Last time:
In the nursery Tsukiyama, Trunks, and Gohan started to cry.
Vegeta rolled his eyes and took his place back on his bed. It was going to be a long night.
***********************************************************
"So does someone mind explaining?" Vegeta huffed, bringing Trunks' bottle to his mouth. All three babies were awake now, two of which were being fed by their fathers in Vegeta's room. Mrs. Ouji no doubt was feeding Tsukiyama in the kitchen. "We just put them to bed and you have to come over here and wake them. So tell me what the hell is going on."
"I-I…I can't say," Chi-Chi sniffled, brushing a little hair out of Gohan's eyes. He had a full head of straight jet-black hair now; Trunks still only possessed a little tuft of his purple hair, which Bulma often worried about, thinking that he'd never grow any more. "Except that we all got in a fight over there and stormed out."
"And you two-" He motioned to Chi-Chi, then to 18. "-are fighting as well?"
"Yes," they hissed in unison, glaring at each other, then turning away.
"Well," 18 said with a smirk. "I can tell you one thing."
"You promised 18!" Chi-Chi snapped. "You tell and I tell."
"I was going to tell him about Bulma."
"Still. I'll tell about you if you tell about her."
"Fine."
"What bout you, 18?" Krillin asked, not at all being able to follow their conversation.
"Come on two you," Goku urged. "Just tell us. We won't get mad."
"Oh yes you will," 18 said, turning away from Krillin. "You definitely will."
"It's not like you slept with other people or something crazy like that. So what's the big deal?"
18 and Chi-Chi looked at each other, horror-stricken and white-faced. No, he just said "not". They didn't know. They couldn't know. But what they didn't realize was that as they looked at each other their fiancée and husband caught on.
"Who were they?" Vegeta laughed, dabbing Trunks face with his bib, then giving him the bottle again. But then he realized who it was for 18 and immediately regretted his words. "Kuso."
"Someone better tell me what the hell is going on!" Goku boomed, bringing Gohan over to Vegeta, who took the other child without question. The last thing he wanted to happen was have a baby hurt in his room; no child deserved pain. He realized silently to himself that it was the first time he'd ever held Gohan. It struck him as odd that he'd never held his best friend's son until now, but pushed the thought aside and focused on the scene before him.
Goku advanced on Chi-Chi, never looking more angry in his life.
"Do wedding vows mean nothing to you!?" He was almost to tears as the words spilled from him. He'd gotten the wrong idea, and thought Chi-Chi had cheated on him. Boy was Krillin in for a surprise then, for he simply sat there, starring blankly at 18's ring finger.
"No Goku! It wasn't like that!" she cried, grabbing his shirt. He shrugged her off, almost too disgusted to look at her.
"Oh really? Then what was it like? Or more to the point, who the hell was he!? Huh, Chi? Who did you ruin our relationship for?"
"No! Goku! Listen to me!" She grabbed his face before he could stop her. "I slept with Sorai four years ago! BEFORE we ever went out! I've never even looked at another man since you first asked me out. I swear it!" She was beyond caring that he could think that she'd cheat on him. He was fully entitled to be angry, and she didn't blame him. If she found out that Goku had been with another woman before her and he'd never told her, she sure as hell would be pissed too.
"Oh," he finally said, easing himself to the floor. Chi-Chi bent down in front of him and took his face in her hands, kissing his forehead tenderly.
"I love you Goku," she whispered, curling into his lap.
"I love you too Chi," he sighed. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, but-"
"I completely understand. Believe me. You have every right to be mad at me for not telling you before."
"I am, a little. But I can see why you didn't." He looked up at her for a moment, then turned away again. "Fourteen, Chi?"
"Yeah," she sighed, face reddening profusely.
"18," Krillin suddenly said, as if he'd been holding it in for some time, which in all actuality was probably the truth. "Tell me."
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, then back at her ring. Slowly she slipped it off and handed it to him, then stood and made for the door. He was almost too shocked to go after her. But once he gathered himself, he jumped up and ran to her, grabbing her upper arms and forcing her to look at him for a moment.
"You'll want it back if I tell you, so what's the use? I might as well face the facts now. Damn you Bulma. I hate you!"
"18, it'll only make it harder if you don't tell me. What if I don't think it's what you're making it out to be?"
"Oh believe me, you'll hate me for this. You'll never what to touch or look at me again. I can guarantee it."
"Don't be so certain."
"Fine," she huffed, slipping from his grasp and taking her seat back on the windowsill. "Two years ago when we broke up for like three days, or whatever-"
"Two days and a half," he said, correcting her. She smiled meekly at him, then looked at her bare hand. She missed her ring.
