Zarbon slowly drifted to consciousness as the steady beeping continued.  Groggy, he wondered why Tonya hadn’t silenced the alarm by now, and then opened his eyes.  A slight frown creased his features as he realized the alarm wasn't even set, and then he remembered Tonya had the day off.  But the beeping had yet to relent, though thankfully, it wasn’t disturbing the angel sharing his bed.

With this realization came other; the steady pulse of noise was being transmitted over his relay.  Shifting carefully, as not to wake his lover, Zarbon reached over her to open the nightstand’s drawer.  His fingers closed around the device after a moment of searching and he pulled the scouter from its hiding place.  It looked like half a pair of sunglasses with a single amethyst tinted lens, but it was actually a long distance communication device.

            Lying back down, he put the earpiece over his ear and adjusted it until it fit comfortably.  Deftly pressing the proper button, Zarbon brought the machine to life.  Numbers, letters, and various alien symbols blipped across the screen as he flipped through the menu looking for the source of the beep.  The icon that a message had been received flashed as it appeared on the screen and he highlighted it.

                        Message Received.  Time:  2:36:14  Sender:  Jeice

                        Video/Audio/Text.  Routed to Pod 93-45JX

                        Status:  Undefined             Title: Visit

Zarbon yawned and rubbed his uncovered eye.  Whatever Jeice wanted, it would have to wait until morning, Zarbon decided shutting the scouter down.  If it were urgent, Jeice would have marked the message as such.  Taking the scouter off, he laid it on top of the nightstand to remind him to check in the morning.  With a tired sigh, he pulled the blanket back up and snuggled up against Tonya again, sleep quickly reclaiming him.

- - -  - - - -

“Jeice wants me to come and spend a few days with him and the Ginyu force,” Zarbon informed the girl who was lying on the door of his space pod.  “They have some time off.”

“I heard him,” Tonya replied glancing up.

“I wasn't sure,” Zarbon said looking down at her with a small smile.  “It’s had to tell if you were listening or inspecting my jeans.”  He raised an eyebrow.  “Tell me, luv.  Is there something on my pant leg or are you just counting how many times you can poke me before I pummel you into the cave floor?”

Tonya smirked and shifted to look up at him better.  “You and what army?” she asked teasingly.

“I could take you with both arms tied behind my back,” Zarbon countered.

“You’re so confident of your…abilities?” Tonya asked softly.

Zarbon smirked, knowing full well she was doing her best to subtly twist the meaning of his words.  “I know just how to ‘handle’ you,” he replied smoothly.

Tonya cocked her head, her green eyes filled with mischief.  Stretching, she yawned, then crawled up into the pod and onto his lap.  She kissed him and nuzzled his throat as his arms encircled her.  “Oh, you do, do you?” she asked.

He raised her chin to look into her eyes and kissed her.  “You’re sitting here, aren’t you?” he whispered before claiming her lips again.

She leaned back against his strong arms, looking thoughtful.  “Hmm, I guess that’s true,” she admitted.  “So when does he want you to come?” she asked.

“I thought you were paying attention?” Zarbon teased.

Tonya snorted.  “I was.  I just want to make sure I understand what’s going on.  You know how much I hate being a mushroom,” she said pretending to pout.

He chuckled and gave her a gentle squeeze.  “Jeice wants me to come up tomorrow and stay a couple of days.  If I could find a flight, I could make it, and come back Wednesday.”  He frowned slightly.  “But I don’t know if I should go…”

“Why not?” Tonya asked cocking her head.  “Don’t you want to see your friends?”

“Yes, but finals are next week,” Zarbon answered.  “I always help you study.”

“Hey, I’ll do fine.  Don’t worry.  Go see your friends,” Tonya said.  “I don’t want them saying I’m the kind of girl that never let’s her mate go out with his friends and have fun,” she said with a smile.  “Besides, even if I bomb all my finals, the lowest grade I’d get is a C.”

Zarbon smiled and shook his head at her logic.  “Well, if you’re sure,” he started and Tonya rolled her eyes.  “I’ll go.  I’d better let Jeice know I’m coming.”

“And I’ll go start looking for flights heading up that direction,” Tonya said.  She kissed him again, then slipped out of the pod.

- - - - - - - -

Zarbon followed the directions Jeice had sent far into the Canadian wilderness.  It was cold in spite of his Ki shield and he was glad of Tonya’s advice on how to dress.  He landed in front of the cream colored dwelling that almost blended into the snow despite the fact it was as large as three of the girl’s room sat end to end.  Taking a minute to straight his clothing and smooth his hair, Zarbon then took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

It slid open and Zarbon found himself facing an alien he didn’t recall seeing before.  The stranger was younger than himself.   Probably around Tonya’s age, he thought.  The boy was at least six inches taller than Zarbon, possessing light purple skin and shoulder length hair that was shaded like a blue gas flame.  He must be from Kolash , Zarbon thought.  Zarbon smiled at him in a friendly way, but the other alien just looked at him unblinkingly with cool silver eyes.

“Hello, my name is Zarbon.  I’m a friend of Jeice’s,” Zarbon said bowing slightly.

“Jeice mentioned you were coming to visit,” the man replied.  “Please come in out of the cold.  My name is Taru.”  Zarbon stepped inside and Taru pointed to the clothing hooks on the wall opposite the door.  “You can hang your things there.”

“Thank you.”  Zarbon began to shed his many layers and hang them up.  Just as he hung the last one he realized none of the coats present would fit Jeice’s small frame.  “Where’s Jeice at?” he asked curiously.

“On a mission.”

“Oh.”  That’s odd, Zarbon thought.  “When will he get back?”

“In about a week.”

An ice cold sensation slid down Zarbon’s spine as the feeling something was wrong began to grow, but he remained calm.  “A mission suddenly came up, eh?”

“No.”

This is bad, Zarbon thought as he reached out with his sixth sense and found Taru’s power level was much higher than his own.  “I must have misinterpreted his message,” Zarbon said smoothly.  “I’ll just come back when he’s here.  It’s been a pleasure to meet you.  Sorry for the trouble.”  He reached for his coat.

Taru grabbed his wrist and twisted it, forcing Zarbon to look at him.  Anger blazed clearly in his bright silver eyes and fear flooded Zarbon’s heart.  “You’re not sorry yet,” Taru growled.  “But you will be.”  He punched Zarbon, the force of the blow slamming his head against the wall behind him, and knocking him unconscious with the single strike.

- - - - - -- - -  -

“Has anyone heard anything from Zarbon yet?” Tonya asked as the group gathered for dinner.

Everyone shook their heads in a negative response.  “Should we have?” Poopsie asked.

Tonya shrugged.  “He said he’d be back Wednesday, but I hadn’t seen him yet.  He would call if he was staying later,” she explained.

“He’s a guy and guys tend to forget to call home,” Sebastian pointed out.

“Zarbon wouldn’t forget,” Tonya retorted.  “He’s not like you.”

“Calm down, Fluffy,” Alec said, referring to that fact the fur on her tail had puffed up in a defensive reaction.  “Zarbon does have a habit of losing track of time.  Maybe he just didn’t realize it’s Thursday.”

“Why don’t you call him?” Sally asked.

Tonya’s tail stopped lashing and she looked at the blond.  “I was going to, but want to check to make sure I hadn’t just missed his call.”  She went and got the cordless phone then returned to the table.  Dialing the number, she studied the food on her plate as she listened to it ring.  A slight frown turned her mouth as the voice mail picked up after fifteen rings.  “Zarbon, call me when you get this message.  It’s Thursday night, six thirty two.  Talk to you later.”

“He didn’t answer?” Daniel asked surprised.

“No.”  Tonya sat there staring at her plate, the frown deepening as she thought.  She nodded as if reaching a decision and began to eat.

“I don’t suppose whatever you just decided involves staying home and waiting until Zarbon calls?” Techno asked with a tired sigh.

She shook her head and swallowed what she had in her mouth.  “He has until eight tomorrow morning to come home or call.  At nine, the hunt will begin.”

- - - - - -

Tonya surveyed the tiny town from behind her dark sunglasses.  Surprisingly enough, it was bigger than Mentor, but not by much.  The ice crusted snow crunched noisily beneath her boots as she walked down the street.  Her stomach growled loudly as her nose caught the fragrance of cooking meat and vegetables and she instinctively turned towards the source.  The bar/café held only a handful of people at this time of day; most were either still working or already home hibernating already.

All eyes turned to the door as the stranger walked in, some in curiosity while others viewed this newcomer on a more professional level.  Dressed in multiple, thick layers the stranger’s gender was undeterminable from his or her body shape.  A heavy scarf, sunglasses, and stocking cap further complicated identification.  The town drunk didn’t care much if the newcomer was male or female; if he could con the person out of a drink or two, all the better for him.  The old timer in the corner didn’t care either, but hoped the youngster would like a game of checkers.    Sheriff Walits hid his frown with his coffee mug; this young man could be looking for trouble.  The bartender and waitress were equally wary, but hoped the stranger had some money to spend.

As the town folk eyed her, Tonya returned the favor wondering what these Canadians thought of her.  She walked up to the counter, but didn’t sit down.  Instead, she pulled off her gloves, unwrapped the muffler, and laid them on the bar.  Then she opened her trench coat and reached into an interior pocket.

“Have you seen this man?” she asked the bartender handing him a photograph.  The waitress and sheriff moved closer to see and all three nodded.

“He was here…Sunday, I think,” the bartender answered.  “Looked at the map, had a bite to eat, played a game of checkers with Bill there, and then left town.”

“Zarbon was a sweet, young man,” the red headed waitress said with a smile.  “He left me a really nice tip.”  She frowned suddenly.  “He’s not in trouble is he?”

“Julie…” the bartender cautioned.

“Jacque…” she countered giving him a look.

“He is in trouble,” Tonya cut in, earning a worried look from the trio.  “But only because he’s not called in and was due home on Wednesday.”

“Are you with the government or something?” Jacque asked.

“I’m afraid that’s classified,” Tonya replied smoothly.  “Are you certain Mister Chan left town?”

“Yes.  He walked out, heading north.  Why?” the sheriff asked.

“His tracer says he’s still here,” Tonya replied pulling her phone from another inner pocket.  She pushed a couple of buttons, then the clear, unmistakable sounds of the tango filled the room.

The drunk paled as Tonya’s gaze fell upon him and he started to sweat.  “You going to answer that?” she asked coolly.

“What?” he asked as she stepped towards him.

She stopped in front of him and shut off her phone, silencing the music.  “I’ll give you 100 Canadian dollars for the phone,” she said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said glancing nervously at the sheriff.

“Morrow Tybalt!  You stole that nice young man’s phone!” Julie accused a shocked look on her face.

“Would $200 jog your memory?”  Tonya asked, ignoring the women’s outburst.

“I don’t have any phone,” the drunk said petulantly, crossed his arms, and glared at the woman before him.

Tonya’s eyes narrowed dangerously and she frowned.  Without hesitating, she drew her gun and pointed at the man.  “Last chance,” she said, her voice cold.  “The phone for your life.  What do you say?”

“Drop your weapon!” the Sheriff ordered drawing his sidearm.  “If Morrow really has the phone, we can take him over to the judge and let him sort this out.”

“Sheriff Walits, I don’t have that much time to waste,” Tonya replied.  “Go ahead and shoot if you must.  My clothes are bulletproof.  Are yours?”

The Sheriff lowered his gun and Morrow put the phone on the table with a shaking hand.  “Thank you,” she said putting the gun away and pocketed the phone.  Tonya walked back to the bar and collected her things.  “Which way did Zarbon leave town?”

“North,” Jacque answered quickly.

Tonya threw a wad of bills on the bar.  “Sorry for the trouble,” she said bundling up and headed for the door.

Sheriff Walits followed her out into the street and watched her study the snowy ground.  “It will be dark in a couple of hours,” he warned.  “If you’d like to stay the night, there’s room in the jail.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I should be going before the trail becomes any colder.”  She started down the street, then turned back to look at him.  “Thanks for not calling my bluff, Sam,” she said.

“You’re welcome, Felina,” he replied.

- - --- --- - - -

Zarbon’s tracks were hard to follow because they were partly filled in by snow that had fallen sometime after he’d passed through these woods.  She’d been walking about an hour when the trail disappeared.  Pausing, she studied the snow before her for any trace of a trail.  Retracing her steps didn’t reveal the elusive path and searching around didn’t help either; the trail just stopped.  It was as if he’d disappeared into thin air…

Tonya’s eyes widened and she almost smacked herself as that last thought flitted through her mind.  He must have taken to the air, she thought.  Forgot who I was following for a second.

Taking off her sunglasses, she pulled the scouter from her pocket and put it on.  Turning it on, she scanned her surroundings for power levels.  Two huge ones were to the north east of her locations and she focused on them.  The weaker one resembled Zarbon’s, but she had no way of knowing to whom belonged the second one.  She wished again that Zarbon had shown her how to send messages with either the scouter or the pod, but he hadn’t thought it was important.  Wrapping her scarf a bit tighter around her, she floated up to the treetops and looked around cautiously.  Trees and snow were all she could see in the golden light of the late afternoon sun.  With one last tug at her scarf, she took off across the Canadian wilderness.

