Karaoke Night, a dragon ball z fanfic

Disclaimer: Reasons I don't own this—
If I did, I'd be able to draw. If I did, my poetry wouldn't be on whateverthenewthingis.net If I did, my singing voice wouldn't be the vocal equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. If I did, I wouldn't be so far beyond poor. I'm po'. Can't even afford the other letters.

"I don't even know what I did this time."

"One rarely does with women."

Vegeta didn't know why it bothered him so much that Bulma was angry with him. Bulma was usually angry with him for some reason or another. However, this time, it felt serious. "Wait, how would you know about women, Namek?"

"Impartial point of view. I don't have to worry about sex," Piccolo grinned.

"'Have to worry about'," Vegeta scoffed. From the view of a Saiyan, the life of a Namek was worse than Hell. They didn't eat and they didn't have sex. Vegeta shuddered.

"It's not her birthday, is it?" Krillin asked, carrying a large tray of food, a beer, and a glass of water.

"No." Vegeta double-checked his mental calendar and then the calendar on the wall of the bar. "No."

"What did you get her for Valentine's Day?"

Vegeta returned the formerly bald man's question with a blank stare. "What in the name of Dende is a Valentine?" he asked as he sank his teeth into a very large cheeseburger.

"And we have our answer," Piccolo said sagely, taking a drink of water. "Vegeta forgot Valentine's Day."

"Not forgot," Vegeta objected. "Never knew. Tell me what it is." It should be pointed out that a normal person would have said, "What is it?" Vegeta doesn't request answers. He demands them.

"Valentine's Day is a day when humans do romantic things for other humans in the hope of getting laid," Piccolo answered.

"Piccolo!" Krillin admonished.

"What?"

Krillin tried, but couldn't find fault with Piccolo's definition. "Never mind."

"I suppose pleading ignorance won't help me back into the Woman's good graces," Vegeta said between cheeseburgers.

"Nope," said Krillin. "I shudder to think what Eighteen might have done if I'd forgotten."

The urge to say "Whipped!" hit Vegeta, but then, at least the Android had some degree of power. Vegeta had no excuse.

"I think that you only have one way to get out of this," Krillin continued.

"What's that?"

Krillin held up a flyer. Vegeta read the first few words before he incinerated it. "No."

"You know that she'll forgive you if you do it."

"No."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Vegeta glared at the pile of ashes on the table. There was no better idea, but… The Saiyan Prince does not…could not…do something that horrible…

~*~

"Chi-Chi, why are we here?" Bulma asked, looking around the bar with a sense of mild distaste, and listening to a very drunken businessman try to sing "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)".

"Don't ask me. Krillin insisted," she replied.

"And why did we listen to Krillin?"

"Because it's better than listening to Roshi?"

"Ah." Roshi's counter proposal had been "A day at Hooters and a night at Roshi's." Roshi's face met the Frying Pan for that remark.

"So ladies, having a nice time?" Krillin asked as he arrived.

"No," Bulma answered in the simple way of her husband.

"Well, just wait. You will."

Bulma returned her attention to the fly white person. He soon stumbled off the stage, leaving it to a man that wore a hooded sweatshirt in such a way that she couldn't see his face. The music started and she found herself humming along with the tune.

She rolls the window down
And she jumps over the sound

Of the cars, they pass us by

And I don't know why

But she's changed my mind

"I never understood that part," Bulma whispered to Chi-Chi, almost unwilling to talk over the singing man. "Changed his mind about what?"

Chi-Chi shrugged. "Maybe he was the kind of guy who didn't believe in the whole love concept."

When you look at her, she looks at me

She's got me thinking about her constantly

But she don't know how I feel

And then she carries on without a doubt

I wonder if she's figured it out

I'm crazy for this girl

I'm crazy for this girl

"You know, people don't really sing romantic songs just to sing them. I wonder who this is for?" Bulma thought out loud.

She was the one to hold me

The night the sky fell down

And what was I thinking when

The world didn't end

Why didn't I know what I know now?

"Because men are idiots," Chi-Chi said. Bulma giggled despite herself.

When you look at her, she looks at me

She's got me thinking about her constantly

But she don't know how I feel

And then she carries on without a doubt

I wonder if she'll figure it out

I'm crazy for this girl

I'm crazy for this girl

Bulma turned to look at the singing man again. He threw off his sweatshirt and she found herself staring into the ebony eyes of her own Prince Charming.

Right now

Face to face

All my fears

Pushed aside

And right now

I'm ready to spend the rest of my life

With you

"Oh my…" Bulma whispered. Vegeta never took his eyes off her while he sang the rest of the song.

"I love you!" Bulma yelled during the lull in lyrics. Vegeta gave her a look as if to say, "I know."

Applause rocked the bar, which was rare any night, let alone karaoke night. Bulma rushed up to the stage and leapt into her mate's arms. "You didn't have to do that, you know," she said. "If you'd told me you didn't know…"

"I don't regret anything I did tonight," Vegeta said in an uncharacteristic show of romance. Their lips met briefly as Vegeta carried his wife out of the bar.

~*~

"Well, that worked out better than I'd hoped," Krillin told Chi-Chi.

"What do you mean?"

"I was hoping Vegeta would embarrass himself. I don't really like him."

