*****Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter posted, but I've been working mainly on
my other fanfic, which unexpectantly turned into an epic. Hope you enjoy and PLEASE
REVIEW!*****

After spending hours reworking the circuitry, Bulma wiped the back of her hand across
her sweaty forehead. Not wanting to have to interact with Vegeta after what she had done, she
wore headphones, and worked to the heavy and melancholy lyrics of Metallica, one of the
American bands that she liked so much...and Yamcha hated. Bulma frowned at the thought. He
was so far into the Rave scene it was disgusting. Bulma stopped working and leaned back on one
leg, twirling the soldering rod she was using in her fingers. She had gone to one of his precious
Raves with him before, and she couldn't handle it. She was happy for him that he was so into it,
but he was trying to force her into it too. The fact was, the whole scene seemed to be an actual
way of life, and with her someday going to inherit Capsule Corp. Bulma didn't want that lifestyle
messing with what she can, and will, have.

Mouthing the words to "Unforgiven 2" Bulma shook her head. Any future husband of
hers was going to have to sacrifice a little of his bachelorhood if he ever wanted to be with her.
Scowling, Bulma realized that Yamcha didn't ever act like he would want to change, not for her
anyway. Her mood turning dark, she leaned back over the exposed circuit board, trying to figure
out a way to deflect the brunt of Vegeta's ki blasts, so the interior of the machine wouldn't suffer
so much damage. Being so engrossed in the music that was playing in her ears, Bulma didn't hear
the steady footfalls approach behind her. She finally found the correct circuit to bypass, and she
began leaning in carefully with her breathing a little stressed, she didn't want to hit the circuit
right beside it. If she did, it would spark, destroying the whole circuit board. Slipping a
nonconductive piece of cloth between the two circuits, Bulma shakily cut the circuit wire and
soldered the ends. Pulling the electrician's tape from her belt, she wrapped the exposed wires
carefully, so they wouldn't cross and spark. Finishing, she slipped the circuit board back into its
place in the floor, and then replaced the cover. Spinning the soldering rod in her hand once again,
Bulma rose to her feet and turned, running straight into Vegeta's muscled chest. Startled, she
dropped the soldering rod, and went to catch it before it hit the ground. She was successful, but
instead of catching the rubber handle, she caught the red-hot tip of the tool, causing an instant
white hot blister on her hand.

Vegeta looked confused as Bulma yelped in pain, and he cocked his head slightly,
furrowing his brow, as she dropped the tool she had been so desperate to save. She grabbed her
hand, holding it close to her body, and tears were forming in her sky blue eyes. Kicking the tool
box at her feet, Bulma spun, trying to take away from the pain in her hand.

"What the hell are you doing, woman?" Vegeta growled. Bulma stopped her strange
dance and glared at the Saiyan Prince.

""What the hell do you think I'm doing? I burnt my damned hand because you scared the
hell out of me!" Bulma winced as the burn began to throb. Pushing past him, she had to find a
first aid kit so she could at least stop the pain. Running into the house, Bulma growled.

'Damned Saiyan! How dare he not tell me that he was standing right behind me! He was
probably there the whole time, with a great view of my ass!" Bulma thought to herself as she
pushed her way through the front door. It surprised her that it actually didn't bother her that
much that Vegeta was watching her. She must be more interesting to him than he lets on.
Grimacing, she shook the thoughts from her head as she searched the kitchen cupboards for the
first aid kit. Moaning, she couldn't find one. Turning on the tap, Bulma held her hand under the
cool water, hoping that the pain would subside. She knew that there was a first aid kit in the
gravity machine, she put it there herself in case Vegeta ever got hurt. Again. She just wanted to
get away from Vegeta before he realized that it was her stupidity that caused the burn in the first
place. Cursing, she slammed the cupboard door closest to her, feeling slightly better after abusing
the inanimate object.

