Ch. 12: 9. You Know I'm Not A "People-Person"
A/N: Hey everyone! I told you my intercession would be an awesome time for me to catch up on my fic! And now I get to write another fun chapter involving Veggie-torture! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Enjoy and don't forget to review!!!!!
Disclaimer:........... Pearl: **humming "Rock the Dragon" Theme song** **Sees vultures wearing suits and ties, carrying suitcases begin to descend upon her** NANI?!?! Vulture #1: I have a suit- Vulture #2: WE have a suit- Vulture #1: Fine! We have a suit against you. Do you, Pearl, claim to own DBZ....? Pearl: Err.....no.....? Vultures #1&2: LIAR!!!! Pearl: GAHHH!! **falls over** Riiiiiiiiiight. Look guys, I've been sayin it for the past 11 chapters....I dun't own it! Now...**takes out shotgun**...I've always wanted to test the range on this baby.....**cocks shotgun** **Vultures run away, screaming bloody murder**......heh heh, bakas!
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(((Three weeks after the party)))
"Doo dee doo dee do!" Heels clicked against the linoleum floor as the owner continued to hum along with the tune playing on her walkman. Things had been particularly peaceful around the compound for weeks. Nothing had really developed in a certain relationship she had her mind on, but it hadn't died either. The Gravity Room was finally rebuilt and all she had to do was set it up outside. Of course, she was going to make sure it was much farther away from the house. The explosion that had decimated her second model of the GR had taken out the Greenhouse and part of the hall leading to the labs. This also gave her another reason to see him. He had avoided her over the past week due to an incident that was quite...special....
*************(Last Monday// 1:30 AM// Main Entrance to the House)*************
Grease smeared on her face, Bulma Briefs had finally decided to call it a day and head to bed. Her overalls smelled of oil, her hair of gasoline, and she felt icky all over. Deciding to take one last glance at her latest project, she stepped back to admire her handiwork. It had taken her two weeks to build the frame, put on extra-heavy duty shielding, and program the computers. The training bot that she had worked so hard on had also died in the explosion, making the work twice as hard and just as long. But she could let her ego go up a few notches as she realized that she was completing this in half the time it had taken her father and her the first time around. Yes, she was very proud indeed!
Bulma stepped out into the cool night, loving the fact that winter would be coming soon. The stars twinkled above her, and she found her eyes glued to them as she continued walking. As luck would have it, she ran right into a wall....or what felt like a wall...
"Watch it Onna," growled a very sleepy looking Vegeta. His skin shined with a thin layer of sweat. Despite being without his precious GR, he managed to get a daily workout in the forest near the compound or in the backyard.
"Sorry," she mumbled, blushing. It was one of those chance meetings that had happened since the party. Vegeta had took it upon himself to not bother Bulma until the GR was finished, so daily spats and arguments had been limited until they were no longer part of the routine. Vegeta chuckled in spite of himself, placing his finger under her chin and making her look at him. "What's this? Bulma blushing?" A small smile wiggled it's way onto her face. "Hai," she whispered. "I'm just not used to seeing you around anymore. I-I miss you..."
The Prince rolled his eyes. "You and your silly human emotions. I would think that you be glad to have me 'out of your hair', as you Earthlings put it. I'm not pestering you about the GR, though I'm wondering why its taking so long."
"You and Goku blew it up! I've got to completely rebuild everything, no thanks to you Super Saiya-jins-"
"Onna," it was a warning type growl. "Keep you voice down. Who knows who may be listening to us?" He placed a finger on her lips. "Besides, you talk to much."
Bulma sputtered for two seconds. "_I_ talk to much?! Why you-"
"See, there you go. Why can't you keep your mouth shut," he growled, grabbing and crushing her against his body. He leaned in and kissed her, silencing the blue-haired beauty.
"Hmmm..."Bulma sighed, loving the fact that she really wasn't dreaming. Vegeta smirked against her lips, pulling back to look at her. Blue eyes were half-way closed, lips slightly parted. But a single tear trailed down her cheek, another soon following it. Vegeta's smirk slowly eased off his face before a rare look of concern replaced it.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. A small sniffle escaped before she wiped away the tears in agitation. "Like I said before, I miss you." Hesitantly, she looked up, seeing that he was looking up at the stars. "And I-" She paused.
He looked down at her, a questioning look in his eyes.
"-I love you..."
*************(Present Time// Main Lab Hall)*************
The genius giggled, remembering the utter look of shock that had replaced every other emotion on his face. With a grin, she opened door, recalling how he stuttered out something, smirked, gave her another kiss, and flew off saying he wasn't through training. Sure, she knew he didn't exactly love her in the way she loved him. He probably didn't really know what love really WAS. But that was fine with her, as long as she hadn't scared him off with her bold declaration.
