Baby-sitting
Velvet sank deeper into the hot spring. Nothing like warm bath after an exhausting night… She smiled to herself as she closed her eyes and leant back against the side of the spring. Since claiming Vegeta as her mate, she hadn't seen her friend, Ikra. Ikra had been planning on challenging Sheikh, the second strongest female saiya-jin on the Planet Vegeta, to a duel to see who would win Kakarotto as their mate. Velvet sighed. She didn't know if the battle had even occurred… She had been busy with her own match. She hoped her friend had managed to defeat the feisty female if they had indeed fought…. Velvet opened her eyes as she heard someone else slip into the hot spring. She smiled as she saw her mate wade towards her. He sank to shoulder height and swam over.
"You should've told me you were coming out here…" Vegeta said as he moved right in front of Velvet. She smiled.
"Can't a girl take a bath in peace?"
"Hmm… Nah…" Vegeta grinned as he leaned forward to kiss her. Velvet leaned back out of his reach playfully.
"What about you? You said you were going off for something to eat…"
"I said I was hungry…. But I never said for food…." Vegeta purred as he leant forward to speak into her ear. "Fancy satisfying my appetite?" He breathed into her ear. Velvet shivered before smiling.
"You are truly evil… Your secret plan is to ravish you mate to within and inch of her life, am I right?"
"Something like that." Vegeta chuckled before kissing her neck. Velvet held onto his shoulders as he made his way round her neck before kissing her on the lips. They held it until they heard an amused snort from behind them. Vegeta tensed up in case he had to battle. Both turned their heads to see who was watching.
"So I take it you won the match then?"
"Ikra?"
"That was kinda embarrassing…" Velvet blushed as she pulled her training suit on. Vegeta pulled on the bottoms of his training suit and grinned.
"Trust Kakarotto… He always has impeccable timing…" Vegeta said as he walked to the door. "Well, best go through to them…. You coming?" Vegeta asked. Velvet took a moment to regard him. He wore just his training bottoms, his torso left bare. She smiled before following him out of the bedroom. They went through to the main room where Ikra and Kakarotto were waiting. Ikra got up from her seat.
"Well, it looks like we both struck it lucky…" She grinned at her friend. Velvet laughed.
"I agree! So how easily did you beat Sheikh then?"
"Not easily at all… My stomach had to be bandaged because of a huge gash… I had to kill her…"
"She would have been after you if you had let her live…" Vegeta commented coldly. "Sheikh was incredibly spiteful…."
"You knew her?"
"I know all of the top ranking female warriors and everything about them… Like you two…" Vegeta smiled at the two females who looked at each other before looking back to Vegeta.
"Vegeta-san…" Kakarotto started before Vegeta cut him off.
"Kakarotto, just call me 'Vegeta' when we're not at the castle… 'Vegeta-san' drives me crazy…" Vegeta told his fellow saiya-jin. Kakarotto smiled.
"Speaking of the castle, what do you plan to do in the three days you aren't allowed back?"
"Good question, Kakarotto…" Vegeta mused as he sat down. Velvet sat beside him as Ikra sat back down beside Kakarotto. "I'm not sitting around in here! I do enough of that in the castle!"
"Okay, so we have three days of freedom before it's back to the castle for the constriction that is royalty… Apart from some sparring sessions, what else is there?" Velvet said with wonder in her voice. Vegeta grinned.
"Well… There is other things but you can only handle so much…"
"Oh Vegeta! You are unreal!" Velvet smirked as she quickly pulled him into a headlock and ruffled his hair. Vegeta complained.
"Hey! Lemme go! What the hell are you trying to do?!"
"Knock some sense into you!" She answered as she knocked his head lightly with his fist. Vegeta growled and pulled his head out from her grip. She laughed as he lunged on her. Ikra cleared her throat loudly.
"Please… save it for night time…" She teased the two who now lay in a heap on the floor. Vegeta crawled onto the chair and helped Velvet up before pulling her onto his lap.
"By the way, what are you two doing?"
"No idea…"
"No saiya-jin can leave the planet for three days… so I've nothing to do…" Kakarotto said with a bit of disappointment. Ikra nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, we're stuck doing nothing too…"
"Are you both staying at Ikra's house?" Vegeta asked. Both nodded.
"Why don't you both stay here? We'll all think for some things to do… We have a spare room…" Velvet offered. Ikra smiled.
"Sure, why not? But… What about Zephyr? Where is he?"
"Oh, he'll be somewhere with Navet and the rest of their little posse…" Velvet told her as she rolled her eyes. "Mind you, it means that Vegeta and I don't have to worry about him running around in here, causing havoc…" She grinned. Ikra smirked.
"That, or the fact that he won't walk in on you two… y'know…" She laughed. Velvet blushed before shrugging.
"Same thing…"
"Look, we can decide later… I have to go get something to eat before my stomach starts an earthquake…" Vegeta said as he lifted Velvet off his lap and set her down as he stood up. "You coming with me?"
"I'm not hungry…" She said with a shake of her head. Kakarotto stood up.
"I'll go… I need something too…"
"Big surprise…" Vegeta grumbled as Kakarotto's stomach spoke up to confirm that it was empty. Kakarotto blushed and laughed nervously as Vegeta looked at him sceptically. "Well, let's go…"
"Are you coming, Ikra?"
"Nah, I'll stay here with Velvet…"
"Okay… Well, see you two later…" Kakarotto smiled as he and Vegeta left to eat.
"And then, I kinda punched her right through the skull…" Ikra demonstrated on a cushion, punching right through it and sending feathers everywhere. Velvet laughed cruelly.
"Good one! I'd never have thought of that! What happened then?"
"Well, I impaled her ribcage ; just for good measure, you understand…"
"Don't lie! You were enjoying the kill!"
"Okay, so I was… What's a saiya-jin to do?" Ikra smirked. "Anyways, I couldn't go anywhere because of my stomach… I just kinda collapsed from pain and blood loss… But when I woke up, I was in a room… and then, Kakarotto walked in! It turned out he had been watching the whole thing!"
