Can't Resist - Chapter 4 - Pretrip Jitters

The next three days passed quickly. Vegeta had decided it was best to do as the girl asked and avoid her wrath. It disturbed him and he knew he'd recover better if she was calm. He'd moved into the room next to the kitchen. To his surprise, he actually liked the room which was large and open. He noticed to his satisfaction that he had a king size bed with drapes which he felt was as up to his standards as he could get on Earth. There were french doors that opened out to a walkway which wound it's way through Mrs. Brief's garden and to the GT. And it was coming along fine. Bulma, correction, the blue-haired witch, had designed it bigger and better, credit had to be awarded for that. And in the mean time he watched his bg screen tv, did calisthenics, and pigged out. Bulma had yelled at him twice for emptying the fridge. Could he be blamed for his appetite? Still, he found himself a little apprehensive about this day long vacation thing . . .

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"Bulma was pleased that Vegeta seemed satisfied. Meanwhile, she was unusually moody, even she could admit it to herself. She'd mostly moped around, thinking about her pathetic excuse for a love life. A couple times she'd gabbed on the phone with Chi Chi, but Chi Chi was usually busy fixing some meal or another for Goku and Gohan. 'I need a little excitement.' Bulma thought as she stared out the window one night at the city lights. Here I am in the thick of it all and I'm as languid as a jellyfish. Hmm, the beach would be a nice trip, but I can't imagine Vegeta staying there the whole day. Besides, Yamcha might goes there everyday to pick up girls, Tien told me. I don't want to meet him there.' Bulma sighed and laid down, slipping under the covers. 'A picnic in the country? Yeah right . . . . . a dance club? . . . hehehe. That would be funny, besides, that's not the whole day and I don't know how well I could handle a drunk saiyan.' she smiled to herself. 'I need some excitement . . . and a chance to beat on Vegeta, he's got it coming to him, holing up like a hermit as soon as he could walk . . . an amusement park! Yeah. I'll borrow Gohan for the day . . .'

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"Goku, you and Gohan are training much too hard lately." Chi Chi said as the small family set down to dinner.

Goku gulped down a bowlful of rice, "What do you mean, Chi Chi? We've hardly even gotten under way.", he popped a chicken into his mouth and spit out the bones. "We haven't even asked Piccolo to train with us yet and you know how much Gohan likes him." Goku gulped a gallon of soup down his throat.

"Well I think Gohan deserves a vacation. He's just a little boy and he's been dragged off into the wilderness to train one too many times, right Gohan?" Chi Chi asked, giving him a worried look.

"Umm . . . " Gohan mumbled, looking from one parent to the other. "Well I like training, Mom -" he started.

Chi Chi's eyes grew big and she started crying loudly.

"- but I guess I could use a vacation." Gohan tried to amend over the sound of his mother crying.

"Yeah Chi Chi, he can go." Goku added, stuffing a chicken leg in his mouth and rising to comfort his wife.

"Really, Goku?" she asked, sniffling.

"Of course, honey. What'd you have in mind?" Goku asked, sitting back down and consuming ten more bowls of rice.

Gohan stopped eating and looked curiously at his mother. "It's not got anything to do with studying has it?"

Chi Chi glared at her son and he looked down at his plate. "Sorry, Mom."

"No. Bulma called and she wants to take you to White Water Park tomorrow." Chi Chi said casually, sipping her soup.

Gohan spit his mouthful across the table, spraying his dad with rice kernels.

"Gohan!" Chi Chi exclaimed reproachfully. "Sorry Dad! Really? White Water Park? I heard about that on TV!" Gohan exclaimed. "Can I go?"

"Of course. As long as your father says you can." Chi Chi said, pleased to make her son so happy.

"Sure, Gohan. I don't see why not." Goku said smiling. He resumed annihilating a leg of mutton.

"Thanks! I can't wait!" Gohan exclaimed, beaming.

"There's one catch." Chi Chi spoke up.

Gohan's face fell. "What, Mom? Do I have to get extra homework or something?"

Chi Chi laughed, "No, nothing like that." She pinched Goku on his arm. "Listen, Goku.", he looked at her while he continued to slurp another gallon of soup. "It'll be you, Bulma, and Vegeta going."

Gohan's mouth dropped open and Goku fell over backwards, sending a fountain of soup up to rain on Gohan's head. Gohan, fearful he might drown, threw himself out of his chair sideways and landed on the kitchen floor.

Chi Chi waited patiently for her men to climb up from their positions on the floor before she continued. "Well you both know how Vegeta blew up the GT and hurt himself. Bulma wanted to do something to take her mind off Yamcha and so this is what she came up with."

"I'll bet she did." Goku commented to himself and snickered.

