Well, here it is, guys. The last story in the Ally universe. It's been great watching the story unfold. *sniff, sniff* and now I must bring it to a close with this last story based on that universe. Many thanks to everyone who supported this universe and said all those nice things! You guys are the reason I write these stories.
You may say, there's so much left unsaid and unanswered in the Ally universe! If you can come up with a good arguement of why I should write a chapter that hasn't been explained, email me at Olympia12@aol.com. The fact is, I just don't know what else to write about it unless I extend the story! ^_^ For those of you who are lost, this short story is a spinoff of an epic entitled Alicia of Riaru, Ally of Anime. Unless you want a major spoiler, read that first! ^ ^

As for this story, it takes place RIGHT after Alicia of Riaru, Ally of Anime left off. It's told from Vegeta's point of view, unlike the other Ally universe stories that are in Ally's POV. Also, the language is a bit more heavy than I like to usually write. Probably won't see it again in any other of my stories! ^^

"Make the wish already," complained Trilku and the Saiya-jin Prince fought to keep his mouth from twitching upwards at his son's impatience. The seven-year-old brat kept everyone on their toes and Vegeta's chest suddenly swelled with pride when he caught sight of the boy's flame of black hair. Even if his eyes were discolored, Trilku at least had the hair of a Saiya-jin.

Namely, his father.

A high-pitched squealing made him wince and he directed his glare at the Namekian Piccolo. The green-skinned freak threw Bapa up into the air again and Vegeta's daughter let out another scream of delight. Vegeta felt his temper rise but exhaled slowly to control it. The Namekian saved Ally's life once and the Prince would never hear the end of it if he sent the freak to hell.

Speaking of his mate . . . He scanned the small crowd and saw her talking to ChiChi. The insane bitch, Kakarot's mate, was clasping her hand and talking in a hushed tone. He turned his gaze to Ally who's face was creased in worry and tuned his hearing to their conversation.

"If you have your doubts, you should talk to him," ChiChi was saying.

Ally rolled her green eyes. "Kami knows he won't listen."

The older woman patted her hand. "I've never been very fond of Vegeta but I can tell he wants this. I see it in his face."

"Does he really? Does he really want this?" Ally sighed, twining a strand of dark brown hair around a finger. "I'm not so sure."

Don't be a fool, Vegeta mentally snorted.

Ally jerked her head toward him, seeming to hear his thought, and quickly looked away. Vegeta's eyes widened a little when he saw her eyes glassy with tears.

Fool of a woman, he thought again, this time to himself. Why give up the opportunity to live longer?

Annoyed, he lowered his head, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing. Easily he slipped into a familiar meditative trance, an escape used many times before.

*"V-V-Vegeta!"*

Shocked, he almost let his eyes spring open.

Where on Chikyuu had that come from?!

*"I-I've just never seen you in . . . person."*

This time he did crack an eye. The monk and his son were chatting by the picnic table. Piccolo was having a stare down with Bapa. Kakarot was just emerging from the house with a plateful of food. And Vegeta's mate and ChiChi were still discussing him on the porch.

No one was near the Saiya-jin Prince.

He shut his eyes again, sweat glistening on his brow. He knew he had heard a voice. A familiar voice.

*"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."*

There it was again. For a nervous moment, he wondered if he had finally lost his mind.

*"I'm not ahhh! not a spy! I'm just a girl!"*

*"Killing me won't make you greater in anyone's eyes but your own."*

The Saiya-jin Prince almost laughed out loud. He had been startled by his own memories! Relaxing his shoulders, his meditation sunk into him again. Kami, his first encounter with Ally. Had that day really been so long ago?

Those memories he had shoved away to only a shadow in his mind as he did so many others, not caring to remember what he had done to her. Not wanting to.

He scoffed at his own thoughts. She had been a pest then. An irrational female that had dropped into his life at a time when he least wanted another complication.

*"The death of me will only stain your prideful list, Vegeta!"*

A small, invisible shudder ripped through his form even though he tried to suppress it. Why was he remembering these things now? Why now, the day Ally would decide whether or not to stay his mate longer than humanly possible?

Images raced across his thoughts and his shoulders hunched instinctively. Ok, he could admit it. He had been a bastard back then, on Namek. And yet, despite all he did to her, Ally gave up her old life to come back to him.