Bulma stepped into her room, never really having found the time to clean it since the party. She had practically lived in her lab for the past few weeks, her life revolving around the metal, round dome that now sat securely in a capsule in her pocket. Her blue eyes darted around the room, coming to the conclusion that her mother had taken out her dirty clothes and washed them. She walked into her enormous closet, sifting through folded clothes and ones on hangers. Most of them were worn out, half of that were ruined from various incidents involving Saiya-jins, Nameks, and Frieza.....in conclusion: she needed a new wardrobe! [=Maybe Vegeta has something I can borrow for now.=] With that in mind, she headed to the Prince's room.
Setting foot in the room in-question, one would think that no one slept there. The bed was made, no clothes were on the floor, and no personal items (i.e. Pictures, posters, CD's, etc.) decorated the area. She walked over to the dresser and saw that his gloves were placed haphazardly on top, gold-tipped boots off to the side in the corner against the wall. The mirror on top of the dresser was squeaky clean, giving her the clearest reflection. But against the mirror were ordinary, everyday items, like deodorant, a slightly used bottle of cologne (that smelt rather nice, by the way), a folded pair of pajama pants, and a piece of paper with some alien writing on it. Bulma guessed it to be some Saiya-jin form of writing, but recognized Vegeta's signature at the bottom in what he called "Earthling Rambling". A small idea passed through her mind, causing her to take the paper, put it through the scanner that sat in her room, and make a quick copy for herself. She'd figure out what it was later. Placing the original copy in it's previous position, she pulled open Vegeta's dresser drawers to find.....
.........underwear....?!?!.......Bulma blushed and closed the drawer containing the boxers of her Prince. The next held socks and a few muscles t-shirts and tanks. The final held another pair of PJ pants and loads of sweat pants and workout shirts. She shook her head, closing the last drawer, and made her way to his closet. Opening it held the same sad results. Vegeta's old Saiya-jin Elite spandex suit hung away from the rest, holes and cuts littered over the fabric. It had been washed, she knew that (because she had been nice enough to wash it), but contained various blood stains from the training excursions he had gone on while searching for Goku after everyone had been wished back.
Her eyes caught sight of the infamous pink "Bad Man" shirt and yellow pants. Honestly, she didn't know what possessed her to buy the poor guy a suit like that! Laughing, she looked over at the only decent set of clothes he had. The navy blue button-up and khaki pants would always remain her favorite, no matter what set of new clothes she brought in. Various memories from the party flooded her mind as she continued to stare at it. She reached out a hand to touch it before the door slammed open.
"What are you doing?" he asked, shirt draped around his neck, arms crossed over his chest. Bulma placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes in a dangerous way. "Looking at your clothes, that's what. Got a problem?"
Vegeta raised an eyebrow, realizing that he too had missed the Onna these three long weeks. "Who gave you permission to enter my room?" He flexed his muscles ever so slightly, hoping to goad her into a fight. That was something else he definitely missed, though not as much as her annoying presence.
"YOUR room?! This was my house long before this was your room Vegeta. And if you think I'm gonna take this from you then you've-"
"Woman, quit your incessant talking and tell me why you're snooping around!"
"I wasn't snooping around!" She huffed, closing the closet door. "I came in to borrow some of your clothes and-"
"Some of MY clothes? What's wrong with the millions of articles of clothing you have stashed in your room?"
"Forget it Vegeta. The bottom line is that both of us need new clothes. So, since we've still got plenty of time left, we can head towards the mall and pick up some stuff."
Vegeta's eyes rounded to the largest she had seen to date. "We? As in you...and.....me?"
"Yeah..."
"Never! I refuse to set foot in that blasted building." He turned towards his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers, a muscle shirt, and his PJ pants. As if remembering something, he grabbed his deodorant and cologne too, stealthily trying to hide the paper with alien writing amongst the items in his hands. He leaned against the dresser, looking at Bulma's pathetic pleading eyes. Her lip was stuck out and quivered slightly, eyes shiny and round. Vegeta shook his head slowly and Bulma's bottom lip stuck out even more. She stepped up to him, running a finger down the center of his chest. "Please Geta-san?" A soft growl came from the Prince. "Please?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, placing her head right below his chin, her cheek against his chest. His Adam's apple moved, touching her nose, which was now placed against the front of his neck, when he swallowed. Well, it seemed as if he gulped more than swallowed.
A deep, flabbergasted sigh escaped from Vegeta. "Fine Onna, you win. I'll go." Bulma jumped up, fist in the air. "YAY!" She exclaimed. Vegeta sweat-dropped.
"Then go and take a shower, and I'll be ready when you get out!"
Vegeta headed towards the door when Bulma pulled on his arm. "Oh wait! You can't wear that to the mall!" She handed him the suit combination from the party. "There. We'll go get you something comfortable that won't be quite so formal. See ya!"
