Can't Resist - Chapter 10 - Makeup or Breakup
"Umm. Vegeta, honey?" Mrs. Brief asked, coming into the living room on the evening before the reunion. She sat down on the couch next to Vegeta who was flipping channels on the big screen TV. "I know you've noticed that my daughter, Bulma, has been feeling down lately. Ever since you left, she's lost some of her spirit, but when you came back she got even worse. This reminds me of when my husband went on a business trip when we were first married. He was away for two weeks and I was so excited to see him when he finally came back. But all he did was say hi and head straight for his lab to test out some new idea he'd gotten on the drive home. I was devastated. He finally noticed a week later when he'd finished his project, but only because our maid told him. I wasn't a very good housekeeper back then. So he made it up to me by taking me on a vacation and telling me he loved me even more than his little black cat. The point is, I know Bulma cares about you and you care about her, so you've got to tell her tonight, now in fact. I don't know how you hurt her, but you've got to just go up to her and tell her you love her. Do it, Vegeta, or else I'll never have any sweet grandchildren!" Mrs. Brief finished, almost crying at the last thought.
"But-but how'd you figure this out, Mrs. Brief?" Vegeta asked, staring at her in disbelief.
"I'm a woman, Vegeta, and I know my daughter. I love her so much, and I won't let her be hurt." she said seriously for once. Then her voice returned to it's normal, airheaded tone. "Now go up there and get your girl, honey. But be humble, she'll probably be more than a little angry at you. She's in her room." she smiled when Vegeta rose and she heard his footfalls striding up the stairs. "Ahh, young love. Kids will be kids." She turned to the ballet channel.
*********************
KNOCK KNOCK
Two crisp raps sounded on Bulma's door. Bulma finished hre email to her lawyer about her latest project's progress and called out, "Who is it?" as she pressed the send button.
"Vegeta."
"What do you want?" Bulma asked warily. She was happy but dismayed to hear his voice. She wondered if he'd broken something again and simply wanted her to fix it.
"To talk to you, woman. Why else would I come up here?" Vegeta answered in an irritated voice.
"Well if you're going to be like that, just go away." Bulma said angrily.
"I refuse to beg for your audience." Vegeta said, starting to lose some of his patience.
"Fine. Say whatever you want to say outside the door. I'm listening."
"Fine. I should have told you I was leaving, not your mother." Vegeta confessed, amazed that those words were actually coming out of his mouth. "I should have sought you out right away when I came back . . . I should have told you I missed you." The last part took a lot of Vegeta's pride to say, and he said it very reluctantly.
"Yeah. You should have." Bulma said coldly. "What made you see the light?" she asked after a moment.
"Your mother. I find her easier to stand than most earthlings. Can I come in?"
"Look. I know you're sorry, even if you won't say it, but I'm not sure I want to go through this again."
'This is ridiculous. Me, the prince of all saiyans, son of Vegeta. I am standing out in the hallway waiting for some woman to give me permission to enter her room. Why do I even care? But there is a good reason, and if I could see this woman, I would remember that reason. I know she's not going to turn me away in the end, so should I leave and let her suffer some more? . . . . no that wouldn't be honorable. And it would be weak.'
"Can I come in?" Vegeta asked again.
There was a moment's silence. "Sure, if you really want. The door's unlocked." She swivelled in her chair so that she faced the door.
Vegeta came in looking casual in khakis and a pale blue shirt. He shut the door behind him, folded his arms, and leaned back against the wall near the door. "Nice room." he said after a moment.
"Thanks." Bulma said, and stared at him expectantly. When he didn't say anything, she spoke. "So what are you saying, Vegeta? I haven't seen you for two days and before that almost two weeks, and now you just show up outside my door. If you want to make it with me you can't be like this. It's too much for me." she shook her head and frowned. "I know it's not easy for you to talk about your feelings, but at least talk to me. I've never told anyone what you've told me about yourself and I never will if you don't want me to. Can't you trust me?"
Vegeta swallowed hard. "I do trust you about that, but I need control over myself. I do need you, but . . ." Vegeta ran out of words.
