Hey sorry it has been Super long! But I have an update! I'll get the next one up quicker. Please Read and Review with comments, i love those.
Note: duh, not mine.
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Chapter 11: Frenemies
Vegeta skillfully wrapped the black and white paisley fabric into a Double Windsor knot around his neck and tightened the tie into place. He gave each sleeve cuff of his black shirt a tug so that they peaked out from under the black suit jacket. Giving his reflection a final smirk, he left the room. He certainly looked the part of a harbinger of death. At least for his enemies he was. His father always wore black suits to important board meetings or whenever intimidation was necessary. And Vegeta wasn't about to break tradition.
As he walked to the chairman's office, he noticed that his suit seemed to have the opposite effect of intimidation on the females that worked there.
"Um, Can I help you?" a voice peaked out over a desk as he approached.
"I certainly hope so," he glanced down at the name plate on the desk, "Grace. Pretty name, Grace."
The freckles on the girls cheeks connected with the heat of her cheeks as she stumbled to say, "Thanks, it was my grandmother's name."
Vegeta leaned an arm on the desk as he spoke to the redheaded assistant, "Family name, hmm? I like that, comes from a tradition of dynasties and royalty. Someone came before but you are new improved version. Grace 2.0"
The girl giggled relentlessly, "Yeah at least I'm not Grace Junior" she said with a giggle, but stopped suddenly when the large door to her right opened and a broad blue suit stepped out.
"Ah, Vegeta Junior? Come in my boy, come in! My, does seeing you bring back memories," the blue suit said gesturing for him to enter. Vegeta glanced back at the assistant, whose blush spread from under her tightly laced collar and into her red head of hair. She now truly resembled a strawberry.
"Let's just say Vegeta and not the junior," he said with a tightly pulled smirk as he left the desk and entered the room. "Afterall, my father is dead and there won't be any confusion anymore."
"Yes, yes. Of course. We all felt the deep loss of your dear parents. The company has never been the same. But listen to me bothering you with business issues, lets talk about how you've been."
"Actually Brolli, I would like you to bother me with more business issues," Vegeta interrupted before continuing with a dangerous smirk. "I've been away for so long I'm just curious as to what became of my parents' hard work."
Brolli looked at the boy with surprise; no certainly he was not a boy anymore. He stood with shoulders slung back and hands casually in his pockets, and yet he still looked entirely ready to pounce as soon as an opportunity presented himself. "I've got to say, Vegeta, you must hear it a lot that you look so much like your father, but I think you take after your mother a great deal. She was fiery and ruthless with her wit. She could twist any negotiation into her favor and got exactly what she wanted gift wrapped with a bow on top."
The continued talk of his parents was making Vegeta impatient.
"But enough chatter of the past, we are talking about the future," Brolli said, easing into a deep brown leather chair. He gestured to the one across from him and Vegeta accepted. "What do you want to know about?"
"You were always loyal to my father, I remember how highly he spoke of you and your ability to understand and sway the board."
"Well that was long ago, the board sees me as an old relic now. An ancient legend that no one believes anymore. So I can't be of much help to you on the board."
Vegeta frowned deeply, seeing that a new plan would have to be formed. He began to stand to leave before the large older man placed a hand on his arm.
"But changes in leadership from the top down is more showy and less effective. I mean look at your uncle. Sure he took over as president, but the scientists and other companies we contract and work with still preferred your father and mother. Many have refused to work on certain projects with Frieza. Gathering a quiet collective of allies could be a better avenue to convincing the board." Brolli leaned back into her chair as he continued, "But of course, that is only if you wanted to do something like that."
Vegeta smirked back at the man, "Of course."
-o-o-o-o-o-
''Goku! Slow down! I don't think Chichi can give you mouth to mouth if you choke,'' Bulma teased out over the yard with a wink to Launch.
''Oh Bulma leave them be. You know she loves a man with a strong appetite,'' Launch joined in with a wink back. Chichi and Goku burned red at the idea, but he did slow down.
