This story is a teaser fic set in the universe of Alicia of Riaru, Ally of Anime in the middle somewhere. I highly suggest that you read the other first, unless you don't mind having one of the biggest surprises handed to you. If you mind, hit the back button and read Alicia of Riaru, Ally of Anime first. ;)

I secretly smiled to myself. Now he would pace to the door, open it slowly, and head straight to the downstairs kitchen where he'd fix himself a late night snack. After that he always came back into the bedroom, checked on me again, and turned left down the hallway to his gravity room. So predictable.

I heard him walk quietly to the door, heard it creak a little. He muttered a curse before disappearing downstairs. I had almost dozed off again when he returned, gazing down at me who was pretending to sleep.

Go on, you big brute, I thought fondly. I'm fine. Go to your training.

As if he'd heard me, Vegeta turned away and padded to the doorway. But then he paused and I cracked open a curious eye to see him standing halfway in the hall, his back to me.

What is he doing? I wondered.

I watched him cock his head to the side a little, turn, and fade down to the right. I frowned. Only Trilku's nursery lay in that corridor and Vegeta never went down there.

Never.

I crawled out of bed and wrapped a robe around myself, glancing at the clock.

1:16 am. What was he up to?

I peeked around the corner just in time to see him enter the nursery. Sliding along the wall, I almost ran right into him standing just inside the room. If I had been a normal person, he would have sensed me. But I wasn't a normal person. Not by a long shot.

Trilku was crying in his crib, wailing at the top of his little lungs. The rain I hadn't noticed before beat against the nursery window and a boom of thunder made Trilku scream louder.

"Quiet, brat," Vegeta growled low in his throat and moved closer to the crib. He seemed to hesitate, then leaned over and picked up the less than a year old toddler. Trilku tilted his head way back to stare at the man holding him differently like his mommy did, up underneath the armpits. To my amazement, the child fell silent.

"Storm got you scared, brat?" Vegeta snickered. "You won't be of much use if you are afraid of a little thunder." As if in answer, Trilku began to cry again, flailing his little arms. Vegeta grimaced at the shrill noise but seemed duly impressed. "You are much more of a Saiya-jin than you will like to admit later on. Much more." He looked down at the tiny tail wrapped around his wrist.

"Don't get used to having a tail, brat," he muttered. "Those damn doctors will be taking it off in the morning." He scowled. "Soon there will not be any Saiya-jin left with tails but at least you will not grow up like Kakarrot's brat. You will know your heritage, know you are half Saiya-jin. And a princeling." He held the boy up, turning him around and checking him over. "It is almost like looking at myself when I was a boy," he mused, brows knotted together. "You have your mother's eyes though."

Vegeta's voice had grown strangely soft and Trilku was lulled back into silence by it. I leaned against the wallway, listening to his words, and realizing I was seeing a different side to the man that had once hurt to many people. Vegeta pulled a chair over to the window and sat Trilku on his knees. Thunder sounded again and the toddler whimpered, hiding his face in his papa's chest. Vegeta stroked his back, staring off into the darkness.

"You will know you are a Saiya-jin, Trilku," he said quietly. "And you will become stronger and more powerful than I ever could. Such is the way of the royal bloodline."

Suddenly, as if fathoming what he just said, he quickly added, "Now stop that crying, brat. Saiya- jins do not cry." He stood and walked over to the crib but Trilku had his little fists clamped on Vegeta's shirt. After a brief struggle, Vegeta managed to pry open his fingers and place him in the crib. Trilku sniffed and helf up his arms for Vegeta to pick him up again.

Vegeta hmphed and crossed his arms. "You have your mother's stubbornness too."

I grinned at that and hurriedly hid behind the door as Vegeta left the nursery. I watched him disappear and quietly entered the room. Trilku was crying silently and stopped when I picked him up.

"You hungry, fella?" I cooed and pressed a few buttons for the baby machine to heat up a bottle. While I was waiting, I went and sat in the chair Vegeta had left by the window. The storm had blown itself out and now only a gentle wind was blowing. "See? There's nothing to be scared of."

I adjusted him more comfortably on my lap and watched as his tail curled around my arm. I could already feel the power within my son. He could, would, be stronger than any of us. I suddenly felt both Vegeta's apprehension and pride mixed together.

"Trilku," I said, shaking my head. "You've got the weirdest parents in the universe. A Saiya-jin Prince and a—" I thought for a moment then laughed. "Who knows what I am? I don't think even Vegeta knows. Maybe when you're older, I'll describe to you how the moon looks. How big and bright in the sky it once was and how wonderful it looks in riaru. Or the cars with actual four wheels that ride on the pavement. Or what I look like there."

My throat was closing up and I knew it. "I guess, Trilku, I haven't forgotten," I whispered. "It's only been about 4 years after all. I wonder if they remember me . . . my riaru family. I haven't spoken to anyone about them. In fact, I haven't told anyone anything about where I came from. Not even your father." Trilku fidgeted in my lap and I smiled, thoughts broken. "Sorry about that. Both your parents are acting strangely this morning, aren't they? You're probably way past ready for that bottle."

I stood and turned around. "Oh, Vegeta!" I held a hand to my chest, my heart racing at the surge of fear and then giddiness of relief. "You scared the hell out of me." I looked at him accusingly. "How long have you been there?"

He unfolded his arms, pushing off the doorframe he'd been leaning against, and strode into the room. "Long enough."

"Oh." I shifted Trilku to my other hip. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

I shrugged. "I heard Trilku crying."

"So did I."

My arms were beginning to ache so I punched in a few buttons on the baby machine and out popped the warmed bottle.

I looked up at Vegeta who had not moved. "Would you like to feed him?"

The Prince's eyebrows shot up. "W-what?"

"I asked if you'd like to feed Trilku," I repeated patiently.

"I have never—"

"It doesn't matter," I cut him off, smiling gently. I took one of his hands and pulled the reluctant Saiya-jin to the chair. He sat down and I brought another one beside it and sat in it. I handed him Trilku and he uncertainly held the toodler up by the armpits.

"No, no, like this," I instructed and positioned his arms so that he was supporting the small boy. It was all I could do to suppress another smile.

"I . . . I feel like I will crush him," Vegeta asserted, and tried to hand him back.

"It's ok, Vegeta. You won't hurt him. Here, hold the bottle up to his mouth and he'll take it from there."

Vegeta did as he was told and soon Trilku was sucking happily at the bottle, tail lashing back and forth. Vegeta stared down at his son in intense silence and I studied his face. Trilku was good for him, I could tell.

"Why have you not told me about the riaru world?"

I started; Vegeta's sudden question caught me off guard. "I— I—" I stared at my hands when Vegeta lifted his head to gaze at me. "I didn't think you really cared to know."

"I see," he retorted, glaring away.

"Oh, come on, Vegeta. It's not like you ever told me much about Vegetasei."

"You never asked," he grunted.

"And neither did you." I scooted closer to him. His muscles tensed when I placed a finger under his chin so he would look at me. "You want to know about riaru? I'll tell you. If you tell me of about Vegetasei."

His black eyes narrowed suspiciously. I had given him a challenge. One he had not taken before.

But then he nodded. We traded stories, traded our lives, long after the sun had risen and our son was snoring pleasantly between us.