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((The West City Mall))
Vegeta sulked as they neared the entrance to the mall. To the alien Prince, the mall looked like a madhouse. Different people walked in and out, some young, some old, some stuck somewhere in between. People with hair even wilder in color than his housemate's made him wonder if all humans were crazy. He looked at Bulma who had latched onto his arm ever since they left the air car. His face softened slightly...no, his Onna wasn't crazy.....
"OOOooooooOOOOO! There's a sale at American Eagle! Let's go!!!"
......she was just slightly affected by it........
He felt himself being whizzed by people at an incredibly high speed. Who knew that this little woman could move so fast? Did this happen to all Earth Onna's when they entered the land of nuts? They came to an abrupt halt in front of a store clearly labeled "American Eagle", with a large red and white sign declaring "SALE ON EVERYTHING IN STOCK! 50% OFF EVERYTHING, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 25% OFF ALREADY MARKED DOWN ITEMS!!" Vegeta stole a glance at Bulma, whose eyes were currently glazed over.
"Onna? Bulma...?!" He waved his hand in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Bulma!"
((10 minutes later))
A walking pile of clothes grumbled about life not being fair. It stood in front of a wooden door, waiting somewhat patiently for the occupant to come out. A shirt had been thrown (accidentally) on top, giving the appearance of clothes with only two legs. The door was finally heard swishing open.
"What do you think...about......this..............Vegeta?"
A mumbled and muffled "Hai...I'm under here," was the reply. Bulma giggled and pulled off the shirt, revealing Vegeta's handsome, but peeved, face. "I'm sorry," she snickered, getting on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "I hadn't realized that it would land on your head. Why didn't you pull it off?"
"And have a bunch of harpy women screech at me for dropping the clothes again? No thanks." Bulma laughed, hugging his arm close to her. Vegeta smirked. For some odd reason, it made him feel good to see the Onna laughing and smiling, happy.
"I see. Well, I'll go change out of this, we'll pay for the stuff, and head on over to a few other stores to get you some stuff, k?" Vegeta nodded, watching her skip back into the fitting room.
((Three hours, 4 stores, 1 lunch break, and 30 minutes later...))
Bulma placed the last bag in a capsule, happy that she had finally gotten the clothes shopping done. Her eyes had caught sight of jewelry store while they were filling up their empty stomachs, and she had been itching to get there since. It was her favorite jewelry store in all of West City, and despite it being in the mall, it still had good deals. She led the way in, holding on tight to Vegeta's hand.
The first spot she reached was the necklace counter. Beautifully crafted diamonds and various other gems hung on gold and silver, some classy, others elegant. Next to it was an entire section of bracelets, with the same exquisite appeal as the necklaces. Vegeta's eyes followed the tour with mild interest. Jewelry had never been a major issue with him. After all, what warrior would go into battle with a necklace? The enemy was liable to use it to choke them!
He stood with his hands in his new leather jacket pockets. It was all fairly dull to him, and he still had to carry two bags! Bulma had run out of capsules for her exceeding amount of clothes and shoes, and had graced him with the 'royal' duty of Bag Boy. Glaring at her back, he wondered why he cared for her the way he did. Then again, from this angle, he did get an excellent view of her cute rear-
The Saiya-jin's attention was drawn away from his Onna to a rugged looking man standing in the center of the store with a gun. Vegeta rolled his eyes. [~Humans and their weapons. How pathetic!~] Women and a few children screamed, but two other men blocked the exit. By now, Bulma's attention was also focused on the man in the middle. Her arm had secured around his arm tightly, and he oddly felt her anxiety at the situation.
"Alright! Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt." The man walked over to the register. "Gimme all the money in there old man, and don't try anything sneaky, or else-" he grabbed a nearby child of about five, "-this kid is gonna get it." He held the gun up to the little girl's temple. Bulma gasped, her free hand covering her mouth. Vegeta's eyes flicked to her out of the corner of his eyes, then back to the robbers. One of the door guards began breaking the glass cases with the butt-end of his gun and stuffed the jewelry in black bags.
The old man continued to empty the contents of the cash register into the solitary bag he had been given, his eyes darting back and forth between the child, the gunman, and the cash. The girl whimpered, crying "Mommy" every now and then. Her mother was being held back by a few ladies in the store, tears running down her face. The first robber growled, turning the girl to face her and slapping her hard across the face.
"SHUT UP!" He yelled, cocking the gun and holding it to her temple. Vegeta's eyes narrowed. Though he had been a mass murder, destroying planets without a second thought, he had never, EVER hit a child, or held one captive. And to see that slob do that to some defenseless, weak child struck a nerve in the Prince. He took Bulma's hand from around his arm, kissed it, then zoomed out of sight. Bulma's eyes widened, and she looked for any sign of him.
