and now she was saying
that it was bothering him more than usual?

Goku sighed, glancing over at Vegeta's still form. "It's got to be more than that. He's had plenty of time to get over
being alone. "

Bulma shook her head, remembering what her mother had said. "I don't know. I'm not sure that's the sort of thing you
just 'get over. '"She watched Vegeta's chest slowly rise and fall." He must really be tired if we can sit here like
this talking without waking him up. "

Goku nodded. "Yeah, he'll probably sleep the day through." He grinned. “And then he'll wake up starving.” His
expression sobered. "But unless he worked through whatever's bothering him, he'll just do it over again."Bulma sighed. "Maybe you could talk to him."

Goku blushed. "Uh, Bulma. You've known me a long time. That kind of talking isn't exactly my strong point."

"Well, it's not exactly mine either," Bulma snapped. "Knowing him, he'll say something insulting, and the next thing
you know, we'll be screaming at each other. "

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Bulma shot him a look. He didn't have to agree with her so readily. But Goku was staring at Vegeta and didn't notice
the venom she was aiming at him. She gave it up after a moment. It wasn't like it ever made any impression on him
anyway.

Goku's expression suddenly brightened. "Well, I may not be any good at talking, but I can listen."

Bulma scowled. "Well, to listen, you'll first have to get him talking, and that's not easy."

Goku shook his head. "Oh, no. It's easy to get him to talk. What's hard is getting him to talk about something you
want to listen to. And I've got an idea for how to do that. "

Goku with an idea. That was a new one.Bulma had the uncomfortable feeling that she'd been underestimating him all
these years. "What's the idea?"

Goku shook his head. "No, you'd tell me it's stupid. But I think it'll work. Could you pack us a lunch? A big lunch?"

Bulma nodded before she had a chance to think about it. "Sure. Mom loves to cook for Vegeta."

"Good." He glanced over at the sprawled Saiyan and wrinkled his nose. "And how about a change of clothes."

Bulma wanted to snap that Goku didn't smell all that great after a work-out either, but then she stopped. Hey what
looking at her with that uncomfortably intense look again, sort of like he knew what she was going to say. Trying to
change the subject, she asked, "Is there anything else I can do to help?" Whoops. Not doing a good job at all of not
showing interest in Vegeta.

"Yeah. When I get back, you can talk to him. I think I can get him ready for that."

“Me?” Bulma squawked. "Why do I need to talk to him?"

Goku glanced away before speaking. As he turned his head, Bulma could see red rising from his neck all the way to thetop of his head. When he finally looked back, the red was still there, and it deepened as he spoke. "Uh, Bulma. Have
you ever noticed how Vegeta looks at you? "

Bulma scowled. "Of course. Do you mean when he looks at me with disgust? Or perhaps when he looks at me with disdain?"

Goku shook his head. "No, not those. The other look."

"Which one would that be?"

Goku squirmed. "Umm. The one like Chi-Chi gives me when she ... uhh ... you know ... wants something out of me."

Bulma rolled her eyes. She had no idea what the silly Saiyan was talking about. "What something would that be?"

Goku blushed even darker. Bulma didn't think that would have been possible at this point, but apparently she was
wrong. What could be making him so uncomfortable?

Suddenly it hit her. Goku was saying that Vegeta looked at her like ... he ... wanted ... her?

Goku nodded, apparently seeing the realization in her face. "Yeah, he looks at you like that sometimes. When he
doesn't think anyone is noticing. "He smiled proudly."But I notice a lot more than people think."

Bulma shook her head. Boy was that true. She'd never noticed. She frowned. Or had she? There was that one time ... No,
it couldn't be. He couldn't be interested in her. She studiously ignored the warmth that flooded through her at the
thought. "Well, Goku, I can't imagine that you're right about that, but I'll talk to him when you get back if you
think it would help. "

"I think it'll help."

Bulma stood up. "Let me go get that lunch and some fresh clothes for him." She walked out of the room mechanically,
her thoughts in a whirl.

When she returned, Goku was sitting at Vegeta's side, watching his face. "Is he okay?"

Goku jumped slightly as she spoke. "Oh, yeah. He's fine. I was just thinking."

She handed him a heavy knapsack. "There's enough food in there to feed a small army, or two Saiyans," she said with a
grin. Goku grinned back at her. "And a fresh change of clothes. I even threw in a bar of soap, just in case there's
someplace for him to take a bath. "Goku nodded. "Yep, I'd already planned that. He'll spar better if he's clean and fed."

