. It won't hurt if you don't fight me…"

"I wish I could mate with you all day… I HAD been able to do it with Paul… but he wasn't as rough as you are… he said I was too rough…"

"You're deliciously aggressive, Tomique," Raditz moaned, voice deepening with his contentment. He levitated till his boots touched the ground and he could stagger over and lay her down on the bed of soft grass.

"Was that… good for you?" she asked, scolding herself for sounding so crude, yet knowing Raditz preferred bluntness to tact.

"Very, Tomique chan," Raditz purred.

At that instant a bolt of haunting familiarity washed over her effectively reducing her to shyness. She asked, "Are you sure I shouldn't worry about you constantly biting me on the neck? I just don't get why I can't bite you where you keep biting me…"

"Because, you don't want something permanent," Raditz said quietly, staring up at the dome curving overhead. He rested both arms behind his head. Both of them lay on the soft grass, Atomique resting her head on his chest while he lightly twisted his tail around her body. Under her ear she heard the massive bass drum beat of his strong heart.

"Oh," Atomique murmured. "If I were Saiyan…"

"You think that's the reason I hesitate?" he asked.

"Isn't it?" she asked, sitting up and glancing down at him.

"You are faithful to the memory of your dead mate. I cannot and will not interfere with that honor," Raditz said glancing up at her.

"Oh… wow…" she said, noticing the darkness in his black eyes. All male Saiyans or the few she had met tended to have the bottomless voids that showed no reflection, only the gleams of light that glimmered off of them. Unless glazed over with something else.

"You had made it clear that he was your soul mate. In Saiyan society there is only one for another… if you bonded by soul…" he grunted.

"I did by mind," she said. "Damn…"

"If that wasn't the case, perhaps you'd…" Raditz said, sitting up. "But I have no right to ask."

Atomique squeezed her eyes shut, hugging her knees. Raditz sat up, backing away in horror. She began to cry, making him grunt with anger at himself. Hot tears dripped down her cheeks, and he grunted, "My apologizes, I had no right to breach a forbidden personal subject…"

"It's not your fault, Radz-kun," she sniffled. "It's mine. I was only with him such a short time… and here you are trying to protect me… I'm the insensitive…"

"Saiyans have no emotions you need worry about," Raditz grunted, crouching down. "Do you females cry over many things?"

"I'm weak, huh?"

"I did not say so!" Raditz snorted angrily. "Damn it; stop spilling that liquid, it's making me pissed… because I was the baka that encroached on…"

"I wish I could shut it off like you can. Channel it…" she muttered.

"I can divert your attention if you wish," he mumbled. She lay her head on his shoulder, resting her arms across his neck. Awkwardly he patted her back, not knowing much else to do. Finally he pulled her body into the circle of his legs folded lotus style. Slowly he picked the tangles out of her mussed hair, grooming in a manner that he had seen his father and mother do. She settled down, enjoying the feel of his fingers half massaging her scalp, and his solid body enclosing her.

"I wish I could leave it behind, but it hurts…"

"Forget it then. Block it out. Live now. You can't change it," Raditz purred deeply. Possessively he slipped his tail around her waist, tickling her ribs. Feeling the soft fur embracing her, she buried her face in his spiked mane, slowly running her hands through it. The texture was much like bird quills, stiff yet soft and silky.

"Tell me about your family," she said quietly.

"My father was a scientist of some reputation, and my mother a great warrior," Raditz boasted. "Both unfortunately perished in the explosion that claimed my planet…"

"And Goku's your little brother…"

"I was but a whelp when he was sent into space. It was assumed he perished. I had never a chance to pick a mate because most of the females were taken… there were only one female to every ten Saiyan males… so most of us found solace on Orchydsei… a local spaceport where Saiyans greeted non Saiyan visitors… we didn't care much for outsiders…" he said.

"No kidding," she laughed.

"Nappa and I found one particular place we frequented. Mr. Zocolotto's emporium," Raditz explained. "The pleasure slaves there were quite skilled in pleasing Saiyan males…"

"Any worry about protection?" she asked.

"Of course," he snorted. "The mere reason I use none with you is that humans carry no diseases that could harm a Saiyan male. And likewise. Since you're a widow, you have not been with another for ages. I wouldn't allow my DNA to mix with yours if you were a common whore or pleasure slave!"

"You said you'd… been with males?" she asked.

"Sometimes… it grew lonely. It's not uncommon for Saiyansto practice bisexuality to stave off the urges of reproductive mating. I did… have sex with another male… named Turles… because there weren't enough females during rutting, for me to take a mate," he said quietly.

"Were you lovers?" she wondered, no disgust present on her face, only curiosity.

"Not consistently. He… protected me from the other Saiyan males and Freiza's troops. Basically if not for Turles I would have been traumatized as much as… others…" Raditz admitted. "Does that disgust you?"

"Homosexuality is common on Earth," she laughed. "But usually most are born with a preference. Sometimes people experiment till they find what works best. Usually the person has the preference but seeks to hide it, then discovers it and finds a mate they like. Sometimes there are those that do it because there is nobody of the opposite sex… like in prisons…"

"I did enjoy it," Raditz said carefully.

"Bisexuality is also not uncommon," she said. "It doesn't bother me at all."

"Good," Raditz said with a sigh of relief.

"Did this Turles teach you what you know?" she asked.

Raditz blushed a bit. "He enjoyed the finest women… but he also liked young male Saiyans. Especially those with long dark hair…"

"I have to thank him," she teased.

"He's also… dead," Raditz said quietly. "Sometimes he shared his pleasure slaves with me."

"Ah, I see," she nodded.

"But he was not my mate. Only a lover," said Raditz.

"Did Nappa ever…" she asked.

"No. It might have helped him keep from raping defenseless females. I had Turles, he had nobody. I'd rather not resort to such horrendous. Rape has nothing to do with sexual gratification. Only purging," said Raditz. "There's no honor in it."

"Thank heaven," she whispered. "Was Turles handsome?"

"Hmm, yes, but most male Saiyans are well… built," said Raditz quietly. "He enjoyed the best things the universe had to offer… including male and female Saiyans. Under his protection I thrived… till he left Freiza's employ and had his own band of mercenaries. Unfortunately because Freiza wouldn't let me go, he had to leave me behind…"

"Oh," said Atomique, feeling his tail brush lightly over her. "Well, I suppose it's a compliment when you say I'm 'good at this sort of thing'."

"Because you are. I don't lie, female," he said.

"May I… touch your tail… if I'm careful…" she whispered.

"Don't squeeze or… uh… grab him… be VERY careful… because you could end up making me pissed instead of aroused," Raditz whispered, grabbing her hand and guiding it to stroke lightly. The soft fur was addictive, warm to the touch as it kept itself latched around her hips.

"It feels so soft… so feral," she gasped. "Is this hurting you?"

"No, that's perfect… don't stop…." He murmured, wary that she would pull or squeeze it. Yet she delicately stroked it like a dangerous wild thing. Raditz stroked her hair, feeling the softness of it mimicking that of his fur.

Wind quickened, and she shivered. Warmth flared from his body, surrounding her with his ki. He dozed with his head weighing her chest down, while his chest covered her torso and hips. Partly on one side he lay, obscuring the essentials. Finally she fell asleep, and he reached down to pick her up, and then gather his armor.

"I wish you could know how much I desire you, Tomique-chan," Raditz mumbled, carrying her towards his room. She shifted in his arms, and then blinked up at him.

"Did you say something?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just that you might wish to rest a bit before going to work…"

"I'll be fine," she said, leaning her head against his chest. He nodded and headed towards the lab, only stopping to find a change of clothes for her before they entered Capsule again.

That night, she curled on the mattress, feeling the ebb and flow of his energies surging through her. How one male could have such dominion over her, she wondered. Part of her begged for Paul's sweet memories while the rest cursed him. Tears burned down her eyes, and Atomique hugged her knees.

At Goku's house she was tormented by sweet visions of unreleased sexual tension, only to have Jeannie steal her dreams. Nightly hammering at the walls till Goku's arrival in her mind at times would signal the end.

_She refused Son Goku's presence sleeping by her lately, which puzzled him, and relieved Gohan. On either side of her, Bohr and Fermi often rested, having crawled into the large Chinese box bed at night. Once in a while she fell asleep next to them, hearing one of Goku's stories. But Goku would always carry her to bed in his Grandpa's house. Always she would wake up alone. It broke her heart. But tonight they were sleeping with Trunks and Goten in the main house._

All these fragments of memory spun in her head. So when she turned in the bed, tears running down her eyes she feared that there would be nobody. A warm breathing chest fell and rose against her back. Although there were no invasions of Jeannie, she sensed the presence of Paul's thoughts reaching across space and time, only to be shut out at the last minute. Every bit of her body tingled, and she forgot where she was.

"Paul… Please don't go," she whispered.

"Hmmm… rhessphyttee… rrghhhahn…." Came an answer out of nowhere.

It dawned on her that she had mistakenly thought she was at the Son's home. Instead she realized she was at Capsule. Especially clear was this reality when next to her, a male figure moved and threw his arm over her. Roughly a voice spoke in a foreign language, guttural and harsh. She had heard Vegeta and Nappa converse in it, when she had been down the hall from them, or heard Nappa and Raditz when they came out of the GR chamber. Lightly a furry object flickered over her bare leg, and then latched around her waist to tickle her ribs.

"I've nothing to be guilty about, because Paul would do the same," she thought. Hadn't he slept with Jeannie when her own mate died? Moving to his best friend's daughter in a moment of weakness? Far worse than she by moving to a warrior who gave of his body. Although her religion forbade having sex out of wedlock, her husband was dead.

"Arrgepart… norrheeggg ah… Kakarotto… myarrgh nah…Zhaiyajinn," he grumbled, then turned over in his sleep.

"Please why can't I feel you anymore in my mind? You've never denied me before Paul… why do you no longer sing in my mind… have you forgotten me?" whispered Atomique, feeling shaky and shivered.

"Won't… deny… you… ever…" her companion mumbled. "Bond is forever… not broken…"

Feeling his female retreating, the Saiyan threw a muscular arm to wrap her tightly to his body. Binding her fast in his arms, he thrust his hips against her bare bottom, mumbling into her ear. Sobbing silently she raised her hands to grasp his huge ones, squeezing tightly and hugging that arm to her chest. She rubbed her cheek against it, letting her tears wet against his skin. Smelling the chemicals of her emotion, Raditz blinked in confusion. She turned over, and then faced him.

"I see the moisture again. Why are you crying?" he grunted, raising muscular fingers to brush away the gleaming drops.

Dark eyes opened in the gloom, while his huge hand found the curve of her face. Placing hands around his neck, she buried her face in his neck, hugging onto him tightly. For a full minute she shook, not caring if the alien saw her in a moment of weakness. _Let him think she was just being a typical earth woman giving way to emotions that were for an inferior race._

"I need something… I feel empty," she murmured, giving voice to the ache that the growing absence of four years left.

"Empty eh? You wish to mate then?" he whispered.

"Yes," she murmured. "Please… I need you Radz-chan…"

"You've but to ask, silly female," he laughed. Purring against her neck, Raditz rolled her over. He parted her legs with his knee, looming over her. It was his assumption she wished to mate, and she relented, hoping it would eliminate the emptiness inside. As sharp canines tore open the skin on her shoulder, she relaxed.

Atomique shoved away all thoughts of Paul and loneliness, drowning herself in the exquisite sensations of raw need pouring over her. Lately it seemed impossible to get enough of his rough ministrations. Did his blood contain some aphrodisiac that synched them, she wondered? Although he had not formally mated with her, she wondered if she was providing him with the same need.

**_"Why has she not realized what I've offered? She's highly intelligent for a human, as brilliant as my late father was…"_** he thought.

Raditz felt a wave of temporary guilt. Already he had marked her in the means that most Saiyan males did with their mates. Vegeta didn't know that he had let the female drink his blood, something that sealed them already together. What was not present was the mental bonding. Many Saiyans didn't bother with that, only relying on the physical satiation to bind them. Often times the mental bond developed of its own volition, or when both requested it after the royal sealing of the pledge. Some went for years without formalizing it. Yet it was expected eventually, when the female marked the male on the corresponding jugular, and drank his blood from there, then accepted pieces of one another's memories to bind their souls together.

Raditz had opted for the safety of a physical bond. The one extended to widows, binding them by desire. If the female wished to reciprocate she did so, by taking her mates blood and biting his shoulder. Informal rutting wasn't unknown of, considering most youths did so by bites on the shoulder. But a lifetime mating was expected in middle age, when one wanted children. In such a male dominated society the male bit the female's neck, and she his shoulder. Only when the male was happy with his female did he let her bite him in the equivalent spot. If she rejected him before then, he was within his rights to kill her, or give her to another male.

"Taste me Tomique-chan… drink my desire, know it well," he whispered.

Lightly she ran her tongue over his shoulder, at the ball of it. He growled, pushing her face towards it, consenting that it was what he wished. Her teeth seemed weak in comparison to his, but tore open the scab to let his blood flow into her lips. Gasping she drank, while they worked one another to a climax. Finally the blood clotted, forming a new scab and she released his shoulder as she had many times before.

"I don't give myself to just anyone, Paul," she thought with tears in her eyes. Nevertheless this stability felt far more real than the haven Paul had provided. It alone seemed real, and it terrified her.

"Hmmm," Raditz purred into her neck, setting her cheek to rest against his massive chest. Comfortably she draped herself over him in the fashion he enjoyed, warming one another's bodies.

"This feels too good to be true," she said aloud.

"Agreed, Tomique-chan, but I accept it gladly as reality," Raditz mumbled sleepily. Hearing such an endearment from his gruff voice tore at her heartstrings.

"Radz-kun I…" she started, and then choked off the rest, immersing her face in his mane of shaggy hair. Without even trying she had this creature's unwitting loyalty and devotion. Despite his claims of superiority or male domination, Atomique sensed he would do anything to protect her.

"Kami I don't want this… I don't' want to fall in love again… please don't make it so…" she pleaded.

"You're mine," he mumbled sleepily, telling her it was far too late.

_"If this damns me Paul, so be it. But he needs me, and I need him, but is it love?"_ she thought. Yet till he said aloud what both wanted, she could not accept it as mutual. Not till she found a way of letting go of her past memories could she then accept what Raditz wanted to give.


	11. Dragon Womyn vs Tomique round 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Full Metal Alchemist. Funimation and their respective owners distribute them. Atomica, Dragon Womyn, and Black Widow are my fan chars though. Mentions of the rock group KISS and the respective members are not mine. This is a work of fan fiction and is not meant to harm or demean. I get no profit from this._

* * *

**_Grudge Match between Bejita's Student and Son Goku's! Who wins?_**

Rating: PG-13 for language and violent content. Rating might rise in later chaps! Pairings Radditzu/Original Character, G/CC, Videl/Gohan

Three months had passed since Son Goku had reunited Atomique with her friends, and since Radditzu and Nappa took up residence in this dimension with their Prince. Meetings between the Z fighters and the two saiyans had been all but nonexistent. Bejita minimized fireworks between the Earth's Special forces and his warriors by keeping them excluseively on Capsule Property. During the time, Radditzu and Nappa were extensively rehabilitated wiht Bejita's recent revelations. In their mindBejita did rule most of the planet through his mate's corporation. Each of the Z warriors agreed to let the Prince deal with his warriors, as long as Bejita took full responsibility for them getting out of hand.

Goku however was interested in developing a relationship with Radditzu. Both met under controlled conditions at Capsule, and showed favorable progress in getting along. While Goku kept the story of Radditzu's presence and death a secret from this doppleganger, he emphasized the good points of wanting a brother instead. As expected, Gohan wanted nothing at all to do with Radditzu. Multiple times Goku invited Radditzu to come, but Gohan always had a reason for not attending. While he knew Goku could easily defeat his brother should he get out of hand, there was too much bad memory with Gohan to even want to see Radditzu face to face.

Irregardless of this, Goku was thrilled to have a second chance with the doppleganger Radditzu. Another interesting development came with the attention Radditzu paid to Atomique. Nappa and Christine easily noticed how intently Radditzu watched her whenever she came over to use Buruma's labs for her alchemy research. Son Goku would care for and train her sons while she was over at Capsule. Bejita insisted that Christine or Radditzu accompany her as a body guard, because Jeannie was becoming increasingly hostile towards her former friend.

Son Goku often sat by Atomique's bed at night to hold her hand when the nightmares of her husband's death got out of control. at times Videl stayed with her in the large bed in Granpa Gohan's house if she screamed. Sometimes she slept with her two sons in the large bed in Goku's room, while Goku took the sofa. All members of the Son family ralleyed around their guest to try and get her over her terrors. Although she rarely wished to discuss it, Goku knew the nature of the dreams. He alone was the one she trusted with their descriptions. And it angered him greatly.

More and more, Jeannie had appeared in the dreams, taunting Atomique. In the past two weeks it grew worse till she would hollar nightly. Son Goku would instant transmit to her room and sit next to her on the bed, talking to her to calm her down so she could rest. Videl would then hug her and pat her back while Son Goku spoke reassuring words. Gohan would quiet her children wiht Goten's help. Finally Goku resorted to sleeping on the top of her covers, next to her. While this contact was purely platonic, Gohan grew increasingly suspicious. He hid his resentment however.

One day, Atomique left a note at the breakfast table for Goku. Gohan picked it up, and shivered as he called for his father. He felt ill when he read the lines:

Dear Son Household:

Don't expect me for dinner. I've gone to attend to some unfinished business at Capsule. I should be back before bedtime to tutor Gohan and Videl, and help tuck my kids in. Gohan-kun, if you read this first, don't worry about it, it's nothing major. But if you're reading this, Goku, it's in regards to my dreams. You taught me to stand up for what I believed in, and I'm doing so, using all you've taught me. And if anyone else reads it, dont' worry, just tell Son Goku where I've gone and he'll handle things... if anything goes wrong. Not that it should...

Sincerely,

Atomique-sama

* * *

Later that day, Dragon Womyn wiped sweat off her brow as she strode out of the GR after her friend. The Saiyan no Ouji had left them the use of his hyper gravity room while he sparred with his son out on the lawn of Capsule. At times like this she missed male companionship. Perhaps she would take the lead of her training partner Black Widow and seek the company of one of the young executives of Capsule. 

"What's on your mind?" Black Widow asked, catching up to her as they entered the locker room. Both women grabbed bottles of water from the small fridge. Still they wore their training AE suits and Saiyan style armor, but wrapped towels around their neck.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" said Dragon Womyn.

"You had one hell of a nightmare… you were screaming in your sleep," said Black Widow, tugging her armored breastplate over her head and letting it drop. She threw her gloves down and dabbed away more sweat with her towel.

"It was the usual," Dragon Womyn lied. She glanced over her shoulder at her fellow student, then back to the fridge.

"Uh huh, yeah right. I didn't wanna bring this up… but what is this chip on your shoulder you have against Tryni?"

"She doesn't deserve raising those children when we could," said Dragon Womyn, clenching her fist. Her dragon tail whipped around her ankles before almost lashing against the table.

"Hey, whoa, that is NOT for you to say!" Black Widow snapped.

"Dammit… what the hell…" trailed off her friend. Angrily Dragon Woman broke into a run, streaking down the corridors of Capsule to the entrance leading out to the front lawn.

"Hey, WAIT!" called Christine, rushing after her out the doors.

Dragon Womyn launched herself into the air, till she rocketed high above Capsule. She hovered a quarter mile above, scanning the horizon for the power signature that blazed out of the distance. One shimmering ki signatures blew into view… purple in its chikara.

"Wait here," she said, rocketing ahead. Christine recognized the power trace, tempted to chase after her friend, but hung back to see what would happen. Mumbling she touched her scouter and called two warriors who could help.

"Nappa! Radditzu! Dragon Womyn's gone off on her own! You'd better tell the Prince… does he want me to follow her or not?"

"Remain where you are, and don't' follow. I'll inform his majesty for further orders!" Nappa responded.

"But what if she?"

"Don't put yourself at unnecessary risk. Dragon Womyn can handle herself…"

"It's the OTHER I'm worried about, baka!" Black Widow snorted.

"Wait till we speak with him, woman!" Nappa snapped.

"Jerk," she grumbled. "Prince Bejita, this is Black Widow… Dragon Womyn's run off…"

"Why are you two not training," Bejita's answer came.

"I don't know. I told Nappa and Radditz…"

"Return to base immediately. I shall have them handle it," said Bejita.

"Sire?"

"That's an order," said Bejita. "Return to me right now."

* * *

On the front lawn, Bejita and Trunks exchanged a series of blows back and forth. They glanced momentarily up, and saw Black Widow coming in for a landing. Shortly after her, Nappa and Radditzu soared up, landing each before the Prince and his son. They inclined their heads and bowed. "Sire, we just spotted one of your students engaging an unknown… shall we investigate…" 

"I saw it first," said Black Widow.

"Enough. I don't care WHO saw it first! What is the nature of the energy?" Bejita demanded.

"It's almost Saiyan, but it's masking itself. It might be Atomique… and Jeannie… she just went after it…"

"Did she now? Well, I can't have my students getting into a scrape without an excuse…"

"I say we stop it now," said Nappa. "Let us handle this. The woman is not properly trained in combat…"

"Now hold on!" Black Widow snapped at him. Nappa's eyes gleamed as he became exicted from the verbal sparring with the female.

"If it pleases your majesty, why not allow your student to try her abilities uninterrupted, and observe?" Radditzu asked.

"Radditzu, go investigate. Nappa, stay here and defend my family. I shall observe from a distance… Black Widow, you're with me…"

"Dad?" asked Trunks.

"Go inside, with Nappa," he said. "I need to speak to my student alone, son…"

"As you wish, Sire," Nappa bowed.

Trunks glanced up at the tall warrior who bore a striking resemblance to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Watching his prince and his student rise gently into the air, he couldn't help but admire the woman's spirit. She was perhaps a worthy mate to a saiyan, and his old desires stirred for a new female to pursue.

He had noticed Radditzu chasing Goku's female like a puppy in heat, and wondered how long it would take the fool to steal the woman for himself from his idiotic younger brother. It was high time Radditzu took a mate, and any of the three women were satisfactory enough. But he wanted Black Widow himself.

"Great, I'm too old for a babysitter," he mumbled, and saw that he had no choice in the matter. Folding his arms across his chest, Nappa looked down at Trunks. Trunks turned and let the tall Saiyan escort him into the safety of Capsule.

* * *

"It's Dragon Womyn… she's gone off that way… should I follow…" asked Black Widow over her scouter. 

"Not yet. Radditzu is already there. I think this is been building up for a long time…" Bejita said back.

"What? I'm sensing another power, but I don't recognize it… it seems Saiyan in nature… but something about it…" she transmitted.

"Watch and see…" Bejita said, pointing to the ki signatures approaching one another. Both sensei and student watched the two forces approaching one another to hover at least a thousand feet above Capsule Corps Mansion complex.

"What business do YOU have here?" Dragon Womyn called out as the figure blew into view.

"I should ask you the same thing, Jeannie," said Atomique, hovering in a shimmering aura of whitish blue ki.

"Your energy signature… for a moment you changed it… but I know you were coming…" Jeannine said, raising her hands in an offensive posture.

"You invaded the sanctity of my dreams… in a very private place. I want to know why," said Atomique, holding her backhand behind her head as she thrust her fist forwards.

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Don't insult myself or your intelligence… Jeannie. You were there in my dreams… invading where you weren't wanted. Why!"

"If you want to know, I had every right…" Dragon Womyn answered. "My so called friend…"

"Explain…" Atomique queried, narrowing dark brown eyes behind her glasses.

"The time for explanations is past. You know the reason I was there. Both of you tried to make me forget, but in the past year my eyes are opened. All the blocks are gone. What was rightfully mine was something you took from me…"

"If you mean Paul, you're mistaken. You're mates with Elliot…" snorted Atomique, bringing both wrists before her at the sight of red chikara crackling in Jeannie's upraised hand.

"Please, don't deny it! I mean that you are not worthy of being the Star child's spouse. You think you have exclusive rights to his soul in the other world? You are wrong!" Jeannie pointed towards her. A ball of low grade ki crackled towards the Alchemist. A quick block with one wrist flashing before her face deflected it. Unfortunately it was the equivalent of a gauntlet being thrown down.

She levitated backwards to a distance of fifty more yards. Pointing a finger in Jeannie's direction she shouted, "I want no such thing… you're the one who insists on this delusion of jealousy. Is it easier picking me as a target for your hatred? Is that the only reason you give yourself to exist now?"

"You need to be put in your place! Those children have no business being in your care, because you abandoned them!" Jeannie yelled, forming a fireball between her claws. She hurled it forwards toward the alchemist, who quickly raised a plexiglass shield to divert it.

"You have no say, Jeannie. You're out of line, and I'm tired of this chip on your shoulder. Just tell me WHY… give me a straight answer. Why are you so pissed at me besides what you said? How could I possibly have prevented what happened?" Atomique demanded, dodging another volley of fire that Jeannie hurled towards her.

"You should have stayed on the Alchemy planet," said Dragon Womyn angrily. "You're no warrior, no proper vessel for the power and the honor Star child bestowed on you! And now you'll see for yourself because I'm going to have to pound it into you!"

"Jeannie!" called Atomique, but saw her blur out of view. Her adrenaline surged, eyes flickering wildly to track hyper speed. Just as Dragon Womyn materialized behind her, she turned and raised her fist to block the chopping neck blow aimed at her. She then blocked the kick with her hand flashing down.

A rapid series of blows rained on her, and she parried with both hands and wrists. Caught off guard all she seemed to do was to block each thrust or kick Dragon Womyn landed. Then at the last moment she pushed herself into that accelerated speed without even thinking. "How… you're faster than I thought," Dragon Womyn muttered. "No matter…"

"Full of surprises… aren't I?" Atomique asked, panting. She flashed her leg out, only to have Dragon Womyn block it and swoop under and away. Suddenly Atomique faded out again, and Dragon Womyn searched vainly for her. A solid elbow landed in her back, while a hand chopped into her neck with surpassing force. Then a knee slammed up into her gut.

"Only remotely impressive. So you've picked up a few Kame-sennen moves… I'll give you that…"

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Atomique asked, glancing at her. Dragon Womyn blinked, wondering why in hell she had the gall to be so frustratingly calm. More blows were traded, till both women flew apart, panting in midair. Dragon Womyn suddenly flipped forwards; tucking her body into a forward summersault aimed right at her, before planting her feet in what seemed a solid target. However the hail of spikes sizzling past her plus the solid plastic wall stopped her cold.

"Enough games…" she grunted, glancing back.

Atomique's next punch cracked hard against the forearm that blocked it, then she felt her fist collide with solid lead, absorbing the shock. A quick punch to her cheek landed from the Alchemist, cracking into her jaw with little effect, except startling her. Another punch hit the other side, then her opponent flipped over and grabbed her in a neck lock, hooking both arms behind her with her bent elbows while she wound her legs around Dragon Womyn's long ones.

"Shimatta, you're not seriously thinking you're strong enough to… hold me!" she laughed.

"Better than running and hiding…" she gritted, bearing down as she enhanced her own body density.

"I'm stronger than you…" Dragon Womyn laughed, pulling her arms in, but lacking the leverage as Atomique squeezed her elbows tighter and compressed her windpipe. Angrily her crimson chikara flared, and she jerked her tail around the Alchemist's waist, flipping her body back and forth. The hold smashed as Atomique hurtled forwards, spinning out of control.

Gasping, Dragon Womyn spanned both arms, and brought them together. "Pyro blast!" she shouted, hurtling a beam of solid force forwards. Barely did Atomique regain her senses, crossing her wrists before her face to block it. Dragon Womyn couldn't help but blink with mild appreciation at one of her signature moves rebuffed.

Another blast surged, as Dragon Womyn flung her wrist, sending a disc of pure power hurtling towards her, one after the other. Fists glowing, Atomique wildly tossed her arms, throwing a rapid series of smaller blasts to knock out each disk. A few of them even landed on Dragon Womyn, only causing minor scorch marks on her armor. Opening her mouth, she spat a blast of fire at the Alchemist.

Cupping her hands, the Alchemist spanned them wide, generating three spheres of small purple ki. They whizzed around her like atomic orbital, circling orbits of power. Red plasma swirled with circling orbits of light, each ball orbiting her before she caught them again, and then shoved them forwards. Each whizzed out at greater distances till they slammed into the fireblast.

"Not bad," Bejita muttered, watching the duel. "I actually didn't recognize that ki till she arrived… something's different about her…"

"For a moment I could swear it was Saiyan…" Radditzu said. "She's taking a heavy beating sire, should I do something to interfere?"

"She's learned to mask her ki, but she changed the frequency. Not a usual method of stealth… but she's actually fighting offensively. I didn't realize she knew Kiko-ha… but that's nothing compared to what she's going to do next…"

"Jeannie… don't do it…" gasped Black Widow, seeing Dragon Womyn zip away and suddenly rise to a great height. She surged downwards with a trail of fire blazing like a comet above the Alchemist from above.

"She really thinks she can duplicate one of my moves. This is going to be interesting," the Prince laughed. He'd seen Dragon Womyn try to mimic his Big Bang and Gallic Gun with limited successes. For her sake she was using a moderate level attack at half power.

"Volcanic blast!" she screamed.

Panting, the Alchemist looked up at the blazing fire shoving her way. For a moment she wasn't sure she could block something that big, and moving out of the way would be fruitless because she knew that the direction of the beam was easily adjustable. The only way was to block it with her own beam, and she hated wasting energy in such a masculine pushing contest.

"Atomic force!" she shouted, cupping her hands and slamming it forwards before her. A beam of golden white power sizzled before shooting directly in the path of the oncoming blast of surging red. At the last second she curled her fingers round as she had seen Son Goku or any other member of his family, converting the energy to blazing gold. At light speed it streaked forwards, crackling against the other.

* * *

"Crap… this is NOT good…" gasped Raddiztu. Angrily he gathered his ki, and soared towards the two women in case one of them fell. How could he explain this to his brother that the woman he'd harbored was dead. 

"Radditzu! Don't interfere just yet! So the little ladies like to play with ki don't they?" Bejita cackled, rubbing his gloved hands together.

"Sire? The woman is Kakkarot's house guest! I don't think she is ready to face your student!"

"Use your discretion. But don't interfere unless the force becomes lethal. I'm finding this most entertaining. I should have figured she'd pick up SOMETHING useful…"

"You're just gonna hover there and let them incinerate each other?" Black Widow demanded.

"If they're that weak they deserve to die," Bejita grunted, folding his arms over his chest. "And before that, Radditz will stop the cat fight…"

"Give up!" Dragon Womyn roared, channeling more power forwards.

"I'm not the one who started this!" Atomique panted, pushing harder.

A familiar ki sourcematerialized within a few hundred yards, drifting there as she recognized it. Two morepresences at a distance of three thousand yards also flashed into her senses.Two were full blooded Saiyan, while the third was half and half.

"Don't waste your energy so!" called someone's voice from behind her.

"Who the hell are you to interfere?" Jeannie yelled as she saw Radditz hovering nearby.

"You want to beat her with such an amateur move… don't you recall a thing my brother taught you?" Radditzu barked to Atomique. Blinking she wondered why he was bothering to help at all.

"What the heck's goin' on?" Gohan asked, streaking up nearby. Son Goku appeared beside him, holding out his arm to block his son from rushing Radditzu. Hatred gleamed in his son's eyes at the sight of his uncle, although it was the alternate universe doppleganger.

"Direct it! Push harder!" called Son Goku

"Stay out of this nephew," Radditzu snapped, zipping into view right in Gohan's flight path. Both brawny arms extended wide, to block the progress of his brotehr and nephew.

"What the HFIL are you doing here? I don't care what universe you're from..." Gohan huffed.

"Gohan, relax. He's on our side... remember?" Son Goku reminded him, dropping his arm between them. "Where's Atomique?"

"Brother, that woman housekeeper you have is fighting like a warrior… I was not aware she was trained in your arts of battle… how long has this been happening?"

"I'm not sure. This is something that was brewing for a LONG time…" he answered. "Stay out of this… it's her fight…"

"Are you just going to sit back and let her be killed? She's a novice at best! Her level's dropping fast… at this rate she'll burn herself out! I refuse to let this continue!" Radditz yelled at him.

"Stay back," Goku said, zipping out and appearing before his brother.

"Dragon Womyn's not going to hurt her, is she?" gasped Gohan.

"Where are the boys?" asked Goku.

"Dammit Kakkarot, get out of my way!" Radditzu snapped.

"Videl's watching them down below… I told them to stay behind… but…"

"It's serious. She's pushing too hard. Keep out of the way, no matter what happens, I mean that," Son Goku told him. He hovered there, watching with a knowing smile on his face while Gohan streaked down to join Videl and the two boys with Goten and Trunks on the lawn. Nappa had been unable to convince the youth to stay inside, so he stood before them with a watchful eye. Grunting, Radditzu struggled to move past him, but Son Goku vanished to block him once more.

* * *

"Wow a fight?" asked Trunks, rushing out of Capsule with Nappa close behind him. "Man no wonder Dad said stay back… two girls goin' at it!" 

"Atomique-sama's kicking that Dragon Lady's butt!" laughed Goten.

"Stay well back and observe," said Nappa. "But don't interfere…"

"Oh man oh man!" Yamucha gasped as he shot into view, near No.18 and Krillen who had just flown up. Gohan waved to them, and they rapidly descended. Bejita and his other student moved into proximity while the ki blasts continued.

Crossing her wrists she felt a blast of fire slam into her. She spun out of control and before Goku could stop him, Radditzu suddenly phased out to reappear in her path. Strong arms extended, and she grunted as she impacted solid Saiyan armor. Blinking she stared up at the frowning face of her rescuer.

"You trying to get yourself killed woman?" he demanded.

"She started the fight…" she gasped, wriggling in his grasp.

"If you really wish to defeat her, you're going about it the wrong way!" Radditzu whispered into her ear. "Don't you see that blatantly obvious weakness? She's using incendiary ki… and she's been training all afternoon…"

"But she's more powerful…" protested Atomique.

"She's winded and you're fresh. You have to strike hard and stop fighting defensively with your ki! I feel your battle power sufficient enough. Focus your energies as you've been taught…" Radditzu said.

"Don't interfere with us, Saiyan," Jeannie snapped, hurling an incidiary blast towards him. Grunting he raised his hand and deflected it so it shot over his head, crashing into a television antenna on a dome nearby.

"I don't intend to. But know this, if she falls, you'll be next," said Radditzu as he released Atomique from his arms. Blinking Jeannie cracked her knuckles and saw as Atomique drifted before the Saiyan who'd refereed her.

"Big talk, monkey man," Jeannie waggled her tongue at him. "You like her or something…"

"Shut up and fight if you're going to do so," said Radditzu. "What concern is it of mine if you wish to kill yourself in this cat fight…"

Son Goku appeared next to him, frowning hard. "Why did you interfere?"

"Mind your business brother. If the female's safety is no concern of yours, leave now," said Radditzu. "Have you so little regard that you'd let her throw herself away?"

"You don't know her…" Son Goku protested.

"Shut up and get out of my way," Radditz snapped, pushing Son Goku aside. He moved closer and folded his arms, watching Jeannie and Atomique face off again, at a distance of five hundred yards above them.

"Now you'll get yours. See if you can fight this off, with your alchemy," said Jeannie, twisting her wrist. Out of scarlet chikara she formed a double bladed axe, swinging it back and forth towards her opponent. Atomique ducked the sizzling blade, then hurled a stream of plastic sheeting directly into Jeannie's face to choke off her air supply. With sharp claws, Jeannie tore the plastic sealent off and hurled it aside. Angrily she roared, belching a stream of flame towards the alchemist.

Atomique however stood her ground, diverting the blast with a ki shield in one hand. Behind her back with the other, she generated a long stream of plastic cord. Throwing back her hand, she hurled it towards her opponent and then circled at a fast pace. Jeannie watched in amusement as she wound her tightly and remained still. Raising her hands, she cupped them and fired rapid Kiko ha one after the other.

"Enough games!" laughed Jeannie, as the plastic sizzled and melted from the generated scarlet ki.

"She's right! You have the power, end it now and be done with it! Strike her and take her out!" Radditz barked somewhere in her mind. She blinked hard, and then glanced at Son Goku.

"Listen to him. She's running out of energy… and you're fresh compared to her. Just push as hard as you can, and she'll back off… she's bluffing," Son Goku seemed to say right next to her.

* * *

Far below, some of the other Z fighters had gathered to watch the two women slug it out. Yamucha held his hand over his eyes, laughing instead of panicking, to Krillen's horror. 

"Shouldn't we uh… stop them?" asked Krillen, positioning himself to rocket skywards.

"No, don't you dare," said No.18, holding both men down with her hands pressing their shoulders in a steel vise. "I'm enjoying this."

"Hey man, be cool! This is GREAT! It's a chick fight!" Yamucha blinked, dodging in front of Krillen.

"You're really getting on my nerves," Krillen mumbled.

"Well, if you insist... I don't think it's a GREAT idea... but if you lead, I'll cover your back," Yamucha said reluctantly.

"Here, kid needs daddy. Mom's gonna get a good seat and watch this," she said. No. 18 handed Marron to him, and he rolled his eyes, knowing she was not going to let him do squat to stop it.

Dragon Womyn roared in rage as the beam pushed her upwards. Angrily she stopped her display, zipping out as the gold beam shot directly into space. For a split second she hurtled vertically, then let herself drop at a great speed down towards where the Alchemist hovered. If she landed right on top she'd crush her, or worse, take out several city blocks.

"That idiot," Bejita grumbled. "She should KNOW that never works…"

"Huh, some people just can't take a hint, can they?" Son Goku chuckled, watching as history ALMOST repeated itself, but then failed to set the pattern.

"Crap," muttered Atomique. She spanned her hands wide, and generated the three packets of glowing energy. Letting them go one by one, she allowed them to whiz a few orbits to gather velocity before hurling one after the other upwards. Each sphere crashed into Dragon Womyn, knocking enough velocity off her free fall kamikaze dive to push her out of the way of inhabited ground, and towards the nearest second of ground.

"Kuso, she's gonna hit!" Yamucha yelled, pushing everyone out of the way. Grabbing her daughter and husband, No.18 flew them out of the way. Trunks and Goten whizzed out at hyper speed, grabbing Yamucha and tugging him along with them. Gohan shot away, zipping up to hover near his dad and Atomique overhead.

With a bone-shattering CRUNCH, Dragon Womyn slammed into the lawn of Capsule. Dust kicked up for five hundred feet, blocking the view for yards. Everyone coughed and choked before it dissipated, revealing a fuming Buruma on the front lawn.

"What the HELL is going on here!" she screamed. "Bejita, you just crossed the line! I've had it with your students wrecking the place! This is the LAST straw!"

"Don't yell at me, Onna…" Bejita snorted. "I'm trying to keep from blowing up two students who are…"

"Mom it wasn't Daddy it was that Dragon lady! She started it!" Trunks said, pointing into the huge crater that marred the front lawn.

Bejita and Black Widow dropped to hover just on the rim, while Atomique dropped down as well. She panted, hovering at a distance in case Dragon Womyn crawled out and made some last ditch attack. Both wrists were crossed before her face as she saw movement below. Groaning, Dragon Womyn pulled herself out of the hole, and weakly rolled over. She panted, shaking off dirt and dust from her cracked armor. Encrusted dirt dropped off each bit of hair, and she glared upwards.

"Oh, you are SO dead!" she snarled, levitating herself out. Throwing up her hands, she hurled a fire blast towards Atomique, who struggled to block it. Having expended a load of energy, she spun out of control in a diagonal line upwards. Jeannie then zipped out, and whirled her battleaxe into view. She spun it, sending it hurtling towards the spinning figure.

"Double sundae!" someone barked. Before Jeannie's energy weapon it could impact, a ki beam blocked it, while its twin slammed into her. Something zipped behind Atomique and caught her body with its own. Wrapping himself around her, Radditzu yanked her body back into stability before they both slammed into the nearest tower of Capsule.

Jeannie crashed again to the lawn, the beam of energy cracking her armor. Gasping, she rolled over and struggled to stand. But the force of Radditz's ki blast had all but shattered ribs if not for her invulnerability. As she staggered to her feet, Black Widow materialized before her, blocking with a mesh of webs that surrounded her.

"Give it up now! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Stay out of this, Christine…" she glared at her, struggling against the silk threads of scarlet ki solidifying around her like bands of steel.

"That's quite enough. Are you done yet?" Bejita snorted, zipping in front of her.

"Now wait a minute! Since when should I stop fighting, sensei!" gasped Jeannie.

"Since you've obviously engaged an enemy without due provocation! And against my orders!" Bejita growled. "If you're through embarrassing yourself and me, kindly get your ass away and clean up now!"

"What? But she was asking for it!"

"You're a disgrace and a loser if you persist in this! You're in no shape to fight unless you LIKE throwing your life away on this useless vendetta!"

"What?" she blinked. "But I have due cause! She has something that's rightfully mine!"

"She's moved on, and so should you. If you really want to do something useful, go train your useless low life ass in the GR before you make an even bigger fool of yourself…" Bejita shook his head.

"I can't believe you let that woman of Kakkarot's beat you so badly!"

"C'mon, give it up," said Black widow, reaching out to her. Dragon Womyn growled, storming away with her friend supporting her.

"Stupid bitch," Bejita mumbled. "The nerve… losing to that weakling woman that Kakkarot's been nursing. She deserved every last bit of it too…"

"Dad?" asked Trunks.

"Mind your business boy. The fight's over…" Bejita snorted. "Show's over you idiots. Go home… before you piss me off!"

Everyone dispersed, not wishing to anger Bulma or her husband any more. They flew or walked away at their leisure. Grunting, he shot up towards where his rival had touched down near the tangled forms of Radditzu and the alchemist in a heap.

* * *

Slowly she groaned, unable to move out of injury or something else. Under her a solid male figure shifted, slowly sitting up and rubbing his head. Rough powerful hands supported her head and shoulders, positioning her so she lay against a broad chest. White bits of masonry hung in the air like a cloud. One of his knees hooked over the edge, while the other was bent partly under him. Crosswise, the alchemist lay across his thighs and arm. He sat just inside the improvised entrance, his legs sprawled out before him. 

"Are you alive, female?" grunted a deep voice that wasn't Goku's.

"Who, what, when, where why?" she asked,blinking the haze from her eyes.

"Are you alive, you fool?" grunted Radditzu.

She recognized his annoyed glare through the green lens of his scouter worn over his left eye. The next minute she realized that she was sitting square in his lap, in a sizable hole in a building. His black shaggy mane was dusted with bits of plaster, resembling someone who had been pasted with a huge snow ball. Other pieces of concrete and brick lay scattered all over Radditzu's legs. He lifted one hand, shaking it free of broken bits of brick and masonry.

"Atomique! Radditzu!" cried Son Goku, crackling into reality just outside the irregular jagged hole that Radditzu had made.

"What the hell do you want Brother? The woman is alive, no thanks to you!" Radditzu snorted at him.

"Atomique?" asked Son Goku, glancing into the hole, blocking the sunlight hitting them full in the face.

"What… what the hell happened?" she blinked up, looking from Son Goku's quizzical glance to Radditzu's peeved countenance.

"You let your guard down, that's what," Radditzu scolded her. "A true warrior never turns their back on an opponent…"

"I didn't realize…" she stammered, eyes widening.

Eyes darkening, Radditzu exploded, "You're hopeless… what the hell were you THINKING you foolish woman, fighting an enemy who is clearly more skilled in real combat… if not for your own raw power you'd be DEAD!"

"Let me go you Neanderthal, I didn't ask you to risk your neck…" she spluttered, but Radditzu's arm had tightened around her and held her down where she sat, with its crushing weight.

"I did anyway, because with the proper training you could amount to something… honestly Kakkarot what were you thinking? She's not READY yet to face the Prince's elite students!" Radditzu yelled up at him.

"Now wait a minute! She was doing fine!" Goku called back.

"Excuse me, but it's not your fight it's mine, you Neanderthals!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Relax, just CALM down… you proved your point," Son Goku panted, landing right next to Radditzu. The Saiyan wrestled the female down in his arms while she beat him on his armored chest.

"Confounded female will you stay STILL? You could have broken something dammit!" Radditzu yelled at her.

"You bakayarou, get your hands OFF ME!" she hollered.

"He saved your life you know, you could at least thank him," Son Goku shouted.

"What?" she snapped, glaring up at him.

"You should listen to my little brother. If not for me you'd be a disgusting squishy mess on the side of a building instead of making a spectacle of yourself," Radditzu snarled, still gripping her wrists tightly.

"Well if you didn't practically crush my wrists with your big monkey paws, I wouldn't be yelling!" she snapped at him.

"Hold STILL!" Radditzu bellowed, as she twisted her wrists out of his grasp. "Dammit, you could have broken something and I'm NOT taking blame for any injuries you suffered because you didn't shut the hell up and LISTEN to me you stubborn female!"

A bright flash of blue white ki erupted, startling them all. Squealing she threw her arm around his neck and clung tightly to her rescuer. Reflexively his arms tightened around her while Son Goku threw himself before them both. Lifting his hand from his eyes he saw the white and blue armored form of the Saiyan no Ouji hovering ten feet above them.

"All right, are we quite through with this useless debate, Kakkarot? Radditzu, is the female harmed or not?"

"Your Majesty," Radditzu panted, scrambling to his feet. Effortlessly he carried her out of the hole, then hovered just outside it. Still he held her with one arm hooked around her waist while saluting with his other.

"Bejita… what happened here… why did Jeannie attack her?" asked Son Goku.

"I don't know and I don't care. Mind explaining what the blazes you were doing blowing up my lawn and house, you baka female?" he snarled at her.

"She started it," panted Atomique, too exhausted to do anything but lay motionless in Radditzu's grasp.

"Show him the proper respect, female," Radditzu hissed at her. She glared angrily at him, but pressed her mouth shut when Son Goku cast a frantic shake of his head no.

"Kakkarot, you have five minutes to explain what the hell this woman was doing before I get even more pissed!" Bejita hollared, face turning beet red when he wheeled on Goku standing just outside.

"Jeez Bejita I was just as surprised as you were," he said, laughing as he hovered there. Son Goku was snickering behind one hand while hugging his stomach with the other. He burst into laughter when he saw Bejita's various stages of shock, outrage, and utter disbelief.

"Sire?" asked Radditzu, still firmly keeping his hold on the alchemist before she threw herself in her rage on the Prince or Goku.

"Radditzu, take this woman out of here before I get even more pissed… I've had enough of this shit for one day," Bejita yelled at him, pointing a white-gloved hand in his direction.

"Now wait just a moment…"

"Don't argue with him, woman. I'm taking you home now," said Radditzu angrily.

"I…" she protested.

"You'd be wise not to say another word. Be glad he's letting you off easily…" Radditzu hissed, lips close to her ear.

"Go home with Radditzu, Atomique-san," said Son Goku, stifling his next laugh.

"All right, you big ape," she mumbled. Radditzu swept her up with his hands under her knees and back.

Son Goku chuckled behind his hand, "I'll be along soon… and Radditzu, why don't you stay for dinner…"

"Brother?" he asked. "Are you insane?"

"No, I mean it…" Goku nodded.

"Excuse me, I'm still TALKING here!" Bejita yelled.

"Sorry sire!" Radditzu gasped, almost dropping his passenger. Blue ki crackled over his gloved fingers, pointed right at them both. She wisely shut her mouth, burying her face in Radditzu's mane of hair while squeezing his shoulder tightly.

"Get your third class ass out of here! And Kakkarot, The next time you want to watch two women fight, do so in your back yard!" Bejita yelled.

"Maybe we'd better go… before he blows a fuse?" she whispered. Radditzu nodded when Bejita shot them both a death ray stare. Radditzu streaked off into the distance, carrying the still fuming woman in his arms.

"Sorry Bejita, I had no idea… it just sort of got out of hand… I didn't want to get in the way because she WAS doing well…" said Son Goku.

"Don't give me that! You enjoyed watching it as much as the other clowns!" he grunted. "You just HAD to teach her your stupid weakling moves… you realize that you just blew two solid years of GR training in ten minutes, you bakayarou!"

"Did I really… I mean did she really?" Son Goku laughed, giddily coming down off his realization that she'd stood up to one of the strongest members of the Four who were one, and lived to tell the tale with singed hair and a ripped outfit.

"Kakkarot… you'd better leave now or I'll seriously regret stopping that loser from pummeling your idiot…"

"Bye Bejita… sorry about the mess. But it was your idea that she learn to defend herself, so don't blame me!" he called, touching two fingers to his forhead and vanishing. Bejita snarled, loathing Instant Transmission and all things Son at that moment.

"Kuso! I HATE sleeping on the sofa," Bejita mumbled, streaking back to Capsule and shaking his head. A smirk came over his face at the lunacy of it all. His best student pummeled by Kakkarot's bird with a broken wing. Although he somewhat doubted Dragon Womyn would be stupid enough to try that stunt again, he knew better in the long run. She had an ego almost to match that of her father and himself. Unfortunately Jeannie had learned more than just martial arts from him.

"You enjoy pissing me off, don't you Kakkarot, and now you're students are taking up the cause? Well she'd better watch her step, because I'm sure that this isn't the last…" Bejita smirked. He had not failed to notice the actions of Radditzu however. A slow devilish grin erupted over his angular face at the possibilities. Perhaps there was a way to get one over on Son Goku. If he liked the alchemist so much, then perhaps it was high time the third class Son of Bardock found a mate...


	12. Smoothing over conflicts

_**Smoothing Some Things Over

* * *

**_

Next day, Son Goku had gone to offer an apology to Bulma and Bejita, then volunteered his services to fill in the hole. Grudgingly Bejita accepted his offer, and the crater was soon smoothed over. Gohan made the arrangements for green turf to cover the bare earth. Soon it was difficult to tell that a battle had even taken place.

After he'd finished, Goku sat there in resentment, gritting his teeth. "Why doesn't she just mind her own damn business?" he snapped.

"Dad, relax she's just one of Atomique-sama's friends. She's probably just plain bitchy training with Bejita all the time… right?" his son asked.

"You call that a friend?" asked Son Goku. "She was playing for keeps."

"But Atomique won, right? And you and Bejita would have stopped it before it got out of hand… maybe she's gotten it out of her system. I heard that Dragon Womyn has taken off on a trip somewhere," said Gohan cheerfully.

"There's something really getting to both of them to blow up like that. I figured it would come to a head, but I had hoped it would just be what you described, two opponents sharing their powers in a sparring match. But that wasn't a sparring match. They were out for blood…" said Goku with a sigh.

"We're kinda worried about you too, Dad. Bejita said that you seemed downright proud of her for kicking his student's butt. I know you guys are rivals, but putting someone you care about in danger like that… I mean it's good that she learns to fight, but that only made Bejita just want to stand back and watch! HE would have stopped it the moment she backed down, but you both just let it escalate!" Gohan insisted.

"She needs to learn to defend herself, and she has the desire to learn! Does it matter if she won or lost? She stood up to someone who was bothering her, didn't she? She's my responsibility, not theirs," Goku growled ferally, showing an expression that belonged more on the Saiyan no Ouji's face than his.

"What's going on Dad… I know you're upset, but you're really freaking me out…" Gohan said.

Goku said abruptly, "Its natural to be angry, isn't it when someone's hurting someone you care about? Like whenever you saw Goten, or Videl in trouble? Or are people surprised I'm actually showing anger for a change? She had every right to fight and spar against her if she had a reason to… and Jeannie needed to be shown that she can't keep letting Bejita's training go to her head."

"Whatever you want to feel is appropriate, Dad… just don't shut us out… if something else is going on… we should know about…"

"What else would be?" asked Goku quickly.

"Well, you mentioned that you were gonna invite that woman and her kids to stay with us… and then they are… and the next thing I know you're going all protective… even more so then usual… I mean around Bejita is one thing, but teaching her to pound one of her bitchy friends instead of talking it out is just stupid!"

"That's why she has to be up to their level," Son Goku said quietly. "If she is to face the challenge, she has to be ready to defend herself, if she refuses our protection…"

"Dad… she's a stubborn woman all right… like Videl, and she did handle herself in that fight… but you should have stopped it! Why are you so worried that she's 'refusing' to let any of us defend her against one of her own friends? You don't think Dragon Womyn would serious hurt her do you? If you really did, you would have stopped her, right?"

"I wanted her to respect and trust me,' said Son Goku. "If she wanted or needed my help, she'd ask for it. Forcing it on her isn't right… when she has the skills to fight her own battles."

"Okay… but it's confusing the heck out of me!" Gohan grumbled.

"Dragon Womyn's words are meant to hurt. She deliberately provoked a fight, but she wasn't expecting Atomique to defend herself. Looks like she's learning more than just martial arts from Bejita… she's picked up his sour attitude as well. And she's turned Atomique-san into her number one reason to exist… sound familiar?" asked Son Goku.

"No way, Dad… I refuse to accept that her own friend's turned her into her worst rival!" he shook his head.

"Jealousy makes women and men do crazy things…" he said in a low voice. "Bejita had his reasons to hate me… although they make no sense to me, nor did I ask for his hatred… the fact I exist is enough for him to be permanently ticked off…"

"You're his number one mad on… I already know that, Dad," Gohan nodded.

Goku rubbed the back of his scalp, fingering the mark that changed his destiny from that of a planetary pirate, to that of a warrior of peace. "He's improved a lot since those first days when all he wanted to do was kick my butt. Having a family's mellowed him in a good way. But he still clings to that whole thing about beating me… I guess he thinks it keeps him going or something… as long as he has me to compete with… he has a reason to exist. But he's just fooling himself because he's a dad and husband…"

Impatiently Gohan sighed, rolling his eyes. He asked, "Where are you going with this Dad?"

"Jeannie was once lovers with Tryn-sama's husband… before they were married," Goku explained.

"WHAT?" Gohan gasped, picking his jaw up off the floor.

"Jeannie is supposedly lovers with Star child's son. You see they don't age… like you and me. Go figure it's weird and strange… but for some reason, her lover Elliot died. So she got lonely, and since at the time Star Child had no mate, he got together with her. But that made his best friend angry, and they fought bitterly. He used his special powers to make her forget. But for some reason, she's remembering… and that's not a good thing…"

"Kuso… so every time she sees Atomique-sama she becomes insanely jealous, because she married the man that Jeannie once loved. And because those twins are a permanent reminder… how majorly messed up!" Gohan snorted in disgust.

Goku nodded with his stern stare straight-ahead at West Central city. He grunted in affirmation, then said, "Women are strange… but what matters the most here is that Jeannie's turned her into a reason to train hard. Making her a target for hatred is all that's keeping her going, just like Bejita did with me all those years."

Starting, Gohan suddenly remembered, "Wait a minute! Jeannie said she had a mate… Elliot… but he's dead?"

Still looking at a point beyond the grass on the lawn, his father confirmed this fact; "Elliot somehow got brought back. I though it'd logically be Dragon balls, but they don't have them in her dimension. Must be some other way. But anyway, her world's pretty much a write off… conquered by those Destroyers…"

"She mentioned that a scientist named Space Ace activated a dimensional transport and scattered them across space time… I guess that's why he isn't here with her?" asked Gohan, sitting down next to his father on the front steps of Capsule.

Son Goku nodded, "Yep, I think that's it. And now this whole thing is getting ugly. You saw yourself how she wouldn't stop till Bejita told her to back down! Sooner or later she's gonna try picking another fight, and I want her to be ready. It's honor, and until she can fight for herself, Jeannie ain't gonna leave her alone…."

"Dad, do you realize that she used all the techniques that Bejita taught her! You saw it was a stalemate because she used what you taught her… that last push alone was eerily familiar… just like when you and Bejita first fought! Doesn't that creep you out?"

"Exactly. But they have their own powers on top of it. Just like not all of us do Kamehameha or other stuff, they have unique attacks that have to be worked into the mix. It's still Kame-sennen, with my own little tricks here and there, mixed with her alchemy. She's got good powers of observation, she just needs to build up strength and speed…"

"That's why you've been training her, along with the boys, Dad, huh?" he rolled his eyes.

Goku bit his lip, "She wants to defend herself, and she has every right to. And you saw for yourself the result!"

"Yeah, she DID pretty good," Gohan nodded. "I gotta admit Dad, you've still got a good touch when it comes to training…"

A smile cracked the serious expression on his father's face. He chuckled as he said, "She's getting pretty good. You should have seen the look of shock on Bejita's face… it was side splitting…"

"Dad, this is crazy! She's not one of us! She's not a fighter… she's a scientist…" Gohan protested. He shoved his glasses higher on his nose, glaring at his father with frustration.

Son Goku shook his head in the negative. He cracked that infuriating smile of his that Son Gohan remembered so well. "I don't think so. She's a fighter because what mother wouldn't fight so hard for her children? She learned to use her powers offensively and defensively. I think she can get to like it…"

"Are you sure that's the only reason, Dad?" asked Gohan, glancing directly into his dad's eyes.

"Are you okay with it, Gohan?" asked Goku, avoiding his question.

"As long as she's okay… and I know that she's gonna have the capsule place. But you can't replace her husband, Dad. Even if you swore… it's not fair to you or her… I don't' want you getting hurt…" Gohan warned him.

"I made a promise, son," said Son Goku seriously. "To take care of her and her sons. Nothing more, nothing less. Your namesake if he was still here would insist on letting them stay…"

"But she's a scientist dad… an alchemist. What if she wants to work? Taking care of a house while you go train isn't what she does! She told me she wanted to find a job at the university I was applying to!" he snapped.

"We'll know when I ask her," Goku said. "Paul told me all about her. In the other world while we were training. If she wants to, she can leave at any time. But I won't leave her alone when I made a promise…"

"Of course not. If you did, you wouldn't be the dad I know and love," Son Gohan nodded. "Just let me know if you need anything when I'm at school…"

"Just when you and Videl are gonna get married maybe?" Son Goku winked.

"Dad, enough!" he groaned. "We're just… going steady!"

"Don't let her slip away… that's all I'm saying," said Son Goku, squeezing his shoulder. "She's a good woman… and you need someone to take care of you… and I'm kinda looking forward to training some grand kids…"

"You're hopeless, Dad," Gohan winced, standing right before his father. Sometimes it was like arguing with a brick wall.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't stop me from trying my very best… to win," he shrugged.

"Just what are you trying to win though? This isn't a budokai…"

"It is in a way. Something's not quite right here in all this… and I'm not talkin' about Jeannie. Lately when she's been dreamin' about her husband Paul, she's had these fears that he's turned his back on her. Last night… she told me that she saw Jeannie and Paul together… and they laughed at her…"

Lifting his glasses to his forehead, Gohan asked, "Dad… are you serious?"

"I am. I'm not making this up. Something's going terribly wrong. The Star Child I knew wanted me to care for her if he couldn't make it back… I was thinking of using the Dragon Balls to wish him back to life… but I can't because he's been dead for more than a year…"

"The Namekian ones…" nodded Gohan.

"Yeah… but should I?" Son Goku asked.

"You should ask her what she wants. Regardless of what Jeannie thinks… and you can't take the place of him…" said Gohan. He whipped off his glasses, polishing them on his shirttail.

"I'm not tryin' to, Gohan," he insisted.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself, Dad?" he asked.

"Huh?" he asked.

"I'm not a baka, and neither are you. You care about her more than just as someone you'd wanna protect. I mean teaching her to fight like that… you're spending a huge amount of time with her… like I did with Videl. Are you in love with her?" he asked with a small smile.

Goku leapt nearly a foot in the air off the steps. Whirling on his son he yelped, "In love, are you crazy?"

Struggling not to laugh with his father's demeanor, he asked, "Are you, or aren't you? Be honest with me dad… we could always talk before…"

"I don't know," Son Goku shrugged. "In all honesty. I've only ever been with one woman… at least in the way that you and Videl are… I mean I had urges like any kid, but I had no idea when I met your mother that I'd end up being with her…"

"But did you ever really love her?" asked Gohan.

"Of course I did… didn't I?" Son Goku wondered, glancing up at the sky as if the answer was written in the puffy white clouds. Unfortunately for him it wasn't.

"I had feelings for other girls, yes… but Chichi was the one I married when I was only a little older then you are now…" he said finally.

"So basically your experience with girls is about the same as mine. And you don't have a whole lot to compare it with…" Gohan said with a look of triumph, replacing his glasses on his face once again.

Son Goku was speechless for a moment, then regained his wits to formulate an answer, "What I feel isn't the same as for Chichi if that's what you mean…" he trailed off. "I like Tomique-chan her as a very good friend, that I want to protect and care for… that I don't want to see hurt…"

"But you invited her to live with us. Most people who do that end up being lovers, Dad… except you're not that kind of man, are you?" Gohan teased. "I mean there ARE three bedrooms… and it's not like you're sleeping with her…" said Gohan.

"Um… what exactly do you mean?" he blushed.

"Dad?" Gohan asked, leaning right in his face. "C'mon now… I know you aren't that naïve cause you taught ME about the birds and the bees! Don't play stupid with me! I know you're smart in your own way!"

"I'm sleeping in the same bed next to her to comfort her when she has nightmares, but I'm not... going to home plate... all the way with her like a husband and wife do. We're not... lovers. She loves her husband, not me in that way," Son Goku said quickly. "I'm taking care of her like I promised him…"

"Even though you're honorable Dad, you're a man like I am. And you're gonna be lonely. Don't tell me that you don't want to… you know go all the way with… like I want to around Videl…" said Gohan with a slight look of innuendo.

"Well the only reason you haven't is because you're afraid her father's going to make a public spectacle outta you, right?" Goku teased him. "Why else do you think I let you an' her stay in Grandpa Gohan's place? It's not just to study is it?"

"Dad this isn't about ME, its about you! Don't change the subject!" Gohan yelped, hiding his face in his hands.

"Well if YOU don't want to do something else either then study, then why should I? I mean what kind of person do you think I am?" Goku glared at him.

"Someone who really needs to take care of something before it gets out of hand… you have to let her go live somewhere else, or at least have her live separately if you're..." Gohan groaned.

"And I am taking care of things. So what is your problem? You think it's the same situation with you and someone who's never been married? I'm sure the Star Child didn't mean that last thing you said, about taking care of her like a husband does a wife in ALL ways! I'm not doing THAT with her!" said Goku.

* * *

"Of course that's what he suspects, you clown!" Bejita snorted. Both men whirled around to see the Saiyan no Ouji standing on the steps of Capsule, glaring at them both with his usual disdain. 

"Uh, Bejita… what are YOU doing here?" Gohan gasped. "We were having a private conversation!"

"Unlike you, I still have my full Saiyan senses!" Bejita snorted. "Kakkarot, you're a complete and utter imbecile!"

"Why?" Son Goku challenged him, with thinly veiled disgust."

"Bejita, get lost! This is NONE of your business!" Gohan shouted. "With all due RESPECT your Majesty… this isn't public knowledge!"

"Gohan, lemmie talk to him alone… I'll catch up with you later… please?" Son Goku said.

"Okay, but I don't care for any of this… Bejita… you've got no…" Gohan fumed.

"He's the Saiyan Prince, and knows more about this than either of us," Goku shrugged, holding out his hands.

Bejita smirked, leveling his onyx gaze at Gohan with a superior gleam present, "You have your lucid moments of sense Kakkarot. Bugger off, brat… this is man's talk…"

"I know when I'm not wanted…" Gohan shrugged, and marched off, to find Videl.

"So Bejita, what's up? You got something to say to me?" Son Goku asked, watching as the Prince of Saiyans walked down the stairs to stand opposite him.

"Yes, you fool, as always I have to hammer the facts of Saiyan biology into your thick skull… though why I bother…" Bejita snorted.

"Because no matter how much you deny it, the fact I'm a Saiyan too is too much of a temptation for you to try and prove you're right," Son Goku quipped.

"How true. Kakkarot, you've grown up as a ningen. And your mate has left you. This woman's mate is dead… the answer seems simple enough even for YOU…You're acting like a lovesick fool Kakkarot. Don't think I don't notice how you fawn over that female…"

"Bejita… mind your own business…" snorted Goku.

"Fine, see if I care! It was a waste of time talking to you as usual! Go ahead and play house with that female… most people think you're screwing her anyway!" Bejita said.

"Excuse me?" Goku asked, glaring at him.

"You heard me, Kakkarot… something wrong?" Bejita asked, folding his arms across his chest and giving him a hard stare.

"That's none of their damn business…" Son Goku growled, voice dropping to a low rasp. "If anyone cares to take it up with me, I'll give them reason to look the other way…"

"I rest my case. If you want to pretend to be squeamish and honorable, do so. But you're playing with fire, getting so physically and emotionally close to that Atomique woman. But sooner or later you'll find it impossible to resist the urge to mate, and one way or another you'll bed her, or another female. It's in your nature, no matter how much you deny it, like your love of fighting…" Bejita cackled triumphantly.

"What are you saying?" asked Son Goku.

"You'll end up screwing her if you're not careful. You can't have it both ways, Kakkarot. Either you'll drive yourself mad because you are missing that loud mouthed harpy of yours, or you'll drag this woman into your bed. You cannot deny your urge for sex. It's a drive that we all share!"

"What would you have me do? I can't throw her out! She needs me!" Goku yelled.

"She needs a male that isn't pining over his lost mate. Don't you have the balls to stand up and demand that your woman Chichi return home? Didn't she put you to this test in the first place to see if you'd be man enough to fight for her?"

"Bejita, you're wrong!" Goku growled.

"You don't realize that Saiyans can mate again if their mates leave or are killed. Which leads me to ask this? Did you ever mark Chichi?" he asked.

"You mean as in biting her on the neck, like you did Buruma," said Son Goku. "I mean I bit her… but she never bit me back…"

Bejita snorted in Saiyan tongue, then continued, "Little wonder you're such a fool. You're struggling with a half bond… not a true one. And an uncompleted bond leads to madness…"

"Excuse me, Bejita, you forget that I have two children? Doesn't that bond me to Chichi forever…" said Son Goku angrily.

"If that's the case then fight for Chichi. Make her mark you and form the bond completely! If you're so blasted lonely, go get that mate of yours, and make her come home! Spoil her rotten, just don't be stupid and take another female unless you're willing to go to bed with herand disregard your former mate! Make up your damn mind!"

Son Goku turned his back to the Saiyan no Ouji, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his training outfit. He walked slowly away, and then levitated into the air to fly home.

"Whatever you say, Bejita…" Son Goku answered. "I gotta go. Bye for now…"

* * *

Bejita watched him streak off at a great speed towards West Province 439. Still he smirked knowingly, having smelled the telltale male pheromones in full blistering bloom. In that short period of time, Kakkarot looked more like his brother Radditz then a mere ningen. Sooner or later, Kakkarot would admit that he'd been right, and then he'd enjoy shoving it in the third class's face. 

Which was why he wasn't surprised when he sensed the brother in question behind him. Not looking he asked, "What do you want, Radditzu?"

"Sire, I apologize for my brother's stupidity?"

"Enough," said Bejita. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it, begging your pardon. And if I might be so bold, I might have a solution?"

"Oh" asked Bejita.

"Let me speak to him. I have gained his trust. Perhaps I can convince him to abandon this fool quest of courting that female without intent to mate her…" said Radditzu. "He doesn't have the guts to decide one way or another…"

"That is what I fear. She dumped the responsibility of raising them on your brother, the male. Which is unforgivable in Saiyan culture. That alone is grounds for dissolving a mating bond, or death," Bejita grumbled.

"Indeed. He's dishonoring his heritage. I might be able to reason with him, since he's attempting to forge a brotherly bond between us. Already he's invited me to stay with him when I wish it…"

"You're permitted to go stay with Kakkarot. Do what you can to make sure that he doesn't continue this folly," said Bejita. "Take any measures necessary. I won't have this third class making a mockery of his Saiyan blood."

"Any measures?" asked Radditzu, raising a brow.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Bejita snorted. "Do try and keep up with me! You're stillbedding that woman aren't you?Well go ahead and go the next step you fool!"

"You mean Tomique-san?" asked Radditzu. "You know I've marked her... but she has not done the same..."

"Idiot. Then you know you you must do. Finish what you started..." said Bejita. "Take what you did to perserve her from Nappa and complete the blood bonding..."

"What if she does not wish it?" he asked.

"Have herdrink your blood in turn at the very least, or else it will drive you BOTH insane! Did your father teach youNOTHING about mating?Great Super Saiyan I know more about this then you do, andI grew upon Frieza's ship!"

"I know what was required of me," Radditzu snorted. "I had hoped that in time she would realize the error of her ways. I never marked any of my concubines, I only bit them on the shoulder, and did not drink their blood. But Tomiques... I did..."

"Fine.What I'm trying to say you bakayarou, is that more than one sort of bond among Saiyans. The physical connection between mates by children, the commitment by blood, and the rare soul bonding. It's almost impossible for a Saiyan to share all three with his chosen mate. But not unrealistic. If you can get that female away from him, perhaps he can be convinced to complete the mating bond with that loudmouth woman of his. Then you try and get her to exchange memories with you, to establish a mind link at the very least."

"Sire, may I ask you a question?"

"Now what?" asked Bejita irritably.

"You and your woman, Buruma share all three, don't you?" Radditzu asked wryly. "And this one as well?"

Bejita held up a gloved hand, examining its seams. He smirked, "Yes. Unlike your younger brother, who shares a one sided incomplete physical bond by blood, and a complete one by children. That only counts as one and a half to my three… and the other... is not to be spoken of, got it?"

"Triple bonds are more stable then aromatics?" Radditzu asked, glancing at Bejita.

"Excuse me? What in hell did you just say?"

"I had observed last night, Atomique was talking about chemical bonding, and what you just said reminded me of that… I mean there are triple bonds… and then there's what's called an aromatic bond… when two elements in a chemical share not six but two and a half electrons…"

"Enough about the stupid chemical bonds, you third class fool! Don't make me think that stupidity runs in your family genetically Radditzu!" Bejita yelled.

"Sire… do you mean…"

"One of these days I'm going to open that head of yours… don't make me regret giving you leave to visit your brother…"

"I thought we were talking about relationships, not my head, sire. What do you suggest?" he mumbled.

"What I MEAN is that you haven't chosen a mate for yourself in my service, am I correct?" Bejita grumbled, trying to be patient with his soldier. "And you've already BEEN with that woman, so you put the pieces together!"

"No sire, forgive me. I don't know from personal experience about Saiyan bonds… due to my lack of a mate…"

"True. I assume that things in your universe were much the same as here?"

"Begging your pardon, sire, but she's human, not Saiyan. And she follows customs that dictate that only after you've mourned your husband do you even think of being with someone else. She says that they share a soul bond. I have no business interfering with that…" said Radditzu sternly.

"So what?" Bejita grunted. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Mind bonding is not the same as soul bonding, is it?" Radditzu asked.

"No. But some mistakenly think so. A mind bond can be tampered with, but a soul bond forms of its own volition."

"As I said, she mind bonded with Star child... that is a more intimate connnection..." said Radditzu.

"You must find out if its her mind or soul he's bonded with. Perhaps... and you will NOT repeat this to anyone got it... perhaps if you can see how deep the bond is, you might be able to convince her to break the mind bond. But if she shares a soul bond..." Vegeta murmured. "You'll be hard pressed to break that. But my instincts tell me that if she were truely bound, she wouldn't have slept with you in the first place..."

"True," he nodded. "But... how can I tell?"

"You'll know! You're Saiyan, andI'm your Prince and don't you forget that! And believe me you KNOW it when you see it! and that's ALL I'll say, dolt!" Vegeta snarled at him. His face was flushed crimson discussing such a private thing with a third class. Yet sometimes a Prince had to make sacrifices for the good of his people.

"My apologies sire…" he said.

"Just go now and do what you have to! You're dismissed!" Bejita snorted. Bowing to him, Radditzu rose into the air. In the light of the setting sun he streaked off towards the mountain home of his brother.

* * *

By the time Radditzu reached Mt. Paozu it was almost dark. He hovered briefly over the home that he'd visited a number of times already, yet still was amazed that he had even dwelled there for any length of time. The shack to the left was hopelessly primitive, and the Capsule dome was barely large enough to contain all the life forms he saw there. 

Snorting, he turned off his scouter and dropped to a landing. He marched up to the front door, and raised his fist to knock. Immediately the door flew open, and Gohan stood there, glaring at him. "What do you want here?"

"Nephew, I wish to see Kakkarot… please…" said Radditzu, inclining his head and holding out one hand in the traditional Saiyan salute.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here!" Gohan snapped.

"Gohan, relax… is that you Radditzu?" asked Son Goku's voice as he quickly moved over and tugged at his son's shoulder.

"Dad… wait a minute…" Gohan protested, moving to block his dad's way.

"Gohan, go back and see if Videl needs any help with the kids. Atomique is just starting dinner… and she needs Goten's help with Trunks…" said Goku.

"But…"

"No buts. Radditzu's family and he's welcome in this house… got it?"

"I don't…"

"No arguments, Gohan… I mean it!" Goku said firmly. Grumbling, Gohan marched off and vanished, leaving Radditzu standing in the doorway with crossed arms.

"Is he… angry with me?" asked Radditzu.

"Let's just say that in this reality, you and he didn't get along very well.." said Son Goku.

"It was not my intention to come as a threat. I merely wished to continue to see what makes this world so attractive to you and the Saiyan no Ouji," said Radditzu.

"You want to come in? Dinner's just about ready…"

"Will it upset your son if I do so?" asked Radditzu.

"No, he'll behave," said Goku. "Come in… and make yourself at home. My house is your house…"

"Thank you, Brother," Radditzu grunted and moved past Son Goku to enter the Capsule house. A modern sofa and chairs sat opposite one another, while carpet stretched under the Saiyan's boots. Two boys played with one another, their dark curly hair and dark eyes making them look for a moment like Saiya-jin children.

"Sit down and relax… I'll get you something to drink," said Son Goku.

"Here?" asked Radditzu, glancing at the two boys who looked up at him in wonder. Goku nodded, and he walked over to lower himself onto the sofa with a grunt. The furniture seemed flimsy, but held well under his weight. It was easy to forget he was not on a world with heavier gravity. If he was not careful he might break something.

"Hello?" asked one of the boys, glancing up at him. "Who are you?"

"Greetings," Radditzu said, glancing down at the two boys walking over towards him. They had turned their attention from the flickering box called a TV that the humans were mesmerized by.

"Are you Mr. Funny man's brother?" asked the first. "I'm Bohr. You look like him sorta…"

"I'm his brother, Radditzu," said the warrior, putting his hands on his lap. "Are you the woman's... I mean Tomique-san'schildren?"

"I'm Fermi, I'm two minutes older then him. Our mommy's in there cooking dinner with Goten-kun. Are you a fighter like Son-kun-san?" said Fermi.

"I am. I serve Prince Bejita, of planet Vegetasei…" said Radditzu, unsure of how to conduct himself around children so naïve. Their dark eyes fixed on him. One of them crawled up and sat next to him, while the other tugged at his armor.

"Cool, are you from outer space? You have a tail!" gasped Bohr.

"I would not touch that if I were you. Saiyan tails are very dangerous to touch without provocation…"

"Do you turn into an ape if you see the moon?" asked Fermi.

"Yes, of course," Radditzu said, blinking in surprise.

"Wow, do you smash things?" Bohr asked.

"I err… only do so under the orders of my prince," he said, coughing and glancing around for someone to rescue him from these two children who were unnervingly trusting of him.

"A guest, you said nothing about a…" Atomique asked as she strode out with a can of soda. At sight of him, she stopped.

"Mommy, there's a cool space monkey here to visit, just like in Son Goku-san's story!" one of them said walking up to her.

"It's you… what are you doing here, Radditzu?" she asked. Bohr and Fermiexchagned a glance and gave one another a grin. Somethign about this man made their mommy blush, and act all silly like Gohan and Videl did around each other. While they were too young to know the implications, they guessed that Radditzu knew their mother better than they both alleged.

"I'm hurt, woman. I thought you'd be pleased to see me," he gave her a devilish smile.

"Do you know him mommy?" asked Bohr, while Fermi continued to stare at Radditzu sitting there.

"Yes I do! He's my... friend from Capsule, and we work together," Atomique said, while Radditzu gave her a knowing smirk. "Fermi, don't climb on him! You don't know him…"

"I will not hurt your children, female," said Radditzu with a snort as she rushed over to stop Fermi from crawling into his lap.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't' expect you here…" she said as she watched Radditzu pick the boy up and set him on his knee. As the boy reached for the furry tail coiled around his waist, Radditzu surprised him by uncurling it and letting it flicker slowly back and forth.

" I suppose you're staying for dinner? And that you're the surprise guest Goku was going on about?" she asked, moving over and picking up her son Bohr. She set him on her lap, feeling Radditzu's hip touch hers.

"Amazing… it is like the one in the story… look," said Fermi, trying to catch it.

"Don't touch his tail, all right… that's rude…" said Atomique, embarrassed. "Whatever you do, don't pull it or squeeze it!"

"You do know something about Saiyans after all, I'm touched," Radditzu teased as he accepted the glass of wine she handed him.

"Well, Son Goku gave me the lecture," she said, sitting down on the sofa next to him.

"I thought you knew from other experience," Radditzu winked at her. Bohr curled up in her lap, and stared at his twin that Radditzu was awkwardly toddling on his knee.

"Oh shut up," she blushed.

"You two act just like Nissan and Videl, you know," Fermi said.

"You two are well acquainted with my nephew then," Radditzu said.

"Is he the..." trailed off Bohr.

"He can't be. He's cool," said Fermi, as Radditzu let the boy slide down from his lap. He rested his hand on Radditzu's boot, tugging at the bindings and smoothign his hands over the armor.

"Did I... miss something?" Radditzu asked, glaring at Atomique with suspicion. A snicker of amusement crossed his lips, and then he saw the ashamed look on her face.

"It's okay, she thought you were someone else," said Fermi, glancing at his brother. "From one of Son-kun-san's stories..."

"He's from another universe," saidAtomique quickly to Bohr, who continued to look at Radditzu with wide eyes.

"Your mother and I are good friends, and I guard her when I am at capsule," said Radditzu, guessing her sons may have the same ability as he did to sense truth from lies.

"Good, cause we don't want anyone to hurt our mommy," Bohr said.

"I'd never let that happen," Radditzu said quietly, looking him right in the eyes.

"Ah, I see you've met the twins face to face," said Goku, walking in with a tray piled with chips and other enormous portions of snacks. He set them down on the coffee table by his brother, who snaked out his hand and grabbed a whole handful of cheese puffs to shove into his mouth. The dust fell on his black armor, and he licked his fingers clean.

"They're quite… fine children. Of course I'm not used to seeing any of this age… because…"

"She knows all about that too," Son Goku said, sitting in the armchair to their left. Slipping off Radditzu's lap, Fermi walked over and climbed up into his brother's. At mention of Radditzu's questioning gaze she blushed slightly.

"I'm sorry I was so rude before. I am thankful you saved my life. I was acting foolishly…"

"Think nothing of it, female," said Radditzu with a charming smile. It was surprising to see it on his wild face. Flickering light from the TV moved across his green visor.

"You can take that off in here… nobody's going to attack you," Son Goku teased. Radditzu reached up and pulled off his scouter, and handed it to a very curious Bohr.

"May I see?"

"Be careful with it, child. It's not a toy…" Radditzu said, picking it up and slipping it over Bohr's face. He showed the boy the buttons on the side to press, and the child squealed with delight as he saw the images of ki flickering over it.

"Why is Gohan-kun afraid of you, Mr. Monkey man?" asked Fermi.

"His name is Radditzu, and he's my older brother," Son Goku corrected him.

"Can I call you Uncle then? Like Uncle Yamucha and Krillen?" asked Fermi.

"Ahem… perhaps you should tell me how I encountered you in this… dimension…" Radditzu said, awkwardly shifting in his chair at the open display of affection.

"It's not a pretty story…" son Goku said.

"Wasn't the guy in that story having the same name?" asked Bohr.

Goku held up his finger. A mental query shot into Bohr's mind, and he was silent. "He's not a bad guy even though his name's the same..." Goku's mind told him.

"Oh," Bohr said aloud. "I'm glad..."

Bohr moved over and climbed awkardly onto Radditzu's lap, staring up into his face. The green lense of his scouter covered the child's face, making him look a bit sinister. Fermi moved over and got on his mother's lap, looking at his brother playing with the scouter.

Goku choked, "But Gohan was captured when he was barely older then these kids here. And unfortunately a lot of people got hurt… and the person… who looked like you… ended up being the one responsible…"

"I apologize, Brother," said Radditzu quietly. "Perhaps I should not be here… to create enmity between you and your son…"

"The fact you're here now, having a normal conversation with me proves that you're okay," said Son Goku. "You're not the same person that… did those things. Sure you've done other things… that weren't so nice. But you are… my brother…"

Radditzu noticed with interest how Son Goku's chin tightened when he said this. That moisture gleaming in his eyes was odd, and he wondered if it was what the humans called tears. Uncomfortably he shifted in his seat, unsure if he wanted to know just what atrocities had been committed by his counterpart here.

"So, I'm dead in this world," said Radditzu.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Goku said,closing his eyes. A moment later a smile broke across his face and he cheerfully said, "But hey, that's in the past. I want you to feel like you're always welcome here. You're part of the Son family… and there's plenty to eat… I made some of my favorites. Do you like egg rolls?"

"Egg rolls? Like those things Nappa devours by the dozen?" asked Radditzu.

"Um, I guess… c'mon and let's get you set up… the dining room's this way," he said, motioning to get up. Radditz rose, and walked after him, then stopped to let the woman and her children go before him. She blinked, surprised at his manners.

"I'm not the barbarian you think I am," he whispered as his shoulder brushed hers.

"Now wait a moment!" she blurted out.

"Why don't you show him where the guestroom is…" said Goku. "I think there's some clothes in there that might fit him. You don't mind changing into something else… that armor's not necessary here…"

"As you wish, brother," said Radditzu. Sighing, she grabbed his hand and tugged him after her while the twins moved off into the den where Goten and Trunks played video games.

* * *


	13. Radditzu visits the Son

_**Radditzu Visits His Brother**_

_I don't own DBZ, Toriyama does, so does Funimation and Toei Animation Co. I don't get paid for this, so don't sue me! Thanks to Bulma the Babe for the Beta!_

* * *

By the time Raditz reached Mt. Paozu it was almost dark. He hovered briefly over the home that he'd visited a number of times already, yet still was amazed that he had even dwelled there for any length of time. The shack to the left was hopelessly primitive, and the Capsule dome was barely large enough to contain all the life forms he saw there. 

