...........................................................................................LITTLE BLACK DRESS
.........................................................................................................................Rhapsody~*
It wasn't until the morning of Christmas Eve that Bulma's mother discovered her daughter's secret. Dr. Briefs was off making last minute party plans, Vejita was training, and Bulma was exercising away downstairs in the aerobics room. Mrs. Briefs, at a loss of what else she could do at the moment, made her way to the aerobics room slowly, dusting and rearranging things here and there, thinking of a good reason for her to be seeking out her daughter. She thought of the horrid nose ring she had recently acquired and shuddered. But scolding her over that again would do no good. She arrived at the room without any ideas.
Bulma was hard at work on the treadmill. She wore a pair of basketball shorts that were obviously not hers, which was some cause for suspicion, and a sports bra. Her hair was hastily tied in a ponytail on top of her head, and headphones were stuck in her ears. Sweat soaked her little body and she was beginning to breathe heavily. Mrs. Briefs crossed her arms and took a seat on a bench, moving aside a towel and a bottle of water. Bulma, engrossed in her workout and music, did not notice her presence, which was perfectly fine for Mrs. Briefs, who took a moment to scrutinize her beautiful daughter.
She had nearly grown up overnight, though a young woman had always been lurking behind those almond-shaped blue eyes. She didn't really resemble either Mrs. Briefs or her husband. Her hair was straight and smooth, while Mrs. Briefs had always had a tendency to curl and frizz. Bulma's blue eyes were large and a bit slanted, while hers were more of a cloudy shade and somewhat smaller. Mrs. Briefs was glad that she had not inherited her looks, because they were not very interesting, to say the least. She also noted that Bulma had gained a bit of weight in the stomach area, but did not give it much thought. She must not have been keeping up her regular exercise schedule in her parents' absence, as she has always tended to do.
The timer on the treadmill beeped as it switched to ten minutes. Mrs. Briefs furrowed her eyebrows as Bulma clumsily jumped off of the machine and pulled the plug, leaning on the supports for balance. She seemed to be struggling to focus her vision and get her balance. And not only that, but normally ten minutes was a lighter workout for Bulma, who had always been concerned about her body condition. She waited until Bulma had taken off her headphones before speaking.
"Its Christmas Eve, dear, you shouldn't be working so hard."
Bulma started and regarded her mother with wide eyes that gradually narrowed. "Kami, Mom, Vejita does that to me enough without your help! I think my heart actually stopped for a moment there..."
"Was I really that sneaky?" Mrs. Briefs giggled with pleasure, then sombered up again. "Ten minutes today? Thats hardly as long as you usually run for."
"I'm just tired today," Bulma replied, snatching up her towel and wiping her forehead. "Why were you spying on me anyway?"
"Whose shorts?" Mrs. Briefs' face was serious, and her arms were crossed.
"These?" Bulma looked down at them, and her cheeks colored a bit before she looked away. "Who's do you think? And why do YOU care all of a sudden?"
"I've always cared!" Her mother insisted, standing and narrowing her eyes also. "I may like that young man a bit, but that does not mean that I approve of the type of relationship he is offering you. No mother likes to see her daughter in that sort of situation."
Bulma tossed her towel aside and threw up her hands. "WHAT sort of situation, Mom?! What do you think you know?"
"A lot more than you've been willing to tell me, honey," Mrs. Briefs said, more gently this time. "I'm no idiot. Don't lie to me and say that things haven't been a little...well, HOTTER between you two lately. I see those looks you two shoot each other here and there, when you don't think I'm looking. I'm a mother, dear, I can sense these things."
Bulma nearly sighed in relief. For a minute there, she had actually believed that her mother knew what was REALLY wrong with her. "Oh, Mom. Its no secret, believe me. Goku could have told you." She retrieved her towel and made a move to leave.
"Stop right there, Bulma Briefs."
Bulma stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly, her eyes on the floor. "Yes?"
"You're going to sit down and tell me what's REALLY wrong. Right now." Mrs. Briefs was as serious as Bulma had ever seen her. Her lips were tight with anger, but the worry was clear in her eyes.