And why? Ally made that clear to him long ago. They belonged to each other. She to him. He to her. They had each other's scent on them. Of course, he mentally sneered, her insufficient human nose could not sense it. But the look in Ally's eyes was enough. She was his mate. And he was hers.

They were bonded, if one could call it that. On Vegetasei, this linking of male and female had no name. A bond. A connection. A curse.

*"I may be a little scared of short, loud, obnoxious, stubborn Saiya-jin like you who hate my guts, but don't think I can't figure you out."*

*"I I just had to come back."*

Even then, she had felt the connection. But Vegeta knew long before she did, knew what he would be getting himself into.

By Kami, turning away from it would have torn his soul apart.

And so he had stayed. To keep himself sane. And because he loved her.

Dammit. That word only managed to surface to his lips once. He would not let it enter his thoughts now.

Disgusted with the feeling that had come over him, Vegeta 'fast forwarded' his memories to one he was quite fond of and allowed a smirk to cross his face.

*Breathing heavily, he only heard the humming of power around him. Finally, after all the waiting. All the times he had been forced to watch Kakarot reach that level above him again and again. And now . . . He raised a fist and a feral grin formed on his face.*

Now there was a memory he did not cringe over. He relished in it.

*His fist glowed with a yellow light and his grin widened. Now, now he could take Kakarot on. Now he could watch the others' eyes widen as they saw him power up. Now his enemies would tremble even more. Now he was a Super Saiya-jin.

And yet . . . and yet the only thought that would stay in his mind . . . was how much he missed Ally . . .*

Vegeta cursed again. Even a million miles hadn't snapped their bond.

"Arise Shenlong!"

Vegeta cracked an eye to see the others gathered around Kakarot, gazing upward. The seven Dragonballs were glowing brightly and pulsating in unison. A fierce wind smashed into the group and Vegeta widened his stance a little to steady himself.

*"I I never forgot, you know, when I left. And I never got to say thank you."*

The Eternal Dragon appeared in all his glory, snuffing out the fading daylight. Vegeta watched as Ally made her way to the front of the group. Her hands were clenched tightly together and she kept her eyes focused on the ground in front of her.

Fool of a woman, Vegeta huffed again. Make the wish.

"Why have I been summoned?" boomed the monster above them, even though he already knew.

"I have a wish to make, Shenlong." Ally's voice was small and unsteady and the frown on Vegeta's face deepened. What the hell was wrong with her?

Make the wish, woman.

It's wrong.

Vegeta heard her hesitance in his mind. Although she did not know it, Ally was conversing with him through a form of unconscious telepathy. She did it often, so often sometimes that he had to form a metal block so he could 'hear' his own thoughts. In a way, it reassured him time and time again that staying with her was one of the best things he'd ever done. Their connection burned brightest at these times.

What is wrong with it? he answered heatedly to her unwitting message.

Maybe it's not supposed to happen. Maybe we're messing with a part of the future that we shouldn't be.

You wanted this.

We wanted this, Vegeta.

Do what you like.

He felt her draw back; Ally herself even flinched.

Don't you care, Vegeta? If I make this wish, you'll be stuck with me a lot longer than originally planned.

And? was his curt response.

And is that what you truly want?

Vegeta mentally sighed. So that was what she was really worried about.

Fool of a woman, he thought to himself yet again. To her, he muttered, why must you always think more into a matter than needed? Because of their Saiya-jin heritage, our brats will live longer than a human. Therefore it is not wrong to wish to be allotted many more decades to spend with them. As for me, life will be fairly dull without you nagging me and forcing me to listen to you whine and complain about every sentimental detail. Hurry up and make your wish or don't make it at all. Either way, I am ready to dump our brats at someone's house and go home with my idiotic mate.

There was a silence in his head after that and Ally's subconscious never answered. Having said what he wanted, the Prince snorted and closed his eyes again.

His sharp ears picked up a slight whisper too soft for even him to understand. He ignored it and sunk back into his freshly dug up memories.

*"Vegeta, please . . . don't don't shut me out . . ."*

*"I won't be brushed aside."*

*"We're both as stubborn as hell."*

The wind picked up around Vegeta, managing to ruffle his stiff black hair. Startled gasps made their way to him.

