Sorry guys, this chapter was a bit hard to write. What made it heartbreaking for me was when I typed it all out I saved the document. I left so I could clear my mind for a bit before making the final edits and publishing the draft. And when I returned I saw that the draft hadn't saved after all! I lost the better half of the chapter, after being so pleased with the progress! It's so sad when that happens. I really am feeling disappointed, because I had been so happy with the work. Sigh…

Oh well, I hope you enjoy this! I did my best to recreate all of the content that was lost! I wanted to update ASAP, so I wasn't going to allow this to hold me back from updating for another day! I'm still happy with it, I hope you are too. ^^

Bulma woke, a cold sweat gluing her hair to the side of her face. She looked around, dazed and breathless, feeling as if she'd just run in a marathon. 'Yes,' She thought, gaining her bearings and coming to terms as reality sank in. She was laying in bed, the sun glowing through the drapes on her window, and she was alone.

Alone.

She'd fallen asleep underneath the safe hold of a man she trusted, and now she was waking up alone. Bulma could hear Trunks groaning from the other room, and she threw the blankets off her body. It was strange, the heavy sensation that ran through her muscles after sleeping for such a long period. She couldn't tell if she was tired or rejuvenated, her body in somewhat shock after the stressful days she'd recently had.

She took a quick look in the mirror, thinking to throw her hair into a ponytail. With a moment of surprise the reflection reminded her that she no longer was sporting long hair, and instead was styling a cute bob. 'Oh,' Bulma thought with a smirk. It was convenient to not have to put quite so much time in grooming anymore.

It didn't take her long to get herself into a presentable state, but by the time Bulma was ready to leave her room, Mrs. Briefs had already fetched Trunks and taken him downstairs. She could hear the two down in the kitchen, the blonde grandmother affectionately fawning over Trunks while he surely was eating his breakfast.

It was little things such as these that made Bulma smile, closing her eyes and allowing the scent of freshly cooked pancakes to drift through her nose. Mrs. Briefs was always so helpful with Trunks, wasn't she? And it was wonderful to listen to the life going on among the house, especially when Bulma had so recently thought hers would be ending.

Again.

The Bluehead stepped downstairs, listening as her mother began to sing to the baby in the kitchen. A song that Mrs. Briefs had sung to Bulma as a child, too. This seemed to exaggerate the sentimental feeling that was sweeping over the Bluehead as she slowly approached her family. But still, she couldn't help but think as she made her way through the house. It seemed that everything was being put into perspective now.

How many times had she had close encounters to death?

This recent brush with the other side had affected her much differently than any time before.

What set this last encounter with danger aside from the others was the fact that Bulma no longer felt quite like the invincible girl she once had. In previous close calls to her demise, Bulma had never quite believed it could happen. There was always some way out, or some hope for a savior.

Perhaps it came with being a mother, but she now looked at life – including her own – from a new angle. It was glorious and horrifying to know just how fragile it is, and how easily it could be taken away. And most recently, now more than ever, did she understand the severity and danger in almost everything.

The underlying moment in which she seemed to finally make the distinction between mortality and invincibility was when her son from the future had saved her from her plane exploding during a battle with the androids. That moment alone – it was as if there was a before and an after. At one second she and Trunks had been happily flying through the sky, and in another she was screaming hysterically and hoping her baby had been okay.

By neglecting to save her in that moment, Vegeta had done more than just carelessly left her for dead - he'd taught her an important lesson. Was it intentional? Had he hoped that by allowing her to go through such a terrifying moment she would be engrained with the ever-present instinct to practice caution when approaching situations? To be more careful about protecting Trunks and herself?

Whatever the case might be, after this most recent taste or mortality, Bulma felt nothing but optimism at yet another chance for life. She loved to hear the sound of her family cooing together, genuinely appreciated the loving aura that was flowing through the house. But, as she stood now at the end of the stairway, she couldn't help but think that something was missing from the pleasant scene unfolding between her mother and son in the other room. Well, rather than something, someone was absent.

Why had he left her alone?

It was Monday morning, and the typical routine for Bulma would have been to wake up, have a quick shower and breakfast, and head out the door to fly into the Capsule Corp headquarters. Lately her way out the door included stopping to pick up a single blue rose that had been left for her by the man she'd spent so much time yearning after and ironically also trying to ignore. This morning, however, there was a break from this routine. There would be no returning to the Capsule Corp building until her face healed. There would be no early mornings, rustling of feet, and desperation to make it into work on time in order to prove to her colleagues that she took her job as seriously as the next person did. She would be waking later, doing what work she could from the confines of her bedroom, and getting enough rest to let the bruises on her face heal to a normal skin tone. With this mindset, Bulma didn't bother even heading for the front door – why would she? And it came to her surprise, as she finished the last bite of the pancakes Mrs. Briefs had cooked for her, when she heard her mother's voice erupting through the halls.

