Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters
Okay, I'm going to have this A/N have absolutely nothing to do with the story, but I just have to ask. Did anyone see the new Hunger Games movie Catching Fire? If you weren't happy with the first movie (I really didn't like the first one) I have to say this one was really well done. So, if you were thinking of skipping it based off of your opinion on the first movie, don't. You'll really enjoy it :D
Pallyndrome: Come on; you should know me by now :3 Would I let that happen?
nikki-michelle: Really glad you're enjoying the story :) Thanks for the review ^_^
TheWonderfulShoe: Good, I apparently enjoy world building too. So much so, I have ideas for a prequel and sequel…oy. I need to finish some stories XD
DaniHime86: You don't know how right you are XD Really happy you're enjoying this.
The entire semester flashed by and Vegeta hadn't even realized that finals were coming up in a couple of weeks. Time passing him by the way it had would have normally worried him had it not been due to the fact that he had spent that time with Bulma. In the past, time moving so quickly usually reflected his missions for Frieza. At least this was a good thing.
Halfway through the semester, he had stopped despising his situation. He still held contempt for the Planet Earth itself, but it wasn't the worst place his parents could have sent him. It was different from the life he had held before. Bulma made it different.
He didn't know if he'd be able to leave when he finished his education, and that was three and a half years away.
The prince needed to think of something. He had duties to his own planet. He couldn't just leave his home, nor did he want to, but his father had already made it clear to Nappa that Vegeta couldn't be with an Earthling. Vegeta was being torn in two, and he didn't know what to do about it. That is, until Bulma presented him the opportunity to sway his father.
"So I noticed that you've been slacking with the training, and I think I figured out why," Bulma told him.
"Oh?" Vegeta perked up. "And what did you come up with?"
Bulma just smiled at him and rubbed his shoulder. "It's too easy for you," she whispered. "You don't have to hide that from me."
Vegeta looked at her like she had hit him in the gut. How had she been able to tell? He hadn't been training any less, but his motions had been lacking. Still, any normal human wouldn't have been able to tell. A normal human wouldn't have been able to tell that, with all he did, he felt it was too easy. But then again, Bulma wasn't a normal human.
"It's because of the gravity, isn't it?" she asked, surprising Vegeta at the validity of her statement. "I remember Nappa saying that the gravity on Planet Vegeta is ten times the gravity of Earth. I'm sure it gets annoying after feeling the heightened gravity."
"It amazes me that from a passing conversation, you can determine what's wrong with my training," Vegeta remarked.
Bulma wore a prideful grin when she heard the slight irritation in her voice. "I didn't just determine it," she said. "I solved your problem."
To say Vegeta was interested or that Bulma had his full attention would have been understatements as he looked over to her. His eyes demanded the solution. He needed something to make the training a challenge. At this rate, being on Earth would only make him weaker.
Bulma didn't say another word until after she slipped an elastic wristband over his wrist. He looked at the band and saw that it had a screen, almost like the human watches he saw at a jewelry store Kakarot had dragged him to when the younger Saiyan wanted to buy Chi Chi a birthday present. Vegeta didn't really understand what it was until Bulma touched one of the four side buttons. The device turned on and definitely looked like a watch, telling Vegeta the time. When she pressed another of the four buttons, he understood. The more she tapped it, the heavier he felt. She stopped when the screen read 10X.
"A…A gravity simulator?" he asked her. He looked at her in disbelief. "How is this possible?"
Bulma touched another button which made the screen display the time again, and Vegeta still felt the nostalgic gravity of his home. "My father developed gravity simulation a few years ago, but only made it possible for spaceships for travel," she explained. "I had taken the formulas down and tried working on a way to condense it. My father thought it was a useless idea. No one really needed increased gravity except when in space. Anyways, I never was able to test it since anything more than one times Earth gravity would have crushed me. I figured you could use it. Oh, and the cool thing is that only the wearer can feel the effects."
Vegeta couldn't even speak as his mouth dropped open. Gravity simulation was something he had learned about on Frieza's ship. Frieza's scientists had created it for the sole purpose of keeping all of his soldiers alive. It was always set to the lowest setting, but there were training rooms where the gravity could be increased. Anyone in the room would feel the effects. He had never seen anything like it again, until now.