"Well, Kami," she sighed. "That was such a stupid break up, and we both knew it and I don't know…I…I was just so upset and lonely and a bit drunk that morning…"
"Just tell me his name, I don't need anymore details."
"Oh Kami." She buried her face in her hands, praying that he wouldn't hate her forever.
"It was me," Vegeta said, confident that Krillin wasn't dumb enough to tackle him with two babies in his arms. But he almost did, and stopped himself just in time, grabbing frantically at the bedpost instead.
"You two?" he shuddered, backing away and towards the door.
"Krillin, please!" 18 begged.
"I just can't be here right now. Ok?" He grabbed the door handle, though someone else was turning it on the other side, and he ended up falling right into them.
"Hey Krill."
"B," he said, monotone; still too shocked to bring his normal voice to the surface. He walked out before she had a chance to say a word.
"What're you doing here?" 18 snapped, hopping up. "Haven't you ruined our lives enough?"
"Look, I overhead you all from outside the door. I was going to go back home, but I figured I might as well tell my secret too, seeing as you two somehow had to come clean."
"Bitch."
"I slept with Shuji after graduation," she said quickly, then gauged everyone's reactions. Neither Goku nor Vegeta seemed the least bit surprised. "I said-"
"We knew," Goku confessed.
"How?"
"He told me and I told Vegeta."
"You told-Nevermind. It doesn't matter. We all know now. And I better get going since I'm not wanted here."
"Good," Chi-Chi sneered.
"Yeah," 18 countered.
But then they both looked at each other, and then at Bulma, and just broke down right there and ran to her, nearly knocking her over. They all tried to apologize at once, but neither could hear over the other and they just gave way to hugging and crying on each other.
When they separated, Vegeta was standing over Bulma, Trunks in his arms, Gohan back with Goku. But instead of grabbing Trunks, as were Vegeta's intensions, Bulma grabbed onto him and gently pulled him down so he sat next to her, still cradling Trunks. She didn't care that he didn't want to really talk to her until the night of the play, and then they'd decide the rest of their lives, basically. She wanted him near her right then, just sitting there and not talking was fine so long as he was there. He didn't object, though he was determined not to wrap his arms around her and hold her.
****************************************************************
Krillin sat curled up on his den couch, starring blankly into the flames of the fire he'd started when he got home. No one was home, which came as a relief, because all he wanted to do was watch the flames and cry quietly to himself.
"How could she?" he whimpered, whipping his eyes. He'd never thought he'd ever have to deal with something like this. As soon as he'd slipped the ring on her finger he thought, "Well, this is it. Everything's going to be great from here on out." But everything wasn't great, and it had all started with Bulma and Vegeta. He wondered, had they never gotten together, had their lives never gotten so corrupted, would all this other stuff have happened? But then he remembered that 18 had stumbled into Vegeta's comfort long before Bulma knew of his feelings for her.
And what was Vegeta's excuse? Surely he wasn't heartbroken over one of his whores and needed 18's comfort. He'd just allowed her into his bed, not thinking for one second about the consequences. He knew they were having a little trouble, but it wasn't as if they didn't love each other anymore. Had he really been that cold back then that he'd just taken her without thought? Or had it been something else? Had he been trying to vaporize his love for Bulma by romping around with 18? Could that be possible?
No.
Krillin shook his head and glared into the flames. There was no way Vegeta had had that much sorrow in him. He was cold now just as he'd always been. There was no changing it, and everyone knew it.
"What's wrong bro?"
He looked up to see his sister, Sadako, looming over him. He made a gesture for her to sit.
"Do you and Tsuruki ever have any problems?" he asked.
"Of course we do. We wouldn't love each other if we didn't fight just a little. What's going on with you and 18?"
"I just never thought things could get so bad, you know? You always think: No, that won't happen to me. It always happens to someone else…But then one day you find out the love of your life slept with one of your best friends!" He turned to her, waving his arms around frantically as if not knowing what to do with them. "How am I supposed to forgive her for something like that, Sada? I can't even think of her right now without wanting to break something. I had to come home 'cause I couldn't stand being around her…" He sighed deeply. "How can we ever be together again if I can't even look at her?"
"Wow, that's a heavy load, little brother." She contemplated her words for a moment, then said, "Well, you love her, and she loves you. But if she cheated on you then I'd say there's no repairing." She looked at her hands, as if silently hoping they held something for her that she could tell her distraught brother. "I'm sorry to say it, but I really can't see a future with such a burden for you both to carry. She'll have her guilt and you'll have your distrust. A relationship can never work and grow with that kind of weight. I really liked 18 too."
