Author's Notes: This, the one-shot turned multi-chapter, is now finished. Thank you for reading, thanks for all those who reviewed, (and to the guest reviewers, who I never remembered to thank until now: THANK YOU!), and thanks for following and favoring... Just... Thanks :3

I may, or may not, have gotten too sentimental with the epilogue. I have warred with it for a few days, and decided to keep it as is, instead of changing. Vegeta may come off as out of character, but I argue that perhaps he is at a point where he has become an old sentimental warrior, not afraid to say what I wasn't sure if he would ever say, no matter what. In the end, I thought, "I like the line, this is fan fiction, and as a fan writer, I want him to say such." 3 *crosses fingers*

Special Thanks to Vegeta'sNo.1 for editing and general story advice.

Reference:

Vegeta: 60's and beyond.

Trunks: mid 30's and beyond.

Bra: mid 20's and beyond.

Star Trek info of minor importance to the epilogue:

1)The Borg are not strictly an alien race, they are a collection (They in fact call themselves "The Collective") of millions of different species of aliens. I feel like they are best described as Zombies, as no one REALLY wants to become one, and it takes another "Borg" attacking you for you to become one, their slow and sickly skinned; though, unlike Zombies, Borg are super organized, are able to share thoughts, and are controlled by one person in charge, their "Queen".

2) Our Galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, is divided in Star Trek canon (I don't recall if real scientists do this) into four "quadrants"; just another organizational box to fit things into. The four "Quadrants" are as follows: Alpha (the quadrant that Earth resides in), Beta, Gamma, and Delta (where the Borg are said to have originated via Star Trek: Voyager). I'm just gonna go ahead and say, sure, Planet Vegeta is also in the Alpha Quadrant. :P

Bra's Father

There had been a few years after Bulma's death and before Vegeta's abdication where he had truly been all a protective father could be for his precious daughter and at times it was the most at peace he had ever been in, her presence a good memory of what he had and a gentle reminder of what he still worked for. Unconsciously, his gratitude for Bulma giving him both a son and daughter to remember her by had buoyed his spirits and strengthened his resolve to continue living, ruling, and looking after her brats.

He still visited her grave every few months, and though she did not talk back nor could smell her, just the mere thought of her presence seemed to do the trick. And when Bra had finally set her sights on her paternal heritage and came to visit, it seemed he still had the responsibilities to make sure she, and Trunks, managed to get their lives settled.

It was with no small amount of pride that Vegeta had escorted Bra to all the places he had taken Bulma (minus the romantic hot spring getaway...), taught her himself everything Trunks had learned from others, and had introduced her to all his subjects, with a strong hand on her shoulder, as: "Bra, my daughter!"

Not even Trunks had ever received such treatment, nor Bulma. In the presence of others, son and wife had been, respectively, ignored or called "Woman". Vegeta had done it to protect himself, to protect them; but for Bra he was catching up on lost time. His need to honor his daughter (and indirectly, Bulma) superseded any desire to close himself off towards her. Besides, while Bulma and Trunks had years to glean information and affection from Vegeta, Bra only had a few months for him to cram a lifetime of such little gestures.

Or so the original itinerary went. With a week or so away from her planned departure of Planet Vegeta, Bra had gone to her father to talk about possibly taking a permanent residence within the castle walls. After a night of careful considerations and planning, a new chapter had started for the Royal Saiyan Family.

Once Bra decided to extend her stay on her paternal home world, perhaps permanently, Vegeta toned down his affections towards her. Bra was slightly disappointed, but she had been more than surprised and happy with his earlier treatment, that the attitude that she had expected from the start didn't truly surprise her when it finally appeared.

Though her father acted coolly towards her, this was still the time that Bra found her calling, her desires, and her zest to live and to excel. She was just as smart as her mother and brother, but never before had she wanted to learn, nor sought out information.

If asked, she could not pin down her reasons for why a sudden interest arose for one culture, why it spoke to her, why she found something her mother always cringed against was exciting to her. On Earth, Bra had learned to fight from the strongest warriors Earth had to offer, but never had she had it so easy. Until arriving on Planet Vegeta, Bra never truly appreciated that Uncle Goku was not only the strongest on Earth and Vegeta, but preeeety much the whole of the universe. Training with him (while he was on Earth) had helped the other Z Warriors excel too. And that trickled down to those they trained in turn: including Bra.