"Oh!"

The tone in Mrs. Briefs' voice typically could have meant two things. She was either terrified and something bad was about to happen, or she'd just been pleasantly surprised to the point that she was about to burst into tears. Perhaps even a combination of both. Bulma pushed herself from the table and stood, ready to investigate the reason for her mother's sudden outburst. But before she made it too far in her investigation, Mrs. Briefs came running with an item held in her hand.

"Just look at this!" She squealed, her voice shaking as she held up the object for Bulma to see. "My, it's gorgeous!"

In Mrs. Briefs' hand was a single blue rose, cobalt in tone and silent in aura. The blonde grandmother had tears running down her cheeks, and she admired the plant in the sunlight that was shining in through the window. "Y'know, he always outdoes himself, doesn't he?" She cooed, beaming from ear-to-ear.

Bulma raised her eyebrows. Not having planned to go into work, she hadn't thought to check the doorstep for another rose. And she was nearly surprised to see it - but there is was.

He'd left her another rose...

"I thought our lovely trip was enough of a present, but my! Just look at this!" Mrs. Briefs seemed so eagerly pleased at the idea that the rose had been left for her, and she ran to pour water into a vase. As Bulma watched this enthusiastic reaction, she found that she didn't quite have the heart to inform her mother that the rose had been left for her instead. She'd already received several roses upon Vegeta's gestures, hadn't she? Mrs. Briefs could have this one…

"This is the best anniversary I've had in quite some time!" Mrs. Briefs was now singing, placing the vase with the single rose on her windowsill. To this Bulma's eyebrows rose instantly, her eyes widening as her mother's words sank in. "What?"

"I had the most wonderful trip out of town, my Bulma and Trunks are healthy and well, and now he's gone and given me such a romantic token of love!"

Bulma could feel herself slowly backing from the room. It turned out that by allowing her mother to keep the rose, she was not only doing Mrs. Briefs a favor, but she was helping Mr. Briefs as well. She made a mental note to shoot her father an email and give him a heads' up – he'd owe her for this one…

"DIHGYA!" Trunks suddenly crowed. Mommy was going to leave the room – he could tell. Mommy was going to leave the room, and she was going to leave him alone with Grandma! His little eyes were fixed on Mrs. Briefs, and he could feel as his little heart was starting to pound. He'd been around his grandmother enough to know how she acted. And he could tell by her body language that, in any given minute, she was going to turn around and start planting wet kisses all over his little baby cheeks. She'd say how much she loved him, and probably would tell him that she hoped he would grow up to be as thoughtful as his grandfather was.

…Wet kisses were the worst kisses…

"DEEEE!" He continued nervously, hoping his mother would come to his rescue before Mrs. Briefs had a chance to turn on him. He put his hand down on the tray of his highchair, as if to emphasize the point he was trying to make. "MA! DEEEE!"

It didn't take much convincing for Bulma to understand that Trunks wanted her, and in an instant she was scooping the boy up into her arms. Trunks grasped her shoulders with gratitude, thinking for the countless time that he really did have the best mother… She always saved him during sticky situations, and she never gave wetkisses.

…

It was interesting that Vegeta could feel so recharged after his night with the woman. He'd hardly gotten much rest – again – and yet he didn't feel the effects of sleep deprivation as he swung punches at a battle bot in his gravity room. In fact, he felt more lively than ever, and he was training as an Ascended Super Saiyan! It required quite the amount of energy to reach the level of an ascended Saiyan, and even more to maintain it as he threw himself at the bot and fired a beam in its path. He was surprised at how long he'd managed to last in this Ascended state, and yet he felt he could go much longer.

He couldn't keep the smirk from his face as he watched the battle bot in front of him explode, leaving only a trail of thick smoke in the place where its shadow had once been.

"Fool," The Saiyan grunted, powering down, his hair returning to its naturally black color. He threw his head back and let out a laugh, his muscles trembling with adrenaline. He felt so energetic – so powerful – and he kicked at the heap of wires and ash that lay near his feet. "You'll need to be replaced," He spat, as if the battle bot could comprehend his words – as if it even still existed.