The sun was rapidly sinking towards the horizon when the scouter indicated her target was just ahead.  She landed, put the scouter away, and pulled off her scarf despite the fact she was warmer with it on.  Wanting to at least try for a good impression, she began to smooth her wind blown locks into some semblance of order as she walked.  A sound that she couldn’t quite place drifted across the snow but she felt her muscles tense in a subconscious response.  It seemed to originate from the other side of the snow ridge in front of her and she carefully climbed the slippery slope to peek over.  Ice filled her veins as her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened in horrified shock.  Fire replaced the ice only a heartbeat later, and she was over the ridge in the blink of an eye.

* ** * ** * *

The mercury was hovering around 75 below, but the bitter cold wasn’t Zarbon’s main concern at the moment though he only had an undershirt and shorts on.  Less than twenty feet away sat the warmth of the Ginyu force’s hideout, but it might as well been twenty thousand miles away.  His arms were shackled above his head and the heavy chains were the only things keeping him upright at the moment.  The chains were connected to the trees on either side on him, the two largest on the west side of the clearing.  Large, dark discolorations covered his skin, hinting at the deep, painful bruises beneath them, while blood tried to clot around other places where the skin hadn’t held.  Some of his limbs were at slightly unnatural angles, several of his ribs were broken, and he could feel the odd pulsing that indicated internal bleeding. 

Pain permeated every fiber of his being and Zarbon knew his chances of survival were dwindling rapidly.  He still didn’t know why Taru had taken him prisoner and was slowly beating him to death, but the reason didn’t matter anymore than the cold did.  Zarbon just wanted the torture to end, and with hope fading faster than the light of the setting sun, he began to wish Death would take him.

He had almost no energy left now.  Most had been used up during his desperate attempt to escape.  The rest had been put towards trying to keep himself alive, but soon he would be out of energy and out of time.

Taru cupped Zarbon’s chin almost gently and raised the fallen prince’s head to look at his face.  One golden eye was completely swollen shut while the other held the look of a man who knows his time is nigh.  Both his nose and jaw had been broken, and blood further marred his once handsome features.  With a grim expression, Taru slowly drew back his fist to deal the final blow.  Tears began to course down Zarbon’s cheeks as Tonya’s smiling face suddenly appeared before his mind’s eye.  How long ago it seemed that he’d last held her in his arms…  Zarbon’s eye shut with resignation and he relaxed, hoping for a clean kill.

There was a sudden displacement of air and he heard Taru yell in surprise.  A heavy thud sounded from across the clearing, then silence filled the air.  He sensed someone was standing next to him, then felt/heard someone as they knelt in front of him.

“Zarbon?”

The soft voice was laced with fear and worry, but he recognized it instantly.  His good eye opened and tried to focus on the angel before him.  “Tonya.”  His voice was barely a whisper, but she heard it and a sad smile touched her lips.  For a heartbeat, he wondered if it really was Tonya or if Death had taken her form to comfort him as he died.   Then she gently brushed his bruised cheek with her fingertips wiping away a tear, her emerald eyes overly bright with her own unshed tears, and he knew it was her.

With a shaky breath, Tonya’s eyes traveled to the manacles and chains that were keeping him from completely collapsing.  She rose, shrugged out of her coat and carefully draped it over his shoulders.  Then, as gently as she could, she positioned herself so that he was leaning against her for support, thus taking the pressure off his wrists and arms.

He felt her tail gently twine around his right arm, then felt her shift his weight towards his left as she reached up to cut the chain.  If he’d still had the ability or breath to scream, he would have then.  The muscles had been locked in that tortured position for so long that it was pure agony to move his arm.  He was glad Tonya had the foresight slow the descent with her tail; he didn’t know if he could have handled the pain otherwise.  She repeated the process with his other arm, and he collapsed against her, his body shaking from the cold, the pain, and relief.

Carefully lowering back down to the kneeling position, Tonya held him for a long moment until the tremors lessen in intensity.  Fear shot through him as he heard Taru muttering curses to himself as he finally picked himself up.  Tonya pulled away, letting Zarbon sit back on his heels, and adjusted her coat so that it covered him better.  Zarbon wanted to stop her as she stood and brushed the snow off her pants, but he couldn’t speak let alone move.

Taru looked dazed and uncertain.  One moment, he had been about to finish his task, the next, he was pulling himself out of a snowdrift.  The female walking towards him appeared human, and his scouter indicated her power level was no threat.  And Zarbon’s level was much lower than his own, especially now.  What had happen?

Tonya had stopped halfway across the clearing, and  watched the purple alien’s confusion with an unreadable expression.  She waited until his attention was focused on her again, then dashed towards him.  Taru’s expression turned to surprise, but he was still unconcerned; what harm could a human do to him?

He raised his hand to simply bat her away, but she suddenly was gone.  Taru blinked then cried out in pain as his arm was broken by a vicious kick.  Then his legs were knocked out from under him and as he hit the ground, he felt a hand grab his ankle, jerk him into the air, and release him.  Before he could slow his trajectory or change his position, he collided head first with the large boulder he’d hit just moments before.  Stars exploded across his vision, then a black unconsciousness swallowed him.

Tonya landed lightly, ready to attack again or counter an attack.  She waited a moment, tail tip flicking, then turned on her heel, and returned to Zarbon’s side.  He just stared at her in shock as she came back to him.  One moment she was a scared, worried young woman, then next she was calm and deadly as any warrior.  Tonya was afraid for him, but she was unafraid of Taru, he realized.  She couldn’t sense his power, and so had no reason to fear the other alien.

“Can you stand or walk?” Tonya asked dropping to her knees before him.

“Don’t know,” he answered in the breathy whisper that currently served as his voice.

The worried look returned to Tonya’s face and he wondered what she was thinking.  She moved to his left side and carefully put his arm across her shoulders.  Her fingers twined with his and her other arm snaked around his waist.

“Ready?” she asked quietly, but didn’t wait for an answer.  “On the count of three.  One…two…three!”

Focusing solely on focusing his muscles to respond, Zarbon managed to get to his feet.  He almost collapsed, but Tonya wouldn’t let him fall, shifting so she supported most of his weight.  Tonya whispered a continuous string of encouragement as they started to move.  With agonizing slowness, they moved towards the building.  The sun was tucking its last rays below the horizon as they reached the door.  It slid open and they moved inside.  Cots lined the outer wall of this room and she pulled back the blankets on the nearest one with a flick of her tail.  He sank onto the semi soft mattress with a heavy sigh, his entire body trembling from the excursion.  His good eye slid shut and he fell into a doze almost instantly.

Tonya covered him with the blankets and smiled softly.  “Rest, angel.  I’ll be right back,” she whispered brushing a kiss to his forehead.

Through his doze, he heard the door open as she left, but he began to wonder where she’d gone when she didn’t return immediately.  After half an eternity, the door reopened and he heard Tonya quietly chewing someone out in an alien language he didn’t know she knew.  He tensed with fear as he realized she had brought Taru inside.

“Hold still,” he heard her caution.  “This is going to hurt.”

Zarbon jumped as Taru screamed in pain and he wondered what she had done.  “Pansy,” Tonya said with a snort.  A few minutes later she came back to his side and smiled ruefully.  “Only been here thirty minutes and I’m playing doctor to not one, but two bishounen.  I don’t know whether to be happy or not,” she informed him, then sighed.  He just looked at her curiously and she cocked her head trying to read his expression.  “I set his arm and he passed out,” she explained.  Her head turned slightly towards the cot where Taru lay, listening silently as he began to regain consciousness. 

She began to shed layers of clothing and started a running monolog.  “Of course I had to bring in the Grape Ape over there.  Dying from hypothermia is not pleasant.  Plus if he’s in here, I can keep an eye on him.”  She paused as she opened her pack.  “No, I don’t think he’ll cause any trouble.”  Tonya paused again and Zarbon realized she was waiting just long enough that it seemed like she was talking to him rather than herself.  “Well, that rope I trussed him up in is strong enough that it won’t break before he passes out from pain because of all the pressure points it’s wrapped around.”  She paused.  “Oh sure he could try to use his Ki to get free…if he’d like to castrate himself.  I used that rope you developed that turns a person’s energy back against them.”  Tonya pulled an electric blanket from the pack and spread it over him.  She checked the battery pack and turned it on, her brow furrowing slightly.  “I supposed we could use him as a hostage,” she murmured looking toward the other occupied cot.

Dismissing the thought with a shake of her head, she began to pull more things from her bag.  Zarbon groaned silently as he heard the click of a flashlight, but she only briefly it in his face.  He felt her touch his left ear, then felt something being put into his ear.  She made a “hrrmm” sound, then leaned over him to repeat the process on his right ear.

“Ear drums intact, no blood in ear canal,” she said as she wrote on a clipboard that had come out of the bag.  Her hand slipped under the blanket to find his wrist and she took his pulse, then took it from his throat, and wrote the information down.

Tonya uncovered his upper torso and frowned at the bloody, dirt streaked, shirt he wore.  It was ripped several places and the fabric had clotted in the wounds that lay beneath those rips.  She opened a box and set it on the bed as she examined the contents.  Selecting a vial, she shook it as she pull a hypodermic needle from a pocket in her medical kit.

She drew up a dose, flicked the needle to get rid of the air bubbles, then shifted to look at him.  “Hold still,” she cautioned gently swabbing his neck with an alcohol pad.

“Tonya…” Zarbon breathed.

“Shh, love.  It’s going to be okay,” she said soothingly, gently resting her hand on his shoulder.  “It’s just something to take the edge off.”

“I love you.”

She smiled, her eyes softening their clinical cast.  “I love you, too,” she said brushing some loose hair out of his face.  Leaning forward, she gently kissed him, then she slipped back into medical mode.  “You’re going to feel a prick, then you might feel a slight sting,” Tonya informed him quietly, then injected the drug into his jugular.

He felt the prick, but instead of a sting he felt an instant, warm, and fuzzy sensation.  Whatever she’d given him did more than take the edge off; it effectively cut the pain in half and dulled his other senses as well.  But it feels pretty nice, he thought as his eye half closed and he relaxed.

Zarbon felt her examining him and knew when she cut his shirt off, pulling it out of the wounds.  He was aware whenever she set a fracture and when she put his jaw and shoulder back into place.  He also knew that it should really hurt, but thanks to the painkiller, it didn’t.  She finished doctoring his injuries and pulled the blankets back up, watching for any signs of problems.  His eyes slid shut and he slept, his worries and fears drifting away like smoke.

Still kneeling, Tonya watched him sleep.  Her own body was starting to request food and rest, but she ignored it for the moment.  She arranged her things in case Zarbon took a turn for the worst, but for now all she could do was wait and pray.

“Don’t suppose I could have a drink of water?” Taru asked.

Tonya jumped to her feet looking ashamed of herself.  “Of course.  But I haven’t started a fire to melt snow yet so it will be awhile,” she said apologetically heading for the door.

“Umm…we do have running water here,” he replied quietly.

She paused and blushed.  “Oh.”  She looked at him, embarrassed.  “Uh…Where is it?”

Taru just looked at the girl for a long moment, confused.  Was she really going to help him?  This was the same girl who had broke his arm and knocked him out…wasn’t it?  “There is a faucet right through the door behind you.  There are drinking vessels in the cabinets,” he said after a moment.

Tonya nodded and disappeared through said door.  It was several minutes before she returned with a glass filled with water and a triumphant look on her face.  “I figured it out,” she said with a grin.  “First I had to figure out the cabinet, then I had to find the glasses, and finally I had to figure out the tap.”  She shook her head.  “It was very complicated.  Good thing I watched Star Trek as a kid.”

Tonya slipped an arm under his shoulders to hold him up a bit, then held the glass so he could drink.  When he had had enough she sat the glass down and laid him back down.  She adjusted the pillow for him and then covered him with a blanket.  “How’s that?  Can I get you anything else?”

Taru looked at her suspiciously.  “Why are you being so nice to me?” he asked frowning slightly.

Tonya blinked and cocked her head, then shrugged.  “Honestly, I have no fricken’ clue,” she replied.  “It just seems like the right thing to do.”  She rolled her shoulders to ease the tension forming across them.  “You’re no threat to me, and you’re in pain,” she added quietly.  “I help people.  That’s what I try to do anyway.  Even if they do try to kill my mate.”

Taru’s eyes widened in surprise when she said “mate.”  He had missed that little bit of info and now regretted it.  But…it didn’t seem to fit with what he’d been told.  How could Zarbon have a mate if the stories were true?  And a female one at that?

She started to turn away, but paused and looked at him coolly.  “I feel that I should warn you.  If Zarbon dies, I will carve your still living carcass into a thousand tiny pieces before I let you die.”  She smirked at his frighten look and gave him a wink.  “Get some sleep.  You look tired.”

- -- - - - -

Zarbon’s eye snapped open as he felt the massive powers levels rapidly headed towards their location.  Pure fear snaked through him and he desperately tried to think of a plan.

Dozing beside him, Tonya felt the slight movement as he tensed.  She raised her head and yawned while scratching her ear.  “Time for more pain meds, Koi?” she asked drowsily.

“No,” he hissed in his whispery voice.  “You have to leave.”

“Leave?” she yawned again.  “Why?”

“Ginyu force.  Coming back.  Kill first.  Questions later,” he gasped out.

