Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z is owned by the absolute genious Akira Toryama. I do not own these characters, or make any prophet what-so-ever off of this story. I write it out of respect for Akira, and his wonderful characters.

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Chapter Two; Reunion

One week, and six days later...

Nappa peaked in on Vegeta, and what he saw shocked him. He witnessed Vegeta doing push-ups upside-down with two fingers. "Something you want, Nappa?", he said, looking up and smirking, his long-lost sneer in his voice. "Well, Nappa, what is it?", he asked, jumping to his feet.

"I just haven't checked up on you in a while, lor-...ah, I mean Vegeta, and I was wondering how you were doing."

"Fine, mother.", he said sarcastically.

"You sure your feeling ok?" Now he was getting worried. Vegeta had NEVER been this cheerful.

"Better than I have in years.", Vegeta replied, "Anything else?"

"No."

"Tell me when the food's ready. I'm starving."

"Yes, sir."

"Your decades older than me, Nappa, and I've known you all my life. Stop calling me sir.", Vegeta said.

"Well, you are the prince.", Nappa replied.

"The prince of what? There is no Saiya-jin race anymore. All I rule now is a dead tyrant's empire, and I don't even do that right. Besides the strength, we're on the same level."

"Thankyou."

Vegeta waved him off, and continued his training. Nappa walked out confused, but happy.

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Another whole day to wait, and that was only IF she was actually coming. Vegeta turned to training to help him pass the time, but it had already felt like years. He had avoided too much contact with Nappa, and Raddits, fearing that they might suspect that something was up. He felt great, besides having a horrible wait ahead, what he had said to Nappa was true; he hadn't felt so good in years.

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Bulma was in the ship headed for Vegeta's planet. Two weeks in a ship had been a lot longer than she had predicted. She was losing her mind. Goku had come again, but Krillin didn't want to.

"You sure Chi-chi won't be mad at you for coming on this trip with me?"

"Nah. Well, maybe, but she said I could if it took no longer than three weeks.", Goku replied.

"Goku, it's been two weeks already."

"Yeah."

"And we will stay for a while, and then it will be two weeks back.", Bulma said.

"Uh-oh. Chi-chi's gonna yell at me." Goku yawned. "This ship is boring."

Bulma rolloed her eyes. "I know, but don't worry. We have less than a day left to this trip."

"Yeah!", Goku said eagerly.

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One day later...

Vegeta stood restlessly at the landing pad that Bulma had used so many years ago. He assumed that she would use it again. He felt her coming near. She would be here in minutes, no seconds! Boom! A ship landed. As the door opened, he ran in.

"DO NOT forget your gravity equipment.", he said.

"Oh, Vegeta, you really do care." There were tears in her eyes, yet he felt only happiness.

"Why are you crying, woman? Am I really that bad?"

"No.", she said. He looked past her, and for the first time, noticed Kakarot.

"Hi!", Kakarot said joyfully.

"Hello, Kakarot. Have you been training?", Vegeta asked.

"Yeah. I was training with Kami-sama. It was fun!"

"Good to hear it. You two come on.", he said, turning around, and walking out, "I have rooms prepared in the palace." Bulma should have been impressed. Her house may have been larger than the royal Saiya-jin palace, but it wasn't near as large as Friez- HIS palace.

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"Wow!", Goku said, looking around, "Too bad Krillin isn't here to see this. He really should have come."

"Goku, your right. This is the biggest building that I have ever seen." Goku was surprized to here that. Bulma had been to every big building on Earth, and even she was amazed. Goku noted the way Vegeta kept looking back at Buma so lovingly. He was glad that Vegeta and Bulma could be happy togather. It warmed his heart. He hadn't told Bulma about what had happened after her death, for fear of breaking a silent confidence with Vegeta. Vegeta would tell her when he was ready.

"Kakarot.", Vegeta said. Goku was already becoming accuststomed to Vegeta calling him by that name. Apart from reminding him of his past, hearing the word from Vegeta made him remember who he was talking to.

"Yeah?", Goku replied.

"Your room." Vegeta opened the door, and pointed in. "Dinner is in two hours. I'll send a minion with the message. I'll give you a tour tomarrow, but I assume that you will want to unpack, and rest first."

Goku glanced down at the many many suitcases he held. "Far over half of these are Bulma's. I should really follow you the rest of the way, and drop them off."

"No. Remove your's. I'll carry them.", Vegeta replied. Goku put them down. He hadn't wanted to show it, but those things were getting VERY heavy. Sure he had gotton stronger over the past year or so, but he still wasn't that strong. The gravity did a number on his muscles. He pulled out his two small bags, containing the extra cloths, and fifty pairs of underwear chi- chi had made him bring. He watched with awed silence as Vegeta extended a spere of energy, and lifted the large pile into the air showing no effort.

