Once Upon a Dream

Part Two

"And this is my room Kat-chan!" Bra said cheerfully as they stood in front of the last stop on their tour. Katrinka nodded and smiled.

"It's such a nice room Bra-chan!"

Down the hall, Vegeta leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. His wife and son stood whispered nearby.

"I don't know why someone so nice would associate herself with him," Bulma said while tossing a glance the saiyan's way. "It just doesn't seem... right."

"I know what you're saying! It's incredibly weird Kaasan."

"If you two bakas would stop whispering about me over there, we could be figuring out a way to get her to leave!"

They froze, sheepish grins on their faces.

"You heard?" Bulma asked. He nodded.

"Are you mad?"

He frowned. "What do you think?"

"Listen Papa," Trunks began, "she's a really nice person. Why do you want her gone?"

He was silent for a moment and then he spoke. "You really want the truth?"

"Uh huh."

"Positive?"

"Hai!"

"Alright then! Well, every time she comes around everyone's attention moves from me onto her." He turned away. "It just isn't fair."

"Why Vegeta," Bulma smirked. "Are you jealous?"

"IIE!" he instantly protested. The two at the other end of the hall looked their way. He lowered his voice. "It's just that I'm the royal one, you should be hanging onto *my* every word."

Trunks smirked as well. "You *are* jealous!"

"I am not!"

Both Bra and Kat sweatdropped. Then the older one skipped down the hall to hug her friend.

"It's okay Veggie. I don't mind if you're jealous."

"I'm not!"

A sound interrupted their bickering. Katrinka blushed.

"Er, would you happen to have something to eat? It's been a long trip..."

Bulma put her hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry for not asking before! Hai, c'mon to the kitchen. I'll fix you something there."

"No bother!" Kat chirped. "By the information I dug up about your planet, it's almost dinner time anyway! I can cook!"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "You *can*? Since when?"

She playfully hit him on the back. "You're so silly V-chan."

"He is?" The three others asked in unison. But she didn't hear. Humming a little tune and even doing a little dance to go a long with it, she made her way down the stairs. It looks like they would have their work cut out for them. Yes indeed.

***

The smells coming from the kitchen were beyond belief. Vegeta could barely believe it himself. She was hardly even competent at boiling water back on Vegeta-sei. Since when did she learn chief abilities. Vegeta felt that there was more to his friend than he originally thought. But now, if only he could get a little taste of that meal...

A wooden spoon quickly made it's way through the crack created by the opening door and whapped Vegeta on the hand. Kat's face appeared and she shook her head.

"No sneakin' stuff V-chan."

"But," he protested. "I'm hungry! At least give me something!"

She appeared to think it over as her hand retracted. A moment later, a rice cracker appeared in it.

"Here you go. This should tide you over."

Vegeta stared at it long and hard. "A rice cracker? You gave a practically starving saiyan a *rice cracker*?!"

But the door had already closed, leaving the small morsel of food in his hand. Stuffing it into his mouth whole, he began to mentally complain.

'Stupid onna. Won't even give her friend some food.' Then he got an idea. "I'll go somewhere else to eat for now!"

"Papa," Trunks said as she shuffled into the room. The boy looked as hungry as Vegeta felt. "I'm so hungry..."

"It'll just have to wait Trunks," He told him. "We're going on a trip."

They tried to make it as brief as they could but every few minutes, Trunks found something else to complain about. More than half-way there, Vegeta got him into a headlock and slapped a hand over his mouth effectively silencing him.

"If there is complaining to be done, let me handle it."

With their destination in sight, the sweetest call in the world drifted to them on the breeze.

"Goku! Goten! Dinner!"

Trunks and Vegeta made it to the door even before the other two did.

"What are you two doing here?" ChiChi asked suspiciously. "Especially *you* Vegeta."

Trunks put on his best puppy dog look and began to plead. "Please, if you have any ounce of compassion, you will feed us. We're starving!"

The slight woman was taken aback for a second before she regained herself. "You have a home and a nice one at that. Go to it!"

"ChiChi!" Goku called to her as he and Goten ran up the path. He stopped as he saw their visitors. "Oh hi Vegeta, Trunks."

Vegeta stared at him a moment, silently debating, when he suddenly grabbed Goku by the forearms. "Please Kakarott! Get your mate to feed us!"

Goku just stared, his eyes wide. Trunks grabbed Goten in much the same manner.

"We're dying of hunger!"

"Trunks, what about Bulma? She cooks..."

"If you call what she brings out of the kitchen a meal, then you are insane." Vegeta stated to the boy. Then he turned back to Goku, his eyes pleading.

"C'mon Kakarott. You are practically the kindest baka, er *person*, in the whole entire universe!"

"I guess you can..." Goku trailed off silently begging ChiChi with his eyes. At length she sighed and stepped away from the door.

"It's just like bringing in strays," she muttered.

"Oh domo arigatou ChiChi-san!" Trunks hugged her. "I'll never forget it!"

The four saiyans took a seat at the kitchen table as ChiChi began to bring over steaming dishes of rice and other things. Trunks and Vegeta gazed at them eagerly as the phone rang.

