Protection the Raditz Way

Primally Yours

By StarbearerTM
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Raditz. Toriyama does. I do own Dr. Atomica Stellari, Fermi and Bohr, and other minor fan fiction characters that are not part of the DBZ universe. This is a work of fan fiction for entertainment purposes only. I don't get rich off this.

***

Fermi and Bohr glared up at the gleaming red orbs trained on them. Atomica nodded to them, for they were bearing the brunt of her body weight now. For her to levitate for too long of a time in her pregnant state was a strain. Yet for them it was hardly a chore.

She recalled a time when carrying her twins that their unborn minds had reached out and psychically stunned someone who had dared come close enough to threaten her.

Their own biological father, Rutherford Stellari. She recalled how he had changed in those latter days. Prone to rages and rants, he would sometimes threaten her with physical harm. Dr. Stellari would stand before him and shout back, making it clear she would not allow such disrespect. Since she never backed down, her husband would back off. But there was one time he actually raised his hand to her, and struck her down. Stellari spat out blood and glared up at him, her hands raised in a defensive gesture. As his fist shot down, he felt a purple radiance shoot out and slam into his body. Pain shot along every nerve, and his fist flew back and hit himself in the head. Every muscle in his body fired at once, and he was paralyzed. Two young minds were filled with rage and anger towards him, centered in the belly of his wife.

"Leave her alone!" he seemed to hear from their minds.

"You coward. Get out of here now," Dr. Stellari spat at him. Struggling to her feet she had kicked him sharply in the ribs and cursed at him. In fear her husband scuttled back and ran from her. That was the last time he was in the same room with her for any length of time. Any attempt he made to reconcile was met with icy rebuff. Eventually her husband realized he was cut off. His nature forever changed by whatever machinations of the red ribbon army had cost him the ultimate price.

Shortly after that, Dr. Stellari had escaped and fled with a group to the outside world. Defecting from the Red Ribbon army to divulge its secrets to the world. In exchange for such information, they were granted amnesty and new lives. Along with the young female she had liberated she had forged a new life. Both boys were born knowing little more of their father then that he had died during battle. Another male presence had been in their lives from time to time, and he was 'father' for a while. It was Rutherford Stellari, having accepted 'treatment' for his condition. One last try at being the father they had known. For her sake he had quit Red Ribbon. Father was strict yet kind to the boys, never raising a hand to anyone. He relied on a stern glare to mete out discipline, and the hand of their mother to spank if needed.

The dark monster and 'Father' were one and the same. Both twins knew, and yet comprehended that people changed. Unfortunately 'Father' was taken from them when both were only four. Defending them against a Red Ribbon attack to try and reclaim them.

"I see," Raditz muttered, glancing down at the woman on his palm, hugging her sons to her. "Only a coward attacks his own mate and whelps."

"You killed and exterminated whole civilizations," Atomica said quietly. "And slew your own brother."

"Women and children died. But never your own kind," Fermi said quietly.

"He wouldn't kill his own children or mate," Bohr nodded. "He never had a mate or children."

"Neither did Uncle Vegeta, till now," Fermi glanced at his mother, sensing the thoughts flickering there.

"Till now I had nothing of value to protect," Raditz said his voice deep and full of wonder. "Now I know why Kakkarot was 'soft'. It was not weakness but the drive of a male to defend mate and cub and den."

"Love is not a weakness. Only to those who don't understand it fully," Stellari looked up at him. "Only to those that have never had it in their lives in a healthy way. The bullies consider love a weakness because it is one thing they could never dominate and subjugate to their whim. And thus they loathe and fear it."

"A lot of talk. I'm getting tired," Fermi yawned.

"So'm I," Bohr murmured.

"There's a place to sleep, safe in the cave below," came the low growl of the great ape above. "I must speak with your mother alone. Do I have your trust young warriors?"

"Yeah I guess," Fermi said, moving away from Dr. Stellari. She reached up and pulled off her blindfold. When she beheld the hulking giant soaring over her with her own eyes she started momentarily. Bohr still clutched her waist protectively.

"Hes… big…" she managed to get out.

"Mommy?" Bohr whispered.
"Go with your brother. It will be all right, I promise," she said. "I'm only a thought away."

