Chapter 8 – An Unexpected Reunion
Friday bumped into Cheelai faster than she realized. Almost the entire day before was spent with Bulma and her mother, treating her to a girl's outing. They stopped for clothes, ate at cafés, and made numerous visits to Mrs. Briefs's favorite bakeries. One pastry in particular at the last place they visited had something the baker called a "Millefeuille." One bite and Cheelai was in confectionary heaven. It was creamy, flaky, and all-around delicious. She'd laugh if Lemo witnessed her tasting something that he hadn't made and would've bribed the baker for his recipe.
By the time they returned to Capsule Corporation, Cheelai's arms were full of bags from clothing and lingerie stores. She stopped counting the number of times she went red in the face from the selections Bulma picked for her. "For when you're ready to be intimate again, you'd want your new lover to have something he'll remember for the rest of his life," Bulma said. There was one two-piece she pointed out to Cheelai that she boasted left Vegeta speechless. Maybe someday, once she's freed of her burden, Broly might fancy these undergarments. But that was not for a while yet.
Packing for her weekend getaway was more bothersome than she realized. Out of all the clothes she stuffed into a suitcase, she spent an exorbitant amount of time poring over the swimsuit Bulma bought her. It was a small two-piece red string bikini that secured everything in place, yet it didn't look like it covered much.
"C'mon Cheelai, the boys will be drooling with nosebleeds over you wearing that," Cheelai said, mocking Bulma's voice. She tossed it in with the other clothes and toiletries lazily packed inside and closed the lid. She wanted to relax, not flirt with other tourists! At least there was a one-piece bathing suit that she picked for herself that looked more modest.
"I'm pretty sure Bulma wasn't serious, though," Cheelai thought out loud. She thumbed Durien's pendant in her fingers before retrieving the last item that rested on top of the dresser, a pair of sunglasses. Those, at least, she was thrilled to acquire. "Nice," she said with a grin once she saw her reflection with the pair nestled comfortably on top of her nose.
The suitcase had wheels on the bottom and a handle she pulled out to roll it along the floor. It was awkward at first, but she eventually got the hang of it. More Earthly contraptions that confused her.
It was even more baffling when she saw the bags Bulma packed for herself.
"All set and ready to go?" Bulma asked when Cheelai met her at the front of the main building. Cheelai couldn't peel her eyes from the luggage that stood beside the woman.
"Did you pack the whole clothing store after we left?" she asked, forcing Bulma to let out a chuckle when she glanced down at her luggage.
"I know the owner of the resort we're going to," Bulma said. "He runs a small bar along the beach on weekends, but I ironed out a few last-minute things with him yesterday. I can still do video conferences with my clients while you relax and enjoy yourself. This trip is all about you."
Even while vacationing, Bulma still found some time to conduct business with other clients. "It must be hard running a big place such as this," Cheelai said. She gazed at the building, reading the letters on the front. She wanted to envy Bulma's determination but didn't want the headache associated with it. She had just gone through one the other day. At least that was no longer bothering her. "I can't imagine ever doing what you're doing. Running a whole company, I mean."
"When you're the world's most popular and successful company, the job becomes second nature," Bulma said with a huge grin. She led her to a two-seat aircraft she produced from a capsule and loaded all their luggage in the back. Cheelai could see a few familiar faces sending them off and went to greet Lemo.
"Take care of Broly, okay?" She said, hugging him. "Make sure he gets his anti-viral injections on time. And try not to create a scene while I'm away?"
"What are you, my mother?" Lemo said, shooing her away. "Get your butt going. We'll be fine here."
Vegeta stood by at the entrance, holding Bulla in his arms while Trunks waved at her.
"Have a fun trip, mom! Bring us back some souvenirs, okay?"
"I'll see what I can do, kiddo," Bulma said, turning to Vegeta. "Don't forget Bulla's feeding schedule!"
Vegeta rolled his eyes, forcing himself to maintain his stoicism. He'd never forgive Goku if his rival caught him in a moment of parental embarrassment while his youngest was tugging at his hair, giggling. "Go on. I'll handle everything," he told Bulma.
Trunks waved once more at his mother before tugging at Vegeta's shirt. "Papa, can we eat now?" he asked.
It was about that time anyway since both the Saiyan and half-Saiyans expressed their hunger. Bulla had another set of giggles in response to her father's stomach.
"If it's lunch you're wondering about, everyone, leave that to me. I've trained your kitchen staff to become a fine-tuned specimen of culinary delight that'll blow you away!" Lemo said proudly. Trunks jumped up with excitement as Lemo led him back inside, bragging about cooking for all the Saiyans accounted for in the compound.
Cheelai paused before she climbed into the aircraft. She glanced one last time at Lemo, hand to her chest.
"His life's in your hands, Lemo. I trust you," she whispered, then settled into her seat. She pressed her hand against the glass. "Stay safe, Broly. I won't be gone for too long."
After Broly's anti-viral injection, Lemo was alerted to a loud, rumbling sound. "What the hell was that?" he asked.
A second rumbling sound filled the room. Lemo shook his head, chuckling under his breath. Broly had his hand on his stomach. "My stomach does that when it tells me it needs food," he said. "Father called it hunger."
"That's a good sign," Lemo said, nodding. "It means you're almost cured. Now that your appetite is coming back, I'll have my team work on the biggest feast you'll ever eat."
Broly set aside the nagging rumbling of his hunger pangs. Something else was on his mind. "Where is Cheelai?" Broly asked. He expected her face as soon as he woke up like before. Waking up to an empty room without anyone to greet him was awkward.
"Doctor Bulma is treating her to a weekend stay at a resort," Lemo said. "Poor girl's been needing a break to clear her head."
"She didn't come to see me," Broly said, which caused Lemo's mouth to tighten. "Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about it, big guy. Besides, she'll be back in a few days, ready to see you up and at it without that big hole in your shoulder. I think she'll be more thrilled seeing you whole again," he told him.
It wasn't the same. Broly liked seeing Cheelai near him. She made him laugh for the first time in his life. She fought bravely against the beetles on Vampa. These new friends were the first sense of comfort he's experienced since playing with Ba. If it weren't for the nagging pain in his shoulder and the lack of strength in his body, he'd head out to find her.
He didn't like this pain. It felt like someone poured liquid-hot fire into the hole in his shoulder, followed by periods of numbness in his arm that shot down to his hand. There was also a chill not even Ba's ear could keep him warm. The addition of extra coverings over his body had not helped much, either. It changed intermittently from feeling the worst kind of cold to an unbearable degree of heat that soaked the sheets from his sweat. Those females who called themselves nurses kept saying that it was called a "fever," whatever that meant. This "fever" felt worse than the pain seared into his shoulder. He wanted all of these things gone from his body. Pain and fever. If someone wasn't in the room with him, the pain was worse, enough to touch the well of power that responded to his anger. He disliked the lack of company, especially the lack of Cheelai.
He never knew someone of her size had a nice-sounding voice, a pleasant scent, and purple eyes. He liked those purple eyes, but there was no word he could come up with to describe what they looked like to him. If only Cheelai were in the room, he'd ask her. If only he weren't so hungry, he'd think about coming up with a word for it himself.
He was alerted to some commotion happening outside of the room where he could hear Kakarrot's voice accompanied by that of a female.
"Ow ow ow! Chichi, can you let go of my ear, please?" Goku yelped while the woman, dressed conservatively with her handkerchief tied around her neck and her hair up in a bun, poked him hard in the chest, releasing his ear.