"Really? Whoa, that would've been cool to watch!"
"Not as cool as your fight with Vegeta! You're a Super Saiya-jin now!"
"Oh stop!" Velvet laughed.
"Has Vegeta mentioned anything about Super Saiya-jin yet?"
"No… We've not exactly talked that much…. Been too busy… if you know what I mean…" Velvet grinned. Ikra slapped a hand across her eyes and shook her head.
"You are THE most hormone-driven creature in this universe…"
"No I'm not!" Velvet defended loudly. Ikra smiled.
"No, you're not… Vegeta is first, you're second…"
"Take that back!" she lunged off the chair at her friend. Ikra gasped as she was knocked off her chair.
"Hey! There was no need to tackle me!" Ikra protested as Velvet pinned her face down. Velvet grinned.
"Just playing…" She smiled as she got off her friend and sat beside her. Ikra got up and rubbed her jaw.
"You play rough… Remember, because of any injuries plus the new super self you have equals one hell of a powerful saiya-jin…. Keep your strength under control!"
"Oh, stop moaning! You're a lot more powerful too! You were near death so you've probably got a lot more power now…"
"True… We both have to get used to our new powers… Hey, maybe I can master that attack now!" Ikra said, suddenly excited. Velvet grinned.
"I'm gonna give the 'Massacre Dragon' a try…"
"WHAT?!" Ikra choked on fresh air with surprise. "No one has ever mastered that attack! It has enough power to wipe out half a dozen planets if used by the wrong person!"
"That why I'm gonna learn it!" Velvet grinned. "If I train in Super Saiya-jin mode, it'll improve my self-control and if I learn 'Dragon Carnage' first, it'll be easier…"
"I dunno about this… those are both very powerful attacks. I have no doubts that you could handle them but how long will it take?"
"Dunno… I'm gonna learn some techniques from Vegeta later.. maybe he can tell me."
"That guy is a walking encyclopaedia when it comes to battle!" Ikra laughed. Velvet laughed too.
"No kidding… But mind you, Kakarotto's pretty smart too in that area…"
"Yeah, you should've seen him fight on Getsar…" Ikra grinned. "He also knows some wicked attacks…."
"Like?"
"Well, he has one that allows him to use teleportation…. Shukdan Idou, it's called…"
"Really? I'll bet that's handy!"
"Actually, it is!" Kakarotto laughed as he and Vegeta suddenly appeared in front of the two girls, who both yelped in surprise. Vegeta grinned as he looked down at him startled mate.
"Did we scare you?"
"Scare me?! You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack!" Velvet snapped as she stood up and whacked him over the head. Vegeta growled and rubbed his head.
"What the hell was that for, woman?!"
"Woman?! That's it!!" Velvet yelled as Vegeta turned and made a run for it, laughing at her annoyance. Ikra and Kakarotto sweat-dropped as Velvet chased Vegeta around the house for a while.
"I'm bored!" Velvet whined loudly, breaking the silence and startling the three saiya-jins that were relaxing. Vegeta snarled at her.
"Stop doing that!!" He yelled. Velvet grinned. That was the third time she had scared them outta their wits. Ikra picked herself up off the floor and sat on the chair again.
"Just relax for a while until we think of something… and I agree with Vegeta, stop doing that!" She told her energetic friend. Velvet pouted and lay down on the couch, her head on Vegeta's lap.
"I'm used to having and energetic 14 year-old running around here all day… It's horribly quiet without Zephyr…" She sighed as she closed her eyes. Vegeta ran his finger along her jaw line and grinned.
"Is he the one that supposedly looks like me?"
"Yep, that's the one… My little brother, Zephyr…" Velvet smiled as Vegeta ran his hand through her hair soothingly. "He may look like you a bit but he's still young and immature… When he grows up, he'll have no problem finding a mate… Besides, your attitude is totally different to his…"
"I'm not complaining… the idea of a good twin is frightening…"
"Don't you mean evil twin"? Kakarotto asked. Vegeta grinned.
"No, Kakarotto, I am the evil one…." He smirked. Kakarotto simply smiled and got up.
"I'm going outside for a while… I'll be back before long…" He said as he left. Ikra watched him go before turning back to the two on the couch.
"Evil twin? Please… you're a harmless pussycat, not a tiger…" Velvet teased. Vegeta scowled down at the female on his lap.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?!"
"You're not as big and nasty as you think you are…" Velvet continued, staring back at Vegeta. Ikra smiled; Velvet was in the mood for mischief and she was planning on teasing Vegeta for a while. After all, Ikra should know… Velvet did the same to her sometimes!
"How would you know? Did you stalk me or something?"
"Nah… Wouldn't have wasted my time…" Velvet giggled. Vegeta scowled before shifting on top of his mate in one swift movement.
"Is this a pathetic attempt at trying to annoy me?"
"Maybe…" Velvet closed her eyes, knowing that Vegeta hated it when whoever he was talking to didn't pay attention to him. Vegeta growled before smiling.
"I thought you of all people would have been able to do better than that…" Vegeta turned to watch Ikra leave to join Kakarotto outside. He grinned. "Now there's no one to save you…"
"I don't need saved from a little kitty…."
"Oh yeah?" Vegeta smirked before pinning Velvet's arms beneath his knees. Velvet gasped as he took her chin in his hand and grinned down at her. Velvet began to giggle as she felt Vegeta's hand slide up her leg and side. It soon turned into full out laughter as Vegeta began to tickle her.
"Really? Gee… no one has ever mastered that move fully…" Kakarotto said with a little surprise. Ikra nodded.
"I know… I'm a little worried…"
"Don't be… Velvet can handle herself better than any of us…" Kakarotto smiled as he rested his chin on her shoulder. Ikra smiled back at him before leaning against him. Kakarotto wrapped his arms around her waist and held her from behind.
"I hope you're right…" Ikra said softly as she closed her eyes.
"Don't worry about her… she knows what she's doing…"
"But she also doesn't know when to give up sometimes… She's more stubborn than I am!" Ikra joked. Kakarotto laughed.
