And I just keep coming.
Hope you enjoy this chapter as well ^_^ By the way, thanks for all your reviews. It really makes my day.
And, as a little note for this chapter, I'm changing the explosion scene up a bit for the sake of my story so please, don't tell me that's not how it happened because, quite frankly, I know.
Onward to;;
Chapter Three
Ringing.
She opened her eyes and breathed out a gasp of breath simultaneously. Groaning out loud, she glanced around frantically, desperately trying to figure out what was going on and found that she was lying in the grass.
Ringing. In her ears.
She pushed herself to a sitting position, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear the blurry scenery around her and coughed.
The ringing in her ears. It was so loud. She groaned against it while it drowned out all other sound. Pulsating painfully through her skull.
"BULMA!"
A scream, muffled and jumbled to her making it impossible to determine who it belonged to. Bulma stared forward, eyes wide yet her sight wasn't clear enough for her to make out anything. Everything looked splotchy and fuzzy. And the ringing in her ears was giving her a headache.
"BULMA!"
She couldn't see, could barely hear, and couldn't move anymore. Oh god, was she dying?
"BULMA!"
That had been her father.
All at once, awareness came back to her so fast it was almost painful. There was blood running down her chin, dripping onto her shirt. Her back ached, her head ached. Her vision cleared and she was left staring at the rubble a few feet away, flames engulfing it, roaring loudly enough to make the ringing disappear completely. Her eyes widened and her heart froze.
"Bulma dear, are you okay?!" Her father was at her side now, worry lines in his forehead. Her mother was right behind him along with Yamcha who, she guessed, had just arrived.
But she didn't dwell on his presence long. Turning to them, she screamed in a voice that sounded ragged and terrified, "Vegeta's in there! We have to help him!" Then, stumbling onto her feet, she staggered forward.
"Bulma wait!" Yamcha called, quickly following her. But she didn't stop. Actually, to him, she seemed to be moving faster. Urgency, worry and fear all combined into one surge of strength that was propelling her with so much speed Yamcha didn't think he'd be able to keep her from running right into the wreckage.
And she did.
"Bulma!" Yamcha's face contorted in fear. Was she crazy!? The thing is on fire!
Bulma paid no mind to the crackling flames as they leaped and danced with the night air. All she could think about was a certain Saiyan Prince. And all she wanted was for him to be okay. "Vegeta!?" She called, trying to ignore the pain shooting through her body from the fire. "Vegeta, are you okay!?"
She glanced every which way but only saw more and more flames that seemed to be increasing with every passing second. By bounding so blindly into the debris, she had fatally forgotten about one thing; smoke. It began to enter her lungs and she coughed savagely but even losing breath didn't stop her as she called out for him in a constricted voice.
It was only when she saw her vision start to blur when fear for herself finally crept into her bones. She looked down at her arms, saw the blackened skin and fainted instantly.
One pair of arms caught her before she hit the ground. Tucking her neatly in his arms, Vegeta, using his body as a shield against the flames, put his head down and charged out.
Yamcha and Bulma's parents were there to meet him.
"Oh thank god!" Yamcha breathed out in relief as soon as he saw them emerge. He had a hand over his forehead and his eyes were red. Mr. and Mrs. Briefs raced over to Vegeta as he swayed far enough away from the wreck and, with surprising gentleness, sat the blue haired woman on the ground.
Then, with a glare towards Mr. and Mrs. Briefs, he said, in an agitated tone, "Your daughter is ridiculously foolish."
That said, the widow peaked Saiyan fell out.
Thirteen candles flicked on top of the triple, deluxe, chocolate cake sitting on the table before the short, skinny, teenage blue haired girl who had on braces and quite a few pimples gracing her skin.
"Blow out the candles and make a wish, honey!" Ordered her giddy, blond haired mother from beside her. Her dad, who was on her other side, nodded in agreement.
Grinning without showing her braces (a smile she had perfected), she closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and let it all out in one gush of air, totally annihilating those candles to kingdom come. Satisfied, she sat back and waited for her wish to come true.
"What'd you wish for, dear?" Asked her 'four eyed' father, a warm smile on his face.
But she simply shook her head, refusing to say aloud. Because she knew that if she revealed it, it wouldn't come true. So, she kept repeating it over and over again on all of her birthdays. One day, she promised herself, it'd come true. One day. She just had to be patient.
What did she keep wishing for, you ask? Well that's easy.
I wish for my own prince charming.
-----------------
The first thing Bulma was aware of when she regained consciousness was extremely bright lights. Squinting against the pain, she groaned and shifted uncomfortably in the bed.
Bed? Why was she in bed? What had happened? Didn't she have a date with-
"Bulma?"
