Kakarott watched as they left the hall. He knew he could have gone back to his quarters if he really wanted to, but he had it in mind to wait for Liena.

She emerged with her tail waving, laughing along with Kijah, (who seemed to be in her usual 'angry' state of mind), and was completely oblivious to his presence.

He fell into step next to her and when she didn't notice him, he took it upon himself to shove an elbow into her side. "What have I taught you about letting people sneak up on you, eh?"

Liena jumped, turning to scowl at him. "I know! You just... I couldn't...." she snorted and folded her arms.

Kijah saluted. "See you later on Li, I have to go clean up."

Liena saluted back, and watched with amusement as Chatsu proceeded to rack Kijah's nerves even more on the way back, simply by keeping by her side.

"I guess you saw I wasn't at the table." Kakarott continued.

Liena looked to him as she walked. "Oh yeah, I noticed that. Why not?"

He just glared at her as she quirked her brows. "Wild guess."

Liena shrugged.

"I got busted for 'playing in the halls'. They couldn't catch who you were, so I had to stand guard."

He folded his arms and scowled forward where they walked.

All at once Liena bursted into laughter. "Oh no! You.. you missed out on that.. because ..of me? " She continued laughing.

Kakarott glowered at her once again and when her laughing finally slowed, he slapped her back with his tail.

She stopped, letting her arms drift out to either side in a confused manner as her own tail lashed out from her waist. "What was that for?"

Kakarott looked her right in the eye, his tone clear and concise. "It wasn't funny that I missed out on all that happened in there. It wasn't funny that I missed out on the food, and it wasn't funny that you didn't have to stand out there with me!"

Liena glanced downward but looked back to him a moment later, just to catch a glance at his angry face. She stopped herself from smiling. "Well I can tell you what happened, and I have food."

She felt herself shifting place, feeling odd all of a sudden. Turning, she began to walk again. The others around them were beginning to clear up as they entered the quarter halls.

Kakarott's face lit up "Food?"

Liena couldn't help but laugh again. "Enough of a payback?"

He nodded quickly as they headed for her quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She bared her teeth at him.

"Stop that. I have to get this on!" Chatsu glared at her, holding a patch of cloth.

Kijah glared, trying hard not to just bite him for being so close. Especially when she was only wearing black under armor.

She didn't drop the angry visage, but let him approach.

Chatsu lightly placed the cloth over her gaping wound, which had luckily hit just under her ribcage. "Singed on the outside. No big deal."

He stepped back to look at his work, finding a bit hard to concentrate on JUST his work.

"I know it isn't a big deal. If it isn't then why did you insist on following me in here to make sure I patched myself up correctly." She scowled and quickly slipped her armor back on, leaving the hole still in the middle.

He put a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Kij, you cant just put that back on. " He sighed. "I figured, that you were such a good warrior, that you weren't used to getting hurt, therefore you weren't used to patching yourself up."

Kijah looked to him, opened her mouth to yell, but had nothing to say. She scowled and turned around as she felt that redness peak at the bridge of her nose again, cursing to herself.

Two hands clamped just below her armor "Arms up Ki-chan" He drawled.

She growled. Literally. "I can do it myself. And do not call me that!"

The hands released, and she heard him take a seat in a nearby chair as she began to pull the top off again. Then she heard muffled laughter and turned to glare at him, one arm still in her armor.

He outright laughed at that.

She growled again as she finished taking it off. The black under armor exposed her patched up stomach, and her hair was flaring in all directions as she faced him. "What?"

He held up a hand, still laughing and shaking his head. His tail lifting and falling behind him in amusement.

"Chatsu! What?"

He simply couldn't find the words to answer right then. Instead he set his jaw, effectively halting the laughter (though it was obviously forced), and simply watched her.

She growled louder and turned again, looking at her armor. Now how the hell was she going to fix this?

"You have another armor top in your upper cabinet" his voice seemed to float directly into her ear. She hadn't heard him stand, nor approach, but he was very close behind her as he spoke.

Kijah stopped and looked forward. She could do nothing else as she just about felt his warm presence at her back. It made her angry that he effected her that way. She wanted to turn around and-

"Ok?" he said again after she didn't reply. That smug voice softened. She heard him take the medical supplies from the table next to her.

She merely nodded as she felt him back away, not knowing where (or how) to move from there.

Finally, she quickly slipped her tail around her waist, turned and stood. Kijah winced a bit as she made the move, but caught Chatsu's eye again.

"What?" she said again, pulling that scowl down over her face. It was a good cover for her own nerves, which seemed to be going about their own business.

"Nothing." He said simply, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Kijah shook her head and walked to her cabinet, remembering his previous words. She reached (with another wince) to get the armor then stood down, looking it over. " Eh, this is the lighter armor." Her eyes moved over the armor she hadn't used in a long time, one hand going absently to her wrapped wound.

"Your wincing. It still hurts." he said, still gazing at her as if he were assessing her every move.

She moved her hand immediately, looking up at him from underneath low-drawn brows. "It does not. Its fine. I said that before!" she had gotten louder as she spoke.