This is what brought Vegeta to the Briefs residence that morning. The Woman was at work, and the thought of encountering Mrs. Briefs always put a knot in his gut. But he was in an extremely good mood to note that he was hardly fatigued at all from the morning's training session. And there was a good chance that Mr. Briefs would be working from the lab in his basement! The Saiyan was eager to show off his latest accomplishment in destroying the most challenging battle bot he'd faced to date, and so he continued on his path for the Briefs household, eager to show off his latest defeat to anyone who would listen.

What added to his good mood was the fact that, after he strolled into the house without knocking, he could hear her voice coming from the other room. It seemed that every time he let his guard down and neglected to trace Bulma's ki she would surprise him with her whereabouts. Wasn't it typical of her to be in the city on Mondays? What was she doing at home?

Nevermind that – when Bulma was at home, that meant there was no chance of that slimy Beta male to be throwing himself at her like the pathetic little dog that he was. He was going to enjoy showing off his accomplishment to her even more than he would with Dr. Briefs, so he enthusiastically set off into the house. "Woman." He said after finding her at her desk in the bedroom. She'd been deeply concentrating on something in front of her, and his voice caused her to jump in her seat.

"Kame!" She hissed, feeling as her heart settled into her chest. She didn't think she'd ever get used to how stealth-like Vegeta seemed to move. He could enter and leave a room without being noticed, and when he spoke his voice was so firm that it cut through silent air like a hot knife on butter. Who wouldn't be taken by surprise if they thought they were alone and the confident Prince Vegeta snuck up on them?

Nevertheless, she was just glad that he was in the same room as her. She'd been wondering when she'd get to speak with him again… Bulma put her pencil down, not able to fight the grin that was spreading across her face. She turned to look up at Vegeta, propping her arm up on the desk to rest her cheek in her hand. "So," She announced, her face still sporting an amused grin. "My mom appreciates the rose you left her."

It was as if a bomb went off in the room. At one second the esteemed Saiyan had been delighted at the prospect of showing off to the person whose opinion mattered to him the most. And the next second, he felt as if the floor could be pulled out from underneath him at any moment.

"What?" Vegeta choked, defenses instantly rising. Suddenly he felt paranoid – very paranoid - as if the blonde woman would burst in at any moment to wrap her arms around him and profess her admiration. He didn't want that – he didn't like it! "What do you mean, Woman?!"

The amused gleam in Bulma's eyes began to brighten, and she continued. "That rose! You left it by the door, and she found it…"

"That wasn't for her, Woman!" Vegeta was hissing through gritted teeth now, as if he were worried that Mrs. Briefs would hear his voice and come looking for him.

"Well, she didn't know that!" Bulma was fighting back laughter now. "What – you think I should have told her it was left for me? What if that hurt her feelings?" In a way, it was as if Bulma was finally telling Vegeta that she had understood his gestures with the roses, and perhaps she was even hinting that she appreciated them. But this approach was a lot more fun. Bulma always enjoyed seeing how stiff and frightened Vegeta would become at the possibility of seeing Mrs. Briefs. Of course, part of her found it slightly offensive that he acted so uptight about being in the same room as her mother. But, on the other hand, nothing was more amusing than seeing such a pompously tough brick of a man be reduced to such a terrified state at the mere prospect of being hugged by an aging housewife.

"Look – tell me clearly, Woman. It's clear that there's been a miscommunication as far as those plants go. What does she think is going on?" Vegeta could see that Bulma was getting entertainment from this exchange, and that in of itself was irritating. "Don't toy with me on this matter, Woman!" He growled. "Explain at once!"

"Okay, okay!" Bulma sighed, rolling her eyes. Still, the grin remained on her face. "Calm down! It's just a joke! She doesn't know it was from you!"

"Explain." Vegeta couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice, his mood having soured from the notion of Bulma fucking with him.

"My parents' anniversary is today, and she thought that it was a gift from my Dad! That's all! She doesn't know you had anything to do with it!" Bulma stood from her desk. "Look, it was a joke! I don't feel too bad, because he already treated her to a weekend getaway trip! It's not as if he forgot or anything! She just sees this as the icing on the cake!"

Anniversary? Vegeta stepped back to try and hide his confusion, his hands balled into fists. His mind was racing to make sense of the words. What did an anniversary have to do with anything? Why – where he came from, an anniversary was simply a unit of measurement that was used when a planet had successfully made a rotation around its sun! It was nothing more than a synonym for a year.