"I know," he sighed, playing with her ring absently. "I just love her so damn much. Whenever she's near me I just get these chills, even if it's one hundred degrees out and I'm sweating like mad. I just shiver and my breath stops for a second and there's no one else around, even in a crowd, just me and her…Kami, why did this happen?"
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She took a deep breath, then forced out, "Did you walk in on them?"
"No, no, no!" he nearly yelled, as if she were insulting her. "Nothing like that. I just found out today…There was a fight between her and Bulma and Chi-Chi, and some things were said that told us guys that they all had these secrets that we ought to know, so we pressed them. Kami I wish I hadn't wanted to know!"
"Krillin, it's better that you know all her truths than be held for one secret, even if it's that she lied about something silly like her weight. Always strive for the truth. Now, as you were saying."
"Yeah…So she told me that she and Vegeta-" He snarled "-had been together two years ago when we were broken up for a few days over something so stupid!"
"Yeah," she sighed. "I remember that. Mom said she was bad news and wanted you to break up with her. Then you and 18 got into a fight over it and she thought that you were going to go through with it and broke up with you before you could break up with her."
"Yeah," he laughed bitterly. "She always wanted to be the strong one…I loved her even then."
"Did it ever occur to you that this CAN be mended?" He looked at her in utter shock. "Just hear me out." He nodded slowly. "Look, first of all, she didn't cheat on you. She seriously thought you two were done for good, and I know that doesn't justify her sleeping with someone else inside of two days after your break-up, but it does mean that she never intended for it, and it was out of grief for you. She was in pain and needed comfort. Problem is that she found the wrong kind of comfort in the wrong arms. Now I'm not getting down on Vegeta, 'cause I like the guy, but back then I didn't even want to be in the same room with him, and you know me, I like everyone." She grabbed his hand suddenly. "Listen, Krillin, she made a stupid mistake out of her love for you. I think that if you think on it hard enough, that you'll come to the same conclusion eventually. But I suggest that you give it a few days, 'cause while impulses on the heart can be great, they can always back fire."
"I understand…Thanks Sada. I needed that."
"I know," she laughed. "And now I need some pizza. This baby can't get enough of it." She started to stand, but then Krillin hopped up and helped her. True, she was only three months pregnant, and barely showing, but he was still worried about her, as a brother should be.
"Where's Tsuruki? I thought he was coming to visit with you."
"Yeah, he did. But he went to see his parents tonight. He'll be back tomorrow morning."
"Alright then." He grabbed up her car keys before she could. "I'm driving."
"Fine, but I'm paying."
****************************************************************
Goku, Chi-Chi, 17, and 18 all sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for the play to begin. They all knew the situation; Vegeta told Bulma that she could decide tonight whether or not they could be a couple again. There was no way in hell they were going to miss something like this, even if they had to sit through the play again for it. Not that they didn't enjoy it, but once you've seen it once, you've seen it a million times.
"I miss Krillin," 18 sighed, propping her head up with her hand, her elbow on the armrest.
"He told me he just needed some time to cool off," 17 assured her, though continued to look at the back entrances, as if some of the players would be entering from there.
"What do you keep looking at?"
"Nothing."
"So 17," Goku whispered, leaning over his wife. "How are things going with you and Nyoko? I heard you went on a few more dates."
"Yeah." He tried to hide the color that was coming into his cheeks. He was falling hard for her. "She's really great."
"She helping you get over Bulma?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't even think of Bulma that way anymore."
"Well that's good. I'm happy for you."
"Shush you two!" Chi-Chi hissed. "The curtain's opening."
"Welcome everyone to our third production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," Miss Higashikuni said, silencing the room of its few remaining voices. "But tonight we have something a little different to start off with." She motioned to someone standing stage left. To the Goku, Chi-Chi, and especially 18's utter surprise, Krillin came out, shying away from the crowd. "A love poem, read by this young gentleman." She leaned in and whispered something in his ear, then handed him the microphone and walked off stage.
He stood there for a moment, starring at the paper in his hand, then brought the microphone to his mouth.
"I-I wrote this last night." He cleared his throat, though appeared to be puffing himself up more than anything. "I couldn't know that when I met you I'd have fallen quite so hard," he read, trying to pick his voice up just a little. "And I couldn't know that you would someday hurt me so bad. I couldn't know that when the time came, I'd run from you and hide my face. I couldn't know that when I first saw you I'd never want to see another. And I couldn't know that when I realized that I loved you, I'd be slipping that ring on your finger." He took a deep breath and glanced at the audience. 18 was to tears already. "I couldn't know that my mother wouldn't approve, or that so much would happen to strength us…But for all that I didn't know, and for all that I couldn't foresee, I know that I can make up for it now." He hopped off the stage, leaving the microphone there, and practically ran towards 18, who 17 had so conveniently forced to sit next to the aisle. He grabbed her hand before he kneeled, reaching into his pocket. "18," he said, wanting to wipe away her tears, but held his position. "I've loved you for so long and so much that I can't even imagine my life without you. I wanted you as my wife then, and I still want you now."