The blue haired woman turned her gaze on her scar faced boyfriend and, after spotting the fear etched into his brow, she deduced that something wasn't right. She tried to move her arm but that proved to be a mistake as pain shot up it. Baring her teeth against it, she let it drop back into place.
"Are you okay? Bulma?"
Why wouldn't she be okay? And where was that pain coming from? She glanced about; glad that it didn't hurt to move her neck at least and noticed the white tiled room, medical items around, wires hooked onto...her? She furrowed her eyebrows and slowly glanced down at herself only to see bandages covering quite a large portion of her.
Recognition finally took hold and images flashed through her brain with severe clarity; Vegeta, flames, ringing, her running, Yamcha calling her name, losing breath.....Vegeta. "What...what happened?" She asked, her voice sounding especially ragged.
Yamcha furrowed his eyebrows in both confusion and concern. "You don't remember?"
She just stared at him. No, she knew what happened, she just didn't know the exacts.
He twisted his lip into a grimace. "The GR caught fire and you...you ran into it to save Vegeta."
"Where is he?"
There was no missing the look of disgust on Yamcha's face as he said, "He's in the other room. Your dad's checking up on him."
She licked her lips. "Is...Is he alright?"
He glanced away for a split second and then said, "Not...so much. You fared much better than him. He's been unconscious for a while now and his body's pretty beaten."
Something inside of Bulma started to break and she felt her heart race. "But...he's going to be alright, isn't he? Isn't he?" She turned to look at him.
Yamcha didn't respond at first. "Why do you care?"
The question startled her so much; she flinched back as if he had struck her. "Wha-What?"
"He's a stuck up, arrogant, murderer for crying out loud Bulma, why do you care if he lives or dies?"
She narrowed her eyes and sat speechless. Was he really saying this!? She searched his expression for a hint of sympathy, a hint of worry, a hint of something but saw nothing but rock hard malice. He really meant it.
The thought sent her into an angry frenzy and she scowled. "I care because he's a person, Yamcha! I care because he breathes just as we do and he hurts as well. I care because, no matter what, I don't believe that someone should have to die and suffer! I care-"
"Oh cut the honorable act." Yamcha rolled his eyes in agitation. "Do you know how dumb you sound right now? Defending someone who has killed your friends and is probably still planning on killing others? Risking your life for someone who definitely didn't deserve it!"
Oh, how she wished she could lift her hand to punch the living daylights out of him. But instead, Bulma leveled him with a glare before saying, "People make mistakes and people change, Yamcha. He's training to help defeat the androids-"
"Only to get rid of another obstacle that'll keep him from taking over the world!"
There was no talking to him, she realized, there was no reasoning with someone who believed whatever he wanted to believe.
"I just hope you're able to see that," Yamcha was still talking as he walked out. "Before you get hurt." Then, he was gone.
Damn.
Bulma felt her eyes burn and she let her head fall back on the pillow. What am I doing? She shook her head. Why am I such a screw up?
As much as she didn't want to admit it, Yamcha had been right on some points. She couldn't blame him for his animosity towards the Prince. Hell, he had been indirectly murdered by him! And there was no doubt in her mind that the reaction she showed when Vegeta was in distress had shaken and probably hurt Yamcha. He just didn't see what she saw in the widow peaked male.
And what exactly did she see?
Bulma sighed and closed her eyes.
Honestly, she didn't know. But she hoped it was worth all of this.
"Bulma?"
She slowly glanced over to the doorway and saw her father standing in it, looking a worried and uncertain. She smiled reassuringly and that was all the old man needed to walk in and grin warmly down at her bandaged frame.
"How are you feeling?"
Horrible, she thought, I'm ruining my relationship with a great guy on purpose because I'm unexplainably drawn, yes drawn was a better word because I'm sure as hell NOT attracted to Vegeta, and now I'm sitting in bed bruised. But out loud, she said, "I feel pretty good."
He laid a hand on her forehead. "I'm glad. You really gave your mother and me a scare."
She smiled sadly. Great, now you're probably going to be the cause of your parents' predated deaths. "Where is mom?"
Dr. Briefs chuckled lowly. "Keeping Vegeta company." Then, after a pause, he stated with a wary expression, "I saw Yamcha storm out. He looked pretty angry."
"He didn't agree with what I'd done." Was all she said about that subject. "Is Vegeta awake?"
"No, not yet." He must have saw fear flash across his daughter's face because he added in a stutter, "But he should be up and about soon. You know that man. He's never down for too long."
She forced a smile and then said, "Well, what about me? I don't want to be cooped up in this bed all day."