"Moshi Moshi?" ChiChi answered. Then she sighed and handed the phone to Vegeta. "It's for you but remember, I AM NOT YOUR SECRETARY!"

Vegeta merely nodded and took it from her. "Nani?"

"V-chan?" He cringed.

"Hai?"

As the conversation went on, he became more and more distressed.

"Who was that on the phone?" Goku asked his wife between bites.

She shrugged. "Some woman."

"Oh." Then he stopped, his fork half-way to his mouth. "Is he cheating on Bulma?!"

"Nani? I didn't say that!"

"You can be so cruel, do you know that?!" He shouted suddenly. He shut up just as quickly. "Okay sure. Ja." He ended the call and stood, placing the phone onto the table.

"Come on brat, we have to leave."

"NO!" Trunks gasped. "Please don't say that!"

"Who was that Vegeta-ojisan?" Goten asked curiously. He had even stopped shoveling food into his mouth.

"It's Papa's friend," Trunks answered for him. "She was supposed to be cooking tonight but she took too long."

"Vegeta's... friend?" Goku asked, not comprehending. "Vegeta has a friend?"

"It *is* possible you know!" Vegeta raged. "Don't act so dumbfounded!" Then he smirked. "Not that it was all that hard for *you* Kakarott."

"She's his best-friend too. Her name is Katrinka."

Vegeta's face fell. "She's like Richard Simmons on happy pills."

"This Katrinka's even a *cheerful* friend!" ChiChi gasped.

"It must be one of the signs of the Apocalypse." Goten said around a forkful.

Vegeta glared briefly but ended up having to drag Trunks away. "She also said that if we weren't there in twenty minutes, she was coming after us."

Goku stood so fast his chair overturned. "I wanna meet her!" And before anyone could say anything, he grabbed Vegeta by the arm and was gone.

***

"I swear that man gets on my last nerve!" Bulma seethed as she paced back and forth. If he doesn't get soon I'm going to kill him when he does!" She spun quickly and impacted with something solid, falling onto her behind. "Wha?"

"Gomen nasai Bulma!" Goku apologized as he helped her to her feet. "I didn't mean to do that. Your ki was the first one I found."

"Unhand me Kakarott!" Vegeta shouted as he yanked his arm away.

"Goku-ojisan!" Bra cried as she jumped into his arms.

"Well hi Bra-chan!" Then he sniffed and his expression grew hopeful. "Food?"

"Uh Goku-san," Trunks started, "you just ate."

"So what? It smells good!"

It did in fact, some amazing smells were coming from the kitchen. The three saiyans walked to the table in a half-trance, imagining what Katrinka had prepared.

"Okay," She said as everyone was seated. "I used a recipe, one of those in Bulma's cook book in fact. This created panicked expressions on both Vegeta and Trunks' faces.

"You didn't!" Vegeta gasped before Bulma hit him.

"Quiet," She hissed. "If you know what's good for you."

Kat's smile became wider as she brought out the first dish. Goku was disappointed when he saw that it was only rice.

"Is that it?" He asked in a small voice. Chuckling, the woman shook her head.

"Don't worry, there's more."

Another brief trip to the kitchen produced a very large pot of something. That was the other part of the main dish.

"You put this over the rice," She said producing more small dishes (relatively speaking of course) to the already cluttered table. Vegeta's eyes brightened as he combined all of the food on a plate. Taking a bite he sighed happily.

"This must be what heaven tastes like."

"What is it Kat-chan?" Trunks asked curiously.

"Curry!"

There was startled blinking. "Curry? That's it?"

She nodded. "It was pretty easy to make." She passed the rice to Bra who was on her right. "Bra helped me find the ingredients."

"That's strange," Trunks mused. "When Kaasan makes curry, it never tastes this good."

"Be quiet Trunks!" Bulma raged.

"You know," Goku said as he swallowed the last of his meal. "I don't think we've met properly."

"Oh I'm sorry." She smiled. "I'm Katrinka but you can call me Kat."

"I'm Son Goku and you're a really great cook!"

"Thanks!"

"Um Kat-chan?" Vegeta started. "Why are you here? I mean, don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I came here to see you V-chan but nope, I don't have anything to do. I left the mercenary business. It was getting dull."

He sighed. "With you being here, things will be really fast paced."

The meal was soon over and Kat helped Bulma clear the table. She stretched and yawned, the eventful day catching up to her. Bulma noticed and walked over.

"Are you tired? I can get a room for you."

"That's good. Thank you."

"Kat-chan, are you a saiyan?" Goku asked. She shook her head.

"Nope. Actually, I don't know *what* I am exactly." She shrugged. "No one told me."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize Goku. It doesn't bother me at all. I feel that one day the answer will come to me, but I just don't know how soon." She blinked and yawned again. "But now I need to be getting some sleep, tomorrow's gonna be a big day!"

The large saiyan started. "How do you know?"

She winked. "That's for me to know, and for you not to." She began to laugh as she climbed the stairs, her tail mirroring her good mood.

"She nice," Goku said cheerfully. Vegeta just sighed.

"She's like an overly energetic you."