"How else am I supposed to drag you back to the farm to get back to work, Goku?! You keep running off to do your training when you know the harvest is coming up!"
"I'm sorry! I was tied up in something important!" Goku protested, then glanced to see he was outside of Broly's room. "See? I wanted to see Broly again!"
She looked in Goku's direction at Broly and Lemo and paused to compose herself, releasing his ear. Goku uncomfortably rubbed at the side of his head, averting the occasional glare from his wife.
"Hey," Lemo said, waving at her casually.
"Hi, Lemo! Hi, Broly! This is my wife, Chichi!" he said, and Chichi bowed at the two. "Greetings," she said politely.
"Gohan should be arriving here soon. He's been asking about our fight from a few days ago and wanted to meet you in person," Goku said.
The bed Broly was resting on had a function to raise the head of the mattress so he could be in a sitting position. He acknowledged Kakarrot with a grin but was still quite shy and quiet around new faces. Lemo was less enthusiastic about seeing so many people in the same room.
"Can't you lot do this one at a time?" Lemo said. "Broly's not a sideshow attraction you show off to your friends. He needs enough peace and quiet. Otherwise, he gets upset."
"I like company," Broly interjected. "I know you do, big guy. But I want to play it safe until you're healthy again," Lemo said with a sideways glance.
Chichi elbowed Goku in the ribs. "I agree, Mister Lemo," Chichi said, nudging Goku to walk back out of the room. "Let's leave these nice people alone and go back home."
She began pulling Goku by the arm. "Aw c'mon, Chichi! I'm going to miss out on lunch!" Goku protested.
"If you don't mind staying, Miss Chichi, I'm about to prepare lunch for everyone," Lemo offered, and Chichi paused, folding her arms in front of her.
"I appreciate the offer, Mister Lemo. But, my Goku's got a nice big lunch waiting for him back home. Don't you, Goku?"
Lemo's face lit up, smiling. "Oh, are you a chef as well?"
"I'm a housewife, and a darn good one at that," Chichi said with a confident nod. Goku laughed it off with his hand behind his head. "I can't say no to Chichi's cooking!" Goku shouted.
Lemo couldn't help taking Chichi's hands, surprising her. "This is fantastic! I am always eager to trade cooking techniques and recipes with quality chefs. If that's okay with you?" he asked. Chichi beamed with pride, trying her best to conceal her embarrassed look.
"Oh my," Chichi said, hands to her face.
"I want to discover all that this planet has to offer in terms of culinary delights. So tell me, Miss Chichi, have you ever cooked for the gods before?"
"If you mean Lord Beerus and Whis, then I have, yes," Chichi said awkwardly.
"Excellent! Stay for a while, and you'll tell me all about it!" He said, wrapping his arm around hers to lead her out of the room. Chichi couldn't hide her bashfulness at the gentlemanly gesture while Goku raised an eyebrow in confusion as he and Broly stared at each other.
"Kakarrot," Broly said. He touched the bandages around his torso and shoulder. "You saved my life?"
Goku balled his hand into a fist, grinning confidently. He gave his chest a good thump with his fist. "Yeah. I want you good and healthy again so we can resume our training. We won't have to worry about giant worms on this planet getting in the way!"
It was still strange for Broly to witness. Kakarrot was a Saiyan like him and his father, yet bereft of any harsh treatment he had to endure. Something about how he talked to him didn't make the well bubble up unless something else had already pulled at it earlier. Broly liked this one's company, too.
"I should hurry and join Lemo and Chichi if they're both making lunch. See ya!" Goku shouted at Broly before he dashed out of the room. Lunch was a word that was associated with food. That, Broly knew from many sit-downs with his father as they ate the golden gel-like substance of the beetles' legs. Food was associated with hunger, which was then associated with the stomach noises. He hoped to see some of Lemo's food soon.
Despite insisting that he'd take care of all the cooking and cleaning, Lemo begrudgingly allowed Chichi to join him in the kitchen to work with his team to prepare lunch. Cooking for hungry Saiyans reminded Lemo of the time he once cooked for over a hundred and fifty Cold Force soldiers. At least this would provide good practice for this Capsule Corporation kitchen crew to prepare for Lord Beerus's banquet.
Gohan and his wife, Videl, joined Goku's table along with Vegeta, while Goten and Trunks were in the middle of a card game with Capsule Corporation staff. Gohan and Videl's daughter, Pan, was placed beside Bulla in their playpen while the adults monitored them.
Trunks won their game when one of the staff pulled the joker card from his hand. He flashed a victory sign with a grin on his face.
Goku spoke to Gohan at length of his and Vegeta's fight with Broly. While Vegeta made several corrections, he chastised the boys whenever they asked him about their fusion as Gogeta. Goku was more thrilled than Vegeta was to discuss their fusion, while the Saiyan prince ignored it and rose from his seat.
"The less I have to see of that ridiculous fusion dance, the better," Vegeta said. The look he gave Goku insisted that he'd stop bragging about how great Gogeta's power was against Broly, yet the Saiyan kept chattering on.
"Can we please see Gogeta, dad? I really want Trunks and I to fight him as Gotenks!" Goten pleaded with Goku. His beaming smile and wide-eyed curiosity almost convinced Goku if it weren't for Vegeta shooting them both a warning look.
"We're not fusing again," Vegeta said. Bulla was excited to see her dad lifting her into his arms from the playpen while Videl retrieved Pan. She smiled at him, content to see how happy Bulla looked in the arms of her father, which prompted Vegeta to grunt, looking away. He loathed revealing this side of him in front of all these people. Considering how much pride he put at stake in the past, the only time he'd ever want to risk humiliating himself was in front of Beerus. But, in front of friends and family, it was even more unbearable.
Sometime later, Lemo and Chichi emerged from the kitchens with his team following behind, rolling out carts full of various dishes they prepared. Goku couldn't hold back his excitement, and much to everyone's surprise, neither could Vegeta.
"Let my team and Miss Chichi, here, take care of everything. I'll be seeing to Broly," Lemo said, signaling his associate head chef to follow him. There was no longer any lingering conflict of opinions nor lack of professional courtesy they once had at first. Instead, the two worked well together as if they had been at it for years.
Lemo and the associate head chef wheeled the largest carts they could find, filled with as many dishes and platters as Lemo could fit on them. He wasn't confident that all of this would be enough, but he was prepared for a second, possibly a third, return trip to the kitchens if needed.
Broly couldn't contain the salivating gaze once he laid his eyes on the carts. "Sorry to keep you waiting, big guy!" Lemo said. The width of the carts barely passed through the doors, but it didn't matter. Broly was starving.
Adjusting the bed so Broly could sit upright, Lemo wheeled the first cart in front of him. "Eat your fill, my friend. You deserve it," Lemo said. He lifted the lids off each platter, revealing mountains of protein and carbs meant to fill and replenish the Saiyan's strength.
While the Saiyans in the cafeteria devoured everything, Broly ate. He ate until he cleared every single platter, leaving nothing behind.
The associate head chef was left aghast. "In all my years cooking for Vegeta and Trunks, I've never seen someone devour food quite like this one does," she said.
Lemo took that as a boost to his pride as a chef. "It's exhausting work, but nothing satisfies me more than to see the content face of someone cleaning each plate," he told her. Broly downed several cups of water before he gave Lemo a look. "More," he said. The associate almost fainted.
"You got it, big guy," Lemo said. He moved the cart away from Broly. "With your level of appetite, I'd say you're just about completely cured of that virus."
Broly wanted nothing more than to stand again. The first array of food helped a great deal. Despite the wound in his shoulder, strength was returning to his arms and legs.