"I'm not trying to rule your life! Who told you women were like that? Does my mom rule my dad's life? Does Chi Chi rule Goku? She may think she does, but he's slipped through her fingers too many times for that. I don't want to control you. I'd have thought you knew that." Bulma said disdainfully.
"I do. I just don't like knowing that you could." Vegeta blurted out angrily.
Bulma looked at him in shock for a moment. "Oh Vegeta! That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!" Bulma exclaimed happily, smiling.
Vegeta looked confused. "What?"
"Never mind. I forgive you for being a jerk."
"What!?!"
"Come over and sit down. I've got to finish checking my email."
Vegeta came over and sat down in a bean bag chair. After a few minutes of furious typing on Bulma's part, he relaxed and leaned back, stretching out his legs.
"Ok. Done. You should get am email address, Vegeta. They're very useful. So . . ." she turned off the computer. "Where'd you actually go to meditate?" she asked, curious.
"An uninhabited island."
"Oh. You know, you don't have to go to the reunion if you don't want to."
"I will out of respect to my hosts."
"Oh, and my family's going to be staying here for a few days afterwards, the one's that don't live around here, anyway. It'll be a little noisy, just so you're warned. I don't think my mom told you."
"Don't worry. I'll just blow them up if they get in my way." Vegeta smirked.
"Very funny. Some of my cousins have kids that might be annoying though. They're terrors. Last time we all got together, one of the boys got into the kitchen at the resort we were at and blew it up. The press had a field day on that one." Bulma recalled. "They'll all be arriving tomorrow, around ten, even though the reunion's supposed to start to noon."
"You don't have to talk all the time. You human females are too chatty." Vegeta muttered.
"Hmph. What are saiyan females like then? I bet they're just as chatty."
"I should've heeded my father's words when he warned me about females."
"What?! Some men have a lot of nerve. While all men can be inconsiderate, uncaring morons at times, it's worse when they have nerve. Take for wxample the ridiculous stereotype that women are supposed to cook and clean for their family."
"They are. I don't expect you to though."
"You're hopeless. And you better not expect me to cook for you just because I'm female."
"I already told you I don't. The servant woman's a better cook than you'll ever be."
"I just forgave you not ten minutes ago and you're already trying to frustrate me." Bulma scolded. "Is it working?"
"Yes!" Bulma exclaimed. Then she giggled. "Are we just going to argue for the rest of our lives? How long do saiyans live anyway?"
"I don't know. They all died in combat, as is honorable."
"What?!" Bulma fell off the back of her chair. Climbing to her knees and resting her elbows on the swivel chair she'd just fallen off of, she looked at him warily. "You're not planning on doing that anytime soon, are you?"
"No. I have yet to face my greatest challenge before I die."
"Oh. Good then." Bulma breathed, relieved. "I meant everything I said when I yelled at you."
"Which time you yelled at me?"
"Stop joking. In case you didn't hear me before, I said I worry about you and I love you. Now don't be sarcastic and just say yes."
"Yes to what -"
"Just say it!" Bulma ordered.
"It."
"Vegeta!"
"What?"
"Just say yes!"
"Fine. Yes. Now what does 'yes' mean?" an exasperated saiyan asked.
Bulma happily came over to him and hugged him, laying all over Vegeta since he was sitting down in the bean bag chair if you remember. "That you worry about me and you love me. You've got five seconds to say no and take it back, but if you do, I'll kill you."
Vegeta smirked. "Like that could ever happen."
"Okay. Count down starts. Five . . . four . . . three . . .two . . .one-"
"Nnn-" Vegeta teased. Bulma clamped her hand over his mouth.
"As I was saying - onezero!" she took her hand off Vegeta's mouth. "I knew you were just too shy to say it."
"What! Too shy!?" Vegeta spluttered.
"Aww shut up and don't ruin the moment. Tomorrow I'll have to deal with all my relatives so I won't have any alone time with you."
"Alone time? I really should have listened to my father."
"Well it's too late now. You're stuck with me. Besides, you know you love it." Bulma hugged Vegeta tighter.
"I am not a teddy bear, you're strangling."