"Are you sure that you want to know?" Bulma asked, sitting down on a bench and folding her hands in her lap.
"Oh, Kami. What am I getting myself into this time?" Mrs. Briefs muttered, taking a seat beside her daughter. "Alright, out with it."
Bulma hurried out of the room about six minutes later, her eyes hard and angry. Mrs. Briefs remained in the aerobics room, silent and shocked. Her eyes were as large as they had ever been, her shoulders were slumped, and her jaw had dropped. For once, the Christmas decorations adorning the room around her did not bring joy to her heart. All she could think of was what Bulma was in for, how her young life was about to be altered forever. Though she didn't want to admit it, she knew that there was no way that Bulma was ready to be a mother, no matter how hard she would undoubtedly try. And Vejita--would he even care?
Mrs. Briefs put her head in her hands and began to cry.
Yamcha donned his new suit and turned to his mirror, grinning at his handsome reflection. Today was Christmas Eve, one of his favorite days of the year, and damn it all, he was going to make this night great! He gave himself a thumbs up and turned to Krillen, who was over to catch a ride to Bulma's for the party.
"How do I look?" he asked, smoothing his outfit and striking a manly pose. "Do I look like a MVP or what?"
"You're putting a lot of effort into this," Krillen said uncertainly. "What are you planning, man?"
Yamcha sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets nervously. "I'm not sure myself, Krillen. I've been thinking about Bulma a lot lately."
"Oh Kami, here we go," Krillen grumbled, falling back onto Yamcha's couch and eyeing the still shattered window. "I'm sure she thinks about you, too. You know, when she visits those virtual voodoo websites."
Yamcha laughed. "Yeah, probably. I guess our last couple meetings have been pretty hostile. But I can't get her off of my mind, ever since that day at Goku's. She looked great--healthier than I've seen her in a long time. And I was the one who broke it off, so chance's are she still has some lingering feelings for me."
Krillen raised an eyebrow. "Was it just me, or did it seem like she and Vejita were getting along a little TOO well?"
Yamcha's face fell, and his eyes darkened. "It wasn't just you. Remember that party over at her house? You weren't dreaming, man, that was real. And it wasn't a one-sided thing, either. So I'm gonna stop it while I can. I think I'm going to ask her out again." At Krillen's look of protest, he held up a hand. "No, I'm serious. I won't even have to deal with Vejita once I have Bulma on my side. Look at this." He pulled a velvet-covered box out of his pocket.
"Holy shit, Yamcha, you're not gonna--"
"No! No man, I'm not gonna propose. Not yet." Yamcha fingered the box thoughtfully. "I'm gonna see how she's recovered. I don't know if I want to deal with Little Miss Drama Queen again. If she's changed, then I'll give her this." He opened the box to reveal a glittering promise ring, simple but pretty in design. "Ain't it just--adorable?" He batted his eyelashes jokingly and joined Krillen in lighthearted laughter.
"I'm still not sure." Krillen frowned. "I thought that you said it was OVER."
"I've missed her...a lot," Yamcha said softly. "She's a great girl, just a little troubled. But with proper care, she'll get over it, I'm positive. I mean, come on--she was well and happy enough to throw a huge party, and that means something, doesn't it?"
Krillen shook his head. "I hope you're right, Yamcha. I'd hate to see any of you get hurt."
Yamcha turned back to the mirror, his expression grim as he looked himself over one last time. "Don't worry, Krillen. Nobody's gonna get hurt tonight."
Meanwhile, back at Capsule Corps., Bulma was desperately searching through her closet for something to wear. She flung dresses over her shoulder as she rejected them, not caring where they landed at the moment. Nothing seemed right for the occasion, and even worse, she feared that her stomach was starting to bulge a bit. Remembering this horrifying discovery after her morning workout, she involuntarily shuddered and began searching even more determinedly, her lips set in a tight, thin line.
She had rejected almost every dress she owned by the time she found the perfect one. She lifted it slowly, admiring the beautiful piece of clothing. A faint smile graced her face, and she backed out of her messy closet into her even messier room. She flung the dress over her shoulder, dug a pair of shoes out of the enormous pile on her bed, untangled some jewelry from the heap that covered her vanity, and hurried into her bathroom, for she only had an hour and a half left before she had to make an appearance.