"Hold on, Broly," Lemo said, waving him back to the bed. "Can't have you walking around yet. Not until I'm confident you're cured."
Being confined to the bed annoyed Broly. He wanted to move. He wanted to see Kakarrot. But most of all, he wanted to see Cheelai. Lemo could see it on his face.
"I'm sorry, Broly. I hate doing this, keeping you in this boring hospital room," he said.
"I don't like this place," Broly replied. He gripped the sheets in his hand.
"I know, it's not as fun as spending time with us. But this isn't forever," Lemo said.
"I want to see Cheelai," Broly said more forcefully.
It was always a struggle to suppress the well. The lack of Cheelai's face opened the valve ever so slightly. A trickle of power began to leak out. He gripped the sheets until his knuckles turned white. How long before Lemo's face began to blur itself out? He could see that it was unnerving his friend, however.
"I know you want to see her, Broly," Lemo said with a sigh. "But she needs time to herself."
"I want to see her…!" Broly growled. Lemo rounded on him. "No, Broly. You need to get that temper of yours under control. Got that?" he said, keeping his voice calm yet forceful. "What would Cheelai say if she came back and saw that you wrecked the whole place?"
Broly raised a shaking hand to his head while the other was still tearing into the bedsheet. The well needed to be closed. The lid needed to go back on. He tried to imagine Lemo and Cheelai forcing the lid back on the well. All the while, Lemo could see Broly struggle, pressing his hand against his head.
"Fight it, Broly. Suppress it," Lemo said. Broly could hear those words reach him, yet the well wanted to absorb them into the aether. All the well wanted to do was draw in noises until they were inaudible buzzing sounds, rendering words incomprehensible.
"Breathe," Lemo said. "Breathe, and relax. Cheelai will come back better than she ever was. We'll work through this together, understand?"
The lid closed on the well. Deep breaths seemed to be helping the lid secure itself. It also helped the shaking leave Broly's hand as he lowered it away from his head, loosening his grip on the bedsheet.
"Breathe and relax," Lemo reminded him. "Do that for me, alright?"
"Breathe and relax," Broly repeated, looking at Lemo.
"Yeah. You got it, big guy. Deep breaths. No one is abandoning you. Cheelai will be just as happy to see you as you will be. Deep breaths," Lemo said, repeating his advice.
"Deep breaths," Broly echoed. He touched the space that the metallic collar used to occupy around his neck. At least the words Lemo said felt better than the pain his father gave him when the collar sent powerful jolts of electricity through his body. All his tension caused a tear in the sheets from his vice-like grip.
Lemo patted him on the leg. "I'll be back with your second helping," he said.
Broly, alone again, wanted to do those breathing motions again that Lemo told him about. Breathing. While it began to relax his body, glancing back at the tear in the fabric of the bedsheet stirred the well. He didn't have a word for what went through his mind once he noticed even the smallest amount of damage he caused once the well was open. It had little to do with how it affected the well, but what it did was push it away. He didn't like it, nor did he like the uncertainty of what to call it.
It did have a word, though. Only Broly didn't know how to connect it to what he was feeling.
Fear.
Lemo was greeted to a sight of Goku and Vegeta fighting over a drumstick.
"Stop hogging all the food, Kakarrot! You've had plenty as it is!" Vegeta yelled, shoving Goku's face away.
Goku shoved back. "But I'm still hungry!"
"You're always hungry, you idiot!"
Trunks and Goten ignored the tussle between their fathers while Videl had a disappointed look on her face. Chichi helped Lemo's chefs clear the empty plates from the table while Gohan had his daughter on his lap, aiding her to eat from the dumpling platter. Bulla's wetnurse knew that she couldn't have the little one stuck between two rival Saiyans fighting over chicken. She took care of feeding the girl from what was available.
"Wow, Lemo! This food is amazing!" Goku said in the middle of his tug-of-war. "You and Chichi work well together!"
"It is my purpose in life," Lemo boasted. He squeezed in between Goku and Vegeta. "But you needn't be fighting over the food. There's plenty more where this came from. I still have a second helping to deliver to Broly."
The distraction allowed Vegeta to snag the drumstick away from Goku, smirking to himself. "There's more?" Goku said. "Yahoo!"
Round two of the grand Saiyan feast was delivered to Broly as intended before Lemo returned with the co-head chef. He grinned confidently at Chichi, leading her back to the kitchens.
Among all the feasting, Gohan adjusted his glasses. "Won't this overstuff everyone?" he asked. Videl chuckled at the sight of Pan reaching for another dumpling.
"Not if Pan's still hungry," she told him. "She's got that Saiyan appetite, alright."
Lemo circled the table like an eager host. "Eat! Eat! Fill those bellies of yours!" he shouted joyfully. "Consider this my generous gift to you all for saving Broly's life."
"Eh? But I didn't," Gohan said, but Lemo cut him off with a pat on his shoulder. "Take the compliment, kid."
Goku tapped his stomach, chuckling merrily. "That hit the spot! I'm stuffed!"
Vegeta couldn't hide the satisfaction on his face. "You have a Saiyan's drive and tenacity in the kitchen. A battle-hardened warrior can benefit from such a feast."
Lemo smirked. "Much obliged, Mister Vegeta," he said. He clapped his hands. "Thank you, everyone, for coming! You have all been a tremendous help for us to prepare for Lord Beerus and Whis's arrival."
"Hey Vegeta, let's get in a light workout in the gravity room," Goku said, stretching his arm by rotating it once he was back on his feet. Vegeta cradled Bulla in his arms before passing her off to the wetnurse before catching up to Goku. Chichi sighed, watching her husband leave her sight again. "I want you back by sundown, Goku!" she shouted at him.
Gohan tapped Lemo on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Mister Lemo?" he asked. Lemo glanced behind him. "What is it?"
"We are humbled to be your guests. I overheard much of what my father and Vegeta were talking about when you arrived here with Broly the other day," Gohan said. He then bowed at him. "I look forward to Broly's recovery so I could meet him."
Lemo remarked at how polite Gohan acted towards him, unlike others from the last few days. "Sure thing, kid. Though I imagine you won't be the only one. It seems Broly's gained quite the popularity since his arrival," Lemo said, crossing his arms. "I'd say another day or two before that virus is completely gone from his body. Then we can give him one of those senzu beans that's supposed to heal the big hole in his shoulder."
"I'm eager to learn more about Broly's power," Gohan explained. Lemo wasn't sure he understood, but he was keen on listening. "I've been studying exclusively the properties of energy and how they work in the body when people use it. Studying my power as a Saiyan and my father's and Vegeta's opened up many interesting aspects of energy manipulation. From what has been said of Broly's power, it fluctuates in response to his emotional state."
"If you do, I wish you the best of luck," Lemo said. He was right on his earlier hunch. Most of what Gohan said regarding energy was confusing, but at least Gohan understood Broly's temper. "Getting Broly angry isn't the problem; that's the easy part. Any little thing seems to set him off from what I've experienced. The tricky part is figuring out how to keep it under control."
"If you stay here long enough," Gohan said, "I would love to work with him with some help from my father, Vegeta, and Piccolo."
"Never heard of this Piccolo fella," Lemo said, shrugging his shoulders. "But it'll take a village to train that big Saiyan. That, I can be assured of."
The issue of how long Lemo planned on staying here never crossed his mind until Gohan suggested the duration he needed to work with Broly. "As for how long I plan on staying here? Not sure."