"This way?" Fermi nodded to the great ape. A nod of his shaggy head sent more ripples of movement down the massive spikes. Bohr reluctantly detached himself from Dr. Stellari before levitating down. Either twin levitated backwards towards the sloping hill of the cave they had first seen. Instinct told them the great beast would not harm their mother. Although he was fierce and savage, she had cast a spell on the Saiyan. Her sons retreated to the warmth of the cave where they found a bed of soft moss and leaves covered in cured pelts. It figured that Raditz would have made a small 'hunting' lodge out here without her knowledge.

"It was where Nappa and I were first brought back to life by my daughter who wished us alive again. Where Chablis said your ancestors lived centuries ago. Like ours did, in Caves."

"Some lived on the planes of Africa, after a catastrophe that almost wiped us out. But we lived in many places," she corrected him.

"Not your ancestors, small one," Raditz laughed. "You are similar to me, but you are also FAR more different. The world that shaped you is this one. But we were made in a similar image. And both our ancestors were driven out of a place where we were in true harmony with nature. Yours from Paradise, and we from the primal forest. Ours was the task to hunt and dominate the planes of our world, yours to subdue your earth."

"Animal pelts, fur, and all. Really," she chuckled. "You are a caveman. You Saiyans get a hold of technology and put it to use…"

"As you humans do. The same capacity for violence as we have. It's refreshing to see that such weak creatures are such predators and dominators of their environment. A pity that many of you have abandoned your instincts," Raditz chuffed.

"Instinct is one thing, we were given reason. So you run away and bark at the full moon?" she glanced up at him. He moved his other hand to cup around the first, securely cradling her so he could lift her up to behold his terrifying snout.

"Another culture reference… was there not a movie where you the female was in a position with a very large primate…" he growled.

"I'm going to have to stop letting you watch pay per view!" she groaned, realizing that often Raditz had spent many a late night sprawled before the TV with either boy watching old SF films. He had some fool notion that watching the media would give him insights into human culture.

"I always had fun watching the broadcasts of planets we were about to purge. How do you think we found some of them?" he laughed. "You humans have the strangest and most entertaining shows I've seen."

"Great, just great," Dr. Stellari groaned. "The fear of every SF and UFO buff is confirmed."

"If you saw half the drek that was broadcast from so called 'intelligent' races you'd think them worthy of extermination," he said.

Dr. Stellari rolled her eyes, knowing that he was resorting to humor to ease her terror at the sight of his transformation. While she had the detached air of a scientist it was challenged by her own human fears bursting forth. Thrill horror and incredible wonder at something that seemed so familiar. "I kissed that mouth and had that being touch me…"

"You're terrified, aren't you?"

"I'd lie if I said no," she panted. "But do you think so little of my ability to accept your nature?"

"Not you, but your sons. They guard their mother with an instinct for preservation that my race saw as once a weakness. To send males off away from the cave was not always done at such a young age. But it was a distortion of our culture to turn a rite of passage into a way to make money," he laughed.

"HAH," she laughed. "You admit it! This nonsense babies into space wasn't initially Saiyan culture. But you bought their line of drek."

"Annoying female," he mumbled.

"Without females picking up fruits and nuts for your lazy male tails you'd go hungry. Especially when 20 percent of the time was all you brought kill home!" she laughed deeply.

"You humans WERE tree monkeys your scientists claim? That seems hard to believe that could ever be the case, even though you chatter as much as they do!" he grumbled.

"My ancestors LIVED in a garden of many trees and watched the tree monkeys as well as named them, but we didn't swing from them," she laughed and held her sides. "But never had tails like yours... I am afraid."

"Till you were kicked out for eating the wrong fruit?" he teased. "While ours for killing others weaker then us."

Something squirmed against her belly, and she gasped. Raditz said softly, "Are you hurt?"

"Your… our… babies just did a back flip," she whispered. "Are you SURE that Saiyan babies don't' transform?"

"Saiyans need to LOOK at the full moon to trigger this change, idiot," he sighed. To see a Great Ape snort with disgust was a hilarious sight. Raditz cupped his other hand overtop her, and blackness enfolded her. She yelped at the feeling of dropping.