Bulma loosened up and rolled her eyes. "I didn't think it was possible for little old me to hurt you. Maybe I wouldn't strangle you if you'd reciprocate a little. Do I have to drag a little action out of you too?"
"Too? You didn't drag anything out of me."
"Like I said before, shut up and don't ruin the moment, Vegeta."
"What moment?"
"You are so frustrating, you know that? I refuse to beg." Bulma said, this time really a little flustered.
"Oh relax. You've got a quick temper."
"Oh now I'VE got a quick temper?! What about you? You're not exactly Mr. Laidback yourself."
"At least I've got something to back it up with."
"Yeah and so do I."
"No comment." Vegeta smirked.
"Ugh. You make me mad."
Vegeta smirked some more.
Bulma grabbed Vegeta's arms, placed them around her, and kissed him. "There. That's all I wanted you to do." she said when she came up for air. "Is it so hard?" "It's harder not giving you what you want. I prefer the challenge." Vegeta answered.
"LIAR! You just won't admit it. I'll get you one of these days when you have a weak moment." Bulma declared as they kissed again.
After a few minutes, there was a knock on Bulma's door.
"What?" Bulma yelled, turning her face away from Vegeta's kisses for a moment.
"It's your mother, honey. I'd just like to remind you to keep it PG-13 in there, alright?" Mrs. Brief said in a sing song voice.
"Mom I am twenty- ----, not some teenager!" Bulma yelled.
Mrs. Brief laughed. "Oh dear. Sometimes I forget. Sorry, Bulma, honey. I'll just go off to bed now. Remember, you have to wake up early and be ready at eight tomorrow morning. The butchers are delivering then. See ya later kids!" Mrs. Brief went dancing off up the hallway and down the stairs.
"She's right. You really should get some rest. It's unbelievably hard for you to wake up earlier than eleven."
"Ha. You're just embarrassed." Bulma yawned.
Vegeta smirked back at her.
"Hey. It took a lot of energy to be miserable for two whole days." Bulma defended herself.
"Well next time, don't yawn in my face."
"Why, do I have bad breath?" she asked, breathing into his face.
"No, but I can see an unsettlingly long way down your throat. You never got you tonsils out."
Bulma bunched her right hand into a fist and touched it to Vegeta's cheek. "Watch it buddy."
"Get off me, your breaking my back."
"No way. Who knows how long it'll take me to get you in my clutches again."
"Oh fine." Vegeta grumbled, standing up with some difficulty since Bulma clung to him, giggling.
Vegeta reached a moment of indecision, but he decided to do what was right. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get your way again soon. Unlike you, I don't keep unholy hours, six in the morning is early."
"I guess you're right." Bulma admitted reluctantly.
"Of course I am."
"Well don't gloat about it." said Bulma irately, walking backwards as Vegeta walked to the door. He reached around her to open it and stepped out into the hallway.
"Are you going to cling to me all the way downstairs?" he asked in a patronizing tone.
"No. But only because you'd probably shake me off and I'd roll down the stairs. Besides, my arms hurt." she let go of Vegeta. "See ya tomorrow morning. Be prepared to see me at breakfast too. Just this once I'm coming with you on your morning jog."
Vegeta smirked at that and went off downstairs to his room. Bulma disappeared back into hers, smiling.
*********************
It was the black dream again, only this time he was already close to the light. Once again he noticed the white light was actually rainbows shimmering around a figure. The close he got to the woman, the more he realized his senses were coming back. She smelled like a mix of all the scents in Mrs. Brief's garden. He could hear the rainbows whooshing around her and the sound of her laughter. Then he saw her. It was Bulma. She was wearing pale blue robes that ebbed and flowed like the tide. She reached out her hand and he took it, feeling the touch of her smooth, warm skin. Within the rainbows was a palace, gloomy and imposingly dark. It was his father's palace, in the capital city of Vegeta-sei. Vegeta allowed Bulma to lead him inside the gloomy palace. As soon as she entered, it lit up into all the formal glory Vegeta remembered and filled with all the dead saiyan warriors of his time. They smiled at him as Bulma gently propelled him up a long hallway. They lined the hallway on both sides and bowed as he passed.