"Gohan, we're leaving," Videl reminded him, holding Pan in her arms. Gohan waved back at her. "Sorry! Thanks for taking the time to talk, Mister Lemo," he said before rejoining his family.
Lemo had his own "family" to worry about, too. Those two boys, Trunks and Goten, were already gone, probably bugging their fathers for some training, while the wetnurse brought Bulla back to her room. The company as a whole ran like a well-oiled machine, Lemo remarked.
He continued his work until sundown, but not before persuading Chichi that she doesn't need to stay.
"I insist, Mister Lemo," she kept reminding him. "You've worked hard, and I don't want to see you overburdened with the cleanup."
Lemo barked a laugh. "You don't know my people very well, Miss Chichi. We work very hard each day. No matter how big or how small the job is, we pour our very lives into it. Heck, even a menial task like searching for recruits for the Freeza Force wasn't the most exciting job, but I committed to it regardless."
He looked around the kitchen and at the chefs. "But this is my life's ambition. The kitchen is my most sacred of places. I never knew how much joy had been reinvigorated into my soul until I met Broly and began cooking for him."
"It is a wonderful feeling, isn't it?" Chichi said, beaming. "The joy on the faces of those I cook for fulfills me. It is my labor of love."
Their camaraderie brought their hands together, their faces illuminated before the kitchen staff. "No other place in the universe even comes close!" they said in unison, pressing their hands together. They ignored the bewildered kitchen staff, staring awkwardly at the two sharing a moment. However long it took for Lemo, he would ensure that everything was spotless before everyone left the kitchen.
"So, what should I do first?" Cheelai asked, poring over the long list of activities available to her. "This looks like a lot for one weekend."
The room booked for Cheelai and Bulma had a great view of the beach along the ocean. The window opened to a pleasant breeze with all the relaxing scents of the natural environment. Even the beds had mattresses that were more comfortable than the one she slept on at Capsule Corporation.
That was the first thing she noticed when she sat on the bed. She gasped at first but sighed when she lied down on her back. "So comfy!" she breathed.
She read on. "Separate baths for men and women, spa treatment, a hike in the woods past a natural hot spring." She covered her eyes, guiding her finger along the page until she stabbed a random area. When she opened her eyes, she tightened her mouth. "Bike riding. Ugh!"
"Bike riding sounds like fun," Bulma said over her shoulder. "Wanna go?"
"Um, I…," Cheelai was apprehensive about what to say, keeping her voice low. "I don't know what a bike is."
Bulma blinked. "Oh."
"I'm sure they're fun, whatever they are," Cheelai said. Bulma searched the image on her phone and showed it to her. "That?"
"I guess it doesn't surprise me," Bulma said. She sat beside her. "Want me to help teach you how to ride one?"
"I-I think I'll walk instead," Cheelai said. She shook her head at the list. "I don't even know what half of these are."
"How about…," Bulma said, looking through the list, stopping after an item caught her eye. "There."
"Full-body massage," Cheelai remarked. Bulma gave her a look. "I think I know what that is."
Bulma took her hand. "If you're still not sure, you'll find out in a couple of hours."
Two hours later, Cheelai had the happiest look on her face that Bulma had ever seen when she exited the parlor. When she caught Bulma's smug grin, she ran her hand up her arm, squeezing her muscles. "I think I embarrassed the poor guy with all the noises I was making," she said. "He was rather red in the face when he was done."
Bulma chuckled. The women glossed over the list again. "I guess a nice walk up this trail would be good. Ooh, they even have a map on the other side of the page," Cheelai noted.
Once they changed into outdoor wear, they trekked along the trail while carrying backpacks, passing by tourists who looked as though they hadn't spent much time exercising. Neither woman was out of breath or exhausted after they reached the top of the island, however.
Cheelai's face lit up once she had a breathtaking view of the ocean. "Look at all this!" she shouted. It was such a sight to behold, taking everything in as she pointed them all out to Bulma. "I've never seen a planet with so much to look at!"
Bulma snapped a photo of the view, saving it to her phone. "It's great research material for our marketing team." Cheelai raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. Even though this is technically a vacation, it's still business for me."
"Aw, don't be like that," Cheelai said. "I'm grateful you wanted me to have this, but shouldn't you deserve a break once in a while, too?"
Bulma cycled through the photos she snapped while along the trail, stopping at the last one. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to do both," she told her.
Cheelai smiled warmly at the woman. Balancing work with recreation? All that time spent with the Thief's Guild was nothing but work. When one task was done, another one was immediately dropped on her lap to work with Durien. The only advantage she took with him when it came to recreation was their time at night.
It was even more remarkable that this woman kept up with her along the trail, not missing a beat. She looked like she had energy to spare. A smug grin crossed her lips. "Race you to the bottom!" she shouted at Bulma.
"Wait! Let me put my phone away first!" Bulma shouted back, chasing after her.
Cheelai was still ready to move around some more, but the older woman was out of breath by the time she reunited with her at the foot of the trail. "That was…that…was mean…!" she breathed heavily.
Cheelai laughed. "At least you caught up to me! I was worried you'd stop mid-way!" She began jogging on the spot. "This is great! I'm so energized from that massage!"
Bulma smiled weakly. "Good for you. I'm gonna go lie down on that bench there," she said, walking on shaky legs.
Cheelai still had her determined grin. "I'm gonna see how fast I can climb up that trail and come back. See ya!" She didn't bother to see the stunned look on Bulma's face as she sprinted back up the trail.
When she reached the top a second time, she encountered tourists they passed by earlier who were left speechless at the fact she returned so quickly. She then approached the barricade that prevented people from falling over, gripping the bars in her hands. "YEAHHH!" she screamed as loud as she could, freaking out the other tourists. "I'll be back before you're out of my sight, Mister Sun!"
Walking the trail took three times as long as it did running, yet Cheelai's enthusiasm boosted her confidence as she coasted along the trail to the bottom. Bulma was still on the bench from where she left her and decided to toss her rental backpack to the front of the bench. "Time to kick it up a notch!" she shouted at her.
A third trek up and down the trail eventually left Cheelai to catch her breath once she reached the start of the trail. She slumped on the bench beside Bulma, who passed her a bottle of water. "Are you finally done?" Bulma asked, worried.
"For today. Tomorrow I want to run back and forth along the beach, or maybe go for a swim," Cheelai said. This was just the distraction she needed to exercise her legs and think only of the moment. She prided herself on her athleticism, desiring only to take full advantage of it while on this vacation.
Bulma sighed. "Yeah, sure. I think I've done all the running for this weekend."
Dinner was spent at a fancy outdoors-style restaurant with open windows and a thatched roof, very tropical in its aesthetic. Cheelai was only half paying attention to all of Bulma's science-themed talks. She would occasionally perk up to listen more about her time spent raising Trunks from a baby to the boy he was today. Most of the family talk involved how proud she was of Vegeta's progression from stone-cold killer to doting father. None of the pictures Bulma showed her had Vegeta smiling once, except for one where Bulla was on his shoulders, forcing a smile from his mouth. Both women laughed at that one.
When they relaxed in the women's baths, both had towels wrapped around their heads. The sky was illuminated with millions of stars. There were so few sources of illumination other than dimly lit lamps along the floor near the water, affording tourists enough of a view of the sky to relax while enjoying the spectacle.
"Never thought I'd see the universe from this angle," Cheelai said. "Most of the view was from the cockpit of our ship. Though I guess that's no longer possible, now."
"How's the water?" Bulma asked. "Not too hot, I hope?"
