A/N: I guess I accomplished what I set out to do. Looks like I stirred many emotions with the last chapter. Glad to see it worked. To answer a few questions, no this is not a B/G fic. I got the idea and just went with it. Strange thing is, I'm not necessarily a Goku fan either but, hey , if it works, why knock it.

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.

Chapter 17: Why????

Slipping in and out of consciousness, Bulma could hear faint voices in the background.

"Vegeta, what have we done?," exclaimed Goku.

Vegeta felt her pulse, "Calm down, Kakarott, she is fine. I think it is time for you to leave."

Knowing that is was useless to argue with the man, Goku reluctantly left. Before he did, he was struck with these words to remember.

"I expect you to honor your word, not a soul will know of this, agreed?"

Vegeta was not asking him to agree, just simply reminding him of his previous promise.

"Agreed."

Goku left. Before returning to Master Roshi's, he returned to his home. He disposed of the clothes he was wearing and bathed to remove any lingering scent of his previous activities. He knew Bulma was a strong woman, even more so since the change in her DNA. Luckily he had been wearing his usual training attire, so he was able to dress to match his previous look. Now that he was ready, it was time to return to Master Roshi's.

Vegeta lifted her limp body, holding her close to his form to keep her warm. He flew to the new house, she would have to stay there so that he could monitor her. He mumbled as he flew.

"You will be fine, woman. Once the wedding and Saiyan ceremonies are over, you will fully understand why I allowed this. Until then, you need to focus on your rest."

"Ummm, where am……," Bulma incoherently muttered before blacking out again.

Vegeta landed softly, just outside the main entrance. Holding her carefully with one arm, he used the other to unlock the door. As he walked in, a strange feeling came over him. He had seen many of Earth's TV shows, and it seemed odd that he would be carrying her *over the threshold*, this was not something a Saiyan Prince was likely to do before or after a wedding, hell, even having the silly Earth ceremony was considered beneath him. But, for her he would do these things, albeit, not always in open view for others to witness.

He took her to the main bath, where he bathed her, then dressed her in a large t-shirt. Carefully, he carried her to the large bed and laid her down, pulling the covers up around her neck. He sat by her side, watching her sleep. Even now, her beauty be-stilled his beating heart. He thought about that for a moment. When was it that he actually felt he had a heart. For so long it had simply been a void, a black hole of no emotion, no feeling, no love? Love? Yes, he could admit it to himself, it was undeniable. There was love there. He only hoped that someday, he could find a way to tell her. He was fairly certain that if his plan earlier that evening worked, she would know, without a doubt, his truest feelings for her.

For two weeks she would remain like this, occasionally she would awake to find him by her side. He would attempt to feed her so her energy would not entirely deplete. She would manage a few bites before slipping off again into a dreamless sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Goku arrived back at the party. It was late; however, the party was still in full swing.

'Master really is a party animal,' he thought.

He looked around until he found Chi Chi. She was snuggled up to Yamcha on the couch watching the others playing a game of Charades. Goku stopped for a moment, remembering what he and Chi Chi had discussed prior to coming to the party. They had mutually agreed on their little experiment. Chi Chi had been watching a lot of TV as of late. For years, her life, well their life and been the same old, same old. She had seen a show where couples would swap partners, or try new things to liven up their everyday lives as well as their sex lives. After much pleading on her part, she finally convinced him to go along with her idea, nothing would probably happen anyway she told him, but they did agree to be open to the possibility. Well, it's safe to say that after tonight, as far as he was concerned, nothing happened on his end. Hiding stuff from her had become a necessity in order for him to train to become the warrior and man he was. Not to mention training Gohan.

He walked in the house, Chi Chi looked up and saw him.

'He looks tired,' she thought. She stood and walked over to him, leaving Yamcha to cuddle with a pillow.

"You ready to go, Chi Chi?"

"Yeah, let me tell Bulma bye." She looked around for a minute and then the realization dawned on her, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in hours." "She must have left already."

Goku only nodded.

Chi Chi had had a lot to drink so it was easy for her to rationalize her not seeing Bulma leave.

Goku gestured a wave at his longtime friends before turning to leave with his wife. Something interesting that he noticed was that she only carried her scent with her, leaving him to believe that her evening had been uneventful.

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Two weeks passed quickly. Exactly one week before they were to be wed, Bulma awoke. She felt revitalized. She looked around the room, he wasn't there.

'He must be training,' she thought.

She sat up on the edge of her bed, throwing her legs over the side. Raising her arms up in the air, she stretched her well rested body.

"Boy, I haven't felt this good in ages," she said aloud.

She stood and walked over to the window. Opening the drapes, she looked outside. It was a beautiful day. What she hadn't realized yet, was for how long she had been asleep. Luckily, before the house had been moved to it's final location, she had moved some of her clothes into the large walk in closet. She flipped through the hangers until finally settling on a pair of red Capri pants and a white tank top. She looked in the shoe rack and found the pair of sandals she had bought to match the outfit. She showered and dressed. Taking one last look in the mirror to check herself. Satisfied with her appearance, she wrapped her tail around her waist, then turned and left the room.

She walked by one of the many computers she had installed in the house, that's when she noticed the date.