Krillin was staring at the door as he spoke. Suddenly, it opened in the manner of a door being kicked by someone who feels like kicking things. "That's my cue," he said, rushing away. Eighteen, the aforementioned kicker, sat next to Chi-Chi.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late. Krillin went off somewhere, so I had to drop Marron off with Gohan. I hope his hands aren't too full with Trunks and Goten," she said.

Chi-Chi opened her mouth to tell her where Krillin was, but something told her that he didn't want Eighteen to know right away. Instead, she said, "He'll be fine. He's had to put up with a lot more than those three."

"Hmm. You're probably right. Why am I supposed to be here, anyway?"

"Couldn't tell you. Bulma just ran off with Vegeta, no doubt with the intention to give Trunks a baby brother."

Eighteen laughed and ordered a beer from a man walking by. He wasn't a waiter, but Eighteen gave the impression that doing what she wanted earned rewards, as not doing so earned death.

A song began to play as the man returned with her drink. He walked away alive, and if he'd known Eighteen, he would have considered himself very lucky.

Desperate for changing

Starving for truth

I'm closer to where I started

I'm chasing after you

"I love this song," Eighteen said happily. Her anger had obviously subsided. "Who's singing it?"

I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held onto

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

Too many people were in the way for Eighteen to see, and she wasn't in the mood to scare them off. "Krillin says that it's a metaphor for out 'mating dance'," Eighteen giggled. Well, as close as Eighteen comes to giggling, anyway.

Forgetting all I'm lacking

Completely incomplete

I'll take your invitation

You take all of me

Eighteen reflected on how right Krillin was about the metaphor. He was poor, and, as far as the rest of his friends went, weak. But neither of them seemed to care, except when it came to the necessity to crush Roshi.

I'm falling even more in love with you

Letting go of all I've held onto

I'm standing here until you make me move

I'm hanging by a moment here with you

The crowd parted, and Eighteen got a good look at her minstrel. "Krillin?" she said incredulously.

"That reminds me, Krillin's here," said Chi-Chi.

I'm living for the only thing I know

I'm running and not quite sure where to go

And I don't know what I'm diving into

Just hanging by a moment here with you

"There's nothing else to lose," Eighteen sang with her husband.

"There's nothing else to find

There's nothing in the world

That can change my mind…"

There is nothing else

There is nothing else

There is nothing else

Eighteen, notoriously impatient, walked up to the stage and stole the singing Krillin from his fans. "How about we find a little privacy in this place?" she whispered into his ear. Krillin followed his wife, and, suffice it to say the rest of the song went unsung.

~*~

All of this post-Valentine sillyness was getting to the Widow Son Chi-Chi. She moved to the bar and ordered another drink as another wannabe musician took the mike.

I'll be your dream

I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy

I'll be your hope I'll be your love

Be everything that you need

Chi-Chi didn't even bother to look up as the man sang. It would only depress her when it wasn't Goku.

I'll love you more with every breath

Truly, madly, deeply do

I will be strong I will be faithful

'Cause I'm counting on…

A new beginning

A reason for living

A deeper meaning

Chi-Chi's head moved slightly as she mouthed the lyrics.

I want to stand with you on a mountain

I want to bathe with you in the sea

I want to lay like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,

I'll make a wish, send it to heaven

Then make you want to cry

The tears of joy for all the pleasure in the certainty

That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of

The highest powers

In lonely hours

The tears devour you

A few tears fell onto the smooth surface of the bar as Chi-Chi thought of Goku. His goofy smile, his friendly eyes… turned fierce with passion when making love…

I want to stand with you on a mountain

I want to bathe with you in the sea

I want to lay like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

Oh can you see it baby?

You don't have to close your eyes

'Cause it's standing right here before you

All that you need will surely come

Suddenly, the singing voice wasn't coming from the speakers; it was coming from behind her. Chi-Chi turned around and found herself face-to-face with a ghost from the past. "Hi," he said, before continuing the song.

I'll be your dream

I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy

I'll be your hope I'll be your love

Be everything that you need

I'll love you more with every breath

Truly, madly, deeply do

I want to stand with you on a mountain

I want to bathe with you in the sea

I want to lay like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

I want to stand with you on a mountain

I want to bathe with you in the sea

I want to live like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

"How are you here?" Chi-Chi asked in a whisper, as if afraid it wasn't true.

"Well, I missed Valentine's Day. I had to make up for it," Goku grinned.

"But… isn't it against the rules?"

Goku adjusted his halo self-consciously and coughed. "It's only illegal if you're caught."

Chi-Chi laughed with glee and wrapped her arms around Goku. "I've missed you," she said to his shoulder.

"I've missed you too. Of course, at least I could watch you in the shower."

"Son Goku!" Chi-Chi said, blushing. Her smile refused to go away long enough to give Goku an angry look. "Let's get out of here. Just for a bit."

"That's all I have."

"Then we better make it worth your trouble."

Okay, for those of you who think Vegeta singing anything is out of character, keep in mind, it was for two things Vegeta treasures. Love and sex. As for Kakarot leaving… well, I'm sure he could call in a few favours, have people look the other way… fine, I just had Bulma and Eighteen getting songs, and I felt bad for the Harpy.