Tonya snapped fully awake and frowned.  “I’m not leaving you here,” she said fiercely.  “And I can’t carry you away in your condition.”

“Tonya…” His voice was a plea now.

She shook her head, her frown deepening.  “I took out Taru.  I can take out the rest if necessary,” she declared sitting up.

“They’re stronger,” Zarbon said wishing he could at least talk normally so he could arguer his point better.

“I’m not afraid,” Tonya said crossing her arms.

“I am,” he replied.  “They will kill you.”  His eye sparkled with tears of fear and frustration.

“And if I leave and something happens to you before they get here?  Or they kill you?” she countered.  Zarbon just looked at her with  pain, fear, and love filling his gaze.  “I would prefer a quick death by your side than a lingering one without you.”  She gently touched his cheek.  “How am I to survive without my heart and soul?” she asked quietly.

A tear slipped down his cheek and she leaned down to pressed a gentle kiss to his injured lips.  “I’m not going to leave you,” she whispered.  “I love you.”

“I love you,” he whispered back.  His eye widened and he swallowed hard.  “They’re here.”

Tonya took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and then stood up.  Straightening her sweatshirt, she stepped out the door into the freezing night air.  There were three of them standing there, laughing and talking.  The tallest and most muscular looked like a human, except the fact he was at least eight feet tall.  He was running his fingers through his thick red/orange hair and laughing at something one of the others had said.  The second tallest was about seven and a half feet tall, not as muscular, and had dark blue skin that looked like a crocodile’s.  Between them stood a three-foot tall, green skinned alien.  He was also laughing, his four frog-like eyes squeezed shut in mirth.

“Hello,” Tonya called walking towards them, trying to look non-threatening.  “Bit chilly out here isn’t it.”

All three looked towards her startled.  “What are you doing here?” the blue one asked.  “Where’s Taru?”

“He’s a bit tied up at the moment,” Tonya answered cheerfully.  “I’m just playing door greeter for the moment.”

Suddenly there was a shout from inside, but the words were indistinct.  Tonya turned in alarm, then sprinted for the door as a second shout was heard.  The blue alien flickered out of sight, only to appear between her and the building.  She slid to a stop and snarled, raising her hands to defense or attack.

“Burter!  Stand down,” one of the others commanded.  The blue alien hesitated a second.  “Now, Burter!”

Burter stepped aside with a curse and Tonya dashed inside.  She started to turn towards Taru knowing full well Zarbon was unable to shout.  But her keen ears caught the gurgling, labored breathing from her beau’s bed and she dashed to Zarbon’s side.  She yanked back the blankets as the door opened and the entire Ginyu Force came in.

“What the hell?” Captain Ginyu said looking from the tied Taru to the severely beaten Zarbon.  “What happened?”

Tonya ignored him as she rapidly grabbed the things she needed.  Zarbon’s breathing was quickly getting worse and he had started to hyperventilate as panic set in.  “Jeice!” she called.  “You’re a medic, right?  I could use a hand here!”

Jeice shut his mouth and pushed past the others to hurry to her.  “What happened?” he asked, again staring at his friends’ injuries.

“He must have tried to come outside in help me,” she replied hastily swabbing a spot on Zarbon’s chest with alcohol.  “One of his broken ribs must have punctured a lung.”  She unsheathed a claw and made a small incision through the body wall into the chest cavity.  “Air’s escaping into the chest and collapsing his lungs,” she continued as she threaded a tube into the opening and taped it.  Connecting the tube to a large syringe with a valve, she handed it to Jeice.  “You pull the air out while I calm him down.”

Jeice had already grasped the idea before she handed the apparatus to him and quickly complied.  He worked swiftly as he could, but Zarbon’s panicked breathing was pulling air into his chest faster than Jeice could remove it. 

“Angel, you have to calm down,” Tonya said gently stroking Zarbon’s hair.  “I know it’s hard, but you have to trust me.”  She realized he was too scared and his body was too desperate for oxygen to allow him to calm down.  The more air in Zarbon’s chest, the less room there was for his lungs to expand, and the more he panicked.  The more he panicked, the more air was pulled into his chest, further limiting his lung expansion.  It was a vicious cycle that she had to break, or it would kill him.  Without hesitation, she leaned forward and kissed Zarbon.

His eye widened in surprise along with the other men’s eyes.  He couldn’t breath through his broken nose nor could he protest or push her away because of his injuries.  His body demanded oxygen, but some part of his mind overrode this need and prompted to kiss her back.  I may suffocate, but what a way to die, he thought as his eye slid shut.

Jeice promptly pulled the air from his friend’s chest.  “Guldo, give me an O₂ bottle, please,” he requested.

The small frog-like alien nodded, then squeezed one pair of eyes shut in concentration.  A bottle floated across the room to land next to Tonya.  Jeice started to say something to the girl, but she reached back and grabbed the mask that was connected to the bottle.  She brought it up to Zarbon’s head though the couple was still lip locked.  Tonya pulled away when Jeice turned the valve and she held the mask over Zarbon’s nose and mouth.  Zarbon’s breathing was calmer now and Tonya smiled as Jeice in triumph.

“Interesting technique,” he quipped.  “Do you use it on all of your patients?”

Tonya blushed.  “Only the ones that I’m mated to,” she replied.

“Good,” Jeice replied watching Zarbon’s breathing.  “Let’s move him into the infirmary.”

Tonya’s eyes widened in concern.  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?  I mean, with all his broken bones we might do more harm to him,” she said worried.

Jeice smiled gently.  “If we didn’t have a telekinetic present, I would agree with you,” he said.  “But Guldo can move him without hurting him.”

Tonya frowned and studied the small alien with a critical eye.  “All right,” Tonya said and slipped the holding strap of the mask around Zarbon’s head.

Jeice pulled Tonya back and Guldo stepped forward.  His eyes slid shut in concentration again, then Zarbon and the O2 bottle levitated.  Guldo proceeded to float Zarbon to the infirmary, and Jeice followed him.  Tonya stood there uncertain if she should follow or stay where she was.  “Coming?” Jeice asked glancing back at her as he went through the doorway.

“Yes,” Tonya said picking up her notes and hurrying after them. 

She stepped through the door into the medical room and froze just inside the door, and blinked, suddenly feeling very out of her element.  There were so many buttons and so much high tech equipment in the room that she was afraid to breathe let alone move lest she set something off.

I think your poor earthling is going into sensory overload, Jeice said to Zarbon over the relay.

Probably, Zarbon agreed.  She’s nervous around unfamiliar places and people.  On top of that, she has to deal with me trying to die on her.

Having to deal with one’s mate being seriously injured is very stressful, Jeice replied.  Zarbon gave him an odd look.  Or so I’ve been told, Jeice added.  “Tonya,” he said aloud.  She jumped and turned to look at him.  “Would you like to help me?”

She nodded and walked over to the table Zarbon now rested on.  Shyly, she handed her notes to Jeice.  “I hope you can read them,” she said blushing.

“These are great,” he ensured her, looking them over.  “I believe you’re on a different time system than us though.  How long ago did you give him this?”  He pointed at the medication.

“Umm…” she looked at her watch.  “About four hours ago.”

“Do you have the bottle?  I’m unfamiliar with this medication.”

Tonya pulled the vial from her pocket and handed to him.  Jeice studied the label a moment then pick up a slender probe and stuck it in the bottle.  He read the little screen and nodded thoughtfully.  She turned to look at Zarbon, who was watching her and she smiled.

“Well, let’s get started,” Jeice said after rereading her notes.  “Would you mind removing the rest of his clothing while I ready the tank?”  She nodded.  “There are scissors there on the tray,” he added before walking over to the closest of the regeneration tanks.

Tonya glanced at the scissors, then unsheathed a claw, and began to cut Zarbon’s shorts off.  The cloth seemed to just fall apart as it touched the super sharp blade, dramatically reducing the amount of tugging and time she had to spend on her task.  She started to lift the waistband of his briefs to repeat the procedure, then paused as she realized what she was going to do.  Blushing, she swallowed hard and glanced at Zarbon’s face, but his eye was shut.  “Umm, Jeice?” she asked trying to keep her voice even.  Did you want all of his clothing removed?”

“Yes, please.”

“Even his underwear?”

Jeice turned to look at her.  “Yes, even his underwear,” he replied noting her crimson complexion.  “Is there a problem with that?”

It didn’t seem possible, but she blushed even deeper.  “No!” she squeaked.  “I just…It…umm,” she sputtered.  “I wasn’t naked in the tank,” she finally squeaked out dropping her eyes in embarrassment.

“But you were not injured like Zarbon is,” Jeice pointed out calmly.  “Any material he is wearing could become imbedded in a wound that we’ve over looked.  Then we would have to remove it surgically or risk an infection.”  You’d think she’d never seen you unclothed before, Jeice said over the relay, amusement tinting the link.

Zarbon let his own amusement and embarrassment be felt over the link as he replied, She hasn’t.

Jeice’s face remained composed, but his surprise flooded the relay.  How is that possible?

We may be married according to my laws, but her customs and laws do not see it that way.  We are waiting for her to complete her education before we attempt to begin a family, Zarbon answered.

That makes sense, Jeice agreed.  He turned his attention back to Tonya who was studying him with a slight frown on her face as though trying to figure something out.  “If you would prefer me to do it…” Jeice started to offer.

“I’ll do it,” she said quickly before he could finish.

She missed Jeice’s smirk when she turned back to her task.  Two quick cuts and the material fell away, proving Zarbon was most definitely male.  Tonya stared a moment, then looked away swallowing hard, her cheeks once again burning.  Turning her back to the table, she stared at the opposite wall desperately trying to think of something else.

Jeice bit back a laugh knowing it wouldn’t help the situation.  “Okay,” he said regaining his composure.  “Let’s get him into the tank now.  Guldo?”

Tonya glanced from Jeice to Guldo, then stepped away from the table.  Jeice waved her over to stand next to him as Zarbon floated into the tank.  Guldo gently set Zarbon down on the bottom of the tank then left the room.  She helped place the monitoring devices on Zarbon’s chest and Jeice slipped mask over Zarbon nose and mouth when she removed the oxygen mask.  Stepping out of the tank, they watched the door swing shut and the fluid began to fill the tank.

Zarbon’s eye opened as the fluid lifted him from the floor and he met Tonya’s worried gaze.  She smirked and blew him a kiss, then placed a hand against the glass of the viewing window.  When the tank was full, Zarbon was suspended in the bluish tinted liquid.  Wrapped in its cool embrace, he felt safe and his long hair floated freely around him like a nimbus.  An anesthetizing gas filled his lungs as the fluid dulled the pain of his external injuries.

His gaze flicked to Jeice.  Watch her.  Protect her, he instructed him.

Of course, Jeice answered with a slight tilt of his head.

Zarbon’s eye slid shut and he surrendered to the sleep that waited to claim him.

“He’ll be out in about twenty hours,” Jeice said placing a hand on Tonya’s shoulder.  She nodded to show she had heard him, but didn’t move from her position.  “You can’t intend to stand there the entire time,” he said in disbelief.

“No?” she asked raising an eyebrow at him.  The tip of her tail flicked lazily.  “Why not?”

Jeice opened his mouth to reply when the tall red head and Burter came in carrying Taru between them.  “Ready for your next patient, Doc?” the red head asked cheerfully.

Tonya frowned darkly but said nothing.  Folding her arms, she turned and stood in front of Zarbon’s tank like a guard, her tail lashing angrily. Jeice blinked at the sudden shift in her mood, but then thought it was probably justified.  “Yes, Rikume, bring him over here.”   He checked Taru over quickly then ushered the young man into a tank on the opposite side of the room.  Shutting the door, he set the controls so that Taru would be under heavier sedation than one with his injuries normally would be.

He waited until Taru was unconscious, then turned to Tonya.  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

“No, I’m fine,” she answered.  Then her stomach growled loudly in opposition. 

“Taru’s going to be out for a long time,” Jeice informed her.  “He can’t hurt Zarbon while both of them are in the tanks.”  He put a hand on her shoulder.  “You’re tired and hungry.  Why don’t we go get a bite to eat, then you can take a nap while Zarbon’s recuperating,” he suggested gently leading her out of the room.

- - - - - - - - -

Jeice sighed and rubbed his neck as he walked back into the infirmary a few hours later.  Convincing the girl to go to bed had been a difficult task and he had seriously considered sedating her to get her to comply.  Jeice preferred his infirmary cleared of healthy people; especial if they were just going to mope around and/or glare at his patients.  He leaned against the counter and sighed.

Rough day?

Jeice turned his head to look Zarbon’s tank, noting his friend was awake and watching him.  “Not as bad as yours,” he replied walking over to inspect the tank’s controls.  “What are you doing awake?  You know you’ll healing faster if you’re asleep.”  Jeice paused and frowned, then met Zarbon gaze.  “Do I need to adjust the level of pain meds?”

No.  They’re good where they are, Zarbon replied.  How’s Tonya doing?

“She’s fine.  We managed to convince her to eat some food and sent her off to bed a little while ago.  The Captain offered her his room, and I believe she was going to bathe before she retired for the night,” Jeice answered.

Does Guldo currently have a girlfriend? Zarbon asked rather casually.