Snorting, he turned off his scouter and dropped to a landing. He marched up to the front door, and raised his fist to knock. Immediately the door flew open, and Gohan stood there, glaring at him. "What do you want here?" 

"Nephew, I wish to see Kakkarot… please…" said Raditz, inclining his head and holding out one hand in the traditional Saiyan salute. 

"You have a lot of nerve coming here!" Gohan snapped. 

"I apologize for creating enmity among us, but I didn't expect…" Raditz started to say. 

"Gohan, relax… is that you Raditz?" asked Son Goku's voice as he quickly moved over and tugged at his son's shoulder. 

"Dad… wait a minute…" Gohan protested, moving to block his dad's way. 

"Gohan, go back and see if Videl needs any help with the kids. Atomique is just starting dinner… and she needs Goten's help with Trunks…" said Goku. 

"But…" Gohan stammered. 

"No buts. Raditz's family and he's welcome in this house… got it?" Goku snapped at him. 

"I don't…" Gohan protested, his eyes wide with hurt at his father's lack of understanding. 

"No arguments, Gohan… I mean it!" Goku said firmly. Grumbling, Gohan marched off and vanished, leaving Raditz standing in the doorway with crossed arms. 

"It was not my intention to come as a threat. I merely wished to visit Tomique-san," said Raditz. 

"Oh?" Goku blinked. "Sure… she's here… you can come in and have dinner with us…" 

"Will it upset your son if I do so?" asked Raditz. 

"No, he'll behave," said Goku. "Come in… and make yourself at home. My house is your house…" 

"Thank you, Brother," Raditz grunted and moved past Son Goku to enter the Capsule house. A modern sofa and chairs sat opposite one another, while carpet stretched under the Saiyan's boots. Two boys played with one another, their dark curly hair and dark eyes making them look for a moment like Saiya-jin children. 

"Sit down and relax… I'll get you something to drink," said Son Goku. 

"Here?" asked Raditz, glancing at the two boys who looked up at him in wonder. Goku nodded, and he walked over to lower himself onto the sofa with a grunt. The furniture seemed flimsy, but held well under his weight. It was easy to forget he was not on a world with heavier gravity. If he was not careful he might break something. 

"Hello?" asked one of the boys, glancing up at him. "Who are you?" 

"Greetings young warriors," Raditz said, glancing down at the two boys walking over towards him. They had turned their attention from the flickering box called a TV that the humans were mesmerized by. 

"Are you Mr. Funny man's brother?" asked the first. "I'm Bohr. You look like him sorta…" 

"I'm his older brother, Raditz," said the warrior, putting his hands on his lap. "Are you the woman's... I mean Tomique-san's children?" 

"I'm Fermi, I'm two minutes older then him. Our mommy's in there cooking dinner with Goten-kun. Are you a fighter like Son-kun-san?" said Fermi. 

"I am. I serve Prince Vegeta, of planet Vejitasei…" said Raditz, unsure of how to conduct himself around children so naïve. Their dark eyes fixed on him. One of them crawled up and sat next to him, while the other tugged at his armor. 

"Cool, are you from outer space? You have a tail!" gasped Bohr. 

"I would not touch that if I were you. Saiyan tails are very dangerous to touch without provocation…" 

"Do you turn into an ape if you see the moon?" asked Fermi. 

"Yes, of course," Raditz said, blinking in surprise. 

"Wow, do you smash things?" Bohr asked. 

"I err… only do so under the orders of my prince," he said, coughing and glancing around for someone to rescue him from these two children who were unnervingly trusting of him. 

"A guest, you said nothing about a…" Atomique asked as she strode out with a can of soda. At sight of him, she stopped. 

"Mommy, there's a cool space monkey here to visit, just like in Son Goku-san's story!" one of them said walking up to her. 

"Raditz, what are you doing here?" she asked. Bohr and Fermi exchanged a glance and gave one another a grin. Something about this man made their mommy blush, and act all silly like Gohan and Videl did around each other. While they were too young to know the implications, they guessed that Raditz knew their mother better than they both alleged. 

"I'm hurt, woman. I thought you'd be pleased to see me," he gave her a devilish smile. 

"Do you know him mommy?" asked Bohr, while Fermi continued to stare at Raditz sitting there. 

"Yes I do! He's my... friend from Capsule, and we work together," Atomique said, while Raditz gave her a knowing smirk. "Fermi, don't climb on him! You don't know him…" 

"I will not hurt your children, female," said Raditz with a snort as she rushed over to stop Fermi from crawling into his lap. 

"I'm sorry, I just didn't' expect you here…" she said as she watched Raditz pick the boy up and set him on his knee. As the boy reached for the furry tail coiled around his waist, Raditz surprised him by uncurling it and letting it flicker slowly back and forth. 

"I suppose you're staying for dinner? And that you're the surprise guest Goku was going on about?" she asked, moving over and picking up her son Bohr. She set him on her lap, feeling Raditz's hip touch hers. 

"Amazing… it is like the one in the story… look," said Fermi, trying to catch it. 

"Don't touch his tail, all right… that's rude…" said Atomique, embarrassed. "Whatever you do, don't pull it or squeeze it!" 

"You do know something about Saiyans after all, I'm touched," Raditz teased as he accepted the glass of wine she handed him. 

"Well, Son Goku gave me the lecture," she said, shifting on the sofa. 

"I thought you knew from other experience," Raditz winked at her. Bohr curled up in her lap, and stared at his twin that Raditz was awkwardly toddling on his knee. 

"Oh shut up," she blushed. 

"You two act just like Nissan and Videl, you know," Fermi said. 

"You two are well acquainted with my nephew then," Raditz said. 

"Is he the one in the story..." trailed off Bohr, before their mother held a finger over her lips. 

"He can't be. He's cool," said Fermi, as Raditz let the boy slide down from his lap. He rested his hand on Raditz's boot, tugging at the bindings and smoothing his hands over the armor. 

"Did I... miss something?" Raditz asked, glaring at Atomique with suspicion. A snicker of amusement crossed his lips, and then he saw the ashamed look on her face. 

"It's okay, she thought you were someone else," said Fermi, glancing at his brother. "From one of Son-kun-san's stories..." 

"He's from another universe," said Atomique quickly to Bohr, who continued to look at Raditz with wide eyes. 

"Your mother and I are good friends, and I guard her when I am at capsule," said Raditz, guessing her sons may have the same ability as he did to sense truth from lies. 

"Good, cause we don't want anyone to hurt our mommy," Bohr said. 

"I'd never let that happen," Raditz said quietly, looking him right in the eyes. 

"Ah, I see you've met the twins face to face," said Goku, walking in with a tray piled with chips and other enormous portions of snacks. He set them down on the coffee table by his brother, who snaked out his hand and grabbed a whole handful of cheese puffs to shove into his mouth. The dust fell on his black armor, and he licked his fingers clean. 

"They're quite… fine children. Of course I'm not used to seeing any of this age… because…" Raditz began. 

"She knows all about that too," Son Goku said, sitting in the armchair to their left. Slipping off Raditz's lap, Fermi walked over and climbed up into his brother's. At mention of Raditz's questioning gaze she blushed slightly. 

I'm sorry I was so rude before. I am thankful you saved my life. I was acting foolishly…" 

"Think nothing of it, Tomique-chan," said Raditz with a charming smile. It was surprising to see it on his wild face. Flickering light from the TV moved across his green visor. 

"You can take that off in here… nobody's going to attack you," Son Goku teased. Raditz reached up and pulled off his scouter, and handed it to a very curious Bohr. 

"May I see?" Bohr asked, wide eyed. 

"Be careful with it, child. It's not a toy…" Raditz said, picking it up and slipping it over Bohr's face. He showed the boy the buttons on the side to press, and the child squealed with delight as he saw the images of ki flickering over it. 

"Why is Gohan-kun afraid of you, Mr. Monkey man?" asked Fermi. 

"His name is Raditz, and he's my older brother," Son Goku corrected him. "And sometimes Nissan is nervous around strangers. Especially since he hasn't seen any Saiyans other than Vegeta and myself…" 

"Can I call you Uncle then? Like Uncle Yamcha and Krillen?" asked Fermi. 

"Ahem… perhaps you should tell me how I encountered you in this… dimension…" Raditz said, awkwardly shifting in his chair at the open display of affection. 

"It's not a pretty story…" son Goku said. 

"Wasn't the guy in that story… did he have the same name as…" asked Bohr. 

Goku held up his finger. A mental query shot into Bohr's mind, and he was silent. "He's not a bad guy even though his name's the same..." Goku's mind told him. 

"Oh," Bohr said aloud. "I'm glad..." 

"Er, I suppose… that's a good thing," Raditz mumbled. Bohr moved over and climbed awkwardly onto Raditz's lap, staring up into his face. The green lenses of his scouter covered the child's face, making him look a bit sinister. Fermi moved over and got on his mother's lap, looking at his brother playing with the scouter. 

Goku choked, "But Gohan was captured when he was barely older then these kids here. And unfortunately a lot of people got hurt… and the person… who looked like you… ended up being the one responsible…" 

"I apologize, Brother," said Raditz quietly. "Perhaps I should not be here… to create enmity between you and your son…" 

"No, you're my guest here," Atomique said. "And if Gohan doesn't like it… you and I can leave…" 

"That's HARDLY necessary…" Son Goku said. "The fact you're here now, having a normal conversation with me proves that you're okay… I mean you're not the same person that… did those things. Sure you've done other things… that weren't so nice. But you are… my brother…" 

Raditz noticed with interest how Son Goku's chin tightened when he said this. That moisture gleaming in his eyes was odd, and he wondered if it was what the humans called tears. Uncomfortably he shifted in his seat, unsure if he wanted to know just what atrocities had been committed by his counterpart here. 

"So, I'm dead in this world," said Raditz. 

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Goku said, closing his eyes. A moment later a smile broke across his face and he cheerfully said, "But hey, that's in the past. I want you to feel like you're always welcome here. You're part of the Son family… and there's plenty to eat… I made some of my favorites. Do you like egg rolls?" 

"Egg rolls? Like those things Nappa devours by the dozen?" asked Raditz. 

"Um, I guess… c'mon and let's get you set up… the dining room's this way," he said, motioning to get up. Raditz rose, and walked after him, then stopped to let the woman and her children go before him. She blinked, surprised at his manners. 

"I'm not the barbarian you think I am," he whispered as his shoulder brushed hers. 

"Now wait a moment!" she blurted out. The gleam in his eyes told her that he was joking. 

"I know that but they don't," Raditz whispered, flicking his tail across her thighs. 

"Why don't you show him where the guestroom is…" said Goku. "I think there's some clothes in there that might fit him. You don't mind changing into something else… that armor's not necessary here…" 

"As you wish, brother," said Raditz. 

"C'mon, follow me… this way," Tomique sighed. She grabbed his hand and tugged him after her while the twins moved off into the den where Goten and Trunks played video games.

* * *

Around the small table the family gathered at around half past seven at night. Son Goku sat at the head, while his older brother Radditzu sat to his left. Next to the Saiyan warrior settled Atomique. Videl sat across from Radditzu, while Goten and Trunks sat on her other side opposite Atomique. The chair at the foot was empty, because Gohan flitted about, fixing food and placing it on the table.

Before dinner Radditzu had taken off the chestpiece and shoulder guards of his armor, donning one of Son Goku's T shirts to appear less threatening. Below the waist he still wore the traiditional Saiyan armor. Both Fermi and Bohr helped Gohan to pile stacks of food before the brothers. Radditzu figured his scouter was someplace in the house, and hoped the child would return it in one piece.

"Sit down, I can get that," said Videl to Gohan. Her boyfriend set huge platters of steamed rice, vegetables and others on a revolving trivet at the center. Huge tables to the sides were piled with multiple bowls. An enormous plate of egg rolls were set near Radditzu, and he felt his mouth watering.

"I'm fine," Gohan said. Radditzu watched Goku dipping a ceramic ladle into his bowl of egg drop soup instead of using the chopsticks. Relaxing, Radditzu picked up the ceramic ladle and mimicked his younger brother's eating style. By lifting the soup bowl nearby he could spoon what he couldn't reach directly to his mouth.

"Sit down, Gohan," said Goku, glaring at his son. Fermi sat on a booster seat next to his mother, while Bohr nudged between Videl and Gohan's chair.

"Sit down Gohan-sama?" Bohr asked. "Next to me?"

"I believe he wants your help, son," said Goku, nodding to Atomique's child looking up longingly at Gohan. Radditzu watched this out of the corner of his eye, amazed how comfortable the Son family was with Atomique's two boys.

Sighing, Gohan flopped into his chair. "All right Dad," he sighed.

Videl got up, and motioned for Goten to help her serve her fiancée some food. Atomique felt the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife, and a very dull one at that. Egg rolls vanished quickly, followed by steamed rice and eight treasures chicken piled on top.

So far Radditzu struggled to shovel rice into his mouth with his chop sticks. Most of it landed on his face and hair unfortunately. Gohan ignored his uncle as he scarfed down his eighth and tenth bowls of eight treasures. Son Goku devoured vast amounts of cooked noodles, chopsticks flying with incredible speed that was almost a blurr.

A bit of food landed on Atomique's lap, and she heard Radditzu cursing in Saiyaneese. "You all right?" she asked him.

"No..." he grumbled.

"Let me help you..." she said. He glanced anxiously at his brother and nephew outpacing him in the food consumption and struggled to wrap his huge fingers around the ivory chopsticks.

"Here... just put this one between your thumb, and this one here... like a pair of long fingers..." she said, positioning them in Radditzu's grasp. He clumsily dug them into the bowl, and almost dumped half the lump onto her lap and his. With her help he got it to his mouth.

Picking up the piece of chicken that landed on her lap she held it between her thumb and forfinger. Radditzu dropped the chopsticks shakign his head while she held it up to him. "This is yours I believe."

His tongue flickered over her fingers as he ate it directly from her hand. "Thank you, woman," he rumbled, licking the sauce from her sticky fingers.

"Um... you're... welcome..." she blinked, seeing him give her a smoldering stare.

"Hold up your bowl to your face like this," Goku said through a mouth full of eight treasures chicken. "Then all ya gotta do is shovel it down..."

"Hmm, that works MUCH better brother," said Radditzu with relief. Goku nodded and then resumed eating.

"Was what my uncle said in that language...a bad word?" asked Goten to Trunks.

"That's the same thing my dad says when the GR blows up," Trunks grinned. Goten chuckled.

* * *

For the remainder of dinner she listened to Goku telling Radditz all about the history of the mountain and his childhood. With interest his brother listened intently, while the others ate in silence. Trunks and Goten thankfully talked about all manner of things that kids their age loved. Videl did her best to keep Gohan from blurting something inappropriate out. 

Finally the dishes were collected, and Atomique got up to help wash. Radditzu suddenly got up as well, and glanced at the people around the table. "I'll assist you," he said to everyone's amazement.

"I'll be studying," Gohan sighed again, and let Videl walk him out into the living room again, each of them carrying a twin. Goten and Trunks rushed out in a flurry to resume their video game where it last left off, leaving Goku alone with his brother and house guest.

"I'll wash, you dry," said Atomique. She threw a towel to Radditzu, and lined up next to Goku by the wash basin.

Dishes floated and bobbed under his hands. Radditzu messed with the dishes she handed him, finally using his tail at one point to maneuver the drying cloth as he called it into position. He glanced over at Goku and said, "Your son doesn't trust me…"

"Oh, give him a chance to warm up to you! He isn't on the verge of flipping out anymore… not like the first few times you visited…"

"He's sticking around, and letting Videl stay," said Atomique. "Give them time, they'll come around. You're an acquired taste. If anyone gets along with the prince… no offense… they can get along with ANY Saiya-jin…"

"The meal was adequate, Brother. You have two fine sons, and your house is small but comfortable…"

"Thanks to Buruma. I actually grew up in the house across…" said Goku. "Are you going to stay the night?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble…"

"You could sleep in the guest bedroom… or in the guesthouse… there's a sofa and a couch… or I could bunk there," said Goku.

"I don't wish to inconvenience you," said Radditzu. "I shall sleep in the hut if you wish. It isn't any worse than any of the encampments at training on Bejitasei…"

"I'll help you get settled," said Atomique. "Where will Gohan and Videl be staying?"

"Well, you and she can have the master bedroom tonight. I'll just crash on the sofa here. Trunks and Goten will be with the boys in the big room," Goku offered.

"Unless the lovely lady wishes to grace me with her company," Radditzu whispered as she walked past.

"Dream on," she groaned, rolling her eyes. Yet she felt a small thrill at the thought of such an obvious flirtation.

She turned to Goku and said, "I don't want to put you out. I'll sleep in the guest room... Videl can have your bed..."

"Well, I can make the guest bed up..." said Son Goku.

"I'll sleep... in Grandpa Gohan's house," she said, much to Goku's surprise. "It has a fold out sofa, right?"

"Yes..." nodded Goku. "And one bed... are you sure?"

"We're adults," she said to Goku. Shrugging he got up and left them to finish.

"I'll put the twins to bed. You can finish up in here," Son Goku said with a smile. He left Atomique and Radditzu to finish putting things away. They quickly stashed the dishes and Radditzu followed her to collect his armor.

* * *

Together they crossed the yard to the small house. She unlocked the front door with a small key, and opened the creaky wooden doors. Radditzu ran a hand over the markings on the diamond logo, asking, "What is this writing say?" 

"That's Chinese character for 'Son'," she said, showing him in. "It's actually quite cozy. And there's a real authentic bathhouse in the rear…"

"Interesting," Radditzu said. He dumped his armor on the table, then walked into the small one room space.

A large box bed dominated one wall, while a small futon was directly across. In the center stood a two person table. Various storage cabinets lined all four walls. A small door led to the only other room in the house, which was presumably the WC and bath area. The Saiyan warrior smelled her indecision regarding returning to the main house, or staying here with him. While she moved back towards the front door, Radditzu stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"I will not disturb you if you wish to remain here…" he said, wanting to reassure her she was safe in his presence.

"My boys might need me…" she said quickly, shifting weight from one foot to another.

"I wish to speak with you woman, if you'll allow me to share your company," he said, catching hold of her hand. "You've not denied me before... what makes now different?"

"Radditzu, I'm really tired… if you don't mind…"

"We can sleep there. I'll make no noise... if you're wanting to sleep..."

"I don't know if I could," she whispered.

"Hmmph, you normally sleep there I take it. The house is crowded. Why do you sleep there when here is perfectly suitable? Unless you prefer the luxuries of that more modern dwelling…"

"You don't get it do you? I like being surrounded with people. Maybe on your planet they like to fight and kick each other…" she snorted.

"You don't know my culture, woman," said Radditzu sharply. "Don't presume to know me before you've had the chance to…"

"I know you quite well, considering the circumstances!" she snapped.

He stopped at the angered look in her dark eyes. Then he zipped out to appear before her, stopping her from rushing out the door. Grunting, she collided with his chest. He said, "Forgive me, I spoke in haste…"

"All right, I supose I can," she sighed. "You silly baboon..."

"I know that I sometimes seem to have ill manners. I'm not accustomed to being around people as you said. This… takes getting used to.You knowI'll watch over you should you require anything… here as well as at Capsule."

"Why are you being so nice?" she asked with a small smile.

"Because you are a guest of my brother, and also because you've shared my bed. And why should I not be polite to someone I've chosen in such a manner? Or did you expect me to be a bloodthirsty pain in the ass like Nappa and use you like some ill slave. You're not that, you know?" he asked quietly.

"Actually I expected you to be more like the Prince," she whispered. Radditzu widened his eyes, not sure of what she meant, but she was wise not to qualify it further because he sensed that she meant it as an insult.

"Female, I wish to watch over you in the manner in which you're accustomed, at Capsule..." he said with a slight flush to his cheeks. "Why is this any different?"

"Perhaps because I thought..." she trailed off. "You were just doing your duty..."

"I see. So that's what you think my intentions are. I shall not bother you further," he said quietly.

"Wait I dont' mean it like that I just... it's one thing when it's at Capsule, but another... I didn't think you wanted more than as a bed warmer," she blushed.

"If it's because it's my brother's home, and it's some custom that I offend..."

"It isn't that. You and I had some sort of agreement that we were doing one another a favor. In exchange for your protection," she said.

"Female, it's more than that. You're not a bed slave. You're well... more than that," Radditzu said quietly. "I've grown used to having you around... to being near you..."

"That's... sweet of you," she whispered, swallowing hard. It was easy to keep him at arm's length relegating him to the same roll in which most Saiyans would extend to those not of their species.

"Tomique-chan, perhaps you don't wish my company tonight.But should you need anything or change your mind, I'll be here…" he said.

"Okay… I'm going to turn in," she said, then extended her arms as she walked towards him.

"What custom is this?" Radditzu chuckled.

"You remember the whole hug thing? Surely you can't forget THAT!"

"Hmm, I thought you weren't interested in physical interaction..." he said with a confused growl.

"It can be platonic as well as sexual. Right now I don't know which... but who cares," she whispered. He extended his armspulling her against him for a firm embrace. Then she pulled away feeling awkward.

"Sleep well, woman," he said as she walked away and started to unfold the futon.

"You can have the bed. I'll sleep here..." she said, fitting sheets on top of it.

"Woman, that is not necessary," he asked. "There's no need for that formality with..."

"It's logical You're much bigger than I, and it's not a problem. Don't argue okay? I'm too tired to answer, and I'm afraid if we share a bed I won't get any sleep..." she yawned, dissapearing into the washroom to change.

"I AM capable of controlling myself, female!" he snorted. Sighing he changed into a pair of flannel pajama bottoms that Son Goku had given him. When she emerged, she slid between the sheets of the futon, and turned with her back facing Radditzu. He piled his armor on the table, and then climbed gingerly into the chinese box bed. Muttering to himself he turned so he was confortable in the bed that was considerably larger. Soon he was fast asleep.

* * *

Atomique lay in the futon, curled up under the silk covers as she did every night. _How ironic_ she thought. I_'m living as close to what seemed a normal life with a man she wasn't even married to._ Living more like a wife than she ever had with Star Child. 

Turning over she faced the wall, with her back to the door. She mumbled, half expecting in her sleep that it would be son Goku walking in wearing flannel pajama bottoms. Part of their silent understanding meant sharing the bed in a purely platonic manner, since both adults missed having a warm body to curl up to. In addition, due to her increasing nightmares Goku's presence was the only thing that prevented their recurrence. Radditzu blinked awake, slowly swinging his legs around to hit the floor.

Radditzu had heard her soft whimpers and come to investigate her as she slept. Curled under the sheets she seemed so small and vulnerable. A selfish thought rushed through his mind and he wondered if she might enjoy the feel of his body in her sleep. He climbed carefully out of the box bed, tugging at the waistband of the plaid pajama pants he wore. Smiling he wandered over to the futon and pulled back the covers silently as possible. While he was just as likely to sleep in his armor, it wouldn't do for what he had in mind, possibly, if she woke and found herself in his arms. He could tell she needed him near her, as she had the nights that she spent at Capsule in his arms and his bed. This time he wasn't going to let her reject him again, when he could take her mind off whatever was troublign her. Perhaps he could convince her that he was capable of so much more. Pushing aside her shirt he saw his own bite mark on her shoulder still present. That indicated that he was the only male that enjoyed their arrangement, and he liked to keep it that way.

Carefully he lifted her body under the arms and back, carrying it towards the box bed. He lay her down closest to the wall, and pulled the covers overtop of her. Then he slid in next to her, arranging the covers and sheets so they were both safely cocooned inside.

"Relax, Tomique-chan, It's Radditzu, you remember me?" Radditzu whispered, his voice choking with unfamiliar softness.

Instinctively she turned over, curling close to the male body sliding beside hers. Radditzu smelled her sweet uncomplicated scent and swallowed hard. His body tingled, longing for the touch of a female. Her dark hair was straighter and softer to the touch of his extended fingers that brushed it back. Yet she had the coloring of a Saiyan female, pleasing to the eye. Her body was large busted and wide hipped, adequate for the bearing of children.

Although some Saiyans were born in labs, his father and mother had given birth to him and Kakkarot naturally. Ten males to one female was the ratio, so it had been close to impossible to find him a mate before he was pressed into service with Freiza. In actuality, Radditz was close to Bejita's age. His memories of his world were much clearer, however because Bejita had spent most of his time in the palace and on Frieza's ship. When the planet had been destroyed he'd been away on a purging mission with Nappa. Only a child himself, he had done his job adequately for a third class.

"No, please Paul, don't leave me alone..." she sniffled. Her whimper snapped him out of his reminiscence. She shifted, her eyes flickering beneath her dark lashed lids. Extending his arms, Radditzu wrapped her closely in them, and turned her so her head rested against his bare chest, crisscrossed with scars.

Sighing, she lay her cheek to his, and reached out to stroke her fingers in his hair. He pressed his nose into her hair, feeling the soft locks with a sigh of delight. Her body felt good against his, and he wrapped his tail lightly around her waist possessively to keep her from rolling away in her sleep.

Lately the limited contact she shared with Dragon Womyn consisted of predominately verbal arrows and sarcastic jabs. Instead of telling Son Goku why she had stopped visiting, she chalked it up to spending more time with her sons. Already she had become Goten's personal tutor because he was already behind in his home schooling. He flourished well under her instruction, while teaching her to read and write Mandarin Chinese in exchange.

* * *

Across the property, in the master bedroom, Son Goku was tossing and turning. His mind sensed the activity of his charge only a few hundred meters away. Something caused her ki to flare, but he knew it would be foolish to leave the safety of his bed with a house filled with people. Though his instincts told him to leave his home and climb into her bed, his mind and heart told him to stop. She wasn't his to own. He was still mated to Chichi, bound in a bond that stretched back to childhood. 

Frowning Son Goku sensed her scarlet chikara surging. He could sense another's presence near her, and blinked in surprise when he realized it was Radditz. A wave of anger flashed over him, then he checked himself. Perhaps the two of them fancied one another. So far all Radditz was doing from the sense of his ki was laying still. There was no sound of anything other than two sleeping bodies across the compound.

* * *

Back in the small hut, Radditzu wrapped his arms around her in a hold to stop her from destroying the bed. Anger increased her power levels to those of a mid powered Saiyan. He growled under his breath, and heard her frantic cries close to his ear. 

"Damn you… how can you DO this to me!" she screamed.

"Woman, wake up," he urged gruffly.

She sobbed and clutched convulsively, grabbing onto Radditz for dear life. He smirked for a moment that she sought physical comfort from him after all, then he shivered. Some presence not of this world or realm alerted his Saiyan instincts far sharper than any human. Because Saiyans were telepathic to some extent, they could think commands to one another to elude an enemy. Perhaps that was why his father had visions of the future… or was open to gaining such a power from a head injury.

Anger filled him. He wanted to know what was making her cry and scream. She never had when she slept in his arms at Capsule. Was it only when she was here that she suffered such spells? His warrior's pride forced him to take the step of reaching his hand forward and cupping her cheek and chin. Growling he focused his energies and pushed gently towards her mind. All his energies drifted towards her as he meditated hard.

"Woman, don't resist me. It's Radditzu, you know me. I want to help," Radditzu spoke aloud. Tendrils of mental energy reached out to form a link with her mind.

Atomique whimpered, allowing Radditzu's ki to surge towards hers. Separating mind from body, he broadcasted his astral form into the courtyard of her mind.

_A darkness surrounded him, and he was traveling along the pathway to her conscious mind, now asleep. High walls like a fortress rose before him. He could hear someone's voice echoing within. Subconscious thoughts whispered in a vast rush in other chambers of an extensive maze._

_"Tomique-chan, it's Radditzu," the Saiyan called. He rested the flat of his palm along the stone surface of the mental wall. His ki probes gently discerned it was a thick one, indicating she had psychic defensive training. Nodding, he grunted in satisfaction because he knew it would be easier to work with someone accustomed to telepathic bonds. _

_"Radditzu?" she asked. "Why are you here?"_

_"I wish to assist you, woman!" Radditzu called, cupping his hands around his mouth. Though he knew he was in a mind alien to his, using unfamiliar symbolism, there were some universal constants to psychic communion. Everything a physical body performed could be duplicated within the mind of the being that a warrior visited. While some would consider this unnecessary, Saiyan warriors found it easier to conduct themselves when using an astral body like their physical one._

_Familiar sounds of test tubes clinking from behind the wall mingled with the flickering calculation of scientific computations. Small equations and chemical formulas drifted out from over the wall to land at his feet. Leaning over, he picked up a small flashing chemical symbol, and pondered it. Familiarity sparked his own understanding. _

_"I'm here... inside the inner recesses of the University. In my laboratory," she said quietly. "What do you want... Radz-chan? You've never been inside my mind before... in all the times we've been together."_

_"I want to help you, baka. I'm trained in mental combat. Saiyans don't enter other's thoughts without a good reason. I won't let you face this alone woman. Besides, how can I sleep with you screaming?" he teased, his astral form clothed in shimmering armor like his daytime self._

_"It's not something you should worry about," came her sad voice in the darkness studded with shimmering stars._

_"My honor as a Saiyan warrior does not permit me to disobey my Prince," Radditzu called clearly. "I promise I won't go where you don't wish me to be. My Prince ordered me to protect you. That command extends to the sleeping world as well as the waking one... and it's more than just that. I don't wish any harm to come to you, when you and I have shared..."_

_Carefully he picked up the discarded chemical equations, shimmering bits of symbolism that took the form of notebooks. He stacked them neatly, and set them on the side. "You're a scientist. Doesn't it make logical sense that you require assistance. You're under attack, and you require the protection of a warrior..."_

_"You don't think me capable of defending myself? This isn't Jeannie attacking me! I'm trained to fight mentally!"_

_"A Saiyan warrior does not presume without evidence. I've observed your defenses are formidable, but you require more control. Haven't you informed my brother that you are under assault from an enemy nightly? Why didn't you tell me?"_

_"How did you know?" she blushed._

_"Please, I am as observant as you are. Any stray information could be of use to a warrior as well as a scientist. I overheard Dragon Womyn complaining of nightmares. Naturally I hypothesized that she had somehow formed a mind link with you, and was assaulting you while you slept..."_

_"I didn't want you to worry," she blushed._

_"You never sense these spells when you were with me. Why is that?" Radditzu asked quietly._

_"I don't know... It's only when I'm at Goku's place... I don't know WHY __I cannot keep her out when I'm here and not with you... she hammers on my walls nightly," said Atomique. "Walk along to the west wall..."_

_Radditzu did so, and saw a pile of rubble laying askew of a hole. Recent bricks and fresh mortar showed that someone had repaired it. As he reached out to touch it, he felt the pain and anguish that were involved. "That's how she slipped in?"_

"_You may stay... if you wish, Radditzu. You have my permission," she said with a resigned sigh. "Then you'll see what I face."_

_"Thank you, Woman. You shall not regret it," Radditzu bowed. So saying, he walked over to the entrance of the wall, and then stopped when he sensed a foreign presence. Ducking around the corner he stopped to see a ki presence glimmering gold in the distance. Under cover of the wall he waited to see who it was._

* * *

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom of Goku's home, the other son of Bardock contemplated the same matters Radditzu faced. Frustrated, Son Goku realized her dreams were worse than ever before. Knowing he might regret this step, he focused his power in the way that King Kai had taught him. 

By touching two fingers to his forhead he gathered the ki necessary for forming his astral body. In much the same manner he focussed for instant transmission, except he would leave his physical body behind.If Star Child could enter dreams, perhaps he could as well. Slowly over the past few months she'd been acclimating herself to his own considerable ki, allowing him to approach her in more trusting ways.

"Let me in… I can help," Son Goku transmitted into her mind.

_He felt a wall rise up, blocking him. Images from her thoughts flickered in his mind, and the Saiyan prepared himself for mental battle. He and Bejita had done this from time to time, fighting in the realm of the mind._

_The image of Radditzu rounded the corner, anger filling his face. Seeing Son Goku's translucent astral form he barked, "Brother! What's the meaning of this?"_

_Blinking in shock, son Goku demanded, "What are you doing here?"_

_"I might ask you the same thing, brother," he telepathed back. "Does this happen every night? I sense an enemy attacking her mind!"_

_"You can enter thoughts?" Son Goku gasped._

_"Of course! Saiyans are telepathic, Brother. We are masters of ki in all forms. Surely you know that…" Radditzu snorted, folding astral arms across his chest. "Our father had the same gifts. It seems that bump on your head has denied you much of your culture."_

_"I'm not like you in that regard," Son Goku said patiently._

_"Our father Bardock had the gift of second sight given to him as accident," said Radditzu. "And in order to have that curse or blessing, he had to have been gifted with some telepathic ability. Most Saiyans do have the ability to send and recieve thoughts, in addition to channeling ki. That's how we communicate unspoken in battle..."_

_"Oh yeah... Bejita told me. But since you're here… maybe we can work together… she's been having these nightmares ever since she first started staying here…" Goku said eagerly._

_"Is this patched hole in her wall your handiwork?" Radditzu asked, rounding the fortress and pointing to the neatly patched hole._

_"Yes. I fix it every night when I can," said Goku._

_"Why don't you chase whoever it is OUT?"_

_"Because Tomique-chan asked me not to," Son Goku said, rubbing the back of his neck astrally._

_"You baka," groaned Radditzu._

_"Hey, it's HER mind. I dont' do anything without her permission... unlike SOME people..."_

_"She invited me here as well," said Radditzu firmly._

_"Goku... Radditzu... please don't argue..." Atomique's voice echoed. "Stay... I don't want to fight any longer. I'm so tired of keeping everything out..."_

_"We're here to help you, if you want..." said Son Goku._

_"Please... don't leave me alone..." she called._

_"We'll be right here..." they said. Then her presence turned inwards. Both of them heard the voice ceasing. A dread silence fell over them._

_"Very well, Brother. First we must find this enemy and cast him out," said Radditzu. "Have you entered her mind before?"_

_"Not often…" said Son Goku._

_"She knows I'm here, but the other doesn't. __I'll shield myself from her perceptions. You go on ahead and I shall follow," said Radditzu. "If the enemy shows himself I'll attack but not before…"_

_"You know what you're doing?" he asked._

_"Yes. We Saiyans are trained in the art of psychic battle from a young age. To fight with the mind is the start of training our young…" said Radditzu._

_"All right, let's do this," said Son Goku. Energies shifted as Radditz drifted towards him._

_"Let me merge with you. You aren't used to this. We're brothers, perhaps together the enemy might be fooled…"_

_"It's like fusion then," Goku said._

_"What?" asked Radditzu._

_"Fusion. Two bodies becoming one… I'm ready when you are…" Son Goku said. "Hold your arms like this... in the SAME position, and then do this..."_

_He sent a mental image of himself and Bejita performing the Fusion dance. Radditzu rolled his eyes, but nodded. He remembered seeing Trunks and Goten practice this technique multiple times when they sparred together with Prince Bejita. Slowly they stood side by side, arms raised and facing each other. "First synch my power level to yours," said Son Goku._

_"Right," nodded Radditzu. _

_"Left hand like this... right like this. Then you and I spin towards each other... just like you saw Goten and Trunks do... and we touch our fingers like this..."_

_"It's a ridiculous dance..."_

_"C'mon it will help us focus..." said Son Goku._

_"If it helps Tomique-chan, I shall comply," Radditzu said reluctantly. __At Goku's nod, they spun together, index fingers poised to touch._

_"Fu...sion... HA!" they chorused. _

_Both astral images merged into one, and then Radditz vanished from Goku's immediate thoughts. He appeared alone, but knew his brother was there with him, giving him guidance about what he was to face. In their place a long haired figure wearing a vest and loose workout pants remained, his features an astral blend of the two brothers._

_"Remarkable," the two together chorused._

_"I used the Fusion dance with our astral bodies, to make it easier..." said Son Goku to himself. "But why are we still thinking separately?"_

_"Because this is a mental fusion?" said Radditzu. "Our astral forms are joined, but I kept my consciouness separate..."_

_"We must be together in all ways," said Son Goku._

_"Very well," Radditzu agreed. Their thoughts merged seamlessly as he accepted the Fusion fully._

_"Leave me alone… damn you!" came her voice. _

_Fortunately he realized she was not speaking to him. Son Goku/Radditzu opened his eyes, drifting before the vast walled fortress of what appeared to be the college Son Gohan had applied to in Beijing. A black cloud surged and permeated. Son Goku frowned, recognizing a ki as evil as Freezer's or Majin Buu's ever was. _

_The ki was reaching out from some other dimension, seeping into a tiny crack at the base of her wall. He cursed when he saw someone smashing into it with a double bladed axe. Radditzu's mind directed him to observe first, but Son Goku refused to listen._

_"Oi, what are you doing!" Son Goku/Radditzu shouted, his alto voice echoing in the star spangled void of her mind. He flew towards the figure, and widened his eyes when he saw who it was. Dragon Womyn clothed in Saiyan armor was cackling as she smashed down the wall with increasing strokes._

_"You fool, wait a moment…" said Radditzu, letting his thoughts separate momentarily._

_"But she's in danger…" Goku protested._

_Son Goku raised his hands to blast then stopped himself. This wasn't his business, was it? But he had to do something… Perhaps he could take her out with a Kiko-Ha blast. He threw his hands forwards, showering her with a rapid series of blasts that landed on her armor._

_"Fine, let's do this then. But don't ignore me… work with me, Brother," said Radditzu, sensing the mental Fusion having difficulty holding. Goku nodded and opened his thoughts to let them flow together as one._

_"Who dares!" she barked, turning to face him. "You're not supposed to be here! Leave!"_

_"You aren't either!" Son Goku answered. "I'm gonna stop you… you're not WELCOME here! Leave now and I won't hurt ya…"_

_"Get lost, you clown," she laughed with a smirk identical to Prince Bejita. She smashed through the wall, and climbed inside. Son Goku threw himself after her, and suddenly slammed into a violet radiance. He pushed hard, banging his fists on it as he saw what was inside._

_She faced off, blinking up from her lab bench littered with transmutation circles. Inside, Star Child stood with crossed arms, looking at her as she walked over to him. "My love… why won't you speak to me…" she asked._

_"I cannot return. You know as well as I do…" he said sadly. His arms spanned wide, power crackling around him as his ki flared to almost the level of what it would be if he were Saiyan. A massive burst of energy whirled around, knocking her back so he could increase in size and stature, becoming the Star Child._

_"What do you mean?" asked the woman._

_"I'm needed on Other World. Astron Tellar needs me to take over as the Star Bearer. It's time for me to move on…"_

_"Paul… you always said you'd be there… love me," she said. "Why now do you turn from me?"_

_"I will always love you… but I have loved many. There are others that need me. I have given you into the protection of one who needs you more than I do…"_

_"How can you say such things!" she asked, flaring her own power._

_"I am the Avatar… the Star Bearer. I cannot give my heart to any one woman… anymore. I am both Paul and he who are needed. I'm so sorry… I cannot stop it… I know it's not fair…"_

_"Hey!" Son Goku and Radditz together wanted to yell. "She's your wife! You made a promise!"_

_"Keep back, Saiyan," said Dragon Womyn, aiming a blast that hit Son Goku's crossed wrists. She strode up, erecting a barrier to stop his interference._

_Papers and books swirled around her. Star Child sadly looked at her, his star spangled outfit morphing into long purple robes. "See the power I must bear… Domino and the others need me… I can't stop from the change…"_

_"What change?" she asked. "You said Ace scattered us across space time to protect us… from Blackwell! When will we return?"_

_"There is no return," he said sadly. _

_"What do you mean?" Atomique asked._

_"Blackwell's evil has tainted your world far more than we can. Only the power of the Chosen one… Kiara can cleanse his curse. And only by going within can we purge it of its blackness. I don't' want you or the Twins to be caught up in it. Only the Four can enter inside… and become what we are destined to be…"_

_"What are you saying… that you are all going to stay dead? Locked in Astron Tellar? Does this mean…" she stammered._

_"What was will now become… and what will be will be what was before," said Star Child. _

_"You idiot, he has his duty," said Dragon Woman as she strode forwards and pushed Atomique back. "You have your place. Care for your whelps…"_

_"What do you have against me?" she demanded, raising her hands to snare Dragon Womyn in a length of plastic wrap. "Answer me!"_

_"You deserve no explanation, you second class wench. You are not fit to be his consort. He only has the one he's chosen…"_

_"I am your wife!" Atomique called._

_"No formal ceremony was made," said Dragon Womyn quickly. "You were a means to make sure his line would continue. Now that you have served your purpose, he has moved on…"_

_"Stand aside and let me talk to him!" Atomique yelled. _

_"I can't stop it…" Star Child said quickly. "You two must not fight over me! I cannot return to the world of the living! Elliot will remain…"_

_"What is going to happen… you can't come back… I know… but why won't you let me feel your love when I sleep!" she demanded._

_"All my energies must be for the task ahead. You are their mother, and you know the sacrifices that I must make. You'll be safe in the world that you now inhabit. Strengthen your powers and raise them, so that in due time they will take the place as the Star Bearer."_

_"But there already IS one in Astron Tellar..." said Atomique._

_"Not so. The world that you and I once inhabited IS to become Astron Tellar.__Elliot has taken my title upon himself… he is Next… all my knowledge I bequeathed to him as Star Child… as I ascent…" he said, spanning his arms wide. The waves of coruscating power surged, knocking her and Dragon Womyn back. _

_"You are magnificent my love," Dragon Womyn whispered. As Atomique rose to push the energies back, Dragon Womyn hurled a blast of fire, cutting her down._

_"Why… why!"_

_"I remember, though you made me forget, Paul… I love you and always will. Why did you not entrust the children to me?" Dragon Womyn demanded. "I'm worthy! You loved me the most…"_

_"I love many women who I've called wife… it's not for you to say," Star Bearer said dispassionately. "And you already have your own mate and son…"_

_"Who have been taken from me! Elliot is not man enough to love me, the Dragon Womyn. She is not a worthy mother to bear your sons! She is weak!"_

_"Shut up!" Atomique yelled at her, surging her own powers. _

_"This one has no honor," said Goku/Radditzu grimly._

_"You know I love you, Jeannie… but our love was forbidden…." Star Bearer said sadly._

_"You bonded with me," Dragon Womyn said quickly, pulling down her collar to show a red welt. "You gave me the blood bond, but you gave HER the children! Why?"_

_"You love Elliot that way!" she yelled._

_"He has abandoned me… he is not man enough to love me… not like his father," Dragon Womyn said with a crazed look. _

_"I am sorry my love… but I cannot be with you as you wish… both of you…" said Paul. "I should have given the bond to you… my wife… but now all ties to this life are severed and undone…"_

_"Then our marriage was a lie?" gasped Atomique._

_"There was no formal ceremony. That priest brother of yours may have thought so… but his soul bond is with me… not you… because you are not worthy," Dragon Womyn said._

_"Talk to ME, not her!" Atomique demanded. "Damn you!"

* * *

_


	14. Radditzu and Goku fight for Tomique

_**Radditzu's new Mate?

* * *

**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, Toriyama does. Any references to KISS characters are property of their own company, and I also don't own them, or the concepts of the Elder album or the comic books by Dark Horse.

* * *

_

_From behind Atomique's mental wall, Son Goku twisted his mouth in distaste. He cursed, "I've seen enough of this!"_

_"I agree brother. Let's show these cowards what we Saiya-jins do to traitors…" Radditz agreed._

_He hurled several rapid fire Kiko-Ha blasts to shatter the barrier, and then entered with long legged strides. Beyond him in the center of the high walled chamber, now with crumbling walls, Star Bearer raised his robed sleeves to hurl the energies forwards. Power crackled and surged till he morphed and grew in size and strength to his second form, the Star Bearer._

_"You are not supposed to be here," Dragon Womyn snarled, turning to face him. Using the temporary distraction, Atomique flew forwards towards the rising aura of purple flaring around the tall robed figure._

_"Don't close yourself off from me!" Atomique yelled._

_"I must leave you now," he said, lifting his hands. "Remember I love you both… but I cannot be with either of you where I go…"_

_"I can't feel you in my thoughts… how can you?" she demanded, pressing her hands to the surface of his energy barrier. She shoved against it with crackling scarlet ki, dissolving it like acid on metal._

_"Because there is another more suited for your ilk, my once and former love…" he said, wiping away a tear. "Another who needs you far more than I do…"_

_From behind them, Son Goku/Radditz zipped out and dematerialized behind Dragon Womyn. He called out, "Wait a minute, what the heck's goin' on here! You made a promise to her... how can you renig on that?"_

_Whirling about, Dragon Womyn raised her hands. She snarled, "Get out of here, Saiyan. You have no business here!"_

_"You stay out of this, female!" he said, deflecting her blasts with ease. He materialized before Atomique, striding up to face the Star Bearer._

_"I cannot be stopped even by those I love most!" exclaimed the Star bearer. His star covered eye glinted, then generated a series of energy beams. Hitting Atomique and Dragon Womyn both, he pushed them away from his glowing aura of purple._

_"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Son Goku yelled at the top of his alto pitched voice._

_Underneath echoed the lower voice of his brother, bolstering his strength and filling in the psychic chinks in his armor. He expanded his aura to include the purple waves slamming and sweeping both women away in opposite directions, laying still._

_"Why are you here, Saiyan?" asked Star Bearer, spanning wide his arms. His dark hair frizzed out in a cloud of midnight black, while he grew to a height of nearly eight feet, towering over them all. Around his body flowed a purple robe studded with shimmering stars, waving violently in the upsurge of chikara._

_"That's what I want to ask you! She's been having nightmares, wondering where you were… what's going on… why's SHE here?" Son Goku demanded, pointing to Dragon Womyn groaning in pain to his immediate left. He stood between the wave of amethyst fire that Star Bearer hurled at him with a flick of his robed sleeve, and Atomique huddled on the floor. Crossing his wrists he deflected the attack._

_Star Child blinked in surprise then said in the voice of many, "You of all people shouldn't question the motives of a father for his children. You yourself had other duties in other worlds. It is not for you to judge me… Son Goku… and it is not for you to judge me, Radditzu, son of Bardock…"_

_"You know I'm here as well do you?" asked Goku in Radditzu's voice. "Why do you do this to your mate?"_

_"Are you in agreement with him then, Goku?"_

_"Maybe not… but it ain't fair what you're doing to them both!" Son Goku yelled._

_"We will fight for the female if you will not!" Radditzu chorused inside him. Energies blazed as he extended his hands, and crackled with gold ki. Inclining his head forwards his hair swirled upwards as it flickered gold and his eyes grew blazing emerald. Flames of pure fire swirled around him, and the tiles of the floor crackled with the upswing of his Super Saiyan transformation. Gold chikara matched the Amethyst coalescing around the Elder just before him._

_Transmutation circles gleamed with a gesture from his star covered countenance. Pure passion sizzled out from his eye beam, slamming directly into the Saiyan. With a flick of his wrist, Son Goku deflected the beam with contemptuous ease. Under his tower of spiked gold he twisted his brows in a frown._

_"Great Super Saiyan you are…the legendary," Radditzu whispered._

_"Something isn't it?" Son Goku grinned._

_"All this power… I had thought that Prince Bejita…"_

_"Well it only gets more intense from here… still with me, Brother?"_

_"Always, because the female must be protected from this witless fool she calls mate… he is not fit for her," said Radditzu in disgust._

_Star Bearer's eyes were pure molten purple with no apparent pupils. Sadly he regarded the being that dared face off against him. Lowering his energy field he said, "I have no wish to fight you, Son Goku, Savior of Chikyuu. Your brother is another matter. Strange that you together have the requisite raw power to guide my sons. Only your unique world's power can protect them from the destroyers till they are old enough to become Champions and fight to join the order of the rose. She needs to learn to fight if she's to survive. You alone can teach her what she needs to know. You gave your word…"_

_Voice dropping an octave with Radditzu's, Son Goku growled, "Didn't you give yours, that you'd love her forever? As her mate?"_

_"That bond was made with the human Paul, not with the Star Bearer. He has become one with the Avatar… because his physical body is no more. Now his eldest son has taken up that mantle. All claims to such a bond are null and void…"_

_"So you're sayin' she's not your wife anymore?" Son Goku asked, eyes flaring a more intense green._

_"Is she so worthless to you, that you only use her as a brood bitch? She is far more worthy then that!" came Radditzu's thoughts in a torrent of anger._

_"Son Goku, this is your time to redress your former absence with your children. By being what I cannot be. Protect her in this world as I protect us all in the next…" he said._

_"Then it's over… you're just gonna leave her… and go?" Son Goku nodded with something akin to anger and frustrated understanding._

_"I must, Son Goku. Both of us have our requisite duties. Her world is clouded with evil. Things are already in motion to transform it to the Other World of Astron Tellar… so that it shall eternally be a haven against Blackwell's evil. Only by combining our powers as Demon, Star Bearer, Celestial, and Beast King can we stop Blackwell's advance from marring any other mirror earth's…"_

_"Then you have to do what you have to do, just like me," Son Goku agreed._

_"This is utter nonsense! I can't believe you're going to let him just throw her away!" Radditzu ranted. An audible pop came as their spirits separated, leaving the armored Saiyan in the aura of his power. Strangely his hair and eyes were golden and emerald as well._

_"You have sent many souls to their death, and yet you have the spark for goodness, Radditzu. Perhaps in you this female might find one willing to protect her and my sons…" said Star Bearer quietly._

_"If you are not man enough, than I shall!" Radditzu shouted at him. "You are a coward!"_

_"That is your opinion, Saiyan. Goodbye sons of Bardock. Fare well to my former loves who I shall always treasure…" called the rising Star Bearer. Energies spiked to the level that Son Goku recognized for a being like King Kai._

* * *

_Within the astral plane that comprised Atomique's consciousness, she slowly pushed herself up, gaping at the twin radiance in direct opposition. Yellow and purple were contrasting colors ironically. Her mental senses told her that their chikaras were equal at that moment in time. Across from her, Dragon Womyn pushed herself up off the floor of the mental chamber. _

_"Don't leave me!" Dragon Womyn screamed as she climbed to her feet._

_"Star bearer… don't leave me alone…" called Atomique, raising her hand. She scrambled to stand on shaky feet, rushing after him._

_"Atomique-san!" Both Goku and Radditzu yelled together. Their souls again merged, leaving one body fuming with rage and the urge to protect._

_"You're not alone… stay strong, and watch over them…" he said. An explosion of purple fire wreathed the Star Bearer, blowing the roof off. He rose into the darkness of her mind… fading away like a dream._

_As he dematerialized, both women glared at one another, surging with their respective crimson energies. The ground crumbled beneath them as the purple energies pushed them back with their force. Dragon Womyn raised her hand and hurled a fireball towards Atomique, knocking her away as she zipped after the Star Bearer._

_"Get outta here!" Son Goku yelled, transferring his charge to lie on the ground next to his feet once it dematerialized._

_"Stay out of this, Saiyan!" Dragon Womyn growled, surging with her powers. She raised her hands, and motioned as she brought them together._

_"You shall not stop us!" Radditzu/Goku said. Cupping his hands, Son Goku/Radditzu spoke the words that generated a ball of blue energy. His alto voice harshly cut through with each syllable, "KA… ME…"_

_"Volcanic…"_

_"HA…. ME…"_

_"Blast!" Dragon Womyn roared, bringing both clawed hands together and hurling a beam of solid fire sizzling towards them._

_"HA!" Son Goku/Radditzu completed; crackling his power into a pure beam of solid blue ki that slammed into Dragon Womyn's assault with contemptuous ease. She screamed as she was tossed out of the far walls of the alchemist's mind, into the astral plane where all telepaths go to travel from soul to soul. Son Goku caught Atomique as she spun out of control. She sobbed bitterly, curling herself as she twisted in his grasp. Into two beings they separated, one brother holding the sobbing woman while the other moved forwards to block them from their foe._

_"This isn't over…" came Dragon Womyn's voice as she circled back around. The purple radiance faded, and walls rose up again of their own accord._

_"It is as far as I'm concerned," Son Goku answered grimly. "You've got no reason now to fight her… so stay out… or face ME instead…"_

_"Paul… how could you! Damn it I loved you!" Atomique yelled._

* * *

"Damn you, damn you for leaving me alone! And damn ME for believing you loved me!" Atomique's loud scream echoed in the Saiyan's ears as he blinked awake. 

He clutched her close in his arms, steadying her shaking body against his. Blue energies dissipated in the dark night, while she sobbed as if her heart would break. A door had been forever shut, cutting her off from the presence of Star Child's mind that he'd placed there.

"No, oh no!" she screamed. "Please Paul, don't LEAVE me!"

"Stop this noise at once woman! I command it!" he whispered, clutching her in a restraining hold from behind. Her power spiked, slamming into him. He folded her in a golden ki envelope, to try and stop her from incinerating or transmuting the bed and room to dust. Quickly he rushed with her out of the door. He swept her out with him into the night, soaring quickly up into the air a mile above the forest to a safe height.

Wind whipped at her silk gown, leeching away the warmth from the bed far below. However she did not feel its seeping bite because blue energies competed with scarlet purple ones exploding into the atmosphere around them. Radditzu's greater ki pushed hers back into her body, enough to counter her wildly flaring powers.

"Let me GO!" she screamed, grabbing onto his wrists.

"Not till you let it go… let it go or you'll burn yourself out!" he screamed in her ear. She felt her power raging out of control with her fury.

"I can't control it…" she screamed, her hair flaring crimson as her eyes glowed bright amethyst.

"Yes you can!" he said, squeezing her tightly to him. "I won't let you go till you stop!"

"You fool, you could die! You're crazy…" she screamed.

"Now I know you're being the silly one! My body can handle it… yours can't yet… give it up to me!" Radditzu ordered.

"All right, you asked for it!" she screamed. So saying, she released her power spike in a huge surge as he drew it in. The purple fire exploded into a bright flare that lit up the sky and countryside for miles. Gritting his teeth he grunted, soaking each bit of chikara billowing out of every inch of her body. Raw purple power transmuted to Saiyan energy when he contacted her skin to skin. What happened next dwarfed her pyrotechnically display when Radditzu lit up like a supernova of blinding white-hot gold.

"YEAHHHHHH!" he screamed. Anunexpected transformation surged through his muscles that bulked up and his hair that grew blistering gold. Her mouth dropped open, feeling the overwhelming power sinking out of her and into the Saiyan.

"I… oh lord…" she gasped in relief as Radditzu metabolized the raw power into something that he could level out. Her body crumpled in his arms, as she clung to him. Her fingers tightened against his chest as his body radiated like a new star.

After a time he rubbed her back, warming her with the residual ki flickering around them both. Wind and rain whipped around from the energy spike, taking the form of a sudden drenching thunderstorm. All over the mountaintop it poured sheets of pounding rain, ozone stench filling her nostrils with Radditzu's dissipating ki back into nature. Deeply she inhaled the night air, feeling his increased aura slowly diminishing as he dampened the energies and stored them away.

"That's it, let it go… I've got you… relax now… you'll be fine woman, I shall protect you," he soothed her. His strong arms supported her back and knees, hugging her to his muscular bare chest. He dropped his arm holding her knees, then turned her to face him directly.

"How in hell do you control all that power without destroying…" she trailed off as she braced her hands against his chest to keep from slipping. However his hands gripped her hips securely, reassuring her he would not let her fall. Just under her feet dangled open air, and the shimmering limit of his ki surging over them both.

"Practice… and you'll lean too… its not that hard when you get the hang of it. Saiyan powers and yours are not that different after all…"

"I saw him transform to another level… I've only heard about… The Star Bearer… so far beyond human… He's only done it once…before we made love… and I sensed him do it to take on Blackwell…"

"That man you were screaming in your sleep about?" Radditzu asked. "The coward that left you?"

"How much… do you know?" she asked, blinking at him.

"Only what Son Goku told me. What… I DO Talk to my brother after all!"

"Okay… fine… but… I didn't know… you cared…" she whispered.

"Why should I not?" asked Radditzu with a mild sniff. "You are a guest in his home. And you have no male to protect you…"

"Radditzu, you are a major league jerk, but that was incredibly sweet of you," she sniffled.

"I've never… had this level of power," he mumbled. "My brother had mentioned… super Saiya-jin… but I had no idea this was what it was like…"

"Your energy is phenomenal now… far in excess of Gene and Paul's maximum limit… it's hard to conceive of anything matching it… but now… now…" she murmured, then wiped away more tears.

Radditzu kissed the crown of her head and muttered, "I saw it all. I hope you're not angry at me for snooping in your dreams… but I couldn't stand by and let you suffer like that… that misbegotten hairless scum is going to be sorry for throwing you away."

"He bonded with Jeannie…" she whispered. "Just like the way Buruma described her bond with Bejita… a blood bond…"

"Even though you are all from different dimensions, there's way more similarities between her Dragon form and a full blooded Saiyan. And it's most uncomfortable," Radditzu nodded, dropping his transformation out of Super Saiyan and regaining his former aspect. Gradually he reduced their altitude so the ground blew up under them again.

He carried her down towards the house again, and set her on her feet before him. His residual chikara warmed her shivering body against the quickening breeze. Still clutching him tightly she stammered, "She remembers… she remembers it all… Radditzu... how in hell did she remember…"

Radditzu asked, "How the hell should l know, woman? Are you unharmed?"

Tears seeped through her dark lashes, tightly pressed shut. Shaking she sobbed, "He's gone. I don't' feel him anymore in my mind. Even when I was alone there was some presence. He's shut me out…" she cursed. "Forsaken me… do I blame Jeannie or myself?"

"None are to blame but those cowards. He is a loser and so is that bitch that swears to him," Radditzu shook his head, drawing her into his embrace.

"I'm truly alone for the first time in five years…" she whispered, as Radditzu rested his chin on top of her head. He released her, then trapped her forearms by twining his hands behind her back.

"You are wrong, female," he said firmly, squeezing her upper arms in his hands. "I promised to protect you… care for you… in whatever way you need…"

"Why?" she asked, not looking up at him as he pushed her hair out of her cheek. She pressed her face to his shoulder, not wanting to admit how good it felt to be held. Something about the grip on her body told her it had surpassed platonic at that moment. For she felt a desire surging through her that frightened her.

He finally answered, "Because I swore an oath to Prince Bejita to protect you. And I have no mate. I'm alone too, remember?"

"Being alone isn't an excuse to… cross a line… it's not that I don't ENJOY being with you... in bed, but I didn't think that it meant anything more than..." she whispered. Her chin wobbled with the effort to resist what was freely being offered in pure and noble intent.

"Depends on the lines…" he trailed off. "Woman, I have no mate, and yours has died and forsaken you… wouldn't you say that makes sense that you consider…"

"I don't know what you're asking of me, I mean we already are... you know..." she shivered.

"To let me protect you, woman, in more ways then just... as a bodyguard or as a lover... something more permanent," he whispered, rubbing her back muscles and down the bones of her spine with his touch that sent shivers all over her body.

"Why Radditzu... you never mentioned wanting more before now," she asked.

"I've seen how much my brother cares for his family. He took you in, and you convinced him to give me a chance. I dunno why I should even have cared at all, but something's been making me feel things I sure as hell never felt before, and I've got a feeling you're the only one who can help me figure them out…" Radditzu said, sensually rubbing her back still. His strong arms stabalized her trembling body. although he towered over her, she felt safe next to this gentle giant.

"Radditzu, you mean you do care more than just..." she whispered.

"I can't get you out of my mind, woman," he whispered. "The Prince of all Saiyans has a mate and family here. So does my little brother. Even Nappa's chasing a female he's eager to mate with. Planet Vegeta's blown up. And I want a mate and offspring myself…"

"I thought you said Saiyans didn't fall in love..."

"That's not what I'm takling about! I want to protect you, you silly female, that's what I'm saying. I want to mate with you!" Radditzu stamped his foot. His dark eyes stared down from a height of nearly six and a half feet. The spiked mane spilled down his back and shimmered in the faint starlight and on the curves of his muscular body.

"Because you see me as a chance to get a mate simply to perpetuate your species or is it more than that?"

"I want you, female. To be my mate. Nobody else has come close to being strong enough. I can protect you, and your offspring, like they were my own. My foolish brother desires you himself, but he already has a mate. Don't dishonor yourself when you can have a fresh chance…"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" she snorted, turning away from him.

"I do indeed female! Would you shut up and listen to me!" he snarled.

* * *

Radditzu squeezed her shoulder tightly. He exhaled deeply, not used to expressing weakling earth emotions. In this dimension he'd died, and become hated and feared, but in the one he came from, he was merely a soldier doing Freiza's duty. Now his comrades and Prince had settled on this small rocky world, making their own destinies. He'd seen how Kakkarot had tried wooing the female for she reminded him of the one he'd lost. Yet he overheard Bejita and the others speaking about Chichi suddenly regretting what she'd done. He himself had overheard the Prince's mate and someone speaking on the phone heatedly. Because of his special Saiyan hearing, he could hear both Buruma and the loud mouthed mate of Kakkarot speaking just as clearly as if they were in the same room. 

_How could he stand by and let Kakkarot take this female for himself while there was a chance in hell that his own mate Chichi would return?_ Kakkarot's mate was thirsting for him, hearing stories from her older son and younger son about how their father was a worthy protector. While Radditzu had no benchmark of comparison, he knew that Kakkarot had proved his Saiyan honor by taking the role of family head, by providing for his offspring. Now all he needed to do was to get back with his mate.

Unfortunately, if Atomique was in the way, there was no chance. Plus Radditzu wanted the female for himself. Here was a way to have the best of both worlds, the allegiance of Kakkarot's clan, and a mate. Simultaneously he'd stop Kakkarot from throwing away the one chance he had of reconciliation. If he took Atomique as his mate instead of Chichi, his family ties, reputation and everything would be forever marred. To destroy a Saiyan's family pride, was unforgivable, even if Chichi by all rights should be put to death for abandoning her young.

_"I must have her," thought Radditzu. "I don't want her to have the disgrace of these unworthy fools. My brother already had his chance, and he blew it. This female is mine…" _

"Radditzu, why are you doing all this? Is it out of pity? That I'm some female that has no mate and… you're a strong warrior and I happen to be an available single… I'm capable of caring for myself…" she asked, shoving hard against him. Resentment flared that he offered comfort out of pity. Yet it didn't seem his character to do so at all, only her own feeble excuse to stop this here and now.

"My brother already has a mate. Your mate is died and has abandoned you. I have none yet. It makes perfect sense to me… and I AM his older brother," said Radditzu with a grin as he snaked his tail around her.

"Jerk," she snorted.

"Shh," he whispered, putting a finger over her lips. "Do you REALLY want to risk your reputation among these people by stealing away these children's father? Their mother clearly didn't intend for him to succeed at all, but now that he has… she'll be back. A Saiyan blood bond once made is never broken for long…"

"But they divorced…"

"You are worthy to be a Saiyan's first choice, and not leftovers. I thought you didn't want me before, but now I realize how foolish I've been to let that stop me from asking you," said Radditzu as he growled deeply in his throat.

She sniffled as his tail squeezed her tightly, tugging her closed to his chest. His hands slid up and down her shoulders, then rubbed down with firm strokes that were clumsy but filled with desire. The musk of his body scent burned her nostrils like fire and she felt herself going wild. Why was this male provoking such a response in her? Was it because he was so much like Goku?

"I…" she trailed off.

"You're a strong, intelligent female. What Saiyan wouldn't wish you as a mate? Forget Kakkarot, when you could have me," said Radditzu deeply, angling his face towards hers. She gasped and squirmed, feeling his nose burying itself into her neck.

"I don't know, but we're so different… why did you fight him for me? Is it just because I'd be a good fuck, or do you REALLY care? Is it to spite your brother?"

"How little you think of me, or yourself?" Radditzu laughed, not in a harsh cackle but a genuine warm laugh. "I want you because you'd make a perfect mate. Perhaps to rescue a damsel in distress…"

"Not funny…"

"I'm not a pure innocent hero like Kakkarot. But perhaps you can show me what is necessary to live on this planet and perhaps find what he has. Once I thought him a weakling, but he has influence and power that rivals the Saiyan no Ouji. He has a home and mate and brats, and those that respect him and fear him…"

"They don't fear him, Radditzu," she whispered, trembling in his arms. He released her slightly, and nipped at her chin with puffs of hot air on her body. Lightly his massive fingers rubbed down and squeezed her backside, pulling her to his hard armored body.

"No?" he purred, nuzzling her neck and taking her ear lobe in his teeth.

"You wondered how he can control all this power… it's because he doesn't see emotion and love as a weakness but as a strength. It's that purity of heart and soul that gives him the armor, and the makes him the most invincible of warriors. Bejita, your prince has found that emotion himself with his mate and son. Now he's every bit more powerful than when you last left him…"

"True. It's sappy and foolish though… but I see the truth in your words. Is it true that when a Saiyan experiences… 'love' they grow and have a chance at the legendary?" Radditzu growled, moving around to cup her breasts. She feared he'd pinch hard, but when he simply squeezed with enough pressure to feel their weight, she gasped in relief.

"I wouldn't know…" she yelped.

"That's why I need you, and you need me, female," said Radditzu, tugging at her clothes insistently. "Together we can become strong, invulnerable. No destroyer would dare hurt you while I can protect you and your children. I can give you many fine sons and daughters. I will not abandon you like that weakling did just now… and I will not beat you or abuse you. I can be a fair mate… and a faithful one… for I desire no other but you…"

"But love?"

"I know nothing of love. I only know of protecting what's mine. Surviving, and doing what it takes to be strong. To eat, sleep, fight, and mate is what a Saiyan does and is. I am not good with things like words and emotions; I just am what I am. But I'm willing to learn these ridiculous things, if that means that I can have you…" he snarled, squeezing her to his body momentarily.

"I've worn out my capacity to love," she mumbled. "Romantically I mean. I love my children and my friends, and I care for you and your family as well… but I can't… love romantically…"

"That's why you rejected me before..." he said quietly. "Because I said Saiyans didn't fall in love. Well your concept of love is not what bonds my kind together.You wouldn't have to worry about 'love' with me as your mate. Or betrayal. I will always be there for you, and no other will dare hurt you… that's what a mate does for his chosen one."

"But that is... love..." she gasped.

"You are truely foolish," he laughed with relief. "Is that not what every female seeks of your species? One to care and shelter and protect her?"

"Even if my children are weak ningens…"

"You foolish woman, they are strong and I can teach them even more than Kakkarot has. They are part of you, and will become mine if you accept…. My offer…"

"Do you really want me?" she demanded, pressing her hands on his chest angrily. He smiled in that enigmatic mischievous way that annoyed her and charmed her as he hugged her tightly to himself. Almost bruising her with his grasp. She pushed back, forgetting how strong she'd become against his chest. Radditzu sensed her energies were considerably higher than they had first been. Bejita's taunts echoed through his mind, as well as Buruma's innuendo.

_"Only an idiot like you would fail to take advantage of an open opportunity. Do you want that saint to have her when she could be yours, third class? He may deny it, but he still loves that harpy, and one way or another he'll return to her. It's the Saiyan way…" _

He wiped away her tears with his thumbs, and she closed her eyes, biting her lip. Damn why did his arms have to feel so good around her? So hard and experienced in other ways of surviving and dying, she thought. A musky scent of uncomplicated male sweat radiated off his body, as hers mingled with his. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her sweet smell with his Saiyan nose. Her body heat burned like fire against his, and he felt a hunger unlike food rage through him that he'd held back for a long time out of grief. Often as before he smelled the heat of her female body in contrast to his male one.

_I want her for myself. How can I make her see that she's perfect? Now that there was no other male's claim on her?_ He told the rational part of his mind to shut up as he nuzzled her neck. She clung to him more tightly, and he took this as a cue to nose aside her hair and grasp her chin in his free hand while his other tightened on the small of her back. Her fingertips pressed hard into the muscles of his shoulder blades as she shivered with anything but cold.

"Are you ashamed to be the mate of a third class, is that it?" he asked.

"That means nothing to me. There's only a few of you left…" she whispered.

He struggled to remember what he'd seen in the soap operas when sitting with the brats climbing over him. Growling, he turned his head to the side and angled it while he preened her soft black locks in the fingers of one hand. As his lips brushed hers he tasted of strength and a hot spicy cinnamon. With a hint of something wild and green mixed with a feral tint. She was in shock at the revelation that someone was kissing her with increasing desire and crushing her close in muscular arms like Paul had so long ago. Yet there was no charm or elegance in the simple deepening kiss. His tongue flickered past her mouth, tasting her as it had so many times before.

Yielding, she latched onto him, gripping him hard as she returned the kiss with as much hunger and more that wanted someone to satisfy it. His strong hands massaged down the muscles of her back, and then stopped at the small of her waist, pulling her hips against him. Since the top of her head came just under his chin, she had to lean up and turn her face to the side to continue the fevered kiss Radditzu bestowed freely on her. She couldn't stop her arms from sliding up his bare chest and locking at the back of his neck, as if she almost forgot what to do.

"Don't stop… please, I want you. Accept me as your mate, I must have you, or I'm not complete," he pleaded, almost sounding like an eager child in that plaintive voice before it dropped an octave.

"Radditzu… do you mean that?" she asked.

"I must have you… I'm going mad… don't you see you're becoming part of me? Every where I go I see your face. I smell you in the house and I grow insane… you're like a drug that I must have if I'm to go on…" he panted. "One taste of your lips and I'm lost woman…"

"Is it pheromones?" she panted. "How can you want me so much? Is it because we've already..."

"A Saiyan knows when he's met his true mate. Why do you think I first wanted you? When you said you wanted nobody in that way, sex was all I could offer you. I had to be with you in any way you were willing to give!You're like food or drink that I am driven to possess," Radditzu snarled, squeezing her hips and groping her backside like choice fruit. It took every bit of his control to hold back his full strength. Baring his teeth he hissed in his even growing need. For a minute it looked like he'd die if he couldn't touch her, taste her feel her.

"You don't know what you're asking of me… do you?" she sobbed, exhaling and inhaling deeply, her chest pressed to his.

"I want you, plain and simple like your marriage customs dictate, not just as a lover. I give you myself, my strengths, and all my skills as a warrior. Don't refuse me, female!" he gasped.

Again he captured her mouth, sharing his breath like a drowning man. Radditzu's kiss bordered on the chaste sort a man gave his first girlfriend before it became something more with her response. Mingling his breath with hers, he deepened the kiss to a hungry soul searching embrace she couldn't resist because its need echoed her own. A growl reverberated his chest as he lifted her up so she was level with his face. She pressed her forehead to his chin when he released at last, panting for breath.

"I can't stop you…" she sniffled. "Is it wrong? I want you so much… I feel like I'll die if I don't…"

"Can't you see… your body's responding to mine? Already the bond is growing between us and we can't stop it, curse it."

"You've tasted my blood before... is this some sort of biological response to me?" she asked.

"It is the call to mate. Gratification is but one thing. But every Saiyan has another half that makes him stronger. A drive to pass on his blood to the next generation. I cannot deny that part of you and me cannot either… though you're a ningen, your spirit soars inside of you. It screams to me with its own mating cry… don't you hear it?"

"I can't stop myself," she sniffled, burying her head against his chest. "Kame help me…"

"I want to take care of you in all the ways that you need…" he choked, burying his head in her shoulder and nipping at her neck. "Please woman, don't refuse me!"

"I thought it was just because I was lonely, but I do want… I do feel… but how can I?" she asked breathlessly.

"You can, because I can feel your need, your desire to mate permanently.It's the same as mine…"

"He said the same thing to me… before…" she choked hard.

"I'm not like your dead mate. I never will be. I can't give you any guarantees or fancy speeches like he did. But what I'm saying is true. On my honor as a warrior to serve my Prince, and fight to preserve my heritage. By Great Father Oorzu himself and the Legendary Super Saiyan, I swear that I want you and you alone… I didn't act before now because I didn't want to steal you away from… your mate's memories…" he gasped, as she kissed his cheek, and wiped away his own tear with the tip of a finger.

"Somehow I know you wouldn't, and I trust you. But do I trust myself?"

"You're the only one who can answer that for yourself, woman. But you… are the only being… I trust, because I care if you live or die…" he swallowed hard, voice rasping with a growl of sincere want. It represented his drive to preserve and save anyone in trouble, even one who was in need of love as much as she was, and he had an abundance to give because he desperately needed someone to redeem him.

"I do want this… But if we do… where… without getting… interrupted?" she gasped.

"Back in Kakkarot's hut, where we just were…" Radditzu panted.

"Yes," she nodded, feeling him slip his finger over to feel the softness of her lips.

"Then you agree… you accept?" Radditzu whispered back, nibbling along her sensitive ear.

He boosted her up in his arms as if she were a small child. She felt him carrying her towards the small house that Son Goku had grown up in as a child, across from the capsule hut. It had been so blasted long since she'd been loved like this, and she knew it would be something that was far more than a physical satiation.

"Are you sure… are you VERY sure?" she asked softly.

"Absolutely you silly female. Do you hesitate to say yes because you fear I'll hurt you. By now you should know better?" he whispered, shouldering open the double doors and swinging her round so he wouldn't hit her head or feet on the doorway. Into the dimness of an old place he carried her, stopping only to reach out with one hand and close the doors behind them

"Yes and no…" she whispered. "Not physically… but the other way…"

"I claim you as my mate. You don't get any more direct or clear then that…" he answered, laying her down on the bed. She reached up to him, and saw his dark mane pouring around her face like a waterfall.As he lay her down, he nipped her skin all over while she covered his face in soft kisses.

"I'm yours Radditzu," she whispered.

"And I am yours my love," he answered, pulling her into his arms to make her his own.


	15. Gohan and Raditz find their mates

_**Uncle Radditzu and Nephew Gohan seal the Bond

* * *

**_

_I don't own this. Toriyama owns DBZ, as does Toei Animation and Funimation. Atomique, Bohr and Fermi are my fan characters. I don't own any references to KISS either! They're real people, and their fictional portrayal is owned by Marvel and Dark Horse. Don't sue me, cause I don't get any money!_

_Slight Lime, implied, but it's between consenting people and it's AFTER the fact. More just the implication here... so it's still PG-13!_

* * *

Slowly she lifted her head, feeling soft lips kissing her chest and neck. Atomique smiled as she surfaced from a deep satisfying sleep. She opened her eyes, disoriented for a moment when she stared past unruly black hair that she tangled her fingers in. Light streamed through the interlaced bars of a round Chinese style window, casting its round twin on the wall in the opposite corner. Silk and sweat mingled around her, and she realized she was lying atop a firm and comfortable surface emitting pleasurable heat. 

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," he whispered with a warm smile, alien to his harsh face, but strangely human.

"This place feels timeless… like I'm in some other world… I never left…" she said, touching her forehead to his as he shifted up on one arm.

"You are beautiful, Tomique-chan," he growled, leaning down to nuzzle her chest. Immersing her hands in his forest of long black hair, she submitted to desire again. She felt a somber choking sensation that vanished into a sudden giddiness of a girl who'd found the joy of a first true love. An odd purity overhung the sensation that she was well and truly happy in all ways for the first time in years.

"There is one more thing to be done," he whispered in her ear.

"Hmmm?" she asked.

"You and I have unfinished business, remember?" he murmured against her sensitive neck.

"I'm happy," she whispered, and then cried against his neck.

"When you are, I am too," he shushed her, lightly nipping at her with increasing bites till the next almost broke the skin. The iron taste of hemoglobin surged over her tongue and she tasted sweetness. What she had just done, she wondered, realizing that he bled freely from a welt in the junction between neck and shoulder. Choking she realized that something on her neck stung as well.

"Gaack…" she coughed. "What the heck was that for?"

"The mating bond…" he growled. "You… must bite me… too…"

"Love bites in more ways then one.," she murmured. The taste of blood on his tongue mingled with hers, and neither asked what the other had done. A quick flash of memory tagged her, making her flinch. Always Buruma wore something to conceal her nec, Atomique realized. So this was how a Saiyan showed they were married to their mate? She quickly hid her fear in humor as she always did, covering that spot with her hand pressed down.

"I don't know about you, but I'm STARVING," he laughed, pushing her hair out of her face before he kissed her gently. She thrust her tongue past his lips and sighed, enjoying that he was becoming better with each attempt.

"Little wonder thanks to you, you big ape," she laughed back, pressing her lips to his forehead. Untangling himself he lay her to the side, and then hauled himself to sit up. She staggered and landed against him unsteadily, so he swept her up and carried her off to share a bath with her before rejoining the others.

"Where… is that bath house… Kakkarot spoke of," he grunted, carrying her effortlessly.

"It's back here silly..." she said.

* * *

As Videl blinked awake, she shivered in fear, shaking the person next to her. Both of them lay curled up in Gohan's bed. Her boyfriend and fiancee had a smile on his face, cuddling her to the curve of his body. With a sigh, he pulled Videl closer to his warmth. He mumbled, "Don't go yet... we've got five more minutes, sweetie..." 

"Wake up… wake up!" she hissed.

"Uh oh," he gasped, blinking up at her scared face. "It's morning already?"

"Shimatta… my dad's gonna KILL me… I said I'd be comin' home today… and if he discovers I'm HERE…" she panicked, biting her nails. "What if your dad…"

"Calm down, just calm down," Son Gohan said, rubbing her shoulder. He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Calm DOWN? We're not MARRIED and we just…"

"It's okay… I know he'll think of something to tell your dad…" Gohan reassured her.

"How can you be so calm when he could… walk in on us!" Videl squealed.

"Um… because the other day, he was telling us just WHY he didn't mind us slipping into Grandpa Gohan's little house…" Gohan blushed profusely, pushing a lock of her hair out of her face.

"What are you saying, buster?" she snorted, narrowing her blue eyes at him as her pixie face scrunched in an accusatory frown.

"Well, Dad kinda expected you and me to… um… you know… do what we just did?" he lifted a brow. "And I don't think he'd be MAD exactly if he put two and two together…"

"What?" Videl squealed. "You mean we've been sneaking around and your own dad doesn't care if you and I shack up?"

"Nope…" Gohan admitted, steeling himself as she punched his arm hard.

"You baka!" she shrieked, jumping on him and attacking his ribs. They wrestled together, play hitting and punching till Videl twisted his arm behind his back and started sitting on him hard.

"Hey… oww! Not THERE!" he gasped, as she landed on the spot where his tail had once been. A loud growl escaped his lips, and she blinked hard.

"What was THAT?" she gasped, rolling off him.

"Um… that's a sensitive spot… I mean… you might not like the results if you… um…" he trailed off as she blinked at him.

"What is it with you people?" she shook her head. "I know you're not QUITE from this planet… but you're not some kind of wear wolf are you?"

"Remember that story that Dad always tells about the Great Ape and the moon?" he blinked. "Well… it really IS true…"

"Kuso… I thought it was some joke!" she groaned. "I mean I heard this whole thing about Saiyans and I figured you guys were just some super strong aliens like… some outer space… and now I find out if I touch your back…"

"That's where my tail used to be," he said sheepishly. "That's why I um… was kinda… leery about…"

"Why you wanted the lights off?" she said with a sly grin. "What EXACTLY happens if I touch you… there?"

Gohan swallowed hard as her hand ran up his thigh. In his throat he growled as she reached around and brushed her hand over the place she'd touched before. Gasping deeply, he flipped her over and pinned her under him.

"Oh… THAT's what happens… I think this could be FUN!" Videl trailed off before Gohan threw the covers over both of them, and she found another reason to suppress her laughter. Both of them agreed that his Saiyan heritage was most entertaining in the next half hour.

* * *

Something brushed past her leg as she lay there against him in the tub. Suds covered both Radditzu and his new mate. They did nothing except enjoy the sensation of being together quietly like this. "What the…" she trailed off, feeling like it was moist and wet, but not the shape of a hand. He blinked down at her, wrinkling his nose in concern. 

"You getting wrinkled yet or something?" he joked.

"I could swear I felt you trying to get my attention… but not in THAT way…" she said, leaning her head against his chest and peering up at him upside down.

"I was, because I'm ravenous… and as much as I'd like to stay here with ya, I'm gonna die of starvation if we don't get something to eat… I mean how I can keep taking care of you if we don't…" he trailed off.

"Come to think of it, I'm feeling a bit in need of food myself… But I don't want to get out of this water…"

"Leave that to me…" he laughed. Wind whipped against her, and she saw him fastening the ends of a long fluffy white towel around his hips. He held out one for her, indicating she should step into it. Smiling, she did so, enjoying the sensation of his muscular arms hugging her tightly so he could hitch it around her as an improvised sarong. From his warm body, she felt a radient heat that slowly increased. Water evaporated and she laughed at the sensation of his fingers holding her towel covered ribs. They brushed over her, tickling her in a sensitive spot just under her arms.

"Hey!" she gasped. "I'm ticklish you idiot!"

"We're supposed to be quiet love, remember," he murmured, giving her a kiss as he strode out into the main part of the house with her struggling for balance. She squealed against his lips as she felt something wrap around her calf and then her thigh. Radditzu let out a loud bloodcurdling cry that made her yelp. For a few seconds he swung her around as if she weighed nothing, laughing aloud.

"You baka! What's going on? Is this another mating tradition?"

"I'm just freaking thrilled, you silly female!" he chortled, lowering her to stand next to him.

"So much for being subtle! I bet they heard THAT in the main house!" she giggled. Again something flickered against her ankles, causing her to yelp and jump nearly a foot. Laughing, he caught her up love cradle style and carried her over to sit her on the box bed.

"Holy crap…" she gasped. "I'm going nuts… there aren't any pest problems… like rats or rodents or…"

"Don't think so…" he panted leaning over to kiss her forhead. He rushed off and hunted for something for them both to put on clothes wise. She saw something out of the corner of her eye before a set of purple silk pants and a top hit her in the face. Turning them over she saw they were covered in small flecks of blue and gold Chinese motif. AS she tried to get a shot of hismuscular back she froze when she saw something moving covered in brown fur.

"Good lord," she yelped, and spun around, chasing what she'd seen out of the corner of his vision. He fastened the straps to his armor that he'd retrieved from the table, pulling on his wrist guards. Back and forth swished the furry brown tail, not yet coiled around his waist.

"It's my tail, you silly female," Radditzu laughed, swinging his hips. "Did you forget? Is my tail not pleasing to you?"

"I can think… of some rather… interesting things you could do with that…" she panted.

"Can you? Tell me, little one," Radditzu purred as he reached out his hand and swept her up. Carrying her in his arms he marched into the house once more.

* * *

Radditzu let out another loud Saiyan war cry, followed by a loud scream that could be heard in the house. Videl's head shot out from under the covers. "Was that you dad?" she gasped, sitting up next to Gohan. 