In the next room over, Vejita was sprawled out on his bed, watching television, if you could call it that. He was changing channels at an almost inhuman rate, his scowl getting deeper and deeper until finally he left it on a rerun of last week's football game. He had no pressing need to watch any of the corny Christmas specials that hogged up all of the good channels. He turned his head away from the television and directed his gaze out his open balcony. A few snowflakes had begun to fall, as was expected on Christmas Eve, and the temperature had dropped dramatically since that morning. Vejita turned away, bored of the winter season already.
He could hear Bulma moving around noisily in her room, getting ready for the ridiculous formal party she had been planning. If he cared he would be getting ready now, too, but, unfortunately, he could care less. He was not a fan of the parties that the Briefs women threw. If Goku said ONE stupid thing, just ONE, he would hang him by the goofy tie that he would probably be wearing. The thought pleased him.
So, ignoring the fact that the party was drawing ever nearer, Vejita relaxed and concentrated on watching his football game.
*******************************************************************************************
(A/N): Sorry about the shorter chapter, but I had to end it there, because I wanted to save an entire chapter for...CHRISTMAS!! Yay, I'm so excited! I can't wait to try my hand at THAT one. I'm guessing that there will only be two chapters left in this fic, the Christmas one and then another one to wrap everything up and set things right for the sequel, which will be posted after "Youth of the Nation" is completed. If you haven't already, please visit my website, which is now posted, and check it out. I have the lyrics of the song Bulma was singing, some tidbits about my existing fics AND some forthcoming ones, and some of the research I've been doing for an upcoming fic that's gonna be one of my best yet. Please check it out and help me with some of the things if you care to. I could always use a hand with research. Don't worry, the subject is interesting! The site isn't very big or complicated, since I'm computer illiterate (LoL), but hey, it doesn't have to be stunning to get the job done! Ja ne, and, as always, REVIEW!!!
*******************************************************************************************
.........................................................................................................................Rhapsody~*
It wasn't until the morning of Christmas Eve that Bulma's mother discovered her daughter's secret. Dr. Briefs was off making last minute party plans, Vejita was training, and Bulma was exercising away downstairs in the aerobics room. Mrs. Briefs, at a loss of what else she could do at the moment, made her way to the aerobics room slowly, dusting and rearranging things here and there, thinking of a good reason for her to be seeking out her daughter. She thought of the horrid nose ring she had recently acquired and shuddered. But scolding her over that again would do no good. She arrived at the room without any ideas.
Bulma was hard at work on the treadmill. She wore a pair of basketball shorts that were obviously not hers, which was some cause for suspicion, and a sports bra. Her hair was hastily tied in a ponytail on top of her head, and headphones were stuck in her ears. Sweat soaked her little body and she was beginning to breathe heavily. Mrs. Briefs crossed her arms and took a seat on a bench, moving aside a towel and a bottle of water. Bulma, engrossed in her workout and music, did not notice her presence, which was perfectly fine for Mrs. Briefs, who took a moment to scrutinize her beautiful daughter.
She had nearly grown up overnight, though a young woman had always been lurking behind those almond-shaped blue eyes. She didn't really resemble either Mrs. Briefs or her husband. Her hair was straight and smooth, while Mrs. Briefs had always had a tendency to curl and frizz. Bulma's blue eyes were large and a bit slanted, while hers were more of a cloudy shade and somewhat smaller. Mrs. Briefs was glad that she had not inherited her looks, because they were not very interesting, to say the least. She also noted that Bulma had gained a bit of weight in the stomach area, but did not give it much thought. She must not have been keeping up her regular exercise schedule in her parents' absence, as she has always tended to do.
The timer on the treadmill beeped as it switched to ten minutes. Mrs. Briefs furrowed her eyebrows as Bulma clumsily jumped off of the machine and pulled the plug, leaning on the supports for balance. She seemed to be struggling to focus her vision and get her balance. And not only that, but normally ten minutes was a lighter workout for Bulma, who had always been concerned about her body condition. She waited until Bulma had taken off her headphones before speaking.
