I smiled as I followed Vegeta silently through the heavily wooded area, slowly moving away from the ship. I carried my bag of clothes in one hand, a gun with a silencer in the other. I didn't have a power level, so I had taken a gun to protect myself with. You could never be too sure, like if Vegeta, somehow, got hurt.

"Where, exactly, are we going?" I asked, and stopped.

He sensed that I wasn't following him as soon as I stopped.

"Chicago, where else? Capsule Corporations had a center there, and it is still there, but just barely getting by. Your mother never had the heart to finish it," He answered, and waited for it to register.

"My...mother? She is still alive?" I exclaimed, my heart gaining speed as the idea sunk in. My very own *mother*! As in, flesh and blood, not some old clothes as memories.

"Yes, she has been alive for some time. My father could not find her and kill her. There was great concern that something might be done to avenge your father, but more to bring you back. You weren't just randomly picked," He said, and pressed on, obviously not wanting to talk about it. Our pasts clashed horribly, and it was unsettling.

"No. I won't go on, Vegeta. I have to see my mother. She is the only family I have left in the whole world! I won't go along with it unless you let me do this one thing," I pleaded, giving him my puppy face, but I very much doubted that it would do anything.

He scowled and shook his head angrily. "You just *have* to get your way, don't you?!" He growled, nearly scaring me.

"Yes, I *do* have to get my way!" I exclaimed, and crossed my arms. He would either listen to me, or drag a screaming and unwilling *me* to wherever! He could make the choice, I really won either way.

He crossed his arms and glared back at me, meeting my icy gaze. We were total opposites right now, my eyes cold like ice, no doubt the color of it, too, and his were shining black and red, like fire. We stood there for Kami *knows* how long. Finally one of us was forced to give in, and that person was me. He was more stubborn than me. But just barely!

I frowned and smirked again. "Thanks for playing, but I think I won!" I said, and smiled.

"No you didn't! You looked away first, baka!" He growled, and advanced on me.

I stood my ground evenly, and put my hands on my hips. I smirked and drew in my breath. "Frrrrrrriiiiiiiiieeeeeeeezzzzzaaaaaaa....guess whatttt?" I said, my voice growing louder, and my smirk getting bigger and no doubt meaner. I loved being in charge.

"You...you wouldn't!" Vegeta sneered, trailing off.

Ooh, little did *he* know! I thought, and nodded fiercely.

"I am gonna *kill* you when I am through, woman!"

I was *so* sure...but he continued on, grumbling under his breath the whole way. I was just happy and triumphant.

~*~

We arrived about an hour from Chicago about a half hour later, and my feet were bright red and blistered. I couldn't go on any longer, so I basically collapsed on the soft grass and lay there in pain.

"Owwww...Kami, my feet feel like they are on fire, shimatta!" I grumbled, and pulled off my black, chunky hikers. Well, not really *hiker boots*, more like a rip off them, they had half inch platforms. Gucci *really* did help in these conditions...

"Get *up*, we still have an hour to walk!" Vegeta said. He walked over and looked down at me, blocking the hot, fierce June sun.

I shook my head and closed my eyes. "No. This totally sucks! My feet are so sore, I *can't* walk! I need some ice or something!" I complained, no doubt that Vegeta was going to blow up with anger and frustration.

I was right. He growled and powered up to Super Saiyan, a small ki ball forming already.

*This* scared me, so I shot up, despite the searing pain in my feet. I could stand, but it was only a matter of minutes until I fell down again. I was wrong, it was seconds. I needed something to put on my aching feet.

"You *shouldn't* have worn those *huge* shoes!!" Vegeta yelled.

I decided to be diffucult. "These are *not* high! These are my lowest ones by *far*!" I said, and crossed my arms, even though I was laying on the ground.

Vegeta growled again, and he shot the little ki ball just to the left of my head, missing by inches.

I whimpered and my eyes got wide. My face paled and I stared up at him. He had *never* lost his temper so much with me!

"Wha-what are you doing?" I asked softly. I had to be careful now.

"I don't know!" He said, and glared at me. "I will be back," He said, and walked away, leaving me alone on the ground, the hot sun blazing.