"Oi, baka!" Vegeta appeared in front of the robber, kicking the gun up and over to the old man. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit females?" A punch, directly in the jaw. "Or children?" Kick aimed at where the sun don't shine. The man lay on the floor, unable to speak. The little girl, who had been shocked the whole time, laughed and clapped her hands, then ran to Vegeta and latched onto his leg.
"GAHH!!" He waved his hands in the air before falling unceremoniously on his bottom. The girl just laughed and hugged his neck.
"VEGETA! LOOK OUT!!"
"NANI?!" A shot rang out, causing everyone to hold their breaths.
It all moved in slow motion to the Prince. He saw the bullet leave the barrel, aimed towards the little girl. His first instinct was to pull her back, so he complied, earning a surprised yelp from her. Then, in much the same way Radditz had done a few years ago, he caught the bullet between his thumb and index finger. Time went back to normal as he stood up, easily knocking out the other two robbers. A cheer rang out from the shoppers and bystanders, the police coming in to cart off the two.
"Vegeta!" Bulma began to run towards him, but she stopped dead in her tracks. The first robber pulled out another gun and fired it, hitting Vegeta in the chest and knocking him to the floor. Another shot, then another. He emptied the cartridge into the Prince. The police immediately wrestled the robber, and took the three away.
"NO! VEGETA!" Bulma screeched, kneeling next to him in the already forming puddle of blood. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly. "Vegeta! Open your eyes!"
No response.
"Vegeta!"
Not even a twitch.
"Do it you sorry-SOB!!" No tears escaped, though she could feel them coming.
This earned a groan from the fallen Saiya-jin, his eyes cracking open ever so slightly. A shadow of a smirk passed over his face. "Your screeching would wake the dead," he whispered, coughing slightly. Though she had been insulted, any response from him was comforting. She started as his eyes began to close.
"Vegeta, stay with me. Please! You've got to keep your eyes open! The ambulance will be here in a second," she said, brushing away a few lazy spikes of hair from his face.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm awake," he groaned, shifting so he could see her better. He brought his hand up to her face, wiping away the tears. "Foolish Onna. It'll take more than a few bullets to kill the Saiya-jin Prince." Two paramedics stepped in, rushing to Vegeta. One police officer tried to pull Bulma away as the paramedics hefted Vegeta onto a gurney.
"No! Let me go! Vegeta!!" He held onto her hand, until the offending members started pulling them away. Their hands began to slip, Bulma jumping to grab hold of Vegeta's fingers. They were finally pulled apart, leaving Bulma to stand shocked next to the officer, and Vegeta trying to sit up to see her. "Bulma!" He yelled, not really caring what people thought anymore. It was still dangerous, and his Onna need him!
"Easy there, buddy!" The blonde paramedic tried to push him back to a lying position. "You're hurt pretty bad and we've gotta get you to the hospital- "
"Get you hands off of me human!" His eyes caught blue hair swishing as the ki of the Onna tried to keep up with them. "Bulma!" He yelled again, sitting up despite the pleads from the medics. The blonde one finally got him back down, using the safety straps to keep him down. "You don't understand, sir. Do you even realize how much blood you've lost? That red stuff on the floor wasn't Kool-Aid!"
"I don't care! Let. Me. GO!"
"Joe, give him a few cc's. Otherwise he's gonna be hard to examine."
Vegeta's eyes widened as a mask was placed over his nose and mouth. He struggled, knowing that they were trying to knock him out. "This is gonna make you feel much better." Trying not to breathe, he found it difficult to hold his breath, his diaphragm having been hit by a few bullets. The gas finally entered his lungs, causing his whole body to relax.
"Bulma..." he muttered, letting the darkness consume him.
**************************************************************************** ********** **sniffles** Poor V-chan! Yes, that stupid robber emptied the WHOLE gun into our favorite Prince! Hmm...but now that I've got this chapter finished, I dunno where else to go. I do know one thing....the last chapter of this fic is comin up REAL soon!!! You'll see...I won't tell you HOW, or what'll happen next. I've just thought of something anyway! Ooooooo!
Special Shout Out to:
Obsidian Blade: Glad you luved the last chap! I was hoping it wasn't too corny...but a bit lighter and fun. Thanks for the compliments and review!!! ^-^ Hope this last chap lives up to the praise....
afk: Yeah, Veggie knows how to fix things ^-~!!! I'm glad to see that you're always ready for the next review, and I hope that this chap will keep you satisfied until I get the next chapter out!!
Thanks to all who read and reviewed!! Here's your preview of the next chap!!!
Ch. 13: 10. You Know I'll Always Love You::: Vegeta's in the hospital, and Bulma comes to visit him, bringing a few guests! Now that the doctors said it was ok for him to go home, as long as he stayed away from exercise, he's got all the time in the world to spend with Bulma. What will he say? Will this lead up to them staying together forever? Stay tuned for the next chapter!!!!!
