It Was Just Meant to Be

by Graylady

El Fanito!! Yaay! Last and final chapter with a little extra at the end. applause. thankyou! please r&r. For those who don't know, it's a B/V story.

3. What's Goku up too?

Alrighty. Here's the next chapter. I changed the title. Sorry. I just decided to continue with this one since I haven't gotten many review for Fate of One, Fate of Many yet. Plus I'm kinda stuck on what happens next. Waiting for something to pop into my tiny brain. : ) You know the disclaimer by heart so I won't waste my space.

Chapter 3: What's Goku up too?

Vegeta beat on Bulma's door. "Woman! Are you ready yet?" he yelled out. He could hear a strange whining noise coming from her room. "Woman!" How dare she keep him waiting like this. And what was that horrible noise? His patience gone, he opened the door and stepped in, prepared to let her know that one did not keep the Prince of Vegetasai waiting, but his voice died on his lips.

Bulma was standing in her bathroom, drying her hair ( horrible noise if it wasn't obvious). Dressed only in her panties and a tank top. His gaze slid over her curves and fine porcelain skin. She was flawless. It amazed him to know he could think of anyone this way, especially the loud, irritating female before him. He had never paid more that a passing glance at any female. Usually they were just part of the meaningless corpses that littered his past. But he had noticed her from the first moment he had seen her on Namek. How unusually beautiful she was, with her blue hair and eyes. The fact that she had stood up to him then when he had taken the dragon ball from her. He had smelled her fear, but she had held her ground. It peeked his interest that someone so week could pretend to be so brave. ( Bare with me, I know she really cowered behind Krillen.)

Bulma opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. She jumped slightly as she saw him in the doorway to her room. She was going to yell at him for coming in uninvited, when she noticed the odd look on his face. It sent a shiver down her spine. He was staring at her in a way that made her feel… beautiful. Like he thought she was special or something. 'Yeah, right Bulma! Get a grip. This is Vegeta. He's not a normal male of any species.'

She smoothed her hair back into a ponytail and walked into the bedroom. His eyes followed her every move as she slipped on a pair of old faded jeans. Then she slid her feet into a pair of leather sandals.

Putting her hands on her hips she smiled alluringly at him. It was just to good to pass up. "Now that you've gotten your thrill for the day, are you ready?"

He blinked, suddenly realizing he had been gaping openly at her and quickly masked his face over, mentally kicking himself for letting the woman distract him from his purpose. "Hmmph!" he stomped off down the hallway.

The ride to the Son's house was one of tense silence. Vegeta's cheeks were still flushed and his scowl was one that would let anyone know not to speak to him. They arrived a little after nine, to find Goku and Gohan wrestling around in the front yard.

Goku stopped his rough housing and waved. He picked Bulma up and spun her around. She shouted for him to put her down, but there was no anger in her words. He turned to the prince and saw the fleeting disapproval cross his face, and smiled his goofy grin.

"We're supposed to meet Piccolo at the mountain pass." He informed Vegeta. "Chichi's in the kitchen, Bulma. Tell her we'll be home in time for dinner." With a quick glance to his sparring partner and a nod to his son, they blasted of in varying shades of ki.

She watched until they were out of sight, then she went into the house.

Chichi was drying her hands when her friend came in. The first thing she noticed were the dark circles under Bulma's eyes. That weren't covered up with makeup. 'Oh, dear. This must really be bad.' She walked over and hugged the blue haired woman. "I'm sorry, honey. You just sit down here and talk about what ever you feel like."

Bulma sat at the kitchen table, playing with one of the dozen jars that covered it. She watched her dark haired friend as she spooned the sweet goo into the jars. She knew Chichi was about to bust a gut to keep from asking her the details of her breakup, so she just decided to tell her and get it over with.

"And then I heard her voice in the background telling him to come back to bed. He actually tried to make me believe it was the television. Like I'm really that stupid. Then he showed up at my door, begging me to forgive him. Again. I just couldn't do it this time. I just felt so used up. And then he had the nerve to accuse me of cheating on him with Vegeta! Can you believe that?" she wiped a tear off her cheek with the back of her hand.

Chichi blanched. "Vegeta? How on earth could he possibly think you would ever do anything with that creepy little man." She slopped another spoonful of preserves into a jar.

"My mother doesn't think its such a crazy idea."

The glass almost slipped from her grasp. Her dark eyes widening in disbelief. "What?"

Bulma sighed. "My mother really likes Vegeta. For some unknown reason, she seems to have a very high opinion of him."

"Then she's completely lost her mind. That man is nothing more than a cold blooded, heartless murderer." She scolded. After what he had done to her poor husband and son, she would just assume he disappear from all their lives.

She seemed lost in thought as she spoke. "I don't know. I've lived with him for a year now, and you'd be surprised at the way he acts sometimes. I mean we argue a lot but I honestly think he enjoys it. And sometimes when he doesn't know your watching, he gets this look, like a little boy whose lost or something." She trailed off.

Chichi was staring at her in alarm. "Bulma? Honey, are you sure you're alright. I mean, you almost sound like you have feelings for him."

"Well, you have to admit, he is cute." She laughed.

"Yeah, cute and deadly. Come to your senses girl. That road can only lead to ruin and heartbreak. And don't forget that he did try to kill everyone not that long ago." She reminded her.

"Mmhhmm. So did Piccolo if I recall. And he did kill someone." She arched an eyebrow at her friend, watching her expression turn thoughtful.

