"Damn" vegeta cursed, putting his hand on his face.  Bulma felt around in front of her until she grasped Vegeta's collar.

            "there you are" Bulma said, with a sigh of relief.

            "what? Did you think I would just dissapear into thin air?" he snapped, pulling away from her.

            "Can't you flare up your ki or something and light this place a little bit?" Bulma suggested.

            "For once, you have an idea that isnt entirely stupid" Vegeta commented, powering up a little.  a white-blue flame protruded the darkness, allowing Bulma and Vegeta to see.

            "Now follow me, theres another circuit breaker in the back room with the laundry stuff" Bulma said, leading the way near the back of the basement.  She opened the dusty door and pulled on Vegeta's arm, lighting her way towards the breaker. Unhearably, the heavy door behind them slid shut.   She opened the box and fumbled with it, only to discover it had fused out as well.

            "Shit!  this is not fair" Bulma muttered, slamming the box shut.

            "Woman, that door doesnt lock from the outside, does it?" Vegeta interuppted.

            "Yeah, it does why do you- FUCK!" She exclaimed, seeing their way out was now a dead end.

            "I'm going to blast it!" Vegeta said, a ki ball forming in his palm.  Bulma grabbed his arm down in a hurry. 

            "oh no your not! this is one area of the house you havent destroyed!  if this means we sit here in the dark until mom and dad get home, fine! but I dont want  my basemant torn to pieces!" she yelled, crossing her arms.

            Vegeta growled in anger.

            "uuurrrrrrrrr FINE!  Fine, onna" he agreed, leaning against the washer.  Bulma pulled herself up on the dryer and sat down on top of it. a minute passed in near silence, the only sound was of Vegeta's blue-white light, penetrating the black room.  Vegeta thought hard, trying to lose himself in meditation.  This room, this darkness, it returned unwanted memories.....

            "You want to know what's happened to your dear, dear father?" Freiza growled, grabbing the 8 year old Vegeta around the neck and giving it a sharp tug. "Hes dead! thats right, little Vegeta, your big brave father died for his planet! And for what? Nothing! because your dear Vegeta-sei IS GONE!" Freiza roared, laughing, his voice full of cheap thrill and malice.  Vegeta struggled to get out of Frieza's grasp as tears started to well in his young eyes.

            "Father.....my father...no.."

            "To late boy, now get in that cell!" Frieza demanded, tossing the battered child into a dark cold cell with moss and spiderwebs at every corner.  He slammed the heavy door shut, leaving the young boy alone in the darkness.

            "No! don't leave me here! I want my Father! bring me back my Father right now! you hear me??? I hate you!" The young Vegeta raged, pounding his fists on the cold cement, losing his control.

            "I hate you" Vegeta whispered, blinking back tears at the painful memory.  Bulma looked at him strangely.

            "Vegeta? you ok?" she asked, leaning towards him a little.  Vegeta quickly wiped his face, trying to remove the look of strained pain.

            "Nothing woman, im fine" Vegeta said gruffly, his voice catching a little.  Bulma looked concerned as she scooted over to sit on the washer with him.    Vegeta wouldnt look at her as he gave up trying to stop the tears.  One by one they fell, down his face and splashing on his knees.

            "no, vegeta, no your not fine" Bulma said softly, putting her hand on his chin and turned his face towards her.

            "leave me alone" he mumbled, pulling away from her.  He drew his knees to his chest and buried his face in his knees.  His back heaved, and Bulma knew he was lying right through his teeth.

            "Vegeta? Whats that matter?" she asked alertedly, staring at the broken down saiyan-no ouji.

            "Leave me alone!" he snapped at her, raising his head.  His eyes were pouring out silent tears, but he still managed to control his voice.

            "No. Something is wrong!" Bulma insisted, coming closer to him again.  Vegeta ignored her and placed his head down again.  Bulma then realized she wasnt going to be able to get through to him by talking.  She crawled behind him and wrapped her arms around his back from behind.  Vegeta looked up sharply, staring at her out of the corner of his eye.  Bulma pulled his hands away from his knees and pushed his legs down so they were dangling again.  She went to his side and wrapped him in her arms, his head against her breast.   Slowly she rocked him, the way she imagined rocking a baby.  Vegeta allowed her to do that, for some unknown reason, it calmed him.