Jeice thought the sudden change of subject was weird, but dismissed it as a side affect of the medication Zarbon was on.  “No.  He caught his last one in bed with another guy and swore off relationships for a while,” he replied.  “Poor guy.  I don’t understand why they do that to him.  He’s loyal, romantic, and sweet when he’s in a relationship…”

And the biggest lecher in the known universe when’s he’s not, Zarbon cut in.

“Well, yeah,” Jeice agreed quietly.  “I…”  Jeice paused and stared at his friend who was giving him the look that meant he’s was missing the point.  His eyes widened as he suddenly understood, then turned and ran to the control room.  Just as Jeice had expected, Guldo was there, watching the monitors.  Frowning darkly, he walking up behind the chair in which his teammate was seated.  “Enjoying her shower you toad?” he asked angrily.  “I thought you were going to bed.”

Guldo turned to face Jeice looking sheepish.  “Sorry.  It was just too tempting,” he replied.  “Zarbon’s a lucky guy.”

“You’ll be a lucky guy if he decides not to kick your ass later.  He guessed that you’d be in here drooling all over the monitors watching his mate!” Jeice snapped.  “This surveillance system is for quickly locating intruders, NOT invading the privacy of guests!”

“Calm down, Jeice,” Guldo said rolling his eyes.  “All I got to see was her taking off her shirt and according to you, half the population of this planet has seen that on TV.”

He gestured to the monitor behind him.  “She noticed the camera right away and threw a towel over it.”

Jeice just looked at him for a long moment.  “Go to bed, Guldo.  I’ll let Zarbon and the Captain deal with you later.”

Guldo shut off the monitors, then slipped past Jeice and out of the room.  Sighing, Jeice pinched the bridge of his nose, then turned to go back to the infirmary.

- - - -- - - -

It was either extremely late or extremely early in the day, depending on how you view such things.  The sun would be peeking over the hills in just over an hour and Jeice was exhausted.  Between the long mission he had just completed and dealing with the mess Taru had caused, he had only managed to get two hours of sleep.  He didn’t bother to turn up the lights in the infirmary and walked straight to the tank where Taru floated.

Rubbing one eye, he studied the console for a long moment, then, with a yawn, keyed in the code that would bring Taru out of his drug-induced coma.  Tapping a few more buttons, the liquid began to slowly drain from the tank and Jeice’s eyes narrowed slightly.  He suppressed the sudden desire to put the boy back into the tank after beating him in much the same manner as Taru had beaten Zarbon.  Then Taru opened his silver eyes and Jeice melt the deadly urge melt away. 

Briefly meeting Jeice’s gaze, Taru then bowed his head in shame and stood up.  He took the towel Jeice offered him and began to dry off.  His eyes flicked toward Zarbon’s tank and he froze, his eyes widening in fear.  Quickly wrapping the towel around his waist, he continued to stare past Jeice, chewing on his lower lip nervously.  Jeice turned to see what had spooked the boy and his own eyes widened in surprise.

At the base of the occupied tank lay a bundle of light colored cloth.  Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jeice sighed in frustration and exhaustion.  “Get to bed, Taru,” he commanded.  “We’ll talk in the morning.

“Yes, sir,” Taru answered softly, then left as quickly and quietly as he could.

Jeice gave him five minutes to get to his bed, then slowly approached the pile of cloth.  He examined the blanket a moment, then knelt beside it, and gently shook where he was assuming a shoulder would be.  The form beneath the blanket mumbled, then stirred, and he was rewarded with a pair of bleary green eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked sleepily.

“Nothing,” Jeice answered shaking his head.  “What are you doing in here on the floor?”

Tonya shifted and sat up rubbing her eyes.  She yawned widely, giving Jeice an excellent view of her canines.  “Couldn’t sleep,” she answered.  “I wanted to be near him.”  Tonya leaned back against the tank, and yawned again.

“Well, I’m supposed to be watching you for him,” Jeice informed her.  “And he would skin me alive if I let you catch something from sleeping on the cold floor.  Let’s get you back into a nice, warm bed, hmm?”

Tonya chuckled softly and smiled as she took Jeice’s hand.  “I’m glad he’s got a good friend like you,” she said giving his hand a gentle squeeze. 

Jeice smiled back.  “And I glad he’s got a loyal female like you for his mate,” Jeice replied.  “Now to bed with you.”

“All right.”

He helped her to her feet and led her out of the infirmary.  Jeice paused and turned his head as he thought of something.  “Would you like a snack before you go back to sleep?” he asked.  Tonya cocked her head curiously, then shrugged, and followed him to the kitchen.  He opened a drawer and pulled out two apple-sized objects and handed one to her.

Tonya studied the emerald skinned object carefully.  It had a light, citrus fragrance, and its shape reminded her of an orange.  But the skin was smooth instead of bumpy and it had a stem like an apple.  She looked at Jeice inquisitively.  “What is it?”

“Zarbon’s favorite fruit,” Jeice answered.  “Originally only found on Zydney, they are now grown on several worlds.”  He inspected his fruit casually.  “It also happens to be his mother’s favorite and the very fruit he was named after.”

“Oh?”  Tonya looked at the fruit again, then carefully took a bite.  The cool, creamy flesh parted without a sound and seemed to almost melt on her tongue.  Her eyes closed as she savored the taste, slowly chewing before she swallowed.  “It reminds me of his kiss,” she said softly, more to herself than to Jeice.

“I thought so,” Jeice agreed.  “That’s why I though you’d like it.”

Tonya’s eyes opened and she studied him as she took another bite.  “You think it does too?” she asked.

Jeice blushed and swallowed hard.  “I meant, uh, that’s what I’ve been told.”

“Uh-huh,” Tonya replied skeptically, trying not to smirk.  Her tongue flicked out to catch the juice trying to run down her hand.  “Would you like to try a different excuse?”

Jeice’s blush deepened.  “I don’t know if I should tell you,” he said quietly.

Tonya shrugged and sat down on a stool next to the food preparation table.  “Why not?  It probably happened long before I ever met Zarbon.  What could I complain about?  Besides…” She smiled wickedly.  “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask him and he will.”

“You’re not going to like it,” he warned sitting down next to her, wondering why he was even going along with this conversation.  I must be more tired than I realized, he mused

“Are you sure?” she asked smirked.  “I’m a Yaoi fan and you’re a handsome guy.”  Her tail flicked with anticipation.  “Now who kissed who?”

Jeice just looked at her for a long moment, watching her slowly devour the fruit.  “We met as teenagers in King Cold’s training academy.  The newer recruits get paired up with the older ones for room assignments.”

 He paused thinking.  “Zarbon has very clear ideas on what he wants in a mate and none of the girls in Cold’s forces matched his criteria even a little bit.  On top of that, his culture is quite different from mine and I misread several of his actions.”  Jeice stared at the fruit in his hands.  “We’d been roommates and best friends for over a year.  We were sitting on his bed watching an entertainment program one night, and I touched his shoulder.  He looked at me and…I kissed him.”  He was blushing deeply again, and couldn’t bring himself to meet Tonya’s steady gaze.  He swallowed hard and continued.  “Zarbon didn’t kiss me back, but he didn’t put away either.  He just tensed up and I realized I’d made a mistake.  I pulled back, fully expecting him to deck me or have a look of disgust on his face, but he just looked confused.”

He glanced up and was surprised to see sympathy and concern in her eyes.  “I jumped off the bed already apologizing, futilely trying to hold back my tears of shame, and headed for the door feeling like a fool.”  He smiled slightly.  “Poor Zarbon.  He caught me and stopped me from leaving the room.”  He noticed the very tip of her tail was flicking madly though she was sitting completely still.  “He thought he was the one who’d done something wrong and started apologizing for breaking one of my customs.”

“Customs?” Tonya asked, her eyes wide in disbelief, her tail pausing for a moment.  “He thought you kissing him was part of a custom?”  She paused, thoughtfully.  “Well, I guess it could be, but most don’t involve a bed and TV.”

“He was only sixteen at the time,” Jeice replied.  “And he was still naïve in most matters of the heart.  Boys on his planet lead rather sheltered lives, much like young girls in one of your Earth convents.  I think it was the first time he’d ever been kissed.”

“But you got it all straightened out, right?”

“Yes, and he’s even posed as my boyfriend/lover a couple of times for different missions.”  Jeice smiled ruefully.  “But he’s never let me kiss him again.”

Tonya laughed, then grinned wickedly.  “So you two were roommates, hmm?  I bet you can tell me all kinds of ‘interesting’ things about Zarbon that I don’t know.”

Jeice smirked.  “Probably.”  He gave her a sly look.  “I have some nice pictures, too,” he added causally.  Her tail paused again as her eyebrows raised, visibly interested in seeing said photos.  “But it will have to wait until morning.  Some of us need more than a few hours of rest a night.”

Tonya looked disappointed, but laughed and wished him a good night.  She headed back to her quarters and Jeice watched her leave as he stood there thinking.  He put his untouched fruit away and returned to the infirmary.  He checked the console on Zarbon’s tank, yawned, and then turned to return to his own underused bed.

What are you doing awake?

Jeice turned back to the tank, slightly startled.  “I could ask you the same,” he answered frowning at Zarbon.  “I let Taru out a little while ago.”

Is Tonya okay? Zarbon asked as worry filled the mental link.

Jeice waved his handed dismissively.  “She’s fine.  Taru is scared to death of her.  I thought he was going to have a panic attack when he realized she was in here when he woke up.”

She was in here?  Why?

“She said she couldn’t sleep,” Jeice answered.  “But when I noticed her, she was fast asleep curled up in front of your tank.”  Jeice yawned again.  “We had a bit of a talk and she returned to bed.  And I think that is the best idea I’ve heard in quite awhile.  Good night.”

Night.

- - - -- - - - -

Breakfast was a tense affair.  The older members of the Ginyu force were almost certain that blood would be spilt as the youngest one attacked their guest or vice versa.  But to their surprise, Taru just stared at the table silently as he ate trying to pretend he was invisible but flinched every time Tonya even glanced his way.  Tonya was polite even if her manner was a bit cold, but her tail betrayed her tension with its lashing.

“I’m going for a walk,” she announced as the table was being cleared.

“Bundle up,” Rikume warned.  “It’s cold out there.”

Tonya nodded and quickly donned her many layers.  Wrapping her muffler around her securely, she stepped out into the Canadian wilderness.  Shivering as a frigid blast hit her, she picked a direction then started walking away from the compound.  She’d been outside about an hour and had managed to wander quite a distance from the building.  Stopping in a glade sheltered from the wind, she watched a snowshoe hare munching on some frozen leaf buds, oblivious to her presence.  I wonder if they’re done talking to Taru yet, she thought glancing up at the clear blue sky.

The hare suddenly sat up, then darted away across the frozen ground.  At the same time, Tonya’s tail bristled and she turned, ready to fight, a low growl rumbling in her chest.  Taru landed and flinched at the glare he knew she was giving him through her sunglasses.  He raised his hands in a placating gesture and tried to smile.

“I just want to talk,” he said, eyes wide with fear.

The growl stopped, but she didn’t relax.  “About what?” she asked warily, tilting her head.

“I am sorry for what has happened,” he said, “and I would like a chance to explain why I did it.”

Tonya stood there silently for several minutes deciding whether or not she should listen to what he had to say.  “Talk,” she finally commanded, dropping her fighting stance.  She was still ready if he tried something, but it was warmer to fold her arms and hold an aloof stance.

Taru took a deep breath and began.  “I joined the Ginyu Force about two weeks before they came to Earth three months ago.  Just hours before we were supposed to start the trek here, a Siren-jin female named Mala asked me if I could do her a favor while I was on Earth.  She asked me if I knew that there was a Zydnian male on Earth named Zarbon.  I told her that I did and that he was a friend of Jeice’s.” 

“Zydnian?” Tonya asked cocking her head.  “Shouldn’t it be like Zydnish?  Like Turkey, Turkish?”

“The bird?”

“No, it’s a country in Southwest Asia,” Tonya replied shaking her head.

“Oh, maybe you should ask Zarbon” Taru said, and paused to recollect his thoughts.  “Mala gave me a sad smile when I said Zarbon was Jeice’s friend and told me Zarbon was no one’s friend.  She told me about a long list of horrible things Zarbon had done over the years.  One of which happened to be pretending to love her brother, then repeatedly beating and raping him before Zarbon finally murdered him.  She said he’d sent her family a videotape of the whole thing, but couldn’t touch him because he’s threatened to wipeout the rest of their family if they did.”

Tonya’s eyes narrowed as she looked over her sunglasses at him and her tail had started to lash again.  Taru raised his hands again and gave her a pleading look, and she managed to hold her tongue.

“Then she told me that he was repeating the same procedure on Jeice, pretending to love the shorter man, but only using him for the sex and control.  Mala told me that Jeice had often had to spend days in the tanks after a…a “date” with Zarbon.”  He paused and wet his lips, his gaze wavering slightly as pure regret and shame filled his face.  “I am a stupid, gullible fool.  I should have asked Jeice or one of the others, but Mala told me no one else knew and Jeice loved Zarbon, and would lie to protect him.  She begged me to kill Zarbon, avenging her brother’s murder and setting her family and Jeice free from Zarbon.  I thought I was a good judge of character and was so moved by her words that I agreed to do the task.”