*"There is one thing that keeps me from being happy."*

*"You're letting pride control you!"*

*"I'm tired of trying to figure out how you think and feel."*

*"You never lost me . . . or my love . . ."*

Something pierced his heart, something more painful than anything he ever felt before. He staggered away from the tree, grasping his chest, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. A bright light blinded his eyes even through his lids.

"What the "

*"I I don't know how to live with a Saiya-jin."*

And then suddenly the wind died away; the light vanished, and the pain eased as quickly as it had come. Vegeta regained his footing, eyes flying open unfocused.

Ally lay on the ground. Her chest rose and fell in deep breaths. Everyone blinked in a daze around her. The imbeciles. Slowly, Ally rose up on her elbows, emitting a soft laugh before rising shakily to her feet.

"I'm ok," she grinned and promptly collapsed back to her knees.

Placing a hand on the tree trunk to steady himself, Vegeta glared at her. "What the hell just happened?!"

Ally swung her head up to meet his fierce gaze and he glowered even more. The little she-devil was laughing at him! Growling, he stumbled over to her, shoving aside the others.

"What did you do to me?" He sought the ground blindly as his vision grew worse.

"I didn't . . . do . . . anything!" she managed to get out between fits of giggles.

"Did you not make the wish?"

Ally burst into laughter again.

"What is so damned hilarious?" he demanded. "Did you or did you not?"

"Oh, V-Vegeta! You look so f-funny stumbling around like t-that!"

The Prince wasn't finding this humorous at all. She was making him look like a fool in front of everyone. The Dragonballs were gone; only a wish would've sent them away so quickly. He shook his head, trying to clear the too-slowly fading dizziness.

The others were beginning to chuckle too as they watched Ally double over with laughter. She held her sides and tears ran down her cheeks.

"I I haven't laughed t-that hard in f-f-forever!"

Vegeta grunted and crossly folded his arms. His eyes narrowed to slits. "I am leaving."

"Come on, Vegeta! I was just k-kidding!" Ally said, wiping away the tears of mirth and growing somber. She carefully rose to her feet, taking Krillin's outstretched hand.

"I do not enjoy being mocked."

Exasperated, she threw her hands up in the air. "Alright, fine. I'm sorry. We'll go home if you want."

He snorted in reply and put his arms around her. Ally made sure the brats

*"I'm pregnant, Vegeta."*

were still staying, and then they took off in a blue flash.

Vegeta let his eyes close as the wind cooled his face and held on tighter to his mate. After a while, he said, "So did you make the wish?"

"What would you say if I said no?" was the reply.

He blinked in surprise, glancing at the back of her head. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't take the chance when she had it. To stay with him longer. To be his mate longer.

"I would say so be it then. You made your choice and it was yours to make."

"And if I said yes?"

He caught the shadow of doubt, her mind flickering in his. Silly woman.

*"You're the only person I've ever let call me 'woman'."*

So weak and emotionally fragile. And yet the one thing that kept him strong.

*"Be strong, Ally."*

*"I will, Vegeta. I I am."*

Vegeta took a breath and let it out slowly. "I would say you made the choice I would have made, had I been a human and you a Saiya-jin."

She sighed in his arms, leaning back against him. He waited for her to answer his question and when she didn't, he asked again, "Did you make the wish?"

"I did."

*"I'm just happy, Vegeta. Very happy."*

A sensation flowed over him, too complicated for words to describe. A complex mixture of pride, relief, satisfaction, and, yes, even a form of happiness. Vegeta was careful not to let any emotion flash across his face. No reaction at all except that he buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply.

"No regrets," he stated.

"No regrets," she agreed.

They were both silent for a while. Listening to each other's breathing. Lost in their thoughts.

I love you, came Ally's subconscious thought into Vegeta's mind.

The Prince felt a tiny twinge in his heart, as if he ought to reply with the same. But the words wouldn't come. His tongue wouldn't work. Instead, he formed the thought and sent it back to her, knowing she wouldn't ever hear it.

I love you, too.

Ally turned her head. A wide smile blossomed on her face; her eyes laughed at him. For what seemed like the longest time to Vegeta, she just looked at him thoughtfully.

And then she put her lips up to his ear and whispered, "Life would be fairly dull without you, too, my naive Prince."