Hello! So, first of all, I want to apologize. This chapter is going to feel a bit filter-esque, just like the last one! That being said, I'm going to say that this is a "double feature". I have another chapter to upload, and it will be up within 24 hours of this one! How exciting! The next chapter will not be a filler, but I do warn that it will end in a bit of a cliffhanger! It is also going to require a trigger warning, so please keep that in mind!

Once again, thank you to everyone who continues to read my updates and send such encouraging messages and reviews! You keep me inspired and motivated to keep going!

Bulma was devastated.

Not only had she been 30 minutes late for the appointment she'd made, but she also managed to show up empty-handed. Not a single note or plan that she'd printed out was with her. After all of the time she'd spent corresponding through email, making promises and agreeing to tasks that were demanded of her – after all of that, she had arrived at the appointment late and ill-prepared.

Because of this the meeting turned out to be rather brief and awkward. Misuki, the party planner, didn't do a good job in masking her irritation. "Oh, so you decided to finally show up," She said when a flustered Bulma came running into the cafe. "I am a very busy woman, and I'll have you know that I take my time very seriously, Ms. Bulma."

The Bluehead, feeling somewhat offended by Misuki's tone, did her best to alleviate the stress of the situation. It was a strain, because Bulma typically wasn't one to receive an attitude so submissively. Yet she understood Misuki's position as one of the most sought after planners in her area, and she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about losing her own opportunity to work with her.

'She has a right to be annoyed - you WERE late, after all!' Bulma thought with gritted teeth as Misuki tossed her hair. 'You can learn so much from her, then you'll never have to hire her again! Just make it work...'

Alas, after a short conversation, the party planner resolved to cut the meeting short. "I will be in town tomorrow night – I have an appointment with one of my other clients." Misuki announced, stepping up from the chair she'd been sitting in. "I suppose we can try this again after that. Perhaps you'll actually be ready to have a serious conversation?" Bulma, swallowing her tongue, nodded politely. And so, with that, the two shook hostile hands and agreed to meet at 8 P.M. the following evening.

Furious with herself and offended by Misuki's conduct, Bulma let out a loud curse when she turned the ignition of her helicopter. "I'll show you how to be prepared!" She hissed, shooting off into the air. How could she have left all of the notes she'd made behind!? The only thing on her mind at that moment was flying straight to work and grabbing the pile off her desk. It was frustrating to know, though, that this wasn't currently an option for her. Instead, she was on her way to meet her parents a few blocks away. Mr. and Mrs. Briefs were going to go on a trip out of town and spend the weekend in a cabin in the mountains. Bulma, not wanting to leave the comfort of her air conditioner, had opted to instead stay home with Trunks. It was because of this that arrangements were made for her to meet her parents in the city after her appointment with Misuki. And the exchange with her parents was a quick encounter – after a rushed swapping of words (and Trunks), Mr. and Mrs. Briefs bid their farewells and disappeared in their neatly packed car.

Of course, Bulma took off again in her own helicopter, flying in the opposite direction of her parents as she made a bee-line for her home. She was desperate to be able to relax, so she didn't want to stop by her lab that evening. She'd simply have to leave early the following day and grab her documents on the way to the meeting! It was now getting late, she was exhausted and hungry after such a long and stressful day, and Trunks was angry about having to spend so much time confined in his car seat. All the Bluehead wanted at that moment was to just get home. And so, with her baby yelling his protests in the back seat, Bulma silently daydreamed about a warm bath as her helicopter drifted into the clouds...

… Stepping inside the safety of the Briefs household, Bulma set Trunks down on the linoleum of the kitchen. She watched as he eagerly pulled himself to his feet and toddled away. The weary mother headed towards the refrigerator, desperate to fill her stomach. She was hoping that Mrs. Briefs had perhaps left some food prepared that would be easy to warm up. Before she could inspect for such a thing, though, she heard a clatter going on from behind. Thinking it was Trunks who was making a mess, the worn-out mother let out a deep sigh. Bulma turned to see what her son had done. But Trunks was nowhere to be seen – instead, she was looking at the silhouette of a very familiar man.

"Vegeta," She gasped, surprise shaking her tone. Bulma had hardly seen him at all for the entire week. It'd been on Monday that he'd left - when she'd come home to find that he'd officially made the transition to living in his own house while she'd been at work. He hadn't even said goodbye. He'd simply packed up and removed himself from the Briefs household while she'd had been away for the day, and since then she hadn't seen him at all! If it hadn't been for the single blue rose that he left on her doorstep each morning, Bulma would have thought that Vegeta didn't care at all...

...Yet somehow, when she saw that blue rose each morning, it seemed to give her enough strength to make it through the day...

And it was now Friday evening, and he was standing in her kitchen. Looking at her. Not a word leaving his mouth as he watched her.

With those pupils of his.