"Not possible!"
"What?! Why you…" Ikra turned round to face her mate and scowled before grinning. Kakarotto smiled innocently. Ikra giggled and pulled his face down to hers.
"Can't stay mad at me, eh?" Kakarotto smiled as he was pulled down to look his mate right in the eye. Ikra simply smiled before kissing him.
"That… wasn't… fair…" Velvet giggled in between breaths. Vegeta simply smiled down at his mate.
"You deserved it…"
"But it… just proved my… point…" She said as she tried to compose herself. Vegeta looked at her sceptically.
"Believe me, you're the only one I'd ever act like this around so don't get any ideas…" Vegeta warned as he leaned closer to her for effect.
"Aw… How sweet!" Velvet smiled sweetly.
"Hmph… Sweet, schmeet…" Vegeta snorted. "Kakarotto is sweet to his mate, there's a difference…"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that he could never harm his mate or say a single wrong word to her… He obeys her completely probably… By looking at him, you'd think Ikra had him round her little finger but that's just how he is… sickening really…" Vegeta said with disgust. Velvet grinned and tapped the end of Vegeta's nose with her finger.
"Are you trying to say you'd hurt me, not listen me or say anything nice to me?" She teased. Vegeta simply smirked.
"I already have hurt you before…"
"That doesn't count… you weren't my mate yet… But would you ever harm me?"
"I would never hurt you, I'm not that shallow… What do you take me for?"
"I didn't think that… I was just making sure… Sometimes, you're unpredictable…"
"Sometimes?! Whadda ya mean sometimes?!" Vegeta growled. Velvet grinned at him.
"Oh come on! I can read you like a book most of the time…"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yep…"
"Then what was I thinking of doing just then?"
"Just then? Hmm…" Velvet pretended to think for a moment before smiling and raising her face closer to his. "This, of course…" She whispered before kissing him. Vegeta pulled away and grinned.
"That was an easy one… I'm always thinking of doing that!"
"Then speak your mind next time…" Velvet giggled. Vegeta's expression softened as he kissed her again. A banging at the front door interrupted them. Velvet pushed her mate off playfully and got up. "Back in a sec…" She smiled before leaning down and giving him a kiss before leaving to see who was at the door.
Ikra and Kakarotto came back in the back door to see Vegeta being pushed off the top of Velvet. Kakarotto looked down at Ikra.
"Were they arguing?" He asked. Ikra looked over at the two and saw Velvet kiss him again before smiling.
"Nah…" Ikra replied. They wandered into the room and sat on the other couch. Vegeta looked over at them.
"Where did you two go?"
"Out back." Ikra told him. Vegeta nodded in acknowledgement before turning his attention back to the door to the room. All three gasped in surprise as a tiny little blur sped into the room and leapt onto the other couch beside Vegeta, who instantly shifted to the other side of the couch to avoid it. All three blinked at the tiny being as Velvet returned with little colour in her face. Ikra gasped.
"Oh crap! Do you have to…?" She trailed off. Velvet nodded slowly. Vegeta looked at the child that was currently devouring a cushion before looking at Velvet sceptically.
"Woman, what the hell IS that thing?" He said as he pointed to the kid. Vegeta whipped his hand away as the child made a desperate attempt to bite it clean off his wrist. Velvet paled even more, if it was at all possible.
"Vegeta… This is my youngest brother, Karnal…"
"So how long do we have to keep an eye on him…?" Kakarotto asked as he eyed the little creature suspiciously. It had an insane glint in its eye and probably planned to smother him in his sleep.
"Just for the day, fortunately…" Velvet said as she chewed her bottom lip nervously. Vegeta had gotten up from the couch and was standing beside her. He turned to Velvet.
"Why didn't you tell me about this thing?!"
"You said you knew everything about Ikra and I! And he's not a thing!" Velvet yelled. She looked at her little brother as he leapt off the couch and made a beeline for a plant in the corner. She sweat dropped as began to chew on it. Vegeta looked at her sceptically. "Okay, so he's a little wild…"
"A little wild? Velvet, he's eating the plant!" Ikra protested. They all looked over the chibi saiya-jin, which was currently munching contentedly on a large leaf. Vegeta folded his arms.
"What age is it?"
"Two years old…"
"And we have to watch this brat for the day?"
"Yeah, 'fraid so…" Velvet sighed. She made her way cautiously to the little saiya-jin, which snapped at her ankle. Velvet yelped and jumped back. Vegeta burst out laughing.
"This is quite amusing!" He chuckled. He stopped instantly and yelled in pain as he felt a sharp sting in his shin. Vegeta looked down angrily.
"Vegeta…"
"Get this horrible little savage off my leg!" Vegeta shouted as Karnal began gnawing on his leg. "Feed him something before I'm left with only one full leg!" Vegeta kicked his foot furiously. Kakarotto couldn't help but laugh as Vegeta tried to pry the hungry little brat off. He stopped as the Karnal gave him a death glare.
"Uh… why's he looking at me like that…" Kakarotto asked nervously. Velvet and Ikra grinned as Karnal detached himself from Vegeta's calf and began running after Kakarotto, who bolted full tilt in the opposite direction. "Shit! Help me!" Kakarotto pulled his tail out of the way as Karnal's teeth nearly sunk into it. Velvet laughed and went into the kitchen. She returned with a huge chunk of what looked like toffee. She flung it onto the ground and the tiny saiya-jin pounced on it and began munching.
"That should keep him busy until we work out a game plan…" Velvet said as she walked over to Vegeta, who was inspecting his leg and cursing incoherently. She sat him on the couch and knelt down in front of him.
"That little bastard… If he tried that a- Hey! Ah! Stop it!" Vegeta wailed as Velvet touched the huge bite mark gently. She smiled.
"He didn't break the skin, don't worry…"
"Don't worry?! That little baka yaro just about ate me!"
"Oh, stop over exaggerating!" Velvet told him with a scowl. Kakarotto looked over at Karnal, who was trying to chew the toffee and was getting nowhere fast… thankfully.