Ja Ne,
~*Pearl*~
A/N: Hey everyone! I told you my intercession would be an awesome time for me to catch up on my fic! And now I get to write another fun chapter involving Veggie-torture! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Enjoy and don't forget to review!!!!!
Disclaimer:........... Pearl: **humming "Rock the Dragon" Theme song** **Sees vultures wearing suits and ties, carrying suitcases begin to descend upon her** NANI?!?! Vulture #1: I have a suit- Vulture #2: WE have a suit- Vulture #1: Fine! We have a suit against you. Do you, Pearl, claim to own DBZ....? Pearl: Err.....no.....? Vultures #1&2: LIAR!!!! Pearl: GAHHH!! **falls over** Riiiiiiiiiight. Look guys, I've been sayin it for the past 11 chapters....I dun't own it! Now...**takes out shotgun**...I've always wanted to test the range on this baby.....**cocks shotgun** **Vultures run away, screaming bloody murder**......heh heh, bakas!
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(((Three weeks after the party)))
"Doo dee doo dee do!" Heels clicked against the linoleum floor as the owner continued to hum along with the tune playing on her walkman. Things had been particularly peaceful around the compound for weeks. Nothing had really developed in a certain relationship she had her mind on, but it hadn't died either. The Gravity Room was finally rebuilt and all she had to do was set it up outside. Of course, she was going to make sure it was much farther away from the house. The explosion that had decimated her second model of the GR had taken out the Greenhouse and part of the hall leading to the labs. This also gave her another reason to see him. He had avoided her over the past week due to an incident that was quite...special....
*************(Last Monday// 1:30 AM// Main Entrance to the House)*************
Grease smeared on her face, Bulma Briefs had finally decided to call it a day and head to bed. Her overalls smelled of oil, her hair of gasoline, and she felt icky all over. Deciding to take one last glance at her latest project, she stepped back to admire her handiwork. It had taken her two weeks to build the frame, put on extra-heavy duty shielding, and program the computers. The training bot that she had worked so hard on had also died in the explosion, making the work twice as hard and just as long. But she could let her ego go up a few notches as she realized that she was completing this in half the time it had taken her father and her the first time around. Yes, she was very proud indeed!
Bulma stepped out into the cool night, loving the fact that winter would be coming soon. The stars twinkled above her, and she found her eyes glued to them as she continued walking. As luck would have it, she ran right into a wall....or what felt like a wall...
"Watch it Onna," growled a very sleepy looking Vegeta. His skin shined with a thin layer of sweat. Despite being without his precious GR, he managed to get a daily workout in the forest near the compound or in the backyard.
"Sorry," she mumbled, blushing. It was one of those chance meetings that had happened since the party. Vegeta had took it upon himself to not bother Bulma until the GR was finished, so daily spats and arguments had been limited until they were no longer part of the routine. Vegeta chuckled in spite of himself, placing his finger under her chin and making her look at him. "What's this? Bulma blushing?" A small smile wiggled it's way onto her face. "Hai," she whispered. "I'm just not used to seeing you around anymore. I-I miss you..."
The Prince rolled his eyes. "You and your silly human emotions. I would think that you be glad to have me 'out of your hair', as you Earthlings put it. I'm not pestering you about the GR, though I'm wondering why its taking so long."
"You and Goku blew it up! I've got to completely rebuild everything, no thanks to you Super Saiya-jins-"
"Onna," it was a warning type growl. "Keep you voice down. Who knows who may be listening to us?" He placed a finger on her lips. "Besides, you talk to much."
Bulma sputtered for two seconds. "_I_ talk to much?! Why you-"
"See, there you go. Why can't you keep your mouth shut," he growled, grabbing and crushing her against his body. He leaned in and kissed her, silencing the blue-haired beauty.
"Hmmm..."Bulma sighed, loving the fact that she really wasn't dreaming. Vegeta smirked against her lips, pulling back to look at her. Blue eyes were half-way closed, lips slightly parted. But a single tear trailed down her cheek, another soon following it. Vegeta's smirk slowly eased off his face before a rare look of concern replaced it.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. A small sniffle escaped before she wiped away the tears in agitation. "Like I said before, I miss you." Hesitantly, she looked up, seeing that he was looking up at the stars. "And I-" She paused.
He looked down at her, a questioning look in his eyes.
"-I love you..."
*************(Present Time// Main Lab Hall)*************
The genius giggled, remembering the utter look of shock that had replaced every other emotion on his face. With a grin, she opened door, recalling how he stuttered out something, smirked, gave her another kiss, and flew off saying he wasn't through training. Sure, she knew he didn't exactly love her in the way she loved him. He probably didn't really know what love really WAS. But that was fine with her, as long as she hadn't scared him off with her bold declaration.