"But I-"
"You made a mistake, but that only proves one thing; that you're human. I know that you love me, and never stopped. Please, be my wife, again."
"Oh Krillin," she cried, wrapping her arms around him. "Yes!" He pulled away long enough to slip the ring on her finger, where it rightfully belonged, then grabbed her face and kissed her like he was going off to war. Seconds later the crowd burst into applause, 18 still crying, and Krillin now wiping at her tears.
After a few moments the crowd settled down. Krillin took 17's seat, and 17 moved down to the empty seat next to Goku.
"Ah, love," Miss Higashikuni sighed. "Congratulations to the lucky couple." There was another round of applause, but this time it quieted sooner, and she continued. "And now for another sort of love." She straightened herself up, then began reciting the opening lines of the chorus. When she was finish, she walked off the stage, and the final curtains opened on the first Act and Scene.
******************************************************
"You know," Yodo said (Remember her?). "I'm thinking to call you Jittery Juliet." She took a seat beside Bulma, patting her knee. "What's eating you this time? I know it's not the play, 'cause by now you're a natural, though I suppose you were before, from what Vegeta said."
"Vegeta talks about me to you?"
"He mentioned you'd been Juliet years ago, that's all."
"Oh. I see."
"Look, we're friends now, have to be after we held each other's hair at the after party two weeks ago. You can tell me what's bothering you. If it's about Romeo, I swear my mouth won't exist when he's around."
"That's an interesting way of putting it," she laughed, leaning her head back against the wall. "Well, ok." She turned to Yodo. "You know me and Vegeta were a thing before."
"Yes, well, Trunks says it all."
"Well, lately, I've sort of been, you know-"
"Wanting him back, but you just can't bring yourself to take him back after what he did."
"Exactly. And earlier this week I practically threw myself at him after we finally had Trunks back." Practically the entire city knew about that now, for how could the most famous daughter escape the media? "And he told me to wait 'til after the play, and that he didn't want me back decisions on a whim."
"Wow. Vegeta's deeper than I thought. So what's the problem? You want him back, and he's obviously willing to fight for you."
"I know, but-"
"Look, my scene is in a few minutes. So let me just say that if I were you I'd give taking him back some serious thought. You obviously love him, and he loves you. Just try to imagine a few years into the future without him. Somehow I think you won't be able to do it." She smiled warmly, then hopped up and ran to those in the next scene, quickly going over what they needed to do.
Bulma sighed deeply, though couldn't help her smile. Maybe Yodo was right. But it was up to Vegeta to prove himself to her. Please Kami let him not screw things up again!
***************************************************************
The curtains opened and closed too many times for Bulma to count. She'd mastered her scenes, remembered all her lines, and turned in a beautiful performance with Vegeta. Everything had gone perfectly, but, of course, there was that hard feeling in the pit of her stomach that kept her from enjoying her success.
Vegeta sat all the way on the other side of the back stage, looking at the floor, and appeared to be talking to himself. He had a scene in a few minutes, his last one, though something told her that that's not what he was pondering so heavily about. He knew his lines by heart, and could have recited from anywhere in the play on the spot. He kept glancing at the curtains too, which confused her. She caught herself starring at him and turned away, watching the stage from her spot just behind the curtain.
Soon he stood and wandered out of sight, then reappeared on stage.
"Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron," he demanded of the player of Bathasar. Bulma drowned out the rest of his speech, having heard it so many times. Some time later she glanced up and the player of Paris dropped to the stage, sword "stuck" in him.
She climbed to her feet and made way for the darkened area of the stage where she would be lying when the stage lights shined on her tomb bed in a few minutes. No one from the audience could possibly see her, and if they could, they weren't paying any attention, focusing completely on the other players with words and actions.
The lights began to brighten. She sat up and looked around, confused for a moment, then realized she is in her tomb. Her lines are delivered with perfection and ease, and then she "stabbed" herself and fell on top of Vegeta, who grunted only loud enough for her to hear.
"Hush," she whispered, not facing the audience.
The lights dimmed on them and others came and went and gave their lines. When the Prince player gave his final line, the curtain closed and there was grand applause.