~*~

I lay on the ground lazily, staring up at the clouds moving around the sky. It was getting later in the day, probably around two o' clock. I sighed and closed my eyes. I was so, so tired...

"What are you *still* doing on the ground?" Vegeta growled. I opened one eye and shook my head, and then closed it. It really wasn't worth getting up.

"Don't you *listen*?!" He growled and was probably powering up as we, well, *he* spoke.

"Yes, I do. And why is there reason for me to get up? We don't have to hurry, you know," I said impatiently.

"Yes, there is! Do you think Frieza is going to just *let* us escape? I think *not*, so get *up*, baka!"

"If you want to go, you can either carry me or *drag* me, and I still don't think we would get very far."

He growled and swore to himself before giving up and sitting down. I smirked. Yet another victory agaisnt the Saiyan Prince. Almost like it used to be...almost.

"We have to go *now*! Someone considerably strong is coming!" Vegeta whispered.

I groaned and looked at my feet. They were still pink, but at least they didn't hurt as much. I decided to just do this barefoot, rather than get any more blisters. I dumped my shoes in the Gucci bag and got up reluctantly.

"Just leave the stupid bag here! We don't have the frickin' *time* to do this!!" He said fiercely, and pulled me into some brush at the side of the little clearing. "We have to see who it is."

I nodded and sat there with him, waiting for whoever was following us. We waited for at least a half an hour until someone *finally* came. I gasped when they showed up, and Vegeta covered my mouth with one gloved hand. I could feel my eyes go wide with shock.

Goku, Chichi, and Yamcha were argueing violently. How had they escaped?? I glanced through the side of my eyes at Vegeta, who looked genuinely surprised and confused. This was something that rarely happened!

"Goku, where *are* we?! Why do we have to follow them anyway?? You just *barely* knocked Frieza down, what if he comes looking?" Chichi practically screamed. Scary, that was for sure.

"He will, but finding Bulma is more important now," Goku said calmly, scanning the area nervously.

"Yeah, I agree. She couldn't have gone on free will!" Yamcha protested, so oblivious to the truth. I blushed a little and Vegeta obviously felt the change on my face and snickered quietly.

"If both of you just would *accept* the fact that the girl is *crazy*, then maybe you would fall as much out of love with her as you are *in*! This is stupid! My very own *husband*, for Kami's sake!" Chichi yelled, glaring at both of them.

I glared at the witch angrily. They were *not* in love with me! And I *wasn't* crazy!! Vegeta glared at me and shook his head.

"That woman is more trouble then she is worth! If I were them, she would be gone just about now," He growled quietly. I looked at him surprisingly, and he met my gaze.

"She is giving their postion away!" He said, as if he were trying to rid the thought of anything else from my head.

"Oh. Yeah, that," I said, and looked back at them again, trying not to show the hurt on my face.

"Well, *I* believe that she ran off with him! How could she abandon you guys when she needed help for *him*? He is such a snake! I think she is head over heels, the little slut!" Chichi yelled, her voice getting louder.

I flinched and felt my cheeks getting flushed more. Me, a *slut*? Yeah, right! I glared at the little witch and got up.

Vegeta gasped in shock. I stomped out of the bushes angrily. Who did she think she *was*?!

Chichi, Goku, and Yamcha all looked on to me in surprise. It would make sense that I would be so mad, wouldn't it?! I glared at all of them, until my icy glare fell onto Chichi, the raving *dog* who had called me a slut!

"Do you have anymore to say, you scrawny little tramp?!" I asked evilly, advancing on her menacingly. She looked slightly frightened and back up a little. I stopped advancing. "Do you really believe that I am slut, you little crack whore?"

I heard some angry cussing behind me and turned around to see Vegeta, his arms crossed and an evil smirk on his face.

"So nice of you to comment," He said, his voice dangerously low.

~*~

Well, such a long chapter was sorta an early Valentines treat, isnt it?? Anywayz, remember about my NEW EMAIL ADDRESS AND SCREEN NAME!!! Dont worry, my pen name will be the same, I dont wanna confuse you all! It is:

HaWaiiAn BaBaY@aol.com

or if you want to Instant Message me:

HaWaiiAn BaBaY

Ja ne!!

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Chapter 25