'That can't be right,' she thought.

She turned on the TV and tuned it to the info channel. Sure enough she had been out for two whole weeks.

"What the hell happened?," she said.

She tried to account for her last memories.

'I remember going to a party at Master Roshi's. I remember Chi Chi having a lot to drink and acting really peculiar towards Yamcha. Then it got really dark, and …..'

Her face began to pale as the memories flooded her mind. Every last detail had came crashing down on her. She thought she was going to faint. She felt almost guilty, but he had been there and he hadn't interceded, he almost looked as if he enjoyed seeing her so happy, so pleased.

'But why, Vegeta?,' she asked herself.

It was time to find him and have the answers to her questions. It wasn't hard, she knew he would be in the Gravity Room. She walked up to the controls and pressed the intercom button, she then spoke into the mic, "Vegeta, open up. I need to talk to you."

Vegeta trained as usual today. This morning he knew she would awaken. He felt it would be best if she did not see him at first, but rather allow her the time to try to adjust to what had happened. He knew, though, she would have a lot of questions.

Hearing her voice on the intercom, he immediately shut down the machine. Grabbing a towel, he walked over to the door and allowed her to enter. She looked at him with a strange curiosity.

"Glad to see your going to live after all," he said.

He walked over to her, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Surprisingly to her, this one simple action had lessoned the urgency of the situation. It almost calmed her. Still, she wanted answers.

"Why, Vegeta? I don't understand how that could have happened. And how you of all people would have allowed it to happen. And, then there is the small fact that you yourself was involved. And, Goku, how could he? Ugggh!!! I want some answers!"

"Calm down, woman. Your going to pass out again. I will try to answer your questions."

They walked out on the lawn and sat under the shade of one of the large oak trees. Thank Kami it was a beautiful day, it would have been a lot harder to answer her questions had it been a gloomy, forlorn type of day.

"First, I want you to know the why. I had been doing a lot of thinking a few days prior to what happened. It had made itself known to me that I had asked a great deal of you in regards to the Saiyan ceremony and the tail ritual. For once in my life I felt selfish that there was nothing I could give you in return. That is when chance happened upon me. I had requested your father to inform me if any of your friends had a party for you. I know what your thinking, and yes, I was spying on you. At first, I wanted to intervene, then I saw how happy you were. So, I sat quietly and watched you."

"Go on."

"Then I noticed that fool Kakarott and the others sneaking around the back of the Turtle Hermit's house. As I watched their plan unfold, it was then that I decided, as strange as it may be that no matter what you wanted that evening, whatever would make you happy, you would have it."

"Uh, huh," Bulma answered. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"When Kakarott started his silly dancing, I noticed a spark in your eye. One that unless allowed to be acted upon would have just faded out. So I contacted him telepathically. Mutually agreeing, the plan was initiated. I believe you know the rest."

She looked at him. She really didn't think there was anything else this man could do to surprise her. He had put his own happiness aside for her. 'Well, scratch that, he was pretty damn happy from what I can remember,' she thought silently. A faint smirk glancing her lips.

Vegeta faintly smiled at her.

"And what is so funny."

"Nothing, just a fleeting memory," he was not about to let on that he was now beginning to be able to listen to her thoughts telepathically. If she knew that, it would be HFIL to pay until he taught her.

"So are you satisfied with your answers?," he asked.

"For now, but there is one other one. Why would Goku agree to this? And how is he going to tell Chi Chi."

A frown crossed the handsome prince's face. "There will be no discussion with anyone, not even Kakarott, about that evening. It was mutually agreed between us that no one, even the harpy, would ever know."

"I see. I'm just not sure how it's going to be when I have to face him or Chi Chi for that matter."

"You will figure out a way, use your genius of a mind. I'm sure you can come up with something. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Wow, did I just hear you say *genius*? Are you feeling alright?"

Bulma placed the back of her hand against his forehead. Playing with him.

"Yes, woman, I am a Saiyan. We do not get sick like you Earthlings."

"Bulma. When will you get it right. My name is Bulma, not woman!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever, woman." Now he was playing.

"Oh, SHIT!!" Another realization occurring to her. "I've got to get to the mall. Everything should be ready to be picked up."

She pecked him playfully on the cheek, then as she walked past him, she grabbed his ass.

"Watch it, woman."

"See ya later, Vegie. We'll continue this conversation tonight. Hey, am I staying here now since this is where I've been for the last two weeks?"

"I suppose."

Then she stopped and turned to him, on a more serious note she asked, "What did you tell my parent's. They had to have been worried?"

"I told them the truth."

Bulma gasped, "Oh no you did not!"

"I told them you were exhausted and needed rest. I told them that as soon as you were up you would check in with them."

"Hmm, seems like you had all your bases covered."

"A good warrior is always prepared for anything that may arise."

Bulma sauntered back to where he stood, looking at him sultry, she exclaimed, "Anything?"

Then she ran her hands across his shoulders and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

"Guess you'll have to wait a while before going to the mall," was all he said as he pulled her down to the ground for a more private encounter.

A/N: Well, is that the real reason behind his master plan, or is there something else he's not letting on? Please review, and thanks so much for everyone's support.