"It's perfect," Cheelai said. She glided her hand along the surface of the water. "If I had known a place like this existed, and Durien was still alive, we'd never want to leave."
"I'm the opposite. I have to coax Vegeta out of anywhere but the gravity room, the dining table, or the building if I need to take him anywhere. Once Bulla's older, I know she'll want her daddy to take her clothes shopping." That brought a smug grin to Bulma's face. "He won't refuse a request if it comes from his little princess."
Cheelai couldn't help but giggle. It was amusing hearing such a different side of that grumpy Saiyan coming from his wife. She was tempted to poke fun at the Saiyan with his cute little secrets when they headed back.
"Do you want to visit the hot springs tomorrow?" Bulma asked. "You've probably never been to one, have you?"
"A few planets Durien and I visited had hot springs, but we never had an opportunity to take a dip in them," Cheelai said. She envisioned herself with Durien submerged in the steaming waters of a hot spring on a distant planet with colorful skies full of blues and purples while nuzzled next to each other. She could almost see Durien in her reflection beside her.
"So why not take Broly instead?" Bulma asked. Cheelai's eyes widened. Suddenly the image of Durien was replaced by that of Broly. She gasped and splashed the water in front of her to erase the image out of her mind.
"W-Why would I want to do that?" she asked. Of course, Bulma didn't expect such a shift in tone.
"I thought it'd be nice for you to have that experience you couldn't get with your old love. I'm pretty sure Broly wouldn't mind sharing a hot spring with you," she said.
The bath was becoming less fulfilling. "You wouldn't understand, Bulma. I'm not a love-starved twit." She took the towel off her head, climbing out of the bath to wrap it around her body. "Excuse me," she said. If her tone were any cooler, it would've frozen the bath.
She didn't care that water was still dripping off her skin when she put her clothes back on. She stormed back to her room, slamming the door behind her. Curled up on the bed facing away from the door, she clenched Durien's pendant in her hand.
Bulma returned several minutes later. Unlike Cheelai, she gently closed it behind her. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Cheelai said. If she moved around in her clothes any further, she'd risk chafing her skin now that water had soaked through them. Her shirt clung to her skin while much of the rest was seeping onto the blanket beneath her. But she didn't care. "I'm going to sleep."
"In wet clothes? Wouldn't that be uncomfortable?" Bulma asked. Cheelai tugged at the soaked articles and sighed. Peeling them off, she quickly dipped under the blanket, covering herself up to her shoulders.
"I didn't mean to dampen the mood just then. I shouldn't have brought up Broly," Bulma said.
"Like I said. It's fine," Cheelai replied, pulling the blanket closer. "I'll be over it in the morning."
"Are you sure? What if you're still not over it after we go back? Sounds like this is bothering you more than it should."
"Well, it isn't," Cheelai said. The more Bulma pressed on, the more she wanted to hide under the blanket. "Can we just drop it?"
"The way I see it, part of spending time away from the problem with a relaxing vacation is to give you time to look into it through self-reflection. Simply running away from it does more harm than good." She sat at the foot of Cheelai's bed. "So the question then becomes: What do you want from this vacation?"
"What do you want from me?!" Cheelai shouted, sitting up with the blanket bunched around her bare torso. She detached Durien's pendant and dangled it in front of Bulma. "You can't just sway me from giving this up with fancy vacations and hot springs! This," she emphasized the pendant, moving it closer to Bulma, "means more to me than anything you could ever understand. I don't fall for every guy I meet, got it?!"
She didn't expect Bulma to put on her stern, motherly face, but it was a face she recognized all-too-well when she was a kid at the orphanage. That was the look the matron gave her when she was in trouble.
"I get that you're upset, Cheelai," Bulma said, her voice calm yet smoother than the tone of ice Cheelai gave her earlier. "But you're acting like a spoiled kid who wants everything to go her way."
Cheelai looked away. "I know you're still in pain," Bulma continued. "It's the worst kind of pain you could ever feel. It doesn't matter whether the Dragonballs can bring someone back to life; the pain will always be there."
Bulma slid closer along the bed. "Vegeta went through a difficult period in his life, obsessed with his desire to defeat Goku. He made some horrible decisions that cost a lot of people their lives. I thought I had lost him for good when he chose to indulge his selfish pride, but it tore me apart even more when I learned he sacrificed himself to save the world, even though that proved to be futile later."
Cheelai's eyes widened. "He died?"
Bulma nodded. "He died but was eventually brought back to life by the Dragonballs. As ecstatic as I was to see him again, there will still be that part of me that felt broken without him. But I learned to adjust to it."
She wanted to move her hands away from Bulma's, but the woman reached over to lower them, concealing Durien's pendant from her sight. "You can, too. There's a sweet, gentle Saiyan waiting for you when we go back. He cherishes you a lot."
Cheelai freed her hands from Bulma, thumbing the pendant in her palm. "I don't know if I'm comfortable enough to return that kindness yet. I don't even know if I want to let Durien go."
"You can't know that for sure," Bulma told her. "You're still young and able to take on the universe. Why not do that with a Saiyan to protect you?"
"Because I'm afraid," Cheelai said. She knew it sounded ridiculous to admit such a thing, but it was too hard to ignore. Even after all the breathtaking sights she witnessed during the day, the thought of Broly brought back that lingering fear she tried desperately to expel from her mind.
"Is it his anger?" Bulma asked.
Cheelai nodded. It took her a few minutes before she could translate the experience into words. "Broly is such a curious person. Curious about everything. It's very sweet," Cheelai said with a sad grin on her face. "Who could look at such a face and think enraged beast, you know?"
She opened her pendant to stare at Durien's picture. "Durien never showed anger the way Broly did. Our arguments were simple lover's spats over the stupidest things, like who took turns in the pilot seat of our ship. I like to pretend Broly's outbursts didn't bother me in front of Lemo, but the truth is that they leave me shaking on the inside."
"Maybe it frightens him too," Bulma said, leaning in closer to see the pictures. "Anger for a Saiyan is different from ours. Anger is like a second source that fuels their power. I wish I had a better explanation from what I've experienced."
"You're probably right on that one," Cheelai said. "But the more I try to find a way to help Broly control it, the worst it gets. I'm too scared to even try anymore."
"You'll figure it out," Bulma assured her. "Believe me. Once a Saiyan enters your life, it's next to impossible to drive them out."
Cheelai scoffed with a small grin. "I remember you said that the other day on the roof." She rested the pendant on the nightstand beside the bed, facing her with the two pictures opened. "I noticed Broly smiling more whenever I was beside him, talking about anything. I thought he might get jealous whenever I talked about Durien, but he didn't seem bothered by it."
"He likes you a lot," Bulma said. That brought Cheelai to stare at her again. "You haven't noticed, but I can see the way he looks at you, and it's no different than the way someone looks at the person they love."
Love? Was Broly that infatuated with her? "I, I guess it would make sense, wouldn't it?" she said. It felt like her body was both hot and cold at the same time. She was expecting discomfort or some level of anxiety out of all this, but it was more of an understanding.
"I thought I was getting paranoid when I caught him looking at me," said Cheelai, who understandably was wondering out loud in her mind why the conversation kept involving Broly. Was there no avoiding it? "Often, when I look him in the eye, his smile gets bigger."
"Of course it would," Bulma said. She lifted Cheelai's chin. "You have beautiful eyes, Cheelai."
That made her blush, no question. "Th-thank you. That was one of the first things Durien noticed and commented about me when we first met, too," she replied. She immediately glanced at the pendant.