Chatsu smirked. She was back to being angry... now to work for that growl again.

"Alright fine. Lets see you do a lateral spin kick." He raised a smug brow as he stood and crossed his arms.

Kijah raised both brows at the challenge. "Gladly." She stood and took a fighting stance, not having bothered to put on the armor yet.

He took one also. This made her smirk.

She dropped, brought one leg out, twisted to add propultion to the kick- and only got halfway around.

"Damnit! It's nothing but a cut!" Kijah growled and hunched over.

"I told you. Now lets get something else on it." Chatsu said, walking right on into her steam room.

"Chatsu! I can do it myself! Why do you insist on staying here and playing nurse?" She yelled into the room after him.

Chatsu stopped in his own tracks. Why hadn't he left? In fact, why was he still here? He bit his lip and walked out. "Fine. Here." He threw a bottle in front of her and it clattered onto the table. "Do it yourself."

Kijah gaped at him as he walked ot the door. "I mean- I didn't-" she seemed to fight with herself. "No, you really-" She stopped her babbling and turned on her heel again, this time more slowly.

Chatsu turned before leaving. "I'll be back to check on you after your meeting with the Queen. Regardless of whether you whine so." he seemed to wait until she looked over her shoulder to smirk right at her and walk out the door.

Kijah stood up straight and growled. 'Damn him! How does he do this to me?' She sat on her bed and thought a second as she appied the ointment.

"You have another armor top in your upper cabinet."

Kijah quirked her brows immediately. How had he known what she was thinking?

She stared ahead blankly as stories her mother had told her flowed through her mind. There was no way she was beginning to bond with him. But how on Vegitasei...

** That infectuous wicked grin painted on his face. Another pompus one. It was those types that tweaked her nerves more than most. She folded her arms and outright glared into those 'hybrid' eyes but at the same time, fought off being utterly mystified by them. **

"Oh." Kijah fell back onto her bed and ran thoughts through her head that she'd been supressing for days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She shook her head as she watched. It was actually quite amusing.

Kakarott sat, basically eating Liena out of her own quarters.

"Hmm, go on!" he said with his mouth full

"Actually, " Liena thought "Thats about it! I mean she has a meeting with the queen that she's likely at right now and otherwise, everyting went smoothly." Liena finished the story of that evening.

Kakarott nodded slowly as his eating began to let up. He sat back, still munching, but now just observing the place.

Liena did the same, only she observed him with utter amusement.

"Hey Liena, I'm sorry I was yelling earlier. I'm kind of moody when I don't eat." He said sheepishly.

Liena shrugged. "No big deal." She looked down at herself as she wondered about him. Apologizing wasn't a usual practice amongst her kind. "Now that we're all happy. I think I'll go get out of this armor. Its covered in Kijah's blood." She shook her head in rememberance and then stood.

Kakarott watched her go into the steam room. "Is it ok if I stay here for awhile? I just...like the company." He made an odd face at his own words. Why had that sounded so stupid?

Meanwhile, Liena fought back a blush as she removed the bloodied armor. "Its fine! I like it too." She said. It had just sounded so awkward that she quirked her brows at herself.

She pulled a light tunic over her head and walked back out.

-and ran straight into two male Saiyans. Two!?

Kakarott was sitting across the table from Chatsu. Chatsu looked up. "Oh hey Liena. It is Liena right?"

She nodded, still a bit bewildered. "Uh. Why- I mean... well yeah, why are you here?" her tail that was laying behind her lazily now flicked a bit with curiosity.

Chatsu scowled. "No one seems to enjoy company around here."

Kakarott frowned too, and looked at Liena pitifully. "Aww c'mon Li! We can all wait for Kij to get back! and we can play Jinzu until then!"

Liena sneered. The guilt trip. How had he gotten so good at it? Her tail lashed once. "Fine"

Kakarott and Chatsu, who'd obviously gotten acquainted with each other, exchanged victorious glances.

Liena caught it and smacked Kakarott in the back of his head with her tail "No smug males allowed in my quarters!"

Kakarott reached behind his head and made a face at her.

"Oh well! " Chatsu got up and pretended to leave "See ya later, then."

She couldn't help but smile as he sat back down. "You two better watch out. I'm well trained in the art of Jinzu!" Liena said solemnly as she pulled out the small rocks and paper for the table game.

The two males yelled out small battle crys, making her smile again as they laid out the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" - and because of this, you will be awarded a promotion." said the royal guard. He turned and placed the highest ranked battle armor on the planet in her hands.

Kijah fought not to faint right there.

"As a Queen's guard, you will be trained and then set on duty." he said and bowed

She bowed respectfully back.

"Thanks again, Kijah."

She turned to see the Queen smiling at her and smiled back herself.

"You are dismissed warrior." The King's weary, annoyed voice came from the shadows.

Kijah bowed to him and her Queen and turned to leave.

"Vegeta you don't have to be so rude!"

Kijah smirked as she heard the beginnings of another squabble between the King and Queen. It somehow reminded her of a couple she knew.....