Scent of a Lemon
Chapter One
Vegeta scowled darkly as Bulma continued her screeching rant. The woman was always yelling at him about something, if it wasn�t about his training schedule then it was about his attitude or in today�s case, the amount of time he spent with his brats. The ouji didn�t believe he needed to spend very much time with them now, they were grown and had lives of their own. Bulma would never stop her tirade long enough for him to point this out though, so he kept it to himself and glowered silently.
He wondered for a moment why he even bothered to listen to her anymore. They had separated nearly four years ago, yet he still found himself the target of her rants and he still listened to every word she screamed. He concluded that it must be out of habit. His musing was interrupted by an angry shout that was far too loud for his ears.
�Vegeta are you even listening to me?� Bulma shouted as she watched the ouji rub his sensitive ears. �Look I know we aren�t together anymore, but you still need to visit with the kids.� She said in a softer voice.
Vegeta let out a small grunt before he replied in an off-handed way. �I don�t see why the brats need me like you seem to think they do. They are grown now woman; they have lives and families of their own. What could they possibly need me for?� He asked.
Bulma sighed. Vegeta was still stubborn and gruff about everything. It seemed as though nothing would ever mellow him out. She ran thin fingers through her fading blue hair and took a breath. �Vegeta could you please drop the attitude for once and spend some time with your daughter?� Bulma felt her temper flare as she waited for the ouji�s reply.
The SaiyaJin thought for a moment about her request. If it was for Bra, he could be persuaded to give up some time for her. After all, his little oujo hadn�t been able to see him as often as he would have liked in the past few months. He let Bulma stew for a little longer before giving her a quick nod.
�What is it that she wants to do? I don�t want to waste my time you know, I could always spend it better by training.� He said curtly.
Bulma rolled her eyes. �Yes, I know that. Bra wants you to go with her to a nature conservatory for a few hours.� She smiled at the ouji�s raised eyebrows. �It�s a short tour through the building, and then lunch. There will be plenty of time for you to train after you come home. I�ll call Bra and tell her to pick you up tomorrow morning at eight.� She said in a happier tone. The aging woman hurried off to the phone before Vegeta could change his mind.
White teeth flashed with a deadly gleam as a low rumbling growl made its way out from Vegeta�s chest. He was going to miss precious training time to go on a nature walk? The very idea was absurd! He was the SaiyaJin no Ouji! Not some lowly ningen tree hugger! He just knew the woman was enjoying his annoyance over the whole situation, and that only served to make things more miserable. The ouji marched upstairs to his room to get some sleep.
�If any of those nature freaks so much as smiles at me I�m going to blow their asses to hell.� He grumbled to himself as he walked. He wouldn�t actually kill anyone, unless they deserved it, but he would behave for his oujo and try to make the best of this ludicrous situation.
Vegeta was up before his alarm the next morning. The sun shone brightly over the mountaintops in the distance as it traveled up into the blue, cloudless sky. The small SaiyaJin took a brisk shower and dressed himself in a more casual outfit for the day. Black boots with dark laces were hid under the cuffs of snug black jeans which were loose enough to hide the ouji�s toned legs, but tighter near the top to show off his tapered waist and firm behind, and his downy soft tail curled easily about his waist like a sable belt. A gray tank top and leather jacket covered his flat stomach and chiseled chest. He tucked a pair of sunglasses into his jacket pocket and ran a brush through his ebony locks.
Vegeta smirked at his reflection in the small mirror by his bed. He had to be thankful for SaiyaJin genealogy. Even though he was in his fifties you would never know just by looking at him. His face looked the same as it had thirty years ago, with the exception of his eyes. Those had once been cold, filled with pride, and deadly perceptive. Age or experience did not dull them, but the mocking arrogance wasn�t as prevalent in the shadowy orbs. It had been replaced with the faint shimmer of contentment. Vegeta was slowly growing restless again but he was happy with his life, if it wasn�t just a bit boring now and then. At least he could still amuse himself by flaunting his younger looks in the woman�s wrinkled face. A small smirk played over his pale lips as he continued to study his features. High cheekbones, a strong, angular jaw line, and untamable flaming hair that was dark as midnight were displayed to him on the polished glass.
The ouji grinned inwardly at himself. He could still turn the heads of people young enough to be his grandchildren. It was amusing to tease the woman about that fact whenever she complained to him about training so rigorously at his age. He didn�t see why she bothered so much. He felt as though he was in his prime, and according to SaiyaJin standards, he was. It would be a long time before he felt the wear and tear of age like so many of the people he knew here on Chickyuu. The only ones who seemed to hold their looks well besides those with SaiyaJin blood were Yamcha and Krillin, though it could be seen if one looked close enough.
A shout from Bulma brought Vegeta from his musings again. Bra was here to pick him up and whisk him away to the conservatory. He could barely contain his snarl of irritation as he made his way down the stairs. Bra ran up and hugged him warmly when she saw him. She had missed him over the past few months and she was excited about spending the day with him to catch up on things. After giving her mother a hug and kiss goodbye she pulled her stoic father to the air car and drove off with him.