"Uh… how long do we have till he's on the hunt again?"
"Half an hour or so… Now we have to work out what to do…"
"Velvet, I noticed the only saiya-jins he attached himself to were Vegeta and Kakarotto.. and it happened when they were laughing…"
"So you're saying it can't stand laughter?" Vegeta asked as he raised an eyebrow. Velvet shrugged.
"Maybe…"
"Okay, no laughing…"
"What else doesn't it like?" Vegeta asked. "Crosses? Sunlight? Sharp wooden objects?"
"Very funny, smart ass…" Velvet growled. "This is my sibling we're talking about…"
"Exactly…" Vegeta teased. Velvet tackled him to the ground.
"WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN?!" She growled. Vegeta smiled before kissing her.
"You're so cute when you're angry…"
"Why, you complete and utter…."
"Now, now…" Vegeta stopped her with a finger to her lips. "There's a young creature present…"
"Cheeky sod…" Velvet growled as she got off him. Vegeta got to his feet and dusted himself off.
"We have to work out what to do with the 'thing' over there…" Vegeta pointed to the chibi saiya-jin, which was halfway through the toffee chunk. Vegeta face-faulted.
"I thought you said half an hour?" Ikra said worriedly. Velvet shrugged.
"Maybe he's hungrier than usual…"
"Well, let's not stick around in here… He's eat out of house and home; literally…" Vegeta said. Velvet nodded in agreement.
"Okay, Vegeta, Kakarotto, you get the kid… Ikra and I will go pack a ton of toffee…."
"What?! I'm not touching that little thing!" Vegeta protested but Ikra and Velvet had already went to the kitchen. Vegeta and Kakarotto looked at each other before looking back at Karnal. Vegeta slapped a hand over his eyes. "What did I do to deserve this?"
"Alright… Toffee?" Velvet asked. Ikra pointed to the bag on her back.
"Check."
"Other food?"
"Check." Kakarotto pointed to his own bag.
"Okay… child?" Velvet asked with a grin. Vegeta growled and pointed to the savage hanging from his tail.
"Check…" he grumbled. Velvet smiled.
"It's a good thing you learned how to overcome your weakness…"
"That doesn’t mean it stops hurting when I'm being devoured!" Vegeta yelled. Velvet rolled her eyes.
"Let's get going and find a clearing somewhere… That way, we can keep an eye on him without too much trouble…" They all made their way outside and took off. Velvet led them to a large clearing in the middle of the nearby forest. There was a waterfall and hardly any trees for Karnal to hide in.
"Perfect…" Ikra smiled as they landed. Velvet walked over to Vegeta and kissed him.
"Thanks for bringing Karnal…" She smiled as she removed the hungry child, who had fallen asleep, that was still attached to Vegeta's tail. Vegeta scowled.
"Woman, never ask me to do anything for you ever again…" He said, wincing as he cradled his tail tenderly. Velvet shrugged.
"Fine…" She carried Karnal over to a large tree stump and set him down. Karnal woke up, moved onto all fours and began nibbling at the moss on the wood. Velvet made a face. "Ewww!"
"And to think.." Ikra grinned. "We were once that cute and disgusting and troublesome…"
"And then some…" Vegeta grumbled. Velvet smiled.
"Imagine! Chibi Vegeta and Chibi Kakarotto! Aww!"
"That would be so cute!" Ikra laughed. Kakarotto blushed whist Vegeta just rolled his eyes.
"You would know what I look like as a kid because of your little brother…"
"Yeah but… you would act differently and besides, I can't remember much about Zephyr as a kid because I was only about four or five…"
"I suppose…" Vegeta shrugged with disinterest. Velvet scowled at him before turning to Kakarotto and Ikra.
"Thanks for bringing the food.."
No problem... I'd rather bring this than have Karnal snack on my arm…" Ikra grinned. Velvet rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure he won't try that again…"
"Speaking of the kid, where is he?" Kakarotto asked. Velvet paled and turned round. She saw Vegeta circling the stump that was currently missing one chibi saiya-jin.
"Shit! Where is he?!" Velvet began running around like a headless chicken until Vegeta stopped her. He wrapped his arms around her tight to stop her from her escaping. She struggled for a few minutes before falling limp, her head hung in defeat. Vegeta smiled but it faded when he heard her sob.
"Velvet?" Vegeta sat her down on the stump and knelt down in front of her. He craned his neck to try and see her face. "Are you okay?"
"Karnal… He could be anywhere…" She sobbed. Vegeta looked over at Kakarotto and Ikra pleadingly.
"Uh, guys?"
"What's wrong?"
"We have to find him!" Velvet jumped to her feet.
"Right… if you were a hungry little beast, where would you go?" Vegeta asked. Velvet shrugged.
"Looking for food, I guess…"
"Okay, so we just have to look out for any stampeding animals and he should be at the back of them…" Ikra joked. Velvet smiled.
"Let's split up and search the area… He couldn't have gone too far…"
"Karnal! Hey, Karnal!" Ikra yelled as she flew over the area she had been designated to. She flew down and landed at a cluster of large rocks. She face-faulted. "I get to search all of this… oh joy…" She started walking towards them when she heard something behind her. Ikra turned to see what it was and yelped. Karnal stood on all fours, growling at her. She smiled nervously. "Good Karnal… Come on, let's go back to the others, okay?"
"Grr…"
"Uh… there's food back there….."
"Grr…."
"This isn't working…" Ikra slapped a hand over her eyes. When she removed her hand, the kid had escaped. Ikra cried out in surprise. "Karnal?! Ah, shit…" Ikra flew into the air and began looking again.