Taru took a step towards Tonya and she tensed, but held her ground.  “I now know Mala was lying about everything she said because she was jealous and angry.  I know that what I did to Zarbon was undeserved and wrong.  I thank you for stopping me before I completed the deed.”  He bowed deeply to her, then straightened and saluted her. 

Taking a deep breath, he schooled his features into an emotionless mask, dropped to his knees in the snow, and looked up at her.  “I now know Zarbon did none of the things Mala told me he had done.  I am guilty of the attempted murder of you life partner.  According to my planet’s customs and laws, my life is forfeit to your whims,” he said formally.  “You may end my life without fear of repercussion, now or in the future.  If my life is spared, I will owe you a life debt that must be repaid.”  His eyes closed and he swallowed hard, his honor momentarily warring with his pride, then he reopened his eyes.  “I will become your loyal servant, and do whatever you command for the rest of my life.  It is your decision.  I await your judgment.”  He bowed his head and closed his eyes.

Taru kept his eyes closed and his face expressionless trying not to sway her decision as he waited.  He did not hear her move, and jumped at the kiss of cool metal against his throat.  His body tensed involuntarily in response, and he swallowed hard before raising his head to allow for a cleaner kill.  Tonya stood there a long moment just watching him, feeling the beat of his heart beneath her claws as she pressed the dull edges against his skin.  She withdrew her hand with a sigh.

“Get up,” she commanded tiredly.  Taru opened his eyes and looked at her questioningly before complying.  “Killing you will not undo what has been done,” she said as she rubbing the back of her hand, trying to warm the cold metal before she retracted her claws.  “I will discuss your fate with Zarbon, but I can tell you right now,” she said giving him the finger.  “I do not need another male waiting on me hand and foot.”

The move and look she gave him was intimidating already, but add in three twelve-inch claws and it was positively frightening.  Cold pain was slowly working its way up her arm because of her claws and ungloved hand so she turned her attention back to them.  She grimaced in pain as she tried to retract her claws and aborted the attempt.  Taru stepped closer as he removed his own gloves, took her hand, and holding the other just above her claws.  His hands glowed with energy and Tonya could felt the warmth sinking into her skin and bones.  After a moment she was able to sheath her claws without problem and quickly put on her glove.

“Thanks,” she said with a slight smile.  “But don’t get the idea that I’ll dump Zarbon for you because you’re a great hand warmer,” she said.

Taru smiled and bowed his head slightly.  “You would be disappointed if you did,” he replied truthfully.  “You’re not my type.”  She raised an eyebrow at him.  “I prefer kovra noptokalia leuka qalliapa aroqa.”

            Tonya feinted confusion of the meaning of the strange words, but she had understood perfectly.  Taru was interesting in short, white haired, orange skinned males, probably Jeice because his height and hair color was a fairly rare combination. 

“Let’s get back before they think we got into another fight and come looking for us,” she suggested.

“Yes, mistre…”

“Do Not call me that,” Tonya snapped, glaring at him.

He blinked at her in fear and surprise.  “Milady?” he asked quietly.

She frowned and snorted, but nodded.  “You can me that if you must give me a title,” she conceded, “but I prefer Tonya.”

“Yes, milady,” Taru replied, bowing.

Tonya rolled her eyes and started back to the compound.  Taru fell into step just behind her like a good bodyguard/servant would do, and she wondered what she was going to do with him.

- - -- - - - -

Zarbon blinked awake as the fluid began to drain from the tank.  He waited until the liquid was about 75 % gone, then removed his mask, kneeling of the floor of the tank.  The door opened as the last of it disappeared and he began to remove the monitoring devices, glancing up as Jeice stepped into the tank.

“How do you feel?” Jeice asked watching his friend carefully.

“Hell of a lot better than when I went in,” Zarbon answered.  “But the same as I always do when I get out of one of these things.”

Jeice offered him a hand up which he accepted gratefully.  “Do you want anything?” he asked watching Zarbon sway slightly.

“No, the dizziness and nausea isn’t as bad this time,” Zarbon replied rubbing his forehead.

They stepped out of the tank and Jeice handed him a couple of towels.  Zarbon began to dry off, carefully testing the range and flexibility of his newly healed body as he did so.  Everything seemed to be in working order, even if there was a bit of lingering stiffness and pain.  That would disappear shortly, along with his slight tank sickness.

He became aware that his friend was now watching him more carefully than professional medical interest usually required.  “Jeice,” reprimanded softly.

The orange skinned man chuckled and shrugged as he leaned against the counter.  “Hey, Tonya said I could look,” he replied.  “I’m just not allowed to touch.”

Zarbon paused and looked at his friend trying to decide if he was serious or not.  It would be just like Tonya to say something like that, and mean it too.  Jeice laughed and Zarbon glared at him.  “Voyeur,” Zarbon accused.

“Who could blame me?” Jeice asked, smirking.  “You’ve always been a very handsome male.”  He met Zarbon’s gaze.  “And Earth life agrees with you well.”

Wrapping on towel around his waist, Zarbon raised an eyebrow at him.  “What do you mean?”

“You’ve not lost weight, but you’ve lost body fat.  Your hair is shinier and your eyes are brighter,” Jeice said listing the traits on his fingers.  “You heal faster, too.  Cut seven hours off your tank stay this time.”

Zarbon looked the console in surprise.  “Really?”

Jeice nodded.  “I would contribute to more regular sleeping habits, more regular nutritious meals, and a more relaxed environment here than what you got when you were with still with us.”

Zarbon laughed.  “You might think that would be it.”  Now Jeice raised an eyebrow.  “I do have semi regular sleeping habits now, and sometimes the food is more nutritious.  As for more relaxed…you’ve been around Tonya awhile now.  And there are four others like her in the house.” 

Jeice blinked, then smiled in sympathy.  “How do you do it?” he asked.

“I only have one brother,” Zarbon reminded Jeice.  “I’ve dealt with females my whole life.  You just have to remember a few simple things.  If something happens, it’s your fault whether it is or not.  She’s always right.  And apologize, even if you have no clue what you did or didn’t do.”

“You’re whipped, Zarbon,” Jeice said laughing.

Zarbon shrugged.  “That’s what they tell me, but I’m happy and Tonya’s not quite as dominant as most think.”  He smiled softly.  “She likes to take care of me instead of having me pamper her.  She reminds me to eat or go to bed when I’m so wrapped up in a project that I forget to eat and sleep.”  He looked at Jeice still smiling.  “Though I must admit I do have to do the same for her occasionally.”

“That seems only fair,” Jeice replied and handed Zarbon a stack of clothes.

Zarbon blinked and looked at the shirt on top in surprise.  “I didn’t bring this one with me,” he said looking at Jeice curiously.

“No, she did,” Jeice answered.  “I’d swear that girl is prepared for every possible situation she might encounter up here.”

Laughing as he put the clothes on the counter, Zarbon nodded.  “I’d be surprised if she wasn’t,” he replied.  “I’m also surprised she isn’t in here by now.  Where is she?”

“Well, since you enjoy surprising her, I decided not to let her know you were getting out early.  She’s outside sparring with the others and enjoying herself,” Jeice answered as Zarbon began to dress.

“Where’s Taru?”

Jeice didn’t answer immediately and Zarbon paused and looked him.  “He’s outside with the others,” Jeice admitted.  Zarbon’s eyes widened and he quickly buttoned his pants, then headed for the door.  “Zarbon, stop and think,” Jeice said firmly.  “Taru wiped the floor with the last time.  What are you going to do when you walk outside half naked and barefoot into the Canadian winter?”

Zarbon stopped, then his shoulders slumped as he realized Jeice was right.  “So its better to leave her alone with him?” he asked quietly.

“The Captain and the rest of the team are out there with them, so she is hardly alone,” Jeice reminded him. “And Taru has declared he has a life debt to her.”

“A life debt?” Zarbon turned back to Jeice.  “Really?  How did Tonya take that?”

“Taru said he thought she was going to cut his throat when he told her, but she spared his life because she didn’t think it would solve anything.  She decided she would talk with you about it before making her final decision.”

Zarbon was silent a long moment, his gaze on the floor.  “Do you know why he did it?” he asked.  He looked up at Jeice.  “Does he deserve a harsh punishment?”

“He talked to Mala.  Taru didn’t even realize he was under her power,” Jeice answered.  “Apparently she’s still angry that you picked Tonya over her.  ”

“Mala.  As if she was ever my choice in the first place,” Zarbon said bitterly.  “She’s even worse than Zucca.”

“You’re just lucky her powers don’t work on you,” Jeice replied. 

Zarbon nodded.  “She would have had us married before the week was out,” he said and shuddered. 

“I hope I didn’t over step my bounds, but I had Ginyu contact King Cold about your attempted assassination.  Mala is already in custody and awaiting trial.”

Zarbon’s mouth dropped open in shocked surprise.  “Attempted assassination?” he asked dumbly.

“Well, you’re not dead, so it was only an attempt,” Jeice answered with a smirk.  His expression turned serious.  “You’re a Prince, Zarbon, even if you keeping forgetting that fact.  It’s an intergalactic incident when a member of a royal family is attacked or killed,” he added.

“Oh,” Zarbon said looking thoughtful.

“Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to get dressed so you can go surprise your “little woman”?” Jeice asked after a moment.

Zarbon smirked and walked back over to his clothes.  “She’s taller than you are,” he quietly pointed out.  Jeice just glared at him and he quickly finished dressing.  “How’s my hair look?” Zarbon asked, trying to run his fingers through his tangled locks.

Jeice snorted, shook his head, and rolled his eyes.  “Zarbon, you just got out of the tank after a near death experience.  I really don’t think she’s going to be looking at your hair.”

“It’s that bad?” he asked looking distressed, wishing Jeice at least had something with a reflective surface in his infirmary.

Jeice sighed.  “It looks like you’ve been swimming,” he replied.  Maybe you can get her to brush it for you.”

Zarbon brightened at the thought.  “She does like to do that,” he admitted quietly.  He adjusted his shirt collar then looked at Jeice.  “I’m ready.”

They walked into the main room, and Jeice grabbed his coat.  Zarbon stood by patiently, but made no move to do the same.  “It’s extremely cold outside, Zarbon.  You really should put on a coat.”

Zarbon smiled mysteriously.  “I don’t expect to be out there that long,” he answered.

Jeice frowned slightly, but decided to drop the subject.  He followed Zarbon outside into the snow and both men blinked at the sight before them.  Tonya was about twenty feet off the ground with her back to the pair.  She had been trapped by Guldo’s powerful “Brain freeze” attack.  While she could still talk, blink, and breath, the rest of her body was completely paralyzed.  Though she fully understood what was happening, Tonya still struggled to break the attack’s hold on her body.

Zarbon motioned for Guldo to lower the girl and the little man grinned.  He dropped her slowly so she wouldn’t notice and tilted her back just a tiny bit so she would be unbalanced when she dropped.  Silently, Zarbon moved to stand behind her, ready to catch her when Guldo released her. 

She struggled only a few minutes more, then relaxed, panting from the effort.  “I give up, Guldo,” she said with a smile.  “I can’t break the attack.”

“Good try though.  You put more energy into it than most do,” Guldo said, then released her without another word.

She yelped in surprise as she dropped the last two feet to the ground, expecting at least a little warning before she was dropped.  Her feet slipped as they touched the snow and she stumbled backwards into someone.  Strong arms steadied her and prevented her from falling on her rump as she tried to regain her balance.  Tonya looked up in surprise, expecting Taru, but her eyes widened and her breath caught as she realized it was Zarbon.  He smiled at her while she just stared up at him for a second.  Twisting, she wrapped her arms around him as he did the same to her.

“Zarbon,” she murmured hugging him tightly, her voice thick with emotion.

“Tonya,” he replied softly as he returned the embrace, and tried to swallow the sudden lump in his throat.  He shivered as a slight breeze ruffled his hair, and tried to ignore the cold that slowly chilled him.

She opened her eyes, then stared at him in shocked surprise.  “Where is your coat?” she asked incredulously.  Zarbon just returned her surprised look and she pulled back to give him a push towards the building.  “Get back inside before you freeze!” she commanded.

He turned, ducking his head as though in embarrassment and hurried back towards the door with Tonya hot on his heels.  Zarbon winked at Jeice as they past him, and then entered the compound.  Smiling, he turned back to face Tonya, but the smile quickly faded into a look of sympathy.  She had stopped just inside the door, her head bowed slightly as she tried to control her emotions. 

“Tonya,” he started, but stopped himself from saying, “Don’t cry.”  He opened his arms and met her halfway, his heart aching as a sob escaped her throat.  Grunting softly as her hug compressed his ribs a bit more than their normal range, he held her tight as she cried against his chest. 

Sniffling, she buried her face against his neck as he began to stroke her back.  “I thought I was going to lose you,” she confessed softly.

“I thought you were going to as well,” he admitted.

Raising her tear-streaked face to look at him, she sniffled again.  “I love you. Zarbon,” she said.  “Now and Forever.”

Smiling softly, he cupped her cheek, brushing away a tear with his thumb.  “And I loved you, Tonya.  Now and Forever.”  He kissed her gently on the lips, then kissed away her tears.

She opened her eyes to look at him again and touched her forehead to his with a smile.  Returning her smile, he touched his nose to hers.

“Are you getting warm?” he asked.

She dropped her eyes and blushed slightly.  “A little,” she admitted softly.