"I told you it wasn't a big deal," he laughed, reaching up to pull her down again alongside him.

"But I heard someone screaming…" she stammered, blue eyes wide.

"What?" he asked, then shivered.

"Who was it?"

"It's not my dad… it's my… 'uncle'," he chuckled, blinking. "Probably ticked off that there's no food yet…"

"What about your dad?" joked Videl, then shivered. A loud alto voice cursed in Chinese, and she shivered, glancing at Gohan. Both were panicking.

"Oh no… it's impossible," Gohan groaned, sitting up and nearly knocking her off balance. He shot out his arm and steadied her, giving her the sheet to wrap around herself. He swung his legs over and stood up, grabbing a pair of boxer shorts from the drawer of his dresser.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to tuck the sheet around her, and stand. She stumbled over the sneakers on the floor, and Gohan steadied her against himself.

"He's calling for me… Easy… here, let me get you a t-shirt or something… I think I have one… let's not freak out…" he muttered under his breath. She exchanged the loose T-shirt, which was a 2 x Capsule Corps thing, and caught the sweat pants he threw her from her gym bag. Inhaling the scent of him from the shirt she found she liked having a bit of her man with her in this way.

He shimmied into a pair of blue jeans, and a white T-shirt, before picking up his sneakers. Videl finished by dragging a brush through her hair, and looking at him in a panic because he seemed on edge. She flopped onto the bed, still unable to walk because she hurt like hell in some places, while she tingled with satisfaction in others.

"We'd better wash those sheets cause they're ripe with your sweat, and you reek," she said, helping him pull them off and throw them into the hamper. They heard footsteps echoing as Radditzu's voice shouted his name.

"Coming dad… hold on!" he groaned. Turning to Videl he kissed her sweetly and briefly.

"I'll stay here," she said.

"Wait, I know… the twins should be waking up now… and since Goten had Trunks sleep over, they can fend for themselves. But if you know them they'll be screaming for breakfast soon… and that's the perfect opportunity to slip out…"

"Okay, but you'd better not run on me buster…" she mumbled.

"Well, I hear my 'uncle' asking for breakfast," said Gohan with a smile. "He may be a pain in the ass, but he's just saved you and me a lot of trouble…"

* * *

The arrival of Trunks and Goten into the living room distracted the two adults entering the house. Both of them were struggling to get breakfast for themselves while trying to decide who got hold of the remote. Radditzu glanced in, realizing they were too busy trying to grab all the cereal and pop tarts to take into the living room to notice anyone coming in. 

"Is the coast clear?" she asked.

"Yes, but why should you worry about what they think? It's not like they have any say… unless you're worried that my little brother…" said Radditzu.

"We've got to get you some more civilian clothes, unless you want to scare the heck out of everyone again!" she whispered.

"I'll carry you to the guest room, and you may select an appropriate outfit for me, love," Radditzu nodded. He zipped out, managing to only catch the view of Trunks and Goten wondering who it was. Goku puttered about in the kitchen with Gohan, both of them rushing back and forth to start enough food for three hungry adult male Saiyans.

"Have you seen Radditz?" asked Gohan. "I just heard him come in…"

"He's just probably hunting for some more civilian stuff… but I'm more worried about Atomique…"

"I'm sure she's just fine," said Son Gohan, blinking as he saw Radditzu rush past carrying a woman in his arms. A sense of surprise and relief crept across him when he realized that ki blast he sensed wasn't his father and the houseguest making out. Perhaps there was hope that his mother might yet come back. Radditzu, as intimidating as he was, had just done something that saved them all some problems.

"Hyper speed is great," she whispered. "I think I saw some clothes in the guest room you could use…"

"Humph, good you thought of that…" he groaned, keeping his arm around her waist as he freed his other hand. They were both inside the guest bedroom, trying to figure out a way to best exit without four curious boys pestering them with questions.

Most mornings because she and Goku often were the first to rise, he'd exit first to start breakfast, soon followed by her. Yet Trunks was a bit sneakier, and with the way Bejita was implying things were going, the last thing he needed was everyone getting embarrassed. Especially with a very nervous Gohan and her two kids just outside.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something' out… to tell them…" Radditzu grinned, grabbing the pair of shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt she threw him. He hated wearing anything on those muscular legs of his, and she knew that she preferred seeing them. Until she could get him into some more normal clothing like very TIGHT jeans.

"I think you're more worried about that other tale, and I don't mean a story…" she pointed to his waist. Radditzu shed his armor quickly, then grabbed the nearest items of clothing and tried to get dressed while she moved towards the door. In a minute he was more normally garbed.

"Funny, little one," he gave a mock snarl, catching her around the waist before playfully dumping her on the bed. He pounced, and almost smashed the flimsy frame of the bedstead as he landed atop her.

"Yikes!" she gasped.

"Shimatta! These flimsy ningen furniture items are hopeless!" Radditzu gasped, resting awkwardly to the side of her on a smashed bit of wood and cloth. Atomique began to laugh loud, pressing her forhead to his with mirth.

"Careful, they'll think we're out of control," she giggled.

"Great Oorzu, you're hopeless female," he said, tryign to be stern but failing miserably. Soon his great deep laughter mingled with hers while they lay there sharing their fun. Finally he crawled to his feet.

"I'll go out first, and you can come five minutes later…" she giggled, teasing him mercilessly.

"Are you ashamed to be seen with me?" he asked quickly, brow wrinkling in a frown.

"No, Radditzu, of course not. But I think that I don't want to draw too much attention. I just want to enjoy a nice breakfast with you next to me, and then just quietly slip off and you can show me more about this mating thing… and plus I want to spoil you a little by making food for you. Didn't you say you needed raw bloody meat?"

Radditzu cheered up, giving a sly smile. He purred into her ear, "Yes, you remembered. Good, little one. I'll be along soon. But make no mistake, you are mine, regardless of what my little brother thinks or says…"

"And I'm yours," she said, walking over to lean up on tiptoes and bite the welt on his neck. Radditzu growled and did the same, lapping the blood. Massive arms swept her up and held her there so they could renew their blood bond once more. For the next few moments they tasted their mingled blood on each other's lips in another satisfying kiss.

"You're a regular wild woman, and you didn't even know it," Radditzu purred.

"Baka," she answered.

"Now, I seemed to have misplaced my scouter..." said Radditzu.

"I'm sure one of the boys has it..."

"Hmmph, as long as they return it... but it seems I won't have to worry because they seem as intelligent as their dam," he purred back.

"Flatterer..." she chuckled as he kissed her again.

* * *

Five minutes later, Atomique left the room. Slipping out into the hallway she heard Trunks and Goten arguing over which baseball team was going to win the Tokyo match. Bohr and Fermi were both chattering away, through bites of cereal and other sugar releasing breakfast foods Trunks had brought from West Central City. She crashed into someone else wandering in the hall with a squeal. 

"Videl!" she gasped.

"Kuso… I'm so sorry… I didn't see you… Atomiquesan?" she gasped, clutching the other woman's hands in shock.

"You look like you've seen a ghost… are you all right?"

"Um yeah… I mean um… wait… what are you doing coming out of Gohan's dad's room… cause I just heard you coming from outside…" she trailed off.

"Did you?"

"Did that… Radditz… I didn't hear him come back in… I could swear I heard him outside in the guesthouse… he didn't…"

"He decided… he wanted to stay there… considering how many people were over here… and well, he also decided to use the bathhouse there…"

"Radditzu stayed with you?" she gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Shh, it's fine! He didn't hurt me. In fact… he helped me… he came running cause he heard me screaming, and he helped me through my nightmares…"

"Radditz? We're talking about that Saiyan, right? I mean he seems to behave himself but he's still a bit creepy! Can we trust him?"

"You can trust me, can't you? He won't be hurting anyone, trust me. In fact, he's behaving himself nicely…" said Atomique.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Absolutely," said Atomique with a slight blush on her cheeks. "You know about Saiyans, right?"

"What?" Videl asked, rubbing her neck where a purple bruise was glaringly obvious.

"They bite their chosen mates on the neck," said Atomique, showing a mark identical to Videl's.

"You... you don't say," Videl stammered.

"Yep. By the way, Isn't that Gohan's shirt?" Atomique teased. Videl turned bright scarlet, and squealed in the realization.

"Um yeah… please don't tell… hey WAIT a minute…" she trailed off. Both women regarded one another, especially the odd way in which they were standing on shaky legs with a certain obvious shyness. Also both had unconsciously put their hands to their necks at the exact same second.

"Oh my Kami... I'm DEAD..." Videl gasped.

"Depends on what you mean by dead," Atomique laughed nervously. "Like uncle, like nephew..."

"My dad's so gonna KILL me!" she squealed.

"Hey... under Saiyan law you're married already. At least I think that's what Radditzu told me," gasped Atomique, giving her shouldera rub.

"Oh no... if Son-kun sees me!"

"Relax... it's okay... I'll make you a deal. I won't tell if you don't… till we're ready to spill the beans, okay?" Atomique whispered to Videl.

"Uh huh… you've got me there… just help me figure out what I'm gonna tell my daddy when he calls here asking why I didn't come home… and what Gohan's gonna end up facing when his dad finds out…" Videl shivered nervously.

"Finds out what?" blinked Atomique, giving her a rather suggestive look that made Videl swallow hard.

"You don't know my dad... if he finds out that I was with... Gohan... he'll go nuclear!" cried Videl.

"Hmmm. Maybe we should have Radditzu call Mr. Satan, and figure something out because I think you deserve a break… " Atomique grinned mischievously. "Radz-chan has a certain way with diplomacy..."

"Don't you DARE! I can't let him do THAT!" she groaned. Both females winced at the sound of a higher pitched voice cursing in fluent Mandarin, then switching to Yueh Chinese as someone landed with a thump in the kitchen nearby.

"That'd be Gohan. I think he's wondering if you're still alive…" Atomique giggled, helping a stumbling Videl by leaning on her shoulder. Then a sudden laugh and the sounds of Radditzu and Goku speaking quickly were followed with the sound of chairs.

* * *

Both women walked towards the kitchen and sat down at the table. Gohan was rapidly devouring his usual dozen or so bowls of cereal while his father sat at the opposite end, also stuffing his face. If the ladies didn't know better they could swear both uncle and nephew were hiding faint blushes behind their bowls and chopsticks. 

Radditzu had taken a seat next to Goku's left. Next to him was an empty chair, which she quickly slid into. He was piling food as well into his mouth, using chopsticks in a manner exactly like Goku. Bits of food festooned his dark cascade of spiky hair. Without that scouter and his armor he looked a hell of a lot less intimidating.

"This food is quite interesting, Brother," said Radditzu as he swallowed hard. "What do you call it again?"

"Oatmeal…" said Goku. "See how many good things there are to eat on this planet?"

"Mm, I am impressed. But do you have any raw meat?" Radditzu asked, licking his lips.

"Eww, are you serious?" asked Gohan, sticking out his tongue and grimacing.

"Raw meat?" Videl asked her eyes wide as saucers. Just when she thought she had this family figured out, life threw another curve into the mix.

"A Saiyan needs his protein in a certain form. We're not used to digesting cooked food," Radditz said as politely as he could.

"I'll get it," said Atomique with a cheerful smile. Goku's brother smiled greedily when Atomique hobbled up and grabbed some raw hamburger out of the fridge. Tearing off a piece she put it near him. He sucked the blood that was slightly thawed from it, then handed a chunk to her. Reaching for the salt she dashed a bit on it and then nibbled it.

"Ugh, I never get used to this," Videl groaned. "Sorry, Radditzu-san…"

"I apologize if my customs seem… bizarre to you, Videl-sama, but there are some things I cannot change," Radditz said with an annoyed grunt.

"Hey, it's okay. You eat whatever you want, Brother," said Goku quickly.

"Before Dad gets it," Gohan teased, attempting to alleviate his nerves around his uncle.

Goku reached over and patted Radditz on his broad shoulder, saying, "I said to Prince Bejita that you're family, and I mean it, okay? As long as you want to stay, you have a place… so we'll just get used to your… customs…"

"Thank you, brother," said Radditzu, swallowing a half-gallon of milk from the carton. His dark eyes gleamed with gratitude, surprising Gohan with their sincerity. Like his father, Gohan had the ability to sense evil from good, but his was not as well developed as Goku's.

"You see that? Drinking from the carton… what a guy does," said Goku with a grin.

"That's the most normal thing I've seen ANYONE do in this house!" Videl sighed with relief.

"He's learning already…" Atomique laughed, slugging her new mate on the back. He set the carton down in front of her, wiping his mouth with his wrist.

"Dad, you can't teach him your bad habits!" Gohan groaned. "No offense, 'Uncle', but we usually use a glass…"

"Aww let him…" Goku grinned infuriatingly.

"What is that black brew you consume?" Radditz asked them, pointing to the mugs of coffee.

"Um, it's coffee… Uncle… Radditzu," Gohan said tentatively, casting Videl a helpless look. She narrowed her blue pixie faced features into a frown that clearly informed him he should humor his father.

"Gets you started in the morning… Earthlings drink it to get going… because a lot of us don't like waking up," Videl chimed in.

"I wish to try some…" Radditzu said.

"Here," said Videl, pushing the pot over. Still Gohan seemed wary around Radditz, but he felt more at ease because his 'uncle' was more interested in stuffing his face and looking at Atomique then at any of them. At least he wasn't sizing them all for coffins. Dumping some into a cup, she handed it to Radditz. He swigged a bit in his mouth, rolling it on his tongue, and then he grabbed the pot.

"Um…"

"No it's okay," whispered Goku, frowning at Gohan. Sighing, Gohan let Radditz swig most of the glass carafe. With the back of a hand he wiped his lips and sighed with pleasure.

"Most pleasing… it's a warrior's drink," he nodded. "I wish for some more… please?"

"I'll get it," said Atomique, hobbling to her feet and walking to the coffee maker. Videl and Gohan exchanged a look, blinking as Son Goku watched them from behind his bowl.

"Not a pretty sight, is it?" nodded the older woman, handing Videl the pot of coffee she found. In the background the sounds of a video game playing full blast mingled with laughter and shouts. Both were glad that the younger generation had found a suitable distraction.

"Dad, are you okay?" Gohan finally asked through his usual mouthful of food. "I heard some explosion last night… and I could swear…"

"It wasn't anything that you should worry about, nephew," said Radditzu. "Your house was not in danger. In fact I…"

"Just a lightening bolt hitting the house, nothing major!" he answered way too quickly, Videl thought.

"Oho how lame can you get," she groaned, glancing at Atomique.

Blushing a shade of pink, Atomique awkwardly explained, "Actually, it was me… my power was flaring out of control… and Radditzu heard me… and… since he was sleeping in the other room…"

"The other guestroom, right?" said Videl, adding her support at the astonished Goku and Gohan sitting there in shock. Both stopped their chopsticks poised over their respective bowl in mid flight to their mouths. To Videl they resembled odd twins of each other, their cheeks equally pouched with their unswallowed mouthfuls. Radditzu leaned forwards in his chair, lifting a hand to stop Videl in mid explanation.

"I wanted to see if she was all right," said Radditz, interrupting her. "And she required my assistance. She is unharmed, thanks to my intervention…"

"You got hit with lightening?" asked Son Goku, blinking at them. His chopsticks clattered to the table out of his fingers. He set his bowl down with a clink, and then lowered his dark brows in an unconvinced frown.

"No, brother… the woman's chikara was out of control. I metabolized the excess into my body, and discharged it harmlessly into your world's atmosphere," Radditz explained, rolling his eyes.

"Another bad dream?" asked Gohan, glancing from Atomique, to his father, then to Radditzu. To his delight he saw the self satisfied smirk spreading across his uncle's face which indicated one problem had been solved, while potentially creating another. Son Goku's frown morphed into a crestfallen, wounded puppy dog look that looked all too familiar to his son.

"Then… you… helped her after… the dream ended…" Son Goku asked, nodding slowly.

"You need not concern yourself. She is most well," said Radditzu, glancing at all of them.

"Yes… but I'm fine, really," said Atomique, reaching over and touching Radditz on the arm.

"Um… okay…" said Videl.

"Are you sure?" Son Goku asked, narrowing his gaze at them.

"Yes, of course," said Atomique, smiling at them brightly.

"Everything's fine, Brother," said Radditz, sliding his hand overtop of Atomique's.

"Ah… I see," said Son Goku, scratching his head. "Well if you two say so… then good…"

"And I suppose you're going to tell him that you fell asleep studying?" Atomique said teasingly at Son Gohan.

"What was that?" Gohan asked, quickly glaring at them both. "Nothing happened I mean that shouldn't… I mean… we both got through everything… so…"

"You got through something all right," Videl rolled her eyes, then stifled her laughter.

"That's NOT what she means Dad…" he yelped

"Nephew, what on Chikyuu are you talking about?" Radditzu glanced at Gohan in confusion.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay… you're pretty edgy this morning…" Goku asked.

"I was just worried, I mean when you said LIGHTENING hit the house… and then Uncle here said that Atomique was having nightmares… what am I supposed to think!" Gohan blinked, burying his face in another bowl of food quickly with a flurry of chopsticks.

"It's fortunate for you that nothing did happen of that nature, right?" Radditz glanced at them in mutual confusion. His nostrils flared, and then his eyes widened with recognition.

"Shh," whispered Atomique. "He doesn't know yet…"

"Know what?" asked Goku, blinking at them. "What's going on here?"

"I mean dad's little comment just reminded me that getting struck by lightnings pretty serious… I mean you can get burned if you don't have the right kind of rod…" Gohan blurted out.

Radditzu grinned, loud laughter pealing as he saw the look of incomprehension crossing Goku's face while Atomique snickered. At the sound of this, Videl spit her mouthful of coffee all over the middle of the table, showering Atomique with drops of brown mess. "You okay?" Son Goku asked, glancing at her from his early morning feast.

"Um… I think the coffee was a little too strong…" Gohan coughed, slapping her on the back.

"Hmm, do you always wake up showering each other with coffee on your planet?" Radditz grinned, reaching over to wipe off his mate's face with his shirt.

"I'm SO sorry!" Videl laughed, throwing a napkin across and trying to dab the coffee off her friend sitting across from her.

"Not a problem… I needed to wake up with a daily coffee shower…" Atomique laughed, wiping her eyes because she started laughing for the very same reason.

"Something you two want to share?" Son Goku asked, glancing in their direction.

"No dad, I'm sure it's NOTHING…." Gohan said quickly, frantically waving his hands at Videl.

"I meant the two ladies sitting right there wiping those grins off their faces," Son Goku clarified. "But you really look nervous, Gohan… something I should know?"

"Depends on who wants to know what," Radditz said in a hushed whisper.

"True," nodded Atomique, feeling his tail flick teasingly against her thigh.

Videl nudged Gohan under the table. Swallowing hard, Gohan reached across and took his girlfriend's hand. "Um Dad… I um… Videl and I… we were sort of thinking that we REALLY like each other… and um… I think you'll figure it out sooner or later… how do I put this…"

"My dad's gonna call here and I don't' know what to tell him!" Videl blurted out. "You know how he is, Goku-san! Please don't tell him…"

"Tell him what?" Son Goku winked.

"Surely you must know that your own son has chosen his mate?" asked Radditz.

"You dingbat!" Atomique yelled, bopping him in the back of the head. "I made a promise not to tell!"

"Uncle, stop!" Gohan cried.

"Isn't it obvious, Kakkarot, to your Saiyan senses that these two have sealed a mating pledge? Can you not smell them?" asked Radditz.

"Oh god, I'm so mortified," Gohan cried. "How could you!"

"Gohan, relax…" said Videl with a sigh. "It's not his fault he can't keep his sniffer to himself! Sheesh. Look, Goku-san, Gohan and I really like each other and… we sort of…"

"It's natural Brother. She is a strong female. You should be pleased at your son's choice in such a fine mate," Radditz said, glancing at him. "My congratulations, Nephew…"

"Well, that's great news, Gohan. When are you going to get married? I know Bulma's gonna want to…" said Goku with a smile. Radditz smirked, and leaned back in his chair.

"Shimatta," Gohan blushed bright red. "He's gonna KILL me!"

"Who, Mr. Satan?" Goku chuckled.

"You mean that wrestler on television? I thought he was the best martial artist on your planet?" Radditz hiked a brow.

"Um well…" Goku said.

"Don't say a WORD!" Gohan gritted his teeth.

"Are you kidding? He thinks Gohan here's a dweeb, and he couldn't' be MORE wrong! You don't know my daddy!" Videl yelped.

"Who's gonna mess with the champion of the world? Don't worry, I'll talk to him for you if you want, Gohan," Son Goku promised.

"Perhaps I should intercede on their behalf?" asked Radditz. "I am most pleased to defend the choice in mate to the females…"

"I'm sure he'll come round… especially when you tell him you're going off to college and taking that job that Bulma-san says she's giving you," said Goku. "Don't worry Radditz, I'll go over there myself and smooth things over!"

"Thanks so much, you're terrific!" Videl grinned, getting up and going over to kiss him on the cheek. She tried not to show how stiff and sore she was, but she caught his odd look with a shiver.

"Least I can do, for a future daughter in law," he winked at her, and nudged her over in Gohan's direction. Automatically he caught her as she stumbled with the force of Goku's shove. Landing awkwardly in Gohan's lap she caught his neck.

"Dad! Be careful!" he gasped, struggling to both steady her and sit her upright.

"Let me know when he calls… I'm sure by then we'll think of something to tell him," Atomique blurted out, and glanced at him with an amused smile. He nodded, scrunching his nose ever so slightly. Both Videl and Gohan stared at them as if they'd sprouted multiple heads.

"Looks like I'm not the ONLY one with something to tell someone?" Gohan whispered to her. She nodded, feeling the reaction of desire creeping over at sitting in the lap of the man she loved and had just made love to for the first time.

"Ah… well…" Son Goku laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "You could say that…"

Both teenagers shared a smile of relief, and then glanced back at the two adults sitting on the other side of the table. "Um… well… I guess you two might want to have some more… study time before Mr. Satan wants Gohan's head on a platter?" Atomique joked weakly.

"Oh yeah… yeah… of course…" Gohan stammered.

"Congratulations you two," Son Goku smiled warmly at them. "Why doncha check out the guest house?"

"You're awful!" Atomique groaned, throwing a piece of paper napkin at him. Mortified, the two teenagers stumbled out of their chair and rushed off to take care of some very pressing business.

Goku turned to Atomique and his brother. "So… you two…"

"Yes brother?" asked Radditz, sipping more coffee from the pot.

"It was my choice, Son Goku," Atomique blurted out.

"The two of you… did you… um… you know?" asked Goku quietly.

"Yes brother. I've taken this woman as my chosen mate. Any objections?" he asked.

"Well… no… I mean this is… wow," son Goku blinked. "You're sure?"

"Yes," said Atomique, sliding her hand around Radditz's and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He flinched at the public display, but kept his composure.

"I guess… congratulations are in order then?" Goku asked. "Wow…"

"Be happy for us, Brother. She is a fine female, and I will help her take care of her sons as if they were my own," Radditz said.

"Um no offense, but do you know how to raise two boys?" Son Goku asked.

"You will assist me in learning what is to be done, will you not, Brother?" asked Radditz.

"Sure… wow… hey… whatever you guys need… I'll help out… I'd better uh…"

"We'll do the dishes," said Radditzu. "Thank you for the meal. It was most satisfying… was it not, woman?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Thank you, Gokusan…"

"I'll be out here… if you need anything," he said, backing away with a flush of embarrassment. Radditz waved and Atomique shook her head in question. When they were alone, she felt Radditzu reach over and sweep her onto his lap with a strong muscled hand.

"I was waiting for those two to get together… but I didn't figure it'd be this soon," he murmured next to her ear.

"Guess we have no more excuse then they do?" she asked, nervously shifting on his thighs. He wrapped his arms around to hold her there, and she lay her head against his shoulder in resignation that people would know about their own situation sooner rather than later. While her arms went around his neck, he angled his face for a kiss he particularly desired after a filling meal of some thirty plates of breakfast. Of its own accord his tail had enclosed her after unwinding from his waist and twitching slightly.

Her face and body rose to that insanely molten temperature as it had many times in the last 24 hours. Dizzily she trembled at the sensation of his lips gliding over hers. Youth and strength gave way to the seasoned experience of a man who had been married at least contently for a few years and knew his way well enough around a woman's body. Half-thrilled at the possibility of getting caught she tunneled her fingers through unruly Saiyan hair, marveling at its flexibility contrasted with its wiry stiffness. Something tightened around her waist before then loosening and wrapping itself around her upper thigh.

Young minds mentally queried her location. She released herself from his kiss, panting with a bit of frustration that mirrored itself on his face. "It figures," he gasped.

"What did you expect in the middle of a dining room?" she half laughed. "You're going to make me regret getting up, aren't you?"

"Is that ALL you've eaten? How in the world are you going to be able to decently fight without…"

"Cause I'm not a big bloodthirsty Saiyan like SOME people around this place, and I mean it in the NICEST way possible," she chuckled into his ear, both of them trembling with their mutual laughter and awkwardness.

"Mom! Are you in there? Are you sick or something?" called Bohr.

"I'm fine," she called. "Is everything okay?"

"Your mother is safe, young man," called Radditz.

"Are you in there with the funny man's older brother?" asked Fermi.

"Yes… but it's okay," she called. "We're…"

"We're playing together, and it's a secret game that adults share. We'll be out soon, boy," said Radditzu.

"Okay… have fun!" called Bohr.

"But don't take too long!" called Fermi. She squirmed as Radditz pulled her down and kissed her hard. Squeezing a breast, he then released her.

"Let's go and join the others, shall we? I don't wish for the children to be too concerned… after all they don't' yet know…" said Radditzu as he took her hand.

"Thank you for understanding," she whispered as he opened the door for her and they exited.

* * *


	16. Understanding Saiyan Culture

**Understanding Saiyan Culture**

_Disclaimer: I don't own this, Toriyama and Funimation do. Any mentions of KISS or their fiction based characters are property of themselves, Marvel and Dark Horse. I do own Atomique, Fermi, Bohr and other fan characters except for Black Widow, owned by Bulma the Babe. I don't get paid for this so please don't sue me. This means no harm because it's fan fiction._

* * *

Within the living room, Goten and Trunks pressed buttons violently as they guided their video game characters through Street Fighter II. Bohr and Fermi got up and toddled over to Atomique, hand in hand with Radditzu. 

"Mommy, why are you holding hands with Uncle Raddish man?" asked Bohr.

"That's Radditzu, silly," said Fermi with a frustrated pressing of his lips. "My brother's such a toddler!"

"Well, you fine young warriors… are you watching these two play a combat simulation?" Radditzu asked, a bit nervous around children he hardly knew.

_Especially since his experience with kids their age amounted to setting them into the space pods after testing their power levels, and hooking up the electrodes to the psychic teaching machines in the round pods. Although he remembered seeing Goku as a baby, he had only held his little brother a few times when transporting him to the main launch facility onVegetasei. After their mother was recouperating, Bardock had entrusted Radditzu with taking his little brother to the Conditioning center. Unimpressed with his son's puny ki, he figured Kakkarot would be another third class left behind. However Radditzu had felt a burst of power when he placed his brother into the conditioning pod._

_For the first few months, all new borns were taken from their parents and placed in the Conditioning center. Psychich machines imput all aspects of Saiyan culture into their minds like an assembly line. A relative, usually a parent, older brother, sister or mother would check on the progress of their family member. Bardock had volunteered a reluctant Radditzu for this duty, at least in the other universe. Closing his eyes Radditzu recalled waving goodbye to his fellow saiyans. He loaded his brother in the space pod, hooking up the multiple life support devices to the round bubble containing Kakkarot. Again the levels surged and Radditzu was annoyed his father had not thought to recheck the puny battle levels. In all honesty Radditzu was the only one who knew his brother's true potential._

Something snapped him out of his reverie. He blinked and stared down at the twins looking up at him. One of them gave him a small smile, with eyes as dark as a Saiyan's. Their minds reached out and brushed his, and he gruffly rebuffed them.

"It's not right to spy in someone's mind, young warriors," Radditzu telepathed.

"You can speak in our minds just like Goku-san," Fermi nodded.

"Indeed. And there is MUCH you have to learn. That I might teach you..." Radditzu nodded.

"Hey, talk aloud!" Bohr urged, reaching up and tugging on Radditzu's pant leg.

"Trunks is kicking Goten-kuns butt!" laughed Fermi.

"Are you and my mommy holding hands cause you're special friends?" Bohr asked, walking over and looking up at Radditzu. "Is that why you said you'd teach us..."

"Yes," she nodded. "I want you to get to know him a little better… he's not used to kids… but he would like to get to know you…"

"You said you were like Son Goku-sama… his older brother. Will you be living here with us now if you and mommy are friends?" asked Bohr, hands on his hips.

"He's the funny man's brother, so he has to be, and he'll probably live here when he's not working at the Prince's palace," said Fermi. "Do you have strong powers like Goku-sama?"

"Yes, I do. Would you like to see them?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Bohr clapped his hands. He raised his hands up to Radditzu, and he blinked at Atomique.

"I think he wants you to pick him up…" she whispered.

"Ah," said Radditzu, reaching down and gingerly lifting the boy by his sides like he saw Goku do.

"Higher!" he laughed. Radditzu blinked, and Atomique smiled, swinging her arms back and forth. Dubiously Radditzu swung the boy with his brawny arms. Bohr squealed and laughed, smiling for joy.

"Me next," said Fermi.

"I wanna piggyback ride!" said Bohr. Sighing, Radditzu put the boy on his shoulders, and saw Goku giving him a grin.

"Well, that's sorta the idea," said Goku, picking his brother up. "Like this…"

Radditzu tried to duplicate what his younger brother did, and felt fists grabbing and tugging his hair. He didn't' mind at all, in fact he relished the strength the brat had. "You've got funny hair just like Mr. Funny man!" Bohr laughed.

"Of course. He's my little brother," said Radditzu.

"That's right," said Son Goku with a warm grin. Radditzu gave a non-committal grunt; much like Bejita did, and put his hands on the boy's hips.

"Dad? Where'd Nissan and Videl go?" Goten asked them.

"Why's that?" asked Goku, passing Fermi over to Atomique. Radditzu felt the hand drag over his cheek and couldn't help but laugh as he felt the boy crawling all over him.

"Cause my mom and dad want me back before the late afternoon, Son Goku-san," Trunks said.

"Perhaps I could take them, if it is permissible," said Radditzu, glancing at Atomique. Goku shrugged and looked at his sons.

"But the twins?" she asked.

"I am sure his Majesty will not mind the presence of these little ones," said Radditzu.

"Aww, don't worry I can take 'em," said Goku. "You two probably want to catch up with Bejita and Buruma. I can bring them by when I visit…"

"So you're gonna take me back, huh?" Trunks asked.

"Yes your majesty," said Radditzu, inclining his head.

"Ohhh… now this is interesting," Trunks grinned.

"You are the son of the Saiyan no Ouji," Radditzu said, still bent in a bow.

"Trunks, don't get any ideas!" Goten groaned.

"Trunks, he is right, but don't let it get to your head, okay?" asked Atomique.

"Aww you're not fun, Star Child-san…"

At the sound of this, she and Radditzu both stiffened. When he growled in his throat she said quickly, "You don't have to be THAT Formal with me, Trunks-kun? After all your mom said it was perfectly all right, unless she's changed her mind."

"Sorry, just call her Atomique-sama," Goten corrected him.

"We'll take you back, your majesty, if my younger brother agrees?" Radditzu called.

"Sure thing, Radditzu," said Goku.

"I wanna go!" said Bohr, tugging on Radditzu's leg. He glanced helplessly at Goku.

"Why not? I'll bring Fermi and Goten with me… unless…"

Sighing, Radditzu picked up the boy and put him on his shoulders. "If you wish it, I shall carry you. Unless you can fly… as I've seen…"

"Piggyback!" Bohr laughed. Radditzu was amused to say the least.

"I wanna go too," said Fermi, pouting. Reaching down, Radditzu swept him up and set him on his other shoulder. Bohr gave him a shove.

"I'll take you, and you two can take turns, all right?" she suggested, picking up Fermi. Goku glanced at Radditzu with an enigmatic smile.

"Guess you're a natural with kids after all?" Goku said, realizing this Radditzu wasn't the one who had all but killed him and his son. Rather he was a warrior who had served under Bejita, and had been ill used. Now he was trying to connect with his clan in a way like a lost prodigal son. Son Goku winked at Atomique as she steadied her son on her shoulder.

"I'll be by soon, okay? Goten, Trunks, you okay with going with Radditzu?"

"Sure, fine, it's cool," grinned Trunks.

"Yeah, cool Uncle!" laughed Goten.

"That'd be awesome, cause my Dad's always saying he wants you to come by and spar so he can see if he can still kick your butt!" Trunks called.

"He did NOT!" Goten called out. "My daddy can kick your daddy's butt any day of the week, got it?"

"Sure, right, whatever," Trunks laughed. "I'll bet you… two of my video games, any of your choice… that my dad challenges your dad the minute we arrive!"

"Really? Do I get to pick?" Goten asked.

"Mommy?" called the twins.

"Dad, I just heard you were going over to take Trunks back?" Gohan asked, as he wandered in, tugging on his sweatpants. He saw Radditzu and Atomique standing there carrying each on their shoulders.

"I cannot arrive without my armor… it is not seemly for a warrior to address his prince without…" Radditzu suddenly groaned.

"Don't' worry, I'll give ya a royal pardon," Trunks said dismissively. "C'mon, Radditzu, let's boogie…"

"They're going… with you?" Gohan asked, glancing at Goku.

"Why not," said Goku. "Besides, Bejita's used to these two. And Radditzu does wanna see the Prince, right?"

"Yes Brother. The children will be safe in my charge, do not worry," said Radditzu with a nod. "Now if you'll excuse me… we shall go… greetings Nephew…"

"Um… hi… Uncle…" he said awkwardly, still jumpy around his uncle. Memories so vivid still persisted. Goku waved and shoed them all out the door.

* * *

"Before you and Videl leave, I'd like to talk to you alone in the kitchen?" Goku asked. 

"Dad…" he snorted in frustration. "Are you SURE we can trust him?"

"He's my brother. And he's NOT the Radditzu that kidnapped you. He's from another reality…"

"Yeah cool, but he's still RADDITZ! HELLO!" Gohan snorted. "And now he's with… with…"

"I know, but I trust her, and I'm gonna trust him. Trunks and Goten are fine with it, and I'm sure that Radditzu is going to be sure to protect them all. He's loyal to Bejita, remember?"

"Yes… but I just can't…" Gohan snorted.

"You'll have to get used to it. Because I made a promise to Bejita that I'd take him in. Saiyan family is everything you know… and considering that I killed him in this reality I owe him a chance…" said Son Goku.

"You're just too trusting dad," sighed Gohan. "But all right… but if he hurts…"

"Atomique and he are mates now. He won't do anything to hurt her, because he loves her," Goku said quickly.

"Maybe it's something to do with what you were smiling about all through breakfast dad?" asked Gohan quietly. "Look, I'm glad you're happy and all, and I'm not mad or anything. I think it's GREAT that he found someone to make him happy… but I'm worried about you…"

"What are you talking about?" he asked awkwardly.

"Videl knew something was going down, and it's kind of hard not to notice these things when you've got… um," said Gohan.

"Personal experience?" his father said with a knowing smug look.

"I thought you wanted her yourself," said Gohan softly as he walked into the kitchen after Goku. His father reached into the fridge and pulled out two cans of soda. Tossing one to him, he sat down and cracked his open. Gohan sighed, and sat next to him, playing with his can nervously.

"I did, but it wasn't right. And I'm glad that Radditzu was there for her…" said Goku.

"You trying to convince me, or yourself?" asked Gohan.

"I don't know…" sighed Goku. "But we both know… it couldn't' work…"

"You know we're gonna have to face up to her… sooner or later… and Goten…" said Gohan. "It's mother isn't it? Are you still in love with her?"

"Yes," said Goku. "That's why I've been holding off for so long. I didn't want to make anyone… angry at me again."

"You did the right thing," said Gohan quietly. "I'm glad that you didn't… but what if Mom's… found someone special… like I have? Do you think it's possible…"

"I want her back," said Goku. "But I don't know how…"

"Dad, if that's what you want… look I'll find some way of helping you, you know that!" Gohan said.

"Are you still angry at me for…" he asked.

"For being away so long?" asked Gohan quietly. Goku nodded seriously, looking his son directly in the eye.

"Be honest…"

"I always am Dad. Sure part of me is still sore that you and Mom aren't together anymore, but I sensed something was always up the longer you were… away… she didn't exactly keep her mouth shut about it. I tried to convince her not to talk about it in front of Goten, because it's not nice to say things behind people's backs, if they're dead or alive…" said Gohan, sitting down at the table opposite his father, who flopped down in sadness.

"I still blame myself. If I'd been there… if I'd known how upset it made her whenever I was gone… I know how selfish it was, but at the time…"

"You did what had to be done. You don't' have to justify it to me, Dad, I get it. But beating yourself up isn't good either. Divorce stinks, but it's all for the best. I mean seriously, it wasn't healthy for her to have all that anger bottled up inside and hearing her fight with you sometimes was hard…"

"You heard the arguments," Goku said quietly, squeezing his eyes shut. "Kuso…"

"It's all over and done with, Dad. We all make mistakes. The whole point is, that you guys needed some time to work it out apart… but you might have to face up to it… if she doesn't want to return…"

"I understand how upset she was now. More than I ever thought possible. Just how she managed to do it all amazes me," Goku shook his head.

"I'm a bit angry at her for leaving us with you," said Gohan seriously.

"Your mother never stopped loving you, you must know that, son," said Goku, reaching across to take his son's hand.

"I know… but… jumping right into the arms of that… that…"

"Let it go. You're telling me to, so the next time we see her… when she has visitation with Goten, I'll try and bury the hatchet," said Goku. "I want to end all this hurt."

"I'm just wondering why she didn't take us with her. I mean Goten asked me, and we always told him what she told me to say…"

"He'd grown up here his whole life. He knows that mom wants the best. And that it was time he got to know his dad better," said Son Goku with a sad smile.

"She planned it for so many years, if you ever did come back, don't you see?" asked Gohan.

"All the better she's with someone who can appreciate her. Who can love her and treat her the right way she needs," said Son Goku. "And I want to be that man!"

"Aren't you the least bit angry or bitter? I mean in all the time I've known you Dad… you just amaze me how you can…"

"Of course I'm angry and bitter, but that's not going to bring her back or make things the way they were. But she's still your mother, and she will still have my full respect… that I failed to give her all these years. She didn't have to let me take care of you, you realize?" said Son Goku. "She's given me that chance, and if she sees that I've succeeded, maybe we can be a family again!"

"But she did… I thought it was just to get back at you, but now I see why…" said Gohan.

"She knew that I'd do everything to make it right, and I have… I've done the best I can… at least I hope I did," said Goku quietly, looking for a moment like a lost boy. "I can't make up for the time I lost… but I can at least try to make sure I don't' make the same mistake again…And I think she realizes that. And it is time we all started smoothing the hurt out… and see if we can be a family…"

"Dad, are you sure?" asked Gohan. He got up and went over to hug his dad, slapping him on the back.

"Yes. I love her. I need her. She's my other half, and I'll fight for her if I have to…"

"Dad, just don't be unrealistic…" Gohan said.

"I have to believe it," said Goku.

"Um… not to change the subject… but sure you don't mind Uncle Radditzu taking the boys?"

"Not at all. Atomique likes him practicing being a babysitter… and I think they're taking a shine to him. I don't think I'd want them listening to Mr. Satan's foul mouth, do you?" Goku grinned.

"You're worried about them if Dragon Womyn is there… Atomique told you?" said Gohan.

"Yes. I know all about the nightmares. I asked her one day when she was preoccupied… after a tutoring session, and it all came out. She's afraid she'll take Bohr-kun and Fermi-kun away… which is why I'm glad Radditzu is with her. HE won't let it happen. I know it. And now that he's with her…"

"She won't dare with him around. I'm afraid he'd kill her," said Gohan.

"Yes, but that's her problem, I only hope he doesn't," said Goku quietly.

"Um well… uh… Have you called Videl's dad yet?" asked Gohan, cutting into the uncomfortable silence.

"I will soon, I promise," said Goku, getting up and walking over to pick up the phone. "You and Videl get ready… I think the car's got gas…"

"Okay Dad, let me know… I'll just say bye to Trunks and Goten, and round up the boys… does Atomique-san know?"

"She does… take care ok?"

"Sure Dad…" he nodded, as Son Goku dialed Mr. Satan's residence.

* * *

After an hour, Trunks and Goten watched as Radditzu and Atomique both picked up the twins respectively. They strode out the door, and into the clearing. Momentarily they turned and saw Gohan exit dressed in his black pants, white shirt and a sports jacket. 

"Trunks, Goten, you guys ready to go?" asked Son Goku, striding into the clearing. He wore his usual orange training ensemble, but he'd also thrown on a loose blue windbreaker.

"Yeah dad… are we gonna drive or…" asked Gohan.

"Lame, we'll fly, right?" asked Trunks.

"Of course," said Radditzu. "No other way your majesty…"

"What did my dad say, Goku-san?" asked Videl, zipping up her coat and shouldering her bag. Gohan took a bag filled with various items for the twins and handed it to Atomique. Radditzu grabbed it and slung it over his shoulder. Goku leaned down to kiss each son before he left to get into the car with his daughter in law and son.

"I told him a new fan just were DYING to meet him, and that you were bringing them over when you came home," Goku winked.

"Ohh, you're clever but I don't know if my dad's gonna buy it!" Videl groaned. Instantly both boys chorused the famous Satan chant.

"They've got THAT part down right," Trunks whispered to Goten. "That silly chant's perfect… even if it is lame… you sure you want them to go with US?"

"Shh, Videl's got sharp ears…" Goten said, giving him a kick in the shins.

"Ow, I'm so hurt," Trunks rolled his eyes, smirking.

"Ready to go?" Goku interrupted.

"Yep, let's fly. Later, Gohan!" called Trunks, waiting for the young couple to finish loading Videl's stuff into the trunk. Gohan kept a wary eye on the new couple and his brother and Trunks. Goku sighed, and wandered over to them.

"I will care for her," said Radditzu, turning to Goku.

"Wait, before you go… you two might want jackets," said Son Goku. He threw a windbreaker to Radditzu, bearing a sports logo of a baseball team. Putting down the bag, Radditzu held it up. Bohr levitated off his shoulder so he could draw on the coat, and admire it.

"Thank you Brother. It suits me well," he nodded. Bohr landed and grabbed twin handfuls of Radditzu's hair. Goku then handed him a long silk coat.

"It's for her," whispered Goku. Radditzu stiffly held it up, grunting as he held her son on his shoulder and his bag slung around his body. Shyly she let the Saiyan warrior help her on with it, then smiled to Goku. Trunks and Goten shouldered their multicolored backpacks. The engine of the white car roared into life as Gohan pulled out and onto the main hover car road leading down Mt. Paozu.

Atomique motioned them both over, saying, "Okay guys, I've got you for the day. We're gonna drop you off Trunks, and hopefully stay a bit because I think Radditzu here wants to talk to your dad…"

"I hope that your majesty will grant me a favor," said Radditzu, inclining his head to Trunks.

"Sure, I guarantee it," Trunks grinned, winking at Goten.

"At least we're not putting up with Mr. Satan," said Goten.

"Mr. Satan? He's so funny!" laughed Fermi. "Almost as funny as Son Goku-san!"

"He's LOTS more entertaining then that… he's a million laughs…" Trunks winked.

"Now mind your manners, he's going to be Gohan's father-in-law!" Atomique cautioned.

"Mr. Satan's the wrestler I've seen on TV, right, Goten-kun?" asked Bohr.

"Yep, and he's gonna flip when you bring your girlfriend home with two kids," giggled Goten.

"Oh please, he's just taking them so Mr. Satan doesn't try and fight him and get himself put in the hospital!" Trunks whispered, then shut up when Atomique glared at him.

"We want to meet the funny wrestler man," said Bohr.

"Later perhaps, young one," said Radditzu. "Now should we leave, sire?"

"C'mon, no time to lose," Trunks nodded to the others, leading the way out of the clearing and down the road. Atomique glanced down at Goten who was exchanging confused glances with a smirking Trunks.

"What?" he whispered, leaning close.

"I'll tell ya later. It's gonna be funny seeing the look on my dad's face when he sees your dad today," Trunks whispered.

"What?"

"You'll see. It's gonna be great…" Trunks chuckled.

"Let's go, time's wasting," said Atomique brightly. "Go on ahead, and see if you can outrun us…"

"Are you kidding?" Goten asked, blinking at his Uncle and then his friend.

"Last one there's a rotten egg," Trunks laughed, rocketing off first in a blaze of blue ki.

"Hey no FAIR!" Goten yelled, hurling himself into the air after his buddy. Soon they were distant flashes of energy receding into the horizon.

"Ready, little one?" Radditzu asked. She nodded, and both of them lifted off with equal velocity. Focusing the lavender chikara she pushed her energies downward like focusing her alchemy transmutation. Not wanting to seem too needy she pushed herself hard after Radditzu who was blazing ahead with his whitish blue ki envelope slicing into the air with ease. They managed to catch up to within a half mile, then a quarter of the two youths streaking ahead like comets in the sky.

"Faster!" cried Bohr.

"Mommy, faster!" called Fermi. She gasped as he held onto her neck, while Bohr held Radditzu by his hair. He grinned at her, enjoying the chase of the royal and his friend.

"They're fast for someone their age… how can they have so much energy?" she panted.

"Are you all right?" Radditzu asked her.

"Sure, not a problem…" she panted, sweat pouring off her forehead.

"Let me know if you need a breather," he said, reaching out and grasping her hand. She mumbled with embarrassment, but felt Radditzu transfer a bit of his ki into her, then he let go.

Her body glowed and tingled with the excess Saiyan energy, supercharged. Shooting forwards, she soon matched pace while Radditzu closed the gap between them and his son and son's best friend. Within a few hours they crossed the distance to West City, and soon spotted Capsule far below.

* * *

Both boys touched down on the front lawn. They bounded up to the front door, not looking behind them as Radditzu and Atomique landed side by side. She panted, and then felt his arm wrap around her waist to steady her against himself. Gathering strength from his physical presence, she managed to catch her breath. 

"Are you sure you are well, love?" whispered Radditzu. Her heart skipped beats hearing that term of endearment.

"Yes, fine," she nodded, not as drained as she would be in years past. While she suspected he had given her a greater measure of his ki, she realized her own must be at a greater level than she'd imagined. Already for the past few months she had been able to train herself in that same way the Z fighters all utilized to sense ki, or as she called it chikara.

"C'mon kids, let's go," Trunks called.

"Down, down," laughed Bohr. Radditzu put the boy down gently, while Fermi slid down from his mother.

"Wait for us!" called Bohr. "Trunks!"

"Now don't run!" called Atomique.

"C'mon you two, let's go," Trunks said, glancing at Goten.

"You sure?" he asked, as Trunks reached out his hand to Fermi. Bohr rushed up, and grabbed Trunk's other hand.

"Is that your wish, Sire?" asked Radditzu, inclining his head.

"I'll take 'em in. And I'll announce you to my father…" Trunks grinned. "No worries. You two lovebirds just chill while I tell my parents you're here…"

"Lovebirds?" asked Goten. "EWW!"

"What's that?" asked Fermi, as Trunks urged them in.

"Your mommy's got a new special friend," Trunks whispered.

"Special friend?" Bohr frowned, entering the capsule corps door that swung open automatically.

"Yeah… they're gonna get married soon," said Trunks.

"No way Trunks, I didn't see a ring!" Goten snorted.

"Well, my mommy can fix that," Trunks smirked. "Don't worry, he's cool… c'mon you two…"

Radditzu moved closer to Atomique, breathing in her ear. He asked, "You don't sense them, do you? Your comrades?"

"They could be masking it. I know that Bejita must be…" she whispered.

"You need not fear them while I am here," said Radditzu proudly. Arm around her waist he nudged her towards the front pathway, and she separated herself from him. Even though he cast a hurt look, she grabbed his outstretched hand to mollify him. He squeezed her fingers in his own, swinging his arm between them as they caught up with Trunks and Goten.

Trunks bounded in through the living room of Capsule Corps, chased by Goten and the twins. The two boys rushed around the legs of the maid who had just opened the door for them. Not surprised she maintained as much composure as she could while the purple and black streaks breezed past.

"You promised to give me two new games if I won! So don't try and weasel out of it, Trunks!" Goten reminded him.

"Um… well I did say that… but I meant they're new to you cause I don't play them so much anymore…"

"Play fair!" called Bohr.

"You promised! Don't be a cheater!" Fermi snorted.

"You guys are no fun," grumbled Trunks. Goten grinned and slapped both twins on the back.

"Stick close, I think this is the beginning of a real friendship…" he whispered.

"Good grief, this place never ceases to surprise me, and I'm used to being in large ultramodern buildings more so then you… or am I jumping to conclusions?" Atomique asked, walking alongside Radditzu. Both of them had flown back with the rest of the group, returning Trunks to his parents, and wondering if they could catch a sign of Jeannie.

"Well considering I lived in Frieza's compounds most of the time… it's primitive but serviceable," he answered.

She gave a surprised yelp as a lavender haired nine-year-old streaked past, pursued by his annoyed best friend. "Yikes, don't tell me that his Royal Whyness lets them rush around in here…"

"He is the son of a prince," said Radditzu. "He does what he pleases…"

"Trunks, Goten, KNOCK it off!" Buruma yelled as she entered the room. "I mean it! Or else anything you break's coming out of Trunk's allowance!"

"Guess we got the official word," Atomique said. Flashing a fist out, Radditzu caught the back of his nephew's training outfit. It still never failed to astonish her how fast his reflexes were. Even though she had learned to track hyper speed with the training he'd given, it still blew her mind.

"I apologize Mistress for his conduct," Radditzu said, bowing to her.

"Uncle Radditzu, he started it!" Goten snorted.

"Well, I shall finish it. Perhaps you and the Prince's son should go play outside?"

"He's right," said Buruma. "But no sparring till you cleaned up what you broke, got it?"

Radditzu set Goten down, and he meekly nodded in Buruma's direction. Both he and Trunks sulkily stomped out towards the way they came. Buruma sighed and turned to see them standing there. "Hello Radditzu, nice to see you… are you doing well at Son's?'

"Mistress it suits me well," said Radditzu, saluting her. "I humbly request an audience with his Majesty…"

"Oh, relax will you!" Buruma sighed. "Look, I'm sure that Bejita can squeeze you in. I'll tell him you're here…"

"You should not trouble yourself, your Highness," said Radditzu.

"Highness?" she blinked. "Oh yeah, I forgot. I guess that makes me Bejita's princess…"

"Of course, your Majesty," said Radditzu, confused.

"Relax, it's all right," said Atomique, holding his hand. Buruma gave her a wink.

"How are you doing? Hope you don't mind me dropping by?" Atomique asked.

"Never a problem. I was just surprised to see you… it's been ages! You and I never got around to you showing me that latest experimental compound you said you could transmute… because it could work GREAT with the new…" Buruma began to chatter excitedly.

"Well, if you show me the lab…" she asked.

"Radditzu, don't mind us… if you're looking for Bejita, he's in the GR, no big surprise. I'm sure he'd enjoy the chance to spar…" Buruma glanced over at Radditzu.

"If that pleases your Majesty, then I shall do so," said Radditzu. "Tomique-chan?"

"Go on," she smiled. "Why the heck not."

"I shall see you later, her Majesty permitting?" Radditzu asked, inclining his head.

"Of course," Buruma grinned. "We'll just enjoy talking about your polymer… you're dismissed Radditzu!"

"If I'm not back by the time you're ready to go, come rescue me," Atomique teased.

"Your Highness?" Radditzu blinked.

"I'll make sure she emerges in one piece! Go run along Radditzu and find Bejita! There's a good warrior!"

Radditzu nodded, and bowed before he walked down the hall to find his prince. He blushed when he realized he had no armor. "Oh, if you're looking for some armor, I have some new stuff in the locker room near the GR. Help yourself!"

"Thank you, your majesty!" Radditzu waved as Buruma rushed her friend to the lab.

"I was expecting Gohan or Videl bringing them back. Not that I mind you coming over… but is it my imagination or is he in an even better mood than usual?" Buruma whispered, leading the way to one of her extensive labs.

"Let's just say he's been getting a better quality of rest," said Atomique.

"Speaking of, are you still having trouble getting to sleep? I have an invention that might make it easier…" Buruma said. "But knowing you, you probably came up with some wonder drug…"

"I'm an alchemist, but I'm not a drugstore," she joked. "Seriously I had been an organic chemist at one time. I do miss playing around with chemicals."

"I heard you were teaching part time at Gohan's college. You finding ways of keeping out of trouble?" Buruma asked.

"I try," said Atomique with a healthy blush. "Now, what was that new material you wanted to see?"

* * *

In the Hyper Gravity training room Buruma had constructed especially for her husband, Bejita muffled a curse as a ball of ki slammed into him. Today he trained alone, pushing the latest set of training bots to the limit. An ever-present frown twisted his handsome features into his battle face, dripping with sweat. Yet as soon as he sensed the ki of his visitor, he barked a command in Saiyan to halt the session.

He grabbed the towel to his left, with a bottle of spring water. The door slid open automatically, revealing Radditzu in a low bow. Bejita snorted a grunt that passed for a greeting he walked forwards, muttering, "Radditzu. Wondered what would take you so damn long to show your face around here again…"

"I apologize your Grace for disturbing your exercise but I request humbly your counsel…"

"You always manage to succeed in THAT area," Bejita mumbled. "Thank you for bringing my son. Is Kakkarot too lazy to do it himself?"

"Begging your pardon Sire, but he seems preoccupied…" Radditzu nodded as Bejita gave him leave to rise.

"Is he wondering about my erstwhile student?" asked Bejita.

"Your pardon sire, that wasn't the MAIN reason I stopped by… other then to return your son… but while you mentioned it…" Radditzu said, walking quickly to keep pace with the Saiyan no Ouji marching down the long hallway.

"She's been gone for the last week or so," said Bejita, walking through the double doors that led to the ultramodern expansive kitchen. He sat down at one of the places that had been set up quickly by scurrying staff.

"Is that so, sire? May I ask why?"

"You know as well as I do, Radditzu. To punish her for embarrassing me, I sent her and Nappa on a mission. You recall we got a message from another Saiyan? It seems that Napa's mate survived..."

"Sire, are you serious?" Radditzu gasped, blinking hard.

"Yes. I am. They're coming back in a few days. Which means that I'll have more Saiyan warriors to acclimate, and more reasons to keep the Z fighters placated so they don't suspect anything... sinister... as if it's anything of THEIR business..." said Bejita with a grumble.

"They still don't trust us?"

"No, and I don't care if they do. As long as they remain out of our way. We must become strong on this world to defend it against the Destroyers. Perhaps these fool ningen will see that the Saiyans are their best hope for survival. But I digress..."

"Begging your pardon, Sire, but Jeannie... Dragon Womyn, seemed quite unwilling to change. She's adopted Saiyan customs..."

"You wonder WHY I recruited two Non Saiyans. Well, since the Destroyers were so hell bent on chasing them, I figured the enemy of my enemy is my ally, as the ningens say. Better to have them on my side. Now that I have you, Nappa, and Nappa's mate, we can begin to rebuild what was once lost..."

"Will we continue the tradition of planet brokering?" asked Radditzu. "Begging your pardon."

"That chapter in our history is no longer profitable. Why waste time doing that when we can make our own world here among the ningen. They will beg us to protect them. And perhaps we can forge a stronger world when our numbers are again plentiful..." said Bejita quietly. "I like this... world... and I don't want to sell it to ANYONE. Besides, why sell what we can acquire for our OWN usage. Freiza is no longer a threat here... and we can grow strong to fight his doppelganger from the Destroyer's realm if they should see fit to send him here..."

"I had wondered that.."

"One of these days I shall lead a mission to kill Freiza in the dimension you and Nappa came from, after I polish off the destroyers. Then we will be properly avenged," Bejita said with a smirk. "But we are not to discuss with anyone... under pain of death..."

"As always you know I shall not be so foolish to question your will, sire," said Radditzu reverently.

"But enough of this. I know that there is something else that concerns you," said Bejita. A slow smirk came over the Saiyan no Ouji's face as he fixed Radditzu in a stare. Radditzu averted his gaze in apology, then realized his Prince seemed quite pleased with him.

"Took you damn long enough, bakayarou," Bejita said with a slow smirk. "Is that your chief reason for coming here? To ask for my approval?"

"If you please sire, it depends on what you mean…" he said, scratching his head with a nervous smile. For a split second Bejita saw an expression that was more Son Goku then Son of Bardock, and flinched.

"Don't give me that crap, you third class clown. You seem extraordinarily pleased with yourself, and that suggests you've shown good taste in your selection," Bejita said with a snort. This was the last thing he needed, his warrior getting caught with that stupid naiveté common to this planet's weak inhabitants.

"Does your Majesty approve with my choice of mate?" asked Radditzu, frowning severely in the manner common for a Saiya-jin.

"Indeed. Far better than to let her mate with Kakkarot. Little wonder you and he have been training her so hard. Otherwise you'd have been a fool to even try. Although the day that she undid a solid year of training in ten minutes with what I thought was a decent student proved to me that you could have taken her three months ago…" Bejita said, glancing at the seams of his glove rather than his warrior's face. Radditzu was relieved, because that showed Bejita wasn't going to blast him into oblivion.

"Sire?" asked Radditzu.

"That fool brother of yours isn't sure of what's supposed to happen," he said, lowering his voice. He leaned close to Radditzu, who angled his head nearby.

"No doubt. I had suspected Sire, that he desired the retrieval of his mate. He did indeed desire Atomique for his own, but I wished her for myself…" Radditzu whispered, catching the smug smile erupting on the Saiyan no Ouji's face.

"You've done well, Radditzu. Too bad your little brother doesn't share your sense of timing. I suppose we should make plans to get that loud mouthed harpy back together with Kakkarot before he goes crazy…"

"Sire, if I may ask a favor?" said Radditzu, dropping to one knee and inclining his head, with one arm held forwards.

"You wish the traditional mating ceremony? It shall be arranged. She must be trained as a Saiyan warrior because she has so much raw power. I won't stand for Kakkarot training her since she's YOUR mate. I shall make certain everything is in place," said Bejita. "Now, if you have any other news to relate to me, join me in the GR…"

"Yes your majesty," Radditzu grinned, like a cat that had ingested a sizable canary. He was glad that his prince thought well of his move, and hoped that there would be news of his new mate's nemesis. Yet what if Atomique refused Bejita's offer? No, he couldn't think of that. She accepted him as her mate, she would gladly accept all other aspects of what came along with it.

* * *

Meanwhile in the lab, Atomique stirred chemicals together in the setup she'd put together like tinker toys. Buruma was glad to see her new friend liked the organic lab she had donated funding for. Wearing a white lab coat over her smock, Atomique seemed quite at home for the first time in months. 

As Buruma handed her a fresh notebook, she glimpsed the scarf around her neck. "What's that for?" she asked Buruma.

"Oh… my scarf?" she asked.

"Yes… if you don't' mind me asking… is it something personal? Every time I see you you're hiding your neck…"

"Oh… well if you must know, it's well…"

"Where Bejita bit you?" asked Atomique. Buruma's blue eyes widened.

"What do you know about that?"

"Well Gohan… bit Videl there… and I saw the mark this morning," said Atomique.

"Really! That's great!" Buruma laughed in joy. "Does that mean that…"

"Yes!" Nodded Atomique. Both women laughed and danced. Buruma hugged her tightly, and then slapped her back, like she was an old friend. She released her friend and saw her pull at the collar of the Chinese silk shirt she wore.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Nothing… it's just so exciting…"

"You seem a bit overdressed… isn't silk kind of hot inside under a coat? You could have worn one of those new…"

"Um I prefer this style," she said quickly, turning from Buruma.

"What's' wrong, you can tell me… did you… are you…"

"I…" she trailed off, grabbing the lab counter. "I'm not sure… and now seeing… that's the way that…"

"What ever are you talking about. Did something happen?" asked Buruma, catching her shoulder.

"I don't know… Buruma… how does Bejita know that you're his… mate? Because of that?" she asked, pointing to Buruma's scarf.

"Well, yes… but we do have wedding rings… I mean he DID marry me but why are we talking about me instead of what's bothering you?"

"It's nothing… nothing you should worry too much about… I mean it's not like I can be as close as you and she were and I'm not expecting just because…"

"You're not making much sense… believe it or not you DO have friends here, despite the length of time, and if something's bothering you, I may be able to… wait… did he DO something to you?"

"Jeannie appeared in my dreams. I dreamed about Star Child…"

"Your husband…"

"Yes… but he severed the mind link with me. I can't hear him in my thoughts… and Jeannie appeared in my dreams, and then Son Goku…"

"Wait, slow down!" Buruma said quickly. "Why don't we talk about this all over coffee… in the kitchen…"

* * *

Once they were alone in the kitchen, Buruma poured coffee for herself and her distraught fellow scientist. Atomique had said little since they had shed their lab coats and sat down beside one another at the small wooden table in the breakfast nook. Chairs creaked slightly as Atomique shifted, taking the mug of fresh coffee steaming in her face. 

"Arigato," she nodded. Buruma nodded back, setting down a plate of tempting pastries that would have put her mother's blood level of glucose to shame.

"My mom always loved these. She and my dad are out of town. Chocolate always makes me feel better when I'm mixed up… and I'm sure you're confused as hell by the look of it…"

"Buruma, I know you and Son-kun… and…"

"This has nothing to do with him, so don't worry about that," said Buruma quickly. "My friendship with you doesn't need anyone's approval. Now just please relax and tell me everything. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help… I might be a bitch to some people because I tell it like it is, but that doesn't' mean I won't listen when someone needs an ear…"

"When I woke up, Radditzu drew off my excess energy. And then the next thing I know… one thing led to another…"

"Okay… you can tell me all right. I'm not going to flip out or get mad. Goku's one of my oldest and dearest friends. If something's happened with you… and he's part of it… it's my business to know… or is that why you didn't want to tell me that he bit you?"

"You know?"

"It's obvious why you're so worked up…"

"Because you're his best friend, I figured you might be leery to know… what happened. And that you might still think that he belonged with… or should I mean we're talking about his brother here…"

"Like I said, this isn't about that. Did he bite you, on the neck? Is that why you're hiding with that smock?" she asked. Atomique nodded, unbuttoning the top silk buttons to reveal a red bruise in the exact same place that Buruma recalled hers. Untying her scarf, she showed the mark she bore, and glanced at both.

"Exactly the same place… you can see why I'm nervous, because I heard that they mate for life… and if…" trailed off Atomique.

"No wonder you're freaked. Are you sensing any thoughts or feelings not your own?"

"Yes. Just like with Paul, only more… intense. It's like I can feel… and sense things… like I'm partly somewhere else…"

"Did you bite HIM?"

"Yes," she nodded, looking guiltily.

"Thank heaven for small favors, or you'd be going nuts and so would he by now," said Buruma. Reaching across she took her friend's hand and squeezed it. Both women embraced, as she gave her a much-needed hug.

"I'm happy, and it's great, but I'm scared…"

"Are you scared because he might hurt you? Because Bejita would make sure…"

"Bejita can't stand me," she groaned.

"Bejita hates most people. But he respects you, and it's not just because you kicked his student's butt…" Buruma giggled.

"I refuse to believe that till I see it…" said Atomique, rolling her eyes. Buruma grinned like a Cheshire cat and squeezed her shoulder.

"Look, take it from me, those monkey men can be bakayarous, but deep down there's nobody more devoted to a female then one of them. If you caught him, then I'm sure it's all good. After all, he's Goku's brother. There has to be capacity for good… and I don't' think you need to hit him on the head either…"

"I care deeply for him. God… Kami knows why, but I've fallen deeply in love with him… so quickly…" she smiled shyly.

"Good. Then it's a chance to celebrate. I figured he had the hots for you the instant you two started arguing…"

"Is that a Saiyan thing as well?"

"You kidding? It's part of how they show affection… by yelling at each other…" she snickered, mimicking Bejita's expression eerily.

"I'm doomed," she groaned. "But Son Goku doesn't seem exactly happy… is it true what people say?"

"What do you mean," Buruma asked, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.

"He seems disappointed when I came in with Radditzu this morning. Like a lost puppy. Did he really have… feelings for me?"

"Kami… I'm afraid so. Look, I'm glad this happened. Because what I'm about to tell you will clear it all up… you should know the whole story behind why Chichi left him…"

"But is there a chance… I think he still loves her…"

"He does, but let me start from the beginning. They divorced nearly two years ago. But Chichi had been talking about leaving him for a long time, since he was dead… and she had been lonely, and in that time she'd met someone else. I figured it out, because I put 2 and 2 together, and Bejita smelled another male on her whenever she'd come by with Goten…"

"Bejita knew?" groaned Atomique.

"Yes. He didn't care for it, but he figured that since she was human, she'd be lonely. He knew for a while that this was going on. But since Son-kun was dead… and then when she heard that he was coming back for the Tenkachi Boudakai… she stopped seeing whoever it was. Things seemed great, because she was going to see her Goku again. But then Majin Buu…" Buruma frowned.

"Goku told me parts of it… that awful battle…" shuddered Atomique.

"Yes. Chichi was changed into something else like all of us were. When she realized Goku was really coming back to life, she wasn't sure how to take it. Shortly after that, she came over alone to talk to me. She asked me to promise not to tell Son-kun, but she was planning on leaving him… of course I was angry, hurt and confused for both their sakes. But I couldn't say that I was surprised. Of course Bejita overheard the whole thing, and it was all I could do to stop him from making an ass of his smug self…"

"How did…" blinked Atomique, gulping the last of her coffee. Buruma poured her a second mug. Listening to her friend she dumped sugar into the swirling black brew.

"I tried to convince her to give it another chance, but she said she'd made up her mind. I asked her if she was going to take Goten and Gohan. She said she suspected Gohan already had figured it out, and she didn't' want to take Goten out of school. I said that I'd take him if she wasn't able to… because she'd gotten a job in another city…"

"A job? Good for her!" nodded Atomique. She reached for a cream filled donut, biting into it ravenously.

Buruma grabbed an éclair, licking chocolate icing off her lips. In between bites she continued, "She's been hired as an accountant for a pretty prestigious firm. She didn't waste her time those seven years just doing nothing. So after a long talk, she gave me some money to set up a trust fund for the boys. Then she told me that she was going to see to it that Goku learned what it was like… put him in her shoes. I demanded that she tell the whole truth. So a few days went by, and then I went to see both of them. Son Goku was devastated because she'd finally broken it to him. Vegetal and I showed up at his house and he was an emotional wreck. Needless to say, Bejita was pissed, but I told him to back down. So we took Goten for a few days while I stayed with Son Goku, and Gohan. Eventually the whole story came out. She had pretended everything was fine for those last few weeks… and then she left when Goten was visiting Trunks…"

"She just left them, Goku said. But I don't think she's the sort of woman who would do that without a good reason…"

"She had told Goten she was going away on a trip, and that he was to stay with Daddy because Mommy needed to go do something important," sighed Buruma. "And that when she was done, she'd come back and have him come for a visit. And then in a few months, she and Goku took the family to dinner here, and everything was explained. I'll tell her that she did the whole thing with class, because there was no shouting, no screaming and just a very matter of fact explanation to both sons that it wasn't their fault. Goten was really upset, and Gohan wasn't too happy, but she made it quite clear that she couldn't live with him anymore. Not till he proved he was willing to stay and take care of the family. Of course Goku got it in his head that he was going to do whatever it took to make it right, so Chichi said the only way he could was to take care of the boys himself. And then that's how it happened…"

"Weren't they… bonded?" asked Atomique, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.

"Bejita says that Saiyans can bond in three ways. By blood, by children, and by soul. Rarely do all three happen in a mating bond. It's true that a Saiyan bites his mate on the neck to claim his property. But she has to bite him in return if she wants to show that she is truly his. She can refuse, but still bear his children."

"Goku said that they raised kids in incubators…" said Atomique, shivering visually.

"Yeah. And shipped 'em off world. Only Royals were born naturally anymore. So most of the mating bonds were more for the sake of sexual release. But Saiyans are monogamous after they pick one partner to breed with. Sex, food, and fighting are the three desires most important. But it was getting more and more socially unacceptable to form lasting emotional soul bonds. Those are only possible if the female continually drinks the male's blood, and lets her mind open to his the first time they mate after that exchange. But Chichi never bit him back. He said he could sense her, because they had children together, that bonded them in one of the ways, and because he'd marked her, that counted as a typical Saiyan bond. But she never bit him back. Usually 2 out of three are required to be officially mated, in Saiyan society."

"So you can have children and share blood. Or share children and a soul bond if both mutually bite?" asked Atomique.

"Yes. Or you can choose not to reproduce and so forth and so on. It's rare to have all three happen… like in the case of Bejita and myself," she blushed with pride. "But Goku and Chichi are bonded by the fact they have children. But she never fully accepted the soul bond or the blood bond. And well… it's hard to say how a Saiyan bond works with a non Saiyan… it's totally unpredictable…" Buruma shrugged.

"I feel like I'm encroaching someplace I shouldn't be…" she shivered.

"It was Goku's silly idea to take you in anyway. And now that you've done this, it solves one problem already…"

"Now we can get Goku and Chichi back together, right!" nodded Atomique.

"Absolutely. Unless she doesn't' want him back… and I'm hoping to Kami she does…"

"Let me know how I can help…" said Atomique. Then her face fell.

"What?"

"That's why I'm scared… I made such a commitment once to a man who wanted me… and look where it got me. I don't think I deserve such an honor… I mean Radditzu is a great guy… once you get past the raw meat eating, and the past he's got… but you and Bejita are happy… right?"

"Hey, he did it cause he cares for you, baka," sighed Buruma impatiently.

"I thought I wasn't capable of falling in love, but now I'm in over my head," she gasped, shivering as she sobbed into her hands. "And I'm not sorry, but I'm scared it will be taken away… and what if Paul comes back…"

"He's the one who shut you out. He's dead… unless you have some religious thing about…"

"Till death do us part I swore. But he made it clear he cannot be what I want of him," said Atomique quietly.

"I'm just really happy that he's found someone special. Take my advice and don't look back. You be good to him, because he's my best friend. And I'll support this if you both really want it…" said Buruma with a smile.

"But what if Chichi doesn't want Goku back?"

"If you're worried about Chichi, don't be. You're not responsible for her, or Goku's past. So let it go. Just enjoy the special thing Radditzu's offered you, because you're a hell of a lucky woman. Hopefully Chichi will see what Goku's done, and she'll learn how much he's willing to do to prove he loves her alone."

"Good I hope so," nodded Atomique.

"Now, why don't we see what those idiots are up to… because I for one don't want another crater in my yard?" Buruma grinned.

"Where's Jeannie?"

"Who the hell knows?" Buruma shrugged. "Bejita made it clear he wasn't training her as long as she kept ranting about revenge!"

"But he always says he's going to fight Goku…" Atomique winced.

"He always does. It's a male thing. But Jeannie was threatening to take the twins away, and actually kill you. Goku and Bejita never would kill each other's families. They keep their thing between THEM," Buruma said quickly.

* * *


	17. Lunch with the Prince

**Lunch with the Prince's Family**

_Disclaimer: I don't own this, Toriyama and Funimation do. This is fan fiction, and I own Atomique, Bohr, Fermi, and Jeannie. Black Widow is owned by Bulma the Babe. These characters mean no harm to the show. Any references to Paul, Star Child or KISS are concepts property of themselves, Dark Horse, and/Marvel for their fictional usage._

* * *

"Onna! Where the hell is lunch!" called Bejita as he marched into the kitchen. He saw the two women sitting there, and a rather embarrassed alchemist sitting sheepishly in her chair. 

"Just a damn minute, Princey… I was doing some useless socializing," Buruma snapped.

"Atomique," Bejita grunted, with a grudging nod.

"Your Highness," she said, glancing at him warily. Buruma winked at her, and pushed her shoulder down into the chair.

"I was about to tell you that I had something brought in, and it's out in the dining room," said Buruma quickly. "So if you stop shouting, you can get cleaned up and stop making an ass of yourself in front of company…"

"I don't want to be any trouble… I wasn't' expecting to…"

"Shut up and listen to the Onna, you silly wench. You're staying to eat with us, and that's final. Don't embarrass the hell out of the Saiyan no Ouji when he's offering you free damn food! If you do I'll get exceedingly pissed… so get your ass into that dining room with that useless Kakkarot and the brats, and Radditzu NOW!" Bejita snorted at her.

"Whatever you say, sir," she shrugged, blinking at Buruma who rolled her eyes. "Thanks… I think…"

"Don't mention it, now off with you," Bejita grunted. She got up and walked past, seeing a strange look over his face. He had ceased that disdainful look, replacing it with an odd grunt of tolerance. Especially when she subconsciously put a hand over her neck where the stinging welt was.

Bejita and Buruma started arguing the instant she left. For a moment she stopped to turn and see if everything was all right and crept to stand just inside the door. A slow smile came over her face when she saw why the arguing had ceased. Buruma sat on the kitchen table, as Bejita shoved the plates smashing to the floor. Her legs twined around his waist, and their faces were locked in a passionate lip hold as his gloved hands gripped her hair and his other tugged at her business dress. For her part she was curling fingers in the front of his blue training outfit.

"Okay, I think I've seen enough to make me sufficiently aroused for one day," she half chuckled, walking quickly into the living room area where several maids were tidying up.

She crashed headlong into a solid wall of muscle, and felt someone wrestle her from behind. Instantly she reacted by punching and tossing whoever it was, but found herself flipping over as the room spun. Flat on her back she crashed, landing on something alive and breathing. Her assailant had dragged her around the waist and twisted her into a hold she couldn't break. A hand covered her eyes while a muscular arm pinned her hands behind her back.

"Guess who, little one?" rumbled a familiar voice.

"You are so DEAD!" she yelped, hearing his laughter in her ear.

"Sorry, not the right name. I suppose I must restrain you till you guess correctly," he teased.

"Or else WHAT?" she laughed, as his grip tightening and a furry tail snaked round her waist. He repositioned his hands, flipping her over so she was pinned on the floor under one leg stretched out straight, while he knelt on his other. Both her wrists were snared by one hand, and he began to draw his other all over her ribs to tickle her mercilessly.

"Ah, now what will you do?" he laughed.

"Hey, no fair with the damn tail!" she shrieked, laughter mingling with his as he assaulted her sides, thighs, and other places he could reach with his tail and hand. Twisting her body, she struggled to throw the Saiyan off of her, and jerked her wrists.

"Nice try, but I know you can do better than that," he further teased, reducing her to near tears as she panted for breath through her laughs.

"You wanted it, you got it, you silly baka," she laughed, her wrists flickering with blue chikara. Transmuting the air to plastic, she shot a load of Styrofoam confetti into his face, blinding him. This gave her the split second to hyper speed away. But he was standing there in front of her, laughing as he snared her arms around his waist and lifted her up so she was locked against his chest painfully tight. Both her arms were pinioned at her waist by his strong biceps, while his tail flickered back and forth around his ankles.

"Who's the baka now?" he teased. "And I mean it in the NICEST possible way…"

"You're crazy you know," she panted, feeling the smile spreading on her face as he rubbed her back lightly.

"Crazy because I mated a human as irresistible as you," he snickered, transferring her to one hand as he slid his other up to caress her cheek. Swallowing hard she knew what he wanted when he closed his eyes and angled his face to the side.

"Something wrong?" he asked, hesitating. "I missed you when you had your audience with the Royal Princess… is all well?"

"No… nothing you should worry about," she said quickly, squirming. "I just can't touch you when you've got my hands right there and I want to…"

"Sorry love, I forgot," he laughed, releasing her arms so she could move them more freely. Sliding them up and around his neck she accepted the kiss, seeing his eyes again close and his face moving towards hers inextricably. Squeezing her eyes shut she told the other part of her to shut up and just accept what was happening. A very handsome and sexy man was giving her a kiss, and she was worried about what his comrades and her friends thought. How silly could she be, she reprimanded herself. Conjuring up images of the Prince and his lady, she pushed those to the forefront to get over her reservations about possible rejection by his friends who might object to this change of events.

Certainly the way, in which his face moved to the other side, claiming her mouth with his soft lips showed he didn't worry about such things. Sliding her fingers over his scalp, she allowed him to part her lips and taste her in that way that made her knees turn to water. Sometimes she had often wondered when Paul made love to her, if she was up to his standards. Always she felt like her kisses were awkward and childish in comparison to his steady experienced hand. While she knew he enjoyed making love, he always showed her what to do in terms of what a man and woman did in the bedroom.

In contrast, being with Radditzu involved feeling and instinct instead of cultured notions of romance. Although he was the dominant partner, he didn't insist on showing her what to do, instead he just did what felt natural. She did not feel the least bit insecure with him, only concern for his well being emotionally because his motives were straightforward. The only competition was who could give the other the most pleasure. Strong fingers tightened almost bruising her hips as he lowered her to the floor, and knelt with her before him. Tasting her sweet lips and tongue with his own, he gave a gentle nip to her bottom lip, and repositioned her so she straddled one bent knee.

"Nervous?" he whispered, releasing her from the satisfying kiss. "You shouldn't be? I don't sense anyone walking in… or are you having second thoughts?"

"I don't want to embarrass you or your friends…" she whispered.

"Surely you jest. What I do with my mate is my business alone… are you concerned about what Nappa might say, or are you concerned about the Prince being offended?" he asked.

"Yes…" she whispered, shivering in his arms.

"As for Nappa, he doesn't need to know our personal business. It's unseemly for comrades at arms to discuss private mating bonds on duty. And as for the Prince, he knows about our bond. As long as we are discrete, he'd be pleased to see that his warriors are taking pains to proliferate the Saiyan race," said Radditzu with a grin.

"Thank Kami for small favors," she sighed. A hot flush of fondness flashed over her body at the thought of such open admissions. Hadn't he said he would consider her twins as his sons?

"Is that all that troubled you?" he panted, lowering his voice as he pressed her down to the floor. "I meant what I said concerning your brats. When a Saiyan mates with one whose mate has been widowed or lost, he assumes all responsibilities for the female and her existing brood. Since there was a shortage of females on Vegetasei…"

"That was it," she nodded, releasing her breath she had been holding that moment. Throwing one leg over her, he supported her head with one hand, and reached down to renew his gentle sweet kiss. Panting and gasping his heart rate increased, and she cried out in sudden delight as his hands rubbed her chest through her jacket. He began to fumble with the fastenings of the blue Chinese silk jacket as he arched over her.

"I can help…" she whispered. Since she had come to live at Son Goku's place, she had continued to wear the robes he'd given her which had belonged to his grandmother. She did not feel comfortable asking for any other garments, because she felt she already owed them so much. Also she refused any acts of charity from anyone else; preferring to take what was offered out of gratitude from her host instead of the offers of rich garments from the Sayan no Ouji's mate.

"And spoil… my amusement, I think not, little one," he panted, his eyes dark with desire. Yet there was a bit of innocence present, that this was all new to him. This side was just as much part of him as the fierce warrior and purger of worlds. Still it was a game to him, something amusing and innocently fun, instead of a dominating competition to charm and seduce her. As she reached up to massage the muscles on his bare legs he groaned, digging his fingers in and tearing the shirt from her arms.

"Sorry… can't help it…" he mumbled, burying his face in her neck.

"No its okay… don't let that stop you… if you want this… because… I…" she gasped. Resting a hand before his cheek she gave him a kiss of her own. His murmur of delight swept through her, relaxing her body in his massive arms. For a few minutes they exchanged deep kisses, sensing each other's flavor.

"Good," he whispered, giving her a small mischievous look of pleasure that she was finally letting herself enjoy being with him like this. She panted, panicking at the though of someone walking in on them. She would die of embarrassment for sure. In fact he was all ready for her, and she was aching for completion. Her bone structure flared as she pushed her alchemy into it to increase their density to his surprise.

"Tomique-chan," he purred, and then followed up with a string of words in harsh guttural Saiyanese. Energies balanced as he opened his chakras and let his ki move between them. It was like being caught in a tsunami from which there was no escape, so she held on for dear life and sobbed as her senses overloaded. Purple chikara swirled against his white, and then merged into a uniform gold ki that haloed them both.

Simultaneously she felt his thoughts swirling into hers, and she let down the wall she had put up to allow him to enter. He did so tenaciously at first, and then allowed her the same privilege. Because of her experience with telepathy with Star Child, she knew how to forge the link without losing herself. Fortunately the Saiyan warrior Radditzu made it a more equivalent exchange, sharing what he wanted to without shoving flirtatiously at forbidden areas. Base desires of hunger and a need to please were refreshing compared to Star Child's hot sexy fantasies and thoughts of blaring music and a thousand other things meant to excite. Being with a powerful telepath grew frightening at times, because although she had her own empathic abilities to block she could not transmit.

In contrast, the Saiya-jin bond was a two way street. Because Radditzu was primarily a warrior, and she a scientist instead of a full blown psychic, the playing field was leveled. His heart slowed and he released his grip ever so slightly. Kissing her hungrily one last time he whispered, "You please me well, my little one. That was incredible…"

"You're telling ME that?" she choked with surprise.

"I would not say it if it weren't true," he purred into her neck. Although they wished to do far more, something made Atomique hesitate to go beyond the pleasurable ki exchange because she heard someone nearby.

Their moment was interrupted when they heard Bejita's voice bellowing in their minds, _**Radditzu, stop messing around and get your ass in here before I send your brother to get you!**_

"Crap," she gasped, letting go of Radditzu. "I heard him in my mind… how…"

"Because you've joined with me, you share my ability to hear my prince's thoughts as I do. You're hearing him indirectly from what he's saying to my mind… and I've opened the path for you to hear as well. It shows that he approves of our bond," her lover said, drawing his tongue around her lips.

"By the way, what was in that bag that Goku gave you? It contained more than just my son's things..." she asked, to change the subject a bit because she felt awkward, and sensed Radditzu's own trepidation at the newness of their emotional intimacy. He was not accustomed to talking about feelings and soft things dealing with relationships, not even with his own mate.

"Yes apparently he thinks that I should take to wearing them instead of working out in my armor. I accepted them to be… nice…" he grunted, making a face at the word.