"Broly needs someone like you in his life, both you and Lemo," Bulma told her. "Could you really run away from that?"
Cheelai brought her knees up for her chin to rest on. "I suppose not," she whispered. "No, I shouldn't run away."
The night before she left with Bulma, she stopped by Broly's room one last time, but the Saiyan had already fallen asleep. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I'm sorry you won't see me in the morning. But I guarantee that once I'm by your side again, both of us will be even better than we were before. Please do your best to keep it together until I come back.
"I guess this is the price I pay for leading the life of a thief," Cheelai said. "You put your own needs above everyone else's." She wanted to cry again out of the feeling of regret for all those times she acted against the interests of others. It started to feel like she regretted taking this vacation in the first place, knowing that Broly couldn't see her for a few days.
"That can't all be true, though," Bulma said. "You care deeply about your friends. Otherwise, you'd have abandoned them a while ago."
Cheelai grimaced. "That makes it worse when you put it like that. I'd never do that to Broly. He whimpers if I leave the room for more than a few minutes." Still, it did make her smile due to the nature of Broly's attachment to her.
Another glance at the pendant made her nod affirmingly. "I still need more time for myself to think things through. I don't know if I'll decide before we go. Either by the time we get there, or maybe sometime in the future. But right now, I could use a good night's sleep."
"Agreed," Bulma said. Bulma chuckled at the sight of Cheelai's wet clothes on the floor. "You're like me when it comes to keeping a room tidy," she said. Cheelai stared at Durien's picture with her for a while before she turned the light off.
The morning conversation between the women omitted what they spoke about the night before. A subtle, non-verbal agreement between the two that what they spoke about didn't leave the room. Brunch involved Cheelai gushing more about the scenery and the heat of the sun blazing over the resort, casting an invisible hue over the sandy beach. If they hadn't worn sandals, they would've had to do a lot of hopping around on the hot sand.
Bulma insisted that Cheelai wear the red bikini she chose for her. When she examined herself in the mirror, she couldn't avoid the noticeable redness on her face. "It's, um, quite the swimwear," she said. Bulma flaunted her own magenta two-piece, twirling to reveal herself. Cheelai laughed at herself. "Okay, I get your point," she said through chuckles.
"Ready to turn some heads?" Bulma asked. Cheelai gulped, holding Durien's pendant in her hand before letting it fall naturally against her cleavage. "I suppose so. But don't expect me to hold back on some jerk trying to put the moves on us."
"I won't hold back, either," Bulma said with a smug grin. She offered her hand for Cheelai to take. "Shall we?"
"I thought you had some business-related stuff to look after today," Cheelai said as Bulma guided her out of the resort to walk along the path that opened up to the beach. Both women had sunglasses and hats to shield their faces from the sunlight while draping themselves in see-through loose buttoned shirts. As they walked, many eyes were redirected towards Cheelai more than Bulma, likely because no one had ever seen a green-skinned woman roaming the beach before. One person could be overheard wondering whether Cheelai overdid it on the sunscreen. Cheelai rolled her eyes, hiding her face from the onlookers. "Everyone's staring at me because I stand out too much!" she hissed at Bulma.
"Ignore them. You're on vacation for yourself, not for anyone else. Who cares what you look like, right?" Bulma said.
Well, Broly cares, Cheelai thought to herself. She imagined Broly replacing the sight of one of the male beachgoers wearing nothing but swimming trunks and immediately turned her head away from them, covering her mouth.
"My business-related stuff is later," Bulma said, pointing ahead. "I wanted to introduce you to the owner of the resort, who works the bar up ahead on weekends."
"Oh. Does he have The Blossoming Nebula by any chance?" Cheelai asked, hopeful. Bulma paused. "Blossoming Nebula? What is that?"
"Nevermind. Wishful thinking," Cheelai said politely but continued following Bulma until they reached an open bar with a similar thatched roof.
"Hey there!" Bulma shouted, drawing the attention of a tanned male wearing a Hawaiian shirt. He spun to face the two as they approached the bar and greeted them warmly.
"Bulma! I was wondering when I'd get to see you after you finished booking your stay. You're not with your family?" the owner asked.
"Not this time, Guava," Bulma said. The man named Guava paused to eye Cheelai and gave her a short bow. "So this is the friend you told me about," he told her. He couldn't tell whether Cheelai was looking at him, but she was too busy avoiding his eyes because he did strike her as a handsome gentleman with a toned physique. She imagined someone of his caliber would be needed to run such an elaborate establishment.
Several bikini-clad women were walking together along the beach out of the corner of her eye, laughing. Their loud voices would've grated the ears if she wasn't focused on sampling what this bar had to offer.
"This is my friend, Cheelai," Bulma said. Cheelai's eyes lit up. She called me her friend so casually. She glanced admiringly at Bulma with a smirk on her face. "She's a daring intergalactic adventurer who's been in need of a break."
Cheelai knew Bulma stretched the truth but didn't mind. "You betcha. I've been telling her a million stories about finding lost treasures in alien worlds. I once found gems on this harsh planet, but they turned out to be bug poop."
Both women laughed. Cheelai had told her about her first encounter with the Underdweller, thinking they hit the jackpot with such a discovery, only to find out that they were secreted from a different insect that dwelled in tunnels along the crater where the Underdweller had emerged from. She could only laugh about it now, recapping what she had witnessed. All those experiences without the incident involving Broly could be retold as funny tales.
"I have just the drink for a space-faring adventurer such as yourself," Guava said, turning around. Cheelai lamented not having the opportunity to retrieve the bottle she bought from Chili. It would've been a wonderful complement to a soak in a bubble bath.
Guava presented the fruit-like mixture in front of Cheelai. "Ooh, that looks pretty," she said. It wasn't quite The Blossoming Nebula, but she didn't want to complain. It had layers of different colors to it, believed to resemble something akin to the galaxy at night. She took a sip through the straw.
"Delicious!" Cheelai said. "One for me, too," Bulma added.
As the women sat and sipped quietly, the squealing women were even louder than before. Cheelai looked over Bulma's shoulder. "What's with them?" she asked, annoyed.
"Probably some party," Bulma noted, shrugging her shoulders.
"Oh, those girls? That's the Prince's Harem," Guava corrected them. Bulma and Cheelai raised eyebrows. "Prince's Harem?" Bulma was the first to ask.
"The Prince is a regular on the island. He showers girls with gifts and jewels to win them over. He's been quite the celebrity with the amount of wealth he had when he first visited," Guava explained. Cheelai rolled his eyes, making a disgusted face. "Sounds like a real winner there," she said sarcastically.
Guava shrugged his shoulders. "He paid well in advance. He hasn't caused trouble, so I don't mind. The female demographic skyrocketed afterward, though, so business has been-"
He stopped when his eyes landed on Durien's pendant. "That pendant…!"
"What, this?" Cheelai said, lifting it in her hand. "What about it?"
"Forgive me for asking this, but could you be a member of his harem, as well?" Guava said. Cheelai's face froze, even more so her tone of voice. "Excuse me?"
"I'm terribly sorry for the confusion, Miss Cheelai," said Guava, looking nervous. Cheelai probably imagined Bulma had a similar look on occasion that unnerved the owner, but he began to sweat and swallow when Bulma did so, too. "I have seen a similar pendant around the necks of those in his Harem."
Bulma's eyes widened. She slowly backed off from Cheelai, clearing her throat to draw Guava. Cheelai's face darkened as she continued to sip at her beverage.
"Say," Bulma said, her face paler than before, "when did this 'Prince' first arrive at your resort?"