"You mean to tell me that you don't know what an anniversary is?!" Bulma's voice was heightening. She could see the confusion in Vegeta's eyes, and it only added to her amusement. He was much smarter than Goku – there was no denying that. He'd seen more in his years, lived through more, and understood how the world worked in a more realistic way. And yet he really could be so naïve to the culture that existed on Earth. In some ways, he and Goku were exactly the same. Rather than frustrating, Bulma found this reaction pretty cute.

"I know what an anniversary is!" Vegeta barked back. He was feeling irritated now. What had started as a endeavor to show off his strength had quickly turned into the Woman poking fun at his expense – twice in less than ten minutes! "I just don't see what the passing of the sun has to do with those two- oh…. Oh. Oh!"

Realization was suddenly dawning on him, as he began to understand what it meant when someone from Earth used the term "anniversary".

He was appalled.

"You mean to tell me that another rotation of the sun has passed since those two commenced their status as mates?! And they celebrate it?! How vulgar!"

Bulma raised her eyebrows, her smile widening even more. There he was, being as cute as ever, reacting to such a simple thing as if he'd only just learned of it for the first time. What made it more amusing was that this really was the first time he'd heard of such a thing. It was great to see him in such an innocent state, especially with the tough-guy ego he always tried to carry around with him. "Of course, Vegeta. Why wouldn't they want to celebrate another year together?"

Vegeta's eyes were widening. He was trying hard to ward off the images that were racing to his brain, and it was sickening. He'd always known that those two were the parents of Bulma, but such a thing was easy to ignore when they were so… old! The manner in which those two spoke to each other and acted physically gave no hints to any type of relationship other than platonic. But no – they were definitely mates – and it seemed that they still actively celebrated such a status.

"That is repulsive!" Vegeta gasped, shaking his head. He turned to find an object in the room to focus on, not wanting his thoughts on Mr. and Mrs. Briefs to drift much farther. He was growing overwhelmed.

"What?" Bulma replied. The smile instantly fell from her face. This encounter wasn't quite so amusing anymore. "What's wrong with Mom and Dad? I think it's sweet that they want to celebrate the love they have for each other, even after all these years!" Her voice was hurt, not liking the idea of someone considering her parents' relationship to be so bad as to be described as repulsive.

She stepped closer to Vegeta, as if demanding him to answer her question.

And in return, he took another step back. He could see how disheartened her voice had suddenly become, and he was instantly regretting having said anything. He could see the look in her eyes, and it was clear that they had both been thinking of separate aspects to Mr. and Mrs. Briefs' relationship. He didn't want to explain himself, to admit having such a indecent assumption upon making sense of the Earth usage of the term anniversary. "Nevermind – I understand now. You're right, it is… sweet."

"That's not what you just said!" Bulma replied sadly. Did Vegeta really find it disgusting to celebrate anniversaries? She suddenly felt as if nothing in the world was more important in that moment than knowing the answer to that question.

"No – I misunderstood. Here, Woman, look. I came because I need a new battle bot."

Bulma sighed and turned to her desk. She pulled a piece of paper from her drawer in order to note his request. "Okay, okay. But Vegeta – tell me why you think an anniversary is repulsive!"

"I misunderstood." He didn't want to explain anything. She didn't need to know. If she just focused on the bot for a bit, all would be forgotten and they could move on…

"No, Vegeta, I-"

"I misunderstood, damnit!"

…

A few hours later Bulma was knocking at Vegeta's front door. In her arms was the latest Battle Bot that she had quickly turned all of her attention towards when Vegeta left. The Saiyan seemed rather uncomfortable to be in her room, and he found a way to excuse himself as quickly as possible after requesting that she create a new bot. And she quickly forgot about their discussion about anniversaries as she set to work, writing down new plans and reconstructing a new Battle Bot based on the latest set of Blueprints that were leftover from the last one.

She was pleased with how quickly she'd managed to finish this one. Vegeta had made plenty of requests for repairs of bots, or demands for entirely new bots altogether through the years. And with that Bulma had been allowed to have quite the amount of practice in designing the machines, her abilities growing faster in speed with each new bot.

She gave the door another knock, listening closely for the sound of footsteps on the other side. It didn't take long for the door to open, Vegeta now standing in front of her with a serious look on his face. "What are you doing?" He asked calmly, looking down at the bot in her arms.

"What kind of way is that to greet someone?" Bulma replied, raising her eyebrows. Vegeta stepped aside to let her in, and he quickly slammed the door shut behind her. "You don't need to request my permission to enter." He clarified, turning around to look at her once again.

"Well, this is your house, isn't it? It doesn't feel right to just barge in…" Bulma felt a bit indignant that she was having to explain the concept of knocking on doors to Vegeta. Wasn't that just something you did? A polite gesture that could universally be understood, no matter what planet one was from?