"You don't do nice… just like the Prince, right?" she teased him.

"No, I don't… unless I have a proper incentive…" he purred in her ear. For a moment he leaned down to kiss her once more before they heard a snort from the other room as she retrieved her china flats and socks. Fortunately the silk Chinese jacket she'd worn wasn't too badly damaged, and Radditzu gasped in surprise to see her holding the pieces together and using alchemy to secure the torn threads.

"Guess we'd better do as he says, or else… I mean he IS your prince, right?" she whispered, feeling his hand grip hers and give it a squeeze.

"You are wise to remember that, life mate," chuckled her 'assailant' as he walked her into the dining room with the others. He intertwined his massive fingers with hers, carefully wrapping his tail around his waist once more.

She picked the Styrofoam confetti out of his black bushy mess of hair after he sat down next to her. They were facing two empty chairs, while serving bots and humans started piling food along the sideboards and in mammoth sized portions that belied their hosts' appetite. 

"He's trying to torture me… if I know him he's going to insist I wait till they show up," Goku groaned, flopping into his chair. "Hi Radditzu!"

"Brother, you have joined us here. Was your journey fruitful? Did Gohan's mate give you any problems? Will I have to join you in… convincing him… the validity of the claim?"

"Oh no, don't worry it went well," Son Goku said, sitting up straight. "Here, sit down. Bejita's just getting the stuff ready… I mean he's having the cook or whoever…"

"Last time I saw them, they were occupied…" she laughed. Radditzu pulled the chair out for her, and then pushed it back in when she was seated. He took the place next to her, between his brother and his new mate. Shyly she was not able to quite look at him as his tail slid over her thigh under the table. It stopped in a safe spot on her knee, resting there to snare her hand and interlace his fingers with hers.

In only a minute or so their host and hostess emerged. With a gloved hand the Prince wiped off the lipstick while his mate straightened her hair that had come loose. Both of them looked oddly at the other couple, and Buruma gave Bejita a swift kick to his shin before he could open his mouth and say something rude.

"I see you've been… finding ways to amuse yourself, Radditzu. Do not be worried, it pleases me that you have found yourself a mate…" said Bejita. "But do use more discretion…"

"Um… well, you've got a nice new carpet," Son Goku said as cheerfully as possible. "Love the nap… and whatever that is that you've got cooking smells incredibly good…"

"Brother mind your manners in the presence of the prince!" Radditzu barked.

Bejita held up his hand and shook his head no. "As always you think with your stomach. There's no changing your idiocy is there?"

"My apologies Sire," said Radditzu.

"You're not responsible for your brother's stupidity. Just make sure you don't take after him," said Bejita.

"If you want a change of clothes, you should have asked me, silly…" Buruma whispered as she pulled out a chair and showed them where to sit. Both males glanced at each other with a serious look that denoted understanding. Neither would mention to the other they well knew what had transpired. The moment passed when Son Goku gave him one of those irritating smiles that annoyed the hell out of the Saiyan no Ouji.

"Well, if we're finished with the frivolity, can we kindly eat?" Bejita snorted.

"You're not kidding Bejita… I'm gonna die if I don't…" Goku said. Radditzu grumbled at his brother's lack of decorum, but Bejita had a rather amused smirk seeing the two Saiyans sitting not far from each other. Truly they were different as night and day.

"Settle down boys, I won't have you stuffing your faces till everyone's here okay?" Buruma sighed. "But we can have an appetizer I suppose… so if you'll all get comfortable…"

"Or more comfortable," Atomique couldn't resist mumbling and she heard the mental chuckle that slid in from the man next to her. Both had very satisfied grins on their faces till Trunks and Goten came sloughing in.

"Grammy's here!" Trunks laughed. "Oh, hey Radditzu… I guess you talked to my dad huh?"

"Indeed I did, your highness," said Radditzu, inclining his head to Trunks. Buruma rolled her eyes and shot Bejita a glare.

"Some of us remember that I am Royalty. I'm not about to change THAT for your idiotic lax social structure," Bejita snapped at her.

"Radditzu, relax, you can stop bowing and scraping," she sighed.

"Forgive me, your Highness, it is not in my nature to claim familiarity with the Royal family," Radditzu said, averting his eyes.

"You are permitted for this time to refrain from the usual pleasantries, but only for the duration of this meal," Bejita harrumphed. "But this won't be a habit."

"As you wish, Sire," said Radditzu, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He seemed oddly out of place in that blasted armor, and Buruma was turning red with embarrassment. She thanked Kami that Nappa wasn't here as well, because he was an utter boor and animal at the table. Fortunately he was elsewhere with Black Widow on training exercises.

"You didn't say your mother was coming home early! What the hell happened?" Bejita growled, tugging Buruma over to the table. Trunks and Goten climbed into two of the eight empty chairs, and glanced conspiratorially at one another.

"Jeez, I thought you liked it when your parents were home," Son Goku muttered before he shut up with Buruma's acid glare.

"I hope he remembered to bring some more of those way cool inventions from the Imperial states," Trunks said, settling into a chair next to his mother. Bejita sat at the head of the table, with Buruma to his left and Son Goku to his right oddly enough. Beside him in the middle sat Radditzu, with his mate next to him. Goten climbed into a seat opposite trunks next to her. Two other chairs, at the foot, and the immediate left must be for the senior Briefs.

"I've placed the children down for a nap," said Buruma. "They're in the nursery…"

"Thank you," said Atomique, relaxing.

"Not a problem," said Buruma. "Now… Bejita I know this is royal protocol, but it wouldn't HURT for your warriors to try and fit IN a bit better…"

"Woman, you try my patience," Bejita mumbled. "Fine. But they're still my warriors. And as such they will have the proper equivalent attire…"

For his part, Radditzu waited to see what the Prince would do. As a warrior he did not touch the food on his plate till the Prince did. Yet Goten glanced at her oddly, and she felt the weight of his eyes on her.

"Uncle Radditzu, what was that stuff on your lips?" Goten asked, blinking at him. "Did you kiss someone?"

"Mmm," he nodded.

"It's an adult thing. Don't worry about it okay?" Goku whispered, holding his finger over his lips as Radditzu growled under his breath.

"What your dad means is that now he has an excuse to spend a lot of time with Tomique-sama because they're married," Buruma quickly said, glaring at Son Goku with a look of frustration. Atomique wished for a second the floor would swallow her, but Goten appeared clueless. Trunks however smirked exactly like his father sitting down at the end of the table. Radditzu's tail tightened over her thigh and he folded his arms across his chest with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Married? When?" Goten asked.

"You know baka. Like my mom and dad were. The Saiyan way to get married..." Trunks chuckled.

"Young man, watch your mouth," Buruma scolded him.

"He should know our ways. Don't discourage him," said Bejita annoyed.

"Wow, you mean... you and Uncle Radditzu are... married?" asked Goten. "I thought so."

"Mates," said Trunks, rolling his eyes. "That's the Saiyan word. Marriage is something humans do. Mom and Dad mated before they got married..."

"This is confusing as heck," Goten mumbled.

"Bejita, you and I have to have a CHAT about what to tell..." Buruma glared at her husband.

"I see NO reason not to share the appropriate culture with our son. He is the next Prince," Bejita snapped at her. "And Kakkarot's brats need to know their Saiyan heritage! I won't stop my son from correcting him..."

"LATER!" Buruma snapped. Son Goku saw the tension, and quickly thought of a reason to abate it. Atomique shivered at the angry glares traded between the Prince and his wife, but felt Radditzu's hand close overtop hers.

"You need not explain yourself to anyone. He's right," said Radditzu.

"It's not US I'm worried about," she mumbled.

"It's customary for Saiyans to share verbal sparring, as you have observed from first hand experience," he whispered.

"Yeah, thanks for telling me you big baboon," she said, winking.

"Fool ningen, you were obviously LOST without MY help," he snorted back. His eyes gleamed with pleasure at this ready acceptance of his culture.

"Mmm, well considering you said you wanted to TRY me... after you picked me up and all but dragged me off by my hair," she said, elbowing him in the ribs.

"That custom is not Saiyan, but ningen, however it seems appropriate... were your hair not so weak and fragile," Radditzu answered.

"Um… I hate to ask this but…" Son Goku mumbled, holding his stomach. Bejita shot his mate an equally annoyed glance.

"Okay, you can start, but it's a multi course meal, and don't make a mess, or I'm going to have a stroke…" Buruma relented.

"Just keep your damn food on your side of the table, if you please, Kakkarot. Did you program the bots for a rapid cleanup, onna?"

"Bejita, be nice!" she glared at him. Ravenously Son Goku began to tear into the mixing bowl sized salad placed before him with the offered chopsticks. Bejita did the same with his own portion, after pausing to unfold a napkin on his lap first. Radditzu mimicked the prince, but took the offered chopsticks rather awkwardly, glancing at Atomique.

"Here, it's not that bad," she said, positioning them in his hand. Grunting, he grabbed the bowl and proceeded to watch his brother for guidance. Soon both sons of Bardock were shoveling food in their mouth in the same manner.

"I don't think I ever get used to this," she shook her head, glancing at Bulma who was picking at her portion demurely. Trunks and Bejita rapidly packed away their repast with western style cutlery while the three members of the Son family present rapidly inhaled theirs by lifting the bowl and shoveling away with chopsticks.

"Baboon?" Radditzu glanced at her.

"I would say ape, but Baboons have tails, whereas Chikyuujin apes don't..." said Atomique.

"Appropriate," he nodded.

By the time the soup was brought out, Dr. and Mrs. Briefs had meandered in, causing Bejita to cringe and hide his face behind a glass of wine he'd raised to sip. He glared at Buruma with annoyance, and winced as Mrs. Briefs leaned over to kiss him and flirt with him. Trunks endured his grandfather ruffling the lavender hair cut in the exact same style. Blue eyes the same shade as Buruma's lit up when he pocketed the small wrapped box the scientist pulled out and set by his plate.

"Thanks Gramps, you're the best!" grinned Trunks.

"It's the latest… I think you'll find it easy to access any mainframe and download any game should you be in a place where…" Dr. Briefs said.

"Dad, sit down and eat will you?" Buruma groaned.

"How's my little inventor, and ah, we have company!" Dr. Briefs said, walking over to shake hands with Atomique and Son Goku.

"Hey there! Nice to see you!" Goku said through a mouthful of salad. He fortunately swallowed first as he inclined his head. Various greetings were exchanged and conversations echoed across the table.

"Hello there young man, I understand you're Goku's older brother?"

"Yep this is Radditzu, he's kinda new in town, and he's staying with me," said Goku.

"It is an honor to meet you sir," said Radditzu, bowing his head. "You appear to know my mate…"

"Mate?" Dr. Briefs blinked; glancing from the shaggy longhaired Saiyan to the demure scientist dressed in a silk Chinese smock.

"Yes," said Atomique, sliding her arm through the warrior's massive one. "We just… um… well…"

"Lucky young man," Dr. Briefs shrugged. "Well, I hope your stay here is pleasant… Mr. Radditzu…"

"The pleasure is mine," he nodded. Dr. Briefs resumed his conversation with his daughter.

Mrs. Briefs bored Bejita to death with questions. Goten and Trunks conversed at a rapid fire rate about the newest cheat codes Trunks was downloading on his wristwatch PDA. Son Goku inhaled the lobster bisque soup with a Chinese style ladle. Atomique and Buruma discussed their latest research with her father. Once in a while Radditzu chimed in with his own two cents, revealing a wealth of scientific knowledge that stunned them both.

"My father was a scientist," Radditzu said proudly, sipping another draught of ale.

"Ah, that's most remarkable… I assumed you Saiyans were all… warriors…"

"Naturally we had our skills in addition to fighting," Radditzu said.

"I guess you got the brains then?" Dr. Briefs whispered. "No offense, but Buruma's friend wasn't always the sharpest pencil in the box…"

"I take it that means he was the family baka?" asked Radditzu with an amused snort.

"In a nice way," said Atomique.

"He does compensate in other ways," said Radditzu reverently, swirling his beer in its tankard. "The least of which is his prowess with caring for brats in the absence of a mate. And being the catalyst which brought me the mate I desired…"

"So you're saying he introduced you two? That sly dog," grinned Dr. Briefs, patting her hand. She groaned, seeing Goku's eyes dart momentarily towards them with a look of confusion.

"You could say that," she said quickly.

Radditzu again smirked in satisfaction, but she allowed him a small measure because she was enjoying herself so much. All in all it seemed perfectly normal, to the alchemist. Perfectly comfortable and less awkward considering the change in status that had happened. He leaned down and whispered to her, "By the way, there are more customs involved in mating you must be aware of..."

"Such as?"

"The Prince must approve formally of our bond. In a ceremony in a few days. You'll have to display your fighting skills... before him... with me as your sparring partner," Radditzu said.

"Trial or something?" she asked.

"Indeed. After we finish eating and retire, I'll tell you everything that is expected of you. If you didn't have the requisite ki that put you on the same battle power as a Saiyan female this would not even be an issue. Yet since you are, your powers must be channeled and appropriately trained..." Radditzu said.

"Um... not to be annoying, but Son kun..."

"He's not your mate. I am. And it's MY responsibility to protect you now. Don't forget that..."

"How can I with you bitching at me," she shot back.

Midway through roast Peking duck, she flinched when she felt a furry object slide around and give her ankle a squeeze. Although Goku was digging into the second plate of Moo Shoo pork and General Tsao's chicken; she saw the glint in his eyes as he momentarily glanced at her. 

Radditzu growled, and Son Goku returned his attention to his food. She shivered when she felt the tail flicker higher. Suppressing a yelp, she felt her flesh turning a shade of pink. He shot her a mischievous glare. At the table he'd taken off the scouter, and his features were more pleasant without them. A deep purring in his throat seemed to strike a chord in her, and she gently slid her finger over the fur on his tail. Sidelong he glanced at her with a hungry look in those eyes, and she melted inside. _Damn why did he have to be such a warrior_, she lamented. Those hands that made love to her had killed as much as Bejita had. Yet she knew he wanted only to fight for her. Fighting was all Radditzu knew, and yet she had selected him over the gentle Son Goku. Had she made the right choice out of a sense of honor, or was it truly something to her advantage?

"So, I hear you were offered a position at the University?" Dr. Briefs asked Atomique.

"Yes? Well, it's only part time… and it's to keep my hand in… I do most of my lab work on the odd chance that I'm here… when I'm not training…"

"You're into martial arts yourself then, like Bulma's little Z fighter friends?" Dr. Briefs joked.

"Oh, she's picking it up great… though she has to work on her hyper speed and ki blocking," Goku said eagerly through another huge mouthful.

"That's so nice, isn't it dear?" Mrs. Briefs tittered. Bejita sighed in relief at the attention being drawn away from him at long last. Buruma snickered, hiding her face behind one hand at the family dynamics all too familiar to her.

"I am trained in martial arts as well. She will be sufficiently safe under my protection," Radditzu said as he drew himself up in his chair proudly.

"I'm sure nobody would mess with a big strong hunk like you," Bunny sighed. "My stars he's a catch. You're one lucky woman!"

"She is indeed, milady," Radditzu said as he grabbed the leg of roast duck and tore it off the carcass. With sharp teeth he tore into it, almost ready to toss the bone on the floor when he noticed that wasn't what the prince was doing. Mumbling he tossed it onto his plate instead.

"Did you hear that Gohan and Videl might get married soon?" asked Buruma with a smile.

"That's right! They just told us this morning. Isn't it GREAT?" Goku asked.

"About time that brat of yours got busy repopulating the Saiyan race," Bejita commented. "Of course there is no pressure on US of course…"

"Don't get him started, will you, he's only 10!" Buruma said, giving Bejita a kick under the table. "Although he IS going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up…"

"Mom, knock it off! You're embarrassing me!" Trunks snorted.

"Girls are gross!" Goten rolled his eyes. "Unless they know how to use cheat codes… like Videl does… she's okay I guess…"

"Kids, they grow up SO fast," Mrs. Briefs sighed wistfully. "Speaking of, how are YOUR little men doing, Tomique dear?"

"Um me?" the alchemist pointed to herself. "Well, they're fitting in pretty well. Aren't they, Son-kun?"

"No problems there. But I dunno if we're gonna home school 'em or what…" said Son Goku.

"They should have a proper education, Brother, for they must be strong and educated warriors," said Radditzu. "Fighting is done with the mind as much as the body…"

"I say the same thing. Jeez, I really do think we're related," said Goku with a goofy grin.

"Of course, whatever you say, Brother," Radditzu said with a smirk that designated tolerance for the family idiot.

"Well they DON'T have to be martial artists," said Buruma.

"They will be what they wish," said Atomique. Radditzu nodded, devouring a whole baked apple whole before scarfing down a full mug of Ikaru. Between him and Goku, they had piled at least fifty plates alone. Bejita demurely shoved food down the hatch with a fork and knife, while Trunks and Goten polished off the takeout pizzas, at least ten.

"You could do the home schooling thing. Gohan did… and Goten is too," said Buruma.

"Well it wouldn't hurt for them to get to know some other kids… but Gohan says the commute's a killer…" said Son Gohan.

"I won't have them risking exposure in useless transport," said Radditzu annoyed, throwing down his bare bones, into the empty plate before him. He wiped his hands on the napkin, narrowing forgetting not to use the tablecloth.

"Relax, it won't be THAT bad. Do they have to go to Satan City?" asked Atomique.

"Well no, but that's where Gohan was registered. I guess they could go to the one down in the village…" Son Goku shrugged.

"Why settle for provincial schools when Buruma can provide a much more superior education with her remote learning?" Bejita scoffed. "It didn't hurt for Trunks…"

"Still, they need to socialize, with other kids," said Atomique. Buruma nodded. She picked up the chopsticks to her left instead of the fork, automatically using them to maneuver her meal that she'd cut up into bite sized pieces. Buruma cast her a questioning glance, then realized something.

"Used to chopsticks?" she asked.

"Couldn't stand them at first, but they use 'em on the Alchemist world," said Atomique. "Once you get used to one way… it's hard to go back…"

"You are permitted to use your hands, little one," Radditzu shrugged. "The Prince is well aware that warriors like to touch their prey when they ingest it… the blood is exquisite when it first drips off the…"

"Eww!" Buruma squealed. Bejita snickered, and Radditzu shut up, averting his gaze.

"Forgive me… I didn't mean to insult the Royal Princess," he mumbled.

"You're forgiven, because it was most entertaining," Bejita laughed.

"Oh for crying out loud, Bejita!" Buruma shot him an annoyed look, and then smiled sweetly at a mortified Radditzu. Mumbling under his breath he grabbed a piece of meat and held it up to Atomique's lips. Surprised, she let him feed her, noticing the smolder in his gaze when her tongue inadvertently brushed past his fingers. Reaching for a bit of food, she fed him. For the next few minutes she was enjoying herself in this simple game before someone said something.

"What?" Radditzu grunted, glaring at his brother indignantly.

"Oh, just wondering if you dropped your chopsticks," Son Goku said.

"Mind your business, Brother," Radditzu snarled at him.

"Sorry!" Son Goku muttered, as Buruma and Atomique both glared at him. Radditzu grunted and returned to feeding his mate.

"Ouch," whispered Atomique.

"Pay no mind. It is not our affair," he said quietly, giving her a warning glace.

"What is THAT look for?" she asked.

"Merely that you'll have to learn many other things in the course of this... mating," he said seriously.

"Don't forget I agreed to this... and it takes TWO to make a mating bond, right?" she asked annoyed.

"Indeed, but the female defers to the male," he said quietly. "You'd do well not to forget it. Remember and I'll treat you well..."

"You're not going to bully me into obeying you like some... some... asshole, buddy," she said with a grumble.

"That is NOT what I said! I mean that you must defer to my authority so that I can perform my duties as your mate!" he snorted.

"Okay, I'm trying to be CALM here..." she inhaled.

"Tomique-chan, if I didn't desire you we wouldn't even be having this discussion!" Radditzu growled.

"I know. But it will take some getting USED to!"

"Which is WHY I'm trying my utmost to be... patient... which is NOT a Saiyan trait..." he grumbled.

"Okay... okay... you win," she said. "What all do I need to know, other than this royal acceptance? Am I going to have to swear allegiance to your Prince?"

"Yes," he nodded. "As my mate you must."

"Goku's wife didn't..."

"He has not fully accepted culture, and that is an affront that I hope to rectify. But you are aware of your decision, and as such..."

"Anything ELSE? I mean if that's the case..."

"You must share quarters with me here..." Radditzu continued, seeing the displeasure in her eyes.

"Why can't we remain at your brother's? Who's going to watch my sons when I'm training with you?"

"Kakkarot will... won't you brother?"

"What was that? You guys need a babysitter?" Son Goku asked, blinking at them. "Sure thing. But I don't think you should be arguing in front of everyone else... I mean..."

"I agree..." Radditzu said. "But it's expected that you'll reside with me when..."

Son Goku glanced mournfully at both of them, which irritated the Saiyan no Ouji to no end. Grumbling he grabbed his mate's sleeve and whispered into her ear.

She nodded and clapped her hands. "I've got an announcement..."

"Yes?" asked everyone.

"Chichi said she was coming for a visit, and she would like to see all of us at a little soirée I'm holding…"

"Chichi… is coming here?" Goku choked.

"That's right, are you deaf, Kakkarot?" Bejita snorted.

"Do try to keep up brother. It seems your mate has decided to return…" Radditzu said.

"That's quite enough; I'm making the announcements here!" Buruma said sharply. HE averted his eyes and inclined his head, muttering an apology.

"Chichi… is coming here…" Son Goku muttered. His chair leaned back and he promptly crashed to the floor, out cold.

"Daddy! Are you okay?" Goten cried, getting out of his seat and rushing over to his father's chair. Both legs were the only thing showing to the others around.

"Kuso," Radditzu groaned, hiding his head in his hand. "I apologize profusely for my brother's…"

"Never mind I think that's what I thought would happen. Radditzu, would you mind helping your brother to a spare room… Goten, I think your daddy needs help… so go with your Uncle…"

"Right," nodded Goten, grabbing one side of the chair while Radditzu took the other. They boosted it upright, and then Radditzu lifted his unconscious brother in his arms. He levitated him carefully out of the room and up the stairs with Goten behind him.

"I think this will be quite entertaining," said Bejita, rubbing his hands together.

"Ugh, men," grumbled Buruma, glancing at her husband in irritation. "C'mon Atomique-san, let's go chat Princess to subject and I'll tell you a few things about Saiyan culture so you can get your mate off your back."

"Um... right…" she nodded.

"Mate?" asked Mrs. Briefs.

"Yeah mom, Radditzu's going out with that lady," said Trunks. "And I mean it in the adult way."

"You're too young for that young man!" Dr. Briefs groaned.

"I'm quite pleased when my children know the facts of life," said Bejita. "I won't have your puerile puritan sense of false decency making him ashamed of his drive to mate. Understood?"

"Um… but…"

"Dad, back off!" Buruma snapped at him. "C'mon, some people don't' know when to shut up…"

* * *


	18. Gravity Room Lime

**Raditz' Bedtime Story**

By Trynia Merin

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Toriyama and Toei animation do. I do own Atomique, Fermi and Bohr though. I don't get paid for this. This is fan fiction!_

_Some Lemon content ahead! Rated R for language and implied sexual situations._

Note: This is an AU, where Raditz and Nappa have come from an alternate universe to the DBZ world, and have been taken in by Vegeta at Capsule. They serve as bodyguards. Raditz has taken an earth scientist named Atomique who is working for Bulma. She has the ability to generate plastics and manipulate the carbon atoms in her body in intriguing ways. Raditz has taught her how to channel ki in rudimentary ways. She has two sons by a deceased previous husband. This story takes place three months after they've mated.

* * *

Sweat glistened like honey all over his tanned skin. Raditz emerged from the workout room, rubbing his face with only a white terrycloth towel. Muscles glided under the skin tightly stretched over them, clinging to him as tightly as the spandex AE suit did that he wore under his armor. It was a simple matter to step into the shower and adjust the primitive faucet to dispense hot water. 

A thick perfumed scent reached his nostrils causing him to change his plans. He quickly rinsed off the essentials, banishing sweat with suds that rolled down his sculpted chest and perfect thighs. Just what she was doing in proximity to the GR was beyond him but he had a sneaking suspicion. The whirring noise told him someone had activated it, and he cursed under his breath, grabbing a towel to hitch quickly around his hips as he dashed out.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing woman?" the elder son of Bardock exclaimed as he saw a familiar white smocked figure straining to stand up in 15 g's.

"Kami damn it, if that stupid Dragon Womyn can do this so can I!" she cursed. Purple energies flared around the Carbon Alchemist as she transmuted her skeletal structure to withstand the crushing pressures of her own body weight.

"Idiotic FOOL you'll be CRUSHED!" Raditz panicked; half-levitating across the chamber when he saw her crash to the floor as the Gs increased to twenty. Her glasses slipped off and tumbled out of her purple ki field, instantly crushed.

"I did it before... must transmute to diamond..." she gasped.

Cursing he debated going towards the failsafe, or protecting his charge. Angrily he reached her side, surging a shell of protective ki around her body as she lay with her front pressed to the mat. Dizzily she felt the pressure slowly abate, while the gravity hyperbolically climbed to thirty, then forty-five. When it reached fifty, Raditz had enough. While he had trained up to 200, he didn't relish trying to get her out of here and leave her to deactivate it. So he took the next best option: he aimed his finger towards the console. A thin beam of ki shot out, and he aimed it upward towards the ceiling so the degree of arc could land in the precise trajectory as it was dragged down by gravity.

"Cute trick," she mumbled as the pressure abated. Raditz had kept the pressure at 15 Gs in the small bubble, knowing full well it would hurt her body if he removed it all at once. The console exploded in a series of sparks, while the computer voice wound down like an old-fashioned vinyl record going too slow.

"Great Father Oorzu what the HELL were you doing in here? You trying to get yourself KILLED, woman?" Raditz snarled at her.

"That's right in my EAR damn it!" she snapped back.

"Are you intact? Anything broken?" he mumbled.

"Except for my pride and my glasses, I can't see, damn it!" she cursed. Raditz realized the severe limitations this creature had, for she was virtually blind without the glasses. He could only imagine what it was like to be cursed with such weak vision, even for a human.

"They're crushed I believe," he mumbled. Slowly he pushed himself up, dropping his ki bubble. He rolled her over onto her back, slowly checking her body for any injuries.

"Crap," she mumbled, forcing away angry tears. "I did this before. When I fought Jeannie I withstood 100 G's by converting my body to diamond..."

"Perhaps you're going about this wrong? Turning matter into energy is a waste! You as a scientist should know that!" Raditz snorted impatiently.

"Thank you, Carl Sagan," she grumbled, glancing up at the fluffy blob surrounded by a spiky bush that arched over her. Reaching up she touched the skin of his sweaty arm, smelling the musk from his body. Other senses were acutely aware, compensation as she made natural sense of light and shadow.

Raditz could see the faint imperfections on her skin. Yet for a human she had very smooth olive complexion. Without her glasses her eyes were dark brown, almost black. For a second they seemed Saiyan, except they reflected images of him. All she saw when she looked into his eyes was the gleam of light, no reflection. Due to the different nature of their bodily fluids, their eyes didn't refract light the same way as humans did, so they always seemed to have bottomless dark eyes.

"Another ludicrous pop culture reference. Fortunately I just watched that rather basic show," he snorted.

"You smell like old spice and gym socks," she said.

"Your sense of smell is rather decent for a human," he chuffed. He had to admit as limited, as her sense of smell was, it was far better than most humans he'd met were. It wasn't saying MUCH, but her tactile sense and intuition was also quite advanced. The major deficit was her lack of vision, which was 20/20 when aid with glasses and only blobs and shadows like a newborn baby without them.

"What were you doing, taking a shower?" she asked, reaching up to touch his muscular chest. Raditz had hunched over her, curious at the sight of her dark eyes staring up at him, as if wanting to see him but not able to. When he could see her far better than most beings on this world. Human senses seemed so limited in comparison, yet this scientist didn't seem hindered. She used instrumentation to go beyond the limits of her frail flesh, and her mind burned strong with ki.

"I WAS, till you interrupted me by putting yourself deliberately in jeopardy! I can't guard and protect you when you insist on being reckless!" he snorted. "You're only a human!"

"Only a human, or only human, Raditz?" she asked, scrunching her nose at him. He saw she was in a playful mood, and released his breath. Mumbling he pinned her thighs between his muscular knees before she could get up.

"Ningen, tailless primate. Homo sapiens," he said, bringing his face close so she could see his countenance more clearly. Dark hair spilled around her, engulfing her in a cloud of midnight coarseness. HE trailed his hair over his face, keeping her pinned in place.

"Let me up you big baboon," she grunted.

"Make me," Raditz said quietly, smirking in that traditional Saiyan way. "You've been a naughty female, and you should be punished for making my job harder!"

"Hmm, sounds, entertaining," she chuckled.

"I had hoped so. There I was about to take a shower in that primitive cleanser when I had to save your ass, albeit attractive, from your reckless GR experiment. Next time you want to crush yourself, ask me to do the honors. Or else at least have me present to show you how to properly focus your ki to defy gravity," he snarled into her ear. Sharp teeth nipped warningly while he reached down to squeeze a breast playfully.

"You do smell like gym shorts," she snorted. "For a so called advanced being, you smell like a human right now..."

"Really?" he asked quietly. He quite liked how her soft curves contrasted wit his hard muscles. A complete opposite, her gently rounded hips and thighs were generous with cellulite. Yet she was stocky and strong like a Saiyan female even if she lacked muscle tone. Against her thigh she felt a prominent bulge swelling to life, urgently tenting the towel hitched around his waist. The only thing holding it there was the damp tail twined around the top.

"Yes, you're soaking my uniform with that sweat of yours," she gasped.

"You're all sweaty too, woman," he chuffed, bending down to inhale her scent like a fine perfume. She smelled of the aromatic chemicals she had been working with: acetone, alcohol, the garlicky smell of DMSO, and something like ether. Underneath it all was her human musk, concealed by a waxy artificial smell called deodorant, and a hint of what smelled like tobacco smoke.

"Don't you dare tear up my uniform," she said with a warning glare as Raditz' fingers twisted on the front of the navy blue jacket after popping the buttons on the protective labcoat she sported.

"Too many damn fastenings," he grunted, working with his large fingers to try and loosen the buttons. Soon he had undone the jacket, and pulled her up so he could tug it off her, then work on the belt and zipper fastenings on the baggy loose pants. At one point he actually leaned down and worked the buttons loose between his lips and tongue. Dark spiky hair tickled her flesh as it was revealed and he stripped away her clothes to leave her in her white underblouse and loose pants. She had shucked the boots off when he pinned her down again between his thighs.

"Now we're on a more even footing, huh?" she said. "You still stink, Tarzan."

"Your fault for postponing my shower. But I'm sure I can think of a creative way to remedy the disparity," he purred deeply, finding her breasts with his large hands. He stopped when he heard footsteps accompanied by distinctly Saiyan scents. Specifically they belonged to Nappa and Vegeta.

"Someone coming?" she guessed from the tension and the muttered Saiyago curse.

"Drek," Raditz snarled grabbing her up and snaring as many of her clothes as he could. He wadded them into a bundle, shoving them into her arms while he carried her out under one arm.

"HEY!" she grumbled. "Wait, your towel... you lost something..."

"No time," he panted, reaching the locker room as the GR door opened. Glancing behind them she saw something white flutter to the floor and vanish into the dim mess of myopic shadows and light.

* * *

A very sweaty and very nude Saiyan clad only in his armlet and thigh bracelet debated what to do about their current state. Atomique had grabbed her jacket, urging him to put her down as she realized her boots were missing.

He struggled into the spandex shorts he had been wearing, then grabbed her up again with one large muscled arm. He reached down and grabbed his armor, sending it into the appropriate bin so it would be repaired and cleaned before he shoved his feet into the massive boots.

"Is that for my benefit?" she asked, nodding towards his crotch area.

"You're a pain in my ass, woman. Just why I volunteered to guard you is beyond my comprehension, if you were so damned irresistible," he mumbled.

"Watch it, or else you'll get a lousy reference," she said, reaching down and swatting his spandex covered ass. To do this she had to lift his long hair aside.

"That merely tickles, female, but it's quite entertaining," he laughed, giving her own butt a harder swat. Atomique leaned down, spanking his tight ass gliding under the taught fabric like those of an 80's metal front man.

"What's the currency on Vejitasei?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was about to say that you have a million dollar or million zenni ass, but I don't know if that translates to..."

"Standard Aurites," he said. "We used gold naturally as a medium of exchange, much as you do on your planet. It's an otherwise useless metal, save for use in electronics..."

"No kidding, really?" she mumbled sarcastically. "Telling a chemist the properties of gold! Next you're going to tell me the damn molecular weight. Do you forget I had to memorize the blasted Periodic..."

"Apologies, female," he laughed, carrying his prize down the hall. She gave him another stinging smack to his muscular ass, her hardest yet. Then it was followed by a sustained squeeze that made him stop and purr deeply because she was massaging up and down his spine from her position thrown over one shoulder.

"I'm not touching the tail, promise," she said.

"You can, if you're careful," he purred, carrying her into his room. He tossed her down on the bed, then crawled predatorily towards her.

Still wearing her sleeveless top and pants with boots, Atomique laughed up at the purring monkeyman pinning her down with his thighs. He nipped her neck, reaching for her hands to position them lightly on the furry soft band around his waist.

"Rather like handling something ELSE with care, eh?" she asked, putting one hand over his furry tail.

"Don't squeeze, just pet," he whispered. "Carefully now... like I touch you here... with no more firmness than I do grasping these lovely objects..."

Of course his hands were molding to the three dimensional curves of her sizable breasts. She chuckled and hissed with delight at how nicely his huge hands fit them. Almost like they were fashioned especially to cup and squeeze her in just the way she liked. Under her fingers of her right hand, Raditz' furry tail. The furry tail dropped from around his waist, lashing against her thigh, twitching under her fingers. She let it go, observing him whip it around behind him to lash at the air to express his extreme hunger.

"I love how sweet you smell when you're in heat,' he rumbled.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked.

"No, that's perfect,' he moaned, twining his tail around her arm with a spasm. It latched there like a snake, then uncoiled to wrap around her thigh, and other parts of her anatomy. Slowly she was driving him insane, so he had to remedy the situation once more. Atomique temporarily let go of his tail, but he shock his head, placing her hand again on it. Instead he reached down to undress her instead.

Her chemical roughened fingers glided along the underside of his tail in each stroke. Not wishing to wait, he leaned down to spread her thighs apart. Small fingers yanked on his spiky abundance of hair. The pressure on his scalp served to spur him on eagerly.

"Patience," he chuckled. He let her ride out the second orgasm by holding her hips with his hands and tail. Bending over her so she could see his face, he bit her bottom lip with sharp teeth. She retaliated by biting down on his tongue that swept her flavor into her hungry mouth.

"Grrrmmm," she grunted, biting his hard skin with her teeth. He hissed in pleasure as they penetrated to actually break through his tough skin. Atomique's jaw set like a vise there causing his thick blood to seep around her lips and tongue. Iron taste flooded her lips far more quickly.

"Tomique more," he roared as they made love. Fingernails raked his bare chest trailing great red welts that stung painfully well. With Raditz she could bite, scratch and squeeze to her heart's content.

At the base of Raditz' spine he felt energies building, accompanied by the chakra firing spasmodically in his navel, groin, and other meridians. Ki crackled from his fingertips. He blinked up to see her hair standing slightly on end with purple lightening to his extreme delight. Tomique half screamed, half moaned while she shook atop him. Raditz quickly flipped her over to pin her down with massive hands on her shoulders. He impaled her one last time, snarling.

"Where's this power… coming from," she gasped.

"Let it go, let it out!" Raditz roared. "I'm doing it too!"

"Oh hell… incredible!" she hollered.

Purple radiance flooded up Raditz's veins in exchange for his Saiyan ki slamming into her body. It dawned on her reeling mind that this was exactly what she had seen in the fragmented images of Paul's mind. Never had he fully let go except before sex to exchange bodily energies. Squeezing shut her eyes she forced back tears of joy and awe.

"Tomique, drek… I didn't hurt you… damn it… answer me!" Raditz shook her.

"I'm fine, don't worry,' she panted up at him with an exhilarated smile.

Raditz murmured in her ear, collapsing wearily onto her. Her entire body hummed with high frequency ki that resembled Saiyan in every way. However she sensed he enjoyed the tingling of her alchemical chikara that was also ki.

Tomique suddenly sniffled, "She told me how they would do this, but I thought it was just like when you swap memories, but I never realized. Kuso!"

"You didn't do this much with your mate, did you?" Raditz asked, hiking a brow. He pushed himself off her, blinking with surprise.

"He and I shared a mind bond, but we didn't regularly exchange energies, no," she said.

"I was surprised not to sense anyone else's ki in your body. First I had assumed it was because humans did not do this. Then I realized it might be because you hadn't had sex for four years. Now I have my answer. You did it only once, ki exchange, and that was it like you told me the other day. Wait, you said he did this with Jeannie?"

"Before he was with me. Before he ever met me. Jeannie herself told me today how she and he exchanged kis when they made love. She said it proved they were right for one another," Atomique trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut.

"So what? He's dead, you're with me. It's his loss," Raditz said darkly. Bottomless eyes hardened with that protective feral gleam.

"You're saying you've marked me with your ki?"

"Precisely. Does that displease you?"

"No, of course not, it's wonderful," she stammered, squeezing him tightly. "The best."

"Naturally," he said with a self-satisfied grin.

"Typical, you crow when you get someone laid," she laughed, trying to banish the awful realizations.

"Radz-chan, that's the nicest thing anyone ever said to me, no offense," she said at his frown.

"I'm not nice," he snorted. "Saiyans aren't nice!"

"I mean it's the most honorable thing any man, er male has said to me," she murmured, tracing his widow's peak with her fingertips. He turned his face inwards to nip her fingers. Possessively he thrust into her while twining his tail around her waist to hold her to him.

"I'm dead," she laughed, sprawled atop Raditz.

* * *


	19. Raditz tale for Fermi and Bohr

**Raditz' Bedtime Story**

By Trynia Merin

**Part 2 Bedtime story for the kids**

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Toriyama and Toei animation do. I do own Atomique, Fermi and Bohr though. I don't get paid for this. This is fan fiction! _

**_Note: This story is an AU, where Raditz and Nappa have crossed over from a parallel dimension into Vegeta's, and he has taken them in to work for him and Bulma at Capsule as security guards. They train in his GR and he keeps them from getting out of hand. Raditz has taken a scientist working for Bulma named Atomique for his mate. She has two sons by a previous marriage, and her husband is dead. Atomique has the power to transmute the cells in her body to different types of carbon, and to generate plastics with her ki. She can also channel ki like the z fighters. _**

_No lemon in this part! _

* * *

Hours later, he snored loudly beneath her, his great chest rising and falling with her breasts pressed to it. Darkness fell like a shadow in the Capsule quarters, interrupted only by the sodium haze of multiple city streetlights. Overhead curved the domed ceiling of his chamber. Still she shifted, only to have him snare her hips with his tail again in his sleep. 

"Stupid ape, let me go will you," she grumbled. Nevertheless he emitted great heat so she did not really want him to release her from arms that held her like bands of steel. Even lying down he was imposing. An amusing yet horrifying thought crossed her mind. As difficult and challenging as it was to mate with Raditz, she hated to think what Napa would do.

In the moonlight he resembled any other buff male. Light gleamed off the ring on his upper arm and thigh trapped under hers. She ran her finger over the lustrous metal the hue of copper but as strong as titanium. Still she could never remove the rings he had bound on her upper arm and thigh in the corresponding places. Depending on the light the metal sometimes appeared gold, sometimes dark brass. It was warm and molded to her body heat, expanding and contracting with her body's variations.

"Out of all the males in this world, why did I have to fall for a monkey man?" she chuckled. She couldn't imagine Bulma with any Saiyan besides Vegeta for the heiress of Capsule was at least six sizes smaller than she. Bulma's bone structure was far more delicate.

Any guilt at not being with her sons was assuaged when she realized they were sleeping over with Goten in Trunk's large room. To give Goku a break, Bulma often took the boys to leave them with Trunks and Goten to train. During the three days a week she would work at capsule, most of the nights she had the boys with her now. An unspoken agreement existed that she automatically shared quarters with Raditz. Neither mentioned it because they were so comfortable with the arrangement that they didn't' want to jinx it.

Choking, Atomique realized something to her horror and wonder. Despite all her efforts she had fallen in love, and hard once more with this Saiyan. Tears dripped down her cheeks while she kissed his lips tenderly. Light years and dimensions she had found love, or rather love had found her in the form of this arrogant bloodthirsty Neanderthal warrior. "Kuso, why did I fall in love again, and why with you?" she whispered.

"Tomique-chan do you really mean that?" he answered hoarsely.

"You're awake?" she gasped.

"Answer me. Are you serious?"

"Yes," she swallowed hard. "I never though it possible but I'm deeply and madly in love with you."

"I know," he murmured happily. "That's why I exchanged ki with you."

"Is that also why I've been having these horrendous nightmares?" she murmured.

"Apologies," he mumbled. "But yours are just as dark."

"That's why Jeannie can't bother me when I'm with you? Because your mind and mine are…"

"Bonding," Raditz said quietly. "Saiyans are telepathic. By constantly consuming my blood and I yours, we've formed a biochemical link. Now that ki is exchanged, we've merged as well. This exchange of mental energy sets up the bond."

"But with Paul I swapped thoughts and memories," she said. "That was a mind link."

"Did you have much control over it? A Saiyan mind bond is subconscious as well as conscious. To open the one with Paul you had to call out to him. But ours exists on its own, no matter what. All the other has to do is focus to let thoughts and emotions flow either way through it. As if there is one mind in two bodies. Fortunately for me, you're used to keeping your thoughts private."

"I could swear I was going bananas when I hear voices in my head in a language that wasn't mine. It's frightening, but I'm able to pick up what the hell you and Nappa are saying, and it's just like human male locker room talk!" she swatted his chest.

"Unusual. That would mean a Saiyan capacity for learning new languages is bleeding over into your mind. Strangely I find myself better able to understand chemistry and biology better than before. IN human terms. And you owe nobody any apologies for killing to survive, Tomique," Raditz said firmly.

"You know that too?"

"You told me, and the memory came to me. The first time you used disintegration to kill," he said.

"I saw you, holding your little brother before you put him into a pod," she said quietly. "Wishing him good fortune before he was sent here…"

"I was but a whelp," he said quietly.

"How old ARE you?" she asked.

"Hard to determine. Do you mean in Human years or Saiyan years?"

"You're forty five in human years, but only thirty in human," she said quietly. "How long do you guys live?"

"Perhaps four of your centuries at the most. No Saiyan's lived long enough to know. Most old warriors go on missions when they sense they are obsolete," Raditz said.

"Do you kill the aged and sick?"

"Those that survive do, and those that cannot regenerate are left to die in peace," he said quietly. "With genetic engineering even the deformed can become useful."

* * *

He sensed two bright kis shimmering just outside. Raditz blinked down at a puzzled Tomique. He mumbled, "I think your whelps require your presence…"

"I'm sorry," she groaned.

"Don't be. They can come in. They must know the reality of our relationship," said Raditz. He untangled himself from her while she grabbed a robe. Instead she quickly slid the nightgown hanging over his chair over her body.

"Mommy, I can't sleep, and Bohr's annoying me!" Fermi grumbled. The door muffled his voice.

"I'm coming," she said.

"I am NOT bugging him! He's thinking too loud!" Bohr answered.. Raditz chuffed as he pulled on a pair of black boxes given to him by Tomique. He threw on a sleeveless shirt as well, watching her open the door.

Two small figures stood side by side, their shapes dwarfed by Atomique standing by them. Raditz slowly padded over, glancing down at them. "You young warriors cannot sleep eh?" he asked.

"Sorry to bug you Uncle Radz but he wouldn't' stop thinking so loud!" Fermi poked Bohr.

"I'm sorry, but I had a scary dream! And Trunks-kun snores louder then Funnyman san!" Bohr pouted.

"And you wish to sleep in here with your mother and I? I suppose that is permitted?" he glanced at her.

"Do you mind?" she asked, leaning down to pick up Fermi. He rubbed his eyes, yawning. Bohr tugged on Raditz's muscular leg.

Mumbling he reached down and scooped the child up in his massive hands, settling him into his arm like he had seen Goku do. He depressed the door control to shut and lock it. Atomique's hips gave a gentle sway accompanied by her nightgown swirling around her. Raditz settled Bohr on his shoulders and marveled in the boy's strength exemplified by him pulling on his hair.

"Just try and get to sleep," she mumbled. She set Fermi down in the bed, then got in next to him. Raditz was about to set Bohr down when he said, "I'm not sleepy… I wanna story…"

"C'mon guys give me a break, I'm tired," she groaned.

"A story?" Raditz murmured, then sat down, plunking Bohr on his lap. He leaned back in the massive recliner specially reinforced for his bulk.

"I'm fresh out," she said helplessly.

"I believe I had a possible solution," Raditz said quietly. "What sort of tale would you prefer, young warrior?"

"An exciting one, with no kissing in it," Bohr made a face.

"Yeah, no kissing, but lots of action,' said Fermi, yawning.

"Nothing too gory, okay?" Atomique said, settling her son against her breast. She tucked the sheets around him. They glanced over at Raditz awkwardly toddling Bohr on his knee.

"Well, most of the tales I know are from the fires of my missions, but I suppose I can adapt one for this use," Raditz mused.

"No silly fairy tales, either," Fermi said.

"Humph, I'm not familiar with your planet's folklore," Raditz sniffed. "But I can tell you a story about two brothers."

"Like me and Fermi?"

"Like Gohan and Goten," he said quietly. "And please limit your interruptions or I'll cease…"

"That's part of the fun," Atomique said, throwing a pillow at him.

"Very well," Raditz sighed, and picked up the boy. He slowly paced back and forth to try and get a plotline that resembled one of his father's Saiyan folk tales while simultaneously sanitizing it for the purpose of the boys.

"Well, you CAN make it PG," said Atomique.

"Mmm that does help," he sighed. "Well this story I'm about to tell you involves two brothers, one very much older than the other. They lived together on a world that was one vast rainforest..."

"Wait, the world HAS to have a name," Fermi insisted.

"Okay, what would you name it?" asked Atomique when Raditz glanced impatiently at it.

"Um I don't know, he's telling the story," Bohr shrugged. "Pick something, Uncle Radz!"

"Very well. On the planet Bejita... Rivers were abundant and wild, game was plentiful. The father was a man of science who probed the mysteries of other worlds. His mate was a great warrior who had consented to teach the arts of battle to the young nobles of the Royal court. Both brothers knew he existed, but they were a humble family…"

"Of peasants, right, Uncle Radz?" Fermi supplied.

"Yes, peasants," said Atomique.

"It would have to be, for the story to make sense," said Bohr.

"Both brothers Goten and Gohan were trained in the arts of war by their mother to be brave strong warriors. Their tribe was fast growing and needed new lands to expand their family group. So the King would often send his best ones to conquer and build him new cities in the trees. But the scientist suspected there was another reason. For the evil Dragon on the mountain was forcing his hand."

"The dragon was evil?" Fermi shook his head. "I thought the Dragon granted wishes!"

"Yeah, tell it right!" Bohr said.

"My apologies," Raditz mumbled. "I meant to say the Lizard King Freeza of the great North Mountains..."

"Ohh, now that's much better," Bohr agreed.

"He had many fierce warlords fighting for him, and his two henchmen were the mighty Zarbon, and the evil Dudoria. Both of them shared his passion to conquer the whole world, and leave none but their own stronger tribe alive," said Raditz.

"Ugh," mumbled Bohr.

"It was said that King Vegeta knew this, and had figured a way to stop his tribe from that fate. One day, the man of science, named Bardok, went to speak with the others of his station..."

"I like it better if Mr. Funny man was in the story!" Bohr protested.

"Don't be silly, that name's cool!" Fermi grumbled.

"I want Son-kun san in the story," Bohr pouted.

"Very well. Bardok, who was also called Son Goku had brave warriors in his team. They were the Z soldiers, who did his bidding and trusted him with their life's blood. His best friend Krillen was his right hand man, and the fair Chichi was the fiercest of female warriors. The others also were not questioning him. But one day he realized he could see beyond the mists of time. He only told his elder son and his mate this disturbing thing."

"He could see the future then," Fermi nodded.

"How, did he have magical powers, or was he psychic?" asked Bohr. "Or maybe some wizard cast a spell on him!"

"Yes. Some wizard he encountered on one of their great journeys to find new jungles had stricken him with a curse. Son Goku could see what would happen or what could be, but none would believe him. Still he decided to go see King Vegeta."

"Hey, Vegeta sama's a Prince, not a king," Fermi pointed out.

"All Kings were named Vegeta in this land," said Raditz.

"So there!" Bohr stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"Behave," Atomique chuckled.

"His younger son had just been whelped, and his care had been entrusted to the elder brother. But that will be a later thread to explore," said Raditz.

"Did King Vegeta know about King Freiza?" asked Fermi.

"The mighty king was unsure if the peasant was mad or just ambitious. He heard stories of Bardok's visions, and granted his request. So King Vegeta naturally recieved news of Goku's amazing powers, and he wanted to see for himself what was disrupting his warriors," said Raditz.

"What did he do?" asked Bohr.

Raditz shook his head, sighing, "King Vegeta didn't believe him. He called Goku insane, and had him thrown out."

"He also called him a third class loser idiot, right?" added Fermi.

"Fermi!" groaned Atomique. Raditz hiked a brow, while Fermi and Bohr laughed.

"Anyhow,of course Goku suspected King Vegeta was hiding something. While he was flying out the Royal palace he happened to see the Prince… Prince Trunks flying around with his bodyguard Nappa…"

"Ooh cool," said Fermi. "He's in the story?"

"Yes," nodded Raditz. "If Gohan and Goten are, then Trunks should be."

"Right," Bohr said with a nod. "It's only fair."

"Prince Trunks was the greatest warrior in a thousand years. King Vegeta was sure that he would become the Legendary," said Raditz.

"Legendary what?" asked Fermi.

"Legendary Super Saiyan," said Raditz.

"Oh that's cool," Fermi grinned.

"What happened next?" Bohr asked, tugging Raditz's hair.

"Bardok er Gokusaw terrible visions when he beheld the Prince's face. He wanted to go tell him, but knew he was already banned from the palace. So he formulated an alternate plan. He went to his son Gohan, and asked him to sneak into the palace and tell Nappa, the bodyguard, and perhaps convince Prince Trunks to listen. Perhaps then Prince Trunks could tell King Vegeta and have him see reason."

"What was so bad about the Lizard king?" asked Fermi.

"The Lizard king Frieza had made a terrible deal. In exchange for sparing the tribe of Bejitasei, he would take Prince Trunks as ransom, away from his land and peoples. But he would betray the King and set fire to the entire lands the tribe had conquered. Goku had seen this, and he was desperate to tell the Prince."

"So did Gohan do this?" asked Bohr.

"Gohan believed his father, and went to find a way into the palace. On the way, he saw his younger brother Goten. He didn't want his brother to perish, so he quietly placed him in a rocket, and launched it."

"Where did the rocket go?" asked Fermi.

"I'm getting to that. He put all the knowledge he thought the brother would need as he sent him to a faraway valley named West Province 439, to live and survive," Raditz answered.

"I want to hear about the prince," said Bohr, glaring at his brother.

"Nyahh," Fermi snorted.

"Boys, behave," Atomique said, hiding her grin.

"Gohan then entered the palace," Raditz said, sitting Bohr on the bed next to Atomique.

"Did he get to Prince Trunks in time?" asked Fermi, yawning.

"He reached Nappa, who demanded to know what Gohan was doing there. Gohan related his tale, and implored his friend to safeguard the prince. But Nappa laughed. He did say he would guard the prince with his life, in return for Gohan's help. So both of them volunteered to go wherever the Prince would be sent."

"Ah, so if something happened to the prince they'd know," nodded Bohr. "Clever…"

"Gohan told his father, and his father was frustrated. He finally decided to tell as many of his friends as he could what he'd seen. He ran through the streets telling all the warriors. They thought him ill. By then Gohan and Nappa were called with the Prince Trunks to the palace for a special mission."

"Uh oh," Fermi mumbled.

"The King summoned Prince Trunks and said he was going on a very special mission to serve King Frieza and bring honor to his people. Nappa and Gohan were to go with him and aid him. Both reluctantly promised to live and die for Prince Trunks. Bravely he polished his best armor and marched into the ship that would take him to King Freiza's mountain," Raditz continued.

"What happened to Goku?" asked Bohr. Raditz lay on his side facing both Atomique and Bohr. He pulled the covers over the young boy who stared at him with rapt fascination.

"At every turn they mocked him, saying he was insane. Goku was sad and frustrated. Only his best friend Krillen believed him. But alas Krillen was killed on a mission before he could help Gokuk. In his honor Goku bore the stained band with his blood. He then vowed that if nobody would believe him, they deserved their fate. He alone would go challenge the Lizard king Frieza and stop him at any cost," said Raditz with a low growl.

"Wow," Fermi mumbled. "Bad news. That bit the big one!"

"The Lizard king had every intention of setting the jungle to fire. He tricked Prince Trunks, Nappa and Gohan by sending them on a mission far away tot he valley of Mantissa. Then he turned his craft towards the valley where the Royal palace was. The King was not expecting his master to come with his warriors. Soon they fell upon the Valley, setting it ablaze. Not even the best warriors could stop the battle…" Raditz said.

"Oh no," gasped Bohr.

"But all was not lost. Goku alone managed to escape. Yet when he tried to attack the Lizard king, he was thrown into the outer darkness. As he landed in unfamiliar territory he was comforted with the visions of his two sons Gohan and Goten achieving power. They would train in the lands far away, and destroy the Lizard king, and thus one day avenge their tribe once and for all," said Raditz.

"So Goten arrived safely?" Fermi yawned.

"He was found by an old wise man, and raised like his own. In time, Goten became a warrior of light, and grew to strength with his friends. Prince Trunks also grew in power, and both vowed to destroy the Lizard King Freiza and bring retribution. But that is another story," said Raditz.

Against him he felt a small weight. Bohr had laid his head on Raditz's chest, curling up against him. Atomique looked affectionately at her mate who glanced anxiously at her. "Bless you, Radz-chan," she grinned.

"Then I was successful?" he asked.

"You sure were, Gohan," she winked teasingly.

"Gnite uncle Radz," Fermi yawned, laying against his mother.

Raditz sighed, placing Bohr next to his brother. He curled his arm around Atomique's shoulder, then wrapped his tail around Bohr's waist while she held Fermi with her free arm.

"Sleep well young warriors, and know that your uncle Raditz is watching over you and your mother while you sleep," he whispered. Leaning over, he kissed Tomique's lips before throwing a blanket around her. Soon Raditz was fast asleep, watching over the children that he saw as his own, and his human mate.

* * *

end 


	20. Atomique and Raditz first argument

**Differences of Opinion on Mating Rituals **

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama does. Atomique, Bohr, Fermi, and Dragon Womyn along with Cabernet are my fan characters, while Christine aka Black Widow belongs to Bulma the Babe. I don't' get paid for this! _

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* * *

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Ever since Radditzu had chosen a new mate, the group dynamics changed for the better. Or so Nappa thought at first. Unfortunately, as he came to find the next particular day, a lover's spat was inevitable. Often Nappa was the recipient of Radditzu's griping sessions, and the subject of mating advice was an all too familiar topic. What had seemed to be newly wedding or mated bliss had disintegrated into an all out shouting match once Radditzu had refused to compromise. This resulted in him returning to train without safety protocols in the GR till Nappa and Jeannie returned. Nappa was thrilled because he had been reunited with his mate Cabernet, whom he thought dead. Jeannie had said nothing regarding her anger at Atomique. In fact she avoided the subject thankfully.

"What's your deal, Radditzu? Why can't you get that mate of yours to listen?" Nappa growled at him, as they entered the locker room from a sparring session designed to get Radditzu to stop brooding. Having returned, he was annoyed to find out that Radditzu was so distracted.

"Chikusa, nothing!" Radditzu snapped back, rolling to his feet. "Mind your own business!"

"Something's crawled up your ass, and it's my job to figure out what, or else I'm gonna pound it out of you, jerk face!" Nappa glared at him. "Your concentration's gone to hell… I wanna know why!"

"Stupid stubborn ningen bitches!" Radditzu growled. He whirled around on Nappa, eyes blazing with anger.

"Oh, you and the missus having a quarrel? Is THAT it?" Nappa laughed.

"Shut up!" Radditzu exploded. "Just because you found YOUR mate alive with Dragon Womyn's help on that last Destroyer raid you think you're so fucking lucky!"

"I am. It's obvious. She's cut you off, and you're so randy because you need a good fuck… right?" said Nappa.

"Why do you have to know everything about females, dammit?" Radditzu glared at him.

"Because dummy, I've been mated before, and you haven't. And since I'm the oldest and most experienced Saiyan here… it's my job to get your ass straightened out with the female. So, lay it on me. What's she bitching about? Sex not good enough?"

"That's NOT the problem," Radditzu snorted, grabbing a towel and dabbing sweat off his face. "That baka female is going to be the END of me!"

"Oh, so you are cranky cause she's pissy and won't put out?"

"If you must know, yes, now are you happy?" Radditzu bellowed, tearing off his armored vest and throwing it down. He tugged off his wrist guards and added them to the pile.

"Are you shitting me? If you mate's cranky, then you're an even bigger pain in the ass, and I have to work with your bullshit. So stop pissing and moaning and tell me what the hell is going on so I can fix it and we can get back to our jobs!" Nappa snorted. He removed the upper part of his armor as well, and grabbed the soap and towels stacked nearby.

"She refuses to share my habitation," he glared back. Radditzu stormed off into the nearest shower stall, carrying a set of folded towels and a bar of soap with him.

"WHAT?" Nappa's voice echoed from the shower stall next to him. Steam filled the air as both males turned the water on full blast.

"She won't move in with me," said Radditzu. He shoved his head under the nozzle, inundating it so it saturated his thick hair. Soap stung his eyes while he lathered up his hands and washcloth.

"That's fucked up! Why not?" Nappa asked, cleaning himself of the stink and grime of workout.

"She wants to continue living in my brother's home… and insists I stay there as well. When she knows perfectly well it's Saiyan custom for the female to move into her mate's quarters!" Radditzu completed, squeezing shampoo through his hair angrily.

"Well she's a ningen, and maybe she's not bright enough to remember…" Nappa chuffed. Angrily Radditzu hurled the bar of soap over the shower stall. A frustrated grunt in Saiyanese answered him.

"Son of a bitch, what is your deal?" Nappa growled.

"She's a genius, you imbecile!" Radditzu hollered at the wall. "And don't you DARE think otherwise…"

"Yeah, she's a genius, but when it comes to mating matters, females are stupid and need the men to show them the rules," Nappa laughed.

"Fine. What is your solution?" Radditzu huffed, rinsing himself clean. He turned off the water, and stepped out of the shower. Snagging a towel, he wrapped it around his waist, and flared his ki to dry himself instead of bothering with the drying cloths.

"Lay down the law. Tell her…" Nappa answered. A similar flare of ki sizzled, casting a white light through the cracks in the tile.

"Tried it. She told me that I could stay where I wanted but that she wasn't moving till I apologized," said Radditzu sourly. He stepped out of the shower; a towel girded about his hips, held in place by his tail wrapped around his waist. Nappa already strode out of his stall, opening one of the lockers. He fished out a huge wife beater shirt; boxers and a pair of custom made jeans.

"Then drag her here kicking and screaming if you have to, and fuck her brains out, and show her what she's missing, dummy," Nappa said. "Make her regret cutting you off."

"If I do that, the Z fighters will make a nuisance and I might never see my mate again!" Radditzu snarled. A T-shirt hit him in the face as Nappa threw it towards him.

"Huh, well then get the Prince to command her to stay…" Nappa said, tugging on the jeans and zipping them up.

"She doesn't respect his authority enough…" Radditzu lamented. He twisted his long shaggy mane into a ponytail and fastened it at the nape of his neck. Sitting down he yanked on the pair of jeans that he pulled out of the locker.

"Well you did tell her she'd have to learn Saiyan culture and skills, right?" Nappa shrugged. He tugged on the reinforced Wolverine steel-toed boots that were the only things capable of accommodating his hard violent steps.

"Yes…" Radditzu admitted. He stamped down on the floor to seat his feet in the pair of Harley boots with the straps overtop the arches of his feet.

"Have you forgotten that since she's a ningen, she needs to swear allegiance to the Prince, and become a warrior? And in so doing, it's your responsibility to train her in what she needs to know?"

"There were so few of us who took non Saiyan mates," Radditzu said. He reached for a matching leather jacket to add to his simple white t shirt and jeans ensemble. Nappa tugged on a button up shirt with long vertical stripes, leaving it unbuttoned. Curling their tails around their waists, they both walked out of the locker room in their civilian threads.

"It was only in case we ran out of females and had no choice," Nappa snorted. "And had no incubators in which to raise our offspring before shipping them off world. So either way, she needs to get her ass HERE so you can complete the official mating ceremony…"

"Royal validation," nodded Radditzu. "But what if she refuses me?"

"She'd better not, if she knows what's best," Nappa said angrily. "If she doesn't, you're within your rights to kill her…"

Radditzu's eyes widened in horror, before his face crumpled with anger. He snarled, "I cannot, and will not resort to that step!"

"Well then, I suggest you calm down, take a break, and leave this to me. I've got a few ideas that might work to get her to respect you… so leave it to your old buddy Nappa…"

"I'm doomed," though Radditzu glumly. He grunted at Nappa's slugging his back.

"Later. Unless you want to join us for that ningen game with the balls and the sticks…"

"No thank you. I'm going to visit my brother. Perhaps he can… give me advice regarding females, as he has just reconciled with his mate…"

"Kakkarot? Well good luck with that!"

"He's more accustomed to ningen customs, so it's only logical. My brother may seem like a dimwit in SOME areas, but in others he's quite adequate," said Radditzu in defense of his brother. Nappa laughed and both friends parted company.

* * *

A similar discussion was going on at the same time the next day. Buruma had knocked on the door of Atomique's room, where she had locked herself since her spat with Radditzu shortly after they had lunch a day or so ago. Now Buruma carried a pile of third class armor designed to fit a female in her arms. She knocked carefully on the door, hoping Atomique was in a better mood after breakfast.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Yes," said Atomique. Buruma opened the door on her friend, carrying her bundle. Yet Atomique blinked when she saw Buruma wearing armor much in the fashion of Vegeta's. Except it curved around her chest and the front was partly open to show a small bit of cleavage. Her arms were covered, but her hair was swept up in a silver headband.

"It's ceremonial," said Buruma. She fastened a long blue cloak around her shoulders, pulling arm length white gloves up her arms. Tall boots reached mid thigh and had a slight heel to give her a more feminine look.

"Good Grief..." she gasped.

"Tomique-kun, I'm sorry you two got into a spat... but you've got to work it out. The first part of your ceremony is today..." said Buruma.

"My what?" she asked.

"You've GOT to be kidding me, right?" Atomique gasped as Buruma placed an AE suit and gleaming black armor on the bed.

"It wasn't MY idea. Vegeta's got this whole custom that he wants you to undergo… since you're mated… married to one of his warriors. And believe me, I wish it was another way, but he's only going to be a major asshole if you don't…" Buruma apologized.

"I know, but he already WAS!" Atomique mumbled.

"You knew the score when you agreed to mate him?" asked Buruma patiently.

"Yes. But he's a stubborn pain in the ASS!"

"Takes one to know one," said Buruma. Atomique frowned, and then relented.

"Yeah I guess we ARE a lot alike... but he could have been a lot less..."

"Like a Saiyan?" asked Buruma. "I should know. But if you get past the hardness, there's someone who cares about you, even if they don't readily admit it. And the armor here... It's not something to freak about. Basically it's Saiyan tradition for a male to teach his mate how to fight if she's not able to. Since Son-kun taught you some moves, it won't be more than a formality. But he's going to insist that you pledge to serve him…"

"Serve HIM?" she gasped. "Holy shit, you're joking…"

"I'm not. Radditzu is a third class soldier, or rather he's a rising second class elite wanna be. I had to go t through the SAME thing to make Vegeta happy. He agreed to an earth wedding ONLY if I gave him the same regard. So I had to wear Saiyan armor, let him teach me how to fight basic Saiyan skills so I could prove myself WORTHY to be a Saiyan mate. But since I'm royalty it was not so crucial. But Vegeta says the mate of a soldier must also be a fighter as well. You have to be the strongest you can… so that you're worthy of…"

"I figured as much," she muttered. "Great. So, who do I fight?"

"Radditzu presumably will be training you in the necessary skills. Then the two of you have to spar in front of Vegeta and me in about a week, or till he's satisfied that you'll 'pass muster'. You're being indoctrinated as a third class scientist unfortunately…"

"So my military career doesn't mean squat," Atomique asked, unwrapping the towel from her hair. She started to comb it out. Unfortunately the brush got stuck in it, and almost broke in two with her attempts to pull it free.

Buruma walked over to help her untangle it. She grumbled, "Well that's what's keeping him from seeing you as a concubine or pleasure slave, or breeding partner. It's amazing he's even CONSIDERING giving you the honor of being like a warrior…"

Atomique managed to free her hair with Buruma's nimble fingers. She relented and tossed it down on the bedside table. She said, "Thanks, I understand. If it means so much to him, I'll do it. I owe him something for caring for my kids… and this will keep him off my ass. I'd rather be allies then enemies with him," said Atomique.

"I think you're smarter off. Besides, your buddy Jeannie demands trial by combat and she's bugging him that you're not a fit parent…" said Buruma.

"She wouldn't DARE!" exclaimed Atomique. Her eyes flared bright purple momentarily, startling Buruma. With a squeal she leapt back, seeing Atomique's hair standing on end. Purple ki crackled in an aura about her.

"Hey, calm DOWN!" Buruma yelled sharply, putting on her best Mom from hell voice to get her attention. "Don't use ki in the house! Got it?"

"I… I'm sorry…" stammered Atomique, letting her hair drop to its usual state. Purple ki faded to nothingness. However a wild look remained in her dark eyes. Dark brown hair remained puffed out and wild from the static electricity.

Buruma went over and sat down on the bed. She patted the place next to her, indicating her friend should sit down. Reluctantly Atomique did, feeling shamed for losing her cool so easily. "That's better. That's why if you become a Third Class warrior and get training as a Saiyan, then Saiyan law applies and you're protected by Vegeta's honor. Jeannie can't touch you if you're officially serving HIM like she is. So it strengthens your position. Normally since we're on EARTH this wouldn't matter, but because he's a prince, and you're both in this… situation…"

Atomique rested her chin in her hands, propping her elbows on her knees. She sighed, "I know Buruma. I became a mate with Radditzu, and I have to uphold his traditions if it will keep my children safe. He promised to care for them, so that means I gotta do this as my part."

Buruma got up, and then pointed to the AE spandex neatly folded, under the flexible heavy armor sitting underneath. "Well, the first phase is just having you go down and interact with the other warriors while Vegeta and me take our time coming down. He wants to see how well you hold up around the other Saiyans. Plus Radditzu is anxious to see you in uniform…" she added with a wink.

"Hmm, that's incentive," said Atomique quietly.

"Be right back, while you get it on," said Buruma.

Minutes later, Buruma returned, and saw her friend step out. Wearing the boots and wrist guards alone, she had struggled with the hip guards and skirt pieces that flanked her backside, front and hips. All that remained was the heavy breastplate.

"I'll help you with the armor… it's not like Vegeta's… as you'll see… but its one size fits all…" said Buruma, as she slid the chest piece over her head. Boots fitted her feet, massive and bulking her up, while she tugged on gauntlet wrist guards. In every way the armor was identical to Nappa and Radditzu's, except fitted for a female. Rather than let her legs be bare, Buruma had insisted on the AE black spandex.

"Okay, let me see…" said Buruma. "That should do it. And even though I bitched, he insisted you use a scouter… since you're not a ki sensing expert…"

"These toys seem quite interesting," said Atomique, reaching for the small earphone with the attached pink lens. She let Buruma help fit it onto her head and explain its usage.

"It has a Trans galactic link. They use them for communication and translation, and for sensing energies. It will help you learn how. Unless Son-kun…"

"It's not very easy for me," said Atomique. "So… now we're dressed, what's the next step?"

"Well, I take you down to the training room, and there's a formal 'dedication'. Then they start you training. I'm afraid that pain in the ass Nappa's gonna be lording over both of you, and Christine's gonna be there as well. Plus, Nappa has a strange surprise…"

"What?"

"Seems that on his little mission with Jeannie, they found Nappa's mate was alive…"

"Nappa has a MATE?" asked Atomique.

"Yes, a real live full blooded female Saiyan. She's going to be there as well. Talk about the monkey bitch queen…" Buruma chuckled. "But that keeps Nappa from sniffing around everyone ELSE like a dog in heat…"

"What's her name?"

"Cabernet," said Buruma with a giggle. "She's a second class explorer guard. Apparently she'd been a prisoner of the Destroyers. But she'd managed to get away when she suspected Nappa was alive. Frieza had told him in your universe that she was killed. But she's alive. Vegeta's just thrilled to have a female Saiyan warrior... and he's already insisting the two of them get busy..."

"Good grief…" groaned Atomique.

"Hey, at least you're not the only female now…"

"I'm the only ningen besides you, and Black Widow… if you count her as human. Because she's been transformed by her talisman into the invincible being you see…" said Atomique.

"Yes. Seems that her body's molecular structure, hers and Jeannie are denser. They resemble Saiyans in some ways, but are still human. Except Jeannie's actually taken on Draconian characteristics… she's this close to being like a dinosaur… a sentient one…" shivered Buruma.

"She's not the only one… changing," said Atomique quietly.

"Just to warn you, Saiyans are ruthless and cold blooded killers, I'll be up front. Their customs seem barbaric to me, but I love Vegeta and I had to accept that part of him…" said Buruma.

"I don't expect him to change, because he can't. I mean I know he's a predator, and he kills," said Atomique. "But so have I. I was a State Alchemist and we had to KILL with our powers…"

"WHAT?" shivered Buruma.

"I'm a killer just like they are," said Atomique. "So it's inevitable."

"Wait a MINUTE… you're NOT like them!"

"I am. We were told to kill the Ishballans. I was FORCED to kill, and I found that if I didn't, I would die," said Atomique shivering.

"Oh Hon I didn't know…"

"Yes, you see, I'm not innocent," said Atomique. "I'm not the woman I once was. I've had to kill to survive, and protect my children. I want vengeance, God help me. And in some ways… it felt good to see those Destroyers die. It scares me…"

"C'mere," Buruma said, reaching out her arms. She hugged Atomique tightly, squeezing her as she rubbed her back.

"That's something I haven't told Son Goku. One of the reasons I knew that it wasn't right to consider being with him. Perhaps that's why Paul rejected me. He saw me use my powers to destroy and kill. I suffocated destroyers, and Ishballans. I killed in self defense, but then I had to kill because I was… am a soldier…"

"In self defense…"

"And in offense. Kill or be killed Buruma… I… belong with them. They are killers, and I am too. Fitting…"

"Don't lump yourself in with them…" Buruma shivered. The door creaked open, revealing the Saiyan no Ouji. He shook his head, glaring at his wife.

"It would be far better for her if she did," Vegeta said, standing there with folded arms.

"Vegeta, don't you know it's RUDE to eavesdrop?"

"I could hear you two screeching down the hall," Vegeta snorted. He strode into the room, his blue cape swirling about his muscular legs. Clad in ceremonial armor with his royal crest, he looked at Atomique with a strange respect.

"Your Majesty?" asked Atomique, readjusting the scouter on her face. He wore one of his own, which made Buruma shiver a bit.

"I see you've accepted the challenge. Good. And I had not realized you had experience in making kills…" said Vegeta. "You should have told me…"

"I didn't just do feel good stuff as a state alchemist. We put down a rebellion… and used whatever force was necessary to do our job," said Atomique.

"The qualities humans are repulsed by will serve you well," Vegeta said, pushing Buruma aside. "I see that you have let go of your squeamish nature. It will only make the transition easier for what I'll expect…"

"I know," said Atomique. "I did it in self defense…"

"That's a weak ningen excuse. I know that you're a soldier. Albeit a weak trained one, but I see now that you have what it takes. Don't disappoint me, woman," said Vegeta quietly.

"What's all this about? Training me?"

"You'll see. But don't get a swelled head. Just because I have some new appreciation for your potential doesn't mean that I'll let you off the hook. Don't be squeamish. Remember that military training you received on that other world. And don't use that ridiculous transmutation. You're going to learn to fight as a Saiyan warrior… just as your two friends."

"Terrific," she grumbled. Black Widow opened the door, seeing her friend wearing the third class armor. It shocked her to behold the transformation of alchemist into a Saiyan trainee. Quietly she strode up and inclined her head to Vegeta.

"Reporting for duty, Sire. She's ready, I see…"

"Yes. Now Atomique, enter and prepare yourself. I shall expect quick progress," said Vegeta. "You are dismissed… report with Black Widow to the training facility."

She mumbled as Christine exited, and motioned her along. Vegeta watched the two females leave, and smirked. Buruma bit her lip, feeling sick to her stomach. A cold chill ran down her spine, but she soon felt anger flush through her when Vegeta turned to look at her.

"What is your problem, woman?" he snorted.

"You insensitive ass! She didn't WANT to be a soldier and you're glorifying everything she had to do out of necessity!"

"Don't be stupid! She wanted to be a strong fighter, she should have told us of her background. It will make it all the easier to adjust…"

"But why make her a warrior? She's a mom of two kids!"

"She'll never be able to escape her past. Not with Dragon Womyn demanding satisfaction. Either she fights as a peer or is forever a weakling victim that I must waste my time with. Since Radditzu has taken her as a mate, she must be a strong warrior. I will not permit any weaklings to mate with my warriors."

"But you're not conquering a galaxy!"

"I'm defending this planet," said Vegeta coldly. "Don't question my motives woman… unless you are against me."

"No. I know we've got to do what we have to do. But we're not going to purge and sell planets…"

"The days of that are over," said Vegeta. "We must survive, and become strong so that we won't become extinct. I had never anticipated the reality that enough Saiyans survived to create a nucleus from which to regenerate the race… so that means we'll attract enemies. And I refuse to roll over and be sentimental like these Z senshi losers. Not when the Destroyers exist to mock me."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Vegeta… I love you and trust you, but don't kill my friends… or make me do anything to…"

"They will not die by my hand, but by their own stupidity," Vegeta snorted. "When they see that being squeamish and tolerant will only bring more destruction. We must fight as Saiyans, not ningen. For that's the only way to triumph against them. As you saw…"

"The Z fighters aren't thrilled…"

"It's none of their affair. If they leave me alone, and stay out of my way, I have no argument against them." Said Vegeta.

"Just be careful… Piccolo and Son Goku are watching…"

"I know, woman. Now are you going to accompany me like a true Princess of the Royal line, or as a mere concubine? Are you my equal, or my subservient?" he asked.

"Your equal," said Buruma. "I'm in this to the end…"

"Very well… I thought you'd see sense," said Vegeta, holding his arm out to let her put hers through it.

Nappa strode into the large workout facility, glancing around at the others assembled. He was amazed to know that one he once presumed dead was alive. But in front of the others he would show no weakness. As she entered from the other side, her long black Mohawk spilled down her back. A slight scar covered one eye, which was still very much intact. Several triple scars were on her bare thigh, and on her upper arm, giving her that hard-bitten look that was attractive to Saiyan males. A female with battle scars was considered strong mate material.

"You big fat bastard, took you long enough to get your act together," Cabernet smirked as she strode in with Jeannie behind her.

"Just why I went after a bitch like you is beyond me," he grinned back.

"Because you don't have the brains without me, fool," Cabernet quipped.

"Is this typical?" Jeannie mumbled to Christine, who entered from the side. Atomique moved over and stood back a ways. Radditzu strode out, and moved over to stand near her, his eyes widening discernibly at the sight of her in armor.

"Yeah, it's typical, Dragon Womyn," Cabernet said. Jeannie cursed because she forgot Saiyan hearing was so acute.

"Cute," said Dragon Womyn.

"You shouldn't knock it till you try it," said Cabernet with a leer. "So, where's the fresh meat?"

"Over here," said Black Widow. "You already know Jeannie, but this is… Atomique…"

"A third class," said Jeannie, blinking at the color of her armor.

"That's obvious, isn't it?" Nappa snorted.

"Radditzu you hairy slug, you finally found a mate, did you?" Cabernet laughed. "About damn time you got nailed. So, you some kind of ningen from this world, Atomique?"

"Not from this world," said Atomique with a rueful smile, looking Nappa's mate right in the eyes. She didn't avert her gaze, much to Radditzu's pride.

"She's from a parallel universe if it's any of your affairs," said Radditzu with a scornful glare.

"Sheesh, these guys give cranky a whole new meaning," Jeannie whispered. "I think Tomique's in for a rude awakening…"

"What the hell is going on?" asked Jeannie quietly, talking to Christine.

"What do you mean? Surely you were briefed!" Christine answered.

"She smells… like the monkey house at the zoo. What the hell is wrong? And her ki isn't normal…" said Jeannie quietly.

"Come to think of it her ki IS different, but I figured it was because she mated with a Saiyan… you know Buruma's ki isn't much, but she has primarily a Saiyan ki overtop her human one…" said Christine.

"But this one is the same amplitude as her ki, but it's as if it's half Saiyan, half ningen…" said Jeannie. "She's deliberately masking her ki and making it appear Saiyan to piss me off!"

"So? It's probably a side effect of mating. And she is an alchemist…"

"That's what makes me wonder. She smells like Radditzu, but there's a change in her scent. And she looks a bit bitchy…"

"After the way you're treating her she's every right to be bitchy," said Christine angrily.

"Go ahead and take her side…" snorted Jeannie.

"Jeannie there IS no side!"

"There is to me. Not till we settle this…" said Jeannie.

"Give it a REST, will you?" Christine hissed.

"What was that?" Radditzu asked. "Are you talking about my mate. With all due respect…"

"Excuse me, but we need to SHUT UP! The Prince doesn't care for us fighting among ourselves like this!" Nappa growled. Fortunately the blue and white armor he wore denoted him as an Elite Palace Guard, so he was on a level above Christine and Jeannie.

"Sorry," Christine said.

"Yeah, what she said," mumbled Jeannie sullenly. Cabernet strode over and looked the newcomer up and down with a critical eye.

"You're not half bad. Too bad you're a ningen, for a minute there I thought you were one of us," said Cabernet.

"They don't issue the tails in the army do they?" Atomique asked, hoping she wouldn't get kicked for that comment.

"Nope, you're born with them, except there are some cases where…" Cabernet trailed off, then blinked at Radditzu.

"What?" asked Nappa. "What's up your ass?"

"Not you at the moment," said Cabernet with a wink.

"What… is she talking about?" asked Atomique as she glanced nervously up at her new mate.

"I shall explain later. But do not concern yourself. You perhaps smell as a Saiyan because you are newly mated… after all, it is only fitting that they know whom you belong to," he whispered, lips near her ear.

"Something reeks," she mumbled, holding her nose. "Are you SURE these guys bathe?"

"Nappa is questionable," said Cabernet, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

"It's not just him… I smell so many smells," Atomique winced.

"You smell something?" Nappa blinked, looking at her in surprise. "I thought it was this smelly third class baka mate of yours!"

"Bite me," Radditzu snorted. "If I were you I'd pay attention because the Prince is entering…"

"Look sharp," said Cabernet, giving Atomique a serious look. "Keep your mouth shut, and your eyes open, and he won't get too pissed. I know you're a newbie, so just do what your mate says…"

"She knows that already," Radditzu snorted.

The royal couple entered. All of them knelt on one knee, extending their right arms like a Roman salute while resting their left on the bent knee. Atomique did so as well, averting her gaze when Radditzu hissed at her. Although she was still sore at him, she tried to forget their argument for the time being.

"Good. Everyone ready for initial training?" asked Vegeta. "I see we have a new recruit. Are you ready to show us what you have?"

"Sire?" she asked. "I suppose I am…"

"Be very sure, ningen. I don't extend this honor to many non Saiyans. Since it's customary to skip the training, this has been amended to include the possibility of Saiyans taking non Saiyans as mates due to a female shortage. Are you prepared to swear formal allegiance? You have three such chances. Now, in the middle of training, and at the end," said Vegeta.

"I shall," she nodded. "Provided that my children will be cared for…"

"You presume much, woman. See to it that you don't disappoint me, or make me regret extending you this honor…" said Vegeta. "Now all of you, get up and go warm up. I want to see what she's already learned and how far the training should take…"

"Saibamen exercise?" asked Nappa eagerly.

"Yes. Cabernet and Dragon Womyn will observe with me. The Royal consort will await my coming with the appropriate meals. If at any time I see fit to end the evaluation, you'll be allowed to have recuperation time. But don't piss me off," Vegeta said, glaring at them all.

Inside the hyper gravity room, four warriors sparred with Saibamen. Although Buruma and the Z fighters hated their presence, Vegeta assured them that these models would only prove hostile during training. Nappa had a supply of them he had brought from the other dimension, and Vegeta hastily confiscated them to cultivate his own strain for training.

Now, sans Jeannie, Christine and Nappa fought through a zone of Saibamen in the middle of the room. The objective was for one team member to cross to the other's and capture their banner. A variation of Capture the flag, but with more dire consequences. Ki moves were necessary to keep the Saibamen at bay. Jeannie and Nappa's mate Cabernet watched from the sidelines in the training center room, which she jokingly called the Danger Room. Vegeta sat next to her, grunting in disapproval at his warriors progress or lack of it. So far, only Christine had shown any improvement worth his notice.

Two Saibamen landed on either side of Black widow. She grinned, throwing back her hand, which glowed. A long thin stream of ki drew out and snaked forwards when she shouted, "Backlash!" Wrapping around the Saibaman before her, she tugged back slightly. Ki drained through her leash into her body, causing her own ki to raise considerably. Once she had drained it mostly dry, she held up her hand and directed the blast towards the one sneaking up behind her, and the target. Instantly they disintegrated.

"Good, you're getting better with that move," Vegeta barked over her scouter. "Now Nappa…"

"Fancy moves don't mean shit, girlie," Nappa laughed, flicking his finger upwards. Three Saibamen sizzled in the arching crackles of lightening surging over his massive form. Easily he punched two out of the way, then sent the third hurtling towards her.