"Hmm…. Okay, he's either up the tree or…. Behind the waterfall…" Kakarotto said unenthusiastically. He made his way to the bottom of the tree and looked up. "Great… hundred of branches for him to be on…. Well, might as well go up and look…" Kakarotto jumped up and grabbed the lowest branch before swinging himself up onto it. He crouched down and looked around. He made his way up on the thick branches that would hold his weight until he could go no further. "This is just great… Where the hell is he?" Kakarotto asked himself in annoyance. He heard a low growl behind him and turned to see Karnal on the branch furthest away, snarling at him. Kakarotto laughed happily. "Found you!" Kakarotto leapt at Karnal and missed as the chibi leapt into the air. Kakarotto landed on the branch and felt Karnal land on his head. Kakarotto reached up to grab him, but the tiny saiya-jin jumped off, putting Kakarotto off-balance. With a cry, he fell out of the tree. Kakarotto landed with a bump on his rear. "Oww!!" Kakarotto moaned as he rubbed his behind. Karnal jumped down onto his face and clung on like a leech. Kakarotto flailed his arms helplessly. He yelped in pain as Karnal bit onto his arm as it passed his head. He got up and tried to pry Karnal off but it was no use. He couldn't see and he only had one arm that was usable. Kakarotto felt himself stumble backwards. "Get off you little devil!" Kakarotto yelled into the little creature's stomach. Karnal began to giggle and jumped off, kicking off Kakarotto face as he did so. Kakarotto was pushed back and fell right into the stream with a splash. He sat up and gave the little creature a death look. "You are so dead when I get my hands on you, kid…" Kakarotto threatened. Karnal simply grinned before running off. Kakarotto tried to get up but fell back down onto his butt again. "Why me…?" He sighed as he crawled out.
Vegeta kicked at a pebble as he wandered towards the waterfall. He perked up when he heard a splash and saw Kakarotto tip backwards into the stream. Vegeta began to laugh. He saw Karnal sitting a little way from Kakarotto and grinned.
"That was a nice trick on Kakarotto, kid, but now you won't get away…" Vegeta sneered as approached the kid. Karnal suddenly started running off in the other direction; the direction of the waterfall. Vegeta cursed under his breath and sprinted over. He stopped at Kakarotto who had just pulled himself out of the water. He grinned. "Hey Kakarotto… having a bit of trouble?"
"Vegeta? Great, you can give me hand catching the little brute…"
"C'mon then… He went over there…" Vegeta pointed before running towards the waterfall. Kakarotto scrambled to his feet.
"Vegeta, wait up!"
Velvet returned to the tree stump and sat down with a sigh.
"I hope the others are having more luck than I am..." She said softly. She heard someone land in beside her and looked over.
"Velvet, had any luck?" Ikra asked. Velvet shook her head.
"None. How about you?"
"Well, I saw him but he kinda made a run for it… I haven't seen him since then…" Ikra told her friend as she helped her to her feet. "Let's go see if Vegeta or Kakarotto have had any luck…" She offered. Velvet nodded and they took off to find the two guys.
"Up there!" Kakarotto pointed up the waterfall. Vegeta looked up to see Karnal hanging from a branch halfway up the column of water. He frowned.
"C'mon, let's go bring him down…" Vegeta said as he floated off the ground. Kakarotto followed. Karnal snarled at them both and made a jump. Both guys gasped in fright. "Shit! Velvet will kill me if anything happens to him!" Vegeta yelped as he made a dive for the kid. Karnal grinned and changed course, diving through the waterfall. Vegeta nearly choked on fresh air in surprise.
"Come on!" Kakarotto grabbed Vegeta by the collar and pulled him through the waterfall. The next thing Vegeta knew, they were on the other side of the water in what looked like a cave. Vegeta looked down at himself and scowled.
"I'm absolutely soaked, Kakarotto!" Vegeta moved to hit him. Kakarotto pointed behind him.
"Vegeta, the kid!"
"Where?" Vegeta spun round and saw Karnal sticking his tongue out, mocking them. Vegeta snarled. "Little bastard… Come here!" Vegeta leapt at Karnal, who jumped out of the way with an evil cackle. Vegeta snarled as he landed face first in the ground. He looked up to see Kakarotto land on him as he also made a dive for the child. Kakarotto got up as fast as he could.
"Uh, sorry Vegeta…" Kakarotto apologised sheepishly. Vegeta got up and smacked up upside the head.
"Baka…" Vegeta snarled before looking around. "Where'd it go?" Vegeta said, his anger dissolving. Kakarotto looked around and saw Karnal standing at the mouth of the cave. Both looked at each other before grinning. They moved cautiously closer.
"Stay there, Karnal…"
"Don't move, brat…" Both edged closer and simultaneously jumped. Karnal yelped as he was grabbed from both sides.
"Gotcha!" Both saiya-jins exclaimed happily before yelping as they kept going, out of the cave and through the water. Kakarotto clung to Vegeta and Karnal as they fell out of the sky.
"Where did they go?" Ikra landed and looked around. Velvet landed beside her and put her fists on her hips.
"Men... Never around when you actually do need them…" She sighed. Ikra nodded in agreement. Both females jumped and yelped in surprise as they was a loud splash from behind them. Ikra and Velvet turned round to face the stream and burst out laughing. They walked over to the stream and saw three very wet saiya-jins sitting in the water. Karnal was giggling like crazy, finding the whole thing hilarious! Vegeta and Kakarotto just sat there, blinking in confusion. Both looked up at the females standing over them. Ikra grinned.
"Having fun?"
"I must say… the wet look is so you…" Velvet smirked. Vegeta and Kakarotto looked at each other before looking at the two girls sceptically.
"Not funny…" Vegeta trailed off.
"… at all…" Kakarotto finished off. Ikra smiled.
"I happen to think it's very funny.." She giggled. "Don't you, Velvet?"
"Of course, I totally agree with you, Ikra…" Velvet was also giggling. Kakarotto looked at Vegeta and grinned. Vegeta returned the grin and both males lunged forward, grabbing their mates. Both girls shrieked as they were pulled into the water. Velvet scowled at Vegeta, who simply smiled. Ikra smacked Kakarotto over the head.
"What was that for?" Kakarotto wailed. Ikra scowled.
"For pulling me in!"
"And this… is for pulling me in…" Velvet said as she also hit her mate over the head. Vegeta scowled and pushed her back into the water. Velvet came up, spluttering. She pushed him under. A war broke out among the four and by the end of it, they were all well and truly drenched. All four suddenly turned their attention to Karnal, who was sitting on the grass by the stream and was cackling hysterically. Vegeta grinned.