Bulma stepped into her room, never really having found the time to clean it since the party. She had practically lived in her lab for the past few weeks, her life revolving around the metal, round dome that now sat securely in a capsule in her pocket. Her blue eyes darted around the room, coming to the conclusion that her mother had taken out her dirty clothes and washed them. She walked into her enormous closet, sifting through folded clothes and ones on hangers. Most of them were worn out, half of that were ruined from various incidents involving Saiya-jins, Nameks, and Frieza.....in conclusion: she needed a new wardrobe! [=Maybe Vegeta has something I can borrow for now.=] With that in mind, she headed to the Prince's room.
Setting foot in the room in-question, one would think that no one slept there. The bed was made, no clothes were on the floor, and no personal items (i.e. Pictures, posters, CD's, etc.) decorated the area. She walked over to the dresser and saw that his gloves were placed haphazardly on top, gold-tipped boots off to the side in the corner against the wall. The mirror on top of the dresser was squeaky clean, giving her the clearest reflection. But against the mirror were ordinary, everyday items, like deodorant, a slightly used bottle of cologne (that smelt rather nice, by the way), a folded pair of pajama pants, and a piece of paper with some alien writing on it. Bulma guessed it to be some Saiya-jin form of writing, but recognized Vegeta's signature at the bottom in what he called "Earthling Rambling". A small idea passed through her mind, causing her to take the paper, put it through the scanner that sat in her room, and make a quick copy for herself. She'd figure out what it was later. Placing the original copy in it's previous position, she pulled open Vegeta's dresser drawers to find.....
.........underwear....?!?!.......Bulma blushed and closed the drawer containing the boxers of her Prince. The next held socks and a few muscles t-shirts and tanks. The final held another pair of PJ pants and loads of sweat pants and workout shirts. She shook her head, closing the last drawer, and made her way to his closet. Opening it held the same sad results. Vegeta's old Saiya-jin Elite spandex suit hung away from the rest, holes and cuts littered over the fabric. It had been washed, she knew that (because she had been nice enough to wash it), but contained various blood stains from the training excursions he had gone on while searching for Goku after everyone had been wished back.
Her eyes caught sight of the infamous pink "Bad Man" shirt and yellow pants. Honestly, she didn't know what possessed her to buy the poor guy a suit like that! Laughing, she looked over at the only decent set of clothes he had. The navy blue button-up and khaki pants would always remain her favorite, no matter what set of new clothes she brought in. Various memories from the party flooded her mind as she continued to stare at it. She reached out a hand to touch it before the door slammed open.
"What are you doing?" he asked, shirt draped around his neck, arms crossed over his chest. Bulma placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes in a dangerous way. "Looking at your clothes, that's what. Got a problem?"
Vegeta raised an eyebrow, realizing that he too had missed the Onna these three long weeks. "Who gave you permission to enter my room?" He flexed his muscles ever so slightly, hoping to goad her into a fight. That was something else he definitely missed, though not as much as her annoying presence.
"YOUR room?! This was my house long before this was your room Vegeta. And if you think I'm gonna take this from you then you've-"
"Woman, quit your incessant talking and tell me why you're snooping around!"
"I wasn't snooping around!" She huffed, closing the closet door. "I came in to borrow some of your clothes and-"
"Some of MY clothes? What's wrong with the millions of articles of clothing you have stashed in your room?"
"Forget it Vegeta. The bottom line is that both of us need new clothes. So, since we've still got plenty of time left, we can head towards the mall and pick up some stuff."
Vegeta's eyes rounded to the largest she had seen to date. "We? As in you...and.....me?"
"Yeah..."
"Never! I refuse to set foot in that blasted building." He turned towards his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers, a muscle shirt, and his PJ pants. As if remembering something, he grabbed his deodorant and cologne too, stealthily trying to hide the paper with alien writing amongst the items in his hands. He leaned against the dresser, looking at Bulma's pathetic pleading eyes. Her lip was stuck out and quivered slightly, eyes shiny and round. Vegeta shook his head slowly and Bulma's bottom lip stuck out even more. She stepped up to him, running a finger down the center of his chest. "Please Geta-san?" A soft growl came from the Prince. "Please?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, placing her head right below his chin, her cheek against his chest. His Adam's apple moved, touching her nose, which was now placed against the front of his neck, when he swallowed. Well, it seemed as if he gulped more than swallowed.
A deep, flabbergasted sigh escaped from Vegeta. "Fine Onna, you win. I'll go." Bulma jumped up, fist in the air. "YAY!" She exclaimed. Vegeta sweat-dropped.
"Then go and take a shower, and I'll be ready when you get out!"
