TWELVE

When Bulma awoke the next morning, she was still out on the balcony. She glanced around, trying to remember why she was out there, and then she remembered: Vegeta. She stood up and ran around Capsule Corp. in a frenzy, trying to find any trace that he had returned, but it was useless. He was gone.

"No," she whispered. It can't be. He must be here! He promised me he would never leave! He said he'd stay. Bulma's body racked with sobs. She buried her face in her hands, and fell down on her knees, totally alone and helpless.

The days passed by slowly. One morning, as Bulma got out of bed, she glanced at the calendar. It had been exactly six weeks since Vegeta had left, leaving her all alone in the huge building. That also meant she was now two months pregnant. She realized that there was almost no chance of Vegeta ever living up to his promise. She stared at the calendar for a few more moments, before she fell to her knees, crying in self-pity.

It was at this moment that Goku, Chi-Chi and Gohan arrived at Capsule Corp. They had come to visit with Bulma and train in the gravity chamber. Goku knocked on the door.

"Hello? Hey, Bulma, it's us! Is everything okay?" At first his voice had been friendly, but the last sentence was full of worry. He turned the handle on the door, and pushed. The door opened, revealing the empty kitchen and the hallway where Bulma was crying.

"Bulma?" Chi-Chi cried as she ran over to her friend. She knelt down beside Bulma and touched her back. "Are you all right? Did---did something happen?" By this time, both Goku and Gohan had reached Bulma, and were kneeling around her as well.

"Vegeta," she choked out, still weeping.

"Vegeta? Did he do something to you?" Chi-Chi gripped one of Bulma's hands tightly in her own.

"He left," she murmured in a voice barely above a whisper. "After he promised me he would never leave." Chi-Chi looked up at Goku in disbelief. Goku looked over at Chi-Chi as well, and the two locked eyes. It was almost as if they could read each other's minds.

"Bulma?" Gohan asked, his voice cutting through the silence. "Why did he promise you that?" Chi-Chi and Goku quickly turned their attention to their son.

"Gohan . . ." his mother warned. "Don't bother Bulma. She's having a hard time."

Bulma wiped her eyes. "It's all right, Chi-Chi. Well, Gohan, you see, it's because . . . because . . ." she hesitated. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Because I'm having a baby." She opened her eyes. There. I said it. She felt relieved.

"Oh, wow!" Gohan laughed. "Really Bulma?"

"Mm-hmm," Bulma nodded. The little boy laughed and his parents smiled. Bulma smiled, too. After all of the fear, and the hardships and pain, she felt that she could finally relax.

"What happened?" Chi-Chi asked her.

Bulma's heart sunk. I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell you. "Er, well, it's not really appropriate for Gohan," she said, eyeing him warily. The little boy understood and went into the living room to watch TV. "That's better. Well, it all started a couple of weeks ago, at my cousin's wedding . . ."





" . . .and that's it. That's everything." Bulma took a deep breath. She'd just finished telling Goku and his family her version of what happened.

"Wow . . ."Goku and Chi-Chi, as well as Gohan, who had come back into the room some time ago, were all speechless.

Goku was the first to recover. "And when you told him, he left?"

Bulma hesitated. "Not exactly. He left after I fell asleep, so it wasn't like I told him and he flew off." She clenched her fists angrily. She suddenly realized how much harder it would be for her without him there. That selfish bastard. He knew how much this was going to hurt me, and he did it anyway!

"Uh, Bulma, are you okay?" Chi-Chi leaned closer to her friend, who was still kneeling in the hallway.

Goku saw Bulma grit her teeth and quickly pulled Gohan up on his feet. "Come on, son, let's go outside." Without waiting for a response, he pulled Gohan outside, not a minute too soon.





"Bulma?" Chi-Chi knelt down next her friend.

"THAT SELFISH BASTARD!" Bulma's outburst knocked Chi-Chi back. "IF I EVER GET MY HANDS ON YOU VEGETA, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"Calm down, Bulma," Chi-Chi pleaded.

"WHY THE HELL SHOULD I? HE LEFT ME ALL ALONE, AND PREGNANT, AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?" Bulma was standing over Chi-Chi, who was now backed into a corner. "HOW CALM WOULD YOU BE?"

Chi-Chi didn't answer. "THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT!" Bulma yelled at the top of her lungs. All of a sudden, her eyes widened and she clapped her hands over her mouth.

Oh my Kami. "Oh, Chi-Chi, I'm sorry, I just . . ." Bulma voice was shaking, and she couldn't finish the sentence.

Chi-Chi stood up slowly, fearing another outburst. Slowly, carefully, she reached out and touched Bulma's back. "It'll be okay, Bulma. You don't need him, we'll all help you out once the baby's born. Don't worry, we all understand what you're going through. We'll help you through this. I promise."

Tears fell from Bulma's eyes. "Thanks, Chi-Chi. I don't know what I'd do without you guys." You're wrong about one thing, though, Chi-Chi. I'll always need Vegeta. No matter what.





'What are you doing?' Vegeta's conscience had caught up with him. 'How can you leave her all alone?' Shut up! Just shut up! He growled. He'd flown for days, and was now somewhere in Europe. I can't have a child with such a weakling! The Prince of Saiyans, with a pathetic human? Never!