"That is the most maniacal laugh I have ever heard…" Vegeta chuckled. Kakarotto began to laugh too. Karnal was too busy cracking up to notice. Pretty soon, everyone was laughing at the little saiya-jin's infectious laugh.
"So what now?" Velvet said quietly as she carried the sleeping chibi saiya-jin over to the stump. She sat down and rested him on her lap. Vegeta dropped down on the ground and lay down.
"How about doing nothing?" He suggested with a yawn. Kakarotto also sat down.
"Good idea!" He agreed as Ikra sat down beside him.
"Fine, we'll do nothing…" Velvet laughed as Vegeta shuffled over to her and leaned against her legs.
"I couldn't have said it better myself…" Vegeta grinned as he closed his eyes. Kakarotto had also lay down and was resting his head on Ikra's lap. Both guys fell asleep pretty quickly.
"How long do you think the kid will stay asleep?" Ikra asked. Velvet simply shrugged.
"Your guess is as good as mine is…" She yawned. "But I'd better stay awake just in case…"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, go catch some Zs…" Velvet laughed. Ikra smiled and lifted Kakarotto's head off her lap before lying down beside him and falling asleep.
It took an hour or so for any of the four sleeping saiya-jins to show any signs of life. Kakarotto was the first to wake up.
"Still sleeping?" He asked with surprise as he motioned towards Karnal. Velvet nodded.
"He's out like a light… Can't blame him really…" Velvet smiled down at the kid on her lap. Kakarotto got up and stretched.
"Did you sleep at all?"
"Nah, I wanted to make sure he didn't make another escape…" Velvet told him as he sat down beside her. Kakarotto smiled at Karnal.
"He's so cute when he's asleep… A little wild when he's awake though…"
"No kidding…" Velvet laughed. She played with the tip of Vegeta's hair. "Aren't all saiya-jins like that though?"
"Hmm… suppose.." Kakarotto mused out loud. He looked over at Ikra, who had begun to stir. He went over to her. "What do we do now?"
"Dunno…" Velvet shrugged. "We'll at least wait until Vegeta wakes up and then we'll work out something…" Velvet looked over at Ikra as she sat up and yawned.
"How long was I asleep for?"
"An hour or so…" Velvet guessed. Ikra groaned and rubbed her eyes. She noticed that Karnal was still asleep.
"Nice to see the little monster is still in dreamland…"
"Yeah, and Karnal's still asleep too!" Kakarotto laughed. Ikra rolled her eyes.
"Bad joke.. we saw that one coming…" She teased. Kakarotto shrugged.
"Someone had to say it…"
"And it just had to be you, eh?" Ikra grinned as she punched his shoulder playfully. They both got up and went over to sit beside Velvet on the tree stump.
"Are you tired, Velvet?" Kakarotto asked as Velvet yawned. She smiled sleepily.
"A little…"
"Do you want me to take him for a while?" Ikra motioned towards Karnal, who was still sleeping soundly. Velvet looked down at him before smiling.
"Sure, why not… thanks a lot, Ikra…" She lifted Karnal onto Ikra's lap and yawned again. Ikra smiled.
"Don't worry about it…" She said with a shake of her head. Velvet shifted and moved Vegeta's head from against her legs. She rested him against the stump and sat down beside him. She yawned once more before leaning against Vegeta's shoulder and falling asleep.
"He's so small…" Kakarotto smiled quietly as he looked down at Karnal, who slept on Ikra's lap. Ikra smiled as she watched Kakarotto stare at Karnal curiously. "I wonder if I was that small…"
"Probably… Maybe smaller!" Ikra giggled. Kakarotto looked at her sceptically.
"Very funny…"
"It's hard to believe such a small creature can cause so much trouble…"
"We've seen the evidence…" Kakarotto groaned. Ikra gasped as Karnal shuffled a little before opening his eyes slowly. He looked up at her with large, blinking eyes. Ikra bit her lip, waiting for him to do something. Karnal looked up at Kakarotto then at Ikra again. Ikra gasped as his eyes began to water and his lip began to wobble.
"Kakarotto… he's gonna…!" Ikra trailed off. Kakarotto stood up quickly.
"We can't let him cry! He'll wake Vegeta and Velvet up!"
"Do something funny!"
"Like what?!"
"I don't know!" Ikra saw Karnal's eyes become even more tear-filled. Kakarotto suddenly pulled a face. Karnal's lip stopped wobbling and he watched Kakarotto with fascination. Kakarotto pulled more faces. Ikra smiled as Karnal smiled a little. She stood up and lifted Karnal high above her head. Karnal began to giggle as she whirled round. She came to a stop and staggered a little. Kakarotto ran to catch her as she nearly fell over.
"Whoa! You okay?" Kakarotto couldn't help but smile. Ikra grinned.
"That was fun…" She looked at Karnal, who was waving his arms and giggling happily. Ikra smiled as Kakarotto helped her to sit down.
"I bet he's hungry…" Kakarotto mused as he watched the child. Karnal perked up suddenly and made a few weird noises.
"You hungry, little guy?" Ikra asked. Karnal nodded.
"Uh-huh… want food…" He said in a cute little voice. Ikra squealed.
"Aww! He sounds so cute!" She hugged him. "Don't worry, we have some food for you! Kakarotto, could you?"
"Sure…" Kakarotto got up and went over to the bags. He raided inside. "Okay… what do you want, Karnal?"
"Me want… um… food?" Karnal asked as he looked up at Ikra with large eyes. Ikra had to refrain from squealing again.
"What kind of food?"
"Eatable food?" Karnal asked again. Kakarotto smiled and brought the bag over. Every item Kakarotto brought out, Karnal would hold out his arm and beg 'Gimme puleese!' By the time Kakarotto had emptied the bag, Karnal was content. Ikra smiled.
"Hungry, weren't you?"
"Uh-huh… Wanna see Velvy…" He asked innocently. Ikra smiled.