Vegeta headed towards the door when Bulma pulled on his arm. "Oh wait! You can't wear that to the mall!" She handed him the suit combination from the party. "There. We'll go get you something comfortable that won't be quite so formal. See ya!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
((The West City Mall))
Vegeta sulked as they neared the entrance to the mall. To the alien Prince, the mall looked like a madhouse. Different people walked in and out, some young, some old, some stuck somewhere in between. People with hair even wilder in color than his housemate's made him wonder if all humans were crazy. He looked at Bulma who had latched onto his arm ever since they left the air car. His face softened slightly...no, his Onna wasn't crazy.....
"OOOooooooOOOOO! There's a sale at American Eagle! Let's go!!!"
......she was just slightly affected by it........
He felt himself being whizzed by people at an incredibly high speed. Who knew that this little woman could move so fast? Did this happen to all Earth Onna's when they entered the land of nuts? They came to an abrupt halt in front of a store clearly labeled "American Eagle", with a large red and white sign declaring "SALE ON EVERYTHING IN STOCK! 50% OFF EVERYTHING, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 25% OFF ALREADY MARKED DOWN ITEMS!!" Vegeta stole a glance at Bulma, whose eyes were currently glazed over.
"Onna? Bulma...?!" He waved his hand in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Bulma!"
((10 minutes later))
A walking pile of clothes grumbled about life not being fair. It stood in front of a wooden door, waiting somewhat patiently for the occupant to come out. A shirt had been thrown (accidentally) on top, giving the appearance of clothes with only two legs. The door was finally heard swishing open.
"What do you think...about......this..............Vegeta?"
A mumbled and muffled "Hai...I'm under here," was the reply. Bulma giggled and pulled off the shirt, revealing Vegeta's handsome, but peeved, face. "I'm sorry," she snickered, getting on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "I hadn't realized that it would land on your head. Why didn't you pull it off?"
"And have a bunch of harpy women screech at me for dropping the clothes again? No thanks." Bulma laughed, hugging his arm close to her. Vegeta smirked. For some odd reason, it made him feel good to see the Onna laughing and smiling, happy.
"I see. Well, I'll go change out of this, we'll pay for the stuff, and head on over to a few other stores to get you some stuff, k?" Vegeta nodded, watching her skip back into the fitting room.
((Three hours, 4 stores, 1 lunch break, and 30 minutes later...))
Bulma placed the last bag in a capsule, happy that she had finally gotten the clothes shopping done. Her eyes had caught sight of jewelry store while they were filling up their empty stomachs, and she had been itching to get there since. It was her favorite jewelry store in all of West City, and despite it being in the mall, it still had good deals. She led the way in, holding on tight to Vegeta's hand.
The first spot she reached was the necklace counter. Beautifully crafted diamonds and various other gems hung on gold and silver, some classy, others elegant. Next to it was an entire section of bracelets, with the same exquisite appeal as the necklaces. Vegeta's eyes followed the tour with mild interest. Jewelry had never been a major issue with him. After all, what warrior would go into battle with a necklace? The enemy was liable to use it to choke them!
He stood with his hands in his new leather jacket pockets. It was all fairly dull to him, and he still had to carry two bags! Bulma had run out of capsules for her exceeding amount of clothes and shoes, and had graced him with the 'royal' duty of Bag Boy. Glaring at her back, he wondered why he cared for her the way he did. Then again, from this angle, he did get an excellent view of her cute rear-
The Saiya-jin's attention was drawn away from his Onna to a rugged looking man standing in the center of the store with a gun. Vegeta rolled his eyes. [~Humans and their weapons. How pathetic!~] Women and a few children screamed, but two other men blocked the exit. By now, Bulma's attention was also focused on the man in the middle. Her arm had secured around his arm tightly, and he oddly felt her anxiety at the situation.
"Alright! Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt." The man walked over to the register. "Gimme all the money in there old man, and don't try anything sneaky, or else-" he grabbed a nearby child of about five, "-this kid is gonna get it." He held the gun up to the little girl's temple. Bulma gasped, her free hand covering her mouth. Vegeta's eyes flicked to her out of the corner of his eyes, then back to the robbers. One of the door guards began breaking the glass cases with the butt-end of his gun and stuffed the jewelry in black bags.
The old man continued to empty the contents of the cash register into the solitary bag he had been given, his eyes darting back and forth between the child, the gunman, and the cash. The girl whimpered, crying "Mommy" every now and then. Her mother was being held back by a few ladies in the store, tears running down her face. The first robber growled, turning the girl to face her and slapping her hard across the face.
"SHUT UP!" He yelled, cocking the gun and holding it to her temple. Vegeta's eyes narrowed. Though he had been a mass murder, destroying planets without a second thought, he had never, EVER hit a child, or held one captive. And to see that slob do that to some defenseless, weak child struck a nerve in the Prince. He took Bulma's hand from around his arm, kissed it, then zoomed out of sight. Bulma's eyes widened, and she looked for any sign of him.