''Yeah Goku if you fill up on wings you won't get to try the breasts.'' Bunny chimed in oblivious to the girls teasing as she came out of the house with a mounded tray of assorted meats. Bulma and Launch burst laughing though.
After the fallout with Yamcha, Bulma had made some drastic changes to her birthday party. Her birthday was planned to be the biggest party of the year that anyone who was anyone in the school would be attending. She just canceled it. Of course, Bunny would have nothing of that and as the perfect host, invited a select few of Bulma's childhood friends to surprise her. Bulma figured that she would do something like this, but actually was surprised at the people that showed up to celebrate her 18th birthday. The gathering made her remember how easy and simple things used to be and she could only wonder when things changed so much that she rarely spoke to the old gang.
Goku disappears into the house, mumbling something about a bathroom. Chichi came over to the giggling pair and whacks both in the arm. ''Geez, Chich! When did you get so strong? But you have to admit that since you two know how the other feels, how awkward you both have become is way funnier than when you were oblivious''
"So who is up for some football?" Krilian called out holding a ball in hand.
"Hey it is Bulma's party we have to do stuff she would like." Said launch
"Actually Launch, I want to try out the bouncy house," Bulma said pointing at the inflated castle in the backyard.
"Seriously? Why is one of those here? What are you five?" Chichi said sarcastically.
"Nope in fact today I am 18, and as an adult I get to do whatever I want. And right now, that is bouncy house!" Bulma said grabbing both Chichi and Launch by the hand and running towards the air-filled castle.
After kicking off her shoes, Bulma bounded into the squishy castle and jumped like she was stomping down a cardboard box with both feet. Launch jumped and laid back so that the castle brought her back to her feet. Chichi resisted at first, but memories of pillow-fight filled sleepovers washed over her, and soon she was bouncing with the rest.
Krillian peered in through the mostly transparent walls of the castle at the well-endowed teenage girls jumping around. Dear Penthouse, he thought before kicking off his own shoes and ran towards the plastic castle.
As Bulma bounced around, she watched how the walls bent in under the weight and force of her bounces. The walls trembled and shook from the many bodies bouncing inside, but didn't fall down no matter how hard they bounced. She tilted her head to the side and thoughtfully peered out of squinted eyes as she thought about the air filled bladders holding the bouncy castle walls upright. Before her epiphany could be fully realized, she saw something. Through the undulating doorway. It was Goku coming towards her talking to someone dressed all in black.
The man in black was much shorter than Goku, but he walked with such effortless and powerful strides that Goku seemed to just stubble forward by comparison. While Goku chatted energetically to him, he glided forward, eyes fixed ahead of him. Ferocious and penetrating eyes that seemed transfixed on something.
"Now Bulma, don't be mad that he is here. It was Goku's idea to invite him and you two seem to be getting along better than you did when he first came back to school," Chichi said. Seeing that Bulma wasn't responding and stopped jumping and was staring at Vegeta as he walked towards them, "please don't be mad," she said quietly thinking that she had ruined the evening all together.
"Right. Sounds good," she said in a quiet distant voice as she climbed down from the bouncy house and walked barefoot towards the pair. As she approached, Goku retreated to the castle with Chichi and they hid behind the inflated fortification. Vegeta waited for her to approach, standing casually but attentively with his hand in his pocket. Damn! He looks like James Bond, she thought as she stopped in front of him.
Before a word could be spoken- "Oh dear, I am all out of Barbeque Sauce. Oh! Vegeta dear, can you go to the store and grab some more for me?" Bunny shouted from the patio.
Vegeta growled in acknowledgement before grabbing Bulma my the arm and dragging her behind him away from the yard and back to the driveway.
"Hey, I can't leave. It's my party!" Bulma protested, pulling on her abandoned flipflops at the patio doors as he pulled her forward.
"Most of those guys are idiots, but I'm sure everyone will remember why they are at your house without you there to remind them," he stated continuing to pull her towards the driveway.