"Oh you won't." Her father helped her as she struggled to sit up. "You've got burns on your arms, your thighs and a few other places. But, surprisingly, none of them are severe. First degree burns. The anesthesia should be taking effect any moment now. After a few hours, you'll be healed completely."
It was starting to take effect, she noted. "Wow," She breathed, flexing her fingers. A moment ago, it had hurt to raise her arm. Now, she was sitting upright with nothing but dull aches momentarily. Luck really was on her side if she had escaped that mess with only a few burns. It almost sounded impossible when she remembered all the flames licking at her skin.
"Yep." Dr. Briefs checked some of her bandages. "You are quite lucky. It could have been much worst if Vegeta hadn't been there."
She squinted her eyes, bracing herself for whatever came next. "What do you mean?"
"He carried you out and protected your body from most of the flames which, in turn, injured him worst."
The statement nearly sent her spiraling onto the floor. How ironic that after she had gone in to save him, he had ended up saving her instead. But it was much more then irony. It was...incredible. Vegeta saving her? Well that was just unheard of. Totally beneath him. Not like him at all.
Then guilt and shame hit her. If she hadn't had ran into there then maybe he wouldn't be in the condition he was in now. Maybe he would have made it out of the wreck without so many injuries. Maybe her attempt at trying to help had backfired and made it all the more worst.
She had to see him.
"Where are you going dear?" Her father called, his eyes wide with surprise at the image of how fast Bulma was moving towards the door. You could barely tell that she had just survived a near fatal accident.
"Where is Vegeta?"
Ahhh, Dr. Briefs thought in realization, with a smile. "He's a few doors down." Then he watched his daughter disappear out of the door and sighed. "That girl will be the death of me."
Stronger.
The yellow aura engulfed his short frame, cracking with energy, sending jolts of pure sensation through his veins. He breathed it in and let it take him over as power coursed through his bones.
It's over.
His usual dark hair suddenly flashed into a much brighter yellow and his eyebrows did the same.
He'd done it.
A smirk appeared lazily on his lips and he finally felt complete.
He was a Super Saiyan.
He chuckled.
He was a Super Saiyan!
Then, as quick as it had came, it vanished. His hair switched back, the aura disappeared, his veins were left empty and he was left standing in a body that looked exactly like the younger version of himself. The eight year old version.
No...
Goku appeared before him and his hair was gold. Then the other boy, the boy from the future, the boy who had accomplished what he couldn't at a much younger age, appeared also. And his hair was gold.
No...
They smiled down at him and although they looked perfectly friendly, the eight year old saw past their facades. They were mocking him, belittling him, showing him how weak he was compared to them. They thought, no they knew, that he'd accomplish nothing.
So all eight year old Vegeta could do was watch them as they grinned and teased while he continued to grow younger. Seven years...six years....five years old!
And, while he stared in fright, Goku and the future boy merged into one figure; dark goatee, hair sticking straight up, cape flying out behind him.
Father...
The last thing five year old Vegeta heard, before a sudden flash of bright light blinded him, was his dad saying,
"Maybe when you grow up you'll be a Super Saiyan, son."
--------------------
In contrast, Vegeta came awake rather violently. His eyes snapped open, his muscles contracted and he sat up like a bullet, ignoring but still very aware of the pain riveting through his body due to the actions. He glanced down at himself; noting the bandages wrapped around almost every inch of him before he swept his eyes around the room.
Tables...some soft of (medical?) tools...a machine that was beeping...Bulma...more tables-
His head snapped back and he stared incredulously at the blue haired woman sitting in a seat by his bedside, her frame slouched, her head lolled against the back of the seat, eyes closed, shallow breathing, sound asleep.
Then, he observed the few bindings that were on her as well and couldn't quite come to a conclusion as to what was going on.
All he could remember was his training. He closed his eyes and tried to conjure up something, anything, that might have happened afterwards.
Training. He had been training but nothing...His head lifted suddenly. Wait....something went wrong. The machine blew.
All at once, it came back to him; the ceiling collapsing on top of him, the smell of burning and fire, pain shooting through his body, having to carry Bulma out...
His eyes snapped open and he swung his gaze on her again, eyes narrowing and growling low in his throat.
Suddenly, she came awake. Yawning and stretching her limbs, she sighed, rubbed her eyes and turned to make sure-
"Ah!" She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of Vegeta's dark eyes glaring at her. But instead, she simply toppled off of the chair. Her cheeks grew hot and she cursed herself while she got to her feet. Smoothing out her wrinkled clothes, she shot the male a shaky smile. "You're finally up...."
He only stared.
Already embarrassed by her earlier deed and feeling very subconscious under his watch, she shifted and said, "Are you okay? My dad said you were hurt pretty bad and that his anesthesia is probably wearing off soon."