"Oi, baka!" Vegeta appeared in front of the robber, kicking the gun up and over to the old man. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit females?" A punch, directly in the jaw. "Or children?" Kick aimed at where the sun don't shine. The man lay on the floor, unable to speak. The little girl, who had been shocked the whole time, laughed and clapped her hands, then ran to Vegeta and latched onto his leg.
"GAHH!!" He waved his hands in the air before falling unceremoniously on his bottom. The girl just laughed and hugged his neck.
"VEGETA! LOOK OUT!!"
"NANI?!" A shot rang out, causing everyone to hold their breaths.
It all moved in slow motion to the Prince. He saw the bullet leave the barrel, aimed towards the little girl. His first instinct was to pull her back, so he complied, earning a surprised yelp from her. Then, in much the same way Radditz had done a few years ago, he caught the bullet between his thumb and index finger. Time went back to normal as he stood up, easily knocking out the other two robbers. A cheer rang out from the shoppers and bystanders, the police coming in to cart off the two.
"Vegeta!" Bulma began to run towards him, but she stopped dead in her tracks. The first robber pulled out another gun and fired it, hitting Vegeta in the chest and knocking him to the floor. Another shot, then another. He emptied the cartridge into the Prince. The police immediately wrestled the robber, and took the three away.
"NO! VEGETA!" Bulma screeched, kneeling next to him in the already forming puddle of blood. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly. "Vegeta! Open your eyes!"
No response.
"Vegeta!"
Not even a twitch.
"Do it you sorry-SOB!!" No tears escaped, though she could feel them coming.
This earned a groan from the fallen Saiya-jin, his eyes cracking open ever so slightly. A shadow of a smirk passed over his face. "Your screeching would wake the dead," he whispered, coughing slightly. Though she had been insulted, any response from him was comforting. She started as his eyes began to close.
"Vegeta, stay with me. Please! You've got to keep your eyes open! The ambulance will be here in a second," she said, brushing away a few lazy spikes of hair from his face.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm awake," he groaned, shifting so he could see her better. He brought his hand up to her face, wiping away the tears. "Foolish Onna. It'll take more than a few bullets to kill the Saiya-jin Prince." Two paramedics stepped in, rushing to Vegeta. One police officer tried to pull Bulma away as the paramedics hefted Vegeta onto a gurney.
"No! Let me go! Vegeta!!" He held onto her hand, until the offending members started pulling them away. Their hands began to slip, Bulma jumping to grab hold of Vegeta's fingers. They were finally pulled apart, leaving Bulma to stand shocked next to the officer, and Vegeta trying to sit up to see her. "Bulma!" He yelled, not really caring what people thought anymore. It was still dangerous, and his Onna need him!
"Easy there, buddy!" The blonde paramedic tried to push him back to a lying position. "You're hurt pretty bad and we've gotta get you to the hospital- "
"Get you hands off of me human!" His eyes caught blue hair swishing as the ki of the Onna tried to keep up with them. "Bulma!" He yelled again, sitting up despite the pleads from the medics. The blonde one finally got him back down, using the safety straps to keep him down. "You don't understand, sir. Do you even realize how much blood you've lost? That red stuff on the floor wasn't Kool-Aid!"
"I don't care! Let. Me. GO!"
"Joe, give him a few cc's. Otherwise he's gonna be hard to examine."
Vegeta's eyes widened as a mask was placed over his nose and mouth. He struggled, knowing that they were trying to knock him out. "This is gonna make you feel much better." Trying not to breathe, he found it difficult to hold his breath, his diaphragm having been hit by a few bullets. The gas finally entered his lungs, causing his whole body to relax.
"Bulma..." he muttered, letting the darkness consume him.
**************************************************************************** ********** **sniffles** Poor V-chan! Yes, that stupid robber emptied the WHOLE gun into our favorite Prince! Hmm...but now that I've got this chapter finished, I dunno where else to go. I do know one thing....the last chapter of this fic is comin up REAL soon!!! You'll see...I won't tell you HOW, or what'll happen next. I've just thought of something anyway! Ooooooo!
Special Shout Out to:
Obsidian Blade: Glad you luved the last chap! I was hoping it wasn't too corny...but a bit lighter and fun. Thanks for the compliments and review!!! ^-^ Hope this last chap lives up to the praise....
afk: Yeah, Veggie knows how to fix things ^-~!!! I'm glad to see that you're always ready for the next review, and I hope that this chap will keep you satisfied until I get the next chapter out!!
Thanks to all who read and reviewed!! Here's your preview of the next chap!!!
Ch. 13: 10. You Know I'll Always Love You::: Vegeta's in the hospital, and Bulma comes to visit him, bringing a few guests! Now that the doctors said it was ok for him to go home, as long as he stayed away from exercise, he's got all the time in the world to spend with Bulma. What will he say? Will this lead up to them staying together forever? Stay tuned for the next chapter!!!!!
Ja Ne,
~*Pearl*~