The Earthlings had somehow managed to develop technology that was way beyond their age. What Dr. Briefs had created was phenomenal, but the thing was that Vegeta had seen this before. What Bulma had done, it was unheard of, and she did it almost all alone. If only the wearer could be affected, that would be overwhelmingly beneficial for visitors on Planet Vegeta who could hardly tolerate the gravity. Some races did in fact stay away from the planet for that reason. This invention could help better unify the allied planets as well as help Vegeta in his training.
"Would you be opposed to me discussing this with my father?" he questioned calmly though he was raging with excitement inside of him.
Bulma nodded. "Sure, I don't mind," she told him. She had no idea what Vegeta was thinking about at that moment. There was no way she would have expected what Vegeta was going to say to his father. The young scientist had no idea that she had just revolutionized the universe.
The screen flashed on revealing his father. Before his father looked at the screen, he spoke without realizing his son was the caller. "Ah, Nappa, I've been expecting your-" He stopped talking as soon as his eyes were met with the sight of his son crossing his arms. The expression the younger Vegeta wore revealed his business-like nature.
"Father, there is something I must discuss with you," Vegeta said smoothly.
His father noted that he did not seem angry, nor did he seem alerted by anything. He wondered if the call had something to do with the Briefs girl or not, but he was willing to hear his son out. "You have the floor," he told him.
Vegeta took the watch-looking device and held it up to his father ignoring the fact that the gravity level he was experiencing had fallen back to one. "I think I have a solution for visitors of planets with lower gravity to get them to the planet. I know mother was concerned about certain allies not truly getting to experience what we have to offer them."
"What solution would that be, son?" King Vegeta asked. "Our scientists have been trying to determine a solution for years. How were you able to?"
"I wasn't," Vegeta admitted. "Bulma was." When he saw his father's shock he said, "Don't play dumb. I know you know of her. I'm sure Nappa has given you detailed reports on our relationship, and I know you are against it. That is not why I contact you today."
"What solution did she pose?" the king asked, bypassing his son's comments.
"This band," he showed him holding the watch in view. "It looks like a normal, human watch, but it is also a gravity simulator that affects only the wearer. She had given it to me to aid in training."
"Son, I told you not to-"
"Yes, not to train as much," Vegeta growled, "but father, you cannot stop me from training. I am not naïve enough to believe we are free of enemies in the universe."
"Fine," the king relented putting a hand to his head. "I'm not going to fight you on this right now. This simulator sounds impossible though. Are you sure it works?"
"Yes," Vegeta stated with finality. "She increased the setting to ten and it felt like Planet Vegeta. If it's set down to one, it feels like Earth's gravity."
"Vegeta," the king stated, though Vegeta could not tell his thoughts by his voice, "I want to meet this girl."
Vegeta was shocked at his father's declaration, but was not entirely surprised. If he had been impressed by Bulma's invention, he knew his father would be even more so. "I will ask her," Vegeta stated. "I don't know how she feels about being on a planet where she's not entirely welcome."
The king nearly laughed at the glare he was receiving. It didn't seem to matter now, his and Nappa's plan. Once he stopped receiving reports from Nappa and didn't hear of his son being as rebellious, he knew that Bulma was the reason. It was time to tell Vegeta the truth.
"The girl is welcome, Vegeta," his father told him. "It had been a ploy planned by Nappa. He had told me you were dating some random human so that I would not approve; however, the second he told me who the girl was, I approved."
"W-What?" Vegeta questioned before getting angry. "You idiot! You were trying to control me?"
"No, son," the king sighed. "I wanted you to behave, but I wanted you to be happy with the right person. A random, human girl would have never stuck around. This girl, though, I know of her. If you would have watched any of the Earthling programs, you would have seen that she was a phenomenal girl, though I know you've found out on your own."
"We are not discussing Bulma," Vegeta said with a tinge of red on his cheeks. "Only her invention."
"Eventually we will have to discuss her," the king told him. "And when you are ready for that day, I will approve. Until then, I will not discuss her or your relationship, agreed?"