And when she finally arrived on Vegeta, the first Saiyan to question her strength sorely regretted doing so. She had squealed in delight after defeating the "Elite" Warrior, (the sound of her girlish squeals dampening King Vegeta's pride in her for a small moment) and she could not wait for the next fight. Never on Earth had she won a fight so easily, so dominantly, with so much… fun! On Earth, her family never allowed her to fight outside their small group, and it had always been for Bra's future protection from jerks and bad guys. To add insult to this restrictive regiment, she rarely ever won. Now, however, Bra could finally realize the gulf that expanded between the Z Warriors and the average Saiyan Warrior, none of whom had the luck of training/fighting with Uncle Goku as apparently their King kept their top General at the palace whenever he was on Planet Vegeta (or with Chi Chi doing... couple-y stuff). Bra finally, happily, recognized her own worth as actually being a Z Warrior herself. Only King Vegeta, Prince Trunks and a few of their top generals could truly hand Princess Bra a defeat.

This new pleasure of fighting and winning excited Bra, and it was this perhaps that made her pride in her heritage puff up; that she was Saiyan, and was worthy of its blood flowing through her veins. In turn, every defeat she landed, with a handshake and smile afterwards, sometimes a bloody smile, gained her more admirers from her father's people. Her father's open fondness, at that time, certainly helped with her home welcoming.

As her pride bloomed in her fighting skills and her Saiyan blood, so too did her excitement to learn more of that which she only briefly learned about through high school and a few stories from Uncles Braddock and Goku. Actually being surrounded by hundreds in the capitol that were more than ready to share their stories and histories, after a spar of course, awoke Bra's love of history more than she ever had felt in school. Her father even mentioned that not even her mother, ever a consummate student, felt such a need to learn both official records and those told by random citizens.

Bra's place on Planet Vegeta was assured.

Brother and sister also took to each other, like two peas in a pod: bonding over parental stories, learning of the other's home planet and culture, meeting and hearing about extended family and friends on both sides. Vegeta might have worried about one or the other resenting time spent with a parent, but it was like Bulma mocked him from beyond the grave; his two offspring spent hours talking and laughing, usually at Vegeta's expense.

Bra had brought the wedding album Vegeta thought he had destroyed, showing Trunks more photos of his mother, and gleaning for herself another proof of the existence of her father's love as he actually blushed upon seeing the photos. Trunks showed Bra his Earth forged sword, underneath the Earthen Oak Tree, sharing his suspicions that it had been his mother who sent the sword, not Ambassador Bardock, ever since he learned of her existence. Again, the king was embarrassed to have to hear such sentimental drivel, and to confirm that, yes, it was indeed Bulma who originally sent the weapon.

Each had had their own marriages forged and strengthened over the years. Vegeta recalls Trunks and Pan traveling the stars, much as he and Bulma had once done. They were unofficial ambassadors, official students; learning even more then what staying at home could do. Pan was insatiable in her wanderlust; more than her desire to fight, was her desire to go on adventures. She easily captured and inspired Trunks' imagination, which hadn't had too much of an outlet since torturing General Nappa.

When they finally came home to Vegeta a few years later, it was only because they wanted King Vegeta to know his granddaughter, a purple haired, black eyed, squalling brat so appropriately named "Bulma". Holding her was a beautiful thing, a wondrous thing. Vegeta marveled at her, from her ki to her tail (yes, a tail! Fickle genes: no half breeds had had one since Gohan...). Bulma did not look like her namesake, but there was no doubting from whence her heritage came from. He shed a few tears, and wished for the real Bulma, HIS Bulma.

As a once successful, vicious king of a warrior race, Vegeta felt his time as ruler was nearing its end. He knew he was getting too sentimental, too foolish, to be able to continue leading an active people with an iron fist. No longer could he concentrate, nor did he want to, on important planetary affairs or interplanetary relations. His thoughts usually ran selfishly: towards home, with feelings of warmth and love. He felt lost, and the mere memory of Bulma was no longer good enough. He wanted out, he wanted to go back to his roots, which he barely recalls, and fight to the very end. That even if he were to remember his wife while battling, it would be a catalyst to be stronger. It would not, as it would if he stayed home, pull him into reminiscing and despair. As a Saiyan, it was unforgivable for him to just sit and be content, to wallow in the past and merely witness the present. He couldn't, wouldn't, do it.