The glad emotion that swept through her bones was undeniable, but the serious expression on his face deterred her from acknowledging it. Vegeta was holding something in his arms that caught her eye, and with a thud he dropped it on the kitchen table. "What is-?" Her face lit up, realization dawning over what he'd just delivered. A delighted gasp escaped her lips, and the scientist jumped to confirm her suspicions, running across the room to clap her hands on the table.

"Hey!" She breathed, tracing her finger over the pile. "These are my plans!"

Vegeta stood back and watched her reaction. It was a rare display, to be sure. For a moment the worn-out hue in her eyes was replaced by something else instead. A light twinkled through her skin, and her face suddenly looked twenty shades brighter. She actually looked so glad – genuinely glad. A pleasant state of euphoria that came from receiving something so good in such an expected way. It was true that she was happy - and much more happy than he'd seen her in a long time. This emotion looked amazing on her.

...He always loved to see her smile...

"How?" Bulma was asking, thrilled that she no longer had to worry about retrieving her documents from her lab. Nothing could have surprised her as much as this did, and her mood had instantly been cheered.

Vegeta shifted his weight, still gazing over his woman in awe. No matter how he relished in seeing the joy on her face, the saiyan couldn't help but feel his chest twinge when this question was asked. He hadn't been the source of her delight – he'd only been the messenger. Of all people to bring such a pleasant spark to her face, why did it have to be the beta?

Not him.. Anyone but him...

"They were delivered to me. A person from your workplace came by." The saiyan grunted, clearing the words from his throat. Well, at least this wasn't a complete lie. It was just that he hadn't told the entire truth!

Someone from work? Bulma's eyebrows rose with curiosity, but before she had a chance to ask for elaboration the room began to shake. The joy quickly whipped out from her eyes, replaced with concern as the kitchen instantly filled with the sound of Trunks' howls.

"Oh, Trunks!" Bulma called, racing from the room to find her son. Vegeta watched as he went, lamenting that her pleasant state seemed to cease just as quickly as it came.

Little Trunks was in the hall, his head covered in dirt as he yowled furiously. His hands were balled into fists, and he was beating them onto the carpet below to express his anger. "Oh baby, what happened?!" Bulma cooed, bending down and scooping the child into her arms. Trunks clung to his mother, voicing his protests as she bounced him in her arms.

What had happened was the worst offense that Trunks could imagine. He'd been toddling through the hallway, enjoying the feel of the carpet as it brushed between his toes. Everything had been going relatively fine – he was happy to be home, he was successfully walking, and he was relishing in the power that he felt to be achieving such a task! 'Not a thing could possibly go wrong!' He'd thought. 'I can take on anything!'

Anything, that is, except for his legs giving out from under him! And that is just what happened – with a jolt the baby was suddenly on alert, his heart jolting as his torso dangerously wobbled back and forth. He was going to lose his balance – he was going to fall! The baby instinctively grabbed at the closest object nearby to catch himself. And, in this moment, the object that Trunks reached for happened to be a plant stand that was displaying a clay pot filled with tulips. Mrs. Briefs was always delighted in the flowers that she grew, and there were plant stands scattered all about the house. Unfortunately for little Trunks, these weren't very stable. The stand gave a jerk when the baby grabbed it, and it rocked from side to side until the clay pot finally toppled over the surface.

It felt like an eternity to Trunks, as he stared as the pot rolled off the top of the stand. And he watched as the pot, in painfully slow motion, grew larger as it came down towards his face... Within a split second the clay had cracked and exploded, leaving a cloud of soil to settle over the baby's tense body.

Trunks wasn't necessarily crying because of the consequential bump on his head – sure, it hurt - but it was frustration that induced his tears more than anything else. 'Stupid thing!' He thought, rubbing his eyes to dry away the residual tears. If the pot hadn't already vanished upon impact with his skull, Trunks would've surely destroyed it himself... That pot deserved to pay for what it'd done to him!

"Oh, you're always getting into trouble, aren't you?" Bulma was purring, carrying the baby back towards the kitchen. Trunks' sobs were finally starting to subside, and he squeezed at his mother's shoulder to show that he was still strong. The Bluehead was eager to finish her conversation with Vegeta about the documents, but when she turned into the room she saw he was now gone.

"It's just like your father to disappear, isn't it?" Bulma commented, bouncing the baby in her arms. She was a bit disappointed to see he'd taken such an opportunity to make an exit, but she wasn't very surprised. It was just like Vegeta to be a man of few words... She turned to give one more look at the stack of papers he'd delivered, and she found that she was in too high of spirits to be upset by his departure. He'd done her an enormous favor in bringing those by, and she just wished she'd had the opportunity to thank him before he'd left!

.