"Thanks. Bye.", Goku said. Vegeta put up a hand to bid him farewell, then Goku went into his room. It was bigger than his whole house! If this was the room HE got, he could only imagine Bulma's room. He didn't even think Vegeta liked him. Goku layed on the bed, which was amazingly compfortable in this garvity. Maybe being a Saiya-jin wasn't so bad after all.

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Vegeta showed Bulma to her room, and left her bags, beginning to walk away.

"No, Vegeta, come in for a minute. I want to talk to you.", she said to him. He hesitated, then walked in. "I heard you beat Frieza.", Bulma said.

A look of terror that Bulma couldn't even read the reason for came over his face. "What did Kakarot tell you?!", He demanded. She tried to read his thoughs about that day, but ran into a dark wall.

"He told me that you beat Frieza. He said that your hair turned yellow, and you got broader, and taller, and that you defeated him easily.", she said, mildly scared.

"That's it?!"

"Yes!", she said.

"Your sure?", he asked again.

"Yes! What are you trying to hide from me, Vegeta?! What did you do that you are afraid of me finding out about?!"

"Nothing.", he said, in a quieter, more relaxed tone, with a hint of shame.

"You can tell me. I'd never hate you, no matter what. Whatever you did, I'm sure it was in someway for good." The fact that he was afraid to tell her something hurt her more deeply than he would ever be able to imagine.

"You don't know what I went through for the past year, Bulma, and I don't want you to. I must live with my own burdens, and my own memores. I won't let them trouble you, or shame me.", he said.

"You don't trust me.", she said.

"I do more than trust you. I-", he turned away.

"What?! Just tell me, Vegeta!" She was crying now. Why was it that she cried the most when she was around the one she loved.

"I can't. It kills me, but I can't." He turned back to her. "Maybe someday, I'll be ready to tell you about that , but not now. You have to tell me something first; how are you alive?", he said, changing the subject completely.

"The dragon balls.", she replied.

"Explain.", he said.

"Well, you see, there are these seven magical round orange things called dragon balls. They are all hidden in different places all over the world. When you collect all seven, and put them togather, a dragon appears, and grants you a single wish. You can only do it once a year, and finding them all is very difficult, but I invented a radar that points out they're exact locations."

Vegeta gave her a strange look. "Do you realize that a story like that is too far-out to be a fairy-tale on this planet?"

"It's true."

"I believe you, but I have one more question; why did it take Kakarot so long to get them all." There was a hint of rage in his voice.

"Well, he made a mistake collecting them the first time, so I stayed dead for an extra year." Vegeta looked angry, so she added, "...but that doesn't matter. It wasn't that bad."

His anger melted away, and he once again eyed he strangly. "What are you saying? That you remember it?"

"Ofcoarese. I was in the other-world." The strange look on his face deepened. "Wait. Are you saying that you don't believe in the after-life?"

"The only thing after life is death, Bulma. You were gone. I know you were gone."

"Maybe from this dimention.", Bulma said.

"That's only an expression.", he said.

"Vegeta. That's a pretty morbid way to think." Pitty was heavy in her voice. "Come here.", she looked into his eyes, and flooded his mind with her memories of flying aimlessly around in the paridise that existed above the yellow clouds.

"It's real.", he said.

"Yes.", she assured him. "Now that I've told you these things, can you tell me what you meant to say before? Please?"

"I-", he began, "can't. I'm sorry. I'll see you later.", he said. She was still hurt, but could tell that he was trying his best.

"Bye. And, Vegeta, I love you."

He nodded, and walked out.

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'Tell her! Tell her!', the voice inside his head screamed, 'Tell her before you lose your chance again! You Baka! Just tell her before it's too late!!!' He leaned against the door, and sighed. 'I am such a coward.', he thought, 'She wants to her about that day. It would make her so happy. She wants to know the truth, and I want to tell her. I want to tell her the depths of my feelings, yet I'm too much of a coward.' He got up, and almost grabbed the doorknob, then clenched his fist, turned, and started walking.

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From The Author: I know. I know. More conflicts. That's just the way I write, ok? Ayway, II hope everyone likes it. It's about five-twenty in the morning right now. I hear birds chirping, and I haven't gone to sleep yet. I guess I'm kinda' taking it out on Bulma and Vegeta. I'm never going to get any sleep tonight, oh, I mean today. I still have to upload this thing. Well, I hope everyone likes it, and please review. Thanks. Bye. ^_*