"Its Christmas Eve, dear, you shouldn't be working so hard."
Bulma started and regarded her mother with wide eyes that gradually narrowed. "Kami, Mom, Vejita does that to me enough without your help! I think my heart actually stopped for a moment there..."
"Was I really that sneaky?" Mrs. Briefs giggled with pleasure, then sombered up again. "Ten minutes today? Thats hardly as long as you usually run for."
"I'm just tired today," Bulma replied, snatching up her towel and wiping her forehead. "Why were you spying on me anyway?"
"Whose shorts?" Mrs. Briefs' face was serious, and her arms were crossed.
"These?" Bulma looked down at them, and her cheeks colored a bit before she looked away. "Who's do you think? And why do YOU care all of a sudden?"
"I've always cared!" Her mother insisted, standing and narrowing her eyes also. "I may like that young man a bit, but that does not mean that I approve of the type of relationship he is offering you. No mother likes to see her daughter in that sort of situation."
Bulma tossed her towel aside and threw up her hands. "WHAT sort of situation, Mom?! What do you think you know?"
"A lot more than you've been willing to tell me, honey," Mrs. Briefs said, more gently this time. "I'm no idiot. Don't lie to me and say that things haven't been a little...well, HOTTER between you two lately. I see those looks you two shoot each other here and there, when you don't think I'm looking. I'm a mother, dear, I can sense these things."
Bulma nearly sighed in relief. For a minute there, she had actually believed that her mother knew what was REALLY wrong with her. "Oh, Mom. Its no secret, believe me. Goku could have told you." She retrieved her towel and made a move to leave.
"Stop right there, Bulma Briefs."
Bulma stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly, her eyes on the floor. "Yes?"
"You're going to sit down and tell me what's REALLY wrong. Right now." Mrs. Briefs was as serious as Bulma had ever seen her. Her lips were tight with anger, but the worry was clear in her eyes.
"Are you sure that you want to know?" Bulma asked, sitting down on a bench and folding her hands in her lap.
"Oh, Kami. What am I getting myself into this time?" Mrs. Briefs muttered, taking a seat beside her daughter. "Alright, out with it."
Bulma hurried out of the room about six minutes later, her eyes hard and angry. Mrs. Briefs remained in the aerobics room, silent and shocked. Her eyes were as large as they had ever been, her shoulders were slumped, and her jaw had dropped. For once, the Christmas decorations adorning the room around her did not bring joy to her heart. All she could think of was what Bulma was in for, how her young life was about to be altered forever. Though she didn't want to admit it, she knew that there was no way that Bulma was ready to be a mother, no matter how hard she would undoubtedly try. And Vejita--would he even care?
Mrs. Briefs put her head in her hands and began to cry.
Yamcha donned his new suit and turned to his mirror, grinning at his handsome reflection. Today was Christmas Eve, one of his favorite days of the year, and damn it all, he was going to make this night great! He gave himself a thumbs up and turned to Krillen, who was over to catch a ride to Bulma's for the party.
"How do I look?" he asked, smoothing his outfit and striking a manly pose. "Do I look like a MVP or what?"
"You're putting a lot of effort into this," Krillen said uncertainly. "What are you planning, man?"
Yamcha sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets nervously. "I'm not sure myself, Krillen. I've been thinking about Bulma a lot lately."
"Oh Kami, here we go," Krillen grumbled, falling back onto Yamcha's couch and eyeing the still shattered window. "I'm sure she thinks about you, too. You know, when she visits those virtual voodoo websites."
Yamcha laughed. "Yeah, probably. I guess our last couple meetings have been pretty hostile. But I can't get her off of my mind, ever since that day at Goku's. She looked great--healthier than I've seen her in a long time. And I was the one who broke it off, so chance's are she still has some lingering feelings for me."
Krillen raised an eyebrow. "Was it just me, or did it seem like she and Vejita were getting along a little TOO well?"