"Velvet's sleeping…"
"Wanna see Velvy…"
"But… she's not awake…"
"Velvy dead?!" Karnal's eyes began to water. Ikra gasped.
"No, no, no!" She's just sleeping. She's not dead…"
"Wanna see Velvy…"
"He's not gonna give up…" Kakarotto groaned. Ikra held him up at arm's length.
"Probably not… Hey!" Ikra gasped as Karnal wriggled out of her grasp and ran over to the stump. He jumped up on top of it and crawled to the edge where Vegeta and Velvet were sleeping. He peered round at their faces. He stood up and turned to Ikra and Kakarotto before pointing.
"Velvy and that man have eyes closed…"
"Yes, because they're sleeping…" Ikra sat down on the edge of the stump.
"When they wake up?"
"I don't know… We'll have to wait and see…"
"Who that man?"
"That's Vegeta…"
"Vee-ge-ta?" Karnal said slowly. Ikra nodded.
"That's right… Vegeta." She smiled. Karnal grinned.
"Veegeta! Veegeta!" Karnal sung happily. Ikra and Kakarotto looked at each other fearfully as Vegeta shifted a little before frowning.
"Shh… Karnal, you'll wake Velvet up and she won't be happy…"
"Velvy be angry?"
"Yes, but only if you wake her or Vegeta up…"
"Veegeta be angry too?" He asked. Kakarotto nodded. Karnal slid off the stump and wandered round to the front of the two. He titled his head to the side. Vegeta had wrapped his arms around Velvet and had his head resting against hers. Velvet was lying against his chest. "They look happy…."
"They are…" Kakarotto smiled. Karnal reached forward and prodded Vegeta in the arm. Kakarotto yelped and ran to pull him away. The tiny saiya-jin gave him a death glare before turning back to Vegeta. He touched Vegeta's face gently, trailing his little hands down Vegeta's face and neck.
"Karnal, what are you doing?" Ikra asked in confusion. The little saiya-jin looked over at her.
"If he Velvy's mate, me wanna know him well…" Karnal said softly. Ikra smiled.
"He really is a sweet little kid…"
Vegeta awoke to find Velvet lying against him. He smiled and pulled her closer. He stopped when he saw something behind her. Whatever it was, it had his tail in its hands. Vegeta looked over and saw Karnal, inspecting his tail carefully. He snarled.
"Kid, what the hell are you doing?" Vegeta tried to keep his voice down so he wouldn't wake Velvet. Karnal looked up at him and smiled.
"You Velvy's mate?"
"Wait, you can speak?"
"You funny!" Karnal giggled. Vegeta growled.
"Alright brat, let go of my tail…"
"But you Velvy's mate… me wanna know you like me know Velvy…" Karnal said softly. He tapped the end of Vegeta's tail. "You Veegeta, yeah?"
"Uh, yeah…" Vegeta eyed the little creature warily. He growled as Karnal stroked his tail softly.
"You have a real soft tail, Veegeta…"
"Yeah, real good, kid... now let it go…. And my name is Vegeta, not Veegeta…" Vegeta growled again. Karnal continued to play with Vegeta's tail. Vegeta snarled but couldn't do anything about it. He looked around for Ikra and Kakarotto.
"Who ya lookin' for?" Karnal asked. Vegeta looked back at the kid.
"Where's the other two saiya-jins that were here?"
"they gone off for a walk cuz I said I'd stay here and watch you…"
"Real nice of you, kid…" Vegeta said sarcastically. Karnal let go of Vegeta's tail and got up. He walked over to Vegeta and touched Vegeta's lips with one finger. Vegeta pulled away with a scowl. "Don't touch me!"
"You a lot like my brother…" Karnal said in wonder as he touched Vegeta's face again. Vegeta could pull away any further so he just watched the little saiya-jin cautiously.
"What are you doing?"
"You real like my brother… Same nose… same mouth…" Karnal said softly. Vegeta lifted one hand and took hold of Karnal's little hand.
"That doesn't explain why you keep touching me!"
"Me know my sister and my brother by touch… Me wanna know you like that too since you Velvy's mate…" Karnal said softly. Vegeta couldn't believe this was the same kid who had taken a chunk out of him earlier. "Close your eyes…" Karnal said. Vegeta found himself obeying. He didn't have much choice or the kid would cause a racket. He could feel Karnal's hands trailing over his eyelids and the rest of his face. He didn't know why he wasn't going crazy at the kid for touching him… Was he doing this for Velvet? Maybe… but Vegeta didn't want to think of himself as getting soft… He felt Karnal's hand moved away but they quickly returned. Vegeta scowled.
"Kid, stop that already!" Vegeta snarled angrily. His temper rose when the hands trailed down his neck. "Look, would you just…" Vegeta opened his eyes and made a grab for the owner of the hands. He trailed off as he grabbed Velvet by the arms. She smiled at him and for some reason, he felt his cheeks grow hot. Velvet's smile grew wider.
"Why, Veggie-chan… I didn't know you were so… rough…" She teased. Vegeta let her go and looked around.
"Where did the kid go?"
"To get a drink…" Velvet took Vegeta's head in her hands and forced him to look at her. "Thanks for not going crazy at him…" Velvet said softly with a slight smile. Vegeta was about to respond when she kissed him. Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise as she pushed him right back against the side of the stump and deepened the kiss. His shock quickly faded and he wrapped his arms around her.
"What's Karnal doing?" Ikra asked as the waterfall came into view. Underneath it was a drenched little saiya-jin that seemed to be having the time of his life.
"I dunno but we're gonna have to dry him off with energy again…"
"Hey, Velvet and Vegeta have woken up…" She pointed to the stump. Kakarotto looked over and smiled.
"So it would seem…"
"What do you… oh!" Ikra grinned and the two went over to retrieve Karnal. Karnal saw them coming and scowled as Kakarotto reached for him.