"I'm fine." He assured coldly.
Unsure of what to do or say next, Bulma smiled lightly. "Well...uh...okay, I guess I'll go find my dad and have him check on your vit-"
"Unnecessary." Vegeta told her as he swung his leg off of the bed. Her eyes widened and she came forward.
"Wait! Vegeta, you really shouldn't be moving. You're in no condition-"
"Woman, leave me be! I feel perfectly-" He abruptly stopped and groaned in pain, doubling over and holding his stomach.
Bulma's face contorted into worry and she laid a hand on his forearm. "See!? Come on, lay back down." He angrily swatted her hand away. "Where are you going to go anyway, Vegeta!? You've completely destroyed the GR and left it in shambles."
He turned to glower up at her. "Well then fix it. Reinforce more steel while you're at it. The dumb thing is always causing trouble. But I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less considering its' creator."
WHAT? She thought in disbelief and anger. Had he just insulted her mechanic skills and, indirectly, blamed this whole thing on her? Because that was what it was sounding like. She put hands on hips and said in a restrained voice, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't call my inventions dumb, Vegeta."
"Fine," He said fiercely. "I'll stick to calling you dumb."
"Excuse me?"
Vegeta scowled at her and, in the most condescending tone he could muster, he spat out, "You're an imprudent idiot for doing what you did. Honestly woman, what were you thinking? Are you a fan of suicide?"
She blinked and, by the look in his rage filled eyes, she saw that this was what he wanted to address from the start; the incident."Wha-I was trying to help you!" She stuttered in disbelief.
He shook his head. "Really? I didn't notice that after I pulled you out and saved you."
Bulma opened her mouth to reply but then quickly shut it. She was unbelievably outraged at the man's attitude. He was too arrogant, too prideful. Didn't he see that she had at least tried? That effort should mean more to him then his worthless pride? But, of course, that was never a factor for Vegeta. Everything centered around him and what he wanted. No one's feelings were ever taken into consideration.
Her fear had been right on point too. He did resent her for ruining the situation. He was going to hang this over her head. He didn't care how she felt.
How she hated him. But he hated her own feelings even more and she hated whatever had made her run into that fire.
But, instead of giving him an earful, she said what he wanted to hear in a clipped tone, "Fine. I get it. You saved me, whoppee. I made everything worst. You're the best, greatest, all that jazz. I thank you for everything you've done oh Prince of Saiyans and I'm sorry for everything I've done because I'm so useless and worthless." Sarcasm drenched her words.
Unbeknownst to her however was the knowledge that that hadn't been what he wanted to hear. But he still said, "I'm glad you've finally realized what I've been trying to tell you this entire time."
"You're a jackass."
"A jackass who saved you."
She glared at his smirk. "You know what, Vegeta? The next time you blow up the GR, I won't do a damn thing to help you."
"Like you'll make much of a difference either way." He rolled his eyes and started to unwrap his bandages.
Her intended comeback was washed away as she watched him. "Hey! What are you doing? You're not fully healed yet."
"I am a Saiyan warrior, I heal quickly." Suddenly, something hard hit his head and pain flared through it. He glanced up with narrowed eyes to figure out what had hit him.
Turns out, it had been Bulma's fist knocking against his forehead. "See? That hurt didn't it?"
"Woman that is the second time you've struck me. I'd advise you not to do it again unless you're curious of what the afterlife looks like."
"You wouldn't hurt me." She said in a pout that both confused and amused Vegeta.
"Are you sure about that?"
Bulma thought back on it and the only incident she could recall was when he had dropped her on the ground. "Well, not seriously anyway."She muttered.
"You're wrong. I've wanted to blow someone to smithereens ever since I arrived on this repulsive planet." He let the remains of the bandages fall on the floor and glanced down at all the cuts adjourning his body. They were healing rather quickly, she thought absently.
"Is that why you blew up the GR?" She scoffed. "And Earth isn't repulsive. It's actually pretty beautiful." He simply raised his eyebrow while she smiled. "I also know you're lying about wanting to hurt me. Because even if you are the most conceited, vein man I know, you still saved me, didn't you?" She smirked at her own expertise of turning his bragging tool into a weapon against him.
He opened his mouth to retort but then closed it angrily when he realized she had him and just gave her a death glare.
Elated at his speechlessness, she winked and actually dared to blow him a kiss before skipping out.
Vegeta watched her go with a mixture of confusion, rage, bafflement and hilarity on his face. "What the hell just happened?" He asked himself, soon after she had left.
But of course, he received no answer.
I can honestly say that I'm not too proud of this chapter. It took me a long time to figure out where I wanted to go with it. Surely, the next chapter will be much better.
Thanks for reading ^_^