Yamcha's face fell, and his eyes darkened. "It wasn't just you. Remember that party over at her house? You weren't dreaming, man, that was real. And it wasn't a one-sided thing, either. So I'm gonna stop it while I can. I think I'm going to ask her out again." At Krillen's look of protest, he held up a hand. "No, I'm serious. I won't even have to deal with Vejita once I have Bulma on my side. Look at this." He pulled a velvet-covered box out of his pocket.
"Holy shit, Yamcha, you're not gonna--"
"No! No man, I'm not gonna propose. Not yet." Yamcha fingered the box thoughtfully. "I'm gonna see how she's recovered. I don't know if I want to deal with Little Miss Drama Queen again. If she's changed, then I'll give her this." He opened the box to reveal a glittering promise ring, simple but pretty in design. "Ain't it just--adorable?" He batted his eyelashes jokingly and joined Krillen in lighthearted laughter.
"I'm still not sure." Krillen frowned. "I thought that you said it was OVER."
"I've missed her...a lot," Yamcha said softly. "She's a great girl, just a little troubled. But with proper care, she'll get over it, I'm positive. I mean, come on--she was well and happy enough to throw a huge party, and that means something, doesn't it?"
Krillen shook his head. "I hope you're right, Yamcha. I'd hate to see any of you get hurt."
Yamcha turned back to the mirror, his expression grim as he looked himself over one last time. "Don't worry, Krillen. Nobody's gonna get hurt tonight."
Meanwhile, back at Capsule Corps., Bulma was desperately searching through her closet for something to wear. She flung dresses over her shoulder as she rejected them, not caring where they landed at the moment. Nothing seemed right for the occasion, and even worse, she feared that her stomach was starting to bulge a bit. Remembering this horrifying discovery after her morning workout, she involuntarily shuddered and began searching even more determinedly, her lips set in a tight, thin line.
She had rejected almost every dress she owned by the time she found the perfect one. She lifted it slowly, admiring the beautiful piece of clothing. A faint smile graced her face, and she backed out of her messy closet into her even messier room. She flung the dress over her shoulder, dug a pair of shoes out of the enormous pile on her bed, untangled some jewelry from the heap that covered her vanity, and hurried into her bathroom, for she only had an hour and a half left before she had to make an appearance.
In the next room over, Vejita was sprawled out on his bed, watching television, if you could call it that. He was changing channels at an almost inhuman rate, his scowl getting deeper and deeper until finally he left it on a rerun of last week's football game. He had no pressing need to watch any of the corny Christmas specials that hogged up all of the good channels. He turned his head away from the television and directed his gaze out his open balcony. A few snowflakes had begun to fall, as was expected on Christmas Eve, and the temperature had dropped dramatically since that morning. Vejita turned away, bored of the winter season already.
He could hear Bulma moving around noisily in her room, getting ready for the ridiculous formal party she had been planning. If he cared he would be getting ready now, too, but, unfortunately, he could care less. He was not a fan of the parties that the Briefs women threw. If Goku said ONE stupid thing, just ONE, he would hang him by the goofy tie that he would probably be wearing. The thought pleased him.
So, ignoring the fact that the party was drawing ever nearer, Vejita relaxed and concentrated on watching his football game.
*******************************************************************************************
(A/N): Sorry about the shorter chapter, but I had to end it there, because I wanted to save an entire chapter for...CHRISTMAS!! Yay, I'm so excited! I can't wait to try my hand at THAT one. I'm guessing that there will only be two chapters left in this fic, the Christmas one and then another one to wrap everything up and set things right for the sequel, which will be posted after "Youth of the Nation" is completed. If you haven't already, please visit my website, which is now posted, and check it out. I have the lyrics of the song Bulma was singing, some tidbits about my existing fics AND some forthcoming ones, and some of the research I've been doing for an upcoming fic that's gonna be one of my best yet. Please check it out and help me with some of the things if you care to. I could always use a hand with research. Don't worry, the subject is interesting! The site isn't very big or complicated, since I'm computer illiterate (LoL), but hey, it doesn't have to be stunning to get the job done! Ja ne, and, as always, REVIEW!!!
*******************************************************************************************