Disclaimer~ I don't own… blah blah blah… you guys know this
right?
Author's Note~ Okay, this story is actually the third in a
bit of a series, so it might help you if you've read 'Gohan' and 'Trunks'
first, but I guess it could stand alone, too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~*A Reunion Long
Due~Bulma*~
She closed her blue eyes against
the bright light that suddenly surrounded her. For a moment her memory escaped
her and she was disoriented, then she remember the hospital. How tired she had
been and how ChiChi had leaned over her and told her to let go, the boys would
be fine, and there were several people waiting to see her again in the
otherworld.
Bulma
brushed off her pants as she rose. The action brought attention to her hands.
They were young and soft once again. She smiled and she felt her face gently.
She was young and beautiful once again. Relief washed through her. She hadn't
wanted to look old and wrinkled when she saw everyone again for the first time
in over half a century. There was a soft footfall behind her and she turned
slowly.
Tears
sprang to her eyes and she rushed into the arms of one of her oldest friends in
the world. Someone she hadn't seen in longer than she could remember.
"Goku!"
He grinned
as he scooped her up in a bear hug and squeezed until she thought she could
possibly die again. He laughed as he set her back on her feet.
"Bulma!
It's so good to see you! The gangs just not the same without you here."
Bulma
looked around them into the vast whiteness.
"Where is
everyone? I thought that maybe Trunks would be here to meet me… or… Vegeta."
Goku smiled
sheepishly.
"Well, they
… um… lets just head on over to where everyone's waiting… and you'll see…"
Her
eyebrows shot upwards in confusion, but she followed her old friend until they
were walking the path towards the room where, unbeknownst to Bulma, Gohan and
Trunks had both walked before. When they were nearly to the door, there was the
sound of a scuffle and Goku halted their progress to turn and grin at her.
"You hear
that?"
She nodded
and concentrated on the noise trying to recognize who could be fighting. Goku
tip- toed toward that entrance and motioned her to do the same. They peeked
around the door, and the site that greeted them nearly had Bulma collapsing to
her knees.
The room
was massive. There were several tables decked out with a feast and drinks
galore. Standing around the room where all her friends from her life on Earth,
but none of them noticed her poking her head around the door. They were all
staring in wonder at the site that captivated Bulma's attention as well.
In the
center of the room Vegeta had Trunks in a headlock, holding one of his son's
arms at an awkward angle behind his back. Trunks was struggling to keep his
foothold, a look of determination on his face. Vegeta's ever-present smug smirk
glared down at the purple top of his son's head.
Bulma
turned to Goku for explanation and he leaned in to whisper.
"They've
been arguing about who gets to go meet you. I kept telling them that it was
time, but they didn't even hear me… so I just went to get you myself."
Bulma
smiled and turned back to the two most important men in her life. Tears sprang
to her eyes. She'd waited over sixty years to see father and son interacting,
and now the joy was almost overwhelming.
At that
moment, Trunks managed to get his free arm around Vegeta's knees and literally
swept his father off his feet and onto his back. Vegeta grunted as his behind
contacted the floor and glared up at his son. Trunks, however, had just noticed
the two people peeking in the door. His face lit up in happiness.
"MOM!!"
He rushed
over as all eyes in the room turned to Bulma and Goku in the doorway. Bulma
crossed her arms over her chest and glared as her son reached her side.
"Don't you
'Mom' me, young man! What were you thinking? Dying before me!?!"
Trunks
grimaced.
"I'm sorry,
Mom, I just…"
A snort
from across the room interrupted his response.
"Leave the
brat be, woman… his pathetically weak body just gave out on him. Damn frail
human blood."
Bulma was
about to retort with anger, when she saw her son smile and take off in an
instant.
"I'll show
you pathetically weak, Father."
Without a
moment's warning, the two charged at each other into a volley of punches and
kicks that Bulma couldn't even follow with her eyes. She could, however, see
the smiles playing across the faces of her son and the love of her life. Goku
wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"They're
always like this. Vegeta originally went to HFIL to pay penance for his crimes,
and he just recently got released to join us permanently. Since then, they've
been sparring nearly all the time."