Bra chattered to her father about her work and her children as she drove, but Vegeta was only halfway listening. It wasn�t that he didn�t care about what she was saying it was just that it all seemed so dull. He found himself wishing that he could be going somewhere other than the conservatory. The restless feeling had returned with a vengeance and all that the ouji could think about was his longing for some action. Even a spar with a weakling like Krillin would be better than this. Sparring drew his mind further from his daughter�s chatter and back to memories of battles with perilous foes and friends. He focused on his fights with Kakarot more than the others for some reason, most likely because they were his favorite ones. There was something about fighting with the other SaiyaJin, something about the look in his eyes and the way his mouth quirked in that taunting, knowing smirk that always made his pulse race. Perhaps it was the fact that Kakarot seemed to act like a SaiyaJin on the battlefield and not like a soft hearted ningen, that could be what made the ouji wish to see him. For the chance to challenge him and see another SaiyaJin, another of his own.
Kakarot was certainly one of his own, even if he tried to be a ningen he would always have SaiyaJin blood. His power radiated his heritage and there could be no denying that somewhere inside that thick skull lied the mind of a cunning warrior. Vegeta had witnessed that presence personally and he longed to see it again. No one could satisfy his need for battle like Kakarot, the others simply couldn�t understand the SaiyaJin drive for fighting, and not even the half-breeds understood the way Kakarot did. That was something Vegeta could secretly smile at and feel comforted by, no matter how alone he felt at times, he knew that there was another SaiyaJin out there who understood and experienced the same desires and longings that he did. Vegeta idly lingered on his thoughts of the other SaiyaJin for a while, musing over their past together and wondering about their future. He blinked when he realized that Bra was leaning down and looking right into his face.
�Dad, are you going to get out now? We�ve been in the parked for almost five minutes.� She said flatly.
The ouji felt his face flush with embarrassment as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out. He walked with his daughter towards the large domed building that reminded him of Capsule Corporation, if it had been made of glass instead of yellow walls that is.
�Hello! Welcome to the West City Nature Conservatory! Please enjoy your visit and be sure to stop by our gift shop on your way out!� Cried a perky blonde woman from behind the information desk. Vegeta felt his muscles twitch slightly, this would be a trying day. He waited with Bra and some other people for their tour guide to show up. After a few minutes a petite woman with curly brown hair and sparkling green eyes announced herself as their guide and asked them to follow her. Bra commented to Vegeta about various plants as they went through the first part of the tour. The ouji could feel his blood heating as the guides peppy voice echoed through the rooms and the bubbly visitors made small talk to each other.
A young woman who looked a little older than Bra smiled at her and Vegeta. She made a quick introduction and chattered with Bra about the flora along the walkway for a few minutes and then turned to the ouji.
�It�s so nice to see a man with his wife at this place. My husband was too busy to spend the day with me here. You must have a very considerate husband.� She said sweetly to Bra while giving Vegeta a smile.
Bra covered her mouth to hide her giggles and Vegeta began to clench his fists and bite back his growing rage. He lowered a heavy glare at the startled woman and replied in a clipped tone. �I am not her husband. I am her father.� He left it at that and walked ahead before the woman could ask another question. Whether she believed him or not didn�t matter, all he wanted to do was get through this insufferable tour and leave. He frowned at his giggling daughter as she walked beside him. If it wasn�t for her, he would have blasted his way out of this fucking hellhole and have gone back home to train in a heart beat. Vegeta growled at the stupid �oh�s� and �ah�s� the visitors were making at the guide�s comments. Bra didn�t know how lucky she was that he loved her so much, even still, this was grating his nerves. Lunch couldn�t come soon enough.
The food had been lousy in Vegeta�s opinion, but he had suffered through it like he had suffered through the tour, which was still going on. The guide was now taking them through the scientific part of the conservatory, where all the research and experimenting was done. They had been ordered not to touch anything but when did people ever obey orders? The SaiyaJin narrowed his eyes as a small boy strayed from his mother and ducked under the guard rope. He watched the child sneak past the occupied scientists and steal a small bottle of green liquid. Vegeta snorted to himself. If the kid poisoned himself and died it would serve him right. He couldn�t believe the stupidity of the people around him. No one had noticed the strange bulge in the little boy�s shirt. It was pathetic really, the power of ningen observation was beyond low, it was non-existent in this building.
The tour was nearly over now, and Vegeta was more than grateful to be leaving soon. He glanced around for Bra and spotted her talking to the woman from before, who happened to be the mother of the little thief. Vegeta�s eyes widened when he saw the child remove the bottle from under his shirt and unscrew the lid, all the while giving Bra�s back a sly smile. The ouji raced towards his daughter as the little boy shook the bottle, tossing the liquid from the mouth of the bottleneck and straight towards Bra�s body. Just before the green substance made contact with her, Vegeta shoved himself between his oujo and the liquid, getting splashed right in the face with a strange, sweet scent and cold, sticky green liquid. He wiped the stuff from his face and growled at the shocked boy. Before he could wreck revenge on the child though, Bra was fussing over his face and the boy�s mother was carting him off to the car for punishment. Vegeta snorted, what he would have done to the screaming brat would have been far worse than a spanking, that was for certain. He pulled away from his daughter as she tried to wipe his face with a handkerchief.
�I can do it myself Bra.� He snapped while grabbing the cloth from her. She shook her head and placed a warm hand on his shoulder.
�What do you think that stuff was?� She asked with concern. Her large eyes stared worriedly at her father as he frowned at the cloth he held and sniffed it.
�I�m not sure, but it was probably some kind of pheromone they were using to make that stinky shit your mother wears.� He said while wrinkling his nose and sniffing himself. He snorted and mumbled to himself. �I need a shower, now.�
Bra giggled. �It�s called perfume dad. Let�s get you home.�
Part Two |
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