King Vegeta waited long enough for Bra to get married, for her and Goten to have a first child of their own (a spikey haired boy who inherited some of the Son family looks, unfortunately), before announcing his desire to step down as ruler. He fought an exhibition fight, handing down the crown to Trunks. And then he watched Trunks and Bra fight for real, for keeps, to gain the honor of ruling Planet Vegeta.

And indeed, Bra had put up a good fight, Vegeta was proud to witness. But there really was no question as to the outcome; Vegeta was even more proud when Trunks did not apologize, but instead offered his sister a hearty slap on the back and a permanent position in his Cabinet of Advisers.

Vegeta also worked a short stint as an Adviser. However, it was, unbelievably, more boring than being king. ('HA!' He thought to the Bulma in his head, 'It really is good to be king...' ) By the time figurative drums of war started beating again a few short years later, King Trunks barely needed the assistance of the former king, and Vegeta was beyond restless and eager for a good fight.

Seemingly in the quiet of one night, Vegeta left. He became General of the Saiyan Forces, with hundreds of thousands of strong Saiyan warriors standing confidently behind him, and General Kakarot as Second-in-Command (naturally); but he left without pomp, without fanfare, without saying goodbye. Vegeta felt he had done all he could for both his children, and even for his grandchildren as far as leaving them with good impressionable memories, young as they were, and any "final goodbye" would just be redundant. He felt no sadness leaving them, felt no apprehension, no worry, and no remorse. Feeling such would be un-saiyan-like.

He recalled his own mother dying on the front lines, his father proud and happy to have known her; Vegeta hoped those he left behind would feel such as well. Just as he was happy and proud to have known Bulma, and her brats.

And if he should be remembered in the Halls of Saiyan History as the King who ushered in a new era of glory and prosperity, sire and predecessor of one of the most worthy and honorable of Kings, and father of the most beloved of Warrior Princess? So much the better.

EPILOGUE

Trunks,

Hope you don't mind this old man being informal, but I've known you since before you were born, I will never get used to calling you "my king". I never even called your dad that...

Speaking of your father, I have great news! Vegeta has finally surpassed me. It was great buddy, you have no idea how proud I am of him, my oldest rival... as you know, we were out there in the Delta Quadrant hunting down the Borg Queen. You have read all the reports, so I will spare you the losses, the gains, so on and so forth. Everyone has been amazing, becoming greater fighters or dying with honor befitting those they leave behind, as any Saiyan would wish. The last battle however, the last win and honors, belongs to your father.

The Borg, for being a race of emotionless drones, sure do like to use psychological warfare, especially the queen! In the final battle, she used hallucinogens to weaken the resolve of our warriors. For example, I am not ashamed to share with you, I saw visions of my family dying in front of me, of the most useless and horrifying deaths, and I became petrified. I will spare you further details... Vegeta was also similarly affected, and you can imagine as I did what he saw, as I heard him distinctly yell, "My Bulma!" However, he was then able to do what I could not do just yet, and break the hold the Borg Queen had on him.

I can only guess he had already suffered the permanent death of a beloved and knew how to move on, whereas I still have Chi Chi, and am unprepared to loose her just yet...

Your father powered up to unimaginable levels, Trunks, single handedly battled the Borg Queen, and killed her.

Not without cost, for he suffered fatal blows as well, which is why I write to you instead of leaving all this in a report. I held him as he lay dying, Trunks, and he looked at me with a bloody smile. He has never smiled in such a way at me, I was tempted to think he was still delusional from the drugs. However, I know he fought to the end as he wished: blood-lust raging and protecting those precious to him.

He looked at me, clearly, and gave me his official final words. "I die a proud Saiyan, with no regrets."

Do not despair, Trunks. Cry in sadness, in sorrow, but do not feel as though it was worthless. He died honorably, protecting the Alpha Quadrant, but more importantly, you, your sister, and our families. I, of course, cried. I have lived too long on Earth as he always accused me of; he called me a "sentimental fool", and I choose to think he said it endearingly. (You know, he called me the same thing when I cried over Bulma's death.)

His gaze drifted away then, over my shoulder and who knows what he really saw there. He heaved a final breath, and his smile became soft. No "true" Saiyan would ever smile in such a way, I have learned from your dad, except in private and with their beloved; sentimental fool that I am, I swear he was looking at a vision of your mother. His real final words, which I'm sure he wasn't truly aware of and that he would punch me for daring to repeat a perceived weakness, were: "I'm coming home... Bulma."

Tell Chi Chi that I, too, am coming home.

Your battle buddy,

- Uncle Goku