Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters.
SaiyanPrincessBB: Yes, well, I wanted him on Vegeta's side for some strange reason. As for Bulma and Vegeta, you shall see very soon :)
Cornichon92: Glad you enjoyed! ;)
Warm hugs: I'll keep some of your ideas in mind, but things shall happen soon.
Daughter Of Vegeta: That's great! Thanks :3
nancy103: Thank you. I'm glad you've been enjoying the story.
LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta: Yeah, the feelings will help him in the long run, so yeah :3
Well, it's been a while since I've had an actual author's notes, but I thought this chapter would be good for it. First, I'm really happy that everyone liked the plot twist with Yamcha :3 I was hoping it would be well received. Anyways, I remember saying that I had up to Chapter 11 written, which is still the case; however, things have gotten a lot more hectic so I haven't been able to write further. I have a lot of volunteer work and internship stuff going on right now and so I will say this. There will be two more updates, every two weeks as usual, and I will try to write more in between. If I don't get a chance to write more, then updating after the next month is going to be really slow, so fair warning. It's not something we have to worry about now :3
Now onward to the chapter!
The weekend came quickly, though the day of the press conference seemed to move at a snail's pace. Bulma seemed slightly distant that morning. Vegeta just let her be knowing this day was taking its toll on her. Chi Chi was acting as her spokeswoman. The day would be difficult already as Bulma would hear a recount of her loss, but to make it worse it had to come from her friend and not her. This wouldn't give her closure like the news broadcasters kept announcing. It would just serve as another reminder of what she lost.
The one good thing about this was that she would be able to move on afterwards, however tough it would be. In a way, she would have some closure since the world will understand that her father's actions did not cause the tragic fire. Chi Chi also suggested a memorial service for them that she would announce at the end of the conference. Bulma agreed to it only because it was the only way for her to say goodbye. Vegeta did not really wish to go to the service, but he knew he would to be there for Bulma. He hadn't even gone to his own parents' memorial service, being too young and thinking that, if he avoided it, his parents could come back. It was another reminder to him that he was avoiding his own issues.
That, and the fact that Nappa had asked him to go to dinner the following Monday, to which Vegeta had declined. Unfortunately, his guardian was not deterred and said that his next day off, the following Thursday, the two of them would be going somewhere. Nappa refused to tell him where they'd be going, and Vegeta was hesitant. His guardian rarely ever forced an issue with him when he was younger, so Vegeta had no idea why he was being so forceful now. Still, to end the discussion, he reluctantly agreed to leave his fate up to Nappa.
For today, he was just going to focus on Bulma. When she needed him, she would go to him. That is why he was content to rest in his room as she readied herself for the conference. Vegeta had never been to such a formal event before in his life. He had no formal wear save for his father's clothes, but they were not his to wear, nor would he be able to get through the conference emotionally to help Bulma if he did. Chi Chi had already lectured him on formal attire, but Vegeta ignored her and said he planned to wear black jeans and a t-shirt. Bulma hadn't minded, but Chi Chi berated him. It didn't matter what he wore, though. He would only be standing in the background with Bulma while Chi Chi spoke.
Eventually he got tired of waiting for Bulma to come to him and found her in the kitchen staring at a spot on the table. She seemed to be lost in thought, but it was getting late and they both needed to eat. The conference would keep them busy all day. Bulma needed to focus on her health.
Vegeta slid a plate of leftover food in front of her. She looked from the food to him in question. "Eat," he commanded. "You're going to need your strength for today."
Bulma shook her head slightly and pushed the plate away, placing a hand over her stomach to tell him she wasn't feeling well. He put the plate in front of her again and stood across from her with his arms crossed. He wasn't going to let her go the day without eating.
Knowing she wouldn't win, she started nibbling on the food. Vegeta then went to prepare a plate for himself. He joined her in eating in silence. Bulma was still staring into space while she ate. She seemed to be incredibly nervous about the press conference and Vegeta didn't understand why. He understood that she would be upset emotionally, but there was nothing to be nervous about. It was a good thing he didn't plan on leaving her side. She needed the support.
Kakarot was concerned about the press conference. He didn't know why, especially since he was usually carefree, but he knew he needed to know what was happening. At the precinct, he, his brother, and Nappa had the news on. They were surprised when Yamcha joined them, but Nappa knew having overheard his conversation with Vegeta. Yamcha was as concerned as they were about the girl. Since they couldn't be there, she'd have their silent support.
Nappa, surprising Raditz, patted the seat next to him which Yamcha awkwardly took. Raditz shot the older man a questioning glance. Nappa just shrugged it off. He figured that Raditz would find out about Yamcha's change sooner or later.
Rodney came out of his office and saw most of his workers over by the television set. He mentally cursed himself for installing the entertainment unit. All it was serving to do was lead his workers to be lazy. He was about ready to give them a long lecture about work ethic when something on the screen caught his eye.