Vegeta had no memory of how long he let Bulma pull him along, bringing life back to the castle wherever she stepped, as he stared wide-eyed at his people. He felt as if he was in a dream within a dream until they entered the throne room. The king and queen sat on their thrones, flanked by the elite.
Bulma let go of his hand and walked forward toward them. For Vegeta, all color left the world when she let go and the saiyan palace became shadowy. It seemed real only in a small area around Bulma. Bulma reached the two thrones and dropped down on one knee, bending her head. Her hair slipped over her shoulders, exposing her neck. She froze in that position, pale blue robes still flowing.
"Prince Vegeta, my son. This is the woman you have chosen?" King Vegeta asked, looking Vegeta over.
"Yes." Vegeta answered.
"She is beautiful, my son." his mother approved.
"She is worthy, never mind her beauty." King Vegeta said. "The saiyans accept this woman as their new ruler, Prince Vegeta."
Bulma seemed to be released from her position. King Vegeta stood and took her hand. She stood between the two thrones, casting light upon the king and queen so that those were the only real figures in the great hall.
"Come, Prince Vegeta, and take her hand." the queen ordered sternly.
Vegeta slowly walked up the steps to the thrones of his parents. Bulma reached her hand out and he took it. The king and queen stood from their thrones and color flooded back as Vegeta turned to face the hall.
"The new royal couple." King Vegeta announced gravely. He removed his neck chain and placed it around Vegeta's shoulders. "Rule wisely."
"Make it official my love, my son." the queen said from the other side of Bulma. "My grandchildren will be beautiful. They will be strong. You will make them strong."
Vegeta looked at Bulma, this dream Bulma that was so different from his, but so alike. She hadn't said a word this whole time. Now she spoke. "We've been waiting for you for so long. We all love you, our prince. Most of us can't show it anymore." she gestured around the hall. "Your subjects love you because they honor and respect you, looking to you for leadership. Your parents love you because you are their son, their baby forever. I love you because you love me."
Bulma closed her eyes and Vegeta was drawn to her again. He kissed her. He woke up.
"Umm. Vegeta, honey?" Mrs. Brief asked, coming into the living room on the evening before the reunion. She sat down on the couch next to Vegeta who was flipping channels on the big screen TV. "I know you've noticed that my daughter, Bulma, has been feeling down lately. Ever since you left, she's lost some of her spirit, but when you came back she got even worse. This reminds me of when my husband went on a business trip when we were first married. He was away for two weeks and I was so excited to see him when he finally came back. But all he did was say hi and head straight for his lab to test out some new idea he'd gotten on the drive home. I was devastated. He finally noticed a week later when he'd finished his project, but only because our maid told him. I wasn't a very good housekeeper back then. So he made it up to me by taking me on a vacation and telling me he loved me even more than his little black cat. The point is, I know Bulma cares about you and you care about her, so you've got to tell her tonight, now in fact. I don't know how you hurt her, but you've got to just go up to her and tell her you love her. Do it, Vegeta, or else I'll never have any sweet grandchildren!" Mrs. Brief finished, almost crying at the last thought.
"But-but how'd you figure this out, Mrs. Brief?" Vegeta asked, staring at her in disbelief.
"I'm a woman, Vegeta, and I know my daughter. I love her so much, and I won't let her be hurt." she said seriously for once. Then her voice returned to it's normal, airheaded tone. "Now go up there and get your girl, honey. But be humble, she'll probably be more than a little angry at you. She's in her room." she smiled when Vegeta rose and she heard his footfalls striding up the stairs. "Ahh, young love. Kids will be kids." She turned to the ballet channel.
*********************
KNOCK KNOCK
Two crisp raps sounded on Bulma's door. Bulma finished hre email to her lawyer about her latest project's progress and called out, "Who is it?" as she pressed the send button.
"Vegeta."
"What do you want?" Bulma asked warily. She was happy but dismayed to hear his voice. She wondered if he'd broken something again and simply wanted her to fix it.
"To talk to you, woman. Why else would I come up here?" Vegeta answered in an irritated voice.