"Nearly two years? I'd have to check my files, but I'd say that's as accurate a number as I can recall," Guava said. Bulma put a hand to her mouth. "Is there a problem?"
"Uh, no!" Bulma said, trying to ease the tension. "Not a problem!" She then glanced at Cheelai. "Not yet, I hope."
"Excuse me," Cheelai said in a low voice. The chilled beverage didn't even come close to the temperature in her voice. She eased herself off the stool and searched for those harem girls, taking her hat off to set it on the counter.
"Excuse me, too," Bulma said to Guava before catching up to Cheelai. "Cheelai, wait!"
Cheelai stopped. Her body tensed so much she thought her legs would go numb. Her heart raced so fast in her chest she thought for sure the beverage was the one that affected her. One question birthed in her mind as the adrenaline was building within her body. She continued searching for the girls until she found what she believed was another group heading their way to the bar.
"Cheelai, wait a moment," Bulma said. Cheelai only needed to turn her head an inch to glare at her. "Maybe it's all a big coincidence? It's probably a standard heart locket."
Cheelai lowered her eyes. She didn't want to look at anyone right now. "Not this one. It was hand-crafted."
Bulma could barely hear what Cheelai was saying. The woman's voice was low to avoid the bubbling rage she kept suppressed. She was still willing to talk to Bulma but took the liberty to avoid scaring her with her expression.
"This is going to sound random, but if your hunch is like mine, it begs the question. How long ago did Durien die, exactly?" Bulma asked. Cheelai's hand gripped the pendant tightly in her hand. "Two years," she whispered.
When she caught sight of the group moving closer to the bar, she immediately walked straight towards them. "Cheelai, don't!" Bulma shouted behind her, but it mattered little. Cheelai was already upon them, surprising them with her sudden approach.
She released her grip on Durien's pendant to snag the one around one of the girl's necks. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" yelled one of them as the poor girl was panicking at the mercy of Cheelai's grip.
She examined the pendant closely, studying every intricate line, every carefully crafted shape of the heart. Her own heart sank. It wasn't similar to Durien's pendant. It was an exact replica.
"Get off her!" yelled another woman, but Cheelai snagged her pendant as well. "Where…," she said, trying her best to keep her voice steady. She pulled the two girls so close she could smell their panicked breaths. "Where did you get these?"
The other women, at least five more according to what Cheelai could count, all backed away. They dared not protest or say anything without making Cheelai glare at them. She yanked on the chains even harder. "Where?! Answer me!"
"Let them go!" cried one of them. They tried to approach, but it was as if their feet sunk in the sands, freezing them in place. Cheelai released one of the women to grab the other by her face, directing her to her pendant. "Who is this Prince?! Where is he?!"
"H-he's o-o-over th-there!" the woman said through Cheelai's hand, pointing a shaking finger to a spot on the beach behind a group of palm trees. Cheelai stared above the woman's shoulder and shoved her away.
She drowned out all noise except the beating of her heart. She couldn't hear what Bulma was saying, nor could she hear the crashing of the waves along the sand. The only other sound she needed to focus on was that of the harem girls, which would lead her to the Prince himself. The overall dread of that lingering question kept getting bigger. Could it be…?
When she rounded the palm trees, there was a cluster of girls hovering around a single man lounged in a beach chair. Cheelai couldn't get a good view until she was close enough, but when she started to see who the Prince was, she thought her legs were going to give out on her. She didn't want to trip, not like this. She wanted to confront this Prince and tear into him.
When she shoved girls aside, they protested at first, but it was clear they immediately backed away to avoid confronting her. The Prince had two girls at his side, feeding him grapes from a bowl and offering him his drink that he sipped from a tall glass. Cheelai shoved more girls away, looming over the Prince. One final good look at the Prince turned her stomach. She thought for sure her legs would collapse. She was shaking with fury.
It was Durien. Their "Prince" was Durien, still alive.
The handsome gentleman with long black locks of hair lounged with his hands behind his head, grinning away while he ate and drank, yet paused when the girls stopped squealing and giggling. There was a looming sense of impending doom associated with that silence, shaped like the shadow that blocked the sun from his view. "Ladies, why so quiet?" he said. He glanced behind his sunglasses. "Ladies?"
He squinted at the woman who blocked the sunlight. He lowered his sunglasses to get a better view, but when recognition hit his face, it went paler than the color of the sand. "Chee-?"
It was all he could say before Cheelai decked him hard in the face with a right hook, sending his sunglasses flying. The harem split off and ran away, screaming. The numbness in her body faded as soon as she punched him, her fist still shaking and ready to unload another. She was ready to continue her assault when she heard Bulma's voice come up from behind her.
"Cheelai!" she heard her shout. "Will you listen to me? Get a hold of your…oh…!"
Cheelai glanced to see Bulma's realization when she saw who had been struck. Her punch hit Durien in the nose, slightly dislodging it. Blood seeped down over his mouth and chin, dripping along his chest. The sight left Bulma speechless, yet Cheelai was already grabbing one of Durien's arms to pull him off the chair. "Mind grabbing the other one for me?" she asked Bulma.
"Uh, sure," Bulma said. They pulled him back to Guava's bar, hoisting him on top of one of the stools. Bulma immediately wiped the blood away while Guava filled a handkerchief with ice cubes for Bulma to press up against his face. Cheelai paced back and forth, arms crossed below her bust.
"How's your hand?" Bulma asked. Cheelai was still too full of adrenaline to acknowledge the possible pain her hand must be in after a punch that hard. She ignored the redness of her knuckles after glancing at them once. "Better than his nose," she said.
If she thought she was afraid of Broly's anger, the reverse was assuredly the case with how much anger had risen inside her. She didn't stop pacing in front of Durien and Bulma, who had to constantly replace the melted ice cubes with fresh ones, shaking water out of her hand. It had to have been several minutes before Durien began stirring under Bulma's hand, uttering a low groan.
"He's coming to," Bulma said. Cheelai stopped and removed her sunglasses, folding them before she laid them neatly on the counter. It took her all the restraint she needed not to bludgeon his face.
"Ow, ow, ow…!" Durien grunted, blinking. Bulma grabbed his hand, shoving it to the ice pack. "Hold it against your nose."
He groaned some more, trying to breathe. He lowered the ice and felt his nose, moaning discomfort. But his attempt at smiling when he saw Cheelai only added fuel to the fire. "Chee, it's good to see you a-wait! Wait! Hold on!" he yelled.
Cheelai was ready with the same fist. She didn't care if it broke her hand, so long as it broke more of that face of his. Durien shielded his face from another potential blow, but all Cheelai did instead was reach for his nose, gripping it to shove it upward, causing him to shriek.
"YOU UNGRATEFUL, SELFISH, BACK-STABBING, PIECE OF SHIT!" she screamed. She kept her vice-like grip, watching him squirm against her hand until she eventually released him. "After all we've been through?!"
"Chee, please, let me explain!"
"Don't you 'Chee' me, you asshole!" Cheelai screamed again, slapping him several times. "You don't dare call me that after this!"
Bulma gulped, backing away towards Guava. While there was some measure of disgust after realizing that the man who gave his life to save Cheelai faked his death only to headline a harem of sleazy tourist girls, that one punch to his face from Cheelai was satisfying to witness. But this was a woman who had bared her heart and soul to him, only to find that it was all for nothing. Even Vegeta would've been either impressed by the fire in the woman's eyes or morbidly disturbed since it would remind him so much of the way Bulma exploded on him.
