Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, the characters, or the song "I Don't Know You Anymore" by Savage Garden
Almost at the end! You're just about there!
Waiting was the hardest part of anything. Vegeta had experienced that feeling before. He felt it as a child when he waited for his father to pick him up, the man always late because of his business which always left Vegeta feeling hollow. When he waited for Bulma to return, he felt it, and even more so when he waited for her to make an appearance in the small Texas diner. The day Bulma gave birth to Trunks, this emptiness was there.
And now, as he waited for a doctor to come and get him to allow him to see his wife, he felt it again.
He should have stayed with her, but he knew Raditz would be there shortly. There was no need to draw attention to what had actually happened. He still couldn't believe he killed a man, though, after what happened with his father, he could not put it past himself. What did that say about him? He couldn't linger on that.
Finally, Raditz showed up, and Vegeta's cool façade faltered slightly. Thankfully, the man came alone. He didn't need it to be any harder than it already was. "Vegeta," Raditz greeted coolly.
Vegeta greeted him with a nod. "Bulma is being checked out," he stated. "The baby too. Apparently, Frieza's man, Zarbon, used a chemical on Bulma to knock her out."
"That shouldn't surprise me," the officer stated, "but it does. I take it you're still waiting for the doctor to come out to you."
"Hn," Vegeta grunted, crossing his arms and looking away out a window. "Will I still be here if he comes?"
Raditz sighed. It seemed Vegeta was willing to take the plunge. "I'm not here to arrest you, if that's what you're asking. Basically, Vegeta, I watched you shoot a man, but you did it in self-defense, protecting your wife. A mobster is dead because of you, so you've actually done more of a service. Because of the situation, the precinct won't be pressing charges. The family, however, they might. It would be a criminal case in that sense, and that's only if they press charges. Of course, I need to file a report and get both yours and Bulma's statements."
"Bulma told me," Vegeta started, "that Frieza admitted to being Cooler's younger brother, that he had intended to torture her. He described to her, in detail, what he planned to do to her. She won't tell me for fear it will upset me. He at first said he wouldn't kill her, but then she didn't know what was going to happen to her. You heard what he said when Bulma and I tried to escape, that he was doing all of this over a stupid, broken contract. When he pulled the gun on her, all I saw was red, and I reacted. I couldn't lose her…not again."
"Like I said," Raditz repeated, "you may stand trial for this even after I put in a report."
"It is what it is," Vegeta remarked, his eyes glancing to hospital doors. "Just do what you have to do. If Arco wants to sue me, I don't give a shit. He'll have to defend why his brother went after my wife if that's the case, and he'll probably destroy his own business." A doctor finally appeared, her eyes landing on him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see my wife."
Raditz watched as Vegeta walked away, tense but calm, probably trying to prepare himself to handle his pregnant wife. She had gone through a terrible ordeal, and she needed Vegeta's strength right now. The front he put up was probably just as much for her as it was for him.
What amazed Raditz more was that Vegeta was accepting responsibility for what had occurred in front of the mansion, that he was prepared to deal with the consequences. He was young, had his whole life in front of him, and yet he confidently told Raditz to do what he had to do. Well, he definitely would, alright, and one of the things he had to do was get a warrant for Cooler's arrest. He was just as much to blame in this as his brother. This was going to become public. Vegeta was right. It would be in Cooler's best interest if he didn't press charges. No matter what, he was certain his brother's friend would be let off for self-defense. There was no need to make a spectacle out of this.
When Vegeta reached Bulma, she smiled at him and looked so much better. He practically ran over to her, taking her in his arms as he rocked her. He just wanted to hold her, to forget about what could have happened. The doctor began speaking, smiling at the two, telling Vegeta that she just had some abrasions on her wrists from trying to escape and that there were no problems with the baby. Whatever chemical they used, chloroform from the description Bulma gave, there were no known defects or complications to unborn children. So far, everything checked out, and his wife and child were safe.
The doctor left them alone, leaving to get Bulma's discharge paperwork, Bulma looking up at her husband asking, "Did you call our parents? Do they know I'm okay?"
"Yes," he told her. "They said they were on their way when I got off the phone."
As he said that, their family and friends had just arrived, and the doctor had led them back. Panchy had Trunks who was vying for his mother's attention, stretching his arms out to her. Vegeta took the baby from his grandmother and placed him in Bulma's arms. He leaned his head on his mother's chest, but was careful not to move to much. He seemed to understand that mommy's abdomen was a protected area right now, and he usually wasn't very fussy with her. If he was, usually Vegeta took over, so maybe he was learning that way.
"What the heck happened, Bulma?" Goku asked, sounding deeply concerned.
Bulma cast a weary glance over to her friend. "Well, Chi…remember when we said our life wasn't a true soap opera because there was no mafia crap?"
"Yeah?" her friend responded.
"Yeah, we can't say that anymore…"
"So this Frieza fellow really was in the mafia?" Kalina asked, horrified.
Vegeta nodded. "Unfortunately. And he really is related to Cooler Arco. He arranged this because I broke our contract."
"That bastard," Dr. Briefs hissed, his fists clenching in rage. He looked towards his daughter, his expression softening for a fraction of a second before the anger returned. "I'll sue that man for everything he's worth."
"Daddy, no," Bulma argued, surprising the man. She hugged Trunks tighter. "Let the police handle it. I'm so tired of fighting with other businessmen. All I want is to just focus on the fact that I'm safe and my baby is safe, that Frieza is gone, and just go home. I just want to go home."
"Wait, Frieza is gone?" Panchy asked. "What happened?"
"He was gunning for Bulma," Vegeta explained. "I just reacted and shot him."
Kalina gasped and quickly moved to embrace her son. "Thank goodness you got him or who knows what would have happened. We could have lost you both."
"That was his intention," Vegeta agreed.
"Don't worry, son," Dr. Briefs stated causing Vegeta to flinch at that word. He looked over to the man in astonishment. "Let us worry about the legal stuff, all right? You and Bulma focus on recovering from this ordeal. I'll have my legal team handle everything."
"You don't have to do th-"
Dr. Briefs walked over to his son-in-law, Kalina stepping away for the moment, and the man held up his hand to silence Vegeta. "Please, Vegeta, let me do this. You saved my daughter's life. The least I can do is save you should Cooler try to come after you."
There were no words to describe how Vegeta felt in that moment, especially after Dr. Briefs had gone so far as to call him "son" so affectionately. He could only nod in acceptance in fear his speech would fail him giving way to the emotions he felt. After all, it had been a long day for him and his wife both. His mind reflected on how he could have lost the woman. His whole world could have been destroyed. Even to himself, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what he was feeling. He should have been worried about what consequences he would face, but he truly didn't care. He was just really thankful that his family was safe.
As he looked upon Bulma holding their son, his heart did flips. Once again, they had proven that they could overcome any obstacle together, and this time it would be no different.