"Draining web!" she called, weaving ki into a long net. She threw it over the Saibamen, sucking them dry. Raising her other hand she hurled the energy towards Nappa. He flipped overhead, and then aimed a punch. Red Ki snared him, and she swung him by the solidified strand in a circle like a slingshot. Nappa however caught hold of the end in mid swing, and snapped his wrists, sending Christine flying towards the wall.

She crashed against it, making a huge dent. Fortunately she was not badly fazed because she managed to divert a ball tossed to her by Nappa. He grinned, and then landed in an acid shower when the nearest Saibaman split his head open.

"Shit, I hate that," Nappa spluttered. His armor held, but his skin stung from dozens of little welts. Angrily he flicked his finger, causing the offender to explode.

"Look sharp!" Christine yelled to Atomique. The alchemist saw the head of the Saibaman nearest her split. Lifting her hand she generated a shield to ward it off. Then she laughed, hurling a small ki ball to land against the next.

"Stop wasting your energy forming solid matter and just use it to fight!" Vegeta yelled at her.

"But I'm doing fine!"

"Don't argue, fool," Radditzu snapped at her. "Do as he says!"

"Stupid pain in the ass," she mumbled, levitating just in time before a Saibaman swung a punch. Flipping over she landed a punch from a gauntlet fist, then cocooned him in a length of plastic.

"She's relying on those damn transmutation powers again," Jeannie mumbled.

"Atomique, heads up!" barked Radditzu. She had been so caught up in trussing up another that she had her back to another Saibaman. Grunting, Radditzu hurled a low-grade ki blast and knocked it out of the way. She yelped, rolling over in the explosion. Green slime covered her armor.

"Eww!" she gagged, covered in disintegrated Saibaman goo.

"She's hopeless, how can you even think that she'd make a decent warrior," Jeannie mumbled.

"Are you questioning me, girl?" Vegeta snapped.

"No sire, I'm questioning the rationale in trying to get her to even learn Saiyan techniques with the rest of us…"

"Don't dare do so in my presence again. I'm in charge, you aren't. Remember your place, or else!" Vegeta yelled at her. Jeannie sullenly shut up.

"What have we here?" Nappa teased. He reached down to try and scoop her up, but she hastily kicked him in the face. Unfortunately for her, he picked her up by her ankle and swung her around. While he wasn't really going to hurt her, Radditzu growled under his breath.

"Are you going to let him get away with that?" Christine called.

"Fight back!" Vegeta yelled.

"Let GO you jerk!" she yelled, wildly throwing a ki blast point blank into Nappa's face. He let go, and she spun out of control, crashing to the floor. Shaking her head, she struggled to stand, but her body felt like it was made of lead. Energy crackled around his form, and she threw up her hand, forming a dome of solid polymer to block it.

"No, don't use your transmutation powers fool!" Vegeta yelled. Plastic melted and vaporized under Nappa's ki, forming a mist that caused her to choke and cough. Radditzu punched Nappa aside, and dove to grab his mate up and carry her to safety.

"Shit, you overdid it, you stupid baboon!" Christine yelled at Nappa.

"I wasn't the fool who didn't use ki. And Radditzu saved her ass, so why are you bitching at me?" Nappa asked, wiping a trail of blood away.

"You're USELESS the lot of you!" Vegeta yelled. "Clean up this shit and get out of my sight! Eat some lunch damn it! We'll start this all over again tonight. Unless I see some improvement, its back to basic training!"

"Nice going, you twerps," Jeannie looked down at them.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch," Radditzu mumbled, finally releasing his breath.

"Thinks she's hot shit cause she's the Prince's favorite, huh?" Nappa whispered to him. "Never mind we were vaporizing planets before she was even whelped…"

"Tomique, you okay?"

"I'll live," she coughed.

"That was stupid, female, can't you listen to a few simple orders?" Nappa asked. "You wouldn't have choked if you'd used a simple ki shield…"

"Force of habit," she shrugged.

"You did manage to damage Nappa's pride," said Radditzu. "But you have to stop falling back on transmutation. Saiyan ki is far too high a temperature for it to be of any use…"

"I'm only doing this cause your prince ordered me to," she snapped. "Put me down, you lummox, I'm perfectly capable of walking…"

"As you wish, but don't bitch to me if you pass out," Radditzu grumbled, setting her down.

"Excuse me, I need something to drink…" she muttered. "It's stuffy as hell with some people in here…"

"Don't let that female bother you. You're doing well… for a ningen," Nappa laughed, slapping her on the back and almost knocking her over.

"Hands off my mate, you idiotic fool," Radditzu bared his teeth.

"MEN!" she growled. "I've had enough of this for one day. Can I be excused, your Majesty?"

"By all means leave and practice your drills, female. You'll have to do much better before you move on," Vegeta said. "And you'd BEST listen to your mate when he gives you an order… he won't always be there to save your ass…"

"Thank you," she said, and inclined her head. Mumbling she didn't bother to wait for anyone as she stormed out. Radditzu followed, glaring at everyone.

"Ouch," mumbled Christine, edging close to where Nappa stood shaking his head.

"You're not shitting me. Double ouch," Nappa mumbled. "That's really stupid of her not to listen to him…"

"Now wait a minute…"

"I'm worried about those two," said Nappa. "Maybe you'd better talk to your friend while I talk to Radditzu…"

"You mean that you're actually CONCERNED about him?" Christine asked.

"Yeah, go figure…"

"Meet me after practice at the pool hall. We need to talk about this," said Christine.

"Will do. Later," said Nappa, saluting her. She took off after her friend, leaving the Saiyan male to join his friend in the locker room. Radditzu heaved up and down with anger, while Vegeta exited with Jeannie.


	21. Crossing the Divide

_**Crossing the Ningen/Saiyan Divide**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama does. Full Metal Alchemist and any references to it aren't mine either. However, Cabernet, Atomique, Fermi, Bohr, Dragon Womyn are mine, and Christine the Black Widow belongs to Bulma the Babe. This is fan fiction and I don't get paid for this.

* * *

_

Christine and Jeannie had discovered the best local hangouts within a month of arriving to this dimension. Over the year they spent in Bejita's training, they scoped out their favorite bars, pool halls, and shopping malls. Many a free afternoon was spent shooting nine ball with a good cigar and a brew. Since Christine didn't drink, she often substituted sprite or diet coke while Jeannie chugged a Killian's Red.

After Nappa and Radditzu arrived, they were encouraged strongly by Bejita to include the two Saiyans in their treks. Reluctantly at first they had taken both males to their watering holes in the hopes to get them more acclimatized to earth's culture. By far the most difficult part was finding them suitable civilian clothes. Both males were easily eight feet tall with boxer/wrestler sized chests, so most of their jeans and T-shirts were custom made by Buruma's tailors. Before long, Radditzu settled on a leather biker look, while Nappa had opted for traditional T-shirt and tight blue jeans with hiking boots.

Today the foursome was simply an intrepid duo. Black Widow and Nappa were the solitary players of a game of pool in a West City pool hall called 8 Ball Haven. Already Christine had cleared half the table, and waited on the side for Nappa to sink his third stripe without overshooting.

"Don't send the balls flying," she joked, watching him lean over and wrap massive fingers around the cue. Muscles bulged under his tight wife beater while he bent over double almost to pull back his cue. A carefully controlled crack sent the balls spinning in opposite directions. To her surprise he sank a seven and an 11.

"Please, the Prince would have my ass on a platter if we had to have him foot the bill for another pool table," Nappa snorted, leaning up. He pointed with the end of his stick towards the corner pocket.

"Nine ball… corner pocket…"

"That's the only thing you'll sink with me," Christine joked.

"Ha ha, little female, we'll see," Nappa leered teasingly at her. He picked up a lit stogie and took a long swallow of the smoke. A minute later he let it pour out of his lips and curl around the room in a haze about his bald head.

"Seriously, you know I have a mate… I'm relieved you're finally getting it through your chrome dome…" Christine joked back. Unfortunately he narrowly avoided the nine while trying to keep ash from landing on the felt.

"Kuso," he gritted, placing his cigar in the ashtray again next to her lit Marlborogh Menthol. She took the cue from him, and watched him rub the ash out of the table and onto his jeans.

"Whoops! Luckily that's nothing compared to what I've seen Jeannie do by accident," joked Christine.

"Speaking of, she sure seems to be keeping to herself lately. Female troubles? Dragon's time of the month?" Nappa joked.

"I'm not telling. And what's the deal with Radditzu anyway? He's acting really reclusive lately! Tomique's been keeping her hands off…"

"You noticed too huh? I've got to put up with Radditzu's pissing and moaning all last week about how he's not getting any…" Nappa said.

"Nappa, I realize that you're set in your ways, and we don't always see eye to eye… but I like to consider that we're at least trying to get along… and considering that you finally have your mate back, that releases the sexual tension."

"Which is a good thing, little lady…" he said with a grin. "Even though you've made it clear you're off limits… Great Oorzu curse it… if I wasn't a mated Saiyan I'd…"

"I'll take it as a compliment…" she chuckled.

"It was meant as one," he nodded, watching her ass as she cracked the eight ball into the side pocket.

"Cool. But back to the subject at hand… I'm worried about them, and I'm sure you must be as well, even though you're sometimes a major asshole… we've got to do something…"

"No kidding. I have to work with him, remember? The last thing I wanna see is my comrade at arms cut off from a good thing…"

"Yeah. She's my best friend, and I don't want to see her upset any more than you want to see Radditzu having a bad time. I think we should do something to get them back together… don't you? I mean you do care about him in your own way…"

"Yeah, although the 'c' word's not in a Saiyan vocabulary… at least when it comes to me talking about a fellow soldier. I've got a few ideas, but since you're volunteering your help as a partner in crime… other than my mate…" Nappa said.

"Within reason… as long as I get a good piece of the action… not THAT action…" she said, putting down her cue. She grabbed the glass of soda he handed her, sitting down at the card table nearby. Nappa leaned down into the massive oak chair he'd snagged from the restaurant, which creaked, under his substantial weight.

"Got you. Now Cabernet's stayed behind to work on Tomique, I'll handle Radz. You work on keeping Jeannie out of our hair. Together we'll set those two straight for sure… and have a whole hell of a lot of fun in the process," Nappa grinned.

"Hmm, tell me more…" Christine nodded. She raised her glass of coke to his beer, and they toasted.

"To operation bonding," said Nappa.

"Here here!" said Christine.

* * *

On Mt. Pauzo Son Goku glanced up into the air from his latest kata. Goten and the twins were following his lead, but stopped at the same time as their sensei. Overhead a gold trail of ki stopped, hovering only fifty feet above the house. 

"Are you busy, Kakkarot?" asked Radditzu.

"Uncle Radish man?" asked Bohr. "Where's Mommy?"

"It's Uncle Radditzu," said Fermi, glancing up at him. "Is Mommy okay? She usually comes home with you…"

"Your mother… is staying with the Princess… to do… women things," said Radditzu uncomfortably. He drifted to a landing, twisting his frown into the best fake smile he could muster.

"Uncle, you don't look so happy. In fact you look pretty ticked off… what's wrong?" Goten asked.

"I'm sorry, but I must speak with your father alone… I have some… advice to ask of him…" said Radditzu.

"Won't you play with us?" asked Bohr, rushing up and tugging on his leg.

"Later… boy, I promise," Radditzu said, awkwardly ruffling the kid's hair. He did the same to Fermi, putting his knuckles out for the two sons to play hit.

"Go on inside boys, and Chichi will help get you a snack… if you give her a hand with dinner," Son Goku said. "I'm going to talk to Uncle…"

"Sure thing Dad…" Goten nodded.

"Yes Son-kun-sama," the twins nodded, bowing respectfully before filing behind Goten. Once alone, Radditzu shifted his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly.

"So… what's wrong, Rads?" asked Goku, glancing at his brother. "You look like you lost your best friend…"

"In a manner of speaking I have. My mate refuses to… interact with me… I was wondering if you could…"

"Why don't you spar with me a bit, and we'll compare notes," Goku suggested. Stripping off his jacket, Radditzu threw it aside. Goku and his brother faced off, with familiar stances contrasting their respective schools of martial arts.

"My thanks Brother. We were sparring under the Prince's command, when things went unfavorably…" Radditzu admitted, blocking Goku's first punch. Goku ducked under his kick, and they started to trade more vigorous blows.

"Is that so? Was there anything else going wrong?"

"She… works late in the lab… and often finds excuses to avoid me," said Radditzu. "I smell no other male on her… what have I done to displease her? She refuses to…"

"Did you two have an argument?" asked Son Goku.

"We argue all the time…" Radditzu sniffed.

"No I mean did you have an argument where she ran out crying?" asked Goku.

"She hardly does… but two days ago…" Radditzu grunted.

"Aww man, that sucks. She's avoiding you because she's hurt. You need to do something nice for her so you can straighten it out… and quick," Goku said.

"She's the one in the wrong!" Radditzu snarled.

"So? On Earth, Females like to be pampered even if the man's right. There's into this talking thing… and if you get her some flowers and take her out to dinner, you can make her happy, and then you two can make up… and she'll listen…" said Son Goku.

"If it were that simple…"

"It isn't, but women like it when their husbands do something nice for them. And it's always flowers, or candy, or dinner… or that romance stuff…" Goku said. "If you like I can ask Chichi for some pointers…"

"That would be… acceptable… and I'd be grateful," said Radditzu, blushing.

"Hey, what's a brother for? I'm glad you came to me for help, because I want you two happy… after all," said Son Goku. "Now incidentally were you two arguing about where you're gonna live?"

"Yes," said Radditzu. "She wants to live here, and I insisted we relocate to Capsule…"

"Can't you compromise? Stay here on the weekends and there during the week?"

"I didn't consider that…"

"Well, think about it. And while you're doing that, we'll ask Chi for some advice about how you can knock her off her feet with a romantic evening…" said Goku with a wink.

"Goku tell your brother he can stay for lunch!" Chichi called. Both males stopped sparring and nodded. They walked up the hill to the house together, still talking.

* * *

While Radditzu and Nappa had gone off to get some rest and relaxation, Atomique remained in the GR performing some basic katas. Sweat poured down her forehead, while she swung her fists back and forth. A dull pain started in the base of her back ever since the training session earlier that morning. Out of the lady's locker room door drifted a waft of sweaty floral odor. She blinked, hearing footsteps echoing loudly on tile. 

"Who's there?" she asked, swinging around to almost punch Cabernet in the face.

"Nice reflexes. Why'd you wait till NOW to show 'em?" asked Cabernet, blocking her punch with a gauntlet fist.

"Beats the hell out of me," Atomique panted.

"You were pretty sloppy this morning. I guess that's why you're here training while the others are R and R?" Cabernet asked, letting her tail unwrap from her waist to swish lightly around her ankles.

"I've got nothing BETTER to do," said Atomique, letting her hand fall.

"Look, kid, you really need to get the pole out of your ass and listen to your mate," Cabernet said.

"I'm just not going to get this ki shit! Dammit I want so hard to do well…"

"Then just let yourself go. You were a soldier in that other universe, right?" asked Cabernet. "I saw your battle power on my scouter. It wouldn't hurt you to cut loose.

"You Saiyans are built for load bearing, that's the issue too. These moves are for higher gravity…"

"Well, while we've been yacking, the gravity's going up in increments of one," said Cabernet with a grin.

"No wonder… shit… it's heavy…" gasped Atomique.

"I'm sure you can take it. You're stronger than you lead on, with that compact body of yours…"

"What's it at now?" she asked.

"Five. One half Vegetasei normal. Wanna try for ten?"

"Ten… good God…" she groaned.

"You're still standing up… why the hell not…" Cabernet chuckled as Atomique focused her power. A blur of purple energy swirled around her then permeated her bones.

"Bring it on then… I'm ready," Atomique said.

"What did you just do with your ki?"

"Increased my bone density to that of a Saiyan, naturally," said Atomique.

"Good idea. Now… just because you increased your bone density doesn't mean you can just expect to improve. You got to work those muscles…" said Cabernet. "Room, try upwards to 1 Vejitasei standard gravity!"

"Affirmative," the computer barked. With a toss of her hair, Cabernet motioned for the other female to join her in the center of the room where large mats were strewn.

"You're working on the basic beta five series. You got to pretend like you've got a tail for your center of gravity. That's your problem," Cabernet pointed out. She moved alongside Atomique, reaching to reposition her hands in the proper kata.

"No wonder," Atomique mumbled. "I'm always screwing it up because I'm not a monkey lady…"

"Exactly. Now, since you're the right build, but you don't have a tail, you'll have to squat a bit to compensate. Try it with me…" Cabernet said. Nodding, Atomique followed the series of long sweeps of her arms, then a swing of her foot around like a spindle kick.

"Fancy schmancy. Now, let's see if you can take the full 1 Vegetasei G force," grinned Cabernet.

"Swell," said Atomique.

"We're at it now, and you're still vertical. Are you SURE you're just a ningen?" asked Cabernet, glancing at her suspiciously. Her nostrils flared.

"Did I forget to BATHE? I don't stink THAT much," said Atomique with a low frustrated growl.

"Not unless you're afraid of your mate's scent. I could swear you're shitting me with this whole ningen business cause you sure don't smell like one…" said Cabernet, lifting a brow. "Is part of your power adapting other species…"

"I can alchemically change my body. When I was working with Radditzu… I increased my bone density like I just did…"

"Well, whatever the case, you're standing in standard Bejitasei gravity without breaking a sweat. What the hell stopped you earlier?"

"I don't know…"

"I'll tell you what. You stopped bitching and moaning, and started focusing on your true abilities. My scouter says your battle power's up to 1200 even, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. So let's tap into that ki you're putting a lid on…" said Cabernet.

"Okay… fine," mumbled Atomique. A fist flashed out, and she barely raised her own to block it. Then Cabernet followed with a punch that landed in her gut.

"C'mon, are you NAPPING? Show me what you've got," Cabernet said. "Let's see you use some of that oomph to try and beat the hell out of me…"

"Great… I'll just mess it up…" Atomique gasped, dropping down.

"Stop whining and just DO it," Cabernet rolled her eyes. The female Saiyan curled her tail around her waist, and then lunged with a blood-curdling scream. Atomique raised her fists, and then dodged out of the way. She brought her fist down in the center of the Saiyan's back.

"Good. Fight me, and stop dodging!" Cabernet yelled. Atomique suddenly felt a foot slam into her back and she rolled over. Angrily she shoved her feet up to nudge her opponent up off from a flying tackle. Before she knew it, Cabernet had recovered and they were rolling over and over with punches and hits.

"What the HELL are you doing?" Atomique gasped, shoving her hand in Cabernet's face when she felt hands closing around her throat. A big flash of white phosphor exploded, knocking the Saiyan female off of her.

"YES! FINALLY you did something dammit!" Cabernet laughed, sitting up. She was dazed, shaking her head and laying ten feet away.

"You were deliberately pissing me off… to provoke a response…" Atomique realized.

"Yep kiddo. Saiyans fight with their emotions focused. It's how we use our ki. Instead of getting pissed at you, use that anger against ME. Turn it into ki, and you can't fail. Be the FIRST to attack for a change all right?"

"You gonna take another piece of me?" asked Atomique, raising her hands and circling. Cabernet leapt to her feet, holding her fists in a defensive position.

"Yeah… let's go. That was just a warm up… let's show those idiotic male bakas how you can really fight…"

Eventually they stopped to sit down and drink greedily on bottles of water Atomique dragged out of the mini fridge. Around them the room glowed a faint red, while the indicator showed 10-earth g's. Apart from a few bruises and cuts, Atomique was amazed she hadn't been pounded into hamburger by the female Saiyan. Another twinge in her back shot up her spine like fire, causing her to wince.

"Good stuff. And just in time too. Those loud mouthed noisy mates are coming back," Cabernet winked.

"Is THAT what I smell?" asked Atomique.

"Can't miss it…" said Cabernet, chugging the rest of her water.

"So, let me get this straight, they go away for a few hours, and leave US to train?" she laughed.

"You were too busy being pissed off at your mate to enjoy leave, so don't piss and moan to me," Cabernet griped back. She slugged her hard on the shoulder, almost knocking her off balance. A loud buzzing interrupted them, and both glanced up at the screen blaring on.

"So, you two decided to work on that sloppy excuse of a shit form after all?" Bejita asked, glaring down at them from the screen.

"Yes sire," said Cabernet and Atomique, who stood shakily in full Bejitasei 10 g.

"Humph, I see you've been working in normal G's. I'm amazed you're even standing, Atomique. Took you damn long enough to stop pissing away your ki transmuting things…" Bejita grunted, nodding at her.

"Yeah, whatever you say, your majesty…" she panted.

"I suggest you two take a dinner break before you pass out. I expect you to be ready to decide whether or not you're going to pledge your oath of loyalty to me, woman. You've had time to see what is expected of you…"

"Then this is the official yes or no?" Atomique asked.

"Indeed. You and Cabernet clean yourself up a bit and make yourself presentable. Your mates and comrades will be joining us soon in the main Assembly area. Be ready in a half-hour…" said Bejita.

"Understood," Cabernet nodded.

"And be very sure. This is your last chance to back out, Atomique. There is no shame in turning this down, but you seem to have come quite far for a mere ningen…" said Bejita. His face blurred off, leaving the two women standing there.

"Okay, you heard the man, let's get cleaned up…"

"He… didn't tell me I had a second chance…" she whispered.

"It's cause you're a ningen. But I could swear you're bullshitting me girl, because something about you isn't like these other weaklings… maybe in your universe humans are different," mumbled Cabernet. "All I can say is that you're learning to focus that ki to push your body to compensate finally…"

"Ki bolsters the body's systems, doesn't' it?"

"Yep. Took you THAT long to notice?" Cabernet quipped. She threw a towel at her, and then strode towards the locker room. Atomique winced again at the lower back pain before following her.

Still rubbing her backside, Atomique followed a freshly washed and changed Cabernet to the 'mess hall' of Capsule. Since the increase in Saiyan warriors and students, they had taken most of their meals in this secondary dining area off the training complex where their apartments were situated. Three or four tables were set with massive amounts of food. On the way, Cabernet increased her walking down the circular gerbil tube corridor. 

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

"Just take a whiff of who's back," said Cabernet.

"What?" asked Atomique. Someone phased in behind her, for she saw a flicker of numbers appear on her battle sensor. Whirling around she slammed into a familiar tall shape. Wet warmth smeared up and down her hands.

"Well, what have we here?" he purred, catching hold of Atomique. Something smelled of flowers, fresh flowers, bringing a smile to her face.

"Radditzu…" she gasped. He released her, bringing up something from behind his back. Wrapped in a cone of gold and red foil that rustled, he presented a bouquet of red roses. Something warm and moist glistened on their petals.

"I have something for you…" he said, and pressed the sheath of red roses into her hands.

"Aww they're beautiful!" she gasped, holding them close.

"You went hunting you loser and you didn't invite US? Honestly what are you learning on this planet?" Cabernet snorted as she stood to the side.

"Hunting? Is this… blood?" asked Atomique, lifting her hand to see the red substance coating her fingers. Nappa's harsh laugh startled her, and she glanced up at her mate standing proudly, licking blood from his lips.

"I have something else for you. It should please you… I took the liberty of hunting something fresh… that I think you'll like… because you said you were fond of liverwurst… you should have an appreciation for this," he smiled.

"Uh… you… shouldn't have…" she stammered, struggling to remember just what she'd read about Saiyan culture. "Is this what Saiyans do to say they're sorry?"

"Indeed it is…" he purred, crushing her body to his. She leaned up and kissed his lips again, licking the iron taint of blood from them. A pungent spicy taste hung on her lips, tasting of his unique flavor. Immediately a bolt of desire washed over her, making her ache.

"You're lucky… it looks like venison," said Cabernet. "Is that what they call it?"

"Venison. We got two bucks that they're skinning and cleaning after we gutted them," Nappa crowed. Turning her head Atomique saw him holding a bloody object that appeared to be a heart. He held it up to Cabernet, who moved close to lean over and bite directly into.

"Was that… a heart I just saw?" she asked.

"I apologize that they had preference, but the liver has been saved just for you," he said with a purr.

"How… nice…" she stammered, as he clutched something at his hip.

"I realize you are accustomed to cooked food, but I am sure you can try a bit… it tastes quite good freshly killed," Radditzu urged, moving back and holding up a bit of raw liver that he'd cut into several pieces.

"Liver… oh well… I can handle that…" she stammered, realizing that look in his eyes told her that he'd be crushed and disappointed if she didn't accept. Leaning down she licked the blood off his fingers, letting the iron taste coagulate. Nappa and his mate finished eating the freshly cut venison heart, and licked one another's fingers and faces.

"You like it?" he asked, with a slight smile.

"I like the taste of the blood, but I'm having trouble… biting into it…" she said, struggling not to vomit. Radditzu guessed it was taking much self control for her not to flip, but the sincere gratitude in his eyes showed he was touched she even made such an effort.

"I'll chew it for you, and let you try…" he said. He nibbled on a mouthful for a minute or so, and then leaned over to press his lips to hers. She gasped, almost choking as his tongue stole past her lips and transferred the half-masticated mouthful into hers.

"I… um…" she gasped, swallowing it whole. A faint taste of liverwurst moved over her, and she realized she could tolerate it.

"I had forgotten," he said, biting off another mouthful. "Do you wish for more?"

"Actually that's not half bad," she nodded.

"I'm pleased you enjoy it," he purred. Radditzu leaned down once more, pulling her close to share more of this odd custom. His hands traced down her backside as he shared his food with her, and squeezed her rump lightly.

"Hey you whelps, I don't know about you, but I'm starving! So unless you want me to eat your share of the fresh kill and dinner, I suggest you haul your asses into the mess area!" Nappa barked.

At the table they all sat, ingesting huge amounts of food. Shakily Atomique dropped into the chair next to Radditzu's. He passed her a piece of bloody meat that would have turned the stomach of a human, but she felt the pungent hunger was far too much.

"Terrific… this venison is the best game I've tasted in a long time!" Cabernet nodded, accepting a few strips that Nappa cut off for her with a large dagger.

"Close to fresh kill…" said Nappa, licking blood from his fingers.

A shadow fell across Atomique's face, and she glanced up to see Christine approaching their table. She wrinkled her nose and quipped, "You guys eat raw meat all the time?"

"When we are training for war, we do," said Radditzu. "Greetings…"

"Hey there Radz. I see you two aren't punching each other's lights out…" she laughed.

"He got me flowers," said Atomique with a whisper and a smile.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Christine, blinking at her. "You've got BLOOD on your lips… you trying to make fun of my mate?"

"I'm okay, it's just another Saiyan custom Radditzu's introduced me to," Atomique whispered.

"Ohh I see! Good. Don't let Jeannie bug you…" Christine grinned, winking at her.

"I'm not," she said.

"Here, you need protein," Radditzu urged, biting into the meat and then passing it to her. She nibbled on it, getting sick. Slowly she lapped the blood, and then tasted the fresh iron taint.

"That's it… the blood's best when it's running clean," Cabernet laughed. "Humph, I thought I was the only one who liked sucking the blood first…"

"I don't know if I can eat this," she mumbled, trying to chew on it.

"Give it here…" Radditzu said, and bit hard into it. He chewed it a few times to soften it, and then leaned over to transfer the bloody chewed meat into her mouth.

"YUCK!" Christine winced. "Um… no offense guys…"

"I take it you eat more cooked food?" Cabernet asked, biting into a leg of turkey with sharp teeth.

"Yep. Sorry but whatever creams your Twinkie is fine by me. But I'll just have a seat over here if you don't mind…" Christine laughed. "Don't' want to interrupt you love birds…"

"Suit yourself!" Nappa laughed.

Nappa ate both raw and cooked meat, throwing bones left and right while Cabernet devoured fresh fruit. Each of them was lost in staving their huge appetites. Atomique had finished a few mouthfuls and let Radditzu hand her bite-sized pieces of the raw steak. Before long she was slowly chewing it on her own.

"Better?" asked Radditzu. She nodded, licking her lips.

"Thanks… I felt like I was going to pass out…" she laughed, wondering why of all things she could even palate raw meat. Yet if it was partly broken down by Saiyan saliva, she figured it would have some nutritive value.

"Better eat when you can, fool," laughed Cabernet. "I know cooked food disgusts me, but sometimes…"

"You get used to it," Nappa said. "It's not ALL that bad…"

"It looses its nutritive value when it's cooked," Cabernet said through mouthfuls.

"Why does the Prince eat cooked food then?" asked Atomique.

"Well, Royal like to be more refined. Commoners have courser stomachs and require raw fresh meat. But the fewer additives the better," said Radditzu. "Even he must consume fresh kill once in a while…"

"Huh," she wondered.

"Both cooked and fresh is a good balance," Radditzu said. She felt him grab her hand and lick the juices off it with the fresh blood dripping in her lap.

For the past few hours she was able to smell that stench, and she realized it was coming from Nappa sitting next to her. Nearby, she smelled a lighter muskier scent that seemed to hang on her body, and was distinctly Radditzu. Pungent and heady, it was familiar. Yet the slightly slimy smell and the silky smell came from the direction of her two friends. Was she going mad, she wondered? Especially when she smelled a light floral scent that preceded Buruma and a pong of old spice that accompanied Bejita, with a more delicate male odor.

"I'm going nuts, I must be," she thought to herself. She had used her alchemy to increase her body density, but every since the previous day she felt odd. More aggressive and bitchier then usual. A sharp pain hit the base of her back, and she winced as Bejita announced himself.

"You having some issues?" asked Nappa. "Tell your mate to stop making faces…"

"Mind your own damn business," said Radditzu angrily. "Tomique?"

"I… my back hurts…" she whispered.

"Perhaps we were too vigorous in our… last session?" he asked.

"No I felt fine this morning… it's just… like someone stuck a needle in my spine… and then it goes away…"

"How long has this been going on?" asked Radditzu softly, leaning close.

"Since this morning. When we first got up," she whispered back. "And I swear everything STINKS…"

"Does it now?" he asked quietly. A strange look came over his face, and he blinked hard at her.

"Is something going on that I don't know about?" she asked him.

"You… say you used your alchemical powers to make your bone structure denser?" Radditzu asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "So we wouldn't crush each other when we… mated…"

"That was wise… but did you also use your powers to change your body chemistry?" asked Radditzu.

"I have from time to time," said Atomique. "Changed my own blood chemistry… but it's usually only temporary. The only time recently I've done it was when we were… you know… to make my bones denser… was that something I shouldn't have done?"

"Perhaps there is a good explanation for it, and if it is what I think it is, it will explain everything…"

"Wait, you think I'm pregnant or something?" she whispered.

"Well that is a strong possibility…" Radditzu said quickly with a hint of pride. "But there is another possibility…"

"Such as?"

"I oww!" she gasped, holding her backside.

"Do you require… assistance?" asked Nappa.

"I shall attend to it," Radditzu said. "Come here love… it's all right. Tell the Prince we shall be back… shortly…"

"You sure she's okay?" asked Cabernet.

"I'll make sure of it. Tell him… that we had a mating injury," Radditzu said quickly.

"Right…" Nappa laughed. "But don't take too fucking long!"

The pain jarred her deeply as she limped into the restroom. Radditzu was right at her side, helping her to walk. Eventually he picked her up and carried her hastily to sit on the edge of the tub. She gritted her teeth, sobbing as she hugged herself. 

"It feels like my spine is on fire…" she gasped, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Anxiously her mate knelt before her, rubbing her legs with his hands.

"Let your ki flow," said Radditzu. "Here… take my hand. I'll try and help deaden the pain…"

"What's… going on!" she gasped, bending over double.

"I… I'm not certain… but the pain… the pains…" he blinked up at her.

"From the base of my spine… it's like some one shoved something up my ass… I…" she gasped, panting deeply.

"Relax… breathe…" he urged, gripping her hands. She panted and sweated, crying out as he surged his energy through her. Radditzu's eyes widened discernibly when he heard a ripping sound and felt her body jarring.

"I… can't… the pain's so great…" she sobbed, burying her head in his shoulder. Radditzu folded her in his arms, crushing her close as he buried his head in her hair. At sight of something bulging at the base of her spine, his eyes widened in horror, disbelief and shock.

"Use your alchemy. Synch it to mine… hurry!" Radditzu urged.

"Why…" she stammered.

"Don't argue woman! You'll soon see why… now hurry! Match my ki frequency, and change your blood chemistry to mimic mine… do it quickly!" he called out.

"I…" she stammered, squeezing her eyes shut in intense pain. All over her nerves and bones her power channeled, making her realize that her body had been altering itself even though she had no conscious control. Since when did she fail to control her own alchemy, she wondered? Edward had the power to alter his automail into weaponry, but she had only begun to dabble in changing her own structure. Human alchemy was forbidden, but changing your own body temporarily wasn't the same. Yet because of what Radditzu had done, implanting her with his seed, she was changing in ways she hadn't realized. Why hadn't Buruma and Chichi crossed this line? Was it becuse they had no alchemy powers?

"Your body's changing… as we speak. Your body's in a state of flux… all the hormones… you're growing a tail woman…" he gasped as she screamed and bit down on his neck.

"That's IMPOSSIBLE!" she squealed. Her spine itself flared with something that stretched like toothpaste, her bones cracking while cloth ripped.

"Given enough energy… regeneration is possible… it needs more ki… to push it to its extent…" he urged, and flared a massive amount of his energy into her when he saw the movement of something behind her back. Her fingers squeezed accusingly tight on his, and then she felt him drop on the floor, drained of more ki than he expected.

"Oh GOD it hurts like HELL!" she screamed into his shoulder. Then as soon as the pain became unbearable, it faded to a dull ache. A movement attached to her hips made her flinch, undulating her whole back and spine in a way she was unfamiliar with. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move, and squealed in shock.

"Great Super Saiyan… you… did it… I had not expected… it's impossible for normal ningens… but you've altered your body chemistry… so it mimics… my own…" Radditzu whispered as he slowly got up and she lifted her head form her hands.

"I…" she gasped, as he crushed her to his chest.

"Your alchemy… is based on carbon… well it seems that you've… transmuted yourself… and made yourself a half blooded Saiyan in the process…"

"How in the HELL?" she gasped, pushing him away. Before she could stand, he pressed her down. Something flicked over her shoulders, and she glanced wildly down her back to see a movement of brownish fur. Fear shot adrenaline through her, answering the question of why her whole spine and back was suddenly alive with involuntary twitches.

"How should I know? Perhaps activating ningen genes… I mean the human species is primate based… and those unused bits of DNA must have gotten activated from the change in your blood chemistry… and after all woman you ARE pregnant…" Radditzu gasped.

"Wait… a MINUTE! You mean… I'm pregnant and I just sprouted a TAIL because of that?" she cried, lashing her new muscles, which caused the new appendage to land across her thighs. Reaching tentatively out she felt the smooth fur with the same texture as what was wrapped around his waist. The tip moved spasmodically, and she felt hard-pressed to control it.

"Relax. If it's part of you, you can will it to move… but it seems that it's reflex now…" he muttered.

"You've never been without a tail how would you know?" she asked.

"I've seen the young after birth… before being sent off. They have the same issues you do now," he said with a swallow in his throat. Her tail coiled up, and then lashed in a sideways movement to move the shower curtain aside.

"Your body went to great lengths to try and change, and the collection of hormones it produced to accommodate my… our offspring must have triggered your body to transmute…" said Radditzu. "It's the only logical explanation…"

"Shimatta," she gasped. "It hurts like HELL… and I feel like I want to KILL something!"

"This is incredible love, don't you realize what this means?"

"I'm dead meat?" she gasped. Her tail somehow lashed around and reflexively tightened around his wrist. He hid his amusement, and she groaned even more.

Within her mind she heard a voice echoing clearly. Far more clearly then the times before, Bejita's cry echoed, **_"Just what is the meaning of this! Where are you, Atomique!"_**

"I… I'm sorry… I had an accident…" she gasped.

_**"Radditzu! Where the HELL is that female of yours!"**_ shouted Bejita angrily in both their minds.

"Crap…" she whispered aloud to him.

_"Your majesty we will be right out. There is nothing wrong…"_ Radditzu telepathed back, echoing his thoughts in her mind and the Prince's.

_**"Fine. Just get your ass out of here as soon as you're ready; I've got a pressing engagement of my own. I want the female to give her oath before me."**_

"Oath?" she asked.

"**_That's right. I heard about your little training session with Nappa's mate. Apparently you showed marked progress I was not aware of. So I want to know if you're going to go on with this, or drop out,"_** said Bejita.

_"I'll be there,"_ she nodded. The Prince's voice faded from their minds, and she looked urgently at her mate.

"Relax… just… just wrap it around your waist for now…" Radditzu urged, trying to keep from touching it. "Easy… whatever you do, don't let ANYONE grab it or touch it our you'll be weak…"

"Oh TERRIFIC," she gasped, as he helped her painstakingly to will the damn thing to stay latched where it was. Biting her lips she felt the iron taste of blood as she bit her tongue.

"Come… it will be all right. I'll explain to him… but for now we MUST join the others…" Radditzu urged, taking her hand and escorting her out.

* * *


	22. Tomique's Tail

_**A Disturbing Tail to Tell**_

_Discliamer: I don't own DBZ, Toriyama does. Any references to Full Metal Alchemist I don't own either. Or KISS and their superhero concepts. However the fan characters of Cabernet, Atomique, and others mentioned belong to meexcept for Christine Black Widow owned by Bulma the Babe. I don't get paid for this, so don't sue me!**

* * *

**_

Inside the dining hall, Bejita had joined the others who were seated at the long tables. Jeannie and Christine occupied one to the side, while the main long table still held Nappa and his mate Cabernet. Bejita had strode in folding his arms across his chest, and glared at everyone present.

"There you two are," Bejita snorted as she walked out as normally as possible, wiping away sweat.

"I apologize profusely," she stammered.

"Do me a favor and don't, idiot. Just know I don't suffer fools gladly… and…" he trailed off and looked at her oddly for a moment. She looked away, feeling dizzy as she dropped to her knees.

"There is such a thing as groveling," Jeannie mumbled. "Give me a fucking break!"

"Get up you fool. I accept your apology and your allegiance to me, but don't overdo it!" Bejita snorted, nudging her shoulder with the toe of his boot. "Stand up and look me in the eye for once…"

"I… shall try," she gasped, stumbling to her feet and standing, as her center of balance was out of whack. Then she glanced down.

"I take it you swear loyalty to me?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Good. Then submit yourself to training from your mate. I shall await your progress within the week. You shall live here at Capsule till the training is done. And you won't leave without permission. You'll be overseen by Nappa, and you are NOT to use transmutation. You're going to be as a Saiyan warrior, got it?"

"Yes sire," she nodded, squeezing her arms to her thighs.

"Good. Now, dismissed! Go about finishing your dinner. Tomorrow you're resume your training, with Radditzu on stage 2!"

"Thank you Sire," Radditzu said, kneeling next to her. He clutched her hand as the Prince snorted and strode off.

"What the HELL was that?" Jeannie asked. Atomique crouched, keening in pain as her tail twitched convulsively.

"Mind your own business," said Radditzu.

"Jeannie, come on, just back off!" Christine hissed, grabbing her arm and dragging her away. "Let Radditzu and his mate alone!"

"She's really pissing me off… I can't believe…" Jeannie snarled.

"Come on, let's get something to EAT!" Christine grumbled. "I'm famished!"

"Fine, whatever…" Jeannie glared at her. Christine pulled her towards the kitchen where they grabbed some sandwiches from the locker to eat.

"Let's take their example and dig in ourselves," said Nappa. "I'm still fucking starving through all this business… and you need to make that mate of yours eat a HELL of a lot more than just that fucking BIRD food…"

"Right… they get the picture," Cabernet said, striding over to the table. "What are you two waiting for!"

"You heard them," Radditzu said. "You need to keep up your strength… doubtless you feel light headed because you've only had a mere FRACTION of what you require…"

"Lead the way," she nodded, letting him take her hand and lead her back to the table with the others. Nappa flopped down in his reinforced chair, grabbing up the massive portions of grilled steak and raw portions of meat he had ceased eating when the Prince came in for his 'inspection'.

Settling down next to Radditzu again she picked up the buckets of fried chicken and began to tear the meat off the bones. The smell of food made her ravenously hungry, and she made short work of twenty pieces. Intermittently she accepted the pieces of raw fresh kill to the center, which Nappa claimed he'd found in the 'park' area of capsule.

"You've finally got a healthy appetite," muttered Nappa, blinking at her.

"So how much raw… and cooked do you eat anyway? I never got a straight answer," she mumbled.

"Equal portions, especially when training. Too much cooked food acidosis your digestion," Radditzu mumbled between his own mouthfuls. "If we weren't basic training…"

"We'd be eating the local cuisine," Cabernet said through her tenth helping of sushi.

"Gross, it's one thing to eat stuff in such large amounts, but she actually ate bloody meat? I MUST be hallucination," mumbled Jeannie, shaking her head.

"Jeannie, you have GOT to stop making an ass of yourself," said Christine.

"Not till she admits that she's making a fool of HERSELF trying to 'fit in' with them. She's not fooling me by groveling and scraping. I don't want…"

"The Prince knows the difference, and you need to chill," said Christine.

"I'm so sick of this," Atomique mumbled, licking blood from her fingers.

"Pay them no mind. They're just not used to seeing real Saiyans interacting with their mates, is all," Cabernet whispered to him. Christine and Jeannie couldn't hear them at this distance.

"Ouch, that's harsh," said Atomique.

"They're pushovers," said Cabernet. "The dragon thinks she's hot shit cause she's an elite. And your little spider friend has potential, but they're full of themselves. You're a human, but you don't smell like a human… where are you from…"

"An alternate reality," said Atomique. "What do you MEAN I don't smell like a human?"

"You don't," said Cabernet. "You smell almost normal. Or is it Radditzu's stench on you?"

"This armor stinks," said Nappa with a laugh. "Wonder who died in it…

"Screw you," Atomique mumbled, not wanting to put up with him.

"Don't piss your mate off. He might get ideas," said Nappa. Radditzu snorted, and gave a superior smirk to Nappa.

"Perish the thought," Atomique whispered. Nervously the tail she'd coiled around her waist suddenly worked itself loose and swayed around her ankles as she sipped her beer.

"Shit, this is really fucked up… since WHEN did you get THAT?" asked Nappa as he glanced down at the tip of the tail flickering up in view of the table.

"It's a tail you dope, what the fuck did you THINK it was?" asked Cabernet, blinking. "You bitch you were holding out on us… weren't you!"

"How? She's a human! But she smells Saiyan," Nappa snorted. "You use your powers to do this?"

"I don't know!" she snapped, moving back from the table and hiding her hands.

"It is happened, who cares how?" Radditzu yelled back.

"Isn't this interesting," Cabernet said with a grin. "I was right, wasn't I?"

"Shut up!" Nappa growled. "Radditzu, what the fuck happened? Some experiment or something?"

"It happened in front of me. The pain she was undergoing. It's obvious because of… certain… changes happening…" Radditzu tried to explain, blushing red to his embarrassment.

"Shit, I've not seen this happen. There are stories… but…" Cabernet shook her head. A slow smile came over her face.

"Stories?" asked Radditzu.

"That's just an urban legend. You'd have to be fucking expert with genetic engineering and a whole shitload of technologies to pull it off," Nappa shook his head.

"She's an alchemist," said Radditzu frustrated. "Sorry but I'm NOT my father when it comes to the explanation!"

"I have one. She's preggers, isn't she?" Cabernet laughed.

"She's an alchemist and she can transmute carbon," said Radditzu. "It's obvious she modified her body chemistry and this is the result…"

"Holy shit, this is very interesting. You should have seen the look on that girl's face…" Nappa snorted.

"What do I do?" asked Atomique, glancing at them anxiously.

"Why, you train, of course, idiot," said Cabernet. "I don't know from ningen, but she looks Saiyan to me. So who the fuck cares how it happened."

"The prince is gonna have a field day on THIS one…" Nappa chuffed.

"He should be happy. Don't worry, I'll find an explanation," said Radditzu.

"Look who's coming back for more," Cabernet rolled her eyes, swirling her wine in her glass. They all glanced up to see Jeannie striding over to their table, anger gleaming in her dark eyes that glowed red.

"I can't believe this… she should stay the hell away from my mate," Radditzu hissed, but Nappa stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Let your mate handle this. I think it's time we saw if that little modification is just for show, or something more," Nappa urged him.

"Excuse me," said Atomique, getting up from her chair. "I've lost my appetite…"

"You're crazy," said Cabernet, also pushing herself away from the table.

Angrily Radditzu looked at her, but Atomique nodded slowly. Exhaling sharply, Radditzu remained where he was, watching his mate walk towards the Dragon Womyn in the middle of the dining hall. He let Nappa throw him several cans of beer from the sideboard. A whole six pack sailed over, and landed in Cabernet's outstretched hand. 

"Thanks," she mumbled, cracking one open.

"I understand you have a bone to pick with me?" asked Atomique, striding up with her arms folded across her chest. "Right in the middle of dinner?"

"Yes I do. I need a word with you. Excuse me, but I don't know what the hell you think you're doing… but this is getting ridiculous…" Jeannie said.

"What am I doing?" asked Atomique. "Pretend I'm really stupid…"

"Yes, I do!" Jeannie answered, eyes still glowing red. "I have a lot to say to you. Starting with what the hell do you think you were trying to prove with that little ass kissing stunt…"

Jeannie's eyes diverted from Atomique momentarily, distracting her concentration. Atomique felt her heart pounding along with the surging of energies along her veins. Around her waist the tail she'd struggled to hold twitched, and she prayed that it wouldn't lash out. Her arms pressed down over the furry band that Jeannie had failed to notice. Was she dense, or was she simply too angry to care? A familiar scent of floral light musk wafted her nostrils, and she knew Cabernet was standing two feet behind her.

"You got something to say?" asked Cabernet, blinking at her.

"This is between me and her!" Jeannie snarled. "So back off…"

"Excuse the hell me," Cabernet snorted, and wandered over to where Nappa was trying to stop Radditzu from walking up and pummeling Jeannie. A loud creak had indicated he stood up, hands on his hips while his body crackled with yellow lightening.

"What are you trying to prove here?" asked Atomique. "If you have something to say, say it now, or quite WASTING my time!"

"You think you're so clever, playing this game? Well, you don't fool me. I know you're deliberately trying to gain their sympathies to try and replace me…"

"You're delusional, Jeannie. So why don't you go play with some more mind altering substances and stay the HELL out of my damn BUSINESS!" Atomique yelled at her. "I'm sick of you talking behind my back and starting crap. So KNOCK IT OFF!"

"Excuse the hell me… you think I'm gonna back off just cause you raise your voice?" Jeannie snorted. "Suck up…"

"At least I'm not walking around with an overdeveloped sense of self righteous indignation," said Atomique, growling low in her throat. "Who do you think you're fooling? You've had a grade A mad on against me and I'm fucking sick of it. You want to pound my ass, why don't you just do it here and now!"

"I'm sorely tempted," Jeannie said with a low growl of her own.

"Back off!" Christine said. "This is gone way too far!"

"Stay out of this, ningen, or did you not hear him correctly?" asked Cabernet with a snort. "She can fight her OWN battles!"

"Now wait a minute!" Christine cried. Nappa came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder.

"Stay out of this, all right? It's about time those two settled this publicly. She's just insulted your friend's pride as a warrior, do you want to make her equally humiliated?" Nappa asked.

"But…" stammered Christine.

"She's my mate, and I insist you stay out of this," Radditzu added, glaring at her. "Since your friend is fool enough to try and adopt Saiyan customs, she'll reap what she sews…"

"But we're on Earth… and Jeannie…"

"She's let it go too far, and it's time for them to settle it like Saiyans if your fool friend thinks she's up to it," said Nappa with a snort.

"This is… crazy…" Christine shook her head as the two women traded insults.

"Are you two ladies done? Or are you going to settle this by combat?" asked Nappa, striding up to them. "By custom, that's the appropriate course of action…"

"I'm so sick of this crap I'll do anything," Atomique snarled.

"That's ridiculous! You're in NO position to fight me!" Jeannie laughed.

"Stop talking and let me PROVE to you then, bakaryarou!" Atomique said with a leer. "Name the place and time. I challenge you to eat those words you just said!"

"I… you're just gonna let her get away with sucking up to him? What kind of…" Jeannie laughed. Her eyes widened when Atomique bared her teeth, and something uncurled from around her waist to flail before her. Jeannie leaped back, holding up her hands to see the object nearly trip her.

"Either accept the challenge, or back down," said Nappa. "Your choice. Or should I call His Majesty?"

"But how… how the deuce… you can't have… you can't be…" Jeannie stammered, glancing suspiciously at Atomique standing there with a furry brown tail swishing around her ankles. Purple ki crackled around her, setting her hair slightly on end with its energy.

"Does it matter?" asked Atomique. "You challenged me, and I accept. Case closed. Do we do this or not?"

"I refuse to accept this… how is this possible? It's some sort of sick JOKE!" Jeannie gasped.

"Looks genuine enough to me," Radditzu said clearly. "Are you insulting my mate?"

"You heard him, bitch. Get the fuck out of here, you idiot, before I throw you out. I don't care if you ARE elite…" said Cabernet. "You don't make a challenge and back out of it. She's a Saiyan warrior… and since you're so fucking hot to adopt OUR customs… don't you DARE make a mockery of backing out!"

"You… I…" Jeannie stammered.

"She's correct you know," said Nappa. "If you disagree or misunderstand, you may tell the Prince your grievances. Otherwise get the hell away from us because you're in the way…"

"Jeannie, let it go…" Christine said.

"I… I'll tell him then!" Jeannie laughed haughtily, glaring in disbelieve at the three full-blooded Saiyans glaring murderously at her. Atomique turned her back, and balled her hands into fists, struggling to keep her wayward tail from lashing out. If Jeannie hadn't noticed it she must be the densest in the universe.

"WHAT?"

"We have training to do," Nappa said quietly. "Let's get on with it. I'll handle her… she's not your concern…"

"C'mon… Jeannie relax… you're really screwy," Christine whispered as they exited the cafeteria. "Let's go see the Prince."

Breath puffed out from Atomique's chest when she realized she had been holding it in for so long. Like an extension of her spine, the tail seemed to have its own mind as it waved back and forth behind her. Radditzu helped Atomique to stand and she stumbled. The other two blinked and exchanged glances somewhere between disbelieve and amusement.

"Center of gravity's messed up isn't it?" Nappa laughed. "She walks like a new born…"

"Screw you," Atomique complained, before she could stop the words.

"No thanks he's taken," Cabernet chuckled. "Cheer up girlie, you're fortunate. Now you're not like them, however you did this…"

"Lucky me," she moaned, shaking her head. Reality asserted itself after the adrenaline rush retreated.

"Just don't STEP on it," Cabernet said. "Or you'll be…"

"She knows," Radditzu growled. "Now… if you don't mind…"

"I think you two had better have some alone time before the bitch queen of the north comes back," Cabernet winked at him.

"Now what? This challenge thing…" asked Atomique.

"I'll tell you more… right now, you and I have much to discuss," Radditzu said as he slid his hand into hers.

"Later. I'll make sure that idiot stays away if she tries to make trouble… while you two are," said Cabernet. "I've got a date with a sweaty hairy lunk head… and you two need to enjoy some fun out of this place… take a flight…"

"Right… but you?" asked Atomique.

"Who me? I've got some more training with that asshole mate of mine. We've got to make sure we remember the whole routine… cheers!" she waved, exiting the mess hall. Radditzu tugged lightly on Atomique's hand, leading her out with him.

* * *


	23. Go Saiyan, not Human

_**Going Ape**_

By Trynia Merin

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, Toriyama does. Idont' own Full Metal Alchemisteither. Funimation controls the rights to these two series. I only own Cabernet and Atomique, and other fan characters you don't recognize from the anime series. KISS and references to its members and fictional superhero powers are property of Marvel, Dark Horse, and themselves. I don't get paid for this, and it means no harm._

This chapter rated R for adult content such as language, nudity, and references to sex.

* * *

"It's about that time again," Radditzu murmured, glancing at Nappa. He had taken Atomique's hand and led her out to where Nappa and his mate Cabernet stood looking eagerly at the setting sun through the windows. 

"Yes," he nodded, glancing meaningfully back.

"What time?" asked Atomique. "Another mating ritual?"

Cabernet blinked twice, gaping at Atomique incredulously. "You mean you don't know…"

"She'll learn all she needs to know from him, you impatient wench," Nappa grunted.

"Make sure you tell her EVERYTHING she needs to know, you stupid whelp," said Cabernet. "And you demand to know or kick his ass, girl…"

"I shall," Atomique nodded, seeing the wink that Cabernet tossed her.

"Now, my skin's crawling and I'm itching to hunt, so let's GO!" Nappa barked at his mate, grabbing at her. She wrestled with him and they started to exchange blows.

"What the hell? Oh I get it, you like to beat the shit out of each other before you have sex?" she asked.

"Not so much THAT," Radditzu purred. "But they test one another's strength. And there is still yet another trial or so to face before the Royal approval has been made…"

"And they're renewing their vows, right?" she pointed at the others.

"Pretty much," Radditzu nodded.

"My children are going to forget what I look like…"

"My brother knows you're busy, so don't worry. He will not let them come to harm," said Radditzu, stroking her back.

"You guys have been so… so cool about all this," she said. Nappa and Cabernet stopped wrestling long enough to blink at her.

"More sentimental horseshit, really," Nappa barked at Radditzu.

"Excuse the hell me for giving a damn," she snorted.

"Ignore him. As far as we're concerned you're okay, Tomique," said Cabernet.

"Why?" she asked blatantly.

"You're one of us now," Cabernet said gruffly before she and Nappa walked out together. Their tails uncoiled from their waists lightly flicking across one another's backsides. Atomique felt her heart pounding in vast surges, sending huge gusts of what felt like liquid purple fire through her veins.

"Is it just cause I've grown a tail?" she asked.

"Woman you know well that they accepted you long before that. It simply clinches what you've become," Radditzu said dismissively.

"So regardless of this, Cabernet still would have…"

"They accept Buruma as their Princess," said Radditzu.

"Because the Prince will kill them if they don't," she mumbled.

"The Prince chose her as his mate. He has NEVER chosen a mate before. And never a non-Saiyan. It's never been done. Only when we had desperate times and it was commoners who did so. But a Royal…" Radditzu said quietly.

"I shouldn't question it. It's pointless," she said, shaking her head.

"Good. Cast it from your mind, and think of more important matters. You have another week to continue training before your satisfaction with your rival…"

"Oh Man… I almost forgot! My challenge to Dragon Womyn?" Atomique asked, letting him slide a sturdy arm around her waist. She wondered what the social morays were in terms of mates and public displays of affection, yet she guessed if it were unacceptable Radditzu would not have bothered.

"Yes you did, love," Radditzu said, pride gleaming in his eyes.

"Holy smokes, I'm a glutton for punishment. She's probably going to stew about it and think of some more nasty things to say or do to try and aggravate me," Atomique rolled her eyes.

"I don't think she'll be fool enough to humiliate you in public again… now you must train extra hard to fight her…" Radditzu said. Placing pressure on the small of her back just above her newly grown tail, he guided her towards the exit of the cafeteria. Atomique did not bother to question him because right now she only wanted to be with him, her mate and nobody else. He alone had seen her vulnerable, yet he had stood by her.

"Is this part of that traditional ritual?"

"This won't be permitted till your training is formalized," Radditzu said. "If she still wishes to have the honor of serving the Prince of All Saiyans she'll have to wait for his royal decree or risk humiliation. By then, you'll have mastered your ki direction…"

"What about the children?" she asked.

"My brother will care for them. He knew that this was going to happen… I mean with regard to the traditional Saiyan Mating ceremony. That's why you need not worry…"

"What will they think?" she asked quietly.

"Why should you care?" he asked matter of fact. "I guess there's no need worrying because it's done… I wonder if they'll insist… I get rid of it…" she shivered.

Radditzu bared his sharp teeth, hissing, "They had best not… unless you…"

"I don't want to," she murmured quietly. "It… suits me better… at least now I'm not going to be… weak against Blackwell ever again. He won't EVER… crush me or steal my children. I swear I'll destroy him…"

"And he shall," he nodded.

"I feel so… so…" she whispered.

"Embrace it. Don't reject what makes you stronger," Radditzu urged. "This happened for a reason. And it is not for us to question the will of Great Father Oorzu. Or the promise of the legendary…"

"They're going to shit bricks… when they see this," she whispered. "Will they try to take my children away?"

"Not while I breathe," Radditzu promised. "And they are OUR children, not theirs. And my brother won't let them…"

All the time her tail had come apart from her legs, slowly arching back and forth as if to ponder her dilemma. With a great force of will she managed to steady it, then practice positioning it at various places. She walked slightly hunched over with it extended and when coiled about the waist upright. A whole smorgasbord of smells and taste assaulted her, and grew more pungent by the moment. She let her glasses drop from her eyes.

"I don't' need these anymore…" she said, looking down at them.

"Your eyesight is far superior even as a half blood," he muttered. "If what I've observed from my nephew is true, your power will be more then adequate…"

"How long does this last, Radditzu? Only as long as I'm pregnant?" she asked.

"Hard to say. I would hope that you'd remain this way… not that I did not desire you in your ningen form. What was inside has come to the fore," he said. His hand rested over her armored belly, feeling a strong ki. A brow cocked upward with the sensation of what seemed double what it would be from a pregnant female.

"I'm starving," she whispered.

"Perhaps you'd like to hunt for something later. Come with me…" he urged, taking her hand and leading her out.

She felt something brushing past the back of her leg as they walked along, guessing instantly what it was. With but a thought she let her own appendage lazily drop and move freely behind her. _Perhaps when off duty they allowed the free movement of their tails, when they knew there was little chance of being caught_, she surmised.

Inside the center of the dome they came to a halt, and Radditzu pointed up towards the stairs spiraling up to the top of the converted office building. It had become the Saiyan living quarters and training facility for the growing number of soldiers in his employ. He gathered his ki to levitate himself up towards the skylight crisscrossing its bars to seemingly hold back the deepening night sky overhead. Automatically it opened, allowing them both to fly up into the night air spilling over West City.

Spires twinkled, and they hung there, facing one another before Radditzu touched his booted feet on the curved top of the dome immediately outside the round skylight. She rested next to him, and grabbed his outstretched massive hand to steady her. Already sharp pinpoints of light precipitated from the hazy navy blue, while twinkling points denoted stars.

"Beautiful," she muttered.

"Indeed. One grows weary of remaining cooped up in artificial environments. And worrying about prying ears…" he added.

"Do I have… to kill her if we fight?" she asked, standing opposite her mate. Faint orange radiance from the streetlights bounced off the curves of her armor and his. Eerily they seemed a matched set, facing one another with hands resting on each other's waists. Her tail flickered clumsily against her thigh, then diverted to the back of his muscular one.

"Yes, if she refuses to apologize and abase herself, admitting defeat," Radditzu said. "And gives you back the injury she put upon your honor…"

"How do we fight?" she asked. "Some sort of gladiatorial one on one with the Prince and royalty watching?"

"That's but one way. It's however the Prince decides it's to be settled. Some of us fight in Oorzu form, while others chose one on one arena style or a hunt…"

"I don't want to kill her," she said. At first Radditzu grimaced because he thought she was being sentimental, but he saw her swallow the fear.

"You're Saiyan, woman. That's part of what you are…" he said, with a labored sigh.

"You misunderstand. I don't want to kill her because it would be a waste," she added. "Not because of any sentiment…"

"Ah… I see…" Radditzu nodded, stroking her hip, eyes widened.

"To kill I can handle. To survive. But to kill just without any use for the resources is wasteful. Why hunt just for sport when you could eat a kill? If I do have to kill her, I want full justification for it. It's far better if she lives with the humiliation that I stood her up, should it come to that…" she trailed off.

"You surprise me, and yourself," he nodded in appreciation. "But there will be times where you'll have no time to assess the pros and cons, you'll just kill on instinct…"

"Like I did as a State Alchemist," she sighed deeply.

"Indeed. I have an urge to fly away for a bit from this small city," he said. "Come with me… you appear as though you need it as well. The exertion will strengthen the children…"

"It is stuffy in here, love," she agreed. With precision he focussed his energy, then levitated to a height of fifty feet to hover overhead. She realized he was waiting for her to join him with his own power, so she reached out her ki to focus it as she had learned. More easily she defied gravity, levitating till she drifted right next to him, only six inches between them.

"This way. Catch me if you can, woman," he called. Something cracked against the backs of her legs, stunning her with a mere sting. It registered he'd swatted her with his tail, so she suppressed a frustrated snort of outrage to streak off after him.

"I'm going to find you, you hairy baboon," she laughed to herself. He made no effort to hide himself, simply letting her trace his ki with the scouter she wore. With more energy she flared a thicker envelope that sliced into the thin air.

A sheer flush of power shot through her, giving her an additional boost. Radditzu was toying with her, flying just beyond her range, then letting her catch up. When she had just about matched his pace, he burst ahead.

"Nice, but you'll have to try harder," he mentally chimed into her mind.

"Hey you! Make up your damn mind!" she shouted back, focussing her thoughts. All she heard was Radditzu's telepathic laugh ringing behind her temples. Balling her fist, she generated several purple spheres of light that orbited her fist. A spread hand gestured one to shoot past him at great velocity, while the other two remained just behind her, hiding by her body.

Radditzu turned, blocking one with a blast, then sent a beam whizzing towards her at great speed. She directed her second orbiting sphere to intercept then the third directly into his face. Yet she sensed something streaking just behind her at the periphery of her perception. That blasted double Sunday of his, she mumbled. Atomique let the beam slam into her back, and she curled her body up to plummet citywards.

"What the hell are you doing baka! I didn't hit you THAT hard!" Radditzu shouted, streaking down in his attempt to catch her. However she slammed a blast right before his face, blinding him.

"Sucker!" she cried.

"Ohh… you're going to pay for that, love," he laughed, clearly unharmed by her prank. By smell alone he shot off after her, heading towards the mountains beyond the city.

Radditzu closed his arm around her waist, dragging her towards his body. She struggled to break his hold, gasping with muscles unaccustomed to their new strength. A move Jeannie had used against her came into her mind, using her tail to wrap around his legs. Yet that would most likely leave her tail vulnerable. 

"How will you free yourself now, love?" he laughed.

"I'm working on it…" she grunted. Small jerks of her muscles squeezed against his hold. Something occurred to her. Bringing up one leg she hooked it around the back of his, then flipped her body forwards. She began a summersault with a generated stream of ki from her two flailing hands. Radditzu struggled to hold on as the angular momentum increased.

"You'll only make yourself sick love," he said. "I'm accustomed to operating in directionless space… without a need for a frame of reference…"

"Kuso," she grumbled. Gathering her ki she was this close to transmuting the air around him into nitrogen, then she stopped. Instead she formed a light mist of plasma that began to glow and flicker. Just the right frequency of the plasma would cause it to act like charged particles of an aurora. Radditzu was momentarily curious to see what she was attempting with this light show.

She stopped rotating, and levitated still. Radditzu tightened his hold on her, slowly bringing his arms in. Her hands misted with ki, generating the spheres that surrounded them both in the circling orbital. "You're just as trapped as I am…"

"You can't go anywhere either," she snickered. Radditzu realized her 'orbitals' were constricting, each of the independent 'electron' spheres coming ever closer.

"What are you doing love?"

"Watch…" she snickered. "You were the one going on about being used to outer space… well how about a little game of tracking trajectories? You can't tell the position and velocity of each of these can you? You can only GUESS where and if they're going to occupy the same SPACE as your head…"

"Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, yes I'm aware of your earth scientists theories," he laughed. "I'm fully versed in the physics of many worlds scholars, researches and the like…"

"Thanks to your father?" she asked.

"I shall tell you more, if you let down your barrier and we shall call time," he said, releasing her arms. His tail slid around her waist, lightly tickling her ribs. Each orbital dissipated, inches from singing his hair. Radditzu smile twitched into a sly half grin showing feral white teeth while his hands found the fastenings of her armor. Below them the surrounding forest teamed with the wildlife that had been recently released into them.

"You sure?" she asked. "You playing games with me?"

"I could very well be," he purred, sliding his hands down to beneath her armor. His finger slid along the corner of the spandex, lightly tugging at it. She gasped as he started to rip it away.

"Hey!" she yelled.

"You don't need to cover your lovely skin… as one of us you're going to be near impervious to the elements…"

"What ELEMENTS are you talking about, monkey man because you're talking to a chemist…"

"The 114 occurring ones of course," he snorted.

"114?"

"Bejitasei orbited a double star system. One of the things our science counsel did was naturally discover the locations of naturally occurring 114. In the depths of the galaxy of course," he laughed. "Don't look so surprised. I don't subscribe to that fool thing of four elements of that backwater alchemy. Your true understanding though limited of this ningen 'periodic table' is one of the few things that shows some spark of intelligence…"

"So Saiyans have a periodic table?"

"But of course," he murmured, unfastening her armor and letting the pieces drop into the trees below. She snorted in frustration, growling and squirming.

"Jerk, I just know I'm going to have to find those damn things…"

"Then we should go someplace less exposed…" he nodded, levitating her down into the treetops. How ironic, she thought, landing in the trees as tailed primates when humans put such a premium on landing in the treetops and leaving them as a sign of intelligence.

"Humans think themselves so evolved because you lost your tails? How silly? We never lost them but when we left the trees we ate what hunted us… and the most aggressive of the primates next to you are the chimpanzees…"

"And the baboons…" she grinned.

"Hence calling me a hairy baboon is a sincere compliment…" he chuffed into her ear.

"Savage, vicious and annoying…" she added. "But oh so enticing. My hairy Neanderthal baboon…"

"The Neanderthals may have no tails, but they were… similar to Saiyan. Far more attractive than your most 'lovely' fashion models. Strange how you ningens still have traces of them…"

"They were two species that cohabited the planet…"

"As we and the Tuffles did on Planet Vegeta. But we won, and you Cro-Magnon won… unlike the unfortunate Neanderthal who were what we'd consider a superior species due to their strength. But you cannot deny there were crossbreeding. For your body type resembles one…"

"I love it when you talk scientifically. It's very arousing," she whispered.

"It was intended to be, love," he murmured, pulling her into the branches of the tree. Bits of armor hung here and there, and he soon added his own to dangle near hers. Fingers tore off the leggings and arms of her AE suit, while he sank his teeth into her neck.

* * *


	24. Met by Moonlight

_**By the Light of the Silvery Moon**_

By StarbearerTM aka Trynia Merin aka Polymer

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, Toriyama does. I only own Cabernet and Atomique, and other fan characters you don't recognize from the anime series. KISS and references to its members and fictional superhero powers are property of Marvel, Dark Horse, and themselves. I don't get paid for this, and it means no harm._

This chapter rated R for adult content such as language, nudity, and references to sex.

* * *

Tucked into his lap, she dozed with her head against his broad shoulder. He perched with his toes curling over the branch wit his tail loosely wrapped around another to steady her in his lap. She straddled his haunches; legs locked around his waist while her tail lightly threshed back and forth. The thick musk of lovemaking hung like a scent cloud just around them. Other life forms seemed to pay them no mind, leaving them well alone. The few predatory wild cats gave them a wide birth, instantly recognizing a predator far more dangerous then Man even. 

"Radditzu?" she asked.

"Yes, love?" he purred.

"Saiyans are predators. Is there some… ritual of having to… prove myself by making some kill?" she asked.

"Interesting you should ask that. You guess correctly. As warriors we must prove ourselves by vanquishing an enemy or completing a hunt… some of us from a young age," he nodded.

"Like lions… and other predators on Earth… I'd assume the same…"

"Any hunting society, love," he nodded. "You are no stranger to the need to kill. Perhaps that is why the Prince did not object to our match… What was your first kill?"

"Sentient or animal?" she asked.

"Sentient. As in an enemy…" he clarified.

"I almost killed Leader. But it was before that… when I killed a scientist who was trying to kill me… and attack my friends," she said quietly. "I knowingly used my powers to transmute them into something inorganic…"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes… and no…" she whispered. "I for a moment enjoying making them suffer as much as I once did, then I felt sick…"

"That doesn't make you weak, love," he said quietly. "But have you killed for the sport of it?"

"Not sentient beings. Animals to hunt and live. But never just to kill period. I want a purpose for it."

"I killed with purpose. Because our employers wanted it to be so. I did my job,' Radditzu said. "Nappa likes to kill because he finds it sporting."

"Do all Saiyans find it sporting to kill sentient beings?" she asked. "When you weren't purging planets?"

"Not without a purpose," Radditzu said. "I killed sentient beings that 'infested' a world. I didn't think it was anything… unacceptable if they were weaker than I was. But if they offered me sport, I would give them a chance to show their strength. There is no sport in slaughtering just to pile bodies. Not even Nappa is that foolish. But Frieza, he killed just because it was 'fun' and he loved the sight of wholesale destruction."

"You killed for profit, then. To survive?" she asked, wriggling in his grasp.

"Yes woman," he nodded. "As all hunters do. As you did. To survive and make yourself strong. But when all you do is purge, you forget other things…"

"Like mating?" she asked. Radditzu nodded.

"You don't realize how powerful it makes you feel to destroy, when those breathing down your necks could kill you… it gives you…"

"Some measure of control, because you're not completely powerless?" she asked. "I know Radditzu. But it seems like most people would still think you were bullies."

"Perhaps. But it's how I learned to live," he shrugged quietly. "Now, I know there are other ways to fight to survive. It's not profitable and it's a waste of time to sell worlds when there are so few of us left… my brother told me the whole story of how… I met my demise… the version that lived in this universe… and I am much like that in some ways. Yet the difference comes because this time I first saw Earth, one of the first creatures I met was female, and was equal to my raw battle power…"

"You're joking," she said.

"You are far stronger then you let on. Even as a ningen your raw power topped 1000, which is perhaps respectable for a Saiyan third class that has just reached adulthood. Yet the powers I sense from my Prince and my brother are magnitudes of order above that. I've tasted the power that you bestowed upon me, and realized that the Legendary was attainable by all… but since then the Prince mentions that there are new levels my brother has reached while others have not…"

"Do you miss… purging planets?" she asked, untangling herself from him. Radditzu pulled her close, crushing her gently in his embrace.

"I would be lying if I said no. I don't miss the humiliation of the fools we worked for, but I miss the thrill of the hunt, and the quest to survive. Yet I do not regret giving that up for having met my mate…" he said quietly. "This part disgusts you? You fear that I would enjoy killing just to do it?"

"I don't know…"

"Perhaps some Saiyans would claim that is our way. But not to me, or my mother or father. We remember the old ways. Killing has a purpose, to eat, to prove your strength. But killing defenseless creatures and torturing them is for those who are truly helpless. Nappa had descended to that level. I only killed because it was my duty. To clear a world as you'd clear vermin. It didn't always occur to me to question that what I considered 'vermin' was worth my notice… but when the job was done, I would like nothing better than to eat and sleep…"

"So if you thought of humans like cockroaches, then it is justified in killing?"

"Yes. Simply killing. But not needlessly maiming. That is what separates us from Freiza's kind. But some of us forgot that. To be Saiyan is to be a hunter, and is many things. But not a wastrel. Even the lives that were destroyed in purging… the bodies and life force were not thrown away… Anything can be twisted to serve a purpose as you well know. But if the killing for sport makes you a stronger warrior… there is no waste. Not like Frieza simply blowing up a planet because he was bored…"

"I see," she whispered, then turned to look at him. Swallowing hard she asked, "Would you have killed me?" she asked.

"No woman. From the first moment I lay eyes on you I figured you would be a pleasant diversion. To have fun with and hand over to the enemy. But I would not have raped you. Perhaps taken you into my protection to serve me…" he coughed. Both of them were stripped naked to the core of their vulnerable souls, pitted and ugly with the hurt they'd caused and witnessed.

"He's killed thousands so that he and his kind can live…. And I have brought two children into this world only to let them fall into enemy hands because I wasn't strong enough. Such things are not equivalent exchange. Those Ishballans I killed... because the Iron Blood Alchemist told me it was me or the father of two children. Because I knew if I didn't, I'd die. Perhaps I thought myself a coward to reach forward and transmute the man to carbon dust... but I did. My children would have been without a mother... The Iron Blood alchemist stood over me and held his hand to my head if I didn't…"

"You comprehend woman, and you are correct about me," Radditzu said softly, kissing her lips. "That was how it started with me. My father taught me killing was necessary to survive. But killing for sport… was twisted into a purpose to serve Frieza. Preservation of my own kind above other species was turned into a reason to kill. And it is a reality I've lived my whole life…"

"And I still love you," she choked hard, crying for them both.

"I thought myself incapable of this… emotion. But I find that I have it consuming my whole body. Dominating my thoughts and twining with the mating. You think love is something you separate from mating, but it isn't. The urge to protect, to bond in continuing the species is considered the ultimate aim of the Saiyan…"

"The biological urge of all species is your code of conduct," she nodded. "The strongest survive… but the best suited aren't always the most physically strong…"

"Those more fortunate then others. Why would I be spared while my family was destroyed. All that killing…"

"Was to try and square what happened to your people. I guess you flipped that switch when you saw how senselessly your planet perished…" she whispered. "But what changed you?"

"You… and the Prince," he said quietly. "We stopped purging to find our prince. That path led us to the destroyers. Then I saw you, and couldn't get you out of my mind. Then our Prince told us the truth of our accidental death. That the one that we served destroyed our world. And that made my whole life clear…. That I could be as he was, or make my own fate as my prince had done…"

"No longer a slave to senseless empty taking of life… but one to preserve it," she added. "But Radditzu, you've created life. You and me. Maybe it's not an equivalent exchange, but it's a way to put order to chaos…"

"As my Prince has done. To fight in other ways," Radditzu nodded.

"I love you, Radditzu," she whispered.

"And I you, Tomique-chan," he whispered. "Now that I know what that is."

* * *

A silvery light brushed gently through the cave mouth. She blinked once, wondering what it was. A fear crept through her making her skin crawl. Radditzu murmured and shifted her in his grasp, purring in her ear. Both of them lay in a small cavern Radditzu had discovered earlier, and they had made use of it to continue their lovemaking. 

"Why are you nervous my love?" he asked. "None can harm you here…"

"Radditzu, do you realize what… day it is?" she asked nervously.

"Mmm, I had been caught up in other matters…" he snickered, lazily flicking his tail over her bared breast.

"Radditzu, don't turn around," she whispered. Tears poured down her face.

"What's the matter love? Are you afraid of something?" he asked candidly. She blinked up to see something gleaming through the cave mouth, sober and white that cut through the valley she could see in the distance. It called to her with its strange luminescence. An eerie shiver spread through her at a deadly revelation.

"The moon's risen," she whispered.

"Your world has such a lovely large moon. It's perfect. One of the better features," Radditzu said, wrapping her more protectively in his grasp.

"It's… it's a full moon…" she whispered, shivering in fear. It danced just between the hills. She moved to block Radditzu's view of it through he cave opening.

"Even better," he purred, dragging her back down with him.

"And I… just looked at it… only briefly… does that mean…"

"Did you now?" he asked quietly, loosening his grip only slightly.

"Yes…" she said, pressing her eyes tightly shut.

"Tomique, don't be afraid," Radditzu growled softly.

"Am I going…. To change? I'm frightened… Radditzu… am I going to become some giant King Kong… and go crazy?"

"Don't be. I'm here with you," he said quietly.

"You're so damn calm… you don't even look surprised! You purposely knew?" she asked.

"Yes Tomique. That's why Nappa and Cabernet also left the compound. And I didn't forget the day. I well know that the moon's risen, and it's in its fullest phase. And doubtless you know why. Because you'll have to learn…"

"Radditzu you jerk!" she cried, thumping his chest. He rose to his feet, and took her hand, walking to the mouth of the cave.

"Let's go look at it together, Tomique-chan. You shouldn't be scared of it…" Radditzu said with a seductive purr. His hand clamped around hers, dragging her lightly but insistently.

"You mean you WANT to transform?" she asked.

"But of course! It's been ages since I have had the chance to do so. Don't you feel it calling to you? Begging you to unleash your true power?" Radditzu asked, his shaggy mane gleaming silver as the moon's light shot across the valley.

"Wait, how much do you have to LOOK at the moon for you to change?"

"It takes more then just one glance. And the light must be all around you so you can feel it working. It catalyzes the change. My father perhaps understood it best. Waves of energy from a lunar surface at its proximity act as a catalyst to the glands in a Saiyan's tail. It channels the transformation process. Of course it can be duplicated by artificial means… but during mating…"

"Good God… so you welcome the change?"

"It's something that makes us who we are woman. You don't have to be afraid…" Radditzu said. "I won't harm you. Especially if you join me…"

"Radditzu… I'm terrified… what if I don't… come back to myself… when I change will I become an animal… mindless?"

"No. Open your eyes Tomique chan. Look at the moon. I promise you'll not come to harm… why else do you think we're out in the middle of nowhere?" he reassured her. "You've got to control your form. The only way is to change with another present… we don't harm our own kind… without provocation…"

"I don't want to lose control! Don't want to smash things… I…" she gasped, feeling something crawling on her skin. Radditzu clearly had his eyes open because he had turned her around to face the silvery light. He tugged her by the hand out onto the cliff side. A huge silvery disc dominated the night sky, but she had her eyes squeezed shut. Radditzu stood with his back to the moon, lifting her cheeks in his hands.

"Look at me Tomique, you'll be all right. Don't be afraid of the moonlight…" he urged. She blinked up to see it peeking from behind his head and then she could not look away, for she was lost.

"Beautiful…" she gasped, freezing in terror and sudden exhilaration. Another line was forever crossed, because the sight of him backlit by magical silver froze forever in her mind. Deep down something unfurled, reaching towards her with its siren call.

"Let it happen. Let it change you, transform you. Just focus on how beautiful it is how it awakens something deeply inside you. And remember your mate's right here by your side… focus on who you are… if you do, you won't lose your rationality as Oorzu…" he said. His tail uncurled from his waist, while his hand extended. She reached out to touch him, and then shivered. Already he turned his face towards the moon's gleaming light, tossing his head back with his arms extended.

Stark naked she held out her arms, and released her fear. Through a strange reddening haze she saw his skin bursting with fur, and the ground shrinking. Every inch of her own skin blistered, crawling with a million pinpricks. Great power pounded with each quickening heartbeat. Silver threads of moonbeams sizzled on her bare skin, soaking, and penetrating to each nucleus. A chain reaction buzzed, and she sensed something akin to alchemy. A low snarling echoed from his throat as his mouth and nose lengthened, and his form rose like a parade balloon to dwarf the trees. Sight and sound merged to something dreamlike as the red haze came over.

"Rrraddittzuuu!" she screamed.

"Tomiqueearrrrrggghh!" he snarled, throwing back his head and baring enormous fangs. Glowing red coals fixed on her, and she felt reality spiraling away.

"Tomique… hear me!" a monster snarled. Through a red miasma she heard the snarling stamping growls, massive paws seizing her and shaking her. 

All her throat could do was howl and roar in protest. Yet the focus of the gleaming red before her, and the massive squeezing hands or paws rather drew her into alertness. Under the gleaming silver orb she struggled and gnashed horrible teeth, surging against a gaping hunger. Like a drunk she staggered and crashed into things that seemed inconsequential.

Blasts of red energy surged from her hot throat. Yet his body blocked hers, wrestling for control and shoving his scent into her awareness. Like a drug it caught her, making her blood boil with its familiarity. From a snarling stamping rage she shifted into query of the new sensations overloading her dazzled brain.

A similar vibration resounded from not so far away. Two other shapes moved into view, coming from behind the mountains. Both massive with bright glowing eyes fixated through the ruby haze tinting her vision. Loud snarls and shouts called in a cry that seemed ageless, and she saw two more Great Apes enter the clearing. Hands beat on chests while muzzles turned up to shout up at the moon.

"Tomique…" snarled the form that was previously Radditzu and still him, a long mane of shaggy fur crowning the enormous head with pointed ears. Huge paws closed on her body, the eyes meeting hers with a controlled blaze.

"Rrraggh… rrhhhh…" she snarled, unable to try and break free.

"Remember who you are… remember… you can control it… you're invincible. Accept it! Master it…" Radditzu's low roar echoed on the mountains and in her ear. Glancing past him she saw the other two Oorzu, who must be Nappa and Cabernet leaping and trampling trees and rocks underfoot. Fortunately there was no habitation for miles. Only the vast stretches of forest and rolling hills.

Along the way she saw the glimmer of the distant sea. The massive bulk of Nappa trampled and pushed his way over the hills towards it, and the moon's distant pull. Close behind him the smaller shape of Cabernet in her form followed, leaving them alone. She staggered after them, side by side with Radditzu.

At the edge of the beach Nappa waded into the salty depths, till he was nearly a half-mile out. Still the water lapped only at his knees. Cabernet waded towards him, dipping her head down to let the salty brine spill all over her massive furred body. Dropping to the beech she pushed her massive paw down into the sand and let it fly like that in a sandbox. Everything was so puny it seemed the world was a playground.

Red flashes of light erupted from Nappa's throat as he aimed them towards small bits of shoreline. "Don't go crazy you fool!" growled Cabernet's voice, in a deep base parody of its former self.

"So hard… to think…" Atomique grated.

"You are still… my mate. Revel in your power. Hold onto that… and you'll always be in control,' Radditzu snarled. Nappa and Cabernet approached and began to wrestled and roll in the tumbling surf. With each impact of their bodies the giant Apes sent reverberating thumps like earthquakes. They frolicked and played like chimpanzee babies, biting at one another with long sharp teeth.

Radditzu's massive paw dragged her down by the shoulder. Soon his gargantuan Oorzu muzzle leaned down to bite her furry shoulder with deep fangs. She rolled him over and over in the strip of beach, coating him with sand. Four Oorzu played with one another and wrestled all the night long under the silvery moon, away from prying eyes.

* * *

Salty brine lay thick on her tongue. She rolled over feeling something wet lapping her toes. A strong arm pulled her close to a warm body. Under her she felt a gritty surface that yielded gently, and a hard fleshy surface heaving in and out with breath. 

She blinked up into golden light that seared her eyes. Overhead the sun blazed with full intensity, alerting her to her present condition. Next to her the hulking shape of Radditzu stretched, binding her to his body with his tail wrapped around her thigh. Her own was latched around his calf, twitching spasmodically while her entire body ached.