'But it's your child.'

I don't care about that brat.

'What about Bulma?'

What about her? Vegeta was trying his hardest to keep his conscience quiet, but it wasn't working. He was in a large clearing, smack dab in the middle of a large forest. He was scowling, angry that he was losing a fight. Even if it was to a voice inside his head. . .

'How can you leave her all alone?'

Easily.

'But don't you love her?'

Vegeta sighed angrily, and clenched his fists. Damn. He turned around and faced the eastern edge of the clearing.

'You won't regret this.' The voice taunted.

Oh, shut up. He took off, going much slower than this way around. He needed time to think.





Bulma sighed and gazed at the digital clock next to her bed. It still said 3:17. "Ooh." She groaned. I'll never get to sleep. It had been a week and a half since that day Goku had come over, and she was restless. She hadn't slept well for days, and she still hadn't told her parents about her pregnancy. She stared at the clock. 3:18. 3:19. 3:20. She closed her eyes, and after a few long minutes, finally fell asleep.

Knock, knock.

Bulma was awakened by the sound of someone knocking at the door. The alarm clock told her that it was approximately 6:15. Reluctantly, she pulled on her pink fleece robe and went to answer the door. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she opened the door. "Yamcha?" she gasped in surprise.

The man grinned. "Hey, Bulma." He was kneeling on the doorstep, with one arm behind his back. He pulled his arm out, revealing a beautiful bouquet of pink roses. He handed them to her.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" she asked, taking the bouquet he had handed her. She fingered one of the roses, tracing the petals.

"I'm sorry, Bulma. I never should've let you go. I love you, Bulma. I didn't realize it until I thought I'd lost you. Say you'll forgive me?" he grasped one of her hands.

Bulma gasped. He wants me back? "What about your other girlfriends? What about Monique?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"I dumped them all, Bulma. I don't need them, I need you."

Bulma could only stare at him. He dumped them all? For me? But I . . .I can't go back to him. I don't love him anymore. "I'm sorry, Yamcha." She murmured sadly, and began to close the door. She dropped the bouquet on the floor.

"Bulma, wait!" he held out his hand and stopped the door from shutting. "But Bulma, I need you!" She looked at him. He was standing there, one hand in the doorway, a confused look on his face. He'd even put a suit on for her. "Don't leave me again!"

"I'm sorry, Yamcha," she repeated. "I don't love you anymore."

"Don't love me!" he spat out the words. "But you've always loved me!" He seemed more angry than sad. He swung the door open and came inside the kitchen.

"I used to, but not anymore. I have someone else, Yamcha, someone who loves me for me. Not because I'm available." She watch his face fall. Serves him right, after everything he's done to me over the years.

"Who could ever love you, besides me? Nobody. I'm the only one, Bulma. I always have been and I always will be." He grinned smugly.

Bulma eyes widened in anger. Like hell you want me back! You only want me so you can say you got me. Well, that ain't happenin'!

"You might say love me," she said, her voice calm, even though she was far from it, " but I'll never love you again. I have someone, Yamcha, who, unlike you, will always be there for me. You just want me back because you're so possessive. You don't love me."

Yamcha stood there for a moment, frozen stiff with shock. He shook his head, trying to shake off her message. I don't buy it. Who else is she gonna get, Krillin? Ha! Maybe she got with Vegeta. Yeah, and the world is flat. "Fuck it, Bulma. You know you love me. What, are you still upset about your cousin's wedding?"

Bulma shook with anger. She clenched her fists so hard, her knuckles went white. Through clenched teeth, she growled "Why the hell shouldn't I be? You were the one on the couch with that other girl, weren't you? It's not just the wedding, it's the fact that you always cheated on me, and I always forgave you and took you back. And then you did it again. Well, not anymore, Yamcha. Never. We're through."

Yamcha was taken back. She's not gonna forgive me? Ever? "Through?" he repeated in a weak voice.

"Yes, Yamcha. You and I are through." Bulma was much calmer now. Stupid hormones. "I'm never gonna let you come crawling back to me again. I've moved on." She looked over her shoulder sadly. "Good bye." She whispered, her voice a mixture of sadness and independence.

Yamcha just stood there for a moment, taking it all in. "Bulma?"

"Yes, Yamcha?" she turned to face him.

"C-can I ask you a question?"

"What?" she tilted her head slightly. She knew he wasn't about to ask her out again. He knows there's someone else.

"Who is it?" There was a definite sadness in his voice, along with a questioning hope.

Bulma took a deep breath and looked away from her ex. "Vegeta."

"VEGETA?!" Yamcha yelled. Bulma winced. "What can Vegeta give you that I can't?" He practically spit out the prince's name.

Here goes. "Um . . .a baby," she looked down at the floor, an embarrassed blush creeping up on her face.

"There's nothing wrong with me, Bulma! I could give you a baby, too." The man sounded desperate. He obviously didn't understand what she was trying to tell him. Baka.

Bulma stifled a laugh. "No, you don't get it Yamcha." She looked to him, a smile growing on her face. "I'm having a baby."