"Well if you're going to be like that, just go away." Bulma said angrily.
"I refuse to beg for your audience." Vegeta said, starting to lose some of his patience.
"Fine. Say whatever you want to say outside the door. I'm listening."
"Fine. I should have told you I was leaving, not your mother." Vegeta confessed, amazed that those words were actually coming out of his mouth. "I should have sought you out right away when I came back . . . I should have told you I missed you." The last part took a lot of Vegeta's pride to say, and he said it very reluctantly.
"Yeah. You should have." Bulma said coldly. "What made you see the light?" she asked after a moment.
"Your mother. I find her easier to stand than most earthlings. Can I come in?"
"Look. I know you're sorry, even if you won't say it, but I'm not sure I want to go through this again."
'This is ridiculous. Me, the prince of all saiyans, son of Vegeta. I am standing out in the hallway waiting for some woman to give me permission to enter her room. Why do I even care? But there is a good reason, and if I could see this woman, I would remember that reason. I know she's not going to turn me away in the end, so should I leave and let her suffer some more? . . . . no that wouldn't be honorable. And it would be weak.'
"Can I come in?" Vegeta asked again.
There was a moment's silence. "Sure, if you really want. The door's unlocked." She swivelled in her chair so that she faced the door.
Vegeta came in looking casual in khakis and a pale blue shirt. He shut the door behind him, folded his arms, and leaned back against the wall near the door. "Nice room." he said after a moment.
"Thanks." Bulma said, and stared at him expectantly. When he didn't say anything, she spoke. "So what are you saying, Vegeta? I haven't seen you for two days and before that almost two weeks, and now you just show up outside my door. If you want to make it with me you can't be like this. It's too much for me." she shook her head and frowned. "I know it's not easy for you to talk about your feelings, but at least talk to me. I've never told anyone what you've told me about yourself and I never will if you don't want me to. Can't you trust me?"
Vegeta swallowed hard. "I do trust you about that, but I need control over myself. I do need you, but . . ." Vegeta ran out of words.
"I'm not trying to rule your life! Who told you women were like that? Does my mom rule my dad's life? Does Chi Chi rule Goku? She may think she does, but he's slipped through her fingers too many times for that. I don't want to control you. I'd have thought you knew that." Bulma said disdainfully.
"I do. I just don't like knowing that you could." Vegeta blurted out angrily.
Bulma looked at him in shock for a moment. "Oh Vegeta! That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me!" Bulma exclaimed happily, smiling.
Vegeta looked confused. "What?"
"Never mind. I forgive you for being a jerk."
"What!?!"
"Come over and sit down. I've got to finish checking my email."
Vegeta came over and sat down in a bean bag chair. After a few minutes of furious typing on Bulma's part, he relaxed and leaned back, stretching out his legs.
"Ok. Done. You should get am email address, Vegeta. They're very useful. So . . ." she turned off the computer. "Where'd you actually go to meditate?" she asked, curious.
"An uninhabited island."
"Oh. You know, you don't have to go to the reunion if you don't want to."
"I will out of respect to my hosts."
"Oh, and my family's going to be staying here for a few days afterwards, the one's that don't live around here, anyway. It'll be a little noisy, just so you're warned. I don't think my mom told you."
"Don't worry. I'll just blow them up if they get in my way." Vegeta smirked.
"Very funny. Some of my cousins have kids that might be annoying though. They're terrors. Last time we all got together, one of the boys got into the kitchen at the resort we were at and blew it up. The press had a field day on that one." Bulma recalled. "They'll all be arriving tomorrow, around ten, even though the reunion's supposed to start to noon."
"You don't have to talk all the time. You human females are too chatty." Vegeta muttered.
"Hmph. What are saiyan females like then? I bet they're just as chatty."
"I should've heeded my father's words when he warned me about females."
"What?! Some men have a lot of nerve. While all men can be inconsiderate, uncaring morons at times, it's worse when they have nerve. Take for wxample the ridiculous stereotype that women are supposed to cook and clean for their family."
"They are. I don't expect you to though."
"You're hopeless. And you better not expect me to cook for you just because I'm female."