The headline read "Capsule Corp. Press Conference: The Truth About the Fire." Being the head of the department, he felt he needed to know this. "Anderson," he called to one of the interns. When said man looked at him, he said, "Man the phones while I get information on the cause of the Capsule Corp. fire."
"Yes, sir," the intern replied before running off.
Nappa eyed Rodney, narrowing his eyes slightly. He didn't know why he felt irritated with the man, but he assumed it was still some leftover bitterness from when he attacked him on his guardianship. He didn't think things would ever be right between him and his boss again. At least he could live with it, especially when he fought not to escalate it. He had chosen to remove himself from the conversation; however, he still felt like there was some lasting tension between them that they would need to hash out later.
Nappa's attention was directed to the TV when Kakarot pointed out Bulma's friend. The girl, Chi Chi Ox, explained that she would act as Bulma's voice since the smoke inhalation had temporarily damaged her vocal cords.
"Most of you know Capsule Corporation for their storage inventions and other tools to aid daily housework," she started. "That was all Dr. Trunks Briefs had planned on his company being; however, due to the increased pressure from some of his workers, CC had started a weapons division. The protocol instilled was for the workers to aid in the construction of a weapon and it could only be tested in the presence of Dr. Trunks Briefs, or his daughter, Dr. Bulma Briefs. The final check belonged to either doctor.
"The weapon was tested by the workers alone. They waited until Dr. Bulma Briefs was on her lunch break, which was clocked in on the computer system before the initial test time was documented. The CC computer system recorded this and sent it to the office for documentation, so we know the testing happened on both Dr. Trunks Briefs' day off and Dr. Bulma Briefs' lunch break. The rumors circulating about the elder doctor approving these tests was also disproved. The employees responsible for the test have been dealt with accordingly.
"That then begs the question of what will become of Capsule Corp. now. Dr. Briefs left the company and all of its assets to his only child, Bulma. She is acting as the president and head scientist now. Until her voice returns, I, Chi Chi Ox and vice-president, will act as the go-between. CC will no longer have a weapons division, though the work Dr. Bulma Briefs and her father made on a gravity unit for the government space center will be continued by Bulma and Bulma alone as per her request. Capsule Corp. will only be a company of home improvement. If any changes are made, they will occur after Dr. Briefs regains her voice and can publically make the announcement."
After Chi Chi was done talking, the press began asking their questions regarding Bulma's voice loss, the company, Chi Chi's skills as spokeswoman, and the bigger question of where Bulma was staying now that her family home had been destroyed. Some reporters even called Bulma's reliability into question seeing as she was not the one doing the talking and that she was grieving over the loss of her parents. Some executives were caught whispering before the conference about not wanting to work with a grieving woman.
Chi Chi was an emotional woman, and the attacks on her friend were beginning to enrage her. She was about to scold the masses when Vegeta stepped up to the podium and held her back. He knew that she needed to be seen as the rational source right now. If anyone should be the one to berate the press, it was him.
"Tell me," he said calmly into the microphone, "how many of you have lost your parents." Silence followed his statement. "I've seen many lives lost in my job and I have suffered my own loss. Let me be the first to tell you that some of our best work is done when we are grieving because it is a welcome distraction to the pain of loss. If you would truly refuse business from someone, man or woman, while they are grieving, then you show how low you really are and other companies will refuse deals with you. Karma, if you will. But by all means, go ahead and keep attacking Ms. Briefs. One slander towards her will be one towards you."
Vegeta walked away from the podium, back to Bulma's side. She looked at him, silently thanking him with her eyes. He simply nodded to her and motioned back to the crowd.
Chi Chi smiled, thankful that Vegeta had been the one to say what she wanted to yell to them. She turned back to the prong and said, "A memorial service for Dr. Trunks Briefs and his wife, Bunny, will be held tonight at St. Mark's church down the street to support the crowd of people that may come. All of you are welcome to come as it will be open to the public. The press will not be permitted on the premises unless they are coming as civilians. No photography will be allowed as per Bulma's request. Thank you."
The men and women of the firehouse watched as Chi Chi walked away from the podium and guided Bulma and Vegeta out as the press continued to ask more questions regarding who the man who had defended the grieving woman was. Their questions were ignored, especially since Vegeta would need to keep Bulma's staying with him a secret to protect her from the press. She didn't need the added aggravation and constant questioning.
Nappa wasn't surprised that Vegeta defended Bulma. Raditz and Yamcha didn't seem surprised either. Some of the other employees, volunteers, and interns were, and Rodney definitely was. It made the man realize that there was a lot about Vegeta he did not know. He wanted to know. Maybe he'd talk to Vegeta when he came back to work on Monday, but for now the flame-haired youth needed to help his friend make it through the rest of the weekend.