"I hope you're ready for this," Vegeta whispered, then, to Bulma's surprise, stands and lifts her off the ground and walks through the curtains. She notices out of the corners of her eyes that all the rest of the players are watching intently from the side stages, out of audience view. But she's too focused on Vegeta, and whatever he's got up his sleeve, to think about them.
When they reached center stage, he set her down gently.
"Vegeta, what the hell are you doing?" she whispered, trying to appear to the audience that this was all planned.
"Proving myself."
************************************************************
---Chapter 22!! That's right, I'm ending it HERE! Heeheehee! I know, I know, I'm pure evil, but how else am I going to get tons of reviews and eager readers waiting for my next chapter? I myself really liked this chapter. Go Vegeta! I wonder who knows what he's up to. Hmm…I'm not telling!
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Reviews=More Chapters)
Next time: How will he prove himself to her?
P.S.: I wrote that little poem that Krillin read to 18. What'd you think of it? Just wrote off the top of my head. Hope it wasn't too mushy.
In the nursery Tsukiyama, Trunks, and Gohan started to cry.
Vegeta rolled his eyes and took his place back on his bed. It was going to be a long night.
***********************************************************
"So does someone mind explaining?" Vegeta huffed, bringing Trunks' bottle to his mouth. All three babies were awake now, two of which were being fed by their fathers in Vegeta's room. Mrs. Ouji no doubt was feeding Tsukiyama in the kitchen. "We just put them to bed and you have to come over here and wake them. So tell me what the hell is going on."
"I-I…I can't say," Chi-Chi sniffled, brushing a little hair out of Gohan's eyes. He had a full head of straight jet-black hair now; Trunks still only possessed a little tuft of his purple hair, which Bulma often worried about, thinking that he'd never grow any more. "Except that we all got in a fight over there and stormed out."
"And you two-" He motioned to Chi-Chi, then to 18. "-are fighting as well?"
"Yes," they hissed in unison, glaring at each other, then turning away.
"Well," 18 said with a smirk. "I can tell you one thing."
"You promised 18!" Chi-Chi snapped. "You tell and I tell."
"I was going to tell him about Bulma."
"Still. I'll tell about you if you tell about her."
"Fine."
"What bout you, 18?" Krillin asked, not at all being able to follow their conversation.
"Come on two you," Goku urged. "Just tell us. We won't get mad."
"Oh yes you will," 18 said, turning away from Krillin. "You definitely will."
"It's not like you slept with other people or something crazy like that. So what's the big deal?"
18 and Chi-Chi looked at each other, horror-stricken and white-faced. No, he just said "not". They didn't know. They couldn't know. But what they didn't realize was that as they looked at each other their fiancée and husband caught on.
"Who were they?" Vegeta laughed, dabbing Trunks face with his bib, then giving him the bottle again. But then he realized who it was for 18 and immediately regretted his words. "Kuso."
"Someone better tell me what the hell is going on!" Goku boomed, bringing Gohan over to Vegeta, who took the other child without question. The last thing he wanted to happen was have a baby hurt in his room; no child deserved pain. He realized silently to himself that it was the first time he'd ever held Gohan. It struck him as odd that he'd never held his best friend's son until now, but pushed the thought aside and focused on the scene before him.
Goku advanced on Chi-Chi, never looking more angry in his life.
"Do wedding vows mean nothing to you!?" He was almost to tears as the words spilled from him. He'd gotten the wrong idea, and thought Chi-Chi had cheated on him. Boy was Krillin in for a surprise then, for he simply sat there, starring blankly at 18's ring finger.
"No Goku! It wasn't like that!" she cried, grabbing his shirt. He shrugged her off, almost too disgusted to look at her.
"Oh really? Then what was it like? Or more to the point, who the hell was he!? Huh, Chi? Who did you ruin our relationship for?"
"No! Goku! Listen to me!" She grabbed his face before he could stop her. "I slept with Sorai four years ago! BEFORE we ever went out! I've never even looked at another man since you first asked me out. I swear it!" She was beyond caring that he could think that she'd cheat on him. He was fully entitled to be angry, and she didn't blame him. If she found out that Goku had been with another woman before her and he'd never told her, she sure as hell would be pissed too.
"Oh," he finally said, easing himself to the floor. Chi-Chi bent down in front of him and took his face in her hands, kissing his forehead tenderly.
"I love you Goku," she whispered, curling into his lap.
"I love you too Chi," he sighed. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, but-"
"I completely understand. Believe me. You have every right to be mad at me for not telling you before."
"I am, a little. But I can see why you didn't." He looked up at her for a moment, then turned away again. "Fourteen, Chi?"
"Yeah," she sighed, face reddening profusely.