"I already told you I don't. The servant woman's a better cook than you'll ever be."
"I just forgave you not ten minutes ago and you're already trying to frustrate me." Bulma scolded. "Is it working?"
"Yes!" Bulma exclaimed. Then she giggled. "Are we just going to argue for the rest of our lives? How long do saiyans live anyway?"
"I don't know. They all died in combat, as is honorable."
"What?!" Bulma fell off the back of her chair. Climbing to her knees and resting her elbows on the swivel chair she'd just fallen off of, she looked at him warily. "You're not planning on doing that anytime soon, are you?"
"No. I have yet to face my greatest challenge before I die."
"Oh. Good then." Bulma breathed, relieved. "I meant everything I said when I yelled at you."
"Which time you yelled at me?"
"Stop joking. In case you didn't hear me before, I said I worry about you and I love you. Now don't be sarcastic and just say yes."
"Yes to what -"
"Just say it!" Bulma ordered.
"It."
"Vegeta!"
"What?"
"Just say yes!"
"Fine. Yes. Now what does 'yes' mean?" an exasperated saiyan asked.
Bulma happily came over to him and hugged him, laying all over Vegeta since he was sitting down in the bean bag chair if you remember. "That you worry about me and you love me. You've got five seconds to say no and take it back, but if you do, I'll kill you."
Vegeta smirked. "Like that could ever happen."
"Okay. Count down starts. Five . . . four . . . three . . .two . . .one-"
"Nnn-" Vegeta teased. Bulma clamped her hand over his mouth.
"As I was saying - onezero!" she took her hand off Vegeta's mouth. "I knew you were just too shy to say it."
"What! Too shy!?" Vegeta spluttered.
"Aww shut up and don't ruin the moment. Tomorrow I'll have to deal with all my relatives so I won't have any alone time with you."
"Alone time? I really should have listened to my father."
"Well it's too late now. You're stuck with me. Besides, you know you love it." Bulma hugged Vegeta tighter.
"I am not a teddy bear, you're strangling."
Bulma loosened up and rolled her eyes. "I didn't think it was possible for little old me to hurt you. Maybe I wouldn't strangle you if you'd reciprocate a little. Do I have to drag a little action out of you too?"
"Too? You didn't drag anything out of me."
"Like I said before, shut up and don't ruin the moment, Vegeta."
"What moment?"
"You are so frustrating, you know that? I refuse to beg." Bulma said, this time really a little flustered.
"Oh relax. You've got a quick temper."
"Oh now I'VE got a quick temper?! What about you? You're not exactly Mr. Laidback yourself."
"At least I've got something to back it up with."
"Yeah and so do I."
"No comment." Vegeta smirked.
"Ugh. You make me mad."
Vegeta smirked some more.
Bulma grabbed Vegeta's arms, placed them around her, and kissed him. "There. That's all I wanted you to do." she said when she came up for air. "Is it so hard?" "It's harder not giving you what you want. I prefer the challenge." Vegeta answered.
"LIAR! You just won't admit it. I'll get you one of these days when you have a weak moment." Bulma declared as they kissed again.
After a few minutes, there was a knock on Bulma's door.
"What?" Bulma yelled, turning her face away from Vegeta's kisses for a moment.
"It's your mother, honey. I'd just like to remind you to keep it PG-13 in there, alright?" Mrs. Brief said in a sing song voice.
"Mom I am twenty- ----, not some teenager!" Bulma yelled.
Mrs. Brief laughed. "Oh dear. Sometimes I forget. Sorry, Bulma, honey. I'll just go off to bed now. Remember, you have to wake up early and be ready at eight tomorrow morning. The butchers are delivering then. See ya later kids!" Mrs. Brief went dancing off up the hallway and down the stairs.
"She's right. You really should get some rest. It's unbelievably hard for you to wake up earlier than eleven."
"Ha. You're just embarrassed." Bulma yawned.
Vegeta smirked back at her.
"Hey. It took a lot of energy to be miserable for two whole days." Bulma defended herself.
"Well next time, don't yawn in my face."
"Why, do I have bad breath?" she asked, breathing into his face.