"So, are we going to the service?" Kakarot asked after the other workers went back to doing what they had been. Raditz nodded to him while still staring at the TV. Now the reporters were making claims and speculations about their friend and who he was to the "Briefs girl" as they were calling her.
"They may need someone to keep the press out," Nappa stated. "We might as well do what we can to make this easier for her."
"Sounds like a plan," Yamcha said jumping onto the bandwagon.
"Yeah, about that," Raditz stated, "since when did you care?"
"I saw them together," Yamcha explained. "She's suffering a lot right now. I just want to help."
Raditz seemed skeptical, but if Yamcha was offering to let their confrontation go then he didn't mind it. "Let's just get through the rest of the day," he said. "We'll all meet up at the church later."
For the press conference, Vegeta had disregarded Chi Chi's speech about dressing formally; however, Vegeta planned on dressing up for church. It had irritated Chi Chi that he hadn't worn his blue, button-down shirt and black slacks earlier for the press conference. Vegeta just waved her off and went to go check on Bulma.
He found her crying in the guestroom, like he had expected, and sat next to her on the bed. Bulma instantly latched onto him like she normally did when she was hysterical. Vegeta would never know until she could speak that she clung to him because he was her only constant, her rock and support, and she needed him. She needed the comfort that he provided her without knowing. If he wasn't going with her that night to the service, she didn't even think she'd be able to go.
It was terrible that she wouldn't even be able to give her parents a proper burial. She closed her eyes to avoid thinking about how she saw them die, burning in the flames. Leaving the scene was something she hadn't wanted to do, but she hadn't been thinking rationally at the time. Vegeta had been there to think rationally for her. There was nothing she could do to show him how truly grateful she was. Even writing "thank you" could never hold the same effect as her verbally thanking him. She wished she could convey her thoughts to him that didn't involve writing.
Vegeta held Bulma, rubbing comforting circles on her back. She was starting to calm down again. He wanted so much to tell her everything was going to be okay, but he just didn't know. He didn't know anything. All he knew was that he had been in the place to help her, and he was thankful for that. He looked down to check on her only to see her looking up at him, her face red and eyes glistening from crying. He took his free hand and ran in through her hair a few times in hopes to comfort her. Bulma closed her eyes, shivering slightly before hugging him harder and refusing to let him go.
Vegeta checked his watch and saw that they had a little bit of time to kill and thought it would be best to get Bulma to rest. He moved to lay her down, but she silently panicked and tightened her grip on him while looking at him with fearful eyes.
"It's all right," he said softly. "I'm not going to leave you. We have some time to rest before your friend comes to get us."
Bulma nodded, though her eyes were still saddened. There was so much she wanted to say. It was getting to be so frustrating that she couldn't utter one word or sound until the doctor gave her the all clear. In her emotional state, her thoughts were clouded and she could only think of one way to convey any of her emotions and gratitude towards Vegeta.
Vegeta watched her skeptically when she placed one of her arms behind his head. He didn't know what to say or do when he felt her fingers in his hair. He seemed to freeze at the contact waiting for her next move without knowing what it could be. Before he knew it, he felt Bulma's lips on his cheek. It shocked him so much that he jumped slightly and their lips nearly touched. They pulled away from each other briefly before Bulma pressed her lips lightly against his.
Vegeta had never felt any feelings like the ones he was feeling now. After Bulma pulled away, he pulled her close to him wrapping his arms around her. He could have reflected for hours on what had just happened. He recalled the past where he had shot down any offers from girls his age. After his parents had passed away, Vegeta never wanted to care about anyone as strongly as he had them. Relationships and dating didn't appeal to him.
Now, he wasn't sure. He hadn't wanted to care about anyone, but Raditz had been right. Just because he told himself he didn't care didn't mean it was true. Vegeta shook his head to try to clear his thoughts. He couldn't think back if he was going to help Bulma move forward that night. He needed to stay strong and avoid thinking of his own problems for just one night.
Meanwhile, Bulma was thinking about Vegeta's reaction to her kissing him. At first he had been shocked, but then when she kissed his lips she could feel him slightly kiss back. He wasn't saying anything, wasn't doing anything except holding her close. Part of her wondered if she had crossed a line and now he was avoiding making eye contact or if he had felt something in the kiss like she had. If only she could ask him. Unfortunately for her, this wasn't a conversation to be held by writing on her board. She had just held onto the hope that she hadn't crossed a line.
A few more moments of silence passed before Vegeta finally sighed and sat up. "Hey," he called out in a soothing voice. "We should probably eat something before we leave. I don't know how long the service will be."
Bulma smiled up at him realizing that her hope had held truth. Vegeta was still planning on going forward with their arrangement and taking care of her. Regardless of his cold exterior, the man had a heart. She could always tell these things with people which was useful when making business deals for her father's company, well, now her company. All of this was new to her. The times of her being the woman who aided her father were gone now, that chapter over. A new chapter was beginning and, thankfully, she didn't have to deal with it on her own.