The documents in question were an assortment of papers and forms that Misuki, the party planner, had specifically requested. These varied from applications, to even a contractual agreement that she'd emailed to Bulma. Misuki instructed her to print it out and have it signed for their meeting. There were also various notes, such as dimensions of the room in which the party would be held (Bulma had to make an estimate since she didn't have the liberty to get Chi-Chi's living room measured in accuracy), Chi-Chi's favorite color scheme, Chi-Chi's personal interests in order to select a party theme, payment information, food allergies of guests, and more.

To Bulma it all seemed to be over-the-top. She'd mainly been interested in organizing a registry and get ideas on different party games and activities that they could participate in for a Baby Shower. Perhaps she may have even been interested in hiring a photographer. Chi-Chi was pregnant with Goku's baby, after all! The last child he'd ever father! And Bulma wanted it to be as special and sentimental of an event as possible!

But the last thing she cared about was the party décor – not if it was going to require all of this! It seemed that she and Misuki were on completely different pages, though, for this seemed to be the only concern of the party planner's. Yet despite all of this Bulma was still hoping to learn a few things about organizing an event herself. Misuki was the go-to planner, after all! It was because of this that the Bluehead gave her the benefit of the doubt, and she humored every single request that was demanded. It had been a pain, and it took quite some time to fill out all of the paperwork that had been e-mailed to her, but she'd obliged to it all. And this is why it had been especially upsetting to realize she'd left the stack on her desk in her lab. Misuki had long established that without any other the papers – especially her ridiculous contract – there would be no planning.

This was why it felt so good when Bulma stepped in through the doors of the cafe the following day, documents in tow. She was toting Trunks in her arms, the paperwork neatly tucked into a bag that was hanging over her shoulder. Unfortunately for the Bluehead, Vegeta had been out of his house all afternoon. She'd attempted to go by his place for a conversation, and to even ask if he'd be able to watch the baby during her meeting, but to no avail. Bulma hadn't really expected the saiyan to agree to such a thing as babysitting anyway, so it wasn't a difficult decision for her to make when she opted to bring her son. She was aware that some might look down on the idea of bringing a baby to what was more-or-less to be considered a business meeting, but what choice did she have?

The Bluehead was still offended by Misuki's attitude towards her the previous day, so being professional wasn't the highest of her priorities. And if that woman was going to throw a fit over Trunks joining in on their conversation, then Bulma was just going to have to teach her a thing or two about respect. As far as she was concerned, this would be the party planner's last chance as redeeming herself as the specialist that she claimed to be. And so Bulma took a seat, ordering a cup of tea for herself and a cup of water for Trunks, and she began to wait for Misuki to show up.

–

Vegeta was standing in the forest – that same forest that he always went to when he wanted to train in nature. It was too much to take – the rage that burned inside whenever he thought of Tadashi. In his mind all that Vegeta could see was Bulma, her features glowing with joy after receiving an item that the beta had left for her. The saiyan growled, his eyebrows furrowing. Why did she never seem to smile in that way for him?!

The saiyan had spent the entire day in the forest, having left at the crack of dawn. Taking his frustrations out on the nature surrounding him, he'd destroyed many trees that crossed his path as he blasted his frustrations into the Earth's soil. He was too focused on clearing his mind to care about the path of demolition that he left in his trail. All he cared for was to relieve his body of the intense fury that boiled through his veins, and he didn't realize how much time had passed until he looked up and saw that the sun was setting into the sky.

.

"I don't believe this!" Bulma hissed, eying her wristwatch in frustration. It was now 8:15 P.M., fifteen minutes past their set appointment time, and Misuki was too punctual to just accidentally be running late.

"She stood us up, Trunks!" Bulma hissed to her baby. Little Trunks was sitting on her lap as she spoon-fed him some broth that she'd ordered. "MmM," He replied, feeling a bit tired. He wasn't used to being out in the evening, and it was proving to be more exhausting than he'd been prepared for. When the baby was done with his meal, Bulma set him down to her side, and he lay his head on her lap.

"Well!" She growled, turning to dig into the bag she'd brought with her. Bulma had taken the time to write everything down that Misuki had requested. She'd made the effort to designate her evening towards finally getting plans arranged. And she was going to get it done, whether she had help or not! Nothing was going to delay those plans anymore! It was daunting and it was a lot, but Bulma was tired of allowing herself to be held back by unreliable people! She was going to stay seated, with her son asleep at her side, and she was going to get as much down on paper as she could! She'd come all the way to the city to get this party arranged for once and for all, and she was going to do just that!

She was, after all, Bulma fucking Briefs! Misuki was going to regret treating her the way she had. Nobody was going to disrespect her in this ever again!

Nobody.

Little did Bulma know, though, that in just a couple of hours she was going to meet Rikuto Kubo...

Rikuto Kubo? Who?

Stay tuned! And remember, I do not want to spoil the contents of the chapter ahead, but I want to make it clear that there are a few scenes requiring a trigger warning. I will go into a little more detail with the next update, but it will depict certain scenes that some may be sensitive to!