"18," Krillin suddenly said, as if he'd been holding it in for some time, which in all actuality was probably the truth. "Tell me."
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, then back at her ring. Slowly she slipped it off and handed it to him, then stood and made for the door. He was almost too shocked to go after her. But once he gathered himself, he jumped up and ran to her, grabbing her upper arms and forcing her to look at him for a moment.
"You'll want it back if I tell you, so what's the use? I might as well face the facts now. Damn you Bulma. I hate you!"
"18, it'll only make it harder if you don't tell me. What if I don't think it's what you're making it out to be?"
"Oh believe me, you'll hate me for this. You'll never what to touch or look at me again. I can guarantee it."
"Don't be so certain."
"Fine," she huffed, slipping from his grasp and taking her seat back on the windowsill. "Two years ago when we broke up for like three days, or whatever-"
"Two days and a half," he said, correcting her. She smiled meekly at him, then looked at her bare hand. She missed her ring.
"Well, Kami," she sighed. "That was such a stupid break up, and we both knew it and I don't know…I…I was just so upset and lonely and a bit drunk that morning…"
"Just tell me his name, I don't need anymore details."
"Oh Kami." She buried her face in her hands, praying that he wouldn't hate her forever.
"It was me," Vegeta said, confident that Krillin wasn't dumb enough to tackle him with two babies in his arms. But he almost did, and stopped himself just in time, grabbing frantically at the bedpost instead.
"You two?" he shuddered, backing away and towards the door.
"Krillin, please!" 18 begged.
"I just can't be here right now. Ok?" He grabbed the door handle, though someone else was turning it on the other side, and he ended up falling right into them.
"Hey Krill."
"B," he said, monotone; still too shocked to bring his normal voice to the surface. He walked out before she had a chance to say a word.
"What're you doing here?" 18 snapped, hopping up. "Haven't you ruined our lives enough?"
"Look, I overhead you all from outside the door. I was going to go back home, but I figured I might as well tell my secret too, seeing as you two somehow had to come clean."
"Bitch."
"I slept with Shuji after graduation," she said quickly, then gauged everyone's reactions. Neither Goku nor Vegeta seemed the least bit surprised. "I said-"
"We knew," Goku confessed.
"How?"
"He told me and I told Vegeta."
"You told-Nevermind. It doesn't matter. We all know now. And I better get going since I'm not wanted here."
"Good," Chi-Chi sneered.
"Yeah," 18 countered.
But then they both looked at each other, and then at Bulma, and just broke down right there and ran to her, nearly knocking her over. They all tried to apologize at once, but neither could hear over the other and they just gave way to hugging and crying on each other.
When they separated, Vegeta was standing over Bulma, Trunks in his arms, Gohan back with Goku. But instead of grabbing Trunks, as were Vegeta's intensions, Bulma grabbed onto him and gently pulled him down so he sat next to her, still cradling Trunks. She didn't care that he didn't want to really talk to her until the night of the play, and then they'd decide the rest of their lives, basically. She wanted him near her right then, just sitting there and not talking was fine so long as he was there. He didn't object, though he was determined not to wrap his arms around her and hold her.
****************************************************************
Krillin sat curled up on his den couch, starring blankly into the flames of the fire he'd started when he got home. No one was home, which came as a relief, because all he wanted to do was watch the flames and cry quietly to himself.
"How could she?" he whimpered, whipping his eyes. He'd never thought he'd ever have to deal with something like this. As soon as he'd slipped the ring on her finger he thought, "Well, this is it. Everything's going to be great from here on out." But everything wasn't great, and it had all started with Bulma and Vegeta. He wondered, had they never gotten together, had their lives never gotten so corrupted, would all this other stuff have happened? But then he remembered that 18 had stumbled into Vegeta's comfort long before Bulma knew of his feelings for her.
And what was Vegeta's excuse? Surely he wasn't heartbroken over one of his whores and needed 18's comfort. He'd just allowed her into his bed, not thinking for one second about the consequences. He knew they were having a little trouble, but it wasn't as if they didn't love each other anymore. Had he really been that cold back then that he'd just taken her without thought? Or had it been something else? Had he been trying to vaporize his love for Bulma by romping around with 18? Could that be possible?
No.
Krillin shook his head and glared into the flames. There was no way Vegeta had had that much sorrow in him. He was cold now just as he'd always been. There was no changing it, and everyone knew it.
"What's wrong bro?"
He looked up to see his sister, Sadako, looming over him. He made a gesture for her to sit.
"Do you and Tsuruki ever have any problems?" he asked.
"Of course we do. We wouldn't love each other if we didn't fight just a little. What's going on with you and 18?"