"What was that Goku?" Chi Chi asked.

Goku blushed and put his hand behind his head. "Hehehe. I just said if it's fine with you, it's fine with me, that's all." he resumed eating. "Sorry Gohan, about the soup I mean, haha. Do you still want to go?"

"What do you mean? Of course he still wants to go!" Chi Chi said indignantly. "Don't you, Gohan?"

"Sure I do. With Vegeta there, Bulma will yell at him and not me. I can't wait, Mom!"

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"Are you done yet, Vegeta?", Bulma asked irritably as he finished up his tenth plate of pancakes.

"Don't rush him, Miss Brief.", Vera said quietly, awed. "His eating is an art."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Well make him something to go. It'll take two hours to get to Goku's and pick up Gohan."

Vera looked hurt. "Yes ma'am.", she said reluctantly and bustled off to pack the food, taking their plates away.

"I still don't see why you want to take the mop-top along.", Vegeta said grumpily.

"We've been over this, Vegeta. I'm not explaining again. You'll like the park.", Bulma said patiently, standing from the table.

"Hrmph.", was Vegeta's reply as he too stood. "Your ditz of a mother warned me about your driving. If -"

"MY MOTHER IS NOT A DITZ!", Bulma yelled. "Well . . ."

Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Hey, she's the only mother I've got so I have to stick up for her. She's always more than nice to you so LAY OFF HER!"

"Fine. Sorry." Vegeta said as he walked over to the door and disappeared outside.

Bulma turned blue and fell over. 'Did he just say what I think he said?', Bulma wondered to herself as she lay on the floor, stunned. 'Well I guess he doesn't want me yelling at him all day. It's a miracle in itself he even agreed to come, the big lug. He's no pushover, that's for sure. I guess I like him that way though.', she thought, grabbing the table and rising. 'It makes it a lot more fun when I break down his defenses.', Bulma smiled, slung her backpack easily over her shoulder, and followed Vegeta out the door.

"Bye Miss Bulma! Bye Vegeta! Eat well, you hear?", Vera called, waving as the Capsule Corp. car raised, hovering into the air. "Eat everything I packed because Miss Bulma will likely starve you!"

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Bulma rolled down the windows. "I'M NOT GOING TO STARVE HIM YOU CRAZY KOOK!" she yelled, flooring the gas pedal. "The nerve of that woman!", she fumed as they came to a screeching halt at an intersection. "You'd think I was a stingy old lady, the way she talks."

"Calm down or we won't even make it to Kakarott's house to pick up the mop-top." Vegeta scowled, alarmed at the evasion of the five or six accidents he'd just witnessed.

"Fine." Bulma seethed, not really angry with Vegeta, who proceeded tearing through the basket of food Vera had packed once they were out of the city and flying through the countryside.

"Uh oh." Bulma said suddenly when they were only a half hour away from Goku's house. "I forgot to fill her up. Tell me if you see a gas station - oh never mind, here's one." she pointed out, pulling into a spot next to a pump. "Hold on a couple of minutes." she got out and went inside the gas station to pre-pay.

Vegeta wasn't sure how he was feeling about this vacation. Breakfast had been tasty, and it had felt good to hear Bulma yelling at someone besides himself. She was actually an okay driver once they'd gotten away from the city and she'd calmed down enough to let him relax. It was puzzling the way his moods were influenced by hers. 'Oh well. This amusement park thing might not bo too bad.', Vegeta thought. When he'd protested she'd given him this thing about how she hated crowds but she was doing it anyway so he'd better suck it up and like it. Then she'd yelled some more, blah, blah, blah and he'd been struck by how saiyan-like she'd looked and how much he admired her. Then he'd insulted her and went to his room.

Now, she came out of the gas station looking serene and he was relieved no one had done anything to set her off. Still, he couldn't resist a jibe.

"What are you looking so smug about? Just get asked out by some local-yokel?"

Bulma looked surprised. "If you must know, I was just complimented on my beauty by a nice guy when I paid for the gas. Even though I declined his invitation, I thank hin for doing wonders for my self-esteem." she tossed her hair and continued pumping.

Vegeta just laughed and continued looking at her. 'How did he know?', Bulma wondered. 'The rat, he must have been spying on me . . . But I know he hasn't moved.' she chanced a glance at him, but he was still looking so she looked away again. 'Oh well. It must've been a lucky guess. That guy was cute though, maybe I should have said yes to a night out . . . oh well. It's too late now. I wonder how Gohan took the fact that Vegeta's coming? I bet Goku fell over.' she smirked and slipped back into the car.

"Stop staring at me so I can drive.", Bulma ordered after a few minutes. She could feel Vegeta's eyes on her. 'It's not a bad thing, but it is unsettling.' she thought.