Goku and Vegeta floated a few feet apart, panting. Piccolo had taken Gohan off to practice his fighting skills so that the two Saiyans could fight at full power. To his surprise, Goku had actually had to go SSj just to keep up with the prince.

"Wow, Vegeta! You've really improved. I can't believe how strong you've gotten. When you finally go SSj, I'll really have to be careful." He huffed.

Vegeta snarled at the mention of his inability to go SSj. "Yes, you will."

"Well, why we're takin' a break hear, how 'bout telling me what happened between Bulma and Yamcha the other day."

"I didn't come out here to talk about that stupid woman and her love life!" he growled.

"She seems really down. I want to know what he did."

"What do you care, Kakarot? She's not your mate."

"No, but she's one of my oldest and best friends. She's like family to me, and I care about what happens to her." He folded his arms across his chest, unconsciously mimicking the prince.

"Then why don't you kill that baka man that's always making her wail like a wounded animal. That's all he seems to be good for!"

"Just tell me what happened."

"Aahhg! If I tell you, then will you stop hounding me?!" he slung his arms down to his sides, fists balled in controlled rage, his ki flaring.

Goku grinned and nodded.

Vegeta related the whole incident up to the point where that dimwit woman started dragging him into it.

Goku scratched his head, a thoughtful look on his face. "Wow. That really was a bad one. Ya know, I just don't get Yamcha. I mean, I know Bulma can be pretty hard to deal with sometimes."

"You don't know the half of it."

Then Goku burst into laughter. "No wonder Yamcha's always gets so mad at Oolong when he teases him about Bulma. To think, after twelve years she's never.. well, you know." He blushed.

Vegeta sighed. "Your such a baka Kakarot." But for the first time, the meaning of those words sunk into his thick skull, and he smiled. "She's apparently not a stupid as I had first thought."

"Yeah, Bulma needs someone strong, who can deal with her on her own level. Somebody who can match her wit and temper. Hey! Kinda sounds like you Vegeta!" he looked at the Elite Saiyan and smiled slyly.

Vegeta sputtered, his face turning red with anger and embarrassment. "Don't be ridiculous Kakarot. Me, Prince of all Saiyans, with that loud mouthed bitch!"

"Aw, come on Vegeta. You have to admit, she is really pretty. And all the time you've been living at Capsule Corp. surely you've gotten to know her. She's really smart. Have you ever seen her in a bikini? Don't tell Chichi, but when I first met Bulma, I tried to find her tail. Lifted up her skirt." He blushed as if he'd been caught with one of Master Roshi's nudy magazines.

"Hmmph. That's nothing, why I just saw her this morning in her-." He caught himself before he finished, and gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damnit Kakarot, do we have to stand here and discuss that infernal woman!?" he was blushing as bad as that third class boob.

Goku eyed him carefully. Yeah, it was there. He had seen it many times since Vegeta had come to live on Chikyuu. Weather or not he new it, he was starting to get interested in his hostess.

"I guess we'd better go get Gohan. Chichi should have dinner waiting for us." He noticed that peeked his 'friends' interest. "Want to stay and eat? Chichi always makes more than enough."

He started to spat out that hell would freeze over before he sat down at the same table as a third class warrior, but then the thought of Bulma's cooking was enough to change his mind. Kakarot's mate, an even bigger bitch than his woman, was at least a good cook. 'His woman', where the hell did that thought come from.

"If that woman wants to stay and eat, then I will."

"Great!"

The sun was setting when they returned. Bulma and Chichi had the table loaded down with enough food for five Saiyans. She managed to restrain Goku long enough for the others to fix their plates.

The two Saiyans ate at the same speed, but Vegeta never dropped a crumb, unlike Goku. Gohan just shook his head at his father and dug in.

Chichi sighed. "It must be nice to have someone with decent table manners."

Bulma smirked, looking at Vegeta. "Well, he's an experience to have around I suppose."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Why can't you learn to cook like this, woman?"

"It seems all my spare time is spent fixing your toys. But give me some wires and circuits and I can cook you up something great."

He snorted. "Yeah, that's about what your food tastes like. Burnt wiring." He laughed, startling everyone at the table.

Goku paused long enough to laugh too. "Hey, that's a good one Vegeta!" only to get smacked in the back of the head by his wife. "Ungh, sorry." He attacked his food again.

Vegeta looked across the table at the woman. She was attractive, he supposed, but nowhere near as attractive as his woman. His eyes widened in shock. There it was again. Why was he thinking of her as his woman? He could barely stand to be in the same room with her most of the time. But then, the look on her face that morning when she had caught him staring at her, had been… well, he wasn't sure, but the thought of it caused his face to flush.

"Vegeta? You ok?" Chichi watched his face contort as if he were in pain. 'What an odd man.' She thought.

He ignored her and finished his food. 'I've got to quit spending so much time with these idiots. It's starting to affect me.'

After dinner, Vegeta impatiently awaited Bulma in the car. He had nodded a silent goodbye to the Son's. More than what they were worthy of, he thought. He didn't look up when she slid into the drivers seat.

She started the car and drove down the long road that headed back out onto the main highway. It was a long quiet trip.

End of chapter. Ok I know Vegeta isn't always in perfect character. You know how hard it is not to let him get a little mushy. And yeah, I know Goku isn't the smartest cookie in the box, but I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's not a dumb as everyone seems to think. He does have his moments at times. As always R&R. thanks. Coming soon, no title yet for 4.