"What the hell," she murmured, then blushed. Not a stitch of clothing covered her body, or her mate's. Huge depressions in the sand and countryside bore witness to a sudden geological upheaval. Not a house or building was around for mile thankfully, so no human or animal had suffered any harm from the frolic the night before.

A massive shape emerged from the pounding surf, as naked as she and her companion were. Nearby, further up, a female aimed her hand towards some wood, causing it to catch fire with a ki blast. Light gleamed off his bald head as Nappa threw down a huge great white shark from his hand, and a sizable giant squid from his other near the fire.

"Good grief," she mumbled. How far had he waded out to find a giant squid? They only came out in certain conditions.

"Should I wake the third classes?" asked Cabernet, speaking gruffly in words that didn't sound quite like a language she knew to be English.

"Let 'em sleep. They've fucked themselves silly. They'll just have to deal with leftovers…" he snorted.

"Didn't think the boy had it in him, but he's almost worn out by her," said Cabernet's laugh. The sounds of something being torn off something else indicated they were tearing into their food.

"Tomique-chan," Radditzu grumbled, grabbing her and pulling her towards him as he turned her over on her front. She gasped and shivered with delight to feel his full front pressed to hers. Although sand scraped between them, she felt he was already for another round.

"Where the hell are… our clothes?" she gasped.

"Where we last left them, no doubt," he laughed, leaning down to kiss her. She roped her arms around his neck, eagerly accepting his kiss as his body lay atop hers. An anterior motive occurred because he was covering her nudity with his.

"Haven't you two had enough fucking around? If you want anything to EAT you'd better save it for later, whelps," Cabernet called.

"I'm going to die of embarrassment," she murmured against his lips.

"Why? We're all friends here. And he won't dare look at you with her there," said Radditzu, lifting himself off her.

"Some of us don't have nice long hair to cover our asses," she mumbled, running her fingers through his long spiky mane. In comparison, hers was only to mid shoulder, fluffy and curly in a strange parody of what her Star Child's mane had been.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," he said as he leaned down to nip her shoulder. "If it makes you uncomfortable we can go elsewhere…"

"Is this another…"

"Only reason we wear any sort of clothes is to keep from damaging more sensitive parts, and to keep prying eyes away from one another's mates. Besides, most of us know better not to look at anyone's mate longer than our own…" Radditzu said.

"So in other words, you can look, but you can't touch," Cabernet called.

"Eye candy, your friend would say," Nappa said. "Now get your tails over here, or hunt your own damn prey…"

"Jackass," she mumbled, letting Radditzu pull her to her feet. She staggered in the sand towards the fire, and then lowered herself to sit in the sand. Radditzu brushed off a bit of driftwood and lowered himself to sit. He tugged her into the circle of his legs to sit more comfortably in his lap.

Oddly enough, looking at their companions' nude forms didn't seem quite as shameful as she thought. In fact it was no worse then looking at a nude beach. Cabernet's body was crisscrossed with many scars. A jagged one ran around her body, like bite marks, and a huge triple scar across her thigh and mid back were more noticeable then her own curves.

Nappa's back had multiple lateral scars. A jagged rip ran across the back of one thigh, continuing over his buttocks to where his tail flickered. Radditzu's own flesh was crisscrossed with his own scars, but the one on his mid chest was a more prominent x shape that indicated near mortal wounding. "You actually like the scarring," she mumbled.

"It makes one's mate more attractive," said Nappa. "You've got your own…"

She looked down at the burn marks on her thigh, and on parts of her skin. Still the burns from her fight with Leader were apparent. A fresh scar at her throat indicated her mating bond, and she saw the telltale scars on Nappa's shoulder, and on Cabernet's. Other bite marks dotted her arms and hips, indicating the mating from before. Those would fade, she realized. Yet the others might not. Other acid burns were still apparent on her back from an accident in college. Radditzu traced his tongue down them. Gold sunlight bathed her bare flesh, baking in a nice tan already. Both Nappa and Cabernet's skin was already golden brown from exposure since sunrise.

"So when's recess over?" asked Atomique, biting into several tendrils of giant squid eagerly. Another fifty-foot specimen lay on the beach, almost in shreds from the night before.

"His Majesty will let us know," said Nappa. "By the way, nice squid…"

"I caught THAT?" she asked.

"Last night," Cabernet said, licking her lips. "You sure as hell waded out pretty damn deep."

"I can't remember half of it…"

"You will as you learn more control,' said Nappa.

"Did I make an ass of myself?" she asked shyly, sitting in Radditzu's lap.

"You did well for your first time. You actually didn't destroy anything…" he said quietly.

"Your aim sucks," said Nappa. "But you beat the shit out of that cliff side there…"

She saw the burn marks that pockmarked a cliff further up the beach. She shivered, realizing she had done that massive act of destruction. A strange sobering peace lay over her, and she bit eagerly into the bits of shark left over from their meal.

"We didn't have this chance every month. It was only once every eight years at home," Cabernet said, patting her bare and full stomach. She and Nappa lay on the beach, a distance up from them, letting seawater lap at their bare legs. He had his head pillowed against her breasts as she flicked her tail lightly against his chest and he dozed.

Around her back Radditzu curled, warming her with his body. His arms locked over her breasts, while his thigh draped over her body to conceal other parts of her. She turned over to face him, letting Nappa see her curved back, and buried her face in his hair.

"I don't want to go back," she whispered.

"We still have a few hours yet love. Let's not waste them," he whispered, leaning to kiss her.

"Here?" she asked.

"They're too busy to notice," he purred, intimating the other couple starting to fall into each other. She lay back, letting him mold himself to her, and sighing as he joined himself to her.

* * *


	25. Caught in the Act of Oorzu

**Caught Between Saiyajin and Human**

_By Trynia Merin_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Full Metal Alchemist. Toriyama owns DBZ, and Funimation controls the rights to that series and Full Metal Alchemist. Atomique, Fermi, Bohr, Dragon Womyn and Cabernet are my fan characters. Black Widow belongs to Bulma the Babe. This story means no harm to the series.

* * *

_

Radditzu enjoyed the feel of her thighs wrapped around his hips, her tail moving to twist around his arm. His own found a place around her waist, as he rolled her over so he could lie beneath her. Fingers twined together, and they were together in bliss. Cries of the lusty couple next to them only served to spur them on at a greater pace, to see who could cause the most pleasure to their mates.

Midway through the kiss she sensed something, and tensed. Radditzu mumbled against her lips, "What's wrong love?"

"I sense we're not alone…"

"Of course we're not, kid,' said Cabernet in a low sated voice.

"No I mean I sense ki…"

"Your imagination," said Cabernet.

"No, she's right," said Nappa with disgust. "The prince taught us how to sense ki without the scouters. Pretty damn handy at a time like this…"

"How many?" asked Radditzu.

"Four at least…" she whispered.

Nappa and Cabernet glanced up, fifty feet away on the sand nearby. "Who the hell would it be at this time?" asked Cabernet in the ensuing silence. Each wave was magnified as it washed up on the shore.

"Uninvited is who they are," Nappa mumbled. "Goddamnit isn't there a place on this stupid rock pile I can be alone?"

"Apparently not," Radditzu said, his gaze darkening. Protectively he cradled Atomique on his lap, sitting up. Sand fell from his shoulders as he struggled to remember how Bejita had taught him to sense ki.

"I need my fricking scouter," Cabernet mumbled. She and Nappa untangled themselves and stumbled up the beach to retrieve their belongings. Thankfully they had stashed them in the safety of a pile of nearby rocks so the sand kicked about didn't bury them.

"What are you two waiting for? Move it and get dressed!" Nappa barked at them.

"If someone hadn't thrown my armor in the middle of the fricking woods…" she groaned, head aching with Nappa's loud voice.

"Don't worry, I retrieved it last night," Radditzu mumbled. "Just before the moon set… before you woke up…"

"You had me going you jerk," she groaned as he dropped her belongings to the sand. He struggled to get his own armor on, and then helped her with hers. Still she was unfamiliar with the fastenings. Cabernet grumbled as she punched the buttons on her scouter, and tried to get a good reading.

"Four all right and they're headed right for us… shit… this is great… it must be those Z senshi…" said Cabernet.

"I thought the Prince had gotten them off our backs!" Nappa cursed.

"You just HAD to go ape so close to West Central!" Radditzu complained.

"Don't bitch to me, third class! You enjoyed fucking around under the moon just as much as WE did!" Nappa yelled. "Dammit!"

"Uh guys shouldn't we get the hell out of here?" asked Atomique quietly.

"Good idea," said Radditzu.

"I don't run from weaklings," Cabernet mumbled.

"These ones you do, unless you want the Prince pissed. We're supposed to be nice to the ningen… remember?"

"Oh yeah, what a pain in the ass," Cabernet said with disgust. At the feral look in her eyes, Atomique shivered.

"Let's just… get out of here," Atomique said, hugging herself as she leapt into the air. "I don't want anyone to see me right now…"

"Guess you don't care much for the ningens any more then we do, huh kid?" asked Cabernet with a look of confusion.

"There's no shame in what we did, love. We were minding our own business," Radditzu told her. "And we didn't smash anything inhabited so why should they complain…"

"I don't know…" she growled irritably. Nappa and Cabernet rocketed off into the air a hundred yards apart from the two third class Saiyans. Both of them were grumbling to themselves in that same language she struggled to comprehend, and eerily found more and easier to do so.

A curse formed on her lips that she'd heard Radditzu use, and she put a hand over her mouth when she heard Nappa burst out laughing. "What?" she said.

"Your mate just said her first Saiyanese word, and it was a colorful one," Nappa teased.

"Shut the hell up," Radditzu shot back.

"What did I say?"

"You called someone a tail &#," said Cabernet. "I think you meant tail humper… right?"

"Either way it's appropriate," Nappa laughed.

"Oh Kami, I'm not here, I'm not here," she flushed in embarrassment and indignation.

"One of the energy readings reminds me of the green man," Radditzu mumbled, glancing at the individual power levels.

"The Namekian you mean? He's sniffing after us?" asked Nappa. "What's his trip? He jealous of the fact we can fuck and he can't?"

"Don't be an imbecile, he's probably suspicious of us doing what comes natural," Radditzu answered over his scouter link. "I'd hoped my brother had informed him of what was to happen, but apparently he didn't heed what Kakkarot said…"

"What DID you tell Kakkarot?" asked Nappa.

"That we were participating in special Saiyajin mating rituals and we weren't to be disturbed," said Radditzu quickly. "And that the lands of Capsule property weren't to be disturbed or observed for the next forty eight hours…"

"Dip shit, that made them even MORE suspicious," Cabernet cursed.

"I'm sensing the cue ball and the baseball bishonen," said Nappa. "They're with him. And the tin can sex doll of Baldie's…"

"That's 18," Atomique corrected him.

"Whatever. She's one hot property, that lucky son of a bitch. Why couldn't the Prince have made us some of those… we'd have made a killing…" Nappa said.

"Save it for your mate!" Atomique glared at him.

"I'll punish him later, don't you worry, whelp," Cabernet laughed.

"Spare me the sick mental image," Radditzu mumbled to himself.

"After all, he should talk. Her twin brother 17's rather sweet himself. If he's going to even bring that up I'll just mention…" Cabernet said.

"Don't make me throw up please…" Atomique moaned, hugging her stomach. This earned a laugh from Nappa and a low growl from Radditzu.

Once they landed, Nappa and Cabernet strode into the Saiyan compound dome, or as they called it, the Barracks. Atomique and Radditzu touched down a few seconds later, but hesitated. Concerned about his mate's emotional funk, Radditzu flickered his tail across the back of her legs teasingly. "Tomique, what's soured your mood?" 

"Can you guess? I don't like having to sneak around…" she murmured. "I'm so scared that they'll see what I've become and take my children away…"

"That you're Saiyan?" he asked slowly. "I see. Your concern is warranted, considering the reputation that I and my comrades have on this world. After what our doppelgangers in this reality did to the Z fighters, I'm not surprised they still harbor hatred for us."

"Krillen, Piccolo and Yamucha especially hate you," said Atomique. "Now if they see me…"

"My brother's also Saiyan," said Radditzu. "And he vouches for both of us. I can't say for Nappa and Cabernet. If they choose to act like barbarians still under Freiza's employ it's no fault of ours."

"But it reflects poorly on Saiyans in general. Including your Prince. You don't want to dishonor him do you?" she asked.

"No. You're right love. We must make certain those two don't jeopardize our position here. I have grown accustomed to this small world, and I find I don't wish to leave," said Radditzu.

"As much as Nappa pisses me off, he's accepted me for what I've become. And I'd hate for Bejita to have to kill him in this reality… if he stepped out of line," said Atomique.

"With his mate here, he won't," said Radditzu. "She alone kept him under control. After she was supposedly killed he went insane. The bond termination does that… somehow the bond they shared was severed, because Cabernet suffered a head injury. But in the time that she languished with the Destroyers, it must have healed enough…"

"For the bond to be reconnected?" she asked.

"Yes," Radditzu nodded. Both glanced skywards when their scouters simultaneously registered high power levels of 10,000 or more. Although she had sensed it a microsecond before, she had been distracted by her emotional low.

"It's Goku," she said.

"Kakkarot here?" he wondered, seeing her hug her shivering body. Protectively he moved to stand close to her, baring his teeth slightly in frustration. Why was she upset he wondered, when they had marvelous mating the night before and she'd had a taste of her Oorzu form. She'd done very well for her first time, Radditzu proudly thought. Now it had all been spoiled by the intrusion of these ningens.

"Hey, Radditzu!" Goku called as he dropped to a landing. Both Bohr and Fermi rested on his shoulders. Atomique tensed in sudden fear, but Radditzu strode forwards to meet his brother. Placing her protectively behind him he closed the gap to meet Goku halfway across the lawn.

"Brother, greetings. It's been two days since we last saw one another. Are you well?"

"Yep, I see you two guys are getting along. Brought these two kiddos to say hi to…"

"Mommy!" Bohr and Fermi called, sliding down from Goku's shoulder.

"Hi Radditzu-san," called Fermi, inclining his head. "Is our mom okay?"

"She's hiding right behind him, are you playing hide and go seek, Mommy?" asked Bohr, dodging around Radditzu's leg to see her.

"Hi…" she said, nervously looking down at her son holding his arms out. "I've missed you so much…"

Dropping to one knee she held her arms out, relieved when Bohr jumped right into them. Armor and all he hugged her tightly around the neck, rubbing his face against her cheek. "Mommy, why are you hiding? Are you sad about something?"

"Is Mommy okay? Why is she hiding behind Uncle Radditzu?" asked Fermi, glancing up at him.

"Something scared her," said Radditzu quietly, getting down on one knee to look Fermi in the eye. "She's gone through some changes. And she was a bit nervous about how you two young warriors would take seeing her in her armor…"

"She's training to be a warrior, just like you, Son-kun san said," Bohr said. Fermi lifted his arms to indicate Radditzu should pick him up. Glancing at Son Goku, Radditzu looked for confirmation. He got his answer when he saw Son Goku nodded with a small smile. Boosting Fermi up, Radditzu settled the boy on his armored hip and faced Atomique. She was kissing Bohr on the side of the cheek and squeezing him tightly.

"How are you making out?" asked Son Goku.

"It's been… difficult," she said carefully.

"Mom you don't look so good. Are you feeling sick?" asked Fermi.

"Something's a little different bout you mommy, an' I'm not sure what," Bohr answered, fingering her hair. "Your hair's all funny. It's kinda like Mr. Funny man an' Uncle Radditzu's…"

"I need to speak to you, Kakkarot," said Radditzu quietly. "Go stand with your mother, young one… I think she requires your protection…"

"Mommy you look like you need a hug," Fermi said. Bohr nodded.

"You can put me down Mommy, its okay," said Bohr. Yet she had leaned down and gathered her other twin to rest on her other hip with little effort so both of them were cradled in her arms. Fermi wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her cheek a kiss. Both of them wore bright orange karate gi with blue shirts underneath, and patches on the back bearing the Son family name. Just like Goten and Gohan they were learning Son Karate along with Kame-sennen. Their small bodies were nicely filling out with muscle. Why had they failed to notice the tail, she wondered? After all, their knees were right next to it because she had them straddling both her armored hips.

"Don't be sad Mommy; Son-kun-san said you'd look all different in that armor. Why are you crying? Was it something we did?" asked Fermi.

"No, it was nothing you did," she whispered, hugging them. She feared she'd crack their ribs, but felt the force of their arms squeezing tightly that would have choked her if she'd been human.

"Wow Mommy you're strong!" Bohr laughed. "Where'd you get the big muscles like Auntie Chichi?"

"Mom's been working out in a hyper gravity chamber, that's why," she laughed, letting Fermi wipe away her tears.

"Are you and Uncle Radditzu married? Were you scared we'd be sad about that?" asked Bohr.

"Yes… that was it," she said.

"I like Uncle Radditzu. He's brave and strong like Son-kun-san," said Fermi. "After all they're brothers, right? Like Gohan-san and Goten-kun…"

"Yep, and us," Bohr nodded.

"I guess you're right. It's hard to believe sometimes. Where's Gohan and Videl?" asked Atomique nervously.

"They're at a martial arts exposition with Satan-san," Fermi piped in. "Gohan-san's with her. Son-kun-san said he ironed it all out and Videl-sama's daddy is cool with them getting married…"

"Thank Kami," she sighed in intense relief.

"You got a big bite on your neck like Videl-sama, and Auntie Chichi… so you must be married," Bohr fingered the mark barely visible through her neck armor.

"That's the Saiyan way of showing two people are married, you mean," Fermi corrected him.

"Is that why you're growing a little brother and sister in your stomach? Because Uncle Radditzu bit you?" asked Bohr.

"WHAT?" she gasped. "No, you don't get pregnant if someone BITES you!"

"Silly, that's NOT how Auntie Chichi said babies were made! C'mon!" Fermi groaned.

"Oh, the chicken and rooster story, right," Bohr nodded. "Oops."

"How could you tell?" she asked.

"Silly Mommy we sensed their ki," said Fermi with a grin. "And now I'm gonna have a little brother and sister to play with…"

"So much for the surprise," she groaned weakly.

"Will they have a tail like Uncle Radditzu?" asked Bohr. "And just like yours?"

"And you thought girls didn't grow tails?" asked Fermi. Atomique flinched and stammered.

"How did you do it? Was it your alchemy?" asked Bohr.

"Yes," she nodded.

"But Auntie Chichi didn't grow a tail when she had Gohan and Goten did she?" asked Fermi.

"It's cause Mommy's an alchemist and she can do anything!" laughed Bohr. "Did you grow a tail so you could be like Uncle Radditzu and fight our enemies?"

"You aren't surprised?" asked Atomique. "I may look different outside…"

"But you're still Mommy inside," Fermi shook his head. "Your ki's a little more like Son-kun-san's and Uncle Radditzu's."

Atomique couldn't fight back tears of joy and relief. Both boys hugged her and gave her a kiss on either cheek. She narrowed her eyes to try and overhear what Radditzu and Goku were talking about. Glancing over Radditzu's shoulder she saw Goku's expression was fixed into a worried frown. Every so often he nodded. Carrying her sons she strode forwards, coughing. 

"Is this a private conversation or can I join in?" she asked.

"Love, it's a man to man talk…" said Radditzu.

"Bull puckey. If it's about what happened last night…" she trailed off.

"Piccolo saw four great apes rampaging around," Son Goku said quietly. "I tried to keep him away, but he wouldn't listen."

"Shimatta," she gasped, growing weak. Radditzu and Goku moved over to grab the twins from her as she staggered.

"And what does this mean?" asked Radditzu sternly.

"They're worried…." Said Son Goku. "Not about you, Atomique… I know you're worried because I saw you grow a tail. But Radditzu… can she control it?"

"That's what I was trying to teach her, Brother," said Radditzu impatiently.

"I was worried that this would happen… now your friends will assume the worst," Atomique said.

"No, they know that you would NEVER do anything to hurt us," Son Goku said firmly.

"Why are they so sure? Most of them hate Radditzu and Nappa… and now Cabernet…" said Atomique accusingly.

"Hey, calm down. I'm Saiyan too," Goku shook his head. "And they know that Bejita can change…"

"Do they?" asked Radditzu seriously. "In all honesty, Tomique-chan has every right to be suspicious, and so do they. I wouldn't blame them…"

"No, but you're my BROTHER," said Son Goku. "You've got a family, and two more children. I should know how that can change someone…"

"Unfortunately I don't think they'll share that optimism," said Atomique sadly.

"I don't care," Son Goku said firmly. "You're part of my family. All of you. No matter what anyone else says…"

"You're far too naïve and accepting Brother," said Radditzu. "But I thank you all the same."

"I'm serious," Goku said, and then reached into the bag slung around his shoulder. "I'd been meaning to give this to you sooner, but Chichi said you needed some proper workout clothes the next time you and I spar together… so here you go… I hope she got the size right…"

"How… thoughtful," Radditzu mumbled as he accepted the neatly folded orange bundle from his younger brother. The colors were identical, and the patch on the back of the sleeveless top bore the Son name written in Chinese characters. Goku could tell that Radditzu was floored because he saw the hard expression in his dark eyes soften a bit.

"What did Piccolo say?" asked Atomique.

"I claimed full responsibility for both of you," said Son Goku. "That's all. You don't have to worry…"

"They're afraid I'll somehow purge this planet or something?" Radditzu snorted. "Really Brother, I can hardly damage the home that I've come to appreciate for my mate and family."

"Wow, that's the first time I heard you call this place home," said Son Goku with a smile.

"Bejita gave no orders for this world to be harmed in any way. It's his home, and yours. Why should I wish to destroy it?" asked Radditzu angrily. "Or is it Nappa they fear?"

"In all honesty…" trailed off Son Goku.

"They're idiots, the lot of them," Bejita said. Again they spun around to see the Saiyan no Ouji hovering overhead.

"How does he DO that?" she muttered. "No wait don't tell me… Saiyan hearing…"

"Sire…" Radditzu said, inclining his head. Atomique did the same.

"Hey Bejita… I guess you heard it all huh?" Goku asked.

"Your loser friends can't mind their own damn business, can they?" Bejita asked. "Well they should, because why the fuck should I wish to destroy this planet when I LIVE on it?"

"Bejita it's no big deal…"

"You can tell your loser friends that if they have any issues with Saiyans they should speak to ME!" Bejita snapped hotly. "As far as I checked I'm the Prince, not Piccolo!"

"I'll let them know, Bejita. But you might wanna find some other place for them to practice their transformations…" said Goku.

"I shall. Now, is there any other pressing business you came here for you clown or will you stop disturbing my warriors?" asked Bejita.

"I was just bringing the twins to see their Mom. Or is that against the rules?"

"It isn't, but she must go back to it soon. I could have the Woman's caretaker look after them so they are here…" said Bejita.

"No, I'll take 'em, I was just gonna give 'em a lesson or two anyway… it's no problem," Goku said cheerfully. Radditzu was still holding Fermi on his hip while Goku held Bohr. Fermi grabbed fistfuls of Radditzu's mane, tugging playfully on them.

"Do we gotta go?" asked Fermi.

"Yes," said Goku quietly. "Don't worry; when I see Piccolo I'll give him your message…"

"See that you do," said Bejita. "Now say goodbye and be quick about it. I need to speak to my warriors as soon as possible…"

"Sire," nodded Radditzu and Atomique before Bejita flew off towards the GR chamber facility.

* * *


	26. Training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber

_Standard Disclaimer Applies: I only own Tomique, Fermi, Bohr, Jeannie and Cabernet. The rest belong to Toriyama and Toei!_

**All Training in a Day**

By Trynia Merin aka StarbearerTM

* * *

Only a few days after she had come into her Saiyan powers, Tomique was having issues. Namely with her lack of fast progression no matter how far she pushed herself to the limit. Vegeta, knowing the hostility that Jeannie held towards her former friend decided more drastic measures were needed. He hated the rivalry that disrupted his well oiled machine of Saiyan warriors. Some rivalry was necessary, but this was ridiculous. 

Tomique and Radditzu thought back to the day where Vegeta revealed his secret plan to bring Tomique up to speed. The Saiyan no Ouji proved that you could level the playing field if you were clever enough with the right pieces. Always a master tactician, Vegeta's skills at strategy extended to more than just his battle skills. He was finally getting to utilize the skills his father had taught him as a Royal and a Prince all those years ago, regarding leadership.

That day, Vegeta had called her into his GR trainer. He glanced at her, grunting to notice the tail wrapped around her waist. Finally he wheeled on her, facing her fully with a frown. "This won't do. You're simply not strong enough to face her."

"Jeannie? I don't care; I won't let her push me aside."

"Using your alchemy powers you could possibly hold your own, but not using ki. You're far too weak on that level to properly fight by right of satisfaction. No, you need far more training…" said Vegeta firmly.

"I'll do what it takes to get her off my back, and protect my family. But at the cost of losing my bond with my children?" she asked.

"True, but true Saiyan warriors train for YEARS. Granted your time with the State Military on that Alchemy world has hardened you from what you once were. Becoming Saiyan has increased your raw power at least by a factor of five, not ten. You have the requisite battle energy, but it's not properly tapped. Kakkarot might have increased your abilities to channel KI, but you are far from the skill level of even a third class."

"I fought her before and won…" Tomique reminded him. Radditzu walked into the room slowly, having been summonded telepathically a minute or so before. He strode behind Tomique, then stood with crossed arms at her left shoulder.

"But what about the next time? You were lucky, and took risks with your powers. But as a scientist you need skill, not dumb luck. So I shall order special training. The full regimen. From birth Saiyans are trained in the arts of war. But when they come of age, they go through a year of intense almost round the clock training. Now that you're Saiyan, you must undergo this. And it would involve going into space in 10 Gs incrementally…" Vegeta asked, leveling his dark eyed gaze on her.

"I can't squeeze years of training into only a week!" Tomique protested to Vegeta.

"Actually, you can," Vegeta said. Tomique's mouth popped open, and she could swear her jaw must have impacted with the floor.

"How is that possible, sire?" asked Radditzu.

"I have my ways. It's going to take some pulling strings, but I believe I can redress your gap in fighting skills by taking you to a place where what you complain about IS possible," Vegeta smirked, hands on his hips. "That is if you're UP to it!"

"Does it mean more time away from my family?"

"Not to them, but to you," said Vegeta. "I think it might just work. Back when I fought cell with Kakkarot, some of us trained in a Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where an entire earth day was equivalent to an entire year…"

"A dimensional zone where the passage of time is different relative to this one then. Brilliant… but where does such a place exist and why haven't we heard of it before?" asked Radditzu.

"Because it's a closely guarded secret…"

"Does Nappa and Cabernet…"

"No. But they soon will. Because each of us in turn will spend a month or so helping you grow accustomed to your Saiyan powers," said Vegeta.

"You mean I'm going to be stuck training for a whole YEAR… with you guys? No offense… but it's going to be a long time…" she whispered.

"Do you want the Destroyers to kill your sons? Do you WANT to be a weakling?" Vegeta snarled.

"No I don't," Tomique grunted.

"Good, then it's settled. Bring what you need for a year. Radditzu, you will be joining her for the first three months. Unfortunately the room can only comfortably hold two people for any length of time…"

"Sire I won't stand for Nappa being left alone with her!" Radditzu snapped.

"That idiot has other chores. I trust that Cabernet would be a good replacement. But it all depends on if you can assist her in building her ki, Radditzu. Both of you must be in tune with one another perfectly," said Vegeta. "Now, make preparations. After the first three months another of us will work with her. But you'll be back periodically to assist her…"

"Fine… I suppose that can work out," said Radditzu. He rested his hand at Tomique's back. She nodded, then let him lead her towards the room where there were spare suits of armor.

An hour later, Son Goku arrived with her two sons then noticed Bulma and Vegeta were arguing in the front lobby. He waved, and said, "Hey guys, what's the problem. Don't tell me you're arguing again?" 

"Son-kun, could you please tell this idiot that he's gone too far!" Bulma snapped. Both Bohr and Fermi slid down from his shoulders and stood at his sides. Their eyes were wide, and Goku shook his head.

"Could we do this away from the kids?" asked Goku quietly.

"Trunks! Come here now, Son!" Vegeta shouted. "You have company!"

"Hey that's a great idea!" Goku cheered up. "Bulma, Chichi's coming by later with Goten, and she wondered if you wanted to go shopping?"

"Fine, I suppose I could use a break," Bulma said. "Unlike SOME of us, I enjoy the FINER things other than FIGHTING and training!"

"Don't whine to me! If I didn't train, you'd all be DEAD!" Vegeta snarled.

"Humph," Bulma snorted turning around and forming a pose identical to her husband's.

"Son-kun-san, they look like you and Auntie Chichi when they argue," Bohr whispered.

"Are they angry at US or Mommy?" asked Fermi.

"No, they're just being grown ups. You know that your auntie Chichi and I fight all the time, but we always get back together. Married people argue a lot, just like normal friends do. It's just that if you don't forgive each other that's when problems start," Goku leaned down to whisper into both boys' ears.

A minute later, Trunks wandered out with his hands in his pockets. Seeing the two boys, he gave a grin. "Hey there, you guys finally got bored huh hanging around Goten?" 

"Nissan we're here to play with you!" Fermi said as he rushed over to stand near Trunks.

"Son-kun-san said it was okay… Bulma-san can we?" Bohr asked, looking up at Bulma.

"Okay I suppose that's fine. Trunks, could you take them into your room for a while? Your Papa and I are having a talk…"

"Oh yeah, I could hear it all the way down there," Trunks glared witheringly at his parents.

"Never you mind, Son," Vegeta barked. "Take Tomique's twins and occupy them while I speak to Kakkarot and your mother. I'll send for you when I'm done. There's something we need to talk about later, man to man…"

"Okay Papa. C'mon you guys, let's go play some video games…" Trunks said, motioning for the twins to follow him. They darted off after him, laughing as they waved goodbye to Goku.

"Um Vegeta… what's going on? Why'd you have Tomique call me?" he asked.

"It's simple. I need you to convince Piccolo to let me use the hyperbolic time chamber to train Tomique," said Vegeta. "She's not accustomed to her powers, and I refuse to let her go any longer without the requisite third class training. And since she's worried about bonding with her brats, I figured this was the best solution…"

"That's a GREAT idea!" Goku brightened up. "Hear that boys, your mommy's gonna get extra training, but she's going to be gone for only a short time!"

"What genius failed to mention is that he's going to spend time in there with her! I can't BELIEVE it… he never spends time with ME training. And now I'm supposed to not be jealous that he's going to be alone with HER for three months?"

"Gosh Vegeta… what's my brother say?"

"It's just terrific! You never took ME on a honeymoon, and now you're letting two of your third class warriors, buck privates have three months of uninterrupted BLISS while you didn't even TAKE me on a lousy honeymoon!" Bulma yelled.

"We were fighting cell, you infernal woman! What was I supposed to do, check into the morgue and get you a slab next to mine?" Vegeta snarled.

"Look you two, that's great, but are you sure," asked Goku.

"We need you go ask Dende if we can use the room. Since you get along with anyone in that disgustingly cheerful manner, you can do the asking!" Vegeta snorted.

"Well jeez Vegeta thanks, but you could ask him yourself!" said Goku.

"I'd rather YOU made an idiot out of yourself if they give me shit," Vegeta said. "After all, they trust you. Kakkarot can do no wrong…"

"Okay, you got a deal," Goku said. "I'll just IM up there and ask them now if you like. Then I'll be back when I've got an answer. You want me to take Radditzu and Tomique up there?"

"Fine. That would be acceptable. Considering I wish to keep the location secret from Nappa and the others…" said Vegeta.

"Good idea," Bulma sniffed.

"Why?" asked Goku. "They ARE your warriors… unless…. You don't trust them do you?"

"Nappa is obstinate. He couldn't keep a secret to save his life unless it profited him. It's better to only tell him what he needs to know… he's not KNOWN for his brains," Vegeta snorted. "And I don't wish Jeannie to know either. She's going to look for every excuse to harass Tomique and Radditzu. And I can't let that interfere with my warriors or discipline…"

"So you're doing it to help them out. I knew you cared," Goku grinned, elbowing Vegeta.

"Shut up, Kakkarot! Just go and ask them… if you would?" Vegeta snorted.

"You didn't say the magic word!" Goku teased.

"Go ask them PLEASE, and be QUICK about it!" Vegeta spat.

"It's not that hard. I'll be back, Vegeta," Goku grinned and vanished with a touch of two fingers to his forehead.

"Now that's settled, I need to see if those two third classes are ready yet," said Vegeta.

"Hem… we were still TALKING…" Bulma coughed.

"What now?" Vegeta snorted. "Are you still being a baby about this?"

"I deserve a honeymoon, baka," she sniffed. "Is it THAT much to ask for your WIFE?"

"Fine Woman, you'll get your honeymoon," Vegeta sighed. "Now would you stop pouting like a spoiled BRAT?"

"That's what we both are," she stuck her tongue out at him. Vegeta rolled his eyes, and moved over to grab Bulma and spin her around.

"You drive me crazy you idiotic female!" Vegeta snarled. Bulma raised her hand to smack him, but he caught her wrist in his gloved palm, smirking. She growled, fuming angry with steam all but coming out her ears when Vegeta trapped her against his body. Sharply he turned his head to the side, and grabbed the scruff of her neck. Bulma's next angry scream was cut off as Vegeta kissed her hard. An angry squeal between their lips soon turned into a sigh and a moan when her blue eyes closed. Her fingers soon latched into his hair, grabbing handfuls of the spiked mass to tug onto it.

When she separated for breath she panted up at him, glaring angrily at him. "That's fighting dirty, Vegeta…"

"Dirty is how you like it as I recall," he smirked. "Now, we have a few minutes before Kakkarot comes back, and those two lovebirds are ready. I suggest we use the time constructively don't you?"

"Where and when, bud?"

"Now, and at 10,000 meters,' Vegeta grinned as he swept her up in his arms. Bulma gasped, clinging to her husband darting out the window of Capsule. A streak of blue fire rocketed up into the clear skies, indicating Bulma and her Prince were finding time for a quickie.

Goten bounded into the playroom where Trunks swung his arms in a series of katas. Clad in a blue gi tied with red belt, Trunks flashed a punch before stopping it a centimeter from Fermi's head. To his delight the boy did not even flinch. 

"Nice one. Now, your turn, Bohr…" said Trunks.

"Goten-kun!" Bohr laughed, turning towards the door. He and Goten mock hit one another, then rolled over laughing and play hitting.

"Kids," Trunks snorted, turning to Fermi.

"I know. Little brothers are SO embarrassing," Fermi snorted. "Even if we ARE two minutes apart…"

"He's still a toddler," Trunks grinned knowingly. "Hey are you two DONE yet? Hello?"

"Sorry Trunks I was just seeing how STRONG this guy was!" Goten apologized, grabbing Bohr by the back of his orange gi. Both twins were clad in the same training outfit as Goten was. Except their undershirts were different colors. Bohr's was a silky green with long sleeves, and Fermi's was yellow, unlike Goten's.

"Now guys, let's spar. Goten, you work with Bohr since you're still beating on each other, and I'll take up with Fermi… winner gets to play my newest game…" Trunks grinned. "And then maybe we can all use my Papa's gravity room…"

"I dunno Trunks the last time we tried taking them in there, your mom and mine flipped out!" Goten reminded him.

"C'mon, what does your mommy say?" Trunks asked them.

"She says we should listen to Buruma-san and Auntie Chichi-san," Bohr said.

"But she's not here, and we should listen to Nissan Trunks-kun and Goten-kun," Fermi reminded him. "Remember? That's what Son-kun-sama said!"

"Right. And you guys gotta do what I say cause I'm the oldest…" said Trunks with a wink.

"Isn't it because you're a Prince?" added Fermi. "I mean your Daddy is the Prince of all Saiyans, so that makes you one too…"

"C'mon Trunks you promised you wouldn't be a stuck up dork!" Goten grumbled.

"My mommy says you shouldn't act like a jerk with your power," Bohr pouted.

"But Uncle Raddish-san said we should do what Bejita-sama says cause he's Royalty," Fermi returned, arms folded over his chest. "Cause Mommy's a Saiyan now."

"He's right," Trunks grinned.

"If you're a SAIYAN where's your tail!" Bohr challenged.

"Good question," Fermi said. "But you don't remember the story, silly!"

"I had a tail when I was born, but my Mom had it cut off," said Trunks quickly. "Right Goten?"

"Right Trunks. My Mommy said the same thing. She said there were enough monsters in the family," Goten grumbled.

"Your Mom sure talks too much," Trunks snorted.

"It's not NICE to talk that way about Auntie Chichi!" Bohr snapped at him.

"He's right," Fermi added. "Even if it IS true…"

"Fine, whatever. Let's just go train okay?" Trunks said. "Sorry Goten-kun but your Mommy's wrong about that. We're not monsters, we're Saiyans. If that scares her, it isn't OUR problem… so don't let her bug you ever. She says that again, you tell my Mom and she'll straighten her out!"

"Okay," Goten nodded.

"Ready Nissan?" asked Fermi, glancing at Trunks.

"Exactly. C'mon guys… last one there's a rotten egg! Race ya across the yard!" Trunks winked with a smirk that would do his father proud. He leapt onto the windowsill and rocketed off in a trail of blue ki. Fermi, Bohr, and Goten followed, leaving purple and white trails respectively. All of the signatures of the twin's ki were purple like their mother's or their late father's.

Vegeta and Bulma landed in the yard, fixing one another's hair. Vegeta wiped lipstick off his mouth with the back of his glove, then helped Bulma fasten the buttons on her shirt. She fixed the clips on his armor. Both smiled at each other with a satiated grin. 

"Was that satisfactory?" Vegeta asked. He saw two purple streaks rocketing overhead, tailing a white and a royal blue one.

"Uh huh, but you still owe me a honeymoon, Geta-chan," she whispered. He glanced up, shading his eyes with his hand.

"I see Trunks is training the brats with Kakkarot's youngest child's help. Good," Vegeta nodded.

"They're so good with those boys. It's great to see them playing together," Bulma said with a sigh. "I guess I understand why you want to use the chamber. Tomique's feeling guilty about having to spend so much time away from her sons…"

"Exactly. On Vegetasei, two newly bonded mates spent three months together training to synch their ki. Royals didn't, but second and third class did. That's why I didn't perform that ritual with you, Bulma. It was out of protocol…"

"Still, I'm jealous…"

"There will be time for that later, I promise, Bulma," Vegeta glanced meaningfully at her. "But now to the matter at hand…"

"But she's pregnant Vegeta…" Bulma swallowed hard.

"Simple. If you build a gestational tank…"

"No WAY!" Bulma yelled at him. "We're NOT doing that! We discussed it!"

"There's no need for that Sire, when I have a solution," Cabernet interrupted. "Begging your pardon…"

"You heard? How much?" Vegeta asked her as she bowed.

"If you're worried about Tomique carrying her brats during training, I could show her how to postpone her pregnancy. After all, I've had to do it at times… there's no Gestational tanks in space. Besides those aren't USED for third class or Royals… your Majesty…"

"Right," said Bejita. "Third class warriors were not given priority as Elite were. And Royalty was considered to be far stronger if they were carried full term. Naturally since the Queen and concubines were not required to fight… that was the case. Yet third class females if they conceived in space would prolong their pregnancies. But is she capable of…"

"I am," said Tomique, standing behind Cabernet. "She's showed me how…"

"Fine then. Are you ready?" Vegeta glanced at her.

"Whenever you are. Radditzu's getting our gear together, Sire," Tomique said. "But I want to say goodbye to my boys first…"

"Trunks!" Vegeta yelled.

"Must you YELL!" Bulma winced. Trunks landed, shortly followed by his retinue.

"Yeah Papa… is it time?" Trunks asked.

"Mommy, do you have to go so soon?" asked Bohr and Fermi. She leaned down and hugged them both hard.

"Mommy has to train and learn to use her new powers," said Tomique, picking up Fermi on one hip, and Bohr on the other.

"So you can grow as strong as Son-kun and Bejita sama?" asked Fermi.

"Well not THAT strong…"

"You take care of our mommy, Uncle Bejita-sama," Bohr asked the Prince.

"Of course, boy," Vegeta said, glancing at him. Tomique set her son down, and he walked over to bow to the Prince.

"You promise? Cause Trunks-kun said you'd be training her part of the time…" Bohr said.

Sighing, Vegeta leaned down and picked the boy up carefully. "A Prince keeps his word, boy. You'd do well to remember that…"

Bulma almost fell over seeing Vegeta pick up someone else's child like that. Bohr rested his hand on the Prince's shoulder and nodded stoically. "All right Vegeta-sama. I know you'll protect her. But what about Uncle-Raddish… Radditzu?"

"He'll be with her," Vegeta said, and then set the boy down. "Go to your mother. You don't have much time till we have to leave…"

"Thank you, Vegeta-sama," Fermi said, sliding down and bowing to him as well. Vegeta patted the boy awkwardly on the head.

"Fine, enough of this. You both say your good-byes while you can," Vegeta coughed gruffly. Fermi nodded and darted behind his mom's leg. He then brightened up and rushed over to where Radditzu strode out carrying a large bundle over his shoulder.

"Uncle Radditzu, you'd better take care of our mother," Fermi glanced up at him. Radditzu leaned down and swept the boy easily on his shoulder.

"You have my word, young warrior. You don't even have to ask," he said. Bohr held up his arms to be caught up on Radditzu's other shoulder. Both of them were tugging at his hair.

"Come back okay? We'll miss you both," Bohr said as he pressed his cheek to Radditzu's temple. Fermi patted him on the back of the head.

"You help mom get strong okay?" Fermi nodded.

"Boys, don't hang on him, you know he HATES that!" Tomique groaned.

"Aww Mom, relax!" Fermi shook his head. Radditzu transferred Fermi to his hip, and kept Bohr sitting on his shoulders. He wandered over to where she was watching with amusement, then knelt down before Vegeta.

"Reporting for duty…"

"I see," Vegeta said, trying to keep a straight face while Tomique's sons crawled over his warrior. "We're just waiting for that brother of yours…"

"Yoo-hoo," Goku called, appearing out of nowhere and startling Tomique and the others.

"I'll NEVER get used to that," Bulma gulped.

"Well Kakkarot?" Vegeta asked. Radditzu stood up, still holding Tomique's children. Goku glanced at him, then started to laugh.

"You see I was RIGHT! They love you!" Goku grinned, pointing at him.

"Brother, what are you on about? We have to go… the Prince is waiting," Radditzu snorted impatiently.

"Yeah, what he said," Fermi glared at Goku. "What's so funny Son-kun-san?"

"Just you guys… this is a RIOT!" he laughed. Goten walked over and stood by his dad's hip. Goku gave his son a hug, and then wandered over to Vegeta.

"Why's he laughing at us?" Bohr asked Radditzu.

"He always does that, remember? You're the one who called him Funny man," Fermi reminded him.

"It fits," Radditzu nodded to the two boys he still carried effortlessly around.

"Enough frivolity. Are we going to do this or not?" Vegeta glared at Goku.

"It's all set up," Goku grinned, giving the thumbs up sign. "I can take them now if you want…"

"Fine, then do so. But I shall go as well. Radditzu, Tomique, say your good-byes. It's time to leave…" said Vegeta.

"Farewell young warriors," Radditzu said, and put both boys down. Reluctantly Bohr slid down and they both went over to hug Tomique goodbye. She fought away tears, and Fermi clung to her waist, not wanting to let go. Bohr broke down into tears, hugging her leg. Radditzu leaned down and grabbed Bohr up, holding the boy before him.

"I promise she won't' be harmed, you'll see. Now be brave, little warrior… just like I said, remember?" Radditzu said firmly yet softly to him. "Can you do that?"

"Gosh guys, I'm only going to be gone a day…" Tomique said, squeezing her other son.

"I know, but it stinks," said Fermi. "You'll be gone a whole year… and miss us more!"

"C'mon guys, it's gonna be okay," Goku said, taking Fermi from her. He sniffled, drying his tears. Radditzu set his twin down, and then Fermi let go of Goku.

"Go stand by Trunks now, that's a good boy…" Tomique nodded. Sniffling, they nodded and moved over by Goten and Trunks. Radditzu slid his arm around Tomique's waist, and then Goku motioned for them to stand close to him. Vegeta joined them, stoically crossing his arms and facing out over his family. In seconds they were gone.

"Mommy," Bohr sniffled. Bulma sighed and looked to Trunks and Goten.

"Come on you guys, let's go get some ice cream. That will help pass the time… okay?" Bulma said.

"Any flavor you want, think of it!" Goten nudged Bohr, who was crying into his shoulder.

"Wow… any flavor?"

"You bet," said Trunks.

"Me first!" Fermi said, forgetting his tears. They rushed after Bulma; their sorrow put to the side for a time.

* * *

Dende and Piccolo were waiting for the small party at Kami's lookout. Seeing Goku, they nodded in gretting. Radditzu felt Tomique's arm tighten around his waist, so he increased his grip on her hip. While she had seen Namekians before when Piccolo came to visit Goku, the other one was unfamiliar. 

"Welcome to the Lookout, Tomique, Radditzu… it's nice to meet you," Dende smiled.

"Thank you for letting us use the room guys…" said Goku.

"Fine, you have my gratitude as well, but let's go already," Vegeta said impatiently.

"Right this way," Dende said. "Follow me…"

Along the massive floating island they strode, watching clouds go by. Inside the multiple rooms they wandered, following Dende down several steps while Piccolo brought up the rear. While they walked, Dende explained the room's workings to the newcomers. "Goku and Vegeta probably told you about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber… but there's some other things you should be aware of…" he said.

"Such as?" Radditzu asked. "How do we find food in a sealed environ, or is it provided automatically?"

"It's provided automatically. There's a pantry with jars of all kinds. They'll automatically replenish to match your needs. There's also two beds, and a shower, and other sanitation amenities," Dende explained.

"Only two of you can be in the room for any extended period of time," said Piccolo.

"Why were you and Trunks and Goten able to be in there at the same time?" asked Goku.

"Because Nameks don't' need to EAT," Piccolo snorted. "I can be in there indefinitely. But the comforts and demands of the room are more difficult to share among more than two at a time…"

"You will be in simulated 10 times gravity at all times," Vegeta took up the explanation. "Both of you will spend three months acclimating to Vegetasei standard environment. That should strengthen your Saiyan powers to their maximum potential. You will spend the bulk of your time on basic forms. After the first segment one of my warriors will spend two weeks in rotation, followed by two weeks with your mate. I shall come in from time to time to test what you've learned, Tomique…"

"Great," she mumbled.

"I shall expect good progress of course. While someone else is with her Radditzu, you will remain outside. It will only be a few minutes for you, but you shall be able to tolerate the separation," said Vegeta.

"What about Tomique?" he asked.

"She'll be too busy fighting to miss you much," Vegeta said quietly.

"Here we are," Dende said. "The Hyperbolic Time Chamber, also known as the Room of Spirit and Time…"

"Hyperbolic Time Chamber sounds cooler though," Goku laughed.

"Fine, let's do this. Radditzu, Tomique, enter," said Vegeta. Dende placed his hand on the door, and it slid open. Saying their farewells, they both strode inside. Behind them the door slid shut, and they were in another realm.

"Impressive," Radditzu said, folding his arms and staring up at the high vaulted ceiling. He felt the familiar tug of Vegetasei gravity, and tossed his bundle down.

"Wow… can we use ki in here?" she asked, raising her hand.

"Let's find out love," Radditzu smiled.

"That series of buildings over there must be the amenities… I should like to see them and get settled in," she said. Radditzu nodded.

They scoped out the Spartan accommodations, noticing the large double bed and bathtub in a one-room dwelling. A table and chairs sat by a large pantry refrigerator. She opened it up to see large jars covered and labeled with other things.

"I hope they have compatible food," Radditzu grunted.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken these are garbonzo beans, rice, and other foods that Goku likes. So I'm sure I could find egg rolls…"

"This seems adequate. I'm sure we'll be quite comfortable here," Radditzu said. Tomique hugged herself, feeling a sense of forlornness.

"Alone for three months. It's so quiet," she whispered.

"It has certain advantages," Radditzu said. She leaned up and started taking off her armor.

"I know we're in training, but do I have to wear this armor the whole time?"

"No, you may wear what you like, or however little you wish," Radditzu purred.

"You can drop the armor too, if you want. Cause I got a feeling it's going to be very sweaty in here…" she laughed.

"I'm used to my armor though," he protested as she reached up and pulled his scouter off.

"Nonsense, and let that gi that your brother gave you go to waste? I want to see you in it… please?"

"Very well if it will please you love," Radditzu sighed dramatically, letting her undress him. Moments later he wore the light workout pants. He grunted as he slid the red weighted shirt over his body.

"It's weighted like your armor, Goku said. And he has boots and training weights. I know armor's good, but even your prince doesn't wear it 24 7," she said, fishing out a set of violet gi that looked like something Chichi would wear. Radditzu admitted the high collared sleeveless jacket and pink baggy training pants were better. He stacked his armor neatly on the bedside table, then strode out with bare feet.

"The boots are here," she said, then put on a pair of weighted boots that were equivalent to what her armor weighed. "Might as well step it up…"

"No doubt he'll increase the gravity here," said Radditzu, coiling his tail around his waist just above his sash that held the pants up. She fixed the bindings and nodded. He had to admit the gi was comfortable and did not hinder him.

* * *


	27. Raditz gets jealous

**Raditz' Jealousy**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama does. I own Atomique, Bohr, Fermi, Cabernet, Jeannie, and my buddy Bulmathebabe owns Christine (Black Widow). I don't own KISS or their fictional portrayals, KISS does and so does Marvel and Dark Horse. I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. This is fan fiction!_

* * *

"G'bye Mommy… an' Uncle Radz…" Bohr said as he squeezed his mom.

She passed him over to her mate, who was a bit flustered. Mumbling awkwardly he touched his left cheek to the forehead of the boy, which was the most intimate touch he could think appropriate for a Saiyan male to give a brat. Son Goku looked at his brother in fierce amusement because he saw the intense red seeping into Radditzu's cheeks. Only once more did he have to endure such closeness when he bade Fermi farewell. However Fermi just gave him a squeeze and slapped him on the shoulder.

"I know its icky mushy stuff too, but it makes Mommy an' Son-kun-san happy," he whispered.

"Believe me I know. Ugh," he whispered back. Both boys were returned to Son Goku's care, and they waved goodbye.

"Stay strong young warriors," Raditz said, waiving to them. He clasped his brother's hand and gave it a squeeze before stepping back. Hiding her face with her hand she peered up into the mid afternoon sun at the retreating figure of his brother rising into the air. Before long he was just a gleaming spark on the far horizon. Inside her throat she felt a hardening lump that she could not ignore. Only the pressure of his hand at the small of her back relieved it in any way.

"Stupid pain in the ass," she muttered, wiping tears away angrily.

"Let's go inside. We've much work to do in improving your ki focussing," he said gruffly, yet kindly. They crossed the yard together, Raditz sliding his arm possessively around her hips while they walked. In the distance she heard a car horn honking accompanied by the hiss of tires on asphalt. A bleeping on the pink lens of her scouter reminded her that she had neglected to turn the annoying device off. Yet she saw two power levels that were easily in her class before the car pulled up the circular drive.

"Visitors," he mumbled, walking towards them with his mate beside him. A cherry red convertible had its white top down. Behind the driving wheel sat Yamucha, wearing a cream colored suit. His long black hair fastened at the nape of his neck in a ponytail. Beside him sat a purple haired girl, placing hands to the sides of her cheeks.

"Ohh Yami, it's so BIG!"

"I know sweetie, I used to live here… I wanted to introduce you to everyone here… and you'll just LOVE the garden they have…"

"Raditz, calm down, he's no harm…" Atomique murmured.

"I know, but that female is not authorized…" he grumbled.

"Her battle power's nil, so what are you worried about? That she'll blast you to death with her perfume?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"The Prince specifically ordered all guests were to be…" Raditz started.

"Well then let's introduce ourselves, but we'd better change or we'll scare them to death…"

"We're warriors on duty, it's not seemly to be seen out of uniform…" he protested, letting her drag him off by the hand.

"Well the princess said we were supposed to keep from striking terror into her house guests, so if you aren't going to change I will. But I promise I'll get out of civvies in time for training…" she winked at him. He grumbled something about earth females then realized it no longer applied to her.

"Fine…" he mumbled. "I'll be waiting in the training compound…"

Minutes later, Yamucha was showing his new girlfriend around the vast pool. Apparently Buruma must have known he was coming because she was out wearing a red bikini and a sarong hitched around her waist. Trunks and Goten splashed in the shallow end of the pool. A deluge of water narrowly avoided splashing Yamucha as Goten cannonballed into the water with a spectacular splash. 

By the pool, Christine and Jeannie lay out wearing swimsuits, clearly enjoying playing guard duty in civilian attire. Yamucha motioned to his girlfriend, who wore a long strapless sundress, light purple and pink in color. It came to just above her knees, and reminded Atomique of what you'd wear under a ball gown. Strappy sandals completed the ensemble. Jeannie's olive skin bronzed easily, and she was sans whiteface, wearing dark sunglasses and a dark purple one piece French cut suit. Christine's was black, but a more modest racing suit with red stripes down the side.

"Wow, what a place," Yamucha's girl murmured.

"You aren't kidding," nodded Chichi, who readjusted her sun hat. She sat talking to Buruma, wearing her own dark one piece suit, and a towel draped over her body. Obviously she had come to spend the afternoon with Goten.

"Buruma, I'd like you to meet my friend Shasta, and this is Son Chichi-san…"

"Nice to meet you," Chichi said, lifting her sunglasses and giving her a smile. Buruma shook Shasta's hand, hiding her obvious relief that Yamucha had another diversion to keep him from pining over her. Yet a spark of old jealousy still permeated.

"Hey Uncle Yamucha!" Goten laughed, rushing over and mock hitting Yamucha's fist. Trunks did the same, greeting him enthusiastically.

"If you brought a swimsuit you're welcome to join us," Buruma said with a smile at Shasta.

"Oh I couldn't…"

"C'mon, don't be shy…" Yamucha laughed. "I've come here to catch some rays myself… and take someone up on a challenge to a water fight…"

"You just like an excuse to splash in the pool with the boys," Buruma said.

"Good thing Goku-sa's not here, or we'd have to get the life rafts out… if there's one thing he loves its showing off his swan dives," Chichi giggled.

"Is he watching the twins?" Yamucha asked.

"Yep, their mom's staying here… and he's doing what he does best… daycare," chichi grinned.

"Twins?" asked Shasta.

"Actually, here comes their mom now…" Chichi pointed. Atomique strode out, wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top that concealed the furry tail wrapped around her waist. Overtop she wore a loose over shirt to cover her arms. Bites and scars from the night before pockmarked her flesh, and she didn't want nosy people asking questions.

"Hey, Tomique!" Yamucha grinned, holding out his arms and giving her a hug and a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Long time no see!"

"Hi Yamucha," she nodded, returning his greeting kiss. Soon she sat among the other women, chatting and sipping lemonade by the pool. She hoped that Bejita wouldn't get too angry about her being out of uniform.

"Don't worry, I won't say a thing. I'll just tell his Highness you're on guard duty," whispered Buruma when the subject arose.

Jeannie excused herself, leaving Christine there next to her friend. Yamucha happened to lean close, wolf whistling at both of them sitting there. "Looking mighty good, there, Tomique," he purred.

"Hi Yamucha, who's your little friend?" Atomique asked.

"She's my number one fan. My new number one fan," he winked, and undressed them both with his eyes. "Man, but one look at you two ladies makes me almost forget…"

"Are you speaking to my mate, ningen?" a deep voice asked. Yamucha whirled around to see Raditz standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Radz, calm down we were only talking!" Atomique groaned.

"Yeah, chill its okay," Christine urged, as Atomique sat up.

"Mmm mate?" Yamucha stammered, glancing up weakly at the tall Saiyan frowning at him. "Um… hello there… uh… you're Goku's brother right?"

"Correct. But I ask you again, what business you have with my mate, human," said Raditz quietly, striding over and sitting down on the deck chair next to Atomique. It sagged under his weight.

"Hate to disappoint you, but I'm spoken for," Atomique said, trying to calm Raditz down before he decided to teach the baseball player/martial artist a lesson he wouldn't forget.

"You and HIM?" Yamucha spluttered. "When… how… wow…"

"That's right," said Atomiuqe, sliding her arms around him from behind and resting her chin on his armored shoulder.

"Sorry… I had no idea… really sorry! I'll just go over here now!" Yamucha spluttered.

"Apology accepted…. Yamucha-san," Raditz said, giving him a dangerous look.

"Jeez Radz-chan you didn't have to scare the piss out of him!" Christine laughed.

"He was looking at my mate in an inappropriate manner!" Raditz growled.

"That's sweet of you, Radz-chan, but you can't go beating up every guy who looks at me appreciatively," Atomique said.

"Hmm, I suppose not, but I didn't HURT him," Raditz snorted. He tugged off his scouter and set it down next to her sunglasses, then removed the breastplate of his armor to set it down as well. Reaching down he grabbed Atomique and set her into his lap before laying down in the reinforced deck chair.

"You're making yourself comfy," Christine chuckled. "Are you off duty?"

"He is as of now," Buruma giggled, standing nearby. "I just relieved him."

"My gratitude your Majesty," said Raditz.

"At ease," Buruma grinned.

Atomique blushed bright red as Radditzu's tail snaked around her waist, securing her into his lap. "Um… well… thanks…"

"You two have earned it considering you were both interrupted last night," she winked. "I've set it up with Bejita. He's cutting you a break. But tomorrow you're both back on duty.

* * *


	28. 3rd class pool fun

**Tomique's New Groove**

_Disclaimer I don't own DBZ, Funimation does. I own Atomique, Cabernet and Jeannie. Bulma the Babe owns Christine Black Widow. I don't get paid for this!_

Slight lemon alert! Don't read if you're underage!

* * *

The afternoon sun cast its shadow on the sun worshippers. Serving bots brought out glasses of pina coladas and cold Long Island iced teas to the figures in their bathing suits. Atomique took a long swig of her pina colada, gasping at how potently the alcohol slammed into her for a moment before abating. Then the buzz was fleeting, leaving her stone cold sober. 

"Damn," she grumbled. Raditz stretched under her, wearing only the AE sleeveless suit from under his armor. His eyes were shut, as his olive skin drank in the rays of the intense sun. Only a few clouds drifted in the blue sky. Atop his body, Tomique murmured and brushed her bottom a bit overtop his abdomen. She wasn't surprised to feel her squirming had awakened a desire in her mate. However he looked as cool as ever, smirking while he pretended to sleep.

Christine and Chichi chatted with Buruma, and then accepted a fresh round of drinks. Only Christine drank soda, not subscribing to alcohol. However the smell of lit Marlboro menthol 100 bit into the air, causing them to curl their noses. Raditz ignored it, having smelt far worse in his career.

"Hey Tomique, your hair looks a bit… wild today," Chichi commented, glancing at her.

"I meant to ask about that. What's up with it?" Christine asked, flicking ash into a small tray. Buruma lit the end of a Virginia Slims, inhaling deeply before letting the smoke pour around her head. Tomique suddenly straightened up, glimpsing her reflection in the pool nearby. It dawned on her it wasn't just a temporary thing.

"My hair? Oh good grief, I don't know," she mumbled, shaking it out. "It's probably fried from dunking in salt water half the night…"

"It's perfectly normal for Saiyan hair," Raditz mumbled sleepily from under her, drawing his fingers through it.

"Oh terrific," Tomique groaned.

"Saiyan hair?" Buruma blinked as she stared gaspingly at Tomique. Raditz was picking the tangles out of it as she grabbed at the mass of fluffed hair that had taken on a life of its own. In truth she had not given it much thought that morning after the transformation. All she was concerned with was getting the hell away from that beach and into her armor. Now she realized just how unruly it had become since yesterday.

"Crap," she mumbled, shaking and pulling at it. It dawned on her the texture was remarkably similar to Son Goku's, and Raditz's. Leaning over she glanced at her reflection in the pool, blinking in sudden shock at what she saw. Raditz took this as a cue to work more of the tangles out of the mass of it that fell around her shoulders. It cascaded about in a fluffed mass, with small spiky bits that resembled an eighties rock star with an overabundance of aqua net. Much like her hairstyle when she transformed to her Atomic Girl persona with whiteface. Stiff yet soft, the tops and sides stuck out a bit, but not in the manner of thick spikes like the male's hair. Was it a female thing, or something else?

"Am I missing something," Chichi asked, lifting her sunglasses. "Your hair looks a lot like Gohan's before we cut it… sort of half way between Goku's and… wait a minute…"

"I've been going through some… changes," she said soberly to both women. Chichi and Buruma almost fell off their deck chairs when something twitched around her waist.

"No WAY!" Buruma gasped. "How in the HELL?"

"It fucking figures," mumbled the Prince as he wandered past, plunking down into a chair next to his wife. Raditz and Tomique fell off the chair in a panic, stumbling to their feet. Averting his gaze he crouched on one knee while Tomique tumbled off his lap and squirmed into a similar position.

"Bejita, before you say a WORD I relieved them of duty…"

"Sire I can explain."

"Don't fucking bother. Goddamn alchemy. Figures that your wench would sprout a goddamn tail…"

"This is nuts!" Buruma gasped.

"I can't believe it…"

"It's a fucking tail, no big deal," Bejita grumbled under his breath. "Get up you two clowns… little wonder those Z losers bitched about seeing FOUR great apes… I already FIGURED out what happened…"

"You're not mad?"

"Humph, surprised, but what the fuck should I be mad, honestly what do you think, woman?" he snorted indignantly. "You should feel honored."

"Bejita please tell me you're not going to ask her to…" Buruma shivered. "Not that it wouldn't be fun under SOME circumstances…"

"Feh, what's gone is gone," he mumbled, grabbing the glass of lemonade from her hand and sipping it.

"HEY!" Buruma yelped, slapping his wrist.

"Didn't I tell you two idiots to get the hell up?" Bejita barked at Raditz and Tomique. "Go amuse yourselves elsewhere… and show her how to control that thing, will you, Raditz?"

"Yes your majesty…" he nodded.

"You two are on house duty. Nappa and Cabernet are departing for zero G training exercises, so that means you both are responsible for security for the next week. Tomorrow I'll be sparring with Kakkarot and my son, so make certain you and Black Widow look after the house…"

"Sire?" asked Tomique.

"You're responsible for making sure the labs continue to run…"

"I was going to go shopping with Videl and Chichi tomorrow," said Buruma quietly.

"Shopping?" Bejita hiked a brow. "I don't want to even KNOW what crap you're purchasing NOW!"

"We're going to look at gowns for Videl," Chichi said with glee. "So don't spoil it!"

"Gowns?" snorted Bejita. "Don't tell me… Kakkarot's brat is getting married?"

"Sire, he chose his mate at the same time that Tomique and I…" Raditz blurted out.

"I don't want to know the DETAILS, baka," Bejita waved his hand. "Very well, Buruma. Take Dragon Womyn with you for security…"

"Bejita, I relieved these two of duty! This is not a briefing room, it's a pool!" Buruma groaned.

"Well I'm reassigning them to take their leave elsewhere," said Bejita with a grunt. "They are third class…"

"Bejita!" Buruma cried.

"It's not for us to question his Majesty," Raditz said quickly.

"Raditz, take your mate and amuse yourself elsewhere. Just be certain you report for duty tomorrow promptly at the usual time… dismissed…" said Bejita. Quickly Raditz grabbed his armor in one hand, and his mate in the other. She protested loudly as Raditz swung her over his shoulder, and quickly blasted off from the pool area.

"Bejita! That was mean! They're guests…"

"They are third class, woman, and don't you forget it," Bejita said matter of fact. "I'm not cruel, Woman. But they must earn their place."

"You say Goku's third class and you're letting ME stay here," Chichi sniffed.

"Kakkarot's different. He's a worthy adversary, and you are his mate. Also, you are a peer and friend of the Princess," Bejita said quickly to Chichi. "But Raditz is one of my soldiers. Tomique chose to mate with him, and she is now Saiyan. Furthermore she swore an oath to serve me in her present rank."

"All right, but my Goku's watching you, and if he realizes she's being mistreated…" Chichi said.

"She is hardly being mistreated, Mate of Kakkarot," said Bejita quickly. "In fact I treat all who serve me quite well… that's not the same for many of your other earth rulers…"

"He's right," Christine said. Chichi sighed and held up her magazine. Pointedly she ignored Bejita. Smirking he lay back and grasped the glass of ice cold lemonade that a serving bot set at his wrist.

"Princess?" Buruma asked, glancing at him.

"That's what you are, are you not? You're the mate of the Prince of all Saiyans, so why should you bitch?" Bejita yawned.

"You're something else," she said, leaning over to nip him on the ear.

"I know," he grinned, returning the bite.

"Pain in the ass," Tomique mumbled, as Raditz circled over the compound. She carried his armor on her lap as he clasped her in his arms.

"My apologies love, but the Prince's word is law… he did still confirm we were on leave, though," Raditz reminded her.

"I was looking forward to sitting by the pool," Tomique mumbled.

"I shall make it up to you, I promise," Raditz said. "There is always the workout room that His Majesty's corporate workers use…"

"Oh, you mean these silly capsule corps ID's will have some use after all?" she asked, as he set her down in the fresh grass of the yard. Quickly she helped him into his armor again, as he had not brought a change of civilian clothes.

"Indeed," he nodded. Tomique dragged her fingers impatiently through her hair, glancing at her reflection in the nearby windows.

"I can't believe this… why you didn't TELL me my hair was… like this… I look like a member of an eighties metal band…"

"Considering the circumstances I was quite dazzled by your beauty. In Saiyan terms such hair is considered quite desirable," Raditz explained, stroking his fingers through it.

"Your hair is longer than mine, you jerk. I'm jealous!"

"It's the fault of my mother. I inherited her style, whereas Kakkarot inherited his looks from Father…" said Raditz with a grin. He swung his arms around her, boosting her up in his arms so her face was level with his. Automatically she plunged her fingers into his dark spiky mane and tugged his face down while he inclined his head to give her a kiss. His tail uncurled from his waist, wrapping around hers, while hers reflexively lashed out to flicker over his well-muscled thighs. Unlatching from her waist, he intertwined and captured her tail with his own, increasing the force of his kiss. Atomique realized he was not holding back his true strength, for his sharp teeth nipped at her lips, and she in turn tasted blood on his lips.

"I'm sorry I bit you," she gasped.

"Do I look like I'm displeased?" he asked, licking his lips. His lips found her neck, biting down, and she did the same, piercing his skin with ease. Reflexively her legs wrapped around his waist and Raditz levitated into the air with his arms holding her close.

"Your smell is driving me mad, just like yesterday," she whispered, nibbling on his ear.

"Another stage of the mating bond. There is an aphrodisiac we both produce, which helps bind us to one another. It makes a Saiyan female desire only her own mate, and likewise," he purred. A similar rumble came in her throat as he reached down and gently stroked the base of her tail. Shrieking she arched her back and almost lost her grip on him.

"How can you grab my tail without hurting me?" she asked reverently.

"Very carefully… I'll show you how," he rumbled, whispering in her ear. Carefully she slid her fingers along the soft fur of his tail, till she reached the base. A slow series of movements with her fingers caused a similar reaction in her mate, and he crushed her close, rumbling like a lion.

"I heard Nappa saying something about Saiyan females being… insatiable?" she asked.

"Indeed… which explains why males are so…"

"Horny?" she asked.

"Only for their chosen mates once they've joined. Why do you think Nappa's gone kill crazy all these years?"

"He's gone without getting laid?" she asked, blushing at her language.

"You guessed correctly, love," Raditz purred, reaching at the fastenings of her clothes. Easily he tore the shirt and items from her so she was right against his cold armor.

"Crap, again," she groaned, aching for his touch.

"Flimsy ningen clothes," he whispered, and she tugged at him. To her amazement all he had to do was reposition spandex and make a few adjustments so he could easily join his body to hers. If she were human he would have killed her.

"Cripes…" she gasped. Around her waist he wrapped his tail, leaving his hands free to squeeze and massage her body in any way he wanted. Far above capsule he had flown, carrying her with his own power. Reflexively her tail curled around his thigh, sliding up and down to tickle the inner surface where he was most vulnerable.

"Uh Radz-chan… ohhh don't stop!" she screamed.

"You learn fast, Tomique-chan… keep doing that…" he snarled, fangs bared with need. Savagely he joined with her while Tomique moved her hips. Sharply she bit down on his arms, his neck, and any bare skin she could reach with her teeth. Finally neither could stand it any longer. Raditz howled in pleasure, doing the same to her. A huge burst of ki flared through him and her simultaneously.

Already he wanted more and she widened her eyes in wonder. "You're really one tough customer," she whispered.

"Now that it's apparent how extensively you're one of us, I intend to make you fully aware of how fortunate you are,' he snickered lasciviously.

"That will have to wait, because I'm seeing that male you scared off… he's got the same idea we do…" she whispered. Hot breath panted against her skin and his as they caught one another's breaths in the sky. Cool wind whipped about them both.

A flicker beeped on the scouter secured to Raditz's waist. Cursing in Saiyanese he grabbed it, then placed it on his face again.

"How the HELL did I fail to sense his ki?" asked Raditz.

"I had my scouter turned off. I didn't sense him either… come to think…" she whispered.

Reaching up with his free hand, Raditz pressed a few buttons to zero in on it. It disturbed him greatly that neither of them had sensed the energies of an intruder. Apparently the scouters were still very necessary.

"Damn it. I don't want anyone seeing you like this but me," he cursed.

"You let Cabernet and Nappa see me naked…" she teased.

"They're Saiyan warriors and we were all doing the same thing. I don't want any HUMAN seeing you like this," he grumbled. Seizing her mouthonce more, he wrung the caution from her lips.

"Let me get this straight, it's okay for two Saiyans to mate in front of other Saiyans, but not in front of humans?"

"We're monogamous when mated, but we can watch and become aroused when other Saiyan mated pairs are engaged in sex. That takes the place of your pornography," Raditz explained. "Especially around the time of a waxing moon. Newly mating Saiyans are often seen as a sign of fertility to older breeding pairs. That's why Nappa and Cabernet were with us. IN seeing us mate, they renewed their bond…"

"But a full moon on your world was only once every eight years?"

"A double full moon," said Raditz. "Every four, was a full moon, which was the mating cycle for third class. Most Saiyan young are conceived on the night of a full moon… but in your case…"

"Radz-chan, how long does it take for a Saiyan female to bear her young?"

"In the last stages of our world, Saiyan females only carried their young for a few months before they were removed and placed in artificial gestational tanks. It was only so the females would be available for breeding more often. And protecting them from draining ki. A typical Saiyan gestation is 55 of your earth weeks. But since you are half-human…" Raditz mumbled.

"Swell I'll be preggers for 15 weeks longer?"

"Not so. I gather yours will be 35 since you are carrying twins. But if you would prefer to…"

"I'm carrying them full term," she said quietly.

"As my mother did with me," said Raditz. She blinked up at him.

"How?"

"Commoners were allowed to have their children naturally. Second and First class elites had their infants removed halfway through. Royals had their whelps taken out of them almost the second month to grow in full isolation. The Prince was gestated in this manner…" said Raditz. "It was seen as a common birth for a Saiyan female to carry the young full term. But among Third class it is a sign of strength…"

"You're almost proud of it," she said quietly.

"Each of us has our role. To be Third Class is still Saiyan, and it is an honor to serve. For they know without us, the race could not survive. We see things that most do not. We are the first to arrive on a world and claim it, study its culture. We are respected, even though we are seen as lower. Fourth class was below us…"

"Untouchables," she said.

"Like your culture in India," he murmured. "But a third class could ascend if he or she did great deeds worthy of the Royal. If their power level was significantly higher, they could deign to rise. That was why my brother was so important… I alone recognized his true potential, while my father did not…"

"You… saw him before he was sent away?"

"I cared for him, love. Made certain he received the education he needed. I had high hopes for him… whereas my father had other misgivings. I was the last one to place him in his pod before it was jettisoned into space. That was the last time I saw him… before Bejitasei was destroyed. My pod launched soon afterwards, bound for a world called Thorium."

"One of the worlds you purged?"

"Yes," he nodded slowly. "Till the Prince called for my assistance on Mantissa. That was when we last saw him… for the inhabitants were most powerful… and that was where Nappa and I lost contact of him…"

"How old are you?"

"I am the same age as the Prince," said Raditz. "Nappa is older then both of us. In human years that is close to your chronological age. But in Saiyan years I am still in my mid-twenties. Saiyan years are equivalent to 415 of your earth days… and a Saiyan day is but twenty of your earth hours. Hence our need for less sleep…"

"Huh?"

"We sleep only every second night," he explained. "Being the hunters we are…"

"How long do Saiyans live?"

"Till we are killed in battle, I presume," said Raditz. "Very few of us die of old age. Most of us perish fighting…"

"Are you immortal?"

"Nothing lasts forever," said Raditz dismissively. "But in answer to your question, the outer limits of our life span are hard to measure. Since we enter hibernation when traveling in space, which also prolongs our lives. Perhaps on a world such as Earth, our life span would be further increased due to the lack of gravity… and less exertion on our hearts…"

"Maybe that's why Goku went Super Saiyan…"

"He achieved it on Namek. My nephew achieved it whilst in a room called the Hyperbolic Time chamber…"

"And you achieved it when you absorbed my power," said Tomique.

"I have not achieved it since," said Raditz quietly.

"But you can go Super Saiyan. You're Goku's brother. If he can do it, so can you!" She said quickly. "And Gohan's your nephew… Goten also. Both were Super Saiyan at young ages!"

"My power level was considerably lower when I achieved it," said Raditz. "And I learn that there are stages beyond SS1…"

"Ultra elite ss2, and ss3 which are higher levels. I saw Goku and Gohan both in ss2 stage, when they rescued me from the destroyers…"

"In Oorzu form our power is ten times what it was…" he said. "Presently you and I have the same battle power…"

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes. Approximately 1700. But when we reached Oorzu it was easily 17,000. Nappa outranks us easily, and Cabernet is a close second."

"You reached 10,000 in Super Saiyan mode," she said. "The upper limits are not known…"

"Speaking of, let's get you cleaned off and in uniform again," he muttered.

Grasping her protectively he swooped down towards the locker room to help her change and shower. Mumbling he promised himself that he would not let his guard down again for the sake of his mate. After taking so long to find her and make her his, he was damned if he would show any moment of weakness. This world could make him soft, but he planned on doing what he could to keep it the way it was.


	29. Arrival of Black Widow's Mate

**Christine's Mate Arrives**

By Trynia Merin Beta'd by Bulma the Babe

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama and Toei animation Co do. Atomique is my character, while Christine the Black Widow belongs to Bulma the Babe. I don't own the comic book characters based on KISS, Dark Horse and Marvel do. This is a work of fan fiction, not meant to harm. I don't get paid for this._

Radditzu and Atomique are Third Class. Now that their training in the Room of Spirit and Time has gone through, she has become a demi Saiyan and is approx. 1 month pregnant. To hold off having their children for the year she was in the room, Tomique used a Saiyan technique Cabernet taught her to put her embryos into suspended animation. When she emerged from the Chamber, she was one year older but was able to reactivate her pregnancy from its suspension. This story takes place two weeks after that training...

* * *

An alarm clock chimed. Shakily an arm raised from the side of the double bed, and aimed a gold blast of ki, instantly incinerating it. After having done its work, the large hand collapsed back atop the female hip it rested upon. A minute later, the owner roused herself from sleep, shaking her head. Curled behind her, the muscular figure shifted next, curling his arm around her chest. Tomique started out of a deep sleep, suddenly remembering herself. It had only been two weeks since she had energed from the Room of Spirit and Time, and it was still taking getting used to. 

"Do I look as bitchy as I feel?" she asked, turning over to face her mate.

"If you're as reluctant to leave this bed as I, then yes," he growled.

"What was that explosion?"

"The alarm unit…" he admitted sheepishly.

"Again? Damn it, Radz-chan you can't keep blowing up alarm clocks! They're going to…"

"I imagine the same thing occurs with great regularity among Royals as well as Third class," he chuckled.

"Breakfast?" she asked.

"Breakfast," he nodded, throwing off the covers. Both of them exited the same side of the bed, and stumbled over to take a shower. Catching sight of her body in the full-length mirror, she saw the bitemarks festooning her arms which were beginning to fade. A long burn mark was still visible on the surface of one wrist, and the length of one leg, yet it was healing over with olive skin. Both injuries she had sustained during her training with Vegeta. Radditzu had told her such scars were a badge of honor for a Saiyan Third class.

"I swear if I hadn't done that all training in a day I'd not be used to this," she mumbled, feeling the extra limb flickering from the base of her spine. Absently she sent a mental command and it latched more easily around her waist to her delight. Muscle control of the tail was getting easier by the day. Yet it was far easier just to keep it where the others did, safely wrapped around the waist out of harm's way. Most of the civilian clothing she could button a shirt overtop of it to conceal it. Taking to wearing low riser jeans she didn't have to cut tail holes in her clothes now. However the odd feeling of fur against bare flesh was still something difficult to become accustomed to.

Together they entered the shower, which was one of those large double glass doored things that adjusted to a nice temperature. It took him forever to soak his huge mane of unruly hair. Yet she loved the feel of his fingers plunging through hers, lathering it with shampoo. Glancing down she saw two-toned muscular female legs, and commented, "Damn… I swear that I must have grown an extra two inches and put on more muscle mass overnight…"

"Your body must be continuing to adapt to its changes over the year you spend in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Including bulking muscle mass… and bone density… which almost equals my own… now that you were exposed to Vegetasei gravity for a whole year in there..."

"You said half blooded," she murmured, turning to lather his huge mass of pitch-black hair. He purred deeply at the feel of her fingers massaging his scalp. It dawned on her she really had grown three inches because it was easier to reach up and scrub his scalp.

"Half blooded, but Saiyan genes are dominant. Hence the increased mass and musculature, and other pleasing features…" Radditzu purred, nipping her shoulder where he had placed his mark.

"Tail notwithstanding," she murmured. "You think too damn loud…"

"My apologies, but it takes a minute to remember to shield some mornings, and you are twice as loud as I when it comes to random thoughts," he shot back.

"Love you too, you hairy baboon," she said, giving his backside a hard swat. He laughed deeply, his voice reverberating richly on the shower stall.

"You finish up in here, I shall find you a fresh change of clothes…" he nodded, exiting. She completed her shower, and grumbled as she tried to sponge off the massive deluge.

"Damn it… how the hell do you…"

"Use your chikara, like I showed you in the Room," Radditzu called back. "You'll dry much faster…"

"With your hair I'm not surprised," she mumbled, seeing the flare of gold energy, and the resulting steam. Focussing energies she gritted her teeth to try and form a thin film of purple chikara. It radiated outwards from the pit of her soul, into her extremities. The smell of steam forming drifted past her nostrils, and she laughed in joy, as she was bone dry.

"Well done, you see how simple it is?" he called out.

"How did you?"

"I felt your elation," Radditzu called. She blushed and exited, still keeping a hand over her bared breast. Something flashed towards her, and she barely managed to catch the one-size fits all armor headed her way.

"Hey, this is just a dang bodysuit…"

"No reason to hide your legs or arms," he called. "I rather like the look of them."

"Your nuts," she mumbled, dragging on a sleeveless AE spandex that fit her body. Leaving arms and legs exposed she felt oddly vulnerable. Buruma's manufacture of the Saiyan style armor was so spot on to the original sort that it was one size fits all. Dragging the two halves of the armored vest over her head she managed to fasten the small clips that held back to front. Long socks made of the same AE fabric went on before the boots. A strap around the thumb held the wristguards in place, covering the entire forearms. Around her upper thigh she fastened a small utility pack, onto which she put the folded scouter till she needed it.

"Looks far better don't you think without that damn excess fabric…"

"We look like blasted bookends," she groaned, following him. At his hip he'd placed his own folded scouter, still leaving it activated to sense ki. Following the sway of his muscular backside under the armored skirt, she let the door slide closed.

"Who's taken the night watch?" she asked.

"Commander elect Jeannie, who else?" he answered. A bleeping came from one of the scouters, and he grasped it up to place on his head.

"Yes?"

"Get your butts down here you two! The Princess is about to leave capiche? You're both under Christine's command…"

"Ten four, good buddy," Atomique couldn't resist adding.

"Yeah, yeah, monkey girl, laugh it up," Jeannie said.

"Excuse me?" Radditzu asked quietly. "Is there something of concern regarding my mate?"

"Just get her down here along with you, pronto… that's all…" Jeannie's voice echoed. Radditzu rolled his eyes and folded the scouter again, replacing it on his hip. A grunted curse in his native tongue was all too apparent, and made Tomique blush.

"Really?" she asked.

"That's the true context," he added. Both of them broke into a run towards the 'mess hall' to see if there was any breakfast left. They had been spoiled having those months getting used to one another in the Room. Now out in the 'real world' their bond was far stronger than ever. Parts of Tomique's former life had receded into a comfortable haze. Nightmares about her time in the Alchemy world were dropping their intensity now that she had become more battle hardened. Jeannie remained blissfully unaware, but it was only a matter of time before she realized how comfortable Tomique had become with her powers.

* * *

"Took you two long enough!" called the Saiyan no Ouji as he was on his way out of the mess hall. "Remember, you're reporting to Black Widow! I realize she's not your usual commanding officer, but don't get any ideas even though you're on the second class roster…" 

"Who me Sire?" asked Radditzu with some confusion.

"She'll rely on your experience. Since those two other clowns are in zero G, you'll back her up with the necessary clearances. Have you memorized the security codes?"

"Affirmative your Majesty…" Radditzu said, inclining his head.

"Tomique, you know the list of relevant corporate projects?"

"I do, Your Majesty," she nodded, voice serious.

"Good, now don't screw up. You've got a reasonably clean slate, woman, so don't blow it. And you make sure she's on good behavior. I promised Kakkarot that she'd be well looked after… and I'll never hear the end of it seeing as I must endure his company for the next two days!" Bejita snorted.

"Your Majesty, I'll make sure she knows all the relevant…" Radditzu started.

"Good, you listen to your mate Tomique, and no funny stuff," Bejita said, glaring at Atomique. She blinked at the clipped use of her name.

"Of course Sire," she grunted.

"Dragon Womyn, accompany me…" he called. Jeannie glanced at both third class, snorting.