Bulma's mouth dropped. "You're taking him out to spar? That's your brilliant idea to get him to talk."

Goku faced dropped a bit, but he forced a smile. "See, I told you you'd say it was stupid."

Bulma mentally kicked herself. Goku didn't deserve that.

The Saiyan went on. "It's not the sparring, exactly. It's where we're going to spar."

She smiled reassuringly. "Okay, I'm sure you know what you're doing."

His face brightened. "Thanks, Bulma. It's a good plan. It'll work. See you when we get back."

He shouldered the knapsack, grunting a bit at the weight. "Gee, maybe I should bring Gohan. I think you packed enough
to feed three. "Then he leaned down and gently picked up Vegeta, cradling the prince in his massive arms. He adjusted
the weight and nodded. "Good thing he's smaller than I am. It'd be awkward otherwise."

He started for the door, Bulma watching him leave. Just as he was about to pass through the entrance, he turned andlooked back. "Uh, Bulma."

"What?"

"You know what I said about the way Vegeta looks at you?"

Bulma blushed. What he ever going to let that go? "Yeah. What of it."

He swallowed hard. "Well, Bulma. Sometimes you look at him the same way."

And with that, he was gone.

Vegeta woke slowly, which was unusual. He was accustomed to instantly springing awake. The muzzy feeling in his head
what ... uncomfortable. He didn't quite feel like opening his eyes just yet, so he lay there, using his ears and other
senses to figure out where he was.

A low wind whistled nearby, and he felt dirt under his palms. Okay, he was outside. Why was he sleeping outside? Hey
tried to remember what had happened before he went to sleep. He frowned, finally remembering practicing in the gravity
room. That stupid woman had interrupted his rhythm with food, and it had taken hours to get back to the emptiness of
thought he had been trying to attain. He recalled growing extremely tired, and he supposed he must have passed out onthe floor. He vaguely remembered losing control of his flight and crashing. But that didn't explain what he was doing
outside.

Nothing for it. He was going to have to open his eyes. The throbbing in his temples told him this wasn't going to be
pleasant, but he was a Saiyan prince. Pain has no meaning.

Except when it does.

He blinked quickly in the bright light, wincing and shrinking back slightly. When he bumped into something hard and
unyielding, he opened his eyes all the way and looked up at the top of a very short tree.

Suddenly a familiar voice went off right by his head. "Good. You're finally awake. Now we can eat."

No, this was more than he could take. A pounding headache, unknown surroundings and the Saiyan fool. Even a prince
could be forgiven for regretting this.

"Kakarott. Where the hell are we?" Reluctantly, he focused his eyes on the other Saiyan. As usual, Kakarott had that
idiotic, happy look on his face. One would think he was actually pleased to see Vegeta awaken.No amount of insulting
ever seemed to change the other's delight with the world and everyone in it.

"Look around. What do you think?"

Vegeta sat up, suppressing a groan as the movement made his head pound. It seemed to remind his stomach of its empty
state as well. He blinked, trying to focus his eyes. When he could really see his surroundings, he couldn't suppress a
gasp.

The landscape looked like Vejiitasei! The tall cliffs had the same rugged, desolate beauty as his homeland. His eyes
darted back and forth. There was little vegetation, and what was present looked tough and well able to survive with
little water. The rising sun glanced off the striated red and orange sandstone buttes. He heard the cry of a hunting
hawk, and it stirred memories of similar hunting calls from his youth, when he was training in the wilderness with
Nappa.

Stunned, his eyes sought his companion. Goku smiled at him, not his usual smile, but a soft, knowing expression. "You
like it, don't you? ""How did you know?"

Goku shrugged. "I didn't really know, but I suspected. I found this place years ago, and I come here to train.
Sometimes I bring Gohan, and he agrees that something about this place pulls deep at him. It looks like Vejiitasei,
doesn't it? "

Vegeta realized that his mouth was hanging open, and he closed it with an audible snap. Quickly, he pulled himself
together. He couldn't have the fool understand how much of an impression this place had made on him. "Yes, there is a
slight resemblance. "

Goku chuckled deep in his chest, and Vegeta knew he hadn't fooled the other Saiyan in the slightest. "You must be
starving. "

Vegeta's stomach picked that moment to growl loudly. He scowled. "Perhaps a bit."

"There's food in the knapsack by your head."

Vegeta turned and noticed the knapsack for this first time. His sensitive nose detected the smell of food, and his
stomach growled again, more loudly this time.

“There's also a change of clothes.” Goku pointed a few