"I just never thought things could get so bad, you know? You always think: No, that won't happen to me. It always happens to someone else…But then one day you find out the love of your life slept with one of your best friends!" He turned to her, waving his arms around frantically as if not knowing what to do with them. "How am I supposed to forgive her for something like that, Sada? I can't even think of her right now without wanting to break something. I had to come home 'cause I couldn't stand being around her…" He sighed deeply. "How can we ever be together again if I can't even look at her?"
"Wow, that's a heavy load, little brother." She contemplated her words for a moment, then said, "Well, you love her, and she loves you. But if she cheated on you then I'd say there's no repairing." She looked at her hands, as if silently hoping they held something for her that she could tell her distraught brother. "I'm sorry to say it, but I really can't see a future with such a burden for you both to carry. She'll have her guilt and you'll have your distrust. A relationship can never work and grow with that kind of weight. I really liked 18 too."
"I know," he sighed, playing with her ring absently. "I just love her so damn much. Whenever she's near me I just get these chills, even if it's one hundred degrees out and I'm sweating like mad. I just shiver and my breath stops for a second and there's no one else around, even in a crowd, just me and her…Kami, why did this happen?"
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She took a deep breath, then forced out, "Did you walk in on them?"
"No, no, no!" he nearly yelled, as if she were insulting her. "Nothing like that. I just found out today…There was a fight between her and Bulma and Chi-Chi, and some things were said that told us guys that they all had these secrets that we ought to know, so we pressed them. Kami I wish I hadn't wanted to know!"
"Krillin, it's better that you know all her truths than be held for one secret, even if it's that she lied about something silly like her weight. Always strive for the truth. Now, as you were saying."
"Yeah…So she told me that she and Vegeta-" He snarled "-had been together two years ago when we were broken up for a few days over something so stupid!"
"Yeah," she sighed. "I remember that. Mom said she was bad news and wanted you to break up with her. Then you and 18 got into a fight over it and she thought that you were going to go through with it and broke up with you before you could break up with her."
"Yeah," he laughed bitterly. "She always wanted to be the strong one…I loved her even then."
"Did it ever occur to you that this CAN be mended?" He looked at her in utter shock. "Just hear me out." He nodded slowly. "Look, first of all, she didn't cheat on you. She seriously thought you two were done for good, and I know that doesn't justify her sleeping with someone else inside of two days after your break-up, but it does mean that she never intended for it, and it was out of grief for you. She was in pain and needed comfort. Problem is that she found the wrong kind of comfort in the wrong arms. Now I'm not getting down on Vegeta, 'cause I like the guy, but back then I didn't even want to be in the same room with him, and you know me, I like everyone." She grabbed his hand suddenly. "Listen, Krillin, she made a stupid mistake out of her love for you. I think that if you think on it hard enough, that you'll come to the same conclusion eventually. But I suggest that you give it a few days, 'cause while impulses on the heart can be great, they can always back fire."
"I understand…Thanks Sada. I needed that."
"I know," she laughed. "And now I need some pizza. This baby can't get enough of it." She started to stand, but then Krillin hopped up and helped her. True, she was only three months pregnant, and barely showing, but he was still worried about her, as a brother should be.
"Where's Tsuruki? I thought he was coming to visit with you."
"Yeah, he did. But he went to see his parents tonight. He'll be back tomorrow morning."
"Alright then." He grabbed up her car keys before she could. "I'm driving."
"Fine, but I'm paying."
****************************************************************
Goku, Chi-Chi, 17, and 18 all sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for the play to begin. They all knew the situation; Vegeta told Bulma that she could decide tonight whether or not they could be a couple again. There was no way in hell they were going to miss something like this, even if they had to sit through the play again for it. Not that they didn't enjoy it, but once you've seen it once, you've seen it a million times.
"I miss Krillin," 18 sighed, propping her head up with her hand, her elbow on the armrest.
"He told me he just needed some time to cool off," 17 assured her, though continued to look at the back entrances, as if some of the players would be entering from there.
"What do you keep looking at?"
"Nothing."
"So 17," Goku whispered, leaning over his wife. "How are things going with you and Nyoko? I heard you went on a few more dates."
"Yeah." He tried to hide the color that was coming into his cheeks. He was falling hard for her. "She's really great."
"She helping you get over Bulma?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't even think of Bulma that way anymore."
"Well that's good. I'm happy for you."
"Shush you two!" Chi-Chi hissed. "The curtain's opening."