"Fine." Vegeta turned to stare out at the countryside.

"Oh don't give in so easy, a girl likes to be appreciated." Bulma said, annoyed, surprising herself.

"I'm not going to humor you, woman."

"Don't call me woman, call me Bulma. Just once. Just one leeeetle time . . . I won't look at the road until you do." Bulma said, turning towards him and closing her eyes.

"What!?! That's suicide!"

"Well if you don't wanna die again say my name!" Bulma demanded, pressing her foot down harder on the accelerator.

"Blackmailer! You idiot! Look where you're going!" Vegeta yelled, reaching over to take control.

Bulma laughed as he jerked the controls to the right and they narrowly avoided a mountain. "Say it! Say it! You know the way back, so say it! Say it!"

"Ughhh. Woman, you try my patience! You're making me mad. Ahh!" Vegeta involuntarily cried as he jerked the controls yet again to avoid a looming forest. He pulled them up so the car flew higher. "Bulma, you're an imbecile." he said coldly.

"Ahhh!" Bulma said happily, popping her eyes open and directing the car towards the Son house. "You said it, you said it!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Just drive, woman."

Bulma laughed. "Wow Vegeta! I think you found a short cut, there's Goku's house." She pushed the controls down and the car soon hovered a foot above the ground. Bulma beeped the horn and got out. "Hey Bulma! Hey Vegeta!" Goku said, coming around the side of the house. "I was just finishing my morning training."

"Hi, Goku. How's it going? Where are Gohan and Chi Chi?" Bulma asked, walking over to him.

"In the house. I'm sure they heard your horn. They'll be right out. Listen, I wanna thank you for taking Gohan. Apparently he's heard of this park and he wanted to go anyway."

"No prob, Goku. He's a cute kid and he saved my life a couple times to I guess I owe him."

"Okay. Well thanks, Bulma. Good luck with Vegeta." Goku said and winked. "Hey Vegeta! You wanna step out and stretch your legs? Say hello to my wife?" he asked, raising his voice.

"I'm fine here, Kakarott." Vegeta yelled in a bored voice. 'Kakarott's home is so tiny. Fit for a third class warrior like his father was . . . still, it does give the appearance of comfort.'

Goku shrugged and looked at Bulma as if to say - well, I tried - and disappeared inside his home.

Bulma came back over to the car and leaned against the passenger side door. "Vegeta, you have zilch social skills. Here we are a man's house and you refuse to get out and walk around for even a moment. What's more, you don't even say hello or even 'hrmph' by way of greeting. If this wasn't such a beautiful spring day I'd scream at you, you know that?"

"Whatever." Vegeta said and grimaced as the whole Son family came out yelling at each other.

There was a round of 'hello's in which Vegeta participated in, but only with a customary nod. Then Chi Chi hovered over her son and gave him last minute instructions while Goku hovered in the background. And finally Bulma simply opened the backseat door, Gohan climbed in and she hopped up into the driver's seat. Then the two parents waved and Chi Chi yelled at Goku for something or the other and they were off to White Water Park.

"Thanks for taking me, Bulma." Gohan said once they'd finally got away.

"Hey, no problem kid. It'll be fun. I've even got my suit on under this so I can come on the water rides with you."

"Cool. Last time I went to a park my mom wouldn't let me go on the water rides 'cause she thought I'd get pneumonia or something." Gohan said enthusiastically.

"That sounds just like Chi Chi." Bulma laughed, shaking her head. She glanced at her watch. "Well it's only 9:30 so we should be there just when the park opens at eleven. Hope you brought something to do for the car ride there."

Gohan rummaged around in the backpack he'd brought. "Yup. I have a tape. Would you put it in?" he handed the tape to Bulma. "And I brought a video game. Dad bought it when Mom was out shopping with you.", he snickered. "Mom doesn't approve of video games, she says the Internet is bad enough." he grew suddenly worried. "Don't tell her I said that, alright?"

"I won't." Bulma said, popping in the tape. Brian McKnight's voice filled the capsule car and Bulma rolled the windows up and put on the air conditioning. "You have nice taste in music Gohan." Bulma remarked, humming along.

"Thanks." Gohan mumbled and fully immersed himself in the 2d world of video games.

"What is this insane drivel booming out of the speakers?" Vegeta asked in a disgusted tone.

Bulma spoke slowly, as if to a two year old. "It's called - music. Did they have that on the planet you're from?" Bulma asked.

"Of course." Vegeta retorted, "Just better."

"I'm not going to let you phase me this time, Vegeta. We'll talk about you insulting Brian McKnight on a later date." Bulma replied and started singing along. 'Maybe he'll be so tired from his training that I can get a decent conversation out of him . . . Then again, maybe not.'