"C'mon Karnal…" Kakarotto leaned forward and Karnal snapped at his hands. Kakarotto pulled them back with a yelp. "Uh, I think all drowsiness has left him…"
"No kidding…" Ikra sweat dropped as Karnal went back to splashing around. "Hey Karnal… we'll be going home soon… Your mom is picking you up soon…"
"I thought we had him for the whole day?"
"Until sunset…" Ikra told him. "And since this is the time of year when the first sun sets early…"
"Ah, I see…"
"Me not wanna go home!" Karnal growled. "Me wanna stay here!"
"C'mon, let's go see Velvet and ask her…"
"NO! Me no wanna!" Karnal lunged for Kakarotto and attached himself to his tail. Kakarotto cried out in pain and flicked his tail around furiously.
"Get him off! Get him off! Ah!" Kakarotto wailed as he tried to pull Karnal off. Ikra stopped Kakarotto from running around anymore.
"Bring him over to Velvet…" She said quietly. Kakarotto practically danced over to the stump, where Vegeta and Velvet were most definitely awake. Ikra rolled her eyes as she looked down at the two. She reached down and gave Velvet's tail a yank. Velvet instantly pulled away and turned on her friend, knocking her to the ground harshly. Ikra yelped as Velvet punched her across the jaw before realised who it was.
"Ohmygod! Ikra! I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!" Velvet got off her friend and helped to sit up. Ikra's head was spinning as she counted the stars that were currently orbiting round her head.
"Look! A yellow one! And a blue one! Lotsa stars!" Ikra clapped her hands and laughed. Vegeta looked at her sceptically as he came out of his own daze.
"O-Kay, what?" Vegeta looked at Velvet for an answer. Velvet stood up and helped Ikra up.
"I'm so, so sorry! You startled me and…"
"Velvet! Get Karnal off my tail!" Kakarotto whined as he pointed to the chibi saiya-jin hanging from his tail. Velvet made sure her friend was steady before running over to the bag with the toffee inside. She flung a bit to Karnal, who let go of Kakarotto's tail and pounced on it. Kakarotto held his tail gently, blowing on it to calm the aching. Ikra had come to her senses.
"Velvet! You punched me right in the face! There'll be one hell of a bruise there…" Ikra rubbed her jaw tenderly.
"I'm really sorry…" Velvet said sheepishly as she picked Karnal up by the tail, his teeth occupied by the toffee. She cradled him in her arms. "Let's just go home before anything else happens…"
By the time the group arrived home, Zephyr was waiting for them. He greeted his sister warmly.
"Velvet! Hey!" He smiled as they landed. Velvet looked confused.
"What are you doing here?"
"I live here, y'know! Besides, Mom asked me to pick Karnal up and drop him off…"
"Already?"
"Yeah, she has to do something…" Zephyr trailed off as he saw the other three saiya-jins behind his sister. He saw Vegeta and paled. "P-Prince Vegeta!"
"You'll be Zephyr, won't you?" Vegeta stepped forward beside Velvet, his arms folded. Zephyr bowed.
"That's right…"
"No need to bow… I don't have a position as such… I'm kinda between prince and king…" Vegeta chuckled. Zephyr lost all colour completely. Velvet dumped Karnal, who was still chewing, into Zephyr's arms.
"Was he any trouble?" Zephyr asked as Karnal hugged his neck tightly. Velvet smiled.
"As always, a true handful…"
"Glad to hear it!" Zephyr laughed. "Listen, since nothing exciting will be happening for the next two days, I'll be hanging out with Navet and the others… That okay?"
"Sure, go have fun…" Velvet smiled as she ruffled his hair. Zephyr whined.
"For the millionth time…"
"I know, I know…" Velvet laughed. Zephyr turned to Kakarotto and Ikra, who had stepped forward beside Velvet.
"So, are you two mates now?" He asked. Both nodded. Zephyr turned to Vegeta. "I know my sister is your mate now…"
"So we're related…" Vegeta joked. "It's remarkable how much you look like me though…" Vegeta mused. Zephyr simply blushed as Velvet spoke up.
"Maybe it was destiny… a sign for us…" Velvet said in a cheesy, mystical tone. Vegeta laughed.
"Well, I'd better go…" Zephyr said as he lifted Karnal onto his shoulders. "Don't be getting too little sleep…" He grinned. Velvet punched his shoulder.
"And don't be cheeky…" She warned. Zephyr laughed.
"See you guys later…" He waved as he took off. Karnal waved too and the four went inside. All made their way to the main room and flopped down on the couches.
"I never want to have kids…" Vegeta groaned as he rested his head on Velvet's lap. Velvet looked down at him.
"That's not true…"
"I have to agree with him…" Kakarotto mumbled as Ikra rubbed his tail to soothe it. Ikra scowled at him and pulled a single hair out of his tail, causing him to yelp.
"You'd better be kidding…" She warned. Vegeta laughed.
"No luck, Kakarotto!"
"What are you laughing at?" Velvet frowned. Vegeta raised one eyebrow.
"Well, for the moment anyways…" He added with a snort. Velvet smiled with satisfaction and began to massage his shoulders.
"At least we had a memorable day… and we didn't have to worry about finding something to do!" Velvet smiled. Vegeta close his eyes with a sigh.
"Next time, warn me so I know to leave for the day…" He said quietly. Velvet rolled her eyes before yawning.
"Tired again?" Ikra asked. Velvet grinned knowingly.
"Well…. You could say that…" She giggled. Ikra rolled her eyes before smiling. "Speaking of which, what room are Kakarotto and I in?"
"Second on the left upstairs…" Velvet said. Vegeta was already awake and standing as soon as the word 'room' was mentioned. Velvet got up. "We're downstairs, third on the right if you need to know… Vegeta!" Velvet gasped as Vegeta picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. He grinned.
"Say goodnight, Velvet…" He said as they were already out the door.
"Goodnight Velvet!" Came floating through followed by a giggle. Kakarotto and Ikra decided they were better off not knowing. Kakarotto grinned at his mate hungrily.
"What about you? Are you 'tired'?" He said suggestively. Ikra couldn't help but laugh as he scooped her off the chair and carried her out. Sleep wasn't going to be an option from now on…