He chuckled and kissed her again.  “I meant that you’re still wearing your coat.  Would you like to take it off?”

“Oh.”  She blushed deeper.  “Yes.”

Tonya pulled back a little, and Zarbon unzipped her coat, unwilling to let her stray to far.  She slipped it off and he tossed it toward the coat rack, not really caring if it made it, then took her into his arms.  Looking into her eyes, he smiled.  She looked back at him through half lidded eyes, returning the smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  He dipped to kiss her, deepening it as she responded.  Lost in each other, they failed to hear the Ginyu force come inside.

“Aww, young love,” Rikume said with a smirk.

“Good thing we only gave them five minutes,” Captain Ginyu added.

Realizing they were no longer alone, Tonya and Zarbon broke the kiss blushing in embarrassment.  They shifted to meet the group’s gaze, Zarbon still holding her close with an arm around her shoulders while Tonya’s was around his waist.

“So…Tonya,” Guldo started with a sly look.  “Do you think he’s fully recovered now that you’ve given him a physical?”

Tonya blinked and blushed deeply, at a lost for a response.  She recovered quickly and smiled mischievously.  “Oh, this was just the initial exam.  I got…distracted,” she replied.  “I’ll have to do a much more comprehensive “exam” later.”

“Okay, on that note, I’m changing the subject.” Jeice said, cutting in.  “Who’s’ up for lunch?”

- - - - - - -

The rest of the day passed amazing fast.  Now that Zarbon was awake, the other men proceeded to tell Tonya countless funny, crazy, and/or just plain embarrassing stories about her beau.  They had waited out of respect for their friend and the fact the some of the stories were better told from his point of view.  Tonya joined in the fun with a few of her own, mostly about Zarbon’s confusion with slang and clichés.  In turn, Zarbon retaliated with a few stories about the Ginyu force and Tonya.

After all the talking, they chose sides and waged a massive snow war.  Tonya quickly realized she was at a disadvantage as the others used their Ki shields to deflect attacks.

“No fair!” she protested diving behind a tree.

The Captain agreed and ruled that Ki could not be used to deflect the snowballs.  Violators would be stuffed in a snow bank.

Jeice and Zarbon were on the same team and Jeice kept a close eye on his friend.  When Zarbon began to show signs of tiring, Jeice quietly drew him to the side and suggested they retire inside for a while to rest.  Knowing it was the best thing to do, Zarbon grudgingly agreed.  His body may have been completely healing, but his injuries had been severe and he still needing time to regain his full strength and energy.

Tonya saw them go, but quickly forgot about it as the fight grew more intense.  It lasted another hour before a draw was declared and the combatants went inside to warm up and dry off.  She quickly changed into dry clothes and toweled some of the moisture from her hair, then began to look for her lover.

The search didn’t last long.  Zarbon and Jeice were sitting in the den on opposites of a small table.  Neither seemed to notice her enter, nor acknowledged her presence when she walked up to the table.  Between them sat a board on which multi colored and multi shaped piece resided.  Both wore expressions of intense concentration and were staring at the board grimly.  Jeice was leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest.  Zarbon was leaned forward, elbows on the table, his hands folded in front of his mouth.

Jeice nodded slightly and leaned forward to move a piece.  Zarbon’s hand darted forward to move another piece.  “Sjekk make,” he said with a smirk.

Jeice just stared at the board, mouth slightly ajar.  “No way,” he said after a moment.  “I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it,” Zarbon replied grinning.  “That’s four games out of four you’ve lost to me, Jeice.  Not a good record for the “Spillet Behersker.” 

Jeice frowned and glared at his friend.  “That’s because I haven’t had any even halfway decent competition since you left,” he replied.  Tonya heard the door open and turned to see Taru enter the room, but the other guys were still in their own little world.  “I’ve started teaching Taru how to play.  He’s a fast learner and he’s good.  Very good.”  Taru flushed with embarrassment, but looked pleased with the praise.  “But it will be a while before he’s at our level.”

“My level you mean,” Zarbon teased. “I think even Tonya could beat you and she doesn’t even know how to play.”

“I’m not playing that poorly,” Jeice growled.

“Are you certain of that?” Zarbon asked innocently.

Jeice didn’t reply and Tonya moved to stand beside Zarbon, the tip of her tail swaying back and forward.  She studied the board from her new vantage point, but still had no idea what the game was.  “What are you playing?” she asked, nudging Zarbon to making sure he heard her. 

“Forvirring,” Zarbon answered with a warm smile.  “It’s like a cross between chess and Chinese checkers.  It originated on Jeice’s home world.”

“Confusion,” Tonya murmured translating the unfamiliar word aloud.  “It looks complicated,” she added, cocking her head as she frowned.

“It is a little,” Zarbon admitted.  “But once you understand the basic concepts, it’s easy.”  He looked at Jeice.  “Ready for another game?”

“Of course,” Jeice replied.  “I have to avenge the my title, don’t I?”

“I suppose that means I should let you win this game, hmm?” Zarbon asked with a sly look.

“Just let me get a chair before you start,” Tonya cut in, starting to turn to go do so.

Before she could even take a step, Zarbon’s arm snaked around her waist and pulled her onto his lap.  She squeaked in surprise as she was pulled backwards, but didn’t resist.  Laughing softly, Tonya shook her head as she relaxed in his arms.  “What?” Zarbon asked cocking his head.  “You’ve got the best seat in the house.”

She sat up and shifted to face the board as Jeice reset the board.  Zarbon wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, and then yawned.

Frowning slightly, Jeice wondered if his friend really believed his lady could beat him.  “So…Am I playing you or her?” Jeice asked, raising an eyebrow to accent the question.

“I’m your opponent,” Zarbon answered.  “But Tonya’s going to move my pieces.”  He raised his eyes from the board to meet Jeice’s gaze.  “Unless you object…”

“No, that’s fine,” Jeice replied.  “Though I suppose we’ll have to explain what we’re doing as we go?” he asked, trying to remember the reasoning behind certain moves.

Taru now decided to make his present known.  He wanted to watch, especially if there was a chance Jeice might lose, which was something he had never seen.  “Mind if I sit in?” he asked hopefully.

“Not at all,” Tonya answered before the other two had a chance.  She felt Zarbon stiffen slightly, but she smiled warmly at Taru.  “You can help explain this game to me when these two get too technical.”

Taru bowed.  “It would be my pleasure to help, milady,” he said smiling.

Tonya flushed as Zarbon snickered and she elbowed in the ribs, which made him laugh harder.  Both Jeice and Taru raised and eyebrow at them and Tonya blushed deeper.  Zarbon swallowed his laughter and hugged his blushing beloved.  “She’s not used to that title,” Zarbon explained smiling fondly at her.  “No one else in the house would call her that unless they were joking.”

Jeice laughed.  “She’s as bad as you are,” he said looking at Zarbon.  “You were never fond of your titles either.”  He smirked.  “Though you never blushed such a lovely shade of red.”

Zarbon snorted.  “I protested it because it was unfair,” Zarbon clarified.  “Preferential treatment of royal brats shouldn’t exist in the ranks of the military.  Only officers and those who have earned their titles deserve such treatment.”

Taru looked at Zarbon in surprise.  The more he got to know about the man he’d almost killed, the more he liked him, which increased the amount of guilt he felt for his actions.

Tonya squirmed slightly, uncomfortable with the way the conversation seemed to be going.  “If you two are going to fight, would you mind if I moved first?” she asked.

“We’re not going to fight,” Jeice said.  “He just restating a valid point that we agree on.”

“It is a good point,” Tonya agreed.  “I haven’t earned any titles.  I just got lucky that the man I love is royalty.”  She kissed Zarbon’s cheek.

He smiled and returned the gesture.  “You kicked Zucca’s tail and completed the challenge in record time,” Zarbon reminded her giving her a hug.

“And you beat me,” Taru added.  “That should count for something.”

Jeice nodded.  “Beating one opponent that is significantly above you power class is amazing.  Beating two proves that it isn’t a fluke and you shouldn’t downplay it so quickly, Tonya.  You should be proud of it.”

“You could use a reputation like that to avoid fights in the future,” Zarbon added.  “The Ginyu force is a very elite team that is known all over the universe.  Beating even a new recruit requires skill, power, intelligence…”

“Dumb luck, the element of surprise, and a vicious temper,” Tonya added cynically.

The guys laughed.  “You’re not going to let is win are you?” Taru asked.

Tonya smirked and looked at Zarbon out of the corner of her eye.  “Smart boy he is, yes?” she asked in a Yoda-ish voice.  “Catches on fast, he does.  Make some male very happy one day, he will.”

Taru blushed and then cough as though clearing his throat.  “I thought we were going to teach you to play Forvirring,” he said.

She pouted.  “But this is so much more fun,” she protested.  “You blush such a lovely shade of purple.”

He blushed again and Zarbon decided to step in and bail him out.  Handing Tonya a particularly shiny piece, he began to explain the pieces, the board, and the concept of the game.  “Are you listening?” Zarbon asked after a few seconds.

“It’s shiny,” Tonya replied with a grin showing him the silver horse-like piece she held.

He sighed, took the piece from her, and holding it out of her reach, began to explain the game again.

- - - -- - - - - -

Tonya stared at the board deep in thought.  Her tail tapped the floor steadily as she tried to decide her next move, but she saw many possibilities before her and couldn’t decide which one was best.  Zarbon sighed and shifted slightly, his arms tightening around her waist for a moment before he relaxed again.  Reflexively, Tonya looked at her watch, then adjusted band.

“I’m not taking that long,” Jeice groused without looking up from the playing field. 

“No, you’re not,” Tonya agreed quickly.  “Just checking how long he’s been asleep,” she explained.

The other men tore their gaze from the table to look at the sleeping Prince.  Jeice turned to say something to Taru, but the younger man was already gone.  He returned quickly and offered Tonya one of the soft cloths he’d brought back.  She looked at him blankly, unsure of what to do and wondering what, in any, custom this could be.

Jeice chuckled.  “Here, let me,” he said taking the cloth.  Standing, he moved to her side of the table.  “You’re in danger of getting wet, milady,” he said smiling, then wiped the cloth across Zarbon’s chin and mouth.  Zarbon mumbled in his sleep, but didn’t wake up.

Tonya blinked.  “What?”

“He was about to drool on you,” Taru explained as he reclaimed his seat, trying not to look too amused.

“Zarbon does not drool,” Tonya retorted with a glare, then looked at her beau.  Taru laughed as her eyes widened as another slow string of saliva began its decent.  “Or at least he didn’t,” she added looking confused and worried.

Jeice wiped his friend’s mouth again.  “It’s just a side effect from his time in the tank,” Jeice reassured her.  “He’s entire species seems to be prone to it, but no one is quite sure why.”

“How long will this last?” Tonya asked beginning to see the humor in the situation, but she was not looking forward to possibly waking up waterlogged.

“Generally Zydnians only have this problem during their first sleep period after their tank stay.  You shouldn’t have to worry about it tonight,” Jeice answered.

Tonya took the second cloth and refolded it, then rolled her shoulders.  Without waking, Zarbon lifted his head while she stretched and resettled.  Quickly placing the cloth on her shoulder, she relaxed and he let his head drop back onto her shoulder. 

The other guys looked quite amused and Tonya smirked.  “I believe it’s still your turn, Jeice,” she said.

- --- - -  -- -

“Supper is ready whenever you are,” Rikume announced from the doorway.

“Thank you,” Jeice replied looking at his teammate.  “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”  Rikume nodded, then left and Jeice turned his attention back to the game.

Taru was frowning as he studied the board, his eyes narrowed in thought.  His hand hovered over a piece for a long moment, then he moved it to a different place on the board.  Tonya’s brow furrowed further and she cocked her head to the other side as she thought about her choices.  Sighing in dejectedly, she raised her hand to move a piece, then froze and stared at the board.  Jerking her hand back, she straightened in her seat and studied the board more intensely.  Jeice hid his smile with his hand and watched to see if she was about to make the move he’d seen a long time ago.  Nodding, she hesitantly reached forward again and slowly moved a piece.  Taking a deep breath, she released the piece and swallowed hard.

Raising her hope filled eyes to look at Taru she asked in a soft voice, “Checkmate?”

Taru blinked and looked at the board in surprise.  Nodding, he smirked ruefully.  “Checkmate,” he agreed.

“I won?” she asked looking at Jeice for conformation.

“Yes,” Jeice answered with a smile.

“I won,” she said again as though she didn’t quite believe it.  Then she grinned.  “I won!” she declared happily.  “Yes!  Finally!  Woohoo!”  She punched the air in victory.

“Hmm?  What?” Zarbon asked, awakened by the sudden movement.  He unconsciously wiped his mouth and yawned.

“I won!” Tonya chirped twisting in his arms to kiss him.  “I won!” she declared again, smiling broadly.

He looked at her blankly.  “Won what?” he asked

“Forvirring.  I beat Taru,” she explained.

“Oh.” Zarbon yawned again.  “Congratulations.”  Then he actually realized what she had said.  “You did?  That’s great, Angel!”

“Yeah, and it only took five games before she won one,” Jeice added standing up.

Tonya stuck out her tongue at Jeice who laughed.  “Very mature,” Taru said dryly also rising from his seat.  “Shall we go eat before the others consume it all?”

