Title: The Turn Around - Part. I

Author: Katigox

Date: 24. Jan. 2007

(Dedicated to friends who become more, and quite unexpectedly)

Disclaimer: Akira Toriyama owns the show. Not me . . . Oh and this episode is after the whole gravity explosion thing. Yet I thought of it as if Vegeta tried the new gravity machine out but then was still to weak to work it and just entered into this almost coma like state. So yeah, after the episode, with a little twist . . . Enjoy!

- - - -

Bulma sat in the room, watching t.v. and listening to Vegeta's heavy breathing. Just a few days ago, he mangaged to blow up the gravity machine, almost getting himself killed in the process. She found herself being pissed at him but his wounds kept her anger at bay. She had begun to feel more and more sorry for him the more she got to know him, and that's probably why he hated her so much; because she felt sorry for him, instead of reveering him. But, he can't hate her that much if he lets her order him around. Then again, she also understood that no matter how "fierce" of a woman she was, she knew of his power and of the fact that he didn't have to listen to anything she said or told him to do. Though, it's not like that made him a decent person or anything. His habit of referrring to her as "woman," "idiot," and "silly;" didn't quite make him a gentleman. Also add the fact that he tried to destroy the world, and the last word for him that comes to mind is "gentleman." Yet when she had heard the explosion she feared the worst and even found herself being genuinly worried about him, a small shock that still send weird vibes to her spine. She turned in her chair and looked at the all the plugs his body was attached to. His eyebrows seemed to come closer together making a sharp wrinkle appear between them. Even his chest began to rise and fall more dramatically as his breathing quickened.

"You can't even have peace in your dreams . . . ," Bulma whispered and then turned off the t.v. to walk over to him.

She hovered above him and slowly leaned in with a wet cloth in her hand. Ever so carefully she wiped his fevered brow, but the quickened breathing continued. Bulma didn't know what to do - all the medical machines implied that nothing new was occuring and that he was healing at a normal rate. So she did the only other thing she could think of, she tried to comfort him with words,

"It's just a dream Vegeta; a bad, bad dream . . .," she continued to wipe his brow, "Everything's fine now. You're safe and taken care of. I'm right here Vegeta - I'll take care of you."

His deep set wrinkle began to dissapear and his chest returned to a normal steady pace. Bulma stood back a little and held the cloth so tightly that the remaining water squeezed onto her leg. As if in shock she froze into place for several minutes until finally her heart began to beat normally again and she was able to verbalize her worst fear:

I am falling for him . . .

- - - -

She had left the room after the nurse arrived and was now pacing back and forth in her room.

'This can't be happening,' she thought.

Bulma had only broken up with Yamucha a week ago. She didn't really care to dwell on the why or the how, but the persistent comment of, we are never going to get married, are we?, was ringing loud and clear inside her head; so was the explosion of the gravity machine. She sat down but that didn't help the knots that were forming in her stomach. Maybe she should eat something but that didn't sound like it would work either. Finally she tried laying down and actually managed to fall asleep until . . .

"Bulma come quick!!!"

Bulma bolted upright and looked at her wristwatch - she had slept for two hours and was still trying to wake up as she walked to the sound of her mother yelling. Her mother did that annoying squel often enough in her life that it really didn't affect Bulma much anymore. Rubbing her left eye, she stood next to her mother and smiled,

"Yes, Mom?"

"It's Vegeta honey! He's out there flying around!"

Bulma ran to the french doors and looked up to find him. And sure enough, there he was, the bandages rolling off as he kicked and punched the air.

"That stupid barbaric idiot!," Bulma yelled and ran out the door leaving her mother to chuckle at her impatience.

Bulma stomped all the way into the field, several hundred yards from the house. Then she threw her head back and screamed up at him,

"You want to die don't you!?"

Vegeta froze and looked down. She felt her cheeks get red and began to regret th hasty choice she made to confront him. He slowly levitated down to her level as she tried telling herself that these knots had to be some sort of rebound crush thing.

"Bulma, what can I do for you beautiful!"

Bulma did a double take and looked deep into Vegeta's glazed over eyes,

"Vegeta are you okay?"

He flew around her 360 degrees and picked her up,

"Never better! You're a miracle worker! Thank you!"

"Vegeta put me down this instant! And besides I think you hit your head or something, this is nothing like you!"

Vegeta looked at Bulma and his face became serious again. His grip around her waist tightened until Bulma was forced to look back at him. She was nervous, and he knew it,

"I could fall in love with you . . . "

He said it so quickly and matter-of-factly that Bulma wasn't even sure she heard him right. Not that it really mattered since his grip loosened and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Vegeta? Vegeta!!!," Bulma screamed as she watched Vegeta fall back onto the grass.

- - - -

Part. II coming soon . . .