Bulma
simply sighed and smiled at her two men once more, before turning to greet
everyone else. It had been so long since she'd seen Kryllin, Yamcha and the
others. Gohan didn't come up to greet her right away, he was looking a little
sheepish in the back of the crowd. She finally beckoned him to her.
"Why are
you hiding, Gohan?"
He shrugged
and she realized for the first time that he still was without one arm.
"I just…
I've been worried that you were angry with me for training Trunks behind your
back, Bulma."
She shook
her head and placed a gentle hand on his scarred cheek.
"Oh, Gohan…
I knew what you two were doing… and because of you Trunks saved our entire
world, and another one as well. Did he tell you?"
Gohan
nodded.
"Oh, yeah…
we were in awe."
He leaned
in conspiratorially so that only she could hear his next words.
"And Vegeta
was proud as hell, he didn't say anything of course, but I could tell."
Bulma
laughed and hugged the demi-saiyan tightly.
"I bet
Trunks was so happy to see you when he got here."
Gohan
nodded.
"I was just
as happy to see him. He's my little bro…"
Bulma
nodded and turned back to find her son waiting right behind her with a large
smile plastered on his face. She shook her head and grinned, opening her arms
to him. He threw himself into her embrace, and she received her second bear hug
since arriving.
"I've
missed you so much, Mom."
Tears
invariably found their way into her eyes.
"I missed
you, too, son."
He pulled
away.
"Are Geta
and Gohan okay? Have there been any big threats? Is the rebuilding all
finished? Have we~"
Bulma
placed her hand over his mouth to stop the flood of questions.
"Geez,
Trunks, you don't have to worry about Earth anymore. You're boys are taking
care of it just fine."
He blushed
under her hand and Bulma was suddenly reminded of the soft-spoken boy he used
to be. Tears welled up in her eyes once again as she ran her hand through his
hair, cut short and laced with gray. She pulled him toward her for another hug.
Then suddenly laughed.
"Oh! You'll
like this! Geta went over to the other timeline a couple years back!"
He gaped at
her.
"He did?
Why?"
A look of
sadness flashed in her eyes for a brief moment.
"That's a
story for another time, Trunks, but he came back cursing a blue blazes about
how impossible his grandfather was, and just fussing at you for giving him the
name Vegeta."
Trunks
smiled.
"Just like
Dad, isn't he?"
She laughed
and nodded. Her mirth was interrupted by a snort that was actually very close
by. Mother and son turned to find The Prince of all Saiyans standing only a
couple feet away from them. Bulma was startled to find butterflies invading her
stomach. She hadn't realized she'd be so nervous about meeting Vegeta again.
They'd been together such a relatively short time before he'd been killed.
Vegeta
simply nodded at his son, then held a hand out for Bulma. She blinked at him
once before placing her hand in his. Vegeta turned and began to drag her out of
the room into the hallway. He shot a glare over his shoulder that dared anyone
in the room to follow them. Trunks was grinning like an idiot and Vegeta simply
rolled his eyes at his son.
Once they
were far enough away from the gathering he stopped walking and released her
hand, turning to stare at her. Bulma gulped and met his gaze. She couldn't
think of a single thing to say. Finally, the silence was getting to her and she
opened her mouth to speak.
"Vegeta…"
A hand shot
out to cover her mouth and he shook his head at her.
"Shut up,
woman. You talk far too much."
Her eyes
narrowed and she prepared a line of curses to throw at him, but before she even
got a chance his hand disappeared and was instantly replaced with his lips. He
pulled her towards him, and with a small cry of happiness, Bulma collapsed into
him. After several moments they parted, and she hugged him close to her.
"You
bastard… don't you ever leave me alone again."
He chuckled
but didn't retort.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Heh heh, curious about what Bulma said? About Geta going to
the other timeline? ~evil laugh~ Don't worry, that's actually a chapter story I
have planned. It should be really fun! Take care and please review!