"Keep her in line,"Jeannie said, glaring at Radditzu. He growled, baring his fangs at her.

"Sub commander, enough! Any more wise cracks out of you and I'll fry you with a Gallyk ho!" Bejita yelled at Jeannie. "This is NOT the time or the place for satisfaction! I'll decide when it's the right time! Don't forget whom you serve!"

"No sire," Jeannie said, blinking at Bejita as he glared angrily at her. She stumbled off after him, not looking back.

"Yikes," Atomique murmured, sitting down finally. Her heart pounded and she saw her fists were clenched. Purple chikara crackled.

"Relax, love, the Prince won't let her harm you," said Radditzu. "And I won't either… although I wager you'd give her a good fight she wouldn't soon forget…"

"Even though she's 10 times as powerful as I am?" she blinked. "I'm no idiot, Radz-chan… I felt her power spike…"

"It's not just the power you have, it's the technique. She's not a Saiyan, you are. And your natural abilities at channeling are far superior to whatever technique she has. Though your power level may be lower, your reflexes and senses are far greater…"

"Still, she's trained and I'm not…"

"You mind what I teach you, and you need not worry," he said, piling remaining food on his plate from the buffet tables. Buruma arranged for a caterer and chef to prepare all Saiyan meals in vast quantities, so every morning there was a good selection of eggs, bacon, sausage and all manner of protein laden foods.

"Don't forget Nappa is 10 times as powerful as Jeannie," said Radditzu. "And though my power level is equal to yours, and 10 times less than hers, she is clouded by anger and ningen emotion. She can't think clearly enough to use it. I've seen her in training, and she's sloppy…"

"It's a wonder the Prince…"

"He keeps her on a short leash because of that very thing. You realize he left your friend in charge of us, and not Jeannie?"

"Nappa and Cabernet must be having the time of their lives in space," mumbled Atomique, trying hard not to wolf down a mountain of scrambled eggs laden with cheese.

"They'll have much to relate I'm sure… now be certain you eat enough. It won't do to have you passing out during patrol…" he mumbled, taking part of the food he'd reserved for himself and adding it to what she already had before her.

"Good morning, campers," Christine laughed as she strode through the door. A smile came over her lips seeing the two Saiyans already armored and eating their fill. To her they looked like weird clones in matching armor.

"Lieutenant," Radditzu nodded, saluting.

"Relax will you? We're officially under my command, which means you guys can stop this stupid saluting shit," Christine said, taking a seat with them.

"Thanks, but you sure the Prince is going to go with that?" asked Atomique, relieved to see her friend in charge.

"He'll be so wrapped up with making sure Trunks and Goten kick one another's butts that he won't worry about us…"

"Where are they going again?"

"Some junior martial arts tournament," said Radditzu. "With Mr. Satan. Both the princess and my brother's mate are going shopping during the time… with Videl, while my brother and nephew have the twins…"

"Thank heavens I don't have to put up with any more…" she mumbled.

"Look, I know you and Jeannie aren't getting along, but can't you at least…" Christine sighed.

"I'm not the one who started it," said Atomique. "And I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of pushing me around. I don't care what she thinks, I'm not going to…"

"You and she are so damn stubborn…" Christine sighed.

"What is her grudge anyhow?" asked Radditzu. "If I might ask? Since I'm her mate now, she should have no quarrel…"

"It's more then that," said Christine. "She's sore because of the egg…"

"Oh shit," sighed Atomique. Radditzu blinked, furrowing his brows in concern.

"What?"

"I was the last person to look after her egg. It was bound to hatch soon, and that's when Blackwell attacked. I just realized that's another reason she might hate me. That I didn't bring the egg with me, and I brought my babies…"

"Shit… but you KNOW that she wouldn't have wanted to risk William…" said Christine. "In the circumstances she would have done the same thing."

"What would have been the difference between bringing an egg and two whelps?" Radditzu asked.

"The egg was a Dragon Egg. It required specific conditions for hatching. Jeannie didn't want anyone getting his or her hands on it. But Atomique's babies needed their mom's milk. And it was far easier to raise a dragon offspring then two helpless babies… because Jeannie figured her father was still alive…"

"This is confusing," Radditzu mumbled. "So, Jeannie is not ningen?"

"She's enhanced human," said Tomique. "Just like I have become… she's more Dragon then human now. When I last saw her four years ago, she didn't have a tail! And her skin texture wasn't scaly as it is…"

"So she has changed as well," Radditzu nodded. "That explains her accommodation of her battle power. Yet she's displayed no transformative…"

"She has a secondary transform," said Christine. "I've seen it. When she's pissed enough she can shift to a small dragon form like you guys can to Great Ape. But she can't control it. You guys can…"

"What's her power level in that state?" Radditzu asked.

"Ten times what it is now. But she's out of control. And we're not sure what triggers it. And me, I have a secondary transform like that whole Super Saiyan thing, but it takes WAY too much power to maintain it for long."

"By rights I should have had such a transform, but now," said Atomique.

"Your power's not the same. It's almost totally Saiyan," said Christine quietly. "I mean it's like Gohan's or any of the others… I don't sense any of the chikara from your atomic talisman…"

"What have you done with it?" asked Radditzu. "Did you give it to Kakkarot?"

"It's with his Dragon Ball," said Atomique quietly.

"You mean you don't have your talisman?" asked Christine.

"I don't need it. And should I die, the boys are the inheritors of the power, not me. I can't use it like this…" Atomique said, choking up. "If I'm Saiyan now, what do I need that for? If I had that level of power it would be far too dangerous…"

"She's right," Radditzu said. "We don't have any need for such things. Too much power and too little control is far worse then not enough…"

"Considering your great ape forms," Christine shivered.

"But my power's still got the same frequency… that purplish sort," said Atomique.

"But you haven't used it for transmutation lately have you?" asked Christine.

"I haven't dared. Bejita wants me to be Saiyan and I'm doing it… I'm not sure WHY unless…"

"He doesn't want you attracting Destroyers. He himself told me that if you used your talisman powers they'd be drawn here like a searchlight…"

"But Jeannie and Christine…"

"Your Saiyan offspring are something Bejita doesn't want to risk," said Radditzu. "He knows you're pregnant. And the implications of that are far reaching… you've far more value than you realize…"

"I'm some sort of… brood mare?" she asked.

"Not so. You're my mate, and he wants to perpetuate the Saiyan race on earth," Radditzu said quietly. "Considering you're half blood, a combination of yours and my genetics ensures three quarters, highly rare. And if Goten and Gohan's power levels are any indication…"

"Extremely high powers," said Christine. "But you're Goku's brother. Shouldn't YOU be able to reach HIS power level theoretically, Radditzu?"

"I'm not Kakkarot," said Radditzu quietly. "He's grown up all his life on this world. The Prince has spent the last fifteen years here, and that is the secret to them reaching Super Saiyan…"

"You achieved it once," said Tomique.

"Only when I drew off your excess power. You have a level that's incredibly high, but only my body could metabolize it," said Radditzu. "But you weren't Saiyan at the time. I believe in your present state you COULD… but there has been no recorded incidence of a female Legendary…"

"Females can't go super Saiyan?" she asked with a frown.

"There have been none on record. All Saiyans achieving that state are exclusively male. But there have been no female Saiyans… except I believe…" Radditzu said quietly.

"What are you getting at?" asked Christine.

"My nephew's mate is pregnant," said Radditzu. They all spit out coffee.

"WHAT?" Christine asked.

"I smelled Videl's scent. She's breeding," said Radditzu. "She conceived her offspring the same night we did, Tomique-chan…"

"No WONDER they're in a hurry to get them married," gasped Christine.

"It's a girl," Radditzu said. "A quarter Saiyan. But the ki level is high. I believe she'll be quite a warrior…"

"But doesn't Saiyan blood diluted decrease power?" asked Tomique.

"Not so. Saiyan genes are dominant over Ningen. Except in some cases. Although the chances of the infant having a tail go down. Given time, if the two races interbreed, the power permutations cannot be known," said Radditzu. "You need a large enough breeding population to maintain Saiyan dominance. That's why the Prince is interested in increasing the Saiyan population. Yet he wants to keep Royal genes separate."

"Would he rather mate with a human than a third class?" asked Atomique.

"He hopes Cabernet and Nappa will produce a mate for his son I'd imagine. Nappa's an Elite," said Radditzu. "It's not entirely unforeseen that he won't want his son's mate to be born of them…"

"Is that why he sent them into space?" asked Tomique.

"They're going into rut," said Radditzu. "What we saw in the full moon was the initiation. It's the beginning of her fertile cycle. But our offspring were conceived before that. And yet your transformation will ensure the Saiyan genes will be dominant. I can imagine our young will have tails just as you and I have…"

"Holy hell," Christine mumbled.

"Um guys, can't we er… train or something," said Tomique, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"But of course. I apologize for speaking of such matters," Radditzu apologized, suddenly averting his gaze and looking sheepish.

"Don't worry Radz, I'm sure she'll forgive you," laughed Christine. "In time… but just so you know, my lips are sealed…"

"You're not relegated to the sofa yet, is what she means," Tomique teased her mate.

"Good, because I'm certain such a flimsy ningen piece of furniture would not be sufficient for my… frame," he snorted.

"Training?" Christine said. "We can get the security cameras to scream at us if there's any major activity…"

"Very well then…" said Radditzu.

* * *

Within the GR room, which was now a full fledged training center; the two third classes sparred with their 'superior'. Already Radditzu had worked with Tomique to narrow her focus. Now Tomique watched him demonstrating another series of katas and ki focussing common to Saiyans. 

"Now, what you must remember love is that it's the concentration of your power which causes the most damage…" Radditzu explained. "Come here and see how I always watch where my ki or my enemy's is going… NEVER take your eyes or senses off your enemy…"

"Just like basic martial arts, I know that," Tomique nodded. "Cabernet told me…"

"Are you SURE she isn't supposed to use transmutation?" Christine asked.

"Saiyan ki or any ki would be far too energy intensive for anything I could generate…"

"It takes more energy to create matter, so it's far more logical to use it in a direct ki attack," Radditzu said pragmatically. "Now… see if you can duplicate this…"

"I'll be on the receiving end and surprise you," grinned Christine, holding one hand behind her head, as she stood with both feet apart. Her other hand was extended forwards to block whatever Radditzu threw at her.

He lifted his hand skywards, generating a small ball of golden ki. Hair crackled with gold lightening, and he directed it forwards. Christine easily deflected it, breaking the energy as it headed. "Then there's the Double sundae… that is ten times as intense… and you can target each beam with a thought…" he called. Twin beams shot from his hand, lumps of gold ki, streaking in opposing directions. They suddenly returned to his hand, and he absorbed the energy back into himself.

"Nice," Christine said. "But can you do this?" she grinned… throwing out a long rod of ki to wrap around Radditzu. He twisted his body, flipping out of the way. Her next move dragged him forwards, and then she blasted ki towards him that she had absorbed from his body.

"But it's not all just ki… it's HOW you hit…" Radditzu gasped, throwing a basic ball towards her. Christine seemed temporarily out to lunch, only stopping right as the blast slammed right into her gut.

"Chris!" yelled Tomique. Radditzu gasped in surprise to see the elite knocked flat on her backside.

"What the hell? I thought you were going to block that! It wasn't my Double sundae for Great Oorzu's sake!" Radditzu shouted in concern. Tomique rushed over and leaned down to help her friend sit up. Dazed, Christine blinked up at her friend, then at Radditzu who also raced to her opposite side.

"Christine… what's wrong? Did he…" Tomique asked, glancing annoyed at Radditzu.

"I didn't hit you that hard! What came over you?" Radditzu shouted.

"I… felt someone…" Christine gasped, blinking at both of them. "So familiar… someone I haven't felt in ages…"

"Who?" Tomique asked.

"HE… he's here… I can't believe it but he's here!" Christine suddenly grinned, grabbing both Tomique and Radditzu's gauntlet forearms and squeezing them.

"Great Galaxy, what are you on?" Radditzu snorted. "Are you feeling all right?"

"He who? Is it…" Tomique trailed off.

"I can't believe it! He's here… he's FINALLY here!" Christine laughed, grabbing both their arms and shoving down hard to crawl to her feet. Radditzu blinked at Tomique, shaking his head in extreme confusion.

"You mean… it can't be… you said that…" Tomique blinked, judging from the look of sheer happiness on her friend's face that there was no question who it could be.

"My mate… he's here! But… he's in trouble! We've got to help him!" Christine exclaimed. In a matter of a second bliss turned into outright concern and worry.

"Who in the hell are you talking about? Lieutenant!" Radditzu demanded, running a hand through his mop of spiky hair. Christine broke away from them, racing out the door of the GR.

"Don't just stand there, help me! There's not much time!" Christine cried, shouting back to them over their shoulder.

"I'll explain on the way," Tomique said, grabbing Radditzu's wrist. Grumbling in Saiyanese, Radditzu broke into a run with his mate. Out the GR door and down the corridor they pursued her, punching scouter buttons for any sign of a trace.

"Don't you sense it? He's only 100 miles away…"

"I don't!" Radditzu said. "But my scouter IS registering an unfamiliar source… and it's nearly 5000, and climbing!"

"It's her mate… it's the Demon!" said Tomique. "And those other forms are consistent with… DESTROYERS!"

"Damn it…" Radditzu snorted. "Computer system, activate defense mode!"

* * *

Christine burst out the front doors of the Saiyan barracks, and then rocketed into the air like a crimson tailed comet. Radditzu and Tomique blasted off after her, leaving long streaks of gold and violet ki seconds later. Tomique strained to close the gap that her friend had gained by her abrupt departure. Radditzu hung back for her benefit, but saw her putting great effort into keeping up. 

_"Drop your envelope and put more behind you, love," _Radditzu's voice echoed in her mind. "You don't need as much protection because your Saiyan body can take the high turbulence. Pour it ALL into your speed… your battle power's equal to mine…"

Narrowing the focus, Tomique shot ahead. Radditzu matched her pace exactly, both abruptly shooting ahead towards their leader. Soon they were just behind her, watching the ground blur beneath them. Into his scouter Radditzu and Tomique heard Christine's voice chatter, "There's about ten of them… and he's taking heavy damage…"

"Looks like it's far more powerful than your usual compliment… I'm reading 500 and 1000…" said Tomique.

"They've got some of their pets," said Radditzu, pointing. His keen sight spotted large mutant dinosaurs pouring out of a spatial rip in the middle of a vast deserted area. Fire blasted into the sky from below, blazing around the assembled destroyers hovering with their antigravity belts. Raising hands above their heads, they directed orange ki beams towards him.

"Ki, they're using ki… when did they learn THAT?" asked Tomique.

"Apparently not too long after they met us," Radditzu grumbled. "But they're sloppy, and they haven't a clue how to properly utilize this. What's the plan of attack?"

"Make something up! You two divert their attention while I get Gene!" called Christine. "Draw the dinos away and leave the rest to me!"

"You heard the boss, let's do it," Tomique swallowed hard.

_"Follow my lead, and my commands, love," _said Radditzu with a firm nod. _"I won't fail you."_

_"Right, Radz-chan," _she nodded, opening her mind to his direct thoughts.

Both black armored figures veered off at right angles, splitting their forces. Christine aimed a venom blast towards the large allosaurus slashing its tail at her mate. Armor cracked and pitted stretched over the tall demon. He swung a large battleaxe left and right, then slammed a fireballs right at the attacker. A tail slammed into him from behind. Christine streaked towards the first, shooting a blast of chikara towards the legs of the one dino. It solidified into bands that tripped the beast and caused it to land on its side.

"Saiyans! Get them!" called Fourth, pointing to Radditzu and Tomique barreling full speed towards them. Radditzu raised his hand, shouting, "Double Sundae…"

"Atomic blitz…" Tomique called, generating three spheres of ki that shot towards the cluster of soldiers. They each whizzed around trying to escape her spheres that independently tracked them. Radditzu's twin beams slammed into one destroyer, vaporizing him on impact, while the other chased after Fourth.

While he was weaving to elude the blast, Radditzu zipped up behind him, delivering a devastating elbow in his back to knock him towards the ground. Tomique's blasts exploded, managing to disorient her two destroyers. These enabled her to rapidly kick and punch each, then slam a ki blast at point blank range into the face of the nearest one.

_**"Behind you!" **_Radditzu's voice echoed in her head. She whirled about, hurling a hastily generated ki beam towards her attacker that trained his hands over his head to release his own sphere.

"Atomic force!" she called, slamming into him with a wrist diameter beam of ki. It punched right through Fourth's gut, causing a gaping hole. In disbelief he glanced down before his own orange beam crackled into nothingness.

"Good shot!" Radditzu called.

"Holy shit," she gasped, feeling sick momentarily as Fourth crumpled dead to the ground. Radditzu shot past, disintegrating the destroyer to her left with a devastating ball of ki generated from his outstretched palm. Seconds later he moved behind the last one, kicking it over, then smashing ribs to powder with a single punch.

Tomique slammed her fist up into a destroyer materializing above her. He dropped, allowing her to slam her elbow into his back much like Radditzu had done. A snapping sound like breaking celery indicated she had popped his spine easily. Like a cheap toy he crashed into the dirt. He groaned, rolling over in severe agony. Disgusted, she snagged him with a hot plasma ki burst.

"Well done…" said Radditzu, hurling a blast towards an oncoming mutant dinosaur. She shuddered, hugging herself at the ten destroyers that they had summarily dispatched.

"Let's see if they need any help," she pointed towards Gene and Christine. Other dinosaurs had moved up, slashing and snapping at Christine. Gene had collapsed, and she hurled blast after blast to keep them back. Those that got too close she shouted, "Backlash." A long tendril snaked around the unfortunate dino, and then with her free hand she loosed the drained life force in a devastating ki explosion that took off its head.

Radditzu and Tomique nodded. Zipping out, they appeared above the other two dinos snapping and slashing their taloned feet and tails at the two mates. Christine caught Gene as he felt, then saw Radditzu land on the neck of the first, grabbing the sides of the allosaur's head to twist its neck. He wrapped his large legs around it, then jerked his body sideways. Tomique shouted, "Solar flare!" before the other, blinding it. This gave her the chance to ram an energy blast right down its throat with a cry of "Atomic force!"

Mercifully quick the two dinos dropped to the ground. Radditzu stamped on any remaining energy devices, crushing them under his boot. He squeezed the communication crystals to powder before they could send distress calls. All around them rose the dust of a quick battle.

"Radditzu, help me! He's out cold!" Christine called. Tomique stumbled over, helping to support Gene on Christine's shoulder.

"I'll take him," said Radditzu, reaching down to heft the Demon over his shoulder. "Both of you can fly ahead of me…"

"Are you sure?" Christine panted.

"Yes… go on, I'll be right behind you…"

"What about the mess?" asked Tomique.

"Disintegrate it to its component molecules…" said Radditzu. "We don't have time to stop for eating the meat…"

"Right" Christine nodded hurling ki blasts towards them. Tomique generated a ball of glowing plasma, then hurled it at the carcasses. IN seconds they flared bright hot with atomic generated fire, then burst into cleanly burning flames. While they gained altitude, Radditzu hurled more ki blasts to burn the bodies of the destroyers cleanly, leaving nothing but charred piles of ashes.

"Why did you worry about that?" asked Tomique quietly.

"I don't like messes… it pays to be tidy… we're in enough trouble as it is with the natives," Radditzu mumbled, carrying Gene's massive form on his back. "Besides they are living beings and even if they rot in hell they need a proper destruction…"

"I agree…" Tomique nodded reverently.

"Who cares, they deserve what they get…" Christine nodded angrily, eyes blazing red. The three warriors streaked back to capsule with her mate.


	30. Psychic attack on Tomique

**Recovery**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama does, and so does Toei Animation Co, and Funimation. I don't own the comic book characters of KISS, Dark Horse does, and so does Marvel and KISS Catalogue. I only own Atomique (Tomique) and Jeannie Dragon Womyn. Bulma the Babe owns Christine Black Widow. This is fan fiction, not meant to harm or demean. I don't get paid for this._

_Stuff in italics is telepathy_, stuff underlined is memories.

* * *

"Computer, code zed alpha tango, then reactivate per our entrance," Christine barked over her scouter. 

Tomique saw her face drawn into a pensive frown, far more serious than one her age should see. Nevertheless the young friend had seen horrendous sights that many her age had, and survived them all. Now Black Widow was hardened and tested as a true fighter, tempered steel that little dared challenge. "Christine, I'm sure we can use the regeneration tank to help him…" Tomique reassured her.

"I hoped that as well…" Christine nodded.

Radditzu shouldered Gene on his massive armored back in a fireman carry. With no effort he landed at Capsule, then bore Gene towards the main medical complex. Christine and Tomique had landed mere minutes before him.

"This way, hurry!" Tomique called. "I think Buruma… I mean the Princess told me there was a regeneration tank this way…"

"She did say so yes… but we didn't know because we never had the occasion to use it," Christine said.

"Someone COULD have informed me, but they failed to," Radditzu complained. "Great Galaxy how in the hell am I supposed to KNOW these things if I haven't been briefed!"

They reached the medical research facility. Punching in the code, Tomique let the door shoot open. "It must be because it's only just been completed… Buruma said that she had made one before, but it wasn't yet perfected… after all, the technology looks light years no pun intended beyond even what her father could engineer…"

"She DID have one yes, but it only worked at a fraction of the pace of a real one," Christine said. "Radditzu, put him in…"

"All right Lieutenant," Radditzu said, laying Gene down on a lab counter after he shoved glassware out of the way.

"What are you doing?" Tomique asked.

"I must remove his clothing for this to work… or rather would YOU care to since he's your mate, Lieutenant…"

"Of all the stupid pain in the ass…" Christine started, before shifting to German. Quickly she worked to find where the armor fastened, jerking at it to remove it.

"I know, I know," said Tomique. "But he's right… now… the control's over here…"

"His body seems quite resistant to damage much as a Saiyan's is… fortunately for him," said Radditzu, moving over to where Tomique huddled over the control console on the side of the large bubbling vat.

"Quick fire it up," Christine called, finally grabbing Gene's talisman and concentrating. His armor dissipated in a flash of scarlet.

"Why haven't you started it up?" Radditzu asked.

"Because genius, this damn thing's beyond me. I didn't get a crash course in how to USE it?" Tomique shot back.

"Well you're a scientist you should know!" called Christine. "Radditzu, help me! He's heavier than he looks…"

"Coming," Radditzu said, rushing over. He hefted Gene up, and carried him bodily towards the tank.

"Well isn't there a START button somewhere?" Christine demanded, glancing around her friend's shoulder.

"Yes… but Bulma's controls aren't exactly self explanatory…"

"You're a scientist, come on!" Christine urged. "Damn it… wait a minute… Radditzu, can you…"

"I may be a Saiyan but I'm NOT versed in operating regeneration tanks!" Radditzu snorted indignantly. "We used standard field med-kits… it's a miracle I even know anything about how to put him in!"

"Tomique…" Christine urged.

"Get him in Radz… I'll try to figure this out…" Tomique mumbled.

"I recall it opened here," Radditzu said, pressing buttons on the side. The top shot open, allowing him to levitate up and drop Gene in. He grabbed the mask and slid it over the Demon's black and white face, then puzzled over the electrodes. Grumbling he glanced back at his mate.

"Just look for a damn START button! Isn't there an instruction manual?" Christine snorted, glancing around at the console. "Isn't anything MARKED?"

"It's in Hiragana!" she shot back. "I can't read Japanese!"

"That button looks familiar… it looks like Hiragana for start…" said Christine.

"Wait, I haven't connected him!" Radditzu called. "It's no good without the leads set up!"

"Shit, wait… Radditzu, isn't there any files in your database that tell you how to operate a regen tank?"

"What good would THAT do?" Christine grumbled. "Shit!"

"Buruma had a bunch of files she downloaded from Saiyan archives… wait… I've got a file… but… it's in Saiyago…" said Tomique.

"Read it to me," said Radditzu. "I'll try and work it out…"

"Crap," mumbled Tomique, glancing at the computer console to her left. "It says to connect the electrodes above the seventh meridians of the body… to access major ki sources…"

"I'm hoping it's the same as a Saiyan because I didn't take human anatomy," said Radditzu, positioning the electrodes.

"Your FATHER was a scientist wasn't he?" Christine cursed.

"Yes but I'm NOT a…" Radditzu shot back. He leapt down and hit the button that closed the tank. Nudging Tomique aside he punched buttons on the computer, tracking his eyes over the instructions.

"Well?" Christine asked.

"Stupid fucking manuals are always written like some foreign…" trailed off Radditzu. "All right… look for a 'fill nutritive' button… which is usually HERE… and then…"

"Pain in my ass," grumbled Atomique, pressing switches and buttons on the console. Christine struggled not to interfere with the pair, but knew she wouldn't be much help except from a common sense perspective.

"That should do it," Radditzu huffed. "All we can do is wait…"

"Great… thanks guys, I'm sorry I lost it… it's just…" Christine apologized. She flopped into a nearby chair, after dragging it towards the tank.

"No need to apologize. I know that I'd feel the same way… if it were my mate in the tank…" she said, glancing at Radditzu. He nodded gravely.

"Nappa and Cabernet picked a great time to get away," said Christine. "I wonder if one of them…"

"Not Nappa," Radditzu said, rolling his eyes. "Intelligence isn't his strong suit…"

"I know," said Christine. "That's why I figured you'd be the one to ask…"

"I regret not knowing more, but I was an explorer, not a medic. It took a year or more to learn the basic functions of operating one of these, and that was for Freeza's advanced medics… we didn't have regeneration tanks where I would go during a purge mission. Usually any casualties were either killed or sent back to base… after being put in suspension in their pods…" said Radditzu.

"How long will it take?" Christine asked.

"Twelve hours by the look of it," said Radditzu. "From what I recall of my father's mention of these the regeneration systems accelerated healing to twenty four times that of normal processes. Since your mate's humanoid, not Saiyan I'm basing my estimation on a slight deviation, taking into account his near invulnerability…"

"This thing seems to say, and if I get my Saiyago right, that his ki level was down to almost a quarter of what it should be… so since my last reading was only 2500…" said Tomique.

"His power level's an equal to Nappa's when he's not pissed," said Christine, getting up and moving over to rest her hand against the tank. Her young brow twisted into a stern worried frown. Slowly she rubbed her palm over the transparent surface, as if to touch her mate's body floating there. Long black hair swirling around his head and shoulders like an undersea plant, occasionally disrupted by bubbles of the regenerative blue fluid.

"Impressive for a human. What I'm seeing on my scouter tells me he's definitely far from ningen. In fact his readings are in line with what I'd see from the Draconoid beings in Freiza's service. They were reptilian in appearance, but were warm blooded… not like the Destroyers however," said Radditzu.

"Can you STOP with the damn science babble!" Christine snapped.

"My apologies," Radditzu said.

"Maybe we should let you alone with him?" asked Tomique. "You haven't seen one another in two years…"

"Two and a half," Christine said quietly, slumping to the chair that Tomique pushed before the tank. "I can't believe he's back…"

"I know…" Tomique swallowed hard. Squeezing Christine's shoulder she nodded. Then she turned away hugging herself tightly.

"Inform us if there is any change. We shall be outside in the complex…" said Radditzu.

"Okay. Thanks guys," said Christine.

"You want me to stay?" asked Tomique.

"No I'll be fine," said Christine. "Go take a walk and get some fresh air… I wanna sit here with Gene…"

Tomique felt a twist of pain in her gut. Memories flickered through her mind, accompanied by long buried feelings she thought she had pushed away. "Excuse me… I need a few minutes…" she said, rushing away before Radditzu could say anything.

"Tomique…" he said sharply, then rushed after her. He hesitated as a wall rose up in his mind, followed by guilt.

She rushed down the hall, pounding booted feet against the ultramodern hallway. Anger burned in her stomach, followed by liquid fire swirling down her arms. Sheer rage filled her, unrelentingly pushing for a target. Rushing to the main lounge area, she stopped to glance around. Her breath hitched in her throat, rumbling in a low feral growl that startled her. 

"God DAMN it!" she howled, raising her hand. Chikara exploded from her fingertips, slamming hard into a nearby target. Which just so happened to be bits of decorative sculpture, soon a heap of dust shattered against the far wall with the force of her beam.

More emotions burst through the dam she had constructed. What would Gene say seeing her like this? Would he condemn her for not remaining loyal to Paul's memory? Guilt replaced outrage, then followed up with self-loathing. Glancing at the remains of the sculpture she looked down at her gauntlet fingertips. Her tail unhitched from her waist, lashing about fiercely. Hissing through clenched fangs she suddenly felt the urge to smash and crush something. Rushing forwards she slammed her fist into the floor, shattering tile and other building material. Cracks snaked from the repeated impact of her fist. Such violence seemed the only outlet because she was ashamed to cry.

"Saiyans don't cry, they smash," she gritted over and over again, forcing away tears in shame. "Why can't I stop this… fury…. It's… all I want to do is destroy something! Gaahhh!"

Seconds later she dropped to her knees. Heaving her breaths in and out she struggled for focus. Her fist withdrew from the crater it made in the floor. Still purple lightening crackled around her form, wanting to seep out of her body. Twisting her face into a frown she squeezed her eyes shut, rasping and growling audibly. She could not stop the flood of memories seeping down through the damn she had erected for her own sanity.

_Somehow the wall had been breached, but not by her means. An outside force had done this, Tomique sensed. Desperately she focussed her ki, struggling to probe who was responsible. It had all the earmarks of a psychich attack. Angrily she pushed back, retreating into the fortress of her mind. Images blurred, and she was once again inside herself._

_"Who are you! Explain yourself! I'm not going to stand meekly by and let you invade me!" she called out. Darkness swirled around her while she looked over the surface of the vast fortress. A violet cloud surged out of a bright star that beckoned like a supernova. Her astral form was clothed in Saiyan armor, and she strode forwards out of the maze to confront the intruder._

_"You know who I am. I must speak to you…" came the thoughts. Yet they had no voice, only a strange crystal chiming like stars._

_"I don't know you!" she called out. "How DARE you make me feel things that aren't…"_

_"Those emotions come from your self. You can't deny them. It's wrong to push them aside. I above all should know the workings of the heart…" echoed the thoughts without a voice behind them. It was a voice without flesh, only a remote echoing like crystals tingling._

_Strikingly beautiful, and etherial. It took the form of a man's voice, but part of it was the voice of one that she thought she would never again hear. "Is that you Blackwell?" she called. "Show yourself!"_

_"You won't let me in… I cannot force my way. Your walls are too strong. It was the only way I could get your attention. Like I do now… only base emotions can get through because you're blocking me…" answered the voice._

_"So it's MY fault you're throwing feelings at me?" she asked._

_"Your mind is changed almost beyond recognition. Human minds I can reach, but yours… the walls are so high that only emotions could push through. I had to get you to listen to me somehow…"_

_"You've got it. What's your point! Why are you doing this, whoever you are?"_

_"Do you really pretend not to know me? Perhaps this memory will refresh yours…" answered the purple glow. Tomique wondered if her sub conscious was somehow clouding her memories to protect her own sanity from recongizing these probes. The mind behind them was most powerful. Yet a haze of gold chikara crackled between them not letting her see. Beyond that was a thick series of breakers that rose, separating her from the mind._

_More guilt flashed through her, with images of Gene standing over a pile of bodies, overlooked by Paul's shameful remorseful face. "Why Gene… why did we have to slaughter them…"_

_"You don't get it Paul. We can't be nice. This is WAR and the fuckers have to PAY!" Gene snarled, eyes glowing red._

_"I… this was on Earth… where I came from…"_

_"You remember this day, don't you? When Gene lost his temper. Just after we rescued Jeannie and Elliot. Tyler and Mona were still nowhere to be found. The Kittens were gone… taken by Leader…" the chiming music entoned. Slowly it was forming into a more masculine voice, layered and formed of many tones. IT sounded much like a voice of two beings undergoing fusion._

_"All right then, show me," she mumbled, letting down enough of one barrier so the thoughts could be fed to her in a stream towards her. The bubbles floated like spheres, and she caught one to see within._

_Tomique remembered standing there alongside Simone and Christine in the heat of battle. Both males had just returned from another raid shortly after their children had been taken away. Gene had roared angrily at Paul, then threw himself into the sky to be alone. Christine stopped Paul with a word._

_"We're better than that Gene. We're not murderers. WE have to find a more civilized…" Paul trailed off._

_"Don't. Let him alone," said Christine._

_"But… he's my FRIEND!" Paul shouted, grabbing her arm. Christine turned, glaring at his hand catching hold of hers. With blood tipped nails she took his hand and pried it loose before stepping aside._

_"He's my mate. He wants to be alone," said Christine. "I can feel it…"_

_"Damn it, he can't just fly off the handle! One of these days his rage will KILL him and us!" Paul cursed._

_"Just because YOU keep a lid on it doesn't mean that's the best way for the rest of us to handle it," said Christine icily. Her eyes flared red, as she wheeled on it._

_"Who do you think you are to tell ME how to handle it! You're just a girl!" Paul yelled, his star covered eye flashing bright purple. Energy crackled around his hair, and his form._

_"Excuse the fuck me?" Christine asked, hissing. Paul's beam flickered out towards her._

_"You don't understand! You don't GET it! You weren't even BORN yet when I first met gene!" shouted Paul. "Don't get in my way!"_

_"You are so out of line, Star Child… don't piss me off!" Christine answered, releasing a load of pheremones into her face. "Am I gonna have to put you down?"_

_"Don't play with me, girl. You won't like what I can do. If I have to, I can pacify you all," said Paul angrily, aiming his beam at her._

_"Paul, don't!" Tomique called to him. Angrily she transmuted the air before him to a shimmering barrier of plastic that deflected his beam. The refractive index caused it to skitter back in the prismatic surface._

_"Tryn?" he gasped._

_"LISTEN to me!" she called, grabbing his arm and squeezing it. "You're out of line!"_

_"Tryn, she's got to learn!" Paul yelled, wheeling on her._

_"It's okay. Just leave me alone okay? I'm not some CHILD!" Christine yelled at him. "Just… stay out of my business! I'm going after him, but you'd better give him and me some space…"_

_"Let her go Paul," said Tryn, lowering her barrier. The plastic crumpled, leaving Paul heaving his breath in and out. Nodding to Trynia, Christine spanned black wings and took off after Gene._

_Sadly Paul shook his head, and gripped Trynia's wrist. He snorted, "Who the hell does she is? Damn it… she's way out of line…"_

_"Paul, don't," said Atomique, who was called Atomic Girl at the time. "She needs to do this her way…"_

_"We're supposed to be better. But we're just blowing up like… like animals. Gene's getting worse and more violent each day… it's scaring me…" said Paul with disgust. His red lips twisted with it, marring his white chiseled features with a frown._

_"Maybe that's the only way to handle it. Fight fire with fire…" said Atomic Girl, her eyes flaring scarlet._

_"But where does it end? Must we become like our enemies to fight them? We're human beings… not monsters…" Paul asked._

_"Gene thinks he's a monster," said Jeannie. She walked out of the shelter, glancing at the two of them standing there. "And excuse me, but we can't be squeamish. Maybe you star children can be touchy feely, but that won't win this war…"_

_"Jeannie, not you too…" Paul said softly. A whistful look came over his face that was not lost on Atomic Girl. Jealousy flared up in her, because she and Paul alone among them remembered what had transpired between the Star Child and Dragon Womyn. In a fit of loneliness, Paul had found solace with her, and angered Gene. Shocked by what he had done, Paul decided to alter Gene's memories, erasing them of the relationship he'd shared with his best friend's daughter. Then at Jeannie's request he wiped her mind clean of their forbidden love._

_"Had he chosen me out of guilt for what he'd done?" Tomique asked herself._

_"Grow up Paul. Save your sentiment for your children. Some of us have an adult task to perform," Jeannie said coldly. Glaring at him, she snarled, then stoped off on tall dragon boots._

_"Jeannie wait…"_

_"Let her go," said Atomic Girl._

_"But…" Paul said. "You don't understand… she's not like that…"_

_"Paul…"_

_"Just… just leave me alone…" Paul said angrily as Trynia reached to touch him._

_"Excuse the hell me," Trynia answered, shoving him away and turning her back at him in anger._

_"Jeannie…" Elliot said softly, rushing after her._

_"Not now, El," she said with a low growl. Hurt filled Elliot's eyes._

_"Okay, I'll back off," he said. Jeannie mumbled and walked away, glaring angrily at Paul. Elliot turned to run after her, seeing the hurt in his father's eyes._

_"She didn't mean it, Dad," said Elliot quietly. "She's just angry… bitter…"_

_" Hard. She's hard like her father," said Paul with a sigh._

_"But someone else needs you to apologize to them, Dad," Elliot pointed towards where Atomic Girl stood hugging herself._

_"Tryn," he asked, turning and striding over ot her on star covered boots. She flinched as his hand closed over her shoulder._

_"What?"_

_"I'm sorry.. I apologize for being a jerk. I just…"_

_"I understand. It's not your fault," she said quietly. Tomique held Paul's hand, and he hugged her tightly. Tears flowed down their faces as they shared an embrace._

_"Paul… don't worry," she said._

_"When we stop feeling and having compassion, we're no better than the Destroyers," Paul whispered. "Don't ever become hard and cruel, Tryn. Please… keep your heart soft and kind… don't let me lose you to this as well…"_

_"Paul… can we afford to be anything else?" she said through tears. She rubbed a hand over her swollen belly, seven months pregnant._

_"Some of us have to feel even if the others don't. Some of us have to feel compassion, love, hurt and sorrow even if the rest of us feel hatred, rage and fear… because there wont' be any beauty left…" said Paul._

_"Now do you know who I am?" asked the voice of the Star Bearer. A clear image formed, moving across the chikara that crackled. Tomique stomped forwards, standing before the figure. He stopped when a ki barrier slammed into him._

_"Stop right there!" Tomique called out. "Don't come any closer!"_

_"Tryn… don't shut me out…"_

_"How DARE you say that!" Tomique yelled at him, snarling. "you have a lot of nerve coming here now… and demanding that I listen to you after what you pulled…"_

_"I know you're angry… but I had to do what I had to do… I was needed…"_

_"Son Goku said the SAME thing to CHICHI, and look what it got him!" she snarled. "How DARE you!"_

_"Please, you've GOT to listen to me…"_

_"You've said enough! Get AWAY from here!" Tomique roared._

_"Please… for what we once shared!"_

_"Sentimental fool!" Tomique snarled, pushing the memory away. "You made it abundantly clear you didn't want to share any bond with me after death… so I'm doing what you said…"_

_"I didn't mean for you to forget who you were because of me! You're so angry and bitter…all this hatred and rage… it's not you!" he called._

_"How would you know? What the HELL good did your emotions do? You DIED! And I was WEAK because I didn't KILL. Because I was compassionate you DIED. I could have killed Leader… and then…" stammered Tomique._

_"No Tryn. You know that's not true," echoed his voice. "You're better than that…"_

_"You don't get it, Paul, do you? I killed to survive. And if that damns me, then so be it… is THAT Why you rejected me? Because I wasn't good enough for you?" she asked herself._

_"I had a duty. You know it as well as I do, love. I can't do anything but say I'm sorry. You and I shared such love… but it's better to taste that love for an instant then to have never…"_

_"I wish I'd never met you, Paul," she answered, wiping away tears. "To love me and give me your heart only to take it away. That's the cruelest of all…"_

_"I love you Tryn… always remember that. Our sons will always remind you of it…" Star Bearer said sadly, purple tears rolling down his cheeks._

_"You gave your HEART to many women. I know that, Paul. But you gave JEANNIE your soul! Why?" she demanded._

_"I gave you my soul, Tryn," said Paul._

_"No you didn't. I took what you gave freely. But you severed the bond… because your soul belonged to another. It belonged to the Star Bearer. You did what you had to. And so did I…"_

_"Tryn… you know there was no other way… but to see you… reduced to this…" Star Bearer shook his head. "You're fighting, killing, taking lives… and you're growing hard and powerful, but where is the gentle scientist?"_

_"I'm not a human anymore, I'm a 'monster' Paul. I know you'd never love something like me now that you know what I'm capable of. I'm Saiyan, Paul. There's no going back…" she responded. "I can't afford to have a bleeding heart..."_

_"Where's the woman I loved? Tryn, you're still the same…" said Star Bearer in a voice more like Paul's._

_"I'm not the woman you loved Paul. Not anymore… you made it clear that you had more important things to do. And you released our bond. I release you… because if I look back it will destroy me…" Tomique thought._

_"I know that you have to be free to love another. Why else did you think I let you go? But I wanted you to be safe and happy, raise our sons in peace…" Answered the Star Bearer._

_"I want to be strong, and pay them back for the pain they caused. I wasn't there for your children when you needed me…" she answered._

_"You know that isn't true, Tryn. You had no control… don't blame yourself for that by becoming what you most hate…"_

_"I could have used my powers to fight. But I was soft hearted and my sons paid the price. Now they know another man as their parent. Son Goku's more of a parent then I ever was… or could be… and you loved JEANNIE who was a warrior. I was a weakling who hadn't a chance to fight," she yelled._

_"You chose Radditzu over him. Why?" Paul asked. "Son Goku's wife left him. He loved you… he loves you… and you two could have…"_

_"Because he was married. His SOUL belonged to Chichi. I don't dare interfere with that. You told him to care for the boys, and he's doing it. What does that leave me? Once you cut off the memories and the feel of your love I had nothing. Memories are a poor substitute for a husband…" she answered._

_"Then you're not the woman I loved, because the Tryn I knew would treasure every memory and hold it forever in her heart. She wouldn't let petty jealousy stop her from being herself and being happy," answered Paul sadly._

_"I'm not your innocent GIRL anymore, Paul. I'm powerful and strong. I can protect them. Protect our children like I never could before…" said Tomique._

_"He's a murderer, Tomique… it will take much to atone for his sins…" Star Bearer said, flaring into his astral form._

_"I know. But he is loyal, and he loves me. Besides which, you could forgive Jeannie for killing Leader… what makes ME different?" she asked._

_"I cannot say. But this isn't you…" he said quietly._

_"Then perhaps you don't know me as well as you first thought, Paul," she answered. "You have no say anymore…"_

_"But I still…" he said, reaching a sleeved hand to her. "Damn it Tryn, what do I have to do to make you see that you're wrong!"_

_"Just leave me ALONE!" she yelled, pressing her hands to her head. Hunkered down on the floor she pushed hard against the sadness flooding her._

_"Tomique…" called a deep voice inside her mind._

_"Get out of my mind, you traitor," she shot back to the voice. If it was a memory or an echo she was outraged at the thoughts that weren't hers. A golden moon rose, full and fat in the courtyard of her mind. A loud snarling echoed over the walls that Star Bearer was disintegrating with his purple beams. Tomique sobbed as he slammed into the thick hard walls she had constructed._

_"I want you to be what you once were… please… I can help you rid yourself of the pain!" Star Baerer called._

_"I don't' WANT your help!" she howled._

_"Leave her alone. You have no business here," Radditzu's voice growled. A large golden Oorzu smashed the purple barrier aside that Star Bearer had erected. He raised his face to shot a beam towards the Saiyan transformed. With contemptuous ease he slammed the beam aside, opening his mouth to shoot a blast that crashed into Star Bearer. Grunting, he was shoved back into the darkness around them._

_"I…" he gasped._

_"I said LEAVE her, damn you!" the great ape roared, pounding his chest. "You have no business here human! You rejected her… and I am her mate now!"_

_"Please… I can help you…" pleaded Star Bearer._

_"How dare you, how dare you judge me!" she snarled. "DAMN you!"_

_"Be happy in the life you've chosen," someone seemed to say before a door slammed shut._

_"I'm sorry, but I can't let you. You'll destroy me," she whispered softly, lifting her head and glancing into the purple mist separating her view from his. The purple mist vanished, leaving her alone. She huddled on the floor, curled up in a fetal position hugging her knees._

"Tomique, I'm here… cast him out," said the voice of her mate aloud. Angrily she dug her fingernails, now sharper into the arms of the being who now lifted her off the floor. On one knee Radditzu crouched, pulling her against his body protectively. It dawned on her that she had been fighting a mental battle, and that she was in reality huddled on the floor of the lounge of Capsule Corps. Over her loomed Radditzu's armored shape, his face fraught with anxious worry and anger for her wellfare. 

"How can he do such a thing? I don't understand… he rejected me and he has the gall to…" she cursed.

"He has no say, Tomique. He gave up whatever claim he had on you when you became my mate," Radditzu answered darkly. She blinked up at him, and he frowned before cupping her face in his hand.

"How did you… you mean that he really WAS? But…" she gasped.

"I sensed his presence. Through our bond," said Radditzu angrily. "When you left the room and didn't report in, I grew concerned. It's been nearly six hours and I've been looking everywhere for you. Something was blocking my thoughts from yours, but I found you here…"

"Blocked you… but… damn it…" Tomique cursed, squeezing her eyes shut. Radditzu drew her to kneel before him, steadying her body with his large hands. She lay her head against his armored chest, burying her face in his hair.

Radditzu bound her in his strong arms. Carefully he got up, pulling her along with him so she leaned against his standing body. Tomique let him raise her, then hid her face in his chest, accepting his comforting embrace. From around his waist his tail loosened, to wrap carefully around her hips as if to assert his claim. Idly hers wrapped loosely around his upper thigh because she was not sure of where else to put it. Lips close to her ear he whispered, "It was him. Blocking my thoughts from yours. It took much but I broke through it… He invaded your mind, a very private place. By Saiyan law that's the worst disgrace… to invade another's unbidden…"

"Shimatta… but he's not done that before… wait a minute he has… when he put the memory blocks on Gene's mind…"

"Yes. You told me, and so did Kakkarot, that this Star Bearer once used his power to change people's thoughts. So he has no place to judge you for what you do, Tomique-chan," Radditzu said. "What I don't understand is why he chose now to invade your thoughts after so long… and in this manner."

"Perhaps it was because Gene came here, and it triggered memories," said Tomique. "Maybe somehow it called out to him like a beacon. Star Bearer is the master of dreams. If he's as powerful as Goku's friend King Kai, he can see into anyone's mind…"

"Why? What purpose would it serve, unless he was trying to establish contact? But he could have done so without attacking your character," said Radditzu angrily.

"But he's got a lousy temper when he's pissed. Perhaps he's seen all of what I've done, and it was his way of lashing out in frustration…" said Tomique sadly.

"A coward's way," said Radditzu.

"Paul wasn't a coward. He was too pure to do that…" she muttered.

Radditzu stiffened, growling, "Was he? Perhaps you didn't' know him as well as you thought. He was ningen, human, and fallible. Why do you still defend him?"

"I'm not… I just can't believe that…"

"So it seems you and he did not know one another as you had thought," Radditzu grumbled, releasing her.

"You're angry with me… jealous… because I don't hate him?" she asked.

"Of course, idiot! Why wouldn't I be jealous?" Radditzu angrily snorted.

"Wait Radditzu, that's the answer. It must have been jealousy pure and simple…" she shook her head in disbelief.

"That sounds like the case. He sees that you gave your love to another, and now that he cannot have it even from beyond the grave, he can't stand to see it so…"

"That makes me wonder, Radz-chan… when a Saiyan's mate dies, you say that another male may bond with the female. But in death… does the bond with the first get negated?" she asked.

"I cannot say. But sometimes one thinks someone is their chosen mate, and they are not," Radditzu explained, trying to give words to things he was not used to expressing. "Not all females who lose their mates survive the shock of death. Those that do are fortunate or damned. Not all of them chose to soul bond to their new mates. Very few do. Among Third class perhaps yes…"

"Were your parents… soul bonded?" she continued, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes," Radditzu said quietly. "I've not met many who are. My brother… and the Prince perhaps… because Kakkarot told me when he completed the bond with Chichi, their souls touched on another…"

"I thought it was considered a weakness. That's what I heard Nappa say," she snorted.

Radditzu rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't put too much faith in what he has to say. He's not known for his intelligence!"

"That being what it is…" she sighed.

"Tomique… those that don't understand true Saiyan culture would say it was. My mother was fortunate because she was on the planet with my father when it exploded. So doubtless they joined one another in death. But when Nappa's mate was presumed lost, he went mad. Only his thirst for violence gave him any measure of release, and made him the killing machine he is now."

"I killed today, Radditzu. And I enjoyed seeing them pay for what they did. I suppose that's a Saiyan thing… and Paul was shocked to see that I had such a side. I'm sure he's been watching Gene because the FOUR had a telepathic rapport. Doubtless he…"

"It is indeed. You cannot change what you've become, only move forwards. Perhaps he disapproves, but perhaps he was not meant to be your mate after all. When Kakkarot and I were in your mind fighting him and the other, we sensed that a piece of him was forever given to another. My brother said that Star Child had admitted he couldn't give of his whole self to just one. He had mistakenly given the soul bond to Jeannie because he had no idea he'd find someone else he loved. Then when he encountered you, he transferred the bond towards your mind. But then he severed it, because of so called duty…"

"Doesn't duty supersede love?" she asked.

"A Saiyan doesn't sever a bond with their chosen mate. It's just not done. Sure one may block the other, but the link is never terminated. It would cause insanity if it were cut for too long…" said Radditzu.

"Even for those that don't soul bond?" she asked.

"Yes. The blood and children are enough for most. Let it go, Tomique. You owe nobody any explanation. Take full responsibility for your own choices, and accept what you've been given," Radditzu said. She nodded, letting him help her to her feet.

"I can't go back to what was. Let's go see what's happening…" she nodded. Radditzu held out his hand to her. Reaching out she put hers in it, letting his large fingers intertwine with hers. He grunted in approval, leading her after him towards the main complex.

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	31. Raditz and Tomique the outsiders

Saiyan Foster Father

**Tomique is the Outsider Now**

_Disclaimer I don't own DBZ, Toryiama and Funimation do, and I don't own Full Metal Alchemist! Also, I don't own KISS or their fictional superhero portrayals, which are owned by Marvel, KISS Catalogue, and Dark Horse. These are Fanfiction concepts developed by me Trynia Merin for use in the fanfiction Saiyan Foster Father. They are based on the Dragon Ball universe, KISS Next Generation, and Full and my fan interpretation. Please ask my permission if you'd like to borrow them for yours!

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_

"Who the hell does he think he is?" Radditzu mumbled as he led his mate to the regeneration tank area.

"I hope you're still not MAD about that..." Tomique sighed, sliding her arm through his.

"I'm not mad at you, Tomique-chan I'm mad at that bastard ex mate of yours," he snarled under his breath. "What the FUCK was he trying to pull?"

"Radditzu, calm down... you helped get rid of him," she said, darting before him and resting her hands on his chest. She slid her arms around him, and unwrapped her tail from around her waist to slide around his.

"I want to know WHY," Radditzu mumbled under his breath. "Damn it..."

"One question, you said Saiyans fight mentally... don't you attack one another with..." she asked, then saw the look of outrage on his face that made her flinch.

"A Saiyan may NEVER attack another Saiyan using mental powers. It's just not DONE! That doesn't mean we can't use combat on OTHER species..." Radditzu fumed. "We compete and hold mental SPARRING, but never unbidden..."

"Oh... I feel like an idiot not knowing that..." she groaned, letting go of him. His tail unlatched and gently flickered against the small of her back. He slid it around her waist to indicate his regret for acting in such haste. They walked along for a time, till they reached the main Mess Hall.

"I neglected to tell you, it's my fault," Radditzu huffed, sitting down behind the large buffet style table.

"So much to learn... and so little time..." she said wistfully, picking up a piece of prime steak and biting eagerly into it. Radditzu tore into a large serving of turkey leg, then spat the bones out into a bowl nearby.

"You had all the time you needed earlier this month... do you wish to spend another day in the Time chamber?" Radditzu whispered with a grin. "As I recall, we had a lot of time to ourselves… and it didn't just involve sparring… Although I refused to let Nappa in…"

"Cabernet wasn't a picnic, but it was fun to hang with Christine. Kind of irritating when you guys would make me think Vegeta was next to come in for a month, and it was either you, Christine, or Cabernet!"

"It was amusing though, love," Radditzu chuckled, wiping a bit of juice off her chin.

"Not that it wouldn't be... diverting... but I'm just getting used to being in the real world again," said Atomique with a blush. "Those last few months were almost torture..."

"Well, what have we here? I see we've got QUITE a party. Why are you two not at your posts!" Prince Vegeta snapped at them. Immediately both third classes got up out of their seats and wheeled around on him.

"Sire! My apologies but we had an attack to deal with," said Radditzu as he and Tomique knelt before him.

"At ease you idiots. I got the report from your commanding officer. But what I DON'T get is why both of you are HERE instead of..."

"My apologies, but my mate experienced a mental attack," Radditzu said, glancing up apologetically. As soon as he understood what Radditzu said, Vegeta's eyes grew wide. He then clenched his white-gloved hands into fists. Dark brows furrowed in a scowl, which caused her to shiver with the fire in those bottomless dark eyes.

"She WHAT?" Vegeta exploded. "That's not possible!"

"It's true. Someone invaded my mind," said Tomique, looking Vegeta right in his dark eyes. He glared at her, and then saw the truth apparent.

"WHO! I demand to know!" Vegeta snarled at her. She blinked at the fury in his face, and swallowed hard.

"The Star Child," said Radditzu. "Or was it the Star Bearer?"

"Who the FUCK is that?" Vegeta asked, as if it made things no clearer. He snapped his gaze onto Tomique, staring at her to explain herself.

"My ex husband..." said Tomique, feeling sick to her stomach. Vegeta again let a low growl rumble in his throat that was echoed by Radditzu. To her embarrassment she felt herself responding in the same frequency.

"How DARE he!" Vegeta snarled.

"I'm sorry... but there was no way I could stop him," Tomique said, allowing herself to feel angry. Radditzu bared his fangs.

"What the HELL are you apologizing for? Don't be ridiculous!" Vegeta glared at her. "This insult to my people will not go unpunished. You will tell me ALL about it, Tomique, and NOW!"

"As you wish, Sire," she nodded. "IF it wasn't for Radditzu..."

"Humph both of you tell me all you know. I'm going to see who the hell dares attack one of my warriors like a COWARD," Vegeta snarled.

"He's done it before though... I mean Jeannie has," she admitted, sitting down.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Vegeta yelled, banging his fist on the table. He flopped down into a chair, and Radditzu took his place next to her, gently curling his tail around her ankle to encourage her to continue. This was out of sight of the Prince, taking place under the table.

"It was before she underwent the change," Radditzu said nervously. She winced as his tail tightened possessively around her calf. She let hers sway behind her, unwilling to trap the energy she felt staying still. Naturally it was a good outlet to express her anger, letting the tip slash back and forth to bump against the chair, then come to rest around Radditzu's wrist, then his ankle. He loosened his grip on her leg, and then lightly brushed his tail over hers before returning it to around his waist once more.

"I see. So you mentally protected her. I had figured that was the case. But I had no idea that Jeannie was... That's unacceptable! She'll be punished for this, mark my words! Nobody will get away with this!" Vegeta complained. "Accompany me to my chambers and you'll tell me every last detail. Leave NOTHING out! You're serving me now, woman. And you do NOT withhold information that might be of use!"

Tomique sighed and shook her head. Sheepishly she admitted, "I didn't think it applied since I wasn't... well I didn't have the tail back then and..."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and groaned. "Gah… You're as literal minded as that damn fool Bardock. Just like a scientist!"

Radditzu flushed with embarrassment and a hint of pride at Vegeta's proclamation. Tomique threw him a look that clearly meant, "what the hell was THAT about?"

_"I'll tell you later,"_ he mentally tossed to her.

"Excuse me could you share it with the REST of us?" Vegeta snapped. "Speak aloud damn it!"

"Um... Sire... should I..." Radditzu asked.

"Go back to your post. I shall speak to your mate alone. I'll call you when I've decided what to do. And inform me the moment that Christine's mate wakes up. He'll have MUCH to answer for," Vegeta said. He motioned for Tomique to stand, and she did so. Keeping her eyes averted, Tomique followed the Saiyan no Ouji towards the large enclosed glass dome of Capsule.

"Will you relax, Tomique? Stop being so damn nervous! You have nothing to fear from your Prince," Vegeta glared at her. "Hasn't the time that I spent training you those three months in the Hyperbolic Time chamber taught you that?"

"My apologies. You're far more powerful than I, and I don't wish to make you angry," said Tomique. She thought back to a few weeks before, when she complained to the Prince during a rigorous session.

"I recall that you bitched about not being able to squeeze years of training into a single day," Vegeta smirked.

"And you proved me wrong with the Hyperbolic Time Chamber… three months with Radditzu, then three with Cabernet, and a few on and off with you and Christine… its amazing to even think that's possible," she chuckled.

"So you see, if you can't trust your sensei, who can you? Besides you think you had it easy? I had to deal with Bulma bitching at me for spending more time with you than she!" Vegeta snarled.

"She wasn't happy. I remember her complaining that she didn't like the fact that Radditzu and I had a three month or so honeymoon, and that SHE and you didn't share the same privilege…" said Tomique with a grin.

"Nevertheless I DID remind her that it wasn't for the FUN of it," Vegeta snorted. "At least you're honest. Are you still afraid of me?"

"Yes, your Majesty,' she swallowed hard.

"Good. You should fear me, but not be reduced to terror. You're honest and that is the mark of a true warrior. But make no mistake; I prefer a bit of fear. It promotes obedience, but not at the expense of focusing..."

"I won't be dominated by it. It's respect,' said she.

"Fine, whatever. Now, tell me all. When did this happen?"

"Shortly after we put the Demon in the regen tank, I sensed emotions not my own... and then memories that were locked away. Ones that I had distanced myself from to stop from..."

"From being weak, of course," said Vegeta quietly, folding his arms across his chest and levitating into the air in the garden area of Capsule. Tomique sat the same way, trying to keep her tail latched around her waist.

"Yes. And then I felt a presence in my mind and I tried to keep it out as Radditzu and you had taught me during training. The standard barriers... but I couldn't recognize it. I later realized who it was... but why wouldn't I recognize my own..."

"Because you're Saiyan that's why. Your mind was attempting to keep an intruder out. Part of natural defense..." Vegeta said. "A warrior often compartmentalizes that which interferes with fighting. But in this case this enemy used it to his advantage. Continue..."

"He threw memories at me in order to force me to remember. I fought against him, and then realized I had the chance to determine more about him. But he bombarded me after he got a sucker shot in. I wasn't STRONG enough to..."

"That doesn't matter. Tell me what ELSE happened," Vegeta demanded, waving his hand. "Be to the point, and don't beat around the bush..."

"He basically told me that I disgusted him. That he couldn't understand what I'd become. I told him naturally he had no right to judge me. Then he tried to force his mind on mine... and then Radditzu fought back. He had blocked Radditzu from my mind... and then..."

"So, he interfered with your mind bond with your mate, did he? That's truly despicable," Vegeta snorted. "This Star Child... has he NO honor?"

"According to... what..."

"Spit it out!" he snapped.

"According to what... humans... say he is pure of heart and free of sin. That he can do no wrong. But how can that be if he attacks me in a jealous rage..." said Tomique. "He said I disgusted him, and that I had no right to do what I'd done. But he's wrong... isn't he?"

"You owe nobody any explanation for what you are. Be proud that you're a member of a race of powerful warriors. It is a privilege few beings experience," Vegeta said quietly, looking at her with his bottomless dark eyes. "Never forget that you're a Saiyan. No matter what. It seems that your powers made possible what was already set in motion."

"I was human..."

"That matters not," said Vegeta with a dismissive wave. "Focus on the now and the future. The past is already done. Learn from it. Or have you learned NOTHING from your training?"

"You're right, as always," she snorted. "Damn it."

"Humph, well we'll see about this Star Child..."

"I loved him once..."

"Sounds like he didn't know the meaning of what it is to be mated," said Vegeta. "The ningens say he's honorable but he's no better than a coward attacking your mind and letting his emotions rule him. He's the one who is the true weakling, not you. Your fight is for your mate, your family, and the Saiyan race. That alone is a battle worth fighting. Not to please a cowardly human's opinion of you. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and embrace truly what you are. You're a third class warrior, and you serve me, got it?"

"Yes your Majesty, absolutely," said Tomique, swallowing hard as Vegeta stood up.

"Now let's go see if this Demon is awake yet. Mark my words I shall make every attempt to avenge this insult..."

"Is that necessary?"

"Don't ask fool questions. It's the duty of the Prince to address insult and injury for those he's responsible for. I didn't waste time on your training for FUN. You have your requisite value, don't question my judgement..."

"No, I'm sorry..."

"Stop groveling and attend me," said Vegeta, motioning for her to walk at his side. "I hate brown nosing..."

"Yes," she nodded.

_"Sire, he's awake,"_ said Radditzu's voice in both their minds. 

"Excellent. What's his current status?" Vegeta asked. Tomique focussed on Radditzu's voice in her thoughts, knowing that her defenses allowed for fellow fighters to communicate.

_**"Confused. He's totally disoriented. His mate's with him... what should I do?"**_

**_"Remain where you are. I'm coming with your mate to speak with him. Where is Jeannie?"_** Vegeta telepathed.

_"She's there with him of course..."_ Radditzu answered in their minds.

**_"I have much to speak to her about later. You will stand ready for further orders, and stay with your mate. She's still suffering aftershocks from that mental invasion, and your physical presence will strengthen her barriers and restore her ki..."_** said Vegeta as they walked along. She stood the same height as he did, perhaps even a bit taller than he did.

Radditzu inclined his head as they approached, and the Prince nodded gravely as he moved aside to let him enter the med. bay. Radditzu reached out his hand, and Tomique put hers inside it, feeling his ki bolstering her strength. He urged her to follow him and the Prince as he strode regally into the lab.

Jeannie sat next to the Demon, who was clutching both her hand and Christine's in her own. They were rapidly speaking back and forth. Clad in only the black bodysuit under his armor, he wore a robe around his bare chested form, and glanced as Christine and Jeannie rose to bow to the Prince.

"Who's this?" asked the Demon with a laugh. "Your Prince you were talking about?"

"Dad, show a little respect! He's royalty!" Jeannie groaned.

"Humph so you're the Demon that everyone's talking about," Vegeta asked, glancing at him. He rested white-gloved hands on his hips and stared down his nose at the newcomer. Which was no mean feat, because Gene rose to an impressive height, glancing down at the Saiyan no Ouji. However his smile of amusement soon faded to a serious look when he realized the Prince meant business.

"Yeah that's me. You're the Prince of all... well whoever these guys are... Saiyans right? Some sort of alien race descended from baboons I take it?" Gene asked. "I guess I should thank you for helping my daughter and mate survive all this time, huh?"

"That's true. What brings you HERE specifically now? Why not come before? Was there some... reason?" he glared up at him.

"It's a long story, and I take it you don't mind sitting down and listening to it," Gene said, sitting down. Vegeta pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Gene. Tomique and Radditzu stood there, and she realized in shock that Gene didn't recognize her.

_"What the hell, he doesn't know me?"_ she thought in fear.

_"Interesting,"_ answered Radditzu quietly.

**_"Very interesting,"_** Vegeta said in her mind, glancing back at her. "**_Remain where you are now. I wish to hear his story. If he should recognize you before now..."_**

_"I don't see how he could miss me your Majesty,"_ she thought with an odd feeling of resentment.

Gene's eyes had wandered over towards her, but there was no sign of recognition. For the first time she was outside looking in, and it felt uncomfortable to be the stranger. Now more than ever she felt like she had never been that human girl who had been lovers with Star Child. Had her life in the other world been an illusion, and was she merely Saiyan all along? Was it her mind trying to cloud her old memories? Either way, the memories were slipping away behind a wall to block them from disturbing here from the here and now. Vegeta said it was a natural defense of a Saiyan warrior. For now she was thankful to forget.

An hour later, they all sat in the medical bay lounge, facing one another on the easy chairs and sofas. Gene still half reclined on the sofa along the far wall with Christine leaning against him, while Jeannie sat on his left. Vegeta occupied the chair directly in front of them, while Radditzu and Tomique stood immediately behind him at attention. Periodically, Tomique saw Gene's eyes wandering over her bare legs. Like Radditzu and Nappa, and Cabernet she wore no leggings. Instead she had bare legs and arms with golden tanned skin, curving over hard muscle the strength of steel cables. Her hair fluffed about in a mass of spikes that resembled Star Child's Psycho circus phase. The pink lens of her scouter concealed her left eye, and she tried to hide within this armored persona for she was suddenly afraid of what Gene would think if he knew who she really was. 

"Well that's the whole story in a nutshell," Gene said, leaning back and sliding his arm around Christine's shoulder.

"Very interesting. But that doesn't answer all my questions. Yet you are a guest in my domain, and as such the necessary luxuries will be provided for you. But the fact remains that something ELSE happened during your arrival..."

"What would that be?" asked Gene. Christine opened her mouth to say something but sensed Vegeta glaring at her.

"Don't speak yet. I'm still talking here," Vegeta snapped at her. Jeannie glared at Tomique who glared back.

**_"Mind your own business,"_** Tomique telepathed loudly at Jeannie. She blinked hard at the thoughts projected clearly. While invading a mind of a fellow Saiyan was forbidden, mental telepathy didn't fall under that category. Especially when talking to other warriors.

"Sorry your Highness," Jeannie apologized. Then she added mentally, _"Don't think that you're going to be off the hook. My dad doesn't know who you are, and maybe it's best he doesn't!"_

_"Whatever. Just back off. I don't give a shit what you think of me. Just leave it go," _Tomique telepathed back before shutting off the link to Jeannie.

"Well, what's your question?" Gene asked. "Why are you glaring at me like that all of a sudden. Did I miss something."

Vegeta crossed his knees and peered at Gene with dark eyes. He saw the light brown eyes of the Demon narrow in confusion, and then glowed red as he said, "Your fellow warriors were killed, were they not? In your fight with Blackwell?"

"Yes as far as I know. I was the only survivor, except for my grandson, and the other ladies in waiting. Elliot I don't know about, and Tyler and Mona are still missing. Why do you ask?"

"Your companions were called Beast King, Celestial and Star child were they not?" asked Vegeta.

"Yes... that's right. I guess our reputation proceeds us," Gene laughed. He stopped and met the Prince's gaze.

"The Star Child is a telepath I believe. Of no mean ability, is he not?" asked Vegeta.

Gene anticipated that there was a definite reason for Vegeta's questioning, and suspicion rose in his eyes. Like a chess match the two strong personalities clashed, the tension crackling in the room. Gene said, "Yes... but why do you ask?"

"One of my warriors was attacked mentally. By a being matching his description. I want to know why he would do such a despicable thing," Vegeta asked, voice growling slowly.

The Demon's eyes flared red, then he snarled, "Now WAIT a minute, your Majesty... Paul would NEVER do that without a reason! Who did he attack! Are you sure it wasn't a trick? Blackwell could have been..."

"I can't imagine Paul doing such a thing unless he was threatened," Jeannie said. "Who was it?"

"One of my warriors, and don't interrupt me, Jeannie," Vegeta glared at her, and she quailed with the force of his irate glare for her interruption.

"He's right. It's not polite to interrupt Jeannie…" Gene reminded her. "I was talking to him first…"

"Who it is, is not important. I want to know why you think your companion would do such a thing, if he's DEAD?"

"Paul's on another plain of existence. The reality he entered is another dimension called Astron Tellar," Gene said. "From time to time, my daughter, myself and others have the power to visit it with astral bodies. From what I know, Paul was very much alive there. He was asked to become some sort of protector..."

"Like Dende?" asked Christine. "I guess you could say they are becoming the Kami or Kai of that world?"

"Dende is the guardian of Chikyuu," said Vegeta. "In this universe all worlds have some sort of being watching over them. Be they a spirit or god or whatever. But that's not the point. What I want to know is by whose authority he would abuse his power?"

"He's the Star Bearer. One of the four guardians of Astron Tellar. How should I know?" Gene asked impatiently. "Anyway, Paul wouldn't use his powers without good reason! Could you please tell me what the hell is going on? Who did he attack?"

"I see that you are just as confused as I am," Vegeta sighed. "This line of questioning is getting us nowhere... but we will continue till I get to the bottom of"

"Sire, couldn't we wait till he's gotten some food into him? Please?" asked Jeannie.

"Forgive me, I've forgotten my manners. You and your mate will be allowed to sleep here. I shall resume discussion of this matter in private in the morning..."

"Look Prince Vegeta, no insult, but Paul doesn't use his powers lightly. No matter what it might seem like... there's a good reason for what he does," said Gene.

"I'm sure that's the case. But enough of this. You are invited to join me for dinner. It's at eight. I trust you'll be there with your mate?" Vegeta asked.

"Yes of course. No hard feelings, your Majesty, but Paul's one of my oldest friends. And if he's done something that's against one of your laws, I will do what I can to clear this up. I'm sure it was a mistake," said Gene with a hint of threat.

"Indeed. I shall take my leave of you now," Vegeta said, rising to his feet. "Welcome to Chikyuu. Do make yourself comfortable for the time being..."

"Remain here. Jeannie... I wish you to come as soon as you can," said Vegeta. He walked out of the room alone, leaving them behind.

"Tomique, remain here. I'm sure that the Demon will have lots of questions to ask of you. And you and Radditzu shall provide anything they should ask..." said Vegeta.

"I could do that... it's not necessary for HER to remain here, or him," said Jeannie annoyedly.

"Jeannie, what's going on?" Gene asked her.

"Excuse me, but I have no time for this. I don't like to be kept waiting, sub commander..." Vegeta snorted as he walked out. "I'm going to meet Nappa and Cabernet. Don't be late."

Gene shook his head as Vegeta exited. Tomique hung back, and glanced at him. Radditzu motioned with his head, and led her over to sit down in the sofa immediately opposite Gene and his mate.

"Right," she said as the door slid shut.

"Jeannie, who are these people. You should introduce us... because damn if the Saiyan women aren't as pretty as earthlings... what was your name?" Gene asked, running claws through his long straight black mass of hair.

"This is my mate, Tomique," said Radditzu with a low growl, eyes staring Gene down as he bared his fangs.

"Dad, you have GOT to be kidding me! Don't you know that's..." Jeannie glared at her.

"Jeannie, relax will you?" Christine snapped at her.

Jeannie snarled, "Look, I'm getting MIGHTY sick of this. Since WHEN did you have ANY training like that! They tell me you and Radditzu single-handedly fought off a whole two squads of destroyers?"

"Jeannie..." Gene sighed. "You're getting rude. Knock it off! They're our hosts!"

"For God's sake don't you recognize her!" Jeannie snorted at him, her dragon green eyes flaring scarlet. To Gene's surprise he saw purple lightening crackle around Tomique's hands, and her hair stood on end with the same energy.

"Jeannie, back off," said Tomique angrily. "If you have something to say, spit it out!"

"Wait a minute... do I know you?" Gene asked, glancing at her. Christine chuckled, and Jeannie snorted angrily.

"Don't you recognize me?" asked Tomique, with a slight smile. Gene glanced at her, then squinted hard. He shook his head.

"Not that you aren't a lovely… well what was it… for a Saiyan? But I don't recall us meeting… although you do look somewhat like someone I knew…" said Gene with a laugh.

"That's Atomic Girl dad! Honestly!" Jeannie ranted. "God, why are you playing dumb girl?"

"Don't speak to my mate like that! You may be my superior but you don't treat her with disrespect!" Radditzu snapped.

"Butt out, Donkey Kong Junior!" Jeannie yelled at him.

"You care to take this up with me? Name the place and time, and I shall…" Radditzu snarled.

"Radditzu, knock it off! She's mine anyway," Tomique hissed, baring her teeth at him.

Gene noticed how sharp her canines were, and licked his own. Something sensual about her dark brown eyes flaring with power jogged his memory. Paul's girlfriend had the same penetrating eyes. Yet these Saiyans had eyes he couldn't see his reflection in when they were mad. Most of the time they could, but when they burned with rage, it was as if the eyes were black holes. Onyx black and hard as coal.

"Jeannie, ENOUGH! Cool it, NOW!" Gene snapped at her. "I won't tolerate you being rude!"

"But Dad..." Jeannie blinked. It was Gene's turn to bare his sharp teeth and let a hiss like a serpent escape his lips. In his throat rumbled a low growl much like a Saiyan's, but more guttural and at a lower frequency.

"No buts!" snapped Gene. "I mean it. Settle down or walk away!"

"Stupid pain in the ass! Just HOW the hell do you know so much..." Jeannie glared at Tomique who snarled under her breath.

"Saiyan training," said Tomique, glaring at her. "Why do you care?"

"Excuse me, What did I just say?" Gene growled at Jeannie.

"I'll see you at dinner Dad. I've got to get some AIR!" she snarled, storming out as she glared at Tomique.

Shaking his head, Gene glanced up at her. He sighed and looked to Tomique who was heaving in and out with long labored breaths. Her teeth still bared and gnashed much like a chimpanzee's, letting low grunts escape in a language he couldn't understand. Radditzu said something in the same harsh guttural language, and she relaxed. 

"What's wrong with her, Christine... why is she so mad at you, huh?" he asked, glancing at Tomique. She got up and crossed over to where Jeannie had been on the sofa next to him. Radditzu stood up, and strode over to stand next to her, his dark hair standing more on end.

"Gene, don't you know who I am?" Tomique asked, sitting down next to him as she let her tail swish about.

"You look familiar. Wait a minute... it couldn't be..." he asked.

"Couldn't be what?" Radditzu asked.

"You know you look a hell of a lot like me. I should sue you for copyright infringement," Gene joked looking at Radditzu.

"What does THAT mean?" Radditzu glanced at his mate. She giggled.

"Gene, honestly!" she laughed.

"It is her," said Christine quietly.

"Tryn?" he asked, blinking at her. "How the hell... but you've got a TAIL... and you look like..."

"Yes," she nodded, wiping away tears as she removed her scouter.

Gene gasped and then let out a loud laugh. "Son of a BITCH, it IS you! Damn you had me going! How the hell have you been girl?" Gene laughed, sweeping her up in a hug. Radditzu growled, but Christine moved over to grab him from pummeling Gene.

"Relax... it's okay," said Christine. "He's not going to steal her away!"

"She's my mate, damn it," Radditzu snarled.

"Radditzu, calm down! Don't be jealous!" Tomique said.

"Wait... he's your..." gasped Gene, letting Tomique go. "You two..."

"Yes," Radditzu said, glaring down at Gene. "She's my mate."

"Sorry..." Gene laughed. "No hard feelings. It's just that she and I go way back..."

"Gene, something has happened to me... and it involves Paul..."

"Paul? Oh... wait... you mean... oh shit... no way..." Gene shook his head. "But he's dead and moved on... you mean to tell me he... that can't be!"

"He did invade her mind. She isn't lying," Radditzu growled at him. "My mate wouldn't..."

Gene held up his clawed hand and looked up at Radditzu, saying, "Settle down, Mighty Joe Young! I'm not calling anyone anything! Paul's my friend and..."

"If he's your friend then he has much to answer for! He attacked my mate with no provocation!" growled Radditzu.

"Radz-chan, settle down!" Tomique snapped at him.

"Now wait a damn minute! I don't know what the fuck is going on here!" Gene snarled at Radditzu.

"Neither do I. Someone care to update me?" Christine asked, glaring at him as well.

"Please Radditzu, calm down. He doesn't know what happened. He's been asleep for 12 hours... just relax... please," said Tomique as she pushed herself between them.

"Easy Gene, it's all right... look, Radditzu... he doesn't know... you'd better tell us just what happened, and quick!" Christine said. "Lets all just sit down and relax and stay calm okay?"

"Fine," Radditzu answered grimly, glaring at Gene.

"Better get me a Fresca or something. I take it this is gonna be a long story," Gene grumbled, folding his knees and leaning back to look at Radditzu and Tomique sitting side by side, hands clasped. Radditzu's tail lashed back and forth angrily, the fur on it fluffing up like an angry cat's.


	32. Demon vs Raditz

**No Explanations Needed

* * *

**

For the next hour Gene listened unconvinced as they repeated the story for Christine and his benefit. He but patiently endured the explanation punctuated with outbursts of clarification from Raditz. Gene understood the Saiyan's need for protectiveness but it was getting downright annoying. For some reason Raditz' possessiveness rivaled Paul's and the other men he'd known. Just how she had hooked up with that monkey man and transformed was beyond him, but he had some suspicions born of his knowledge of SF and fantasy.

Gene glanced at the two of them, shaking his head. Raditz turned his attention to the strange look alike, seeing the white and black pigmentation creep over his face. His scouter bleeped with the increase in the Demon's ki indicating the regeneration tank had done its work. Now Christine was filled in on the story, and she shook her head.

"So, you're certain of what happened?" Christine asked, glancing at them.

"Her mind was invaded, don't you see?" Raditz said gruffly. "By the one you call Star Child."

"You're still sticking to that load of crap," Gene snapped. "Come on, Try, you know Paul wouldn't do it! I say you're both insane! Those memories you told me about happened, but you have to admit it's not in Paul's character! You can't just blindly accuse him. You have to realize it can only be Blackwell!"

"Why you drek eating tail humper you dare accuse my mate of lying?" Raditz yelled.

"Look, you need to relax! He's NOT going to hurt me!" she said, switching to a language that neither Gene nor Christine understood. She wasn't even aware she had changed till they stared at her uncomprehending.

"I know that, but damn it," Raditz huffed.

"Do you have to leave the room? I know that I'm yours, so just relax!" she grated out in that harsh language Christine had heard Vegeta use only in the presence of his fellow Saiyans.

"NO comprendo," Gene snapped.

"Sorry," the scientist apologized, switching back to English.

"You never said you could speak Saiyago," Christine mumbled. "I mean I learned a few words, but it wasn't like the Prince went out of his WAY to teach us. It's a hard ass language to learn, and I figure I'm pretty good with German and English…"

"I don't know HOW I know it, I just do. But that's not the immediate point here!" Atomique said in frustration.

"Then make your damn point!" said Gene.

"Whatever," Raditz said sullenly, getting up and pacing the room, hands crossed over his chest. "You tell them. But don't blame ME if you miss something…"

"Males," she snorted, then sat down across from Gene. "Anyway, here's the way it goes…"

That and the bands around her upper arm and thigh in the same place as Raditz convinced him it must be like wedding bands. Not to mention the red welts on their necks. Her armor was almost identical in design except his shoulder flashes and groin/hip guards were gold instead of brown. Like Napa's had been, indicating he was now considered second class or almost elite status.

"Okay, but how do you KNOW for sure it was Paul? It could be Blackwell," said Gene.

"Man I wish you told me!" Christine complained.

"It only just happened, and I didn't want to bother you," said Tomakt.

"Vegeta knew and I didn't," she said.

"He demanded I tell him," she said. "I didn't want to… but you know how he is."

"He is the prince, I know. Look, I don't blame you for wanting to keep it secret, but you know you can always tell me…"

"I was going to, but I didn't have a chance because the Prince and Radz here were the first on the scene," said Atomique.

"Damn," Gene muttered. "I still think its Blackwell. What I don't get is why Jeannie is so pissy towards you."

"That's what I want to know," Raditz said. "She's your whelp, right?"

"Yes, she's my daughter," said Gene. "You have kids yourself, man?"

"I do,' Raditz said, grunting at him. "And will."

"So you must know what it's like to have to deal with… how old are they?"

"Not yet born," Raditz said sheepishly, which drew a groan from Atomique.

"Congratulations you two," said Gene. "I figured I smelled someone pregnant. But I was waiting till… wow… when are you expecting?"

"Six months from now, by this planet's reckoning," said Raditz.

"But the others?"

"He means Fermi and Bohr," said Atomique. "He's adopted them."

"Whoa, maybe that's why Paul has issues…" said Gene. "That your children…"

"He gave them to Son Goku for fostering, so why should he bitch?" asked Atomique angrily. "The point is that I think Jeannie was jealous because I was with Paul, in a close way, and she is angry because I saved my babies instead of her egg…"

"But William's alive and well! He's traveling with his father Elliot to God knows where, but he's alive! I hadn't had the chance to tell her!" Gene snorted. "Damn it."

"Why would Jeannie be jealous unless she had a crush on Paul?" asked Christine.

"What did you say?" Gene snorted. "No fucking WAY! That's SICK!"

"Er, I don't get it," Raditz said, then blinked. "You mean he doesn't know…"

"Know WHAT?" Gene snorted. "Excuse me…"

"He doesn't know what?" Tomakt snorted, whacking Raditz in the back of the head.

"OW! But I thought he had been informed!" Raditz groaned, rubbing his spiky mane. His pride was hurt far worse than his thick skull.

"Excuse the fuck me what is going on?" Gene roared at them. "What is this about Jeannie and Paul?"

"Calm down!" Christine hissed.

She grasped Gene's waist, holding him back. His eyes flared crimson, fangs bared while red energy crackled around him. Raditz sat up, moving to Tomakt's side. She held him back with one arm, not wanting this to degenerate into a fight. Armor materialized to encase Gene's massive body, bulking him up till he equaled Napa in height and mass. Spikes and chain mail merged into a silver and black costume that resembled primitive armor. At least primitive compared to the armor Tomakt and Raditz were wearing.

Christine shouted in Gene's ear, "Easy Gene, you have to knock it off!"

"Damn it I demand to know!" Gene growled.

"I can't hold him back for long. You guys had better spill and do it FAST!"

"Try, don't jerk me around. Spit it out. If you know something say it!" Gene breathed deeply, struggling desperately to control himself.

"Jeannie and Paul had a relationship, but you probably forgot because Paul erased your memories and hers. But Jeannie remembered," said Atomique.

"No fucking way in HELL!" Gene exploded. Raditz moved over to stand between him and Atomique as Gene snared.

"You didn't know, so don't blame my mate!" Raditz said. "Blame ME if you're pissed!"

"God damn son of a fucking BITCH! Is this true?" Gene roared at Raditz and her.

"She doesn't' lie," said Raditz. "Blame me if you wish to duke it out. But you will not endanger my mate!"

"Guys KNOCK IT OFF! Who cares who knows how! The point is that it must have happened, because it explains a GREAT deal!" Christine shouted overtop them all. Gene blinked at her, baring his fangs. Raditz enfolded Atomique in his arms when she started to curse. She forced back angry tears, clinging to his arm as her tail thrashed behind her in agitation. Gene absently watched the movement of the furry appendage despite his rage.

"Damn, this is just fucking GREAT. I can't believe Paul and my own daughter would… DAMN THEM!" Gene shook his head. He collapsed onto the chair, his body trembling with revulsion and shock.