"Agreed," Vegeta stated. "I will have Nappa call you once I discuss the possibility with Bulma. Tell mother I said 'hello.'"
"I will," King Vegeta said in a breath. When the screen went dark, he just gaped at it. His son was no longer acting like a rebellious teenager. It was the first time the king actually had a man-to-man conversation with him that Vegeta actually accepted without scoffing or rolling his eyes. It was also the first conversation where the king felt connected with his son since the day he had sent him to Frieza. "Kalina is never going to believe this."
Vegeta went over to Bulma's later and was surprised to find the girl watching television with both her roommates. Bulma and Chi Chi were usually alone with their other roommate staying at her boyfriend's house. Vegeta remembered when the girls found out that their roommate had been dating the creep from the bar they met earlier in the semester. Surprisingly, the guy, Yamcha, hadn't actually been so bad. He hadn't even remembered hitting on Bulma and apologized right away when he was told. Vegeta had been there when it happened. That was the day he learned it was best to avoid alcohol at all costs. If it made humans act like idiots, he didn't want to think how his fast metabolism would process the substance.
"Hey, Vegeta," Bulma greeted when he walked in. They usually left their common room door unlocked until they went to bed or left. "You hungry? We have some brownies and cookies baking right now."
"We should probably make more if he stays," Maron suggested.
"Why are you eating so much junk food?" Vegeta asked.
"Study food," Chi Chi said nonchalantly. "It's time to start preparing for finals."
"I still don't get why we have to prepare so early," Maron muttered. "It's just school."
Bulma looked over to the other blue-haired girl and said, "I envy you."
Only Vegeta seemed to notice the darkened mood Bulma was now in. As she had noticed his training problems, he was noticing that even though she was trying to hide her mood he knew how she was feeling. She didn't even eat anything when their study snacks came out of the oven. Eventually she excused herself to her room and Vegeta followed her.
Maron watched with a frown. She still didn't completely trust the Saiyans, but she knew her friends seemed to be safe. Bulma had even said she had forgiven her when she had told her father about the Saiyans. She knew she was lucky that Bulma didn't completely hate her, but there were times when the girl wanted to warn the heiress against spending time with the Saiyan prince.
Vegeta found Bulma lying in bed on her stomach. It was something she always seemed to do when she was upset, and usually when she was upset with her father. He didn't waste time climbing the tiny ladder he'd most likely break as he had his own, but floated and sat on the side of the mattress. Bulma just sighed when she felt her bed shift.
"He doesn't want me home this winter," Bulma said sadly. "He and mom are going somewhere for business reasons and he told me to just stay here and start studying for next semester's classes."
Vegeta frowned knowing that Bulma was upset; however, this would be the best opportunity to ask her about visiting his planet. "I have something to ask you," Vegeta stated getting straight to the point. Bulma tilted his head to face him. "Please, sit up, Bulma."
His voice held authority and seriousness that Bulma couldn't help but comply. "What's up?" she asked him.
He took her hand into is and looked at her intensely. Bulma had no idea what to expect from him at that moment. All he was doing was staring at her, not speaking. Before she could speak up, he finally broke the silence.
"I showed my father your gravity simulator. He wants to meet with you personally, over the break. Will you accompany me on the return to my home?"
Bulma's mouth dropped open as her eyes grew as wide as saucers. Vegeta had expected this type of reaction from her. After all, it was a shock to be invited off planet, and an even bigger shot to be invited by the king himself.
"You…you want to take a trip together?" Bulma asked slightly nervously. "That's a big step."
Vegeta's brow quirked in confusion before he nodded. "I suppose it is. Will you come?"
Bulma still looked like a dear caught in a headlight before she finally let it sink in. She squeezed Vegeta's hand and smiled, confusing him even more, before saying, "I'd love to go on a trip with you. It'll be fun."
Vegeta didn't know what she meant by fun, but it would be interesting. After all, Bulma was meeting his parents and his father already made a point to attempt to discuss his relationship with her. All Vegeta knew is that he actually felt pretty good about having Bulma see his home. He hoped that she would appreciate it just as much as he did.