"Well – yes. I see." Vegeta seemed amused by her response. "That is true. I am the Prince of an almighty race of warriors, and this is my palace. But you do not need to request my permission to enter these quarters. You are not of the same status of a guest. You shouldn't feel the need to knock."

Bulma turned and put the battle bot down on the floor, not wishing to carry it any longer. "Okay, I see…" She replied lazily, standing back up straight to face Vegeta once again. "Well then, on that note, let's talk about last night. Don't you feel comfortable with my house? You know you can come and go as you wish, right? I'd like to know why you left last night."

Vegeta raised his eyebrow. Now it was as if he were the one who didn't understand why she was even asking such a thing.

"Didn't you want to stay with me?" Bulma looked down and clapped her hands together. It was as if the question had been on her mind all day, and she'd only just then summoned the courage to actually ask it.

"Ah," Vegeta replied. He turned and began to make his way towards to back of the home, as if gesturing for her to follow. "This is my palace. It's been built and constructed to my very requests. Why should I not want to sleep here?"

"This isn't a palace – Vegeta, it's a house. And it's almost an exact replica of the one my parents built." Bulma corrected, unable to smirk from the words that were leaving the saiyan's lips.

"Palace, house, whatever." Vegeta replied, waving a hand dismissively. "These are my chambers, and this is where I will sleep each night and start my day each morning. If you desire to share nights with me, you'll have to be doing it here. We'll have more privacy, with no others intervening."

What was this? Bulma hadn't quite been expecting such a thing to be leaving his lips, and before she could think she found herself speaking back. "There is no way I would sleep anywhere without Trunks. And there is no way he will be sleeping anywhere without a proper bedroom!"

"I see." Vegeta turned and crossed his arms. He was looking towards the staircase, as if he were considering her words and trying to decide which room would be best for Trunks to inhabit. "And what exactly would a proper bedroom consist of? Tell me that."

"A crib, of course." Bulma hardly felt that it was even her speaking. Was she making move-in arrangements with Vegeta? What was going on?

"Hm. Consider it done. I will speak with your father and let him know that I expect a crib to be delivered tomorrow. Anything else you'll be needing?"

Bulma's eyes widened. She could feel sweat forming at her forehead. "Wait a minute!" She gasped. "I didn't say I would move in here tomorrow! What are you talking about?!"

Vegeta let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "And I didn't say that either. You told me you wouldn't consider staying the night here unless the boy had a proper place the sleep as well. If he gets his crib tomorrow, then you won't have to worry about minor details anymore. Now, is there anything else you'll be needing in the event that you end up staying here?"

It was as if a lightbulb was going off in Bulma's head, and she suddenly found herself considering all of her options.

Even as she made her way back to her parents' home, her mind was still racing at possibilities. Had Vegeta really just proposed that she start staying with him, and made the promise that he'd accommodate any of her needs? Suddenly she was listing any and everything that she could think of; changing the living room drapes, purchasing some real cooking utensils, putting a white rug down to line the upstairs hallway, purchasing some nice bubble bath to relax with – she was a girl after all, wasn't she?! What girl would want to have a nice cabinet of bath supplies readily available for when she needed it?!

Bulma was suddenly feeling optimistic about the week ahead. She hadn't been planning to go into work anyway, and the new idea of redecorating and renovating Vegeta's house was completely taking her mind off of the attack she'd suffered a few days earlier. She wouldn't have Mrs. Briefs to argue with in regards to the home décor – she'd have full control over how this house would look, and what type of things it would be stocked with!

She was feeling more excited by the second – she'd decided that she would definitely be purchasing a white rug to line the upstairs hallway, and perhaps a matching rug to be placed in each bedroom as well? Oh – and what about Trunks' room? The baby had to have a theme, didn't he?

Flattered and hopeful, Bulma was excited as she walked into her parents' home and ran upstairs to find a piece of paper. 'Yes,' She thought. She was going to have fun with decorating Vegeta's home. She was going to use his words and take full advantage of them. He'd asked her if she had any more needs before she would consider staying at his place, and she was going to hold him to that!

She'd have all week to plan this! An entire week of demands and requests, and by the end of the week she was hoping that her face would be making quite a bit of progress in its healing. Hell, maybe the swelling and bruising would go down enough that she could return back to work the following week, and nobody would suspect that anything had happened to her at all!

No, nobody would suspect a thing…

…Unfortunately for Bulma, she had no idea that in less than 24 hours she'd be meeting face-to-face with Tadashi…