"No, but I can see an unsettlingly long way down your throat. You never got you tonsils out."
Bulma bunched her right hand into a fist and touched it to Vegeta's cheek. "Watch it buddy."
"Get off me, your breaking my back."
"No way. Who knows how long it'll take me to get you in my clutches again."
"Oh fine." Vegeta grumbled, standing up with some difficulty since Bulma clung to him, giggling.
Vegeta reached a moment of indecision, but he decided to do what was right. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get your way again soon. Unlike you, I don't keep unholy hours, six in the morning is early."
"I guess you're right." Bulma admitted reluctantly.
"Of course I am."
"Well don't gloat about it." said Bulma irately, walking backwards as Vegeta walked to the door. He reached around her to open it and stepped out into the hallway.
"Are you going to cling to me all the way downstairs?" he asked in a patronizing tone.
"No. But only because you'd probably shake me off and I'd roll down the stairs. Besides, my arms hurt." she let go of Vegeta. "See ya tomorrow morning. Be prepared to see me at breakfast too. Just this once I'm coming with you on your morning jog."
Vegeta smirked at that and went off downstairs to his room. Bulma disappeared back into hers, smiling.
*********************
It was the black dream again, only this time he was already close to the light. Once again he noticed the white light was actually rainbows shimmering around a figure. The close he got to the woman, the more he realized his senses were coming back. She smelled like a mix of all the scents in Mrs. Brief's garden. He could hear the rainbows whooshing around her and the sound of her laughter. Then he saw her. It was Bulma. She was wearing pale blue robes that ebbed and flowed like the tide. She reached out her hand and he took it, feeling the touch of her smooth, warm skin. Within the rainbows was a palace, gloomy and imposingly dark. It was his father's palace, in the capital city of Vegeta-sei. Vegeta allowed Bulma to lead him inside the gloomy palace. As soon as she entered, it lit up into all the formal glory Vegeta remembered and filled with all the dead saiyan warriors of his time. They smiled at him as Bulma gently propelled him up a long hallway. They lined the hallway on both sides and bowed as he passed.
Vegeta had no memory of how long he let Bulma pull him along, bringing life back to the castle wherever she stepped, as he stared wide-eyed at his people. He felt as if he was in a dream within a dream until they entered the throne room. The king and queen sat on their thrones, flanked by the elite.
Bulma let go of his hand and walked forward toward them. For Vegeta, all color left the world when she let go and the saiyan palace became shadowy. It seemed real only in a small area around Bulma. Bulma reached the two thrones and dropped down on one knee, bending her head. Her hair slipped over her shoulders, exposing her neck. She froze in that position, pale blue robes still flowing.
"Prince Vegeta, my son. This is the woman you have chosen?" King Vegeta asked, looking Vegeta over.
"Yes." Vegeta answered.
"She is beautiful, my son." his mother approved.
"She is worthy, never mind her beauty." King Vegeta said. "The saiyans accept this woman as their new ruler, Prince Vegeta."
Bulma seemed to be released from her position. King Vegeta stood and took her hand. She stood between the two thrones, casting light upon the king and queen so that those were the only real figures in the great hall.
"Come, Prince Vegeta, and take her hand." the queen ordered sternly.
Vegeta slowly walked up the steps to the thrones of his parents. Bulma reached her hand out and he took it. The king and queen stood from their thrones and color flooded back as Vegeta turned to face the hall.
"The new royal couple." King Vegeta announced gravely. He removed his neck chain and placed it around Vegeta's shoulders. "Rule wisely."
"Make it official my love, my son." the queen said from the other side of Bulma. "My grandchildren will be beautiful. They will be strong. You will make them strong."
Vegeta looked at Bulma, this dream Bulma that was so different from his, but so alike. She hadn't said a word this whole time. Now she spoke. "We've been waiting for you for so long. We all love you, our prince. Most of us can't show it anymore." she gestured around the hall. "Your subjects love you because they honor and respect you, looking to you for leadership. Your parents love you because you are their son, their baby forever. I love you because you love me."
Bulma closed her eyes and Vegeta was drawn to her again. He kissed her. He woke up.