Then the hand was withdrawn. Her eyes adjusted to the night vision, beholding stars overhead. Raditz had simply sat down on his haunches, and was leaning against the hillside to peer down at her. Great fingers lightly rubbed her soft hair as he cradled her body on his left palm. She yelped at the feel of a large index finger touching her curved belly with great delicacy.

"Very strong. I chose my mate well. A shame you cannot join me," he murmured.

"Do pregnant females change as well, and their offspring with them?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "But the young do not change. They remain inside for the better part of a year."

"A whole year…" she trailed off.

"Sleep little one," he growled, curling up and laying down. He seized part of his great hair and rested a fold on his lap. Then he placed Dr. Stellari on it so she would be blanketed by it. She felt his breath fanning her to warm her.
***

Instead of cold darkness she felt hot scratchy hardness around her. Mumbling, she felt herself reclining on something firm and solid. She opened her eyes to be blinded by the warm beams of sunlight flickering through gaps in the trees overhead. Two bands restrained her and bound her to the rumbling platform underneath. Although it emitted comfortable warmth, she felt cramped in her bent knees. Especially since one was trapped between two others, and a hard thigh moved between the junction of her legs. She lay slightly sideways with her back spooned into her mate's hard muscled body. Made even harder by his armor.

"Wake up you big hulking beast. Let me go you!" she grumbled, wriggling in him. Raditz had shrunk to his former but still imposing size. Partly under her was part of his massive mane, bits of it tickling her nose. His arms were clasped well above her belly so the babies inside were not under any harm. Even so she could feel the flutter of them inside. Like she had swallowed a butterfly that lightly trembled.

"Why are you awake and I'm not?" she mumbled to her unborn. It always seemed the case. Only one before had she been pregnant but it was more then enough to know what she was in for.

Lately Dr. Stellari felt more and more heavy then she recalled ever being with the twins. Raditz had said her body was 'changing' to adapt to carrying Saiyans. How could a human body be so pliable to accommodate an alien? Bulma's body had changed but Trunks had been no liability for the first few months. Chichi had spoken often about being pregnant with Gohan. Yet she was one of the strongest females on earth. The daughter of the Ox King she carried the genes of a strong sturdy female, far stronger then normal human women. In contrast Bulma was so delicate that it seemed a miracle she survived pregnancy. Giving birth to Trunks had almost killed her.

Raditz twisted over off his side onto his back, carrying her with him. Luckily Raditz knew what to do. She doubted he would allow her to come to harm. He mumbled and blinked, loosing his grip on her. She was not sure if the growling was from his stomach or from his throat but he moved under her with small grumbling of his native language. Dr. Stellari turned over so she was straddling him. Dark eyes opened and blinked up at hers with an annoyed look.

"I need to hunt," he mumbled.

"That's what you get for dragging me into the middle of the woods. And I'm sure the boys are going to be just as hungry," she mumbled.

"Wait here," he said, lightly grabbing her hips. He lifted her off his body, and set her down on the mossy earth of the forest. She watched him climb to his feet and tower over her. He brushed off his armor, and stretched. Bones and muscles popped from the manipulation of his limbs in the morning sun. Large boots left huge footprints on the soft earth as he walked away towards the clearing.

Dr. Stellari rose from the ground. She stiffly limped over towards the cave where she guessed Fermi and Bohr were still sleeping. A light mental brush was gently rebuffed by two slumbering minds. She followed the directions towards the clearing. Smoke lightly curled up from a ring of rocks circling smoldering ashes. Raditz hunched over, his hand still raised in a position indicating a ki blast had been fired. She stole up behind him as quietly as she could. Her hands reached out to grab a handful of the soft spikes concealing his back. The ends of his hair dragged in the dust, and she barely touched the nearest handful before he whirled around on her. It took a fraction of a second for him to whirl wildly about on his feet once more.

"Too slow!" he snarled playfully. To his shock he saw no sign of his woman. Tossing his head back and forth he suddenly felt something heavy yanking his hair almost out by the roots. He gritted his teeth in irritation. While it remained firmly rooted in his scalp, the object was bringing him close to toppling over.

Dr. Stellari however had a death grip on his hair. Raditz had made the mistake of standing up, taking the surprised scientist up two feet higher than she was used to. She bit off her cry of pain at her shoulder being almost wrenched from its socket, and wildly flailed her other hand to grab the nearest second handful. Desperately she yanked down and managed to latch one leg around his hip while the other dangled. Raditz reaction was to twist and shake the strange object off. A familiar scent told him it was she, but since when did she have reflexes enough to grab him?