            "Shh...its ok...its ok..." Bulma whispered against his forehead, kissing it lightly.  Now she wasn't thinking the man was vegeta, but a broken saiyan who needed comfort.  Vegeta sat up after a minute, and stared at her. his eyes had stopped watering, and tear stains were beginning to dry on his face.

            "Why did you do that?" he said softly.

            'Because you needed someone to hold you" Bulma whispered back, wiping a tear away that had started to fall from her eye.

            "Why are you crying?" Vegeta muttered, glaring at her, as if she had no business doing any of the sort.

            "Because seeing you cry makes me want to cry" she admitted, looking away from him. Vegeta was struck with a feeling that had never overtaken him before.  Seeing him in pain....caused her pain?

            "why?" he asked, catching her gaze.  Bulma thought about if for a minute.  Why did it cause her pain?

            "I--i really don't know....maybe its because----because---" she stuttered, trying to put her words in order.

            "Because you love me?" Vegeta asked, almost innocently.  Bulma looked at him strangely.  She was quiet for a long time.  Vegeta looked away, in all his vulnerability, he realized that what he said was incredibly stupid, how could he ever ask something like th-

            "Yes" a voice whispered, breaking his thoughts.

            "nani?" he asked Bulma, looking towards her.

            "i--i--i do love you" Bulma said softly, looking down, embarrased. Vegeta took her words in slowly.  She loved him??  he reached his hand over and cupped her face, turning it to his.

            "I've.....I've never really been loved before" he admitted, his face still expressionless.

            "What about your father?" Bulma questioned.

            "He was the only one....but he was taken away from me" Vegeta whispered, eyes welling with tears again.  Bulma sat up and threw her arms around the saiyan no ouji,

            "Oh Vegeta! please don't cry! I don't want you to cry...it causes me so much pain that I dont know what to do...please.." Bulma begged, muffled by his shoulder.  Vegeta didnt return her embrace, but meerly lay his head in the crook of her neck, deeply inhaling her scent. Bulma pulled away to face him, her eyes full of confusion.

            "Vegeta...have you ever loved anyone before?"  Vegeta looked wistful at her question.  He carefully slipped an arm around her waist, trying not to seem to forward.

            "My father......and you" he whispered the last part, Bulma couldn't hardly hear him, But she did.  Of an entire universe, she was the one Vegeta had fallen in love with.  She was still struggling with the concept that Vegeta had fallen for her when he pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek, nuzzling it momentarily.

            "I know its awkward, but i've always wanted to do this" Vegeta murmured against her skin, kissing it again.  Bulma smiled a little and entwined her fingers with Vegeta's.

            "And I know this is awkward, but i've always wanted to do this-" Bulma said.  She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, hard. Vegeta was quite stunned, and was unable to respond.  When she pulled away, Vegeta's eyes were wide open, and he was staring somewhere between mercury and venus (off very far!).

            "First kiss huh?" Bulma giggled, running her hand down his jawbone.  Vegeta didnt respond.

            "Yeah, I figured. Now, lets try again, with more gusto!" bulma instructed, smacking vegeta on the shoulder to wake him up out of la la land.  Vegeta shook his head and about regained his sences, when all of a sudden Bulma was kissing him again, trying to ease him into it.  Vegeta loved the feeling of her lips on his.  He moved his lips against hers so that she could slide her tongue into his mouth.  He did the same to her, and they kissed passionately for a few seconds, before Vegeta slowly pulled away.  Bulma licked her lips.

            "yummy" she grinned, snuggling into Vegeta's shoulder.    Vegeta wrapped his arms around Bulma, laying his head on hers.  his tail had a mind of its own, wrapping itself around Bulma's waist tightly.  They fell asleep in each others embrace, in the dark, the storm raging outside.