- - - - - - --  -- - -

Even though her watch said it was only eight o’clock back home, Tonya decided that it was time for bed after Zarbon dozed off for the hundredth time.  Plus she couldn’t stop yawning, and felt it was rather silly to try to stay awake when your body obviously wants/needs sleep.  Wishing the Ginyu force a good night, she and Zarbon retired to the Captain’s quarters.

“Mind if I take a shower first?”    

Tonya shook her head.  "No, go ahead," she answered giving Zarbon a hug.

He returned the gesture, then looked around the room.  "Do you know where my bag is?" he asked, hoping Taru hadn't disposed of it in-between beatings.

"Your bag is over there next to mine," Tonya replied pointing toward the other side of the room.  "Currently hidden by the bed," she added realizing she couldn't see them from her position by the door.

Zarbon picked up the bag and walked into the large bathroom while Tonya sat down on the bed.  She stretched, then untied her shoes, and tossed them towards her bag.  Sighing, she laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment before getting up to correct the position of where her shoes had landed. 

She pulled her pajamas out of her bag and dug around until she found her pick and brush.  Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Tonya began to unbraid her hair.  Running the pick through her long chestnut locks, she worked carefully to remove any tangles.  She heard the shower shut off and she looked towards the bathroom.  With a yawn, she stood and walked over to knock on the door.

“Wrap a towel around yourself, Love,” she called.  “I’m coming in.”

 Without another word, she opened the door and stepped into the room.  She turned to face him and her eyes widened in surprise.  A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she didn’t even try to suppress her giggles.  Zarbon blushed darker and tried to glare at her, but he was too embarrassed to do so effectively.

“Nice towel, angel,” she said stepping closer to inspect it better.

“It was the closest one,” Zarbon mumbled.  “You didn’t give me much time to choose.”

The towel was covered in embroidered hearts and lip prints that ranged from deep red to pale pink.  The background was a white/cream color and it was just barely big enough to go around Zarbon’s waist.  He stood there dripping, holding the towel so it wouldn’t slip, wondering what Tonya wanted.  Shifting slightly, he adjusted his grip on the towel and swallowed hard as she eyed him appreciatively.

Slowly, Tonya circled him, gently touching his shoulder to stop him from turning.  He tried to watch her as she walked behind him, turning his head since she wouldn’t let him turn his body.  She stopped in front of him and reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear.  He just looked at her then almost let go of the towel when she suddenly hugged him fiercely.  Wrapping his free arm around her, he held her close as she laid her head against his shoulder, the tension quickly draining from her.

Zarbon smiled and kissed the top of her head, noticing how relaxed she was now.  His eyes widened fractionally as he realized that she had been tense all day and that she had only relaxed now that she was certain he was back to normal.  He half wondered what she would have done to Taru if she had found a scar, a bruise, or other lingering evidence of injury.

He held her a moment longer, then said, “I’m getting you all wet, kitten.  You should have waited until I’d dried off.”

She smiled and chuckled softly.  “I’m taking a shower tonight,” she reminded him.  “So it doesn’t really matter if I get wet now.”

“Even if it means embarrassing me?” he asked.

“You were wearing less yesterday and didn’t seem to mind that I saw you,” she replied.  An unconscious blush crept into her cheeks at the memory and she wet her lips.

Now he chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose.  He pulled back to look at her for a moment then gently touched his lips to hers, letting her pull his head down to deepen the kiss.  As the intensity of the kiss grew, Zarbon forgot why he was only holding her with one arm and let go of the towel to correct this problem.

* * * * * * * *

Captain Ginyu shut off the monitor and a groan of disappointment and protest rose from his men.  “We agreed that we were only going to check on him,” he reminded them.  “He appears to be fine and we know he’s in good hands.”  He turned to face them.  “This room is now off limits until they leave,” Ginyu declared.  He gave each one a stern look, lingering on Guldo.  “If I catch any of you in here…”  He let it hang, and the group knew better than to ask.  The Captain didn’t like to define his punishments before the crime was committed because it left him more room to be creative.   And he could be very creative, a fact many stupid warriors had learned over the years.

“Good night,” the Captain said.  The men quickly left the room to find other places to be.

* * * * * * * **

Zarbon yawned, breaking the kiss.  “Sorry,” he said, then yawned again.

Tonya smirked and shook her head.  “It’s okay.  I know you’re tired.”  Her tail wrapped around a larger, fluffy, but solid colored towel and pulled it off the towel bar.  Catching the edge of towel in her hand, she wrapped it around him from behind.  Stepping back, she completed the circle as the other towel fell to the floor.  He blinked as she tucked the end so the towel wouldn’t fall, and she grinned at him.  “There.  Is that a better choice?” she asked.

He smiled.  “Thanks,” he replied.

“Now I’ll leave so you can finish up,” she said and turned for the door.

“You’re not going to help me?” he asked.  Zarbon had spoke on impulse, but it didn’t sound as joking as he’d meant it to sound.

Tonya paused at the door and gave him a look that seemed to say she was considering it, and Zarbon felt the butterflies in his stomach start doing loop-de-loops.  With a smile and a shake of her head, she left and he couldn’t decide if he was relieved or disappointed.

- - -- - - - - -

Tonya stepped from the bathroom and paused a second to let her eyes adjust to the darker lighting of the bedroom.  She had turned down the lights before her shower, but she had expected them to be off when she came out.  A smirk touched her lips as her eyes fell upon the bed. 

Good thing I turned down the covers before I went in, she thought, the smirk turning into a soft smile.

Zarbon had simply dropped his bag on the floor and then collapsed on the bed, or so it appeared.  He lay almost in the middle, sprawled out on his back, his hair haphazardly covering the pillows.  Wearing his blue silky pajamas, he looked like a millionaire playboy who was worn out from a party that had lasted a day or so.  Or…

“Waiting for his favorite concubine, the desert prince dozed upon his bed,” she said quietly walking towards the bed. 

“Princess,” mumbled her sleeping lover.

Tonya paused and cocked her head.  “What?” she asked softly.

Zarbon sniffled and stirred slightly.  “Waited for his princess,” he replied sleepily.  “I don’t believe in concubines.”

She laughed.  “But they do exist,” she responded.

“I don’t want one,” he retorted petulantly.  He raised his head to look at her and blinked in sleepy surprise.  “Pink,” he said as though in disbelief at the color of her pajamas.

Tonya crawled onto the bed and along his body.  Zarbon found himself staring down her top and tore his eyes away to look up at her.  Eyes dancing with laughter, she kissed him, laying down on top of him without putting her full weight on him.  His arms wrapped around her, his hands delighting in the silky texture of her pajamas. 

She pulled back to look at him.  “Sorry I woke you ,” she said softly.

He smiled.  “I am not.”  Zarbon rolled so they were both on their sides and snuggled against her, ducking his head under her chin.  He sighed, wishing he could stay awake, but sleep was already reclaiming him.  “You should thank, Taru,” he mumbled against her throat.

“Why?”

“If I could stay awake…”  He yawned and tried to form a coherent sentence, but his brain was already shutting down for the night.  He mumbled something that she couldn’t quite make out then fell into a deep sleep.

Tonya frowned as she tried to decipher the last mumble, but couldn’t figure out what he’d been trying to tell her.  He nuzzled her throat, his arms tightening fractionally around her and she smiled.  Closing her eyes, she pushed her thoughts aside and let herself drift off into dreamland.

- -- - -- - - - -

Zarbon sighed and cursed mentally, then carefully extracted himself from Tonya’s arms and hurried to the bathroom.  He had hoped he could ignore his bladder until morning, but it had quickly become apparent that wasn’t going to be possible.  Feeling twenty pounds lighter, he washed his hands, then headed back for bed.  He paused as he neared the bed as he realized he wasn’t really sleepy anymore.  If he got in bed now, he would just lay awake for hours, or toss and turn until he finally fell asleep.  Either way, he would more than likely wake Tonya, and she had already had enough less than perfect nights during this adventure.

Turing from the bed, he pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down, and then turned to watch her sleep.  He hadn’t noticed earlier, but she had left her hair down and the faint light of the room showed off the highlights in a new way.  The blankets had been pushed down, most likely when he got up, but she hadn’t pulled them back up yet.  She shifted in her sleep and he noted that the top button of her top had come undone.  It didn’t really reveal anything, but it reminded him how hot he’d been before he’d fallen asleep.

He smiled softly, thanking the gods that he’d been so tired.  If he’d had any energy…  Well, Tonya probably wouldn’t have let it go that far.  They weren’t ready; both of them knew that, but hormones and emotions could override logic even in the best of circumstances.

Tonya moved again, and he wondered if she was having a nightmare.  Her hand ran over the sheets on one side of her, then the other.  She frowned in her sleep and he realized see was looking for her bear.

Old habits die hard, he thought, a little sadly.  That silly bear had been with her longer than he had, and he was a little jealous of it.  You didn’t bring her, love, he added mentally.  Her hands groped across the cool sheets again, and he sighed, resting his chin on his arm.

“Zarbon?!” she cried out as she sat up suddenly, tossing back the blankets.  She started to rise, but noticed him in the chair and paused, looking confused. 

Startled, he just stared at her for a moment, then rose, and joined her on the bed.  She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.  “Shh, it’s okay,” he said holding her, stroking her long hair.  “I’m okay, angel.  Did you have a bad dream?”

“You left and didn’t come back,” she murmured.  “I got scared that something had happened.”

“I’m sorry,” he replied.  “I wasn’t really tired anymore and didn’t want to wake you.  I didn’t realize you were looking for me.  I thought you wanted Share bear.”

She raised her face to look up at him, a puzzle expression on her face.  “I haven’t take Share bear to bed with me in forever,” she said.  “Why would I be looking for her?”

“When we’re at home and you do that, I give you Share bear and you stop,” he replied.

She blinked, then smiled lopsidedly at him, and gave a short laugh.  “Maybe the first few times I was looking for her,” she admitted.  “But after that, I was looking for you.”  She tapped his chest with her hand to emphasize her words.  “Only you would assume I was looking for my bear, or even be in the room while I was sleeping.  So, if someone handed me Share bear, I could generally assume it was you and that you weren’t coming back to bed.”

Zarbon smiled softly.  “You know what happens when you assume,” he teased.

“Mmmhmm.  It makes you jealous of stuffed animals,” Tonya replied smiling.

“No, it…”  Zarbon shut his mouth and frowned slightly.  “I wasn’t jealous,” he protested, a slight blush rising on his cheeks.

Tonya simply yawned and snuggled against his chest.  “I’m sleepy,” she murmured closing her eyes.

“I wasn’t jealous,” he repeated. 

She smirked, but chose not to answer.  He lay down, bringing her and the blankets with him.  Tonya yawned again and snuggled closer to his side as he shifted onto his back.  Her breathing slowly evened out and she was asleep again.  Zarbon felt her shift again, her arm sliding across his waist and her leg crossing his.  He chuckled mentally, but almost jumped as he felt something furry slide over, then around his ankle.  He kissed her forehead, and yawned suddenly feeling sleepy.

Good thing I made that trip to the bathroom, he thought as he drifted off.  She’s not going to let me get up again tonight.

- -- - - - -- - -- - -

Zarbon drifted to conscious, lingering a moment on the plane between dream and the real world.  With a soft sigh, he committed to waking and opened his eyes.  He blinked a few times as he realized Tonya was watching him, then a slow smile crept onto his lips.

“Morning, kitten,” he murmured reaching up to cup her cheek.  Tonya gave into the temptation she’d being feeling for the last half hour and kissed him gently.  “What’ve you been up to this morning?” he asked as she propped herself up on an elbow once again.

She shrugged.  “Just thinking,” she answered looking down at the sheets, absently tracing the pattern with a finger.

“About?”

Tonya hesitated.  “Stuff,” she answered after a moment.

“Like?”  He reached over and took her hand, bringing it to his lips.

She watched him do it.  “The things I would have missed,” she said softly.  Zarbon gave her a puzzled look.  A blush crept onto her face and she avoided his eyes.  “The way the light reflects off your hair.  The color of your eyes and the way you look at me.”  She paused.  “Your voice.  Your laugh.  The sound of my name on your lips.”  She blinked a few times and drew in a shaky breath.  “The way you hold me when I’ve had a bad dream,” her voice wavered and he pulled her into his arms. 

She snuggled against him and was silent for a moment.  “The way I feel safe in your arms, like nothing in this world, or the next, could get me.  Your warmth. Your scent.  The beat of your heart.  The rise and fall of your chest as you breath.  The peace on your face when you sleep.  The way you kiss me.”  She raised her eyes to meet his.  “And a hundred other things that would take hours to tell if I could find the words to explain them.  But mostly, I would miss the way that you show me I am loved everyday, without any effort at all.”

Zarbon found himself speechless and he held her close, his own thoughts like quicksilver.  She was trembling slightly, he realized.  It was hard for her to say things like that because she didn’t like to show those emotions.  Humor and joy were easy for her, and she usually played like nothing could get her down.  True anger was hard for her to express; she didn’t like feeling it so she tried to repress it.  Sadness and tears were rarely seen, because she didn’t want to appear weak.  And love?  Forget it.  She guarded her heart like Fort Knox.