The headphones were still covering her ears, and the CD track skipped ahead to the next
song. Another american band began to play in her ears. The song "Chemicals Between Us" by
Bush, one of her favorite bands, distracted her from her pain. Keeping her hand under the cool
water, Bulma jumped up and sat on the cupboard, like she used to do when she was younger.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated harder on the lyrics, trying to block out the pain. Hearing the
front door open and close over the music, Bulma ignored it, thinking that it was either one of her
parents, or Yamcha. Her eyes still closed, she felt the water suddenly stop flowing over her hand,
and she almost fell off of the counter when she saw Vegeta standing in front of her with the first
aid kit in his hand.

Seeing her fumbling attempt to catch herself from falling, Vegeta sighed and reached out
his arm, allowing her to catch it. With a sigh of relief Bulma grabbed it and steadied herself,
pushing herself back to her original spot. With a self conscience smile, Bulma pulled her injured
hand in closer to her, keeping it against her stomach. She jumped slightly and pulled back as
Vegeta reached for it, and whimpered in pain as he scowled at her and grabbed her wrist. He
pulled her arm toward him, inspecting the wound. Turning her arm roughly, Vegeta put
unnecessary pressure on the white blister. Bulma squirmed in his grasp, and she gasped in pain.

"Vegeta...you're...hurting me." Bulma whispered, almost inaudible. Glancing up at her
eyes, he knew that it was true. He could see tears welling in her clear blue eyes, and she was
biting her bottom lip. Letting her arm go, Vegeta stepped back from her and grabbed a wash
cloth. Silently he ran it under the tap and turned back to her, holding out his hand. Bulma placed
her injured hand in his as she watched Vegeta gently treat her wound. She couldn't understand
why he was doing this. She watched his face as he worked on her arm, but all she could see was
the perpetual scowl, and his intense black eyes. She smiled slightly, she could easily get lost in
those eyes. Even after he was done, she watched him with a puzzled look on her face. He
noticed the look and glared at her.

"WHAT?" He almost yelled. Bulma jumped, after seeing such gentleness in him, she
wasn't expecting him to yell.

"Nothing." She mumbled. Glancing down at her hand, she flexed her fingers in the
bandaging that Vegeta applied, happy that she still had the dexterity she would need to work and
write. Looking back up at her houseguest, she saw him standing in front of her, his arms crossed
over his muscular chest. Slipping the earphones down to her neck, she knew that he wanted to
say something.

"That noise maker that you wear on your head is stupid." He remarked in his holier-than-
thou attitude.

"Huh?" Bulma asked, confused.

"Maybe it's just you that is stupid. I'll make this simple so that even you can understand
it. You are even more deaf when you wear that thing, and you are going to hurt yourself again if
you keep wearing it. Why don't you just use your idiot human's noise maker? Every time that
pathetic rat tries to train, he puts on his pathetic music."

"I actually didn't want to bother you, Vegeta. I knew you had to train and...." Bulma
said nervously but stopped as Vegeta cut her off.

"You always bother me woman. However, your music isn't as annoying as the idiot's."
Vegeta was slightly confused, by now Bulma should be screaming her head off at him for first
insulting her, and then for insulting her loser boyfriend. Turning around, he began to walk out of
the room.

"Wait! Vegeta...why did you just help me?" Bulma said, almost hoping he would say that
he was worried for her. But she knew that such a thing would never happen. Vegeta paused, he
himself really didn't know for sure. When he first noticed that Bulma had hurt herself, his first
instinct was to try to stop the pain, and he hated himself for it. He surprised himself as he first
searched for the first aid kit, and then he was amazed that he had went and searched out Bulma,
just so she would feel better. Finally, he came up with the lamest answer he could think of.

"I'm hungry, and you can't cook and whine at the same time. Hell, you can't even cook
and breathe at the same time!" The Saiyan prince said as he reached the door. He could only
smirk as the first aid kit slammed into the wall beside his head, followed by an explicit amount of
insults and cursing. At least she was back to normal, Vegeta mused.