"Please don't kill him," Bulma said to them. Durien's eyes widened, but Cheelai only held him in the stool via her hand, gripping him by the hair.
"I won't kill him," Cheelai said, pulling him off the stool. She grabbed her sunglasses to put them back on her face as Bulma handed her the hat she left behind. "Walk with me," she ordered to Durien.
She kept shoving Durien forward whenever he slowed down, holding the ice up against his nose. "Aw man, that really smarts!" he whined. "Not my problem," Cheelai replied flatly. She directed him to an isolated part of the beach until she faced him. "Now talk."
"Chee, er, Cheelai, I'm really sorry," Durien began but was only met with a punch to the gut from Cheelai.
"I don't want your apology! I want the truth! Explain yourself!" she yelled. Durien backed a couple of steps, holding his stomach. "Alright, alright!" he shouted. "I'll tell you everything if you promise you won't hit me anymore!"
"I'm not promising anything," Cheelai said. "What good are promises if they're broken so easily?"
She hoped that hit him harder than her punch did. Grabbing the pendant around her neck, she ripped the chain, snapping it in two. It wasn't about delicacy anymore. It was about driving a point.
She shoved the pendant in his face. "What about this, huh?! What was it all for?! Did none of this mean anything to you?!" It was hard for her not to break down. She wanted full control over her emotions, anger being the most important. It would've meant nothing if she couldn't express her most honest emotion at the right moment.
Durien kept looking away. He tried to back away from her while holding the ice up to his nose, but this only whittled away at her patience.
"Answer me!" she yelled. The guilt on Durien's face, despite the broken nose, was so noticeable it disgusted her. She prayed hard that there was still some part of her that wanted to forgive him, but even that was lost.
"My gifts mean a great deal to me," Durien said. "I care deeply about all the girls I give them to."
Poor choice of words. Cheelai wanted to hit him again. "So what was I to you, then? Were you ever in love with me? Was our whole relationship nothing more than another collectible you could flaunt to the Guild?"
"Will you let me answer your questions without hitting me again?" Durien asked. Cheelai glared at him, lowering the pendant. She gripped it so tightly in her hand she didn't care whether the metal cut into her skin or not.
She gave him a nod. "Okay," Durien said. "First of all, you were one of the best partners I had ever worked with. I valued our time together. But I guess I wasn't feeling as strongly for you as you did for me. I never thought of you as a treasure to display for the Guild, I swear! I have enough self-respect in that regard."
"Not after witnessing that stupid harem you built for yourself, you don't," Cheelai said. The acid in her tone would've dissolved the pavement beneath them. "If you didn't love me that much, why didn't you say so? You faked your death and ditched me!" This time the tears did start falling down her face. "How could you do that to me?"
After he lowered the ice from his face, the blood stopped leaking from Durien's nose. He shook the water from his hand, discarding the rest of the cubes once they had melted down to smaller than a pebble. He could still breathe out of one nostril, but not without a lot of sniffling. He couldn't bring himself to look at her when he finally said, "because I'm a coward, Cheelai. H-hey! You hit me enough as it is! Cut me some slack already!"
Cheelai paused but decided to kick him in the shin anyway. "Of all the things I believed you were when we were together, Durien, the last thing I'd ever think was you being a coward. What scared you off? Hm? Was it the adventures? The Freeza Force? The Guild Leaders? What?"
"You, Cheelai," Durien said, only this time he actually looked at her with a straight face. Cheelai looked for a sign of lying, but her eyes only widened.
Her face sank. "Me?! What about me scared you off?!" she asked. She was still angry, no question there. But even that threw her for a loop. What was it about her that made him cower away?
"You talked so often about what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives that I panicked. I only went along with it because I didn't want to see you upset. I didn't want to disappoint you," Durien explained.
Cheelai wiped at her face, nodding. "Okay. I see. God, I'm such an idiot," she said. She opened her hand to reveal the pendant, and her face grimaced. She hated having this in her hand now when for the longest time, she had coveted it the way Broly coveted Ba's ear.
Broly.
Those thoughts began dancing around in her head, mixing in with all the memories she had once cherished with the man before her. It was tempting to form her thoughts of Broly into Broly himself, watching him grind the memories of Durien into a cloud of fine dust and let it blow away with a gust of wind.
"Look, Cheelai, I'm sorry I led you astray. I'm sorry I didn't come clean with my feelings about all that we did. I live for the moment; always had," Durien said. Cheelai glared at him again, causing him to flinch. "I don't expect you to forgive me, but at least understand my position."
Cheelai was still quiet. Her anger subsided, working its way out of her system. She wanted to get rid of it and replace it with something more neutral. She wanted to hold Bulma responsible for unintentionally exposing her to the truth of this man she once loved, but she couldn't bring herself to do that to her new friend. Bulma probably did her the biggest favor she never asked for.
Opening the pendant, she showed Durien the picture of them together. "Do you remember this day? The day this picture was taken?"
Durien studied the picture for a moment. He shook his head. "I don't," he said. That was the final nail in the coffin for her regarding what lingering feeling she might've still had for him. She closed the pendant, tightening her mouth. It took a lot of effort not to cry again.
"That was the day I offered myself to you. That picture eventually led to our first intimate night together," she said. "Guild Leader Pick was left in awe at how much we stole from the Baggetians he gave us the next few days off. We drank so much at Chili's, remember?"
Realization finally hit Durien that his eyes widened. "The day you tried The Blossoming Nebula for the first time," he said. Cheelai glared at him again. The chill in her eyes might have reformatted the ice cubes from the evaporated water after they hit the pavement.
"I gave myself to you, and you completely forgot about it. None of what we shared was important enough for you to remember," Cheelai said. She shook her head at him. The image of her former lover dissolved into this pathetic whelp of a stranger, whose entourage of women cautiously approached him.
"Go," she told him. "Your harem's waiting, 'Prince.'"
"Cheelai," Durien said as she was about to walk down the beach. "It might not mean much, but it is good to see you're still alive. If you've held onto that dream of starting a family with someone you feel strongly for, I hope that person feels just as strongly about it as you do."
She left him to stew in his broken nose as the harem girls all gave her angry looks, all with that "how dare you hurt our prince?" air to it. She couldn't care less what Durien did with his life now.
Walking to the foot of the beach where the waves crashed against her legs, Cheelai lifted the pendant to her face. It was a useless trinket, full of broken promises and heartbreak. She didn't want that in her life. With one good swing of her arm, she threw the pendant as far as she could toss it. It landed in the water some distance away, sinking out of her sight for good.
She kept staring ahead, listening to the water rush against the sandy beach. Her anger ebbed as the tides did, leaving a calm and peaceful feeling while the ocean breeze blew against her hair. It was another one of those timeless moments where everything else blurred from her vision. She coveted this moment as a period of change for her. If this vacation helped her find answers, they hit her in the most unexpected way.
Bulma eventually found her and stopped beside her, looking for any signs of distress. "I'm sorry," she told her.
"Don't be," Cheelai said. Her mouth curled into a smile. "I thought of giving you hell for bringing me here after that happened." Bulma's eyes widened. "But, I owe you my thanks. I guess it was fate that helped me discover the truth."
Her hand felt her bare neck. She let out a breath, an important breath, one where there was no longer a burden weighing her neck down. It felt liberating.
"Are you going to be okay, though?" Bulma asked. Cheelai wrapped her arm around Bulma's back, pulling her close. "Yes, dum-dum," Cheelai said with a chuckle. She grabbed Bulma's arm as she began walking. "That drink Guava made was delicious. I wouldn't mind having another one."