Wrenching her body, Dr. Stellari jerked to one side then the other. Raditz snorted, and then found himself toppling over with contemptuous ease. Just why in HELL could a mere human fell him? He managed to twist his body so he would not land on top of her and harm her. He hit the ground with an annoyed grunt on one knee and his chin in the dust. "Got you, you big baboon… HAH!" Dr. Stellari crowed. However her body was tangled in his mane of hair, dust flying every where.

"How in blazes did you do that…?” Raditz gasped.

"Asks mister I'm superior cause I'm from a higher gravity world?" Dr. Stellari chuckled. He felt the motion of her body heaving with mirth.

"Curse it," Raditz grumbled. Secretly he was proud of his woman for toppling him. It had been dumb luck at first glance, but on further thought an image of a white suited being floundering in grainy dust flashed into his head. The image was very poor, as if seen on a primitive CRT screen instead of an LCD or plasma one.

"Just cause you're denser doesn't mean that you don't have YOUR weaknesses. Astronauts on the moon can't get up if they lose their leverage so I figured…"

"Woman, rejoice now, because I'm quite cranky if I don't eat!" Raditz growled.

"You got it now, buddy?" she laughed, straddling his hips. She tried to steer clear of hurting his tail, so she sat on his butt and upper thighs.

"I need food, now!" Raditz half snarled.

"Sorry," she mumbled, climbing off him. "Good Grief you're ALWAYS cranky in the mornings."

"Foolish woman," he grumbled, dusting himself off. He got up again and returned to the fire pit. Dr. Stellari had beaten him to it, prodding the coals with a long stick.

"Hope you hung your food in the trees, because we have bears here," she said.

"Stupid pain in the rear!" Raditz grunted. Dr. Stellari saw him jerk his head up. He blurred out of sight, and then she heard a loud squalling bellow from the nearest tree. Something black and furry slammed into the ground, followed by Raditz. He twisted the neck of the unfortunate bear quickly breaking it.

"I'm not eating bear. You're on your own," she grumbled. "He wasn't hurting anyone!"

"I'm hungry!" Raditz mumbled, struggling to tear through the skin.

"Wait, that's too messy," she said, walking over as he lugged the bear towards them. "Just cut the dang flesh off!"

"Don't tell me how to gut and clean my kill woman!" he snarled back playfully, baring his fangs and raising a finger to generate a thin beam of ki.

"Let me you showoff," she said, holding something in her hand. Raditz suddenly saw her digging at the skin with a shard of rock.

"That will never work," he snorted.

"Says you. Obsidian is one of the sharpest things if you break it enough. There's a whole lot of it here. Along with the flint and chert, which you COULD have started the fire with instead of wasting energy to get your kill, and getting hungrier," she said, switching to professorial mode. Raditz saw the blood on her fingers as she struggled to cut through the thick flesh with a sheered off rock.

"I suppose I'm not the ONLY one who is returning to times before of my ancestors," he teased her, realizing what she was doing.

"If you're going caveman, I'll show you how we supposedly did it on Earth," she laughed back at him, challenge in the brown eyes. Raditz strangely did not voice the protest, because it made logical sense to cut instead of chewing with his teeth or slicing with a ki beam. That's how he would normally proceed if not using a greenstone bladed cutting implement. He took the flake of glassy rock from her and easily settled about slicing the skin off. Dr. Stellari grumbled at the coagulating blood covering her body and hands.

"Oh Terrific!" she groaned. "Now I'll attract a wildcat or something!"

"Watch an expert, woman," he snorted, batting her away. She returned to the fire, grumbling about her own empty stomach. Fortunately her sons were still slumbering away in the cave. Stellari wandered into the mouth of it, seeing the way he and Nappa had arranged it. With a grin on her face she started pressing her bloody handprints to the cavern wall. There had been initials carved in here and there, and whatever cave paintings might have existed was perhaps long since obliterated. She felt in a playful mood, and nothing pleased her more then setting up some crazy hoax to flummox normal people. Call it the overactive mind of a science buff that was herself immersed in it.