Sure she would pass out hugs and other gestures of affection like they were nothing at all, but they really didn’t mean much for the most part.  She could befriend tons of people, but only a select few made it into her circle of true friends.  Flirting was just a habit that meant nothing to her, and most of the guys seemed to realize that fact.  Tonya, though she could play hard and rough with the big boys, was terrified of having her heart broken.

Zarbon knew he’d been more than lucky to get close to her so fast.  He’d become a friend and lover almost immediately; love at first sight.  This ordeal was tough on her, but he really hadn’t realized just how rough.  “I love you,” he said, though he felt the words were weak in comparison to what she had just said.

“I love you, too.”

   They lay there in silence a while, just savoring the feeling of being together.  Tonya nuzzled his throat, then got up and walked over to her bag to pick out her outfit for the day.  She could feel Zarbon’s eyes on her and she smiled over her shoulder at him.  The smile turned wicked as a particularly naughty thought crossed her mind.  If she went with the impulse, she knew she would be playing with fire. 

But that’s what a pyro does, she thought smirking.

She pulled out the clothes she wanted, then stood up, her back still to Zarbon.  Taking a deep breath, she pulled off her nightshirt in one smooth motion, and let it drop next to her bag.  Picking up her bra with her tail, she put it on, and then took off her pants.  Goosebumps covered her skin, and she suppressed a shiver as the cool air assaulted her bare flesh.  Bending at the waist, she picked up her clothes, and then turned toward the bed.

Zarbon’s jaw was fully dropped, his eyes were wide with surprise, and he was making no attempt to hide the fact he was staring.  She walked back to the bed with a slight sway of her hips and sat down the edge of the bed.  Slightly disappointed she hadn’t been pounced on yet, Tonya pulled on her socks, pouting slightly.  She pulled on her long underwear pants, standing up to pull them up and slide her tail through its hole in the back, then sat back down on the bed.

  Feeling a presence directly behind her, she turned her head to look over her shoulder just as an arm encircled her waist.  Zarbon gave her no chance to speak, but claimed her lips with a passionate kiss.  She leaned back into his warmth as the kiss deepened.  His hand was on her hip, but slowly began to travel upwards, intending to rest on her shoulder, but encountered something softer first.  Tonya gasped in surprise, breaking the kiss, and they looked at each other for a moment.    

Without moving his hand, he tentatively kissed her again, giving her the opportunity to protest if she decided she didn’t like where his hand was.  She was shivering now; a mixture of excitement and cold.  Zarbon shifted suddenly and she found herself underneath him and the blankets, wrapped in his arms.  Curious emerald regarded amused gold with surprise, then she began to laugh.

“What?” he asked smiling.

She tapped him on the nose.  “I knew this is where we’d end up if I try this stunt,” she replied with a sly smirk.  “And you wonder why I won’t let you see me in a towel.”

Zarbon decided not to point out that he had already seen her like that, but just shrugged.  “I get to see more this way any how,” he replied truthfully.

Laughing again, she retorted, “But a towel is easier to remove.”

He gazed at her with a thoughtful expression for a moment.  “Not really.”  Shifting so one hand was free, he made it glow with his Ki, and formed what looked like a blade.  “A few quick cuts and…”

            “Eeep!  I believe you,” she said quickly.  “You don’t need to demonstrate and shred my nice clothes.”

            “Aww.”  He pretended to pout.  “But, you’re just in you underwear.”

            “Which I would like to keep intact, thank you,” she replied. 

            He chuckled and the Ki blade vanished.  “I suppose I have to find another way into your pants,” he mused.

            “I don’t think they’d fit you,” she teased, before he kissed her again.

 - -- - - -- - - - -- -

Breakfast was a much more pleasant affair than it had been the day before.  Tonya and Taru were chatting amiably, acting almost as though they had been friends for years.  Zarbon ate in silence watching the two of them with a wary eye, but tried to act like he wasn't bothered by Taru's presence.

"Have you ever seen the Aurora Borealis?" Taru asked.

Tonya shook her head sadly.  "Only on TV."

"While you're up here you should see it.  I know of a really good place to watch the lights," he responded. 

"Oh?" she asked as cocked her head in interest. 

He nodded.  "It's not far away.  We could go tonight if you wished."

"That would be great!" she replied grinning.

Zarbon stood abruptly, startling the group.  "Excuse me," he said quietly, then walked away stiffly.  He didn't stop walking until he was in the den.  The lights were dim, but he didn't ask the computer to brighten the room.  Closing his eyes, he leaned against the wall and sighed.  After a moment, he pushed off the wall and crossed the room to sit down in the chair at the Forvirring table.  One hand absently played with a piece while he tried to clear his mind and sort out his thoughts.

He heard the door open and someone enter the room, but he didn't look at her.  Tonya stood there silently, her tail flicking nervously, and she watched him with a concerned/worried look on her face.  "Zarbon?" she asked softly.  He didn't answer.  "Are you okay?"

He just continued to stare at the piece in his hand.  "Yeah," he answered after a moment. 

She took a tentative step forward trying to see his face so she could judge the situation better.  "You're not jealous, are you?" she asked.

Zarbon paused in his study of the piece.  "Jealous?" he echoed.

"Of Taru."

Could that be it?  He was jealous?  He frowned and searched his thoughts and feelings, then shook his head slightly.  "No.  I'm not jealous."

She sighed in relief, feeling as if a huge weight had lifted off her shoulders.  Tonya walked over and put her arms around his shoulders, resting her chin on his shoulder.  "Good," she said and pressed a kiss to his neck.  "He's not my type and I am not his."

"Oh, really?" he said turning his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eye.

Smirking, she kissed his cheek.  "I'm not properly "equipped"," she replied.

Both Zarbon's eyebrows went up in surprise.  "What's he looking for?  Dolly Pardon?"

"Parton," she corrected him.  She reached for the piece he still held, batting at his hand as he kept it just out of her reach.  After a moment, she gave up and nuzzled his neck.  "So why did you leave the table so suddenly?  Did you have a sudden urge to sit in the dark?"

His expression shifted to a frown and he looked away.  "I..."  He shut his eyes and sighed.  Even though he knew it wouldn’t change anything between them, he hated to admit to her when he was afraid of something. 

Tonya pulled away from him to walk around and slide onto his lap.  She cupped his cheek with one hand and gently turned his face to her.  Sad gold met sympathetic green and she smiled softly, then leaned forward to kiss him.  It was a gentle and sweet, almost chaste kiss and he felt himself relax a fraction.  Pulling back, she smiled at him again, and this time he returned the gesture.  Wrapping her in his arms, he hugged her tightly and sighed again.

"I'm afraid," he admitted quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Of what?" she asked.

"Of Taru.  He took me down so easily," Zarbon continued.  "If he went after you...I wouldn't be able to stop him."  The hug tightened slightly and she could feel him trembling.

"Love, he's not going to "come after me".  He has no reason to.  Jeice told me he was under Mala's spell when he attacked you, but that's been broken," she replied snuggling deeper into his embrace.  "Jeice is coming with us tonight, and if Taru does try something, Jeice can kick the grape ape's ass easily."  She smiled.  "Don't worry I'll protect you," she teased.

"Huh?  Protect me?" Zarbon asked pulling back to look her in the face. 

"You're coming with us, right?" she asked suddenly realizing she just assumed he would.  "I don't want to go look at something romantic like the northern lights with a...," she paused a second.  "Without you."  He hesitated and she pouted, turning her big puppy eyes on him full blast.  "Pwease?"

"Okay, but only if you stop looking at me like that," he replied.

"Yay!" she cheered and threw her arms around his neck to pull him close for a kiss.

They sat there for a while just enjoying each other's company, not really interested in rejoining the rest of the world yet.  Tonya yawned and snuggled closer, then realized the Ginyu force might be waiting on them to come back.  

"Maybe we should go rejoin the group before they think we're doing something we're not," she suggested.

Zarbon chuckled.  "Jeice's already checked up on us," he replied.  "I told him to leave us alone for a while longer."

Tonya sat up and cocked her head at him, frowned as she tried to understand.  "I didn't hear him come in," she said after a moment of thought.

"He didn't.  I told him over my relay," he answered.  She gave him a blank look and he realized she didn't know what he was talking about.  "A relay is an implant," he began.  "It allows you to communicate with others who also have relays or certain transmitters.  King Cold was considering replacing the scouters with relays for a while.  But then he realized it might seem like he was condoning actions of the Alien Dice Corps."

"So Jeice can talk to you at anytime?"

"Mmm, kind of," he answered.  "I can block people if I want, or permanently severe a link if I want or need too."

"Do I have one?" she asked after a moment.

"No," he replied brushing a lock of hair out of her face.  "You just have the language implant."

 "What does the ADC have to do with the relays?"

"They invented them so they could communicate with their players easily no matter where they are.  Lexx has one," he explained.  Zarbon had already decided not to tell her about Chel's relay so Tonya wouldn't say anything to the other girl.  He wasn't sure how Chel had gotten one, and wasn't really sure the girl even knew about it.

"Interesting," Tonya said looking at him thoughtfully. 

- -  - - - - -

Even as cold as it was, Tonya couldn’t resist the lure of so much snow just outside the house.  It was rather rare for a decent snowfall to hit the middle of Kansas, but it was rarer for it to last long enough for more than a day’s worth of fun.  After locating the perfect hill not far from the base, she managed to find enough things to make several makeshift sleds.  The Ginyu force was curious enough to follow when she asked and soon the whole group was slipping and sliding down the snowy embankment.

Zarbon stood slightly off to the side while he waited for his turn, watching the others enjoy themselves.  He winced as Jeice’s sled hit a bump, unseating his unprepared friend and creating a rather spectacular wipe out.  Jeice sat up looking rather surprised, then began to laugh with the others.  After locating his sled, he scrambled up the hill to try again, not bothering to brush the snow out of his hair.

They continued sledding until the early afternoon when they decided it was time to silence their growling stomachs and began to walk back to the base through the woods.  Tonya was being her normal self, dancing around and dipping behind trees to pop out at them at unusual moments.  Or she got distracted by some tracks or a shiny object and would come trotting back with something she’d found to show off before she returned it.

She stopped after a while, and fell into step with the rest.  Zarbon just happened to be looking at her as she combed her fingers through her hair, revealing her bare neck.  She had taken off her scarf while sledding because it had been too warm and hadn’t put it back on yet.  He frowned slightly and stopped walking to catch her arm and pull her to a stop.  Jeice and Taru paused, uncertain if they should stay or just continue on and leave the two lovebirds alone.

Tonya chirped in surprise as he lifted her chin and moved her hair to studying her neck.  “What?” she asked after a moment.

“What did you do to your neck?” Zarbon asked.  Jeice moved closer so he could see as well and his eyes widened.

“Huh?” she asked.

“You’ve got a gash that starts just behind your right ear and cuts diagonally down your neck,” Zarbon said.  “It’s been bleeding,” he added.

“I guess I didn’t notice,” she said.  “Wonder when it happened.”

“When we get back I can fix that easily,” Jeice said.

Zarbon released her chin and she looked at Jeice with a worried expression.  “I’m not going in the tank, am I?”

“No, I’ve got something else we can use,” he answered.

They caught up with the rest of the group and filled them in on what had happened.  Upon returning to base, Jeice and Zarbon drug Tonya off to the infirmary despite of her protests that it was just a little scratch.  She sat upon the exam table and stared at the opposite wall with a bored expression.  Across the room, Jeice was quietly talking to Zarbon as he set up the things he would be using.  Coming over to the table, Jeice first cleaned the injury with some antiseptic and took a closer look at the wound.  Then Jeice picked up a slender, pencil length device and gently took Tonya’s chin in his hand.

“Don’t move,” he cautioned.  “This may sting a little.”

She winced as he stuck the end of the probe into the wound, but didn’t move.  Zarbon watched in concern and gently stroked her tail as it wrapped around his left forearm.  Jeice withdrew the instrument, looked at the read out a moment, and then slowly moved it across the gash.  Finally Jeice was done and he turned off the tiny machine.

Studying the newly healed area for a moment, he released her chin and nodded.  “Looks good.  There’s no scar and no other evidence of the injury,” he said. 

“That’s not very pleasant,” Tonya groused rubbing her neck gingerly.

“But is it better than being in the tank?” Zarbon asked with a smile.

She pulled him closer with her tail and put her arms around his waist.  “Well, I’m not soaked, naked, or dizzy so I guess it’s better,” she answered.

Zarbon started to reply when Jeice spoke up.  “"Tonya, how well do you know you ancestry?"

Tonya cocked her and raised an eyebrow.  "I know I'm of mixed nationality, if that's what you're asking.  But if you want specific names, places, birth dates, and such, I'd have to look through my family records," she replied.

"You may want to do that," Jeice said.

"Why?"  Tonya jumped off the table and walked over to look over Jeice's shoulder.

"Only 99.9971% of your DNA markers match your specie's," Jeice replied.

Tonya frowned as she thought about that.  "So what's the other...0.0009% match?" she asked.

Jeice turned to look at Zarbon who had followed Tonya over.  "They match sequences of the Zydnian species," Jeice answered.

"So I'm part Zydnian?" Tonya asked in disbelief.  "I'm even more of a mixed breed than I'd thought!"

"I've never heard of any other Zydnians living on Earth," Zarbon said.

"This would have been several generations ago.  Maybe someone got lost or was running from the law," Jeice added.