"How do you think I feel?" asked Christine quietly. "I had suspected it, but I figured it wasn't my business, but Jeannie denied…"

"Then it must be the case," Gene said coldly, glancing up at them all. "Son of a fucking bitch. I am going to have a little chat with my daughter! Why didn't you tell me? Did you KNOW this, Try?"

"I did because Paul shared it with me the ONE time he mind bonded. But he made me SWEAR to forget it. I facing wish I never knew!" she shouted back as he advanced on her. Raditz bared his teeth at Gene, growling angrily as his hair stood on end.

"Gene, calm down!" Christine said.

"God damn it! How could you HIDE that from me!" Gene snarled.

"Any time, King Kong, you name the place! If you want to step in, then we can take this outside!" Gene said angrily.

"You threaten my mate again and you'll DIE!" Raditz growled. "I'm SICK of your accusations!"

"You just picked the WRONG time to get under my skin, asshole," Gene snarled.

* * *

Before Christine or Tomakt could stop him, Gene pounced. He knocked Raditz over, but only got a temporary hold when Raditz twisted his body and flung Gene easily across the room. In a second Gene leapt up, hurling a blast of fire from his mouth. Raditz held up his hand to block the energy, then hurled a sphere of power smack into Gene's face. It knocked him backwards.

"Son of a fucking BITCH!" Gene ranted. "You just signed your death warrant, monkey man!"

"Don't push your luck," Raditz laughed in his face. "You seriously think you can fight ME?"

"Gene, god damn it back off!" Christine ranted, grabbing him around the shoulders. She surged her power over him, draining enough of his energy off to temporarily leave him staggering.

"Raditz, don't, he's not worth it!" Atomique said, grabbing Raditz by his waist and tugging backwards on him. Her tail flared around his arm tightly squeezing hard to try and get his attention.

"Stay OUT of this, Chris, he's stupid enough to pick a fight with the Demon, he pays the price!" Gene howled, twisting her off. She grunted as he squeezed a pressure point in his neck. Grabbing her he tossed her backwards onto one of the hospital beds out of harms way.

"What are you doing?" Tomakt shouted. Extending her hand she aimed a ki ball, lobbing it directly in Gene. It knocked him backwards so he rolled away from the bed.

"Try, what the HELL did you do that for?" Gene snarled. "Are you against me too?"

"Don't hurt her Gene!"

"You got on my LAST nerve, Try. I thought you were someone we could trust! Why is it he let YOU remember and blocked ME and my daughter? God damn it!" Gene ranted.

"I didn't LIE, you never asked! "I don't know Gene, I don't know! I wish to Kami I'd never known this damn thing!" Atomique hissed, suddenly raising her hand to hit him with another blast should he attack her or Raditz. Gene slammed her with a blast of smoke to disorient her. Raditz coughed and hacked, cursing as he tried to trace where his mate and the Demon had vanished to.

"You really should think TWICE Before pissing me off, doll," Gene snarled, reaching for her waist and lifting her up. Tomakt felt fire slamming through her spine as Gene's hand clamped firmly down on her tail. It unwrapped of its own accord, causing her to drop to her knees with Gene holding the furry appendage in shock. She let out a scream of outrage, shivering in sheer pain.

"GET AWAY From her!" Raditz exploded, his eyes flaring turquoise. Gene suddenly saw gold lightening crackling over the Saiyan's body, and stepped back. Especially when Raditz let out a loud bellow and exploded into fire.

"Try, I didn't mean to hurt you what the hell," Gene gasped, letting her tail go.

"You son of a BITCH!" she gurgled. "You are so DEAD!"

The next thing Gene saw was a fist in his face, then the wall as he crashed into it. Raditz grabbed him by the throat, slamming him repeatedly against the wall. Angrily Gene kicked and slammed his fists to get the monkey man to release him. Both of them rolled over and over punching and hitting one another.

"Holy SHIT," Christine mumbled. "I didn't know he could do that!"

Gene managed to gain leverage to throw Raditz off of him. He hurled the Saiyan into the far wall, smashing Raditz through it. Shaking his head, the Saiyan leapt through his feet as Gene turned to see Atomique shakily trying to climb to her feet.

"You leave my mate alone, you damn ningen, or I'll personally scatter your ashes over the face of this planet!" he snarled.

"Damn," Gene mumbled, smelling ki topping ten times what it should be as Raditz' hair stood straight on end like a porcupine, blazing gold while his eyes were turquoise sparks.

"You die NOW!" Raditz shouted. "Rot in HELL!"

"Stay out of this, monkey man!" Gene snarled, raising his hands to deflect the blaze that Raditz had generated. Just before the blaze slammed into him, something blue zipped between Gene and his attacker with the speed of light, deflecting Raditz' blast. Gene groaned as a white gloved hand hurled him back out of harm's way.

"All right what the HELL is going on here? Raditz, power down this instant!" bellowed the Saiyan no Ouji. He appeared out of nowhere, standing between Gene and Raditz with his own transformation.

"What the FUCK is going on here?" Christine snapped, coming out of her stunned state. She heard Vegeta hollering in Saiyanese, and Raditz' heated answer. She got up, rubbing her neck as she saw Gene blinking and cursing.

"God damn it, I'm sick of this!" Gene roared.

"Stop it you stupid jerks!" Christine snapped. "Do I have to drain you Gene!"

"Radz-chan, power down!" Atomique snapped at him. "We've done enough as it is!"

"Are you all right?" Christine asked. "Try, what the hell happened?"

"He grabbed… oh shit it hurts," she gasped, staggering to her feet. Raditz moved over to help her up, watched by the Prince.

"Someone tell me what happened and now before I really lose it!" Vegeta shouted. "Raditz, pick your mate off the floor and get her OUT of the damn WAY while I get to the bottom of this! And you, Black Widow, restrain your mate NOW before he gets blasted into the next dimension!"

"I didn't start it. That jackass monkey mate of hers did! I wasn't going to hurt her! I'm not going to hurt her, so just back off! I'm just fucking PISSED because someone I thought was my friend lied to me!" The Demon ranted.

"Enough," Vegeta said. "Raditz, apologize now. And you had best do so as well, Demon. My patience is wearing thin with you stupid humans!"

"My apologies your Majesty…" Raditz said, dropping into a bow. Power drained out of him, indicated by the spikes of his hair drooping and fading to black. He averted his gaze, huddling at his Prince's feet.

"I'm not going to apologize to them! I didn't do anything wrong!" Gene snarled.

"I'm sorry," said Christine. Gene staggered; dropping to his knees while Christine steadied him. He panted heavily, shaking his head while he felt his power tanking.

"God damn it Christine, you didn't HAVE to do that!" he spluttered.

"Yes I did! You were overreacting!" she snapped at him.

"Explain yourself human, NOW!" Vegeta glared at him, his turquoise gaze burning brightly into Gene's sweating face. "Or do I have to pound you around this place myself to get it out of you?"

"Damn it, this isn't your business, you royal pain in the ass," Gene snapped.

"Humph, if you weren't the woman's mate I'd see if you really had the balls to try and take out your frustrations on a mere third class female," Vegeta smirked. "But I suppose your main injury is to your pride."

"Things got out of hand. Gene didn't know that Jeannie and Paul had a relationship…"

"She should have told me. He let HER remember and he stopped my mind and Jeannie's, tell me why?" Gene panted.

"Humans are so stupid," Vegeta snorted. "And they criticize Saiyan mating rituals!"

"God damn him how could he," Gene gasped. "Did you know?"

"I deduced it without needing to pick anyone's stupid brain, fool," said Vegeta with a snort. "It was obvious that something was causing irrational hatred. Beyond just the need to prove her dominance."

"As if your desire was not?" asked Gene with a grunt. "I know all about that pissing contest between you and that Goku guy…"

"That's not your affair, so don't speak it in my presence again. You're a guest here, and I will not hesitate to correct such insults should you continue to threaten my warriors again. It's clear that your mind has been tampered with as your daughter's was. For I'm sensing your mental energies in a state of considerable flux," said Vegeta.

"You're telepathic too, let me fucking guess," Gene snorted.

"Yes. But your mind's screaming so fucking loud I can't help but hear. So shield it NOW," Vegeta growled at him.

"Gene, please," said Christine, holding onto his waist. Raditz still knelt before the prince, trembling in rage and fear. He stumbled to his feet, nudging his way out of Christine's arms.

"Just leave me alone, doll, please, I'm so pissed I can't fucking see straight!" Gene panted, turning his back on the Saiyans.

Vegeta snorted, then turned away himself. Nudging Raditz' shoulder with a gold toed boot he said,

"Get up, fool. Take your mate and go on patrol. I will speak to these two alone, if I may?"

"As you command, your Majesty," Raditz said, all too pleased to take his mate and get as far away from the Demon as possible before he gave into the urge to pound him.

"You too, Tomakt," Vegeta said, giving her arm a shove. She knew it was custom, and nodded, feeling decidedly sick at the hateful glare Gene cast her way at that moment.

"I thought I could trust you," Gene mumbled. "Damn it."

"I'm sorry," she said, getting up and walking past Gene.

"Save it," Gene said.

"Let's go," Raditz said, grabbing her and giving her a shove before him.

"Gene," Christine said.

"I am sorry," she muttered.

"Let it go. Just drop it," Christine urged. "You two just get out of here and let me talk to him, okay?"

"As you wish," Raditz said.

"Leave NOW," Vegeta snapped, glaring at them as he poked a white-gloved finger in their direction.

"God damn it all," Gene shook his head, smashing a hole in the wall with a spiked fist.

"Humph, I share your outrage, but you must know this is not the fault of those third class idiots," said Vegeta quietly, folding his arms across his chest. "I am a father myself. I comprehend to SOME extent…"

"He is," said Christine.

"I have a son, who's barely a man. And my mate is pregnant with a daughter," said Vegeta. "So I comprehend."

"You mean Bulma's pregnant?" asked Christine.

"Yes," Vegeta said. "I found out only a short time ago. A Daughter. So you can imagine how horrified that makes me. So don't take my words lightly, Demon."

"I know you get it, but damn it! I trusted Paul, and I trusted Try."

"She's one of my subjects, human," said Vegeta. "I'll take care of this. But you must refrain from your accusations. Since I'm the Prince you'll speak your grievances to ME. Got it?"

"Fine whatever!" Gene snarled. "God damn it… I… I can't believe my own friend."

"Humans have an innate capacity for treachery that rivals Saiyan," said Vegeta curling his lip. "The two species are disturbingly familiar. Although you humans are quite weak in comparison, you suffer the same vices."

"Shit," Gene shivered. "I can't talk about this. God damn it."

"I suggest you retire to your private chambers, or make use of the GR, if you wish to destroy something," said Vegeta. "My mate detests destruction of Capsule property. I won't hear the end of it."

"Gene let's go," said Christine, taking his arm. He staggered against her, hands over his face. Vegeta shook his head, walking in the opposite direction. Under his breath he cursed human stupidity.

* * *


	33. A shred of humanity?

**Saiyan Foster Father**

_**Napa and Cabernet's news**_

_Disclaimer I don't own DBZ, Toryiama and Funimation do and I don't own Full Metal Alchemist! Also, I don't own KISS or their fictional superhero portrayals, which are owned by Marvel, KISS Catalogue, and Dark Horse. These are Fan fiction concepts developed by me Trynia Merin for use in the fan fiction Saiyan Foster Father. They are based on the Dragon Ball universe; KISS Next Generation, and Full and my fan interpretation. Please ask my permission if you'd like to borrow them for yours!_

By Trynia Merin aka StarbearerTM or Polymer

* * *

She literally felt the need to retch or kill something. As for her mate, he thought it would be prudent to get the hell out of the compound as soon as possible. So he took her hand and almost dragged her along with him out the front doors of Capsule and onto the lawn.

"Let's get the hell away from here, before I blow something up," Raditz mumbled. He grasped her hand, leaping up into the air without a second glance at her. Yet she almost didn't care, letting him drag her behind him.

They matched one another' velocity as they sped out into the forested areas surrounding West City. Finally they touched down someplace in the middle of a huge old growth forest. Raditz glanced around, and then raised his hand to create a sizeable sphere in his palm.

"Saturday CRUNCH," he snarled, lobbing it into the nearest tree.

"Holy shit, no wonder you wanted to leave," she mumbled.

"You owe them no explanation, Tomakt-chan," Raditz's voice echoed in her brain.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"That stupid piece of shit Demon! That's who!" he snapped at her, his black hair flaring around his shoulders. "Who do you THINK I mean?"

"Oh," she said. "I guess Goku's not the only one who can be slow on the uptake. At least he has an excuse…"

"I'm not talking about Kakkarot, I'm talking about you," he snorted. "When are you going to accept the fact of what you are and just get ON with it?"

"Good question!" she snapped back, letting anger flood her so she wouldn't burst into tears. "I don't know what the fuck people WANT of me! I can't just leave it behind because it comes back to explode in my face!"

"Tomakt-chan, you have a chance that most of us would KILL for," he snorted. "Are you ashamed of what you are?"

"Hell NO!" she snapped. "That's NOT the issue."

"Isn't it?" he asked.

"Okay fine! But I don't know what you expect of me! I'm still half human!"

"Maybe so, but that half is buried under what you've become," he reminded her.

"It doesn't seem to change the others, and they've got some more idea of Saiyan culture then I do!"

"They're not mated to one who has grown up in that culture. They weren't trained in the arts of warfare or in the cultural norms like you. Excuse me but you ARE far more Saiyan then my brother Kakkarot ever will be."

"And that's a good thing? I just don't know what the hell to think anymore?" she snarled. "GAAAAHHH!"

Electricity swept over her arm, causing her to throw the off-cast energy forward. "Goddamn Atomic BLAST!" she yelled, vaporizing a tree that he had merely hit. Vegeta's teaching her of this technique was one of the last things that capped her training in the Hyperbolic Time chamber.

"Does that answer your question?" he said, glaring at her in frustration.

"I guess it does. But Gene's something other than human too," she said.

"Then he should shut the hell up," said Raditz. "What the fuck does it matter anyhow? You're MY mate, not his or Paul's! That was the second you accepted fully what I offered."

"So now what?" she asked. "Do I get some special dispensation because of what I've become? Does being Saiyan excuse…"

"You are what you are. Remember what I said about living in the past?" he snorted. Taking her shoulders he turned her to face him. She shook with rage.

"What a mess," she mumbled. "Gene hates me, and part of me cares and the rest doesn't' give a damn."

"So what? Why should you give a drek when he clearly…"

"Oh the hell with it," she grumbled. "Why should I care? It's not like he knows what I've gone through."

"Exactly, now you get it," Raditz nodded. "Why the hell should you care? It's not like you have any loyalty to him anyhow!"

"I can't believe he'd attack me," she murmured.

"He won't hurt you. Not if I have anything to say about it. But he was embarrassed because his pride was damaged," said Raditz imploringly.

"How do you know?" she asked, fighting the impulse to push away from him.

"Experience. As in dealing with my own parents and their expectations," he snorted. "And my little brother."

"You hardly knew him in this dimension," she whispered.

"I thought he was dead, or not fit to survive," he mumbled sheepishly. "And my father had issues with my choice of employer."

"You mean he didn't go into the Saiyan business?"

"He purged planets, but he hated that I worked for Frieze," said Raditz. "The instant he found out that I had signed up for a new expeditionary force under Napa and the Prince he all but disowned me."

"What?"

"He hated Frieze. I think he knew what was going down long before any of us. But none of us would listen. And because we didn't, our planet was blown sky high for our stupidity," Raditz snorted.

"Vegeta just told you?" she asked. "I mean the prince?"

"Yes," Raditz nodded. "The first day we were here. That's why we have no qualms about staying here. If I had known… Great Oorzu damn him."

"Your father and you had issues, and you're saying its equivalent to Gene and Jeannie?"

"Yes," said Raditz. "Well perhaps not QUITE. My mother's older brother had issues with her. Her parents didn't approve of her choice in mate. Apparently being the mate of a third class scientist wasn't good enough. They had hoped she would mate up and accept the bonding proposal of a higher ranking scientist."

"Great," she snorted. "I wonder what your father would say if he saw me?"

"I don't know. But he'd be annoyed that I didn't have a mate sooner," he mumbled. "He said I needed to find a female and settle down and have some brats. Instead of chasing around the galaxy for Frieze. I suppose he was mollified when I said that I was searching for Kakkarot."

"Your father died in that explosion?"

"I didn't know. Only the Prince and Royal family had the capacity to sense over great distances. The strange thing is that although families share mental links, it's not as intense as that of mate and family. My mother was killed, so she could have been the one to know."

"Maybe he could be alive still?" she wondered. "I mean your prince was in this dimension?"

"I had hoped to ask," said Raditz. "The Prince perhaps has the ability to sense across space and time. Since he's gotten the powers of the Legendary perhaps he could…"

"Would he have approved of me then?" she asked.

"I think he would enjoy the fact you're a scientist," he snickered. "And that you're Saiyan."

"Only half?"

"To have a drop of Saiyan blood makes one Saiyan," he said. "There were many half bloods that were considered full warriors due to our shortage of females. The Prince's son is genetically half, but he is a full Saiyan by law. If the father is Saiyan, the offspring are considered Saiyan."

"Male dominated. So that's why you had no qualms about making ME your mate?"

"None at all," he said. "You had the requisite ki. And the balls to stand up to me in combat. This was just an unforeseen bonus. Kakkarot sired two fine sons by his earth woman mate. Although her power level was ALSO quite high."

"Chichi was the Ox Princess. Her father was a demon. So she's not the typical female," said Atomique. "Say, you still have that photo album?"

"Here," he said, reaching down into his boot and pulling out a small flat object that he adhered to her scouter. "Fine time to ask."

"I just need to see them, just to know where our children's family came from," she said quietly. He sat next to her, explaining the images flickering over her scouter lens.

"You have seen the images of my family group before," he said.

"You have your mother's hair," she joked. "And I can see where Goku got HIS good looks. If you took away the scars…"

"It isn't always so clear cut. Sometimes offspring are a more homogenous blend. However, you can see my uncle there."

"The palace guard," she said.

"The Saiyan children take the name of the mother's caste, even if their father is the main line of blood," he said. "Since there are few females, it was an adaptation after the plague that wiped out most pregnant females."

"Ten to one?"

"Sometimes. Many Saiyan males took non-Saiyan mates and crossbreeding happened. But usually they had to be approved by the Royal Family. It wasn't unknown for the King to have concubines of other worlds. But the First Consort was always Saiyan. And all available females of strongest rating were his first choice. Any that were rejected were offered to his Elite for combination. That's why many elite didn't mate for life. But Third class did."

"Second and first were more likely to have non Saiyan mates?" she asked.

"Most females wanted mating bonds. Most of the Saiyan females born in the last few generations were Third Class, ironically. If they didn't have the requisite power level, how could they carry the offspring? Hence the gestational tanks."

"Bulma's human and she carried Trunks."

"With infusion of energy from the Prince. My brother's mate had the requisite power rating to bear both my nephews."

"Six more months," she shivered.

"If you should wish to surrender to the gestational tank, it is not a sign of weakness," he said. "Napa and Cabernet have already constructed one."

"Them too? I thought Cabernet was joking…"

"They are expecting. They conceived the night of the full moon. You were already carrying, and that prompted her cycle."

"Damn," she whispered. "So much I don't know about your family. Your father, was he objecting to the purging?"

"At one point he did," said Raditz quietly, taking the image disc back that she handed to him. "Humph, and to think I thought he was an embarrassment. When it proves how damn stubborn we all are."

"Was he proud of you?"

"I suppose," he snorted. "He wasn't an easy male to please. He thought I should have been a scientist like him. He was an astrobiologist and a consummate engineer. Made many inventions. Especially the artificial moon we use for transformation."

"You're no pushover yourself. You almost make me think you loathed becoming one because of your old man."

"You are correct," he snorted with a smirk. "Father always did provoke me to wish to do things in spite of him. Because I was the oldest. He was disappointed that Kakkarot had such an abysmal level. But he didn't spend enough time to know any better. I did however."

"Wonder if it was the case in this universe," she said.

"Father always had strange dreams after coming back from Carnivore," Raditz chuffed. "We thought he was insane. But he had developed a precognitive ability very rare among Saiyans. Sometimes his dreams would be trances lasting for days, where he could actually feel and touch where he'd been."

"Damn," she whispered.

"I sensed a great burst of vision when the planet exploded," he said wistfully. "Father and I hardly shared mental images after my career choice. But in that last few moments he hurled a whole host of images towards me. That's how I suspected Kakkarot was alive. Because my father had seen him alive and strong in the future, and hardly believed it. I thought it was just delusional ranting. But when I saw Kakkarot change…"

"Thankfully he's working with you on your change, in addition to the prince," she said.

"He was amazed a third class could reach it," Raditz chuckled. "He figured ONE son of Bardock was enough, but it gives him pride that I have the same potential. Who knows, I might equal my brother's power one day… it's not beyond imagining…"

"Gohan's more powerful than you. And he surpassed Goku at one time, according to their stories."

"Goten is also powerful," he murmured. "I've seen them transform with no effort. I suppose the half breeding accounts for the recessive traits being brought forwards. But according to the Prince only full blooded Saiyans can achieve higher transformations?"

"Can females?"

"Theoretically yes," Raditz said. "But there have been none that have reached that level."

"Me perhaps? OR Cabernet?"

"He has attempted to push her. But she hasn't changed. Nor has Nappa."

"That's strange," she whispered.

"I don't understand it myself. Perhaps it was my outrage that triggered it. Pure rage and desire. Purity of spirit. Kakkarot's idiocy and innocence and the Prince's desire to be the best were what triggered theirs, but you were the reason that I changed," he said, cupping her face. "The desire to protect what was mine."

"Goku was right. Protecting others increases super Saiyan power. Because he cares so much, he's the most powerful," she nodded.

"Indeed," Raditz said, tracing a hand over her belly.

"It's just that I was in this place before, and to be reminded of it… I know you're not HIM, and I'm thankful, and yet… oh what does it matter anymore? It's not like HE has any room to talk!" she snorted. "But I wish I could go back and fix what went wrong. It's still my world…"

"I know," Raditz nodded. "Your home world isn't something you can give up. It stays with you for the rest of your life no matter where you go. But you have the pride of what you are now. You're not the only one who's had to make a choice of going on in the past or looking toward the future."

"How foolish of me to forget you and Napa. And the Prince," she said.

"Kakkarot is fortunate to have a home world. I can't just forget what I am, and he doesn't expect me to. But if I can go ahead, you must as well. What other choice do you have? To remain bound by the weaknesses of your past, or forge ahead in strength. Now enough already!"

"Huh," she said with a slow laugh, reaching down and pulling something out of her boot. She flipped through the wallet that held the Capsule Corps ID and several hundred Zenni in small bills. Faded pictures were dog eared, brought from her own universe that was of her long dead family. They wouldn't recognize her now. Even the worn photo of Paul was there, but she had removed it and put it aside for the boys. In its place she had inserted a small picture that Trunks had snapped as a joke of her with Raditz in the lab. She'd slipped it into the wallet that she now carried in one armored boot just like he did because there weren't convenient pouches in the armor. Another picture was snapped impromptu with Fermi and Bohr climbing all over Raditz while she stood beside him laughing.

She thrust it back into her boot then moved up to slide her arms behind him. He gave a questioning grunt, and then brightened when she leaned up to kiss him. It dawned on her that she was a few inches taller, but he lifted her up nevertheless so their faces were level.

"Have you thought of names?" she asked quietly. "Or will you be all right with the ones that I've had running through my mind?"

"You know that third class females chose the names of their whelps. Even though I've been promoted I give you that honor," he said.

"I was thinking of Curie for a girl, and Planck or Schrödinger for a son," she said.

"There are two life signs. Female and male. Both are fine names with equivalent Saiyan meanings."

"Are you disappointed there were no Saiyago names, because since they are of Earth as well, we could give them Saiyan middle names much like the Prince did with his child?"

"Last names? Eh, what a strange thing," he mumbled. "But what would it be?"

"I was thinking it would be appropriate if you took Goku's surname, because you ARE brothers, and he was adopted, and you have reconciled. And Son Raditz has a nice ring to it."

"I shall consider it," he mumbled.

"It would mean a lot to him, if we did," she said. "I have no name that I want to carry into this lifetime more than that. For he took me in and my sons without question. I owe him that much. I'm sure if Grandfather Gohan was alive he might have accepted you if yours were the ship that crashed."

"Strange sentimentality, but if that is your desire it shall be so," Raditz shook his head.

"I took the liberty of having it put on your new Capsule Corps ID," she said, handing him a name-card badge with a clip on it. He smirked, glancing at it dubiously.

"Ridiculous," he thought, hanging the chain around his neck and thrusting it into the top of his armored vest like she did.

Bulma insisted the Saiyans wear the same sort of ids that her other employees did, for they were official Capsule workers. Even if they did answer to Vegeta directly. In this reality Bulma was CEO, but Vegeta was on the board of trustees being her husband, and held a major share in the company due to his own inventions. Including military hardware he and Bulma had constructed together. It gave him his own income source that he'd wisely invested over the years. In the event she should die, the company reverted to Trunks with Vegeta as his chief executor. Trunks was the next President to be. But that was about to be challenged with the new arrival Bulma announced.

* * *

They both heard the distant whine of a spacecraft blazing its way through the atmosphere. It was one of the Capsule 6 crafts, with a GT of latest design. Two Saiyan life form energies inhabited it, telling them that their superiors had returned. "Better late then never I guess," she commented.

"I think we should tell them what's going on before the Prince has to. I am sure after what inconveniences we've caused it's the least we can do," Raditz sighed.

"You just want to brag to Nappa that you're been promoted," she laughed as he blushed.

"Let's just go damn it," he grumbled, urging her after him. They rocketed off to meet the other Saiyan couple.

"You STILL can't land that thing right," Raditz bellowed as the hatch opened. First off was the balding Nappa, who still towered a foot higher then his subordinate.

"Move your ass, and let me off!" Cabernet shouted.

"Stop being so damn pushy, you'd think you'd MISSED this mud ball," Napa shouted back.

"Are you two sure you want to come back just yet?" Atomique quipped, struggling to gain the banter of their Saiyan civilization. Insults were the way in which they interacted, showing their verbal dominance and posturing.

"Well, if it isn't the whelp and his little mate? You keeping him in line, Professor?" Cabernet laughed, leaping down to look at her.

"And you kept him from blowing anything UP I hope…" she started. "Before you got the chance to share the fun?"

"Hah, very funny," she shot back. "And you're actually going to carry your brats through? I know you're letting US have first crack at the gestational, but in light of that tail grooming whelp that could change?"

"You son of a drek eater, he promoted you?" Napa asked, glancing at Raditz' new armor. "Damn what did I miss?"

"A pitched battle, where we decimated the enemy, and found Christine's mate," Raditz informed him. "But there have been some disturbing developments. Someone attacked my mate's mind."

"I hope you kicked their ass and blasted them into atoms," Napa said. "Who was the sorry sap?"

"The ex mate of Tomakt," he said angrily. "The Prince has been informed."

"I thought the piece of shit was dead," Napa blinked.

"He's been promoted to guardian of some other world," said Tomakt angrily.

"So? You need help kicking his ass, or what?" Napa asked, banging his fist into the flat of his hand.

"I think the Prince has first crack," said Raditz with a wry grin.

"So, Professor, I see you've earned a boost up yourself. The armor looks good on you, considering you're carrying this drek eater's brats," Napa said.

"It's his lousy armor," she said, nodding towards Raditz. One size fits all, for she had taken his third class armor when he had been promoted, as was Saiyan custom. Although hers had resembled his, the slight increase in bulk gave her a more menacing appearance. She had bound her long hair back with a copper hairpiece, letting the ponytail hang down over one shoulder.

"I can't wait to see what lucky bastard has Christine for a mate," said Cabernet sarcastically.

"You are also expecting?" Atomique asked.

"Heh, that's why we came back. The Princess has the invitro gestational tank ready, and I've got to unload," said Cabernet. "You too can have the same privilege considering your mate's a second class."

"You're wearing Napa's armor then, because it seems he's been promoted as well," she pointed to the white vest Napa wore with gold groin guards and shoulder flashes. He was now among the Ultra Elite, while Cabernet was Elite first class. Odd rank structure for a few but still necessary. Green would be expeditionary force commander as the images of Bardock had shown. Shoulder guards were a slight step up, indicating some officer promotion, while the elimination of them were more for squad commanders. The choice to wear leggings or not was a design preference.

"She will carry them longer," said Raditz quietly. "Unless she says otherwise."

"Your choice," said Napa with a shrug. "But if we're sent off world, she's honor bound to put her brats in a tank. I hope she knows that."

"Ugh," she shuddered, hugging herself.

"It's not that bad. It's more efficient, and it's easier to fight that way," said Cabernet, slugging her shoulder.

"I suppose you're right. At least I won't have a guilt complex if they're not something I must worry about," she shivered. It seemed too easy, but it seemed a convenient out. If necessary, a custom alien and repulsive to humans was pragmatic. No failure as a mother when Planck and Curie could be safe.

"It's customary," said Napa. "C'mon, enough shooting the shit. Let's get back to the HQ."

"When are you going to learn to land a ship properly?" asked Atomique.

"Heh, that's what retrieval is for," Napa said, reaching for a remote control in his gauntlet. He punched buttons, sealing off the craft. It levitated upwards on impulse grav engines, coasting towards the launch complex in West City.

"I'm going back to CC," said Atomique. "If it's all right with you, love."

"I'll be there presently," Raditz answered, reaching over to pull her close and give her a nip on the ear. She felt the shiver of possessiveness and then turned to Cabernet.

"I'll join you. Both you males can catch up on your stupid one-upsmanship while the whelp and I commiserate over some fresh kill that we'll eat alone," she snorted.

"Ouch," Napa said.

"Unless you two idiots want to bring us some fresh heart and liver. It's the only NICE thing to do to celebrate this promotion," Cabernet teased him.

"Females," Raditz overdramatically rolled his eyes. "Go on, and waste one another's time. No doubt we're the main topic of discussion. And I have to put up with your mate's incessant babbling!"

"And your scientific bull drivel. C'mon let's go hunting for these demanding females. Maybe then we can start that blood punch I've been saving for your damn promotion, tail groomer," he said, slugging Raditz on the back. Both duos parted, rocketing off to their respective places.

Cabernet listened to Atomique's story. No doubt she would have to tell Napa's mate sooner or later, Tomakt reflected. Because the female Saiyan would pester her all the way back. Foremost on her mind was the whole issue of her recent mental invasion.

"What's eating you, whelp?" she asked. "Have you been listening to a WORD I've been saying?"

"Sorry, Cabernet, I've been trying to think of slow ways to torture a certain dragon Womyn," teased Tomakt. Internally she shivered because she knew there was truth to her idle threat. It was another Saiyan norm to contemplate one upsmanship of a rival. Especially one who got on her nerves. Yet she knew she was mostly tempted to carry it through.

"You set a date to duke it out yet?" Cabernet asked. "Or is the Prince's ruling your choice?"

"The Prince decides," she said. "I leave it to him for the time and place of satisfaction."

"Not a bad way to go. Don't worry, once you show her your control of your Oorzu form you could actually trounce her," said Cabernet.

"Do you and Napa, I mean did you have any other offspring before this?"

"Huh? Well yeah, but they were sent off world shortly after they were released from the tanks. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," she said. "What it's like watching your baby grow in a test tube."

"Convenient," she shrugged. "Besides, we do get to show them the necessary skills before they were sent off. Unless they were slated for domestic duty as place guards or scientists. Napa's brother Merlot was scheduled for historian duty and archivist. A little tame, but his eldest son was sent off."

"Did he have a mate?"

"He bonded with an Idsarjin named Tang," she said. "One whelp, a female and a son who purged a world named Gastryck. Brought in five thousand Aurites to our credit."

"I see. And you, how many worlds did you purge?"

"Three a grand total,' she said.

"Did you know Turles?"

"Huh, you mean the Prima Donna? He had his own special style. That bastard out did Napa's record even though it was one on one."

"Er… Napa's record?"

"Fifty," she said. "One of the best of the Elite. But half of them were working alongside the Prince. Before he was taken captive. The rest were after in his search. But Turles had an interesting way of purging. He insisted on getting extra loot for any art or technology left behind. Usually Merlot had that fun cleaning up after my purge run. He'd plant a seed and watch it grow while his mercenaries had fun. Then he ate the fruit when it matured, or offered it to Frieza."

"A seed?"

"He would plant giant trees on the planets to drain them of their life force. It was clean, neat, but a bit weird. He didn't like messes, but he wasn't much fun," Cabernet snorted. "But he did have the additional thing of bringing a number of pleasure slaves in from each world he conquered. That's why he was promoted over Napa."

"What were the rules of purging?"

"Do what you wanted, but it was up to you to decide what was valuable. If there was high technology it was sold for additional prices. If the indigenous life form had any strength they could be sold as slaves, or killed. Either way it was up to the purger. Unless it was a crew duty. Most of the lower jobs were just a clean wipe. Sometimes a Saiyan screwed around and got less of a commission if they were messy. I just slashed, burned and had myself a ball. The usual."

"Pillaging, plundering and raping?" she asked.

"Raping's annoyingly messy. It's not fun. I like a good game," she said. "I think you'd be good at it, if you'd be less squeamish."

"I'd just disintegrate the stronger, and sell the women and children as slaves," Atomique said. "What a waste of good resources."

"Humph, not a bad strategy, provided they were WORTH saving."

"I suppose," she said. "We'll never know."

"Yeah. A pity. But anyhow, let's get something to eat. I'm sick of space rations. And those mates of ours will probably have a treat for desert, if they know what's good for them," she laughed. Atomique shuddered, but part of her was curious as to what life would have been like.

"What's happening to me," she wondered.

* * *


	34. Vegeta's drastic measures

**Saiyan Foster Father**

_**You Can't Go Home Again**_

By Trynia Merin aka StarbearerTM

_Disclaimer I don't own DBZ, Toryiama and Funimation do and I don't own Full Metal Alchemist! Also, I don't own KISS or their fictional superhero portrayals, which are owned by Marvel, KISS Catalogue, and Dark Horse. These are Fanfiction concepts developed by me Trynia Merin for use in the fanfiction Saiyan Foster Father. BulmatheBabe owns Christine Black Widow. They are based on the Dragon Ball universe; KISS Next Generation, and Fullmetal and my fan interpretation. Please ask my permission if you'd like to borrow them for yours!

* * *

_

Both females landed at Capsule. Alien aggressive thoughts spun through Tomakt's brain causing her stomach to squirm. Half of her welcomed them while the other loathed such new killer instincts. Every day it became easier to give into the raw instinct that gave her the edge on speed and sensations. It was a ticket to new heights of power.

Within her hand she clutched a silver watch inscribed with the chimera. Somehow she sensed if she would use it now there would be grave consequences. Cabernet glanced back at her, questions in her eyes behind the bleeping scouter.

"Whelp what the fuck was that you just did?"

"Nothing," Tomakt mumbled, pocketing the watch. "Just a glitch."

"You know you shouldn't use that thing," Cabernet said, reaching out to grab her wrist. "The prince gave explicit orders."

"You gonna tell on me?" Tomakt asked, narrowing her eyes.

"If it jeopardizes his safety yes. I've had my scouter tuned for any weird energy, and that was definitely not Saiyan. Don't think I haven't learned about that device, because Vegeta gave us all the briefing. It's pretty similar to what those Destroyers used."

"A philosopher's stone, yes. Capable of transmuting mental energies into whatever state of matter desired," Tomakt said. "In my case it would be transmutation of matter from one chemical compound to another. IN t he hands of a destroyer it would be the creation of electronic plasmas."

"But it's incompatible with Saiyan power," Cabernet said, grabbing it from her.

"How would YOU know?"

"Where the hell do you think I've been rotting the last 20 years kid? Orchydsei? At least one race or another was developing those devices. For five revs that power was strong enough to wreck havoc with my abilities. Until I found a way around it," said Cabernet, eyes filled with hatred.

Tomakt removed the watch, balancing it on the palm of her hand. "So, I wondered how you managed to survive."

"In a Destroyer prison camp, whelp. That little toy is almost identical to those power crystals you saw them use. Why else do you think they invaded that alchemy universe?"

"To gain the power for transmutation. But I hadn't realized they'd perfected it."

"With those dimensional jump devices they sent that technology into the future. Now they can simulate battle power in massive ways. But when one of my Saiyan scientists tried to use it, the consequences were worse then you can imagine," said Cabernet.

"So you're saying Saiyans can't use these?" asked Tomakt.

"Why else do you think that the Prince forbade it? It wasn't just because he wanted to keep your ass safe. It was because that power will feed off yours, and eventually corrode your ability to generate it. You have to get rid of it, whelp."

"I can't transmute with it?"

"You don't dare. Give it to me. I'll put it in a place where you won't be tempted to use it," Cabernet said, holding out her hand.

"It's mine by right. I'm still half human," she hissed.

"And still half the fool," Vegeta snapped. She whirled to see the Saiyan Prince appearing behind her. His hand flashed out, grasping the silver watch before she could blink. It gleamed in his gloved hand upon his materialization ten feet away.

"Your Majesty, why didn't you tell me?" Tomakt asked.

"Because you would not have believed me otherwise. Now that your loyalty to me is unquestionable, you know the second reason. These devices are lethal to pureblooded Saiyans. Using them would endanger yourself as well as the babies you carry. They're incompatible with Saiyan ki. While they amplify human abilities, your power would be pushed out of control," Vegeta answered.

"It's mine… I earned it!"

"It doesn't belong to you any longer, Third Class. As of now you're forbidden to use it. And to make sure you'll never be tempted," Vegeta said.

"No," Tomakt swallowed hard.

"It's too risky. You'll thank me later, Tomakt," Vegeta laughed harshly. His fist closed on the watch, followed by the grinding crunch of metal upon glass. When next he opened his hand all that remained was a twisted lump of metal, gears and other components that dropped to the ground.

"Damn it," she gasped.

"Ungrateful female," Vegeta snapped. Cabernet suddenly flashed out her hand and slapped Tomakt across the face. Holding her jaw she lay headlong on the floor.

"You should thank the Prince. He saved your ass. Don't make him regret it," Cabernet jabbed a finger in Tomakt's direction. Aiming two fingers, Vegeta sent a pencil thin beam of sapphire power into the remains of the alchemy watch, vaporizing it in a microsecond.

"Kuso," Tomakt cursed, squeezing her eyes shut. Purple ki flickered through her hair and fists.

"Apologize NOW, if you value your life and your position," Cabernet hissed, jerking Tomakt to her knees with a tug on her forearm.

Tomakt sighed, letting her weight drop to her hands and knees. Slowly she crawled up towards where Vegeta stood, with his back partly to them. Slowly she hesitated, spitting blood from her mouth that dropped near his white boots. "Your Majesty," she said quietly.

"Do you have something to say to me, Third Class?" he snorted.

"I apologize, your majesty," Tomakt said sullenly. "For my defiance."

"That will do," Vegeta said. "Wise decision on your part. You'll find that my conditions aren't unreasonable. What I do is for the preservation of our race. You shouldn't question matters that are for the greater good."

"So, no transmutation?"

"None aided by such devices. Unless it is for the express use of Saiyan survival. You may be a half blood but you still abide by my rules. And as such you fight as you are trained, unless ordered otherwise," Vegeta said, resting his boot on her shoulder.

"What are your orders, Sire?" she asked quietly.

"Get and clean off. You'll report to duty in an hour. Your apology is accepted. See that you learn from this," Vegeta answered, lowering his boot. He pressed his hand to her forehead, indicating it was clear for her to rise in his presence.

Cabernet grunted, watching the Prince stride out. She turned to a frustrated Tomakt. "You were wise to defer. It's not out of cruelty we do these things. You have a lot of potential. Don't screw it up."

"Shit," Tomakt gritted.

"Go get something to eat whelp. You might wonder WHY he had me hit you. It's his honor code not to hit a female warrior by his own hand. Something to think about, whelp," said Cabernet, settling her hand on Tomakt's shoulder with a hard squeeze.

Tomakt exited the room hugging her body. Her entire figure shivered with rage and momentary hatred. Yet the majority of her mind saw the logic in their statements. She had made a commitment to her mate Raditz, accepting all that came with it. IT was her body that had made the irreversible change that now bound her to this race.

"I can't go back anymore," she thought sullenly.

* * *

Later that day she sat in the cafeteria with a fully loaded series of plates. Cabernet had just finished and was getting up to leave when Christine entered. Seeing Tomakt picking at the large mounts of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, she wandered up.

"Hi," Christine said. Tomakt looked up at her.

"I thought you wouldn't be speaking to me after that problem with Gene," Tomakt said warily. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't wish to."

"That's Gene talking, not me," Christine clarified. "Just cause he's an ass doesn't automatically qualify ME to be one."

"He made it clear what his feelings were. And I can't blame him. I'm very sorry about what happened earlier," Tomakt said quietly, setting down her chopsticks.

Christine set her tray down and pulled out the empty chair across from her friend. Tomakt made no objections so she sat down, picking up the knife and fork. She dipped a piece of meatloaf into the gravy lake soaking the depressed mound of mashed potatoes. Raising it to her lips she took a small bite. Tomakt picked up her chopsticks again, grabbing a piece of sushi to drag through the wasabi.

"I don't blame you. Gene's just freaked out because of that bomb Raditz dropped," Christine explained, reaching for her glass of diet Pepsi.

"That wasn't intentional," Tomakt sighed.

"Well, shit happens. I have to admit I'm shocked as well as Gene was. Did you really know it?"

"Yes to my shame. I kept it secret to protect you and Gene. To preserve the integrity of the community. You HAVE to believe it was for the greater good," Tomakt implored.

"Hey, I believe you. It's not easy keeping that nasty thing under wraps. But Gene feels betrayed," said Christine.

"I'm sorry but I can't change that," said Tomakt. "There are many things I wish I could change, but apart from returning and addressing them in person…"

"Just stop right there. We can't change it. And besides, you have a right to know what's been going on since we've been away," said Christine.

"Please tell me," said Tomakt. "Where are the people living?"

"Underground in those bunkers that those scientists abandoned. Those that live with Tyler's group are in the wilds. Led by him and Simone. Gene's group is living in what remains of New York City. They're using tidal force to power the city and coal. The thick clouds around Earth are still pretty bad, and the climate's very cold. But they've found ways of making food."

"The other places?" Tomakt asked, picking up another piece of sushi.

"Only a tenth of the world's population still exists. Ace's space station has distributed generators and stuff worldwide. Most of the places being lived in are Australia, parts of Europe, and the coastal areas. Simone's group is migrating across the Mississippi valley following herds of game. Paul's group joined Gene's. Eric and Bruce are living in NYC under Gene's protection. I guess they swallowed their pride and did it. Just isolated little pockets of people keeping in touch by radio."

Tomakt then asked, "What about my family?"

"Your older brother is still alive. And what remains of your family. They're living with Simone's group. Those that wanted to. The others are with your priest brother in that 'cloister' that your padre started. In what remains of the Appalachians in New England. Simone's gang comes and drops off some fresh kill every few months in exchange for food. The hydroponics worked wonders."

"And Ace's group?" said Tomakt through more mouthfuls of sushi.

Christine skewered a few green beans on her fork, raising them up to nibble on them. "The astronauts are trying to figure out ways of cleaning up the atmosphere. Apparently the kittens are living with Mona and Tyler, who are with Simone's hunting group. It's safer."

"Four population centers exist, you said," muttered Tomakt.

"One in the place of NYC, one in Berlin, one in the Midwest, one in Philadelphia, and there are smaller ones in Europe. One even in London," Christine nodded.

"Who's in command?" Tomakt asked, her brows lowering behind the pink lens of her now ever-present scouter.

"A few army groups are keeping martial law. But the rest are under Destroyer control. And there's been a rise in aliens being seen," said Christine. "The ones that remain sovereign are Gene's band because he's made a deal with the local traders to stay away."

"How many mutations?" her friend asked.

"Most of our people have the white and black markings. Those that don't live underground and the others are becoming Destroyers. They're mutating. Simone's group is becoming more animal then anything. I guess it's ironic because the only 'true' humans are the ones who've accepted the Change."

"So NYC is a stronghold, as is my brother's Star Citadel, ruled by Elliot?" Tomakt nodded. She grabbed the next plate loaded with sushi, attacking it with a healthier appetite now that Christine had made the first move in mending the rift.

"Elliot's gone missing at times. The Padre's doing his best to keep the Citadel running. That's where your brother comes in. The troops are doing what they can to take anyone in who doesn't want to get changed. It's martial law by Destroyer, Gene, or the other groups. Anyone else is just in the way," Christine shook her head.

Tomakt exhaled, finally stopping in her eating spree for breath. She dropped her chopsticks, folding her hands underneath to rest her chin on them. Soberly she asked, "What hope is there for our world?"

"Gene thinks he can hold order long enough. He's getting together all the people he can into NYC. Easier to defend. Jeannie wants to go back and look for Elliot at the Starlight citadel. And Gene needs me to help teach what Vegeta taught Jeannie and me to his warriors."

"So he expects you to go back with him naturally," said Tomakt.

"That's about the size of it."

"When?"

"Not sure yet, but I don't think he wants to stick around for long. There's a lot that needs to be done," said Christine.

"He needs to recover his strength. He lost a lot of energy," said Tomakt.

"Yeah. It will be at least a few weeks before he's back to his usual self. And in the meantime maybe we can clear this mess up," said Christine.

"Does he want to?" Tomakt asked.

"Yes. He's still hurt and fuming. But he blames Paul more than he does you. Also, he's talking to Jeannie right now. They're in one of the training rooms beating the hell out of some simulation. So I figured I'd come straighten things out and chitchat with you while they're having a father daughter slug fest," Christine chuckled.

"Thank you," Tomakt nodded.

"What for? You're still my friend, and that hasn't changed," said Christine.

"Thank goodness that some things have remained the same in this situation," said Tomakt. "Change seems to be the only constant as of late."

"Look, I know you're not yourself. Don't feel guilty for being happy with Raditz. Hey, it's great. You deserve it. Gene understands that, and he accepts it. But it will take him time to get over this whole thing with Jeannie and Paul."

"I don't know if he can 'get over it' ever," said Tomakt. "Such betrayals stay hurts far longer than any would admit. That's why Paul justified it."

"Yeah, but forgetting things isn't the best way to deal," said Christine. "Cause it sure came back in a bad way."

"It never will go away entirely," said Tomakt.

"I guess not," said Christine. "But let's not let it ruin our friendship."

"No, I don't wish that to happen, ever," said Tomakt, reaching across to take the hand her friend extended. Christine gave her friend's hand a squeeze, nodding at the look of gratefulness. It didn't erase Gene's harsh words, but it did ease the hurt a tiny bit. Still, a sense of foreboding hung over both women that it was only the beginning of their worries.

"Say, there's something ELSE on your mind if I don't know any better," Christine said.

"Just that it's ironic that's all. The choices I've made are for the good of others, but even if I wanted to, there isn't an easy way for me to change my mind," said Tomakt.

"Is this about your choices here? Because you don't owe me or Gene any explanation for becoming Saiyan," said Christine.

"This goes beyond that, Chris. You know that I was ordered not to use my watch for transmutation?"

"Yeah, something about attracting Destroyers here?"

"There was a reason beyond that. Apparently such devices are incompatible with Saiyan powers," said Tomakt.

"Really? I figured there was a good reason you weren't transmuting left and right. But I figured you'd tell me when you wanted to," said Christine.

"By order of the Prince," she said. "And the fact that my watch has been destroyed."

"Since when?" Christine demanded, straightening up in her seat.

"It doesn't matter. It's dust now. I had it destroyed to stop myself from being tempted to use it. But the talisman has been given to Goku for safekeeping."

"Goku?" Christine blinked, leaning forwards in her chair.

"For my sons. They'll have to use the power. I can't use my talisman anymore. If I can't use my watch, then using the Talisman might have similar consequences," said Tomakt.

Christine plunked her glass down, asking, "Why? It doesn't affect me or Jeannie?"

"You're still human. I'm not," Tomakt explained. She seized another mouthful of sushi in her chopstick tongs, shoving it into her mouth.

"You're half human," said Christine.

"I'm not a fit host to use the talisman anymore, Christine. That's the reality. I tried using it the other day, but the power feedback was far too terrifying to contemplate. That's why Goku's got it. He can't use it either, but my sons can, given the right training," she said.

Grumbling, Christine shook her head. "I don't get it. You can't use it? Jeannie and I have evolved beyond mere humanity and we still…"

"There's no need for it when I have Saiyan blood in my veins. That's the source of my power now. Using the Talisman would be redundant. I guess I got what I wanted the power to protect my family. I should have been careful what I wished for," Tomakt said. She reached up to pull the scouter off her face and folded it into a neat compact object. It easily adhered to the strap on her hip.

Breath rushed out of Christine's lips. Her eyes glowed scarlet momentarily in her white and black patterned face. "But without you, who's going to wield the power?"

"I don't know. But it cannot be me. My sons have the requisite ability. And if we keep one of the talisman here, then its beyond the reach of the Destroyers. Till the time is right," answered the Third Class scientist.

Christine stretched her scalp with black and red fingernails. She pushed long tendrils of curly hair from her face, saying, "Maybe that's why Paul didn't want you becoming Saiyan. Maybe he knew it would neutralize your ability to wield it," said Christine.

"One reason," she said. "But it's too late now."

"Hon, I'm sorry," apologized Christine. Scarlet faded from her hazel eyes. They gleamed with understanding of a line that had been irrevocably crossed. Tomakt had paid the price for her power just as Jeannie and she had. None of them realized how dear it would be.

"So am I," said Tomakt. Christine got up and crossed over to give her a reassuring squeeze.

"I'd better get moving. I promised Gene I'd show him the workout room so we could get him back on both feet. Will you be okay?"

"Yes," said Tomakt. "Go on. I'll live."

Reluctantly Christine rose from the table with her emptied trays. She cast Tomakt a look of sympathy accompanied by a smile. Tomakt returned to the task of sating her hunger with the remainder of the food to her left and right. Another crop of tears threatened to form, but she pushed them back. There would be time for crying later. Right now she needed to figure out what was going to become of the uncertain future.

* * *

Two weeks later found Tomakt in her laboratory. She and Gene had made some headway mending the fences in their relationship. Nevertheless there was that sense that she would never be as close a friend as she once could have been. Too much had changed. Many conversations filled in the two-year gap she had been missing.

William was alive and well, thriving in Gene's care. He was a healthy half dragon humanoid with a loving and attentive set of women looking after him, including Gene's remaining children. Elliot often went on long trips but was often there to care for William. Other children had been born from other concubines Gene had taken.

In two years he had joined forces with her eldest brother who was a marine commander. Together they had consolidated the survivors scattered all over the place into a bunker. Those that wished to remain with Bruce and Eric in the mountains of California stayed with half of the marine soldiers. The rest had struck out East to join a group that needed Gene's help. In NYC Simone and Peter had gathered another selection of people enslaved by Destroyers.

Gene had led a raid to capture the Big Apple. Now it was his stronghold, the island of Manhattan. Many of the buildings were housing for the survivors scattered everywhere. At the museum and in many large buildings he had made his fortress to house the females and others under his protection. Close by Elliot had constructed a 'starlight citadel' from the Natural History Museum, to preserve cultural knowledge.

Scientists who had survived were at the universities in places here and there. Many of them had associations with other members of the Four. Other armed forces had taken control of cities in the United States, under the control of several senators and politicians. They learned to work with the Four, especially Gene in managing what little there was. Together with those that were trusted they had converted some of the scientists under Raina's control to their ways. Those intellectuals had banded into the Starlight Citadel to be a think tank.

Others had gone to join the astronauts in Ace's celestial station. Shandi was still alive, raising little Kiara with help from the others present. Tyler and Mona had elected to help those with technologies while Simone had taken over leadership of the people she had met with Peter. A culture of nomadic shape shifters roamed the continental US to hunt the large herds of bison. They restored and surveyed what remained of the habitat.

In Europe there were pockets of civilization in London and Berlin. Other pockets in Africa's most rural areas had survived easily. Now they were a center of trade. Those politicians in European cities that survived were string in a loose confederation of city-states. However the region in the Pacific Rim was under Destroyer control. The Europe and Africa survivors made do with their alliance, under the control of orders from London, Moscow and Berlin. Federated states of Africa had its seat in central Africa, flourishing well. Remote villages in South America were doing well with agriculture. Only a tenth of the world's population existed, and those that had not changed pigmentation were slowly adapting in their own ways.

People did what they could. Trading and shifting powers were suddenly under the realm of strange beings that seemed to come from here and there. Reports of mythical beings coming out of mounds and other burial sites to stabilize the communities.

"If we didn't know better they fit the description of those elves in D and D," said Christine.

"Elves?"

"Uh huh. Seems they do exist. Paul met them firsthand. They surfaced in England and places in Africa. Seems they're helping where the Four aren't," said Christine.

"From 'Avalon?" she asked.

"Yeah. And there have been reports of other beings. It's like magic's taken root. We've seen dragons. But the 'elves' are the ones who are walking around clear as day in Europe. Some of them were ordinary people, changed by the chikara running loose. As if being elves were their true aspects."

"Other sorts?"

"Dragons like Gene. Spider people like me. I went to one of the cities in France with Gene at one time, and there were more of these elves then humans. Seems almost the entire population of Europe is elfish. Except places where they've seen dwarves and gnomes. A few trolls here and there. And in Africa most of the population is gone back to their tribal roots. Or shape shifters like Simone's group."

"It's started. The world spilling over into some other way, just as was predicted."

"Yes. The Destroyers control lands. Only the Four who are one and these elves and others who can channel magic have a chance. And they pretty much stay in one place. Alivere and the other guys are cool enough, but some of the dark and woodland guys are pricks," Christine had mumbled.

"Elves in earth. Seems to make sense. People changed into white faces and elves, and other things. What next? Unicorns?"

"They saw lions and boars, and even dinosaurs running rampant. Animals they thought were long extinct. But the clouds still cover most of the skies. It's a mess, and we're barely keeping the Destroyers at bay, elves or no elves."

"Humph, sounds nothing like the world we knew," said Tomakt.

"Astron Tellar's spilling over into our world," Christine said. "It's only a matter of time before it becomes reality, or the Destroyers wipe us all out."

"I wonder if they'd recognize me now," Tomakt mumbled, glancing down at the samples she had obtained from the newest batch of destroyers they'd fought.

Inside one of Bulma's labs she perused the various materials taken from scraps of uniform. It had been her idea to check and see if any new advances had been made in their technology. She had successfully duplicated the polymer used to make Saiyan armor perfecting Bulma's designs flawlessly. Brown eyes narrowed in front of the eyepiece of the microscope she now loaded.

"This is new," she mumbled. "Wonder where they scavenged it from?"

Mostly the Destroyers scavenged pieces of clothing to make their patchwork armored suits. Bits of metal taken from ruined cities were sacred trophies, bound together with animal skins and spandex. However as time had elapsed, more of the outfits were mass manufactured, losing some of their hand made look. From what she had observed the Destroyers used the scavenged bits to taunt their enemies. There was much to ask Gene about regarding how things had changed since she had left.

Christine entered the laboratory, closing the door behind her as she stepped inside. "Hey, am I interrupting anything?"

"No. In fact I had hoped to see you," said Tomakt, standing up.

Christine chuckled at the sight of her friend wearing a labcoat overtop the black and gold Saiyan armor. She had inherited it from Raditz, who now wore second class black and gold. Already the armor conformed to the curvature of the female Saiyan's body bearing two new lives. Still she was smaller then she would be at the same point in a human pregnancy. Four or five months along. Ironically she recalled seeing her friend in her Alchemist form while carrying the twins.

"You sure it's okay to be working in your delicate condition?" Christine joked.

"Saiyan bodies are far more impervious to chemical hazards then human," said Tomakt. "One advantage of this form."

"So, how are things? I haven't seen much of you the last two days. I was beginning to think you'd disappeared into a reaction flask," Christine joked.

"You and Gene have a lot of time to catch up on," said Tomakt.

"That doesn't mean you can't spend time with your buddies," said Christine.

"He has no use for me. I betrayed him, remember?" Tomakt laughed ironically.

"You really think he hates you that much? You're wrong you know," Christine shook her head. "He understands why you did what you did. But he doesn't get why you're not talking to him about it."

"Mister I don't like sharing wants to talk to me?" Tomakt asked.

"Yes. Clear the air. Something you guys didn't really do properly. I mean yeah we've all eaten and trained together. But he really wants to clear things up."

"Before he returns. I'm sorry. I just have thought that it might make things worse," said Tomakt.

"C'mon, running and hiding isn't a Saiyan trait. I thought you guys spoke what was on your mind!" Christine teased.

"Contrary to what you believe, I'm not THAT different am I?" Tomakt asked her soberly.

"Just yanking your chain," said Christine. "You really haven't smiled in days. Too much training with Vegeta must have made you permanently pissed off."

"Heh," Tomakt laughed, giving one of those Saiyan style grunts she knew so well. "I suppose I've been a bitch. But I suppose if Gene wants to mend fences I can do it."

"Give it a chance," said Christine. "Before he leaves again."

"Before you both leave again?" asked Tomakt.

"Sooner or later we'll all have to make that decision. Do we stay or do we go," said Christine. "What have you decided?"

"I'm torn between here and there, Chris," said Tomakt.

"You're not bound to our world anymore. You're Saiyan, and that pretty much precludes you returning," said Christine.

"I can't turn my back on half my heritage," said Tomakt.

"Vegeta will expect you to," Christine pointed out. "I'm not trying to be cruel, but you're in over your head. You're mated to a Saiyan, and you're carrying two kids. That pretty much takes priority over any old loyalties."

"Tell me something I don't know. He made it VERY clear what I should decide. That it's best to forget what I was."

"You've got some hard decisions to make," said Christine. "But that doesn't' mean you don't have choices despite what Vegeta says."

"Damn it, I sometimes wish I'd never met any of them, but that's useless," said Tomakt.

"You could ask Vegeta for a leave of absence, if you wanted maybe, after your kids are born," said Christine. "Or the gestational tank."

"I abandoned my children once. I cannot and will not do it again," she said bitterly.

"Two Saiyan kids you're carrying, you could still go, but they'd be taken care of," said Christine.

"Vegeta won't hear of it," said Tomakt. "Unless they are reared in gestational tanks. It feels like cheating."

"It's encouraged in Saiyan culture. If you really feel like you gotta go back, it's an answer. But Gene wants to return to our world in a few days time. Just thought I'd let you know," Christine said.

"Where's Jeannie?" asked Tomakt. "Speaking of people you haven't seen for ages."

"She's already packing to return," said Christine.

"Shit," Tomakt said quietly.

"I just wanted you to know ahead of time. There's not much hope changing his mind," Christine said sadly.

"What does the Prince think?" asked Tomakt.

"He says that he will release us from duty if we so choose, but to carefully consider the consequences of that. Once we give up that protection, he won't let us back," said Christine.

"Can't you stay a bit longer to recover?" asked Tomakt.

"No. Gene wants to leave soon. Bulma's giving us some capsulated supplies to take with us. He's contacted the various guys on the elfish council and the other seats of government. They want him back ASAP," said Christine.

"And you want to return," Tomakt said.

"Yes. I wish you could come along," said Christine.

"I cannot," Tomakt said quietly.

"If it's cause you can't use your talismen, that's no reason not to return. You could be a lot of help with your Saiyan powers," said Christine.

"I need to stay with Fermi and Bohr. And I've got two on the way," said Tomakt.

"I knew it was the case. But I'm asking just in case," said Christine.

"When do you leave?"

"Soon," Christine said. She slowly got up and gave her friend a hug.

"That's real specific," Tomakt mumbled.

"I've gotta go find Gene. He's giving me the mental call," said Christine. "Take care okay? And talk to Vegeta about what I said. Maybe you two can work something out."

* * *


	35. Stay or Go?

**Saiyan Foster Father**

_**Should I Stay or Should I Go?**_

By Trynia Merin aka StarbearerTM

_Disclaimer I don't own DBZ, Toryiama and Funimation do and I don't own Full Metal Alchemist! Also, I don't own KISS or their fictional superhero portrayals, which are owned by Marvel, KISS Catalogue, and Dark Horse. These are Fanfiction concepts developed by me Trynia Merin for use in the fanfiction Saiyan Foster Father. Bulmathebabe owns Christine Black Widow. They are based on the Dragon Ball universe; KISS Next Generation, and Full and my fan interpretation. Please ask my permission if you'd like to borrow them for yours!apologies to Big Audio Dynamite for the use of this song title for a story part.

* * *

_

Tomakt used her scouter to trace Gene's location. Bleeping numbers in a language she now knew well pinpointed him within the secondary gravity chamber. Chuckling, she strode up to override the controls and enter without disrupting his training routine. At Fifty g's, Gene exchanged blows with one of Bulma's training bots while Christine and Jeannie met blow for blow.

"This damn danger room can really put out," Gene gritted, hurling a flame tinged breath at the bot. It veered out of the way, narrowing avoiding being singed.

"Damn it, where did you learn to do THAT?" Jeannie cursed, as Christine zipped out, then zipped behind her.

"Same place you did! Think fast!" Christine laughed, chopping her in the back.

"Says YOU!" Jeannie answered, flashing out her fist to punch. Christine grunted at the impact of her friend's fist in her armored chest.

"HAH!" Gene laughed, whipping around and suddenly lashing out a long dragon tail from his back to knock the bot away.

"So you have a tail too? What is this? A bargain sale?" Christine panted.

"A secondary form," Jeannie laughed. "I see you've mastered it too, huh dad?"

Black wings unfurled from Gene's shoulders while his armor bulked up in density. Now he was eight feet tall, bristling with power. Brimstone crackled from every pore, smoke filling the air.

"Now let's see what this guy can dish out. Bring it on!" he laughed, twirling his battle-axe.

A beam of purple force zinged out, slamming him in the chest. He grunted, pushing it back with his armored gloves. Both Christine and Jeannie glanced over to see Tomakt surging with purple ki.

"Atomic blast!" she shouted, hurling a ki ball towards Gene. He swung his axe to batter it aside. Still the gold sphere exploded in his face, hurling him back. Quickly he flipped, wings beating to compensate.

Fire surged towards Tomakt. She crossed her arms, generating whirling orbital of light much like those she had originally done. Gene's fire sizzled against each rapidly orbiting sphere of purple ki. One zinged off, followed by another while two remained to whirl and block whatever he threw. Gene phased out, then moved behind her. Tomakt whirled around, dodging his punch to deliver one of her own to his gut.

"HLLRGH," Gene gasped. He was barely phased, even if the wind was knocked from him.

Fists flashed out in a rapid volley. Gene laughed, matching her blow for blow in a burst mode. Dragon reflexes allowed him to take her punches that slid by. The female Saiyan then blocked the slashing blows of his axe. One managed to graze her bare arm, yet his tail slashed out, struggling to twin around her legs. To his shock her own tail wrapped around his, twisting and throwing with more strength then he thought the furry appendages could muster.

"Yow," Gene laughed, righting himself. "Tail jitzu?"

"HYAAH!" she shouted, bringing both fists up to slam down on his back. He dropped, then batted her aside with an elbow. She spun around, flashing out with kicks before Gene blocked each one. His gauntleted fist surged in a punch, only to hit against her fist. Her face flushed red as Tomakt pushed against him with ten times the strength she previously had.

"Whoa, you've gotten a bit stronger doll," Gene laughed. "But not as strong as I."

"We'll see…" she gritted, pushing back. Gene disengaged, floating back as she did. Both regarded one another, panting heavily.

"Not bad at all. You've either been taking those pre natals, or your king Kong makeovers toughened you up. Damn woman, that wasn't too shabby," Gene laughed.

"Thank you, I think," she nodded.

"Give me a break," Jeannie grumbled.

"C'mon, let's let them talk," Christine urged, dragging Jeannie away by her wrist.

"Fine. I was beginning to stink anyhow. The scent hasn't improved with the Monkey queen here," she mumbled. "You realize how stinky those Saiyans get when they're in armor all day?"

"Oh shut up," Christine mumbled, slugging her on the back.

"You're no bottle of Chanel No. 5 yourself, Dragon Womyn," Tomakt called. "And for your information, we don't stink. You're the one that does the smelling."

"Hah hah, very funny," Jeannie stuck her long tongue out, waggling it.

"Save it for Elliot when you next see him," Tomakt laughed.

"C'mon let's go," Christine urged. Jeannie snorted, marching off to the showers.

"I understand you had something to say to me, Gene?" Tomakt asked, hands on her hips.

"Yeah. Where the hell have you been hiding? You afraid I'm going to beat you up?"

"No. Hardly," said Tomakt. "That's not your style. Besides, I might kick your ass."

"Hah, no offense but you're still not much of a match for me in the long run," Gene said.

"Gene, I don't blame you for being pissed. But I have been hiding I guess," Tomakt said.

"Yeah. Downright scarce. You think I can't forgive you?" Gene asked with a grunt.

"You have no reason to," said Tomakt.

"Unlike what your monkey pals must have been teaching you, doll, I forgive even if I don't forget. You're still Christine's pal, and even though you let me down, I forgive you," said Gene. "Love makes us fuck up."

"I accept your forgiveness," said Tomakt quietly. "It's appreciated."

"We could sure use you in the fight," Gene said. "You sure you wanna stay?"

"I have two kids on the way," she said.

"Well, even with two buns in the oven you still kicked ass, then and even more now," said Gene.

"I can't," said Tomakt.

"Can't or won't?"

"By royal orders. The Prince forbids it," said Tomakt. "I'm sorry."

"So am I. But maybe you can come back and visit, eh?" said Gene.

"You resent me for what I've done?" she asked.

"Nah. No way. Sure the mod's a shock, but you've really changed for the better I think. Despite what Jeanie might think you're still okay, doll," Gene said with a smile. "I just wanted you to know I wasn't going to be permanently pissed at you. Paul's the real target. He just took you along for the ride."

"It was unfortunate," she said.

"Yeah. Tell me about it. Dragging you into it wasn't cool. Now Jeannie and I have a lot of work to do on fixing things with us," Gene said.

"She hates my guts," Tomakt laughed.

"Not fully. But there's a lot of bad blood," said Gene quietly.

"I can live with it. It's her choice," said Tomakt.

"Even though she knows William's fine, she's still gonna smart. She's as stubborn as her old man. But that doesn't mean we've gotta stay at odds," said Gene.

"No. After all, Paul's blood flows in the veins of two handsome boys. I'd like them to know their Uncle Gene," said Tomakt.

"What about the talisman?"

"They'll use it when they're ready. I'm not the host any longer," said Tomakt. "Unless you'd like to take it."

"Stay here and keep those kids safe. When things calm down a bit, come on and visit us. There's no reason for kids to fight in wars. Keeping it here is our insurance policy. Christine, Simone Jeannie and I can handle it. Besides Tyler and Mona are back. As soon as we find Elliot we'll be good."

"Will you?" asked Tomakt.

"Yes," Gene smiled. "C'mere, monkey girl. Give me a hug, or is it against Saiyan tradition?"

"It isn't amongst friends," she said, as he spanned his arms. She felt him hug her tightly, patting her back as she lay her cheek to his chest.

"I'll miss ya, monkey girl. Take care of Mighty Joe Young, and King Kong, or is that Prince Kong," Gene joked.

"When do you leave?"

"Soon," Gene said quietly. "And I'm leaving a choker collar communicator for you. IT works across dimensions. Mona rigged it. Apparently Ace wasn't the only genius."

"Heh," She snickered.

"Why don't' we go get some grub, and then you can show me more of what you've learned," Gene said. "And maybe we can visit those kids."

"All right then," she nodded as Gene slapped her back and led her out of the GR.

* * *

Later that week, Tomakt confronted Vegeta. Although she could predict with almost absolute certainty what his answer would be, she entertained her friend's suggestion. Perhaps there was a chance she could see her world one last time. Join in the fight to push the Destroyers out so the magical forces returning to her world would gain more than a toehold. 

However the look on Vegeta's face crushed any hopes. He hovered in midair at 100 G's, hurling blasts of energy at moving targets. Tomakt had joined him in the target practice, and they had talked during the intermittent lulls from explosion to explosion.

"You cannot go," Vegeta said, landing on white booted feet.

"You haven't even heard all of what I had to say," Tomakt said quietly.

"End simulation," Vegeta shouted. The room slowly faded from red to white while the gravity dropped.

"Please, it was Christine's suggestion."

"I can guess. But there's no question where your loyalties should lie. You're a Saiyan warrior, and you serve me."

"How can I turn my back on my world?" she asked, grabbing a towel and wiping her forehead off.

Vegeta grabbed a bottle of water she threw to him, cracking it open. In one gulp he drained the entire two liters of fluid. With a gloved hand he wiped his mouth, then panted, "You already have, woman. As for Jeannie and Christine they've made it clear they're returning."

"And you'll just let them go without any help?" asked Tomakt, pulling off her scouter to wipe sweat off her brow. A towel hit her in the face.

"They didn't ask for it. It's not my affair what they chose to do. Just as long as they keep their battles out of my world," Vegeta snorted. "Mop yourself off, female."

Tomakt dabbed more sweat off, then emptied her two-liter bottle in three gulps. She stopped long enough to ask, "What about the reports of alien influence. Of possible Saiyans in my universe's future? Already there's the reality of so called 'mythical' beings arising from the native population."

"Those things you call 'elves' and other such creatures were probably subspecies of humanoid, capable of channeling ki in a far superior manner. Old files indicate that these 'elves' are a superior species of human that had been repressed, but the genetic mutations are allowing them to reemerge. And as for the others, you can apply the same argument," Vegeta panted.

"Yes but…"

"The other phenomenon are being investigated by the scientists of your old home world, correct?" Vegeta said.

"But they gave you two years of service. And the Destroyers are your sworn enemy. Surely it's a good challenge for you to return with a party of warriors to test your skills against them?" asked Tomakt.

"That is something that Bulma is investigating. But I cannot and will not allow any of my warriors to go on some wild goose chase. Gene has made it clear he needs no assistance, and I'm honoring his word. It isn't our concern, and that's all I shall say on that matter," Vegeta grunted.

"Very well then. But I cannot just forget. Isn't there some way I could somehow take leave and do something to settle my affairs there?" Tomakt sighed.

"I will consider your request, Tomakt," said Vegeta. "Serve me faithfully and you will be granted leave when it is due."

"As you command, Sire," Tomakt said, forcing back tears. Anger burned in her soul, self imposed. Impassively Vegeta glanced down at her.

"I'm not without feeling, woman. But I have lost one home world already and I have comprehension. But you accepted an oath to serve me, and that cannot be taken lightly. Once my protection is withdrawn…"

"I made my choice I'll live with it," said Tomakt quietly. "But it won't be easy."

"Consider it a challenge worthy of a true Saiyan warrior," he said. "Now leave me. I've other matters that require my attention."

"My life at your command, your Majesty," she saluted before rising. She backed away, letting her tail drop to sway back and forth behind her calves. Blood seeped into her lips as she bit them. Finally out of range she let tears burn down her cheeks.

"Damn it all," she muttered, feet pounding violently into the cracking tile with the force of a being accustomed to heavier gravity.

* * *


	36. Where I belong!

_Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Toriyama does. I do own the Idsarjins, the character of Tomique aka Tomakt, the mate I have made up for Raditz, Jeannie aka Dragon Womyn. I don't own Full Metal Alchemist, Aniplex does. I don't own the Demon, he's property of KISS and Dark Horse comics. My thanks to my reviewers! I hope you like the ending!_

**Epilogue: Where I belong!**

* * *

She exited Capsule, walking towards the place where Jeannie and Christine had made their home. As she entered, she saw that the door was left ajar. Tomakt glanced around the small apartments, narrowing her eyes in confusion. 

"What the hell?" she asked. A servo bot was cleaning the room carefully.

"Professor Tomakt? Query?"

"Where is the occupant?"

"Ma'am Mrs. Jeannie has vacated the premises."

"As of when?"

"As of early this morning," said the bot. "All her possessions were cleared and capsulated."

"Did she clear it with the Prince?"

"Negative. There was no record of her departure."

"Excuse me," Tomakt said as she rushed down the hall. She flipped on her scouter, tracing for any signal of Christine or Gene. To her horror she found none.

The next destination was the guest quarters that Gene had been assigned. As she depressed the control, she heard no response. Her scouter showed no signs of battle power except a residual trace. Again she tried the door, only to find no answer.

"Override omega three ten!" she growled. The door-clicked open, hissing as it slid back.

Tomakt entered, glancing around the small space. To her shock there were KISS posters on the walls, and a neat stack of CDs burned freshly next to a stereo. A small IPOD lay on the sofa, next to two neat piles. Slowly she picked up what was a suit of Elite student Saiyan armor. As she rushed through the apartment she saw the items of clothing given to Gene were neatly folded and set to the side. Yet other personal effects were gone.

"Shimatta, they said they'd leave in a week," she said, glancing around.

A bleeping came over her scouter, "Professor Tomakt! Report in!"

"Tomakt here, Cabernet. I'm in Christine's quarters and they've been raided!" she called.

"What? I was going to ask you if you'd seen any sign of Trainee Christine or Jeannie because they failed to report to duty! You said they're GONE?"

"I thought you knew! They left armor and little else!" Tomakt called.

"Great Galaxy, hold on!" Cabernet barked.

Another presence startled her, and she turned to see Napa standing there, with Vegeta at his side. "What the FUCK is going on here, Tomakt?" Vegeta barked.

"Your Majesty, I thought you knew they were gone!" Tomakt gasped.

"Since WHEN?" Vegeta snapped, pushing into the quarters. "What the HELL happened? Where ARE they?"

"You tell me!" she gasped weakly, sinking to the nearby easy chair.

"Nappa, when was the last time you said you saw them?"

"Earlier last night sire. That's what I was trying to tell you! I thought you should see for yourself but it looks like the whelp here already beat us to it!" Napa snapped.

"When did you notice this? Didn't you THINK to override the door?" Vegeta snapped.

"Sire, I figured her mate would be pissed, but looks like Professor here had the idea anyway!" Napa glanced around.

"Search the building!" Vegeta barked. "You, third class, get that mate of yours and start looking in the labs! I want to know where and when they were last seen!"

"But Sire I thought you'd given them leave to go!" Tomakt said weakly.

"Damn it, the fucking NERVE of those ungrateful brats!" Vegeta cursed in Saiyanese. "That tears it!"

"You saw they left their armor," Tomakt said, holding the bundle of Christine's personal effects. "Jeannie too."

"They've made their choice," Vegeta said quietly, tossing the armor back to the sofa. "Ungrateful bitches."

"She said she'd leave in a week!" Tomakt shook her head.

"Fucking goddamn… get your tail out of here and you and that third class Radditz start searching! They might not have gone far!" Vegeta yelled.

"At once!" she gasped, rushing out of the room. As she levitated down the corridors she passed Jeannie's room, where Nappa was tearing through what he saw.

"Vegeta, same story here," he called, carrying the pile of Jeannie's abandoned armor. "And there's a scrap of paper."

"Give it here, moron!" Vegeta snapped. He grabbed the white envelope and read the enclosed paper.

"No sign of them?" Cabernet asked, seeing Tomakt shoot across the lawn of Capsule.

"Nothing. It was all cleaned out. You?"

"I checked the GR, and the training complex. All the lockers that they owned were cleared out except anything resembling Saiyan armor or scouters. I'd say they left in a hurry," she said.

"Any capsules missing?"

"A couple dozen cases. I've been trying to get hold of the Princess, but she's not answering her messages," said Cabernet.

"Tomakt chan!" someone shouted. She saw Raditz rush in, carrying something in his hands.

"Where are they?"

"I was going to ask you! Something's been stolen from the lab!" Raditz cursed.

"Show me!" Tomakt gasped, rushing after him. They streaked through the corridors, scouters open to full range as Cabernet and Napa rocketed off to search West City. Vegeta's cursing could be heard for hundreds of yards as he shot through the corridors of Capsule's mansion, then rocketed off to find Bulma.

"They're not in the labs, are they?" Tomakt panted.

"No. A whole bunch of capsules containing generators and other supplies for disaster relief were missing. I just checked the inventory," he said.

"The dimensional jump equipment," Tomakt panted. Raditz gave her a horrified look as she burst into Bulma's private lab.

"What the HELL is going on here?" Bulma screamed. "Who stole the AE 35 unit?"

"That's what WE want to know! They're gone!" Raditz called.

"What's this about them being gone? I just got a message and raced BACK here, to find a whole bunch of stuff missing? What kind of guards ARE you clowns?" Bulma yelled.

"Don't blame them woman," Vegeta snapped, as Tomakt and Raditz both dropped to one knee. "The answer is clear."

"What answer. Vegeta, tell me what the FUCK is going on or so help me…" Bulma yelled.

"They've left, woman," said Vegeta angrily. "I think you'll find the missing capsules and your dimensional equipment was put to use by two former students of mine."

"Why didn't they just ASK For it if they wanted it?" Bulma yelped. "The prototype wasn't completely tested yet!"

"What else is missing?" asked Tomakt. "Are the Destroyer prototypes you were studying gone as well?"

"Yes but why… oh kuso you don't think that…" Bulma trailed off.

"Precisely woman. They've left of their own accord. I found their armor was left behind. Clear indication they have rejected their servitude to me," Vegeta snorted, arms folded across their chest. "It seems it's all explained in a note."

"Shit," Bulma gritted.

"Mistress, I found this in the lab," Raditz said.

"Why didn't you give it sooner?" Vegeta glared at him.

"I didn't wish to interrupt the Princess," Raditz apologized as Vegeta tore it from his grasp. Bulma stormed over and read over Vegeta's shoulder after he tore the envelope open.

"Humph the nerve. It seems that your friends have left some ridiculous cultural trash behind in trade for what they've taken, Tomakt,' said Vegeta, glaring at her.

"You mean KISS merchandise?" asked Tomakt.

"Is this some sick JOKE?"

"It's gene's warped idea of payment," said Tomakt.

A capsule tumbled out of the letter and rolled on the floor. Bulma leaned down to pick it up. She turned it around, glancing at Vegeta. He snorted, and she threw it down. When the smoke cleared a neat pile of gold and electrum bars gleamed at their feet.

"Where did they get this?" Vegeta mumbled.

"It's at least a million dollars worth of gold," Bulma gasped.

"Gene's a dragon," said Tomakt quietly. "Don't ask me how but somehow I think this is his way of paying for what he took."

"Humph useless metal. Although it has value, the fools have burned any bridges. Whatever those two ungrateful bitches do now is not my affair," Vegeta snarled.

"This one's addressed to you, by the way, female," Vegeta snapped, shoving an envelope into Tomakt's hand. "I found it in the Black Widow's quarters."

"She left without saying goodbye. Some friend," said Bulma hotly.

"I wash my hands of this," Vegeta said. "Don't just stand there gaping, fools. Report to duty! Go and patrol for any unusual dimensional rifts in case they somehow materialize again!"

"Come on," Raditz said, taking Tomakt's shaking hand.

"Go, female. Listen to your mate," Vegeta glared. Raditz gently helped Tomakt to stand as she clutched the paper in her hands. Her limbs didn't want to move of their own accord.

"Vegeta, this makes no sense!" Bulma shook her head.

"It makes sense if you're an ungrateful…" Vegeta ranted. The rest of his reply moved into rapid fire Saiyaneese. Yet it was unheard by Raditz and his departing mate.

"What say him?" Raditz asked, wrapping his strong arm around Tomakt as they hovered a thousand feet above West City.

Tomakt unfurled the note, shaking from head to toe. Raditz glanced over, struggling to make sense of the English block printing of Gene. He hadn't learned to read that long ago, at least Chikyuujin writing, so she shared her comprehension as she read it aloud:

"_Hey there Monkey Lady,_

_Probably surprised that we've gone sooner then we thought, huh? Well we just got an SOS from Mona saying that Leader's on the move again. Apparently she's teamed up with the Golden Princess and her crew. That means we've gotta roll._

_Sorry for ducking out on you and the others so abruptly. Christine wasn't for it, but long mushy good-byes would only make it worse. I'm sure your Prince is pretty pissed, but I'm sure he'll get over it when he reads her letter to him. I know it's some Saiyan tradition to leave behind what you've been given for a clean break. Cutting ties are the best way to get things done, in my humble opinion. Less mess._

_But that doesn't mean we're cutting out on you forever. You've got a good thing going here. A second chance with a man who's nuts over you. A job with benefits, and two kids with two buns in the oven. Not a bad gig. Stick with it a while. We'll be fine. Don't think you've gotta come to the rescue cause we've got things covered. We all have difficult choices to make, and you've made your bed. Now you gotta lie in it and enjoy some of the games between the sheets._

_Tell Mr. Funny man that he's okay. And that Paul's watching him. He's not so stupid as you might think. And tell his royal Whyness King Kong that he needs to lighten up. Being pissed only works for so long before it ruins his pr. Tell that blue haired sex goddess wife of his to get him laid a bit more. While I like the fact he doesn't apologize for who he is, he needs to lighten up. And those Special Forces, they're no pushovers. You've all got your hands full on this end. Let us handle things here and we'll be fine._

_Keep a hand on that talisman. I'm sure your boys will be able to hack it. We'll give a shout when we're ready. If we need backup, you know how to reach us. Or we'll reach you first. But enjoy your life because it's a good one. One that I wouldn't mind having._

_Stay strong and take life by the horns or by the tail, no pun intended._

_Yours truly,_

_Gene_

_P.S. I'm sorry I grabbed your tail. Big mistake. I hope your mate isn't gonna kick my ass for that one. Cause Christine will stand in line. Now that I've got one part of the time I know it's gotta smart._

_PPS, get that monkey mate of yours laid more often. He needs a good deal more sex. Hell, all you Saiyans need a good screw cause you're such grouches. Might do you some good._

"Humph, sounds like he's got some sense after all," Raditz said quietly as she folded the note. Turning Tomakt to face him, he cupped her face in his hands while wrapping his tail around her waist.

"You think?" she asked.

"You read it as plain as day on this world. The Prince will comprehend. It had to be this way, as Great Father Oorzu had ordained. It's not for us to question the fate meted out. Perhaps you do more good here. I know that I would not wish you to leave my side when I've finally found you," Raditz mumbled.

"Sentimental fool," she groaned as he lowered his face to kiss her. Strangely she found she had no tears to cry because she understood this was where she belonged.

The End.

* * *


End file.

Dragon Ball Z, Adventure, Romance