"Welcome everyone to our third production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," Miss Higashikuni said, silencing the room of its few remaining voices. "But tonight we have something a little different to start off with." She motioned to someone standing stage left. To the Goku, Chi-Chi, and especially 18's utter surprise, Krillin came out, shying away from the crowd. "A love poem, read by this young gentleman." She leaned in and whispered something in his ear, then handed him the microphone and walked off stage.
He stood there for a moment, starring at the paper in his hand, then brought the microphone to his mouth.
"I-I wrote this last night." He cleared his throat, though appeared to be puffing himself up more than anything. "I couldn't know that when I met you I'd have fallen quite so hard," he read, trying to pick his voice up just a little. "And I couldn't know that you would someday hurt me so bad. I couldn't know that when the time came, I'd run from you and hide my face. I couldn't know that when I first saw you I'd never want to see another. And I couldn't know that when I realized that I loved you, I'd be slipping that ring on your finger." He took a deep breath and glanced at the audience. 18 was to tears already. "I couldn't know that my mother wouldn't approve, or that so much would happen to strength us…But for all that I didn't know, and for all that I couldn't foresee, I know that I can make up for it now." He hopped off the stage, leaving the microphone there, and practically ran towards 18, who 17 had so conveniently forced to sit next to the aisle. He grabbed her hand before he kneeled, reaching into his pocket. "18," he said, wanting to wipe away her tears, but held his position. "I've loved you for so long and so much that I can't even imagine my life without you. I wanted you as my wife then, and I still want you now."
"But I-"
"You made a mistake, but that only proves one thing; that you're human. I know that you love me, and never stopped. Please, be my wife, again."
"Oh Krillin," she cried, wrapping her arms around him. "Yes!" He pulled away long enough to slip the ring on her finger, where it rightfully belonged, then grabbed her face and kissed her like he was going off to war. Seconds later the crowd burst into applause, 18 still crying, and Krillin now wiping at her tears.
After a few moments the crowd settled down. Krillin took 17's seat, and 17 moved down to the empty seat next to Goku.
"Ah, love," Miss Higashikuni sighed. "Congratulations to the lucky couple." There was another round of applause, but this time it quieted sooner, and she continued. "And now for another sort of love." She straightened herself up, then began reciting the opening lines of the chorus. When she was finish, she walked off the stage, and the final curtains opened on the first Act and Scene.
******************************************************
"You know," Yodo said (Remember her?). "I'm thinking to call you Jittery Juliet." She took a seat beside Bulma, patting her knee. "What's eating you this time? I know it's not the play, 'cause by now you're a natural, though I suppose you were before, from what Vegeta said."
"Vegeta talks about me to you?"
"He mentioned you'd been Juliet years ago, that's all."
"Oh. I see."
"Look, we're friends now, have to be after we held each other's hair at the after party two weeks ago. You can tell me what's bothering you. If it's about Romeo, I swear my mouth won't exist when he's around."
"That's an interesting way of putting it," she laughed, leaning her head back against the wall. "Well, ok." She turned to Yodo. "You know me and Vegeta were a thing before."
"Yes, well, Trunks says it all."
"Well, lately, I've sort of been, you know-"
"Wanting him back, but you just can't bring yourself to take him back after what he did."
"Exactly. And earlier this week I practically threw myself at him after we finally had Trunks back." Practically the entire city knew about that now, for how could the most famous daughter escape the media? "And he told me to wait 'til after the play, and that he didn't want me back decisions on a whim."
"Wow. Vegeta's deeper than I thought. So what's the problem? You want him back, and he's obviously willing to fight for you."
"I know, but-"
"Look, my scene is in a few minutes. So let me just say that if I were you I'd give taking him back some serious thought. You obviously love him, and he loves you. Just try to imagine a few years into the future without him. Somehow I think you won't be able to do it." She smiled warmly, then hopped up and ran to those in the next scene, quickly going over what they needed to do.
Bulma sighed deeply, though couldn't help her smile. Maybe Yodo was right. But it was up to Vegeta to prove himself to her. Please Kami let him not screw things up again!
***************************************************************
The curtains opened and closed too many times for Bulma to count. She'd mastered her scenes, remembered all her lines, and turned in a beautiful performance with Vegeta. Everything had gone perfectly, but, of course, there was that hard feeling in the pit of her stomach that kept her from enjoying her success.
Vegeta sat all the way on the other side of the back stage, looking at the floor, and appeared to be talking to himself. He had a scene in a few minutes, his last one, though something told her that that's not what he was pondering so heavily about. He knew his lines by heart, and could have recited from anywhere in the play on the spot. He kept glancing at the curtains too, which confused her. She caught herself starring at him and turned away, watching the stage from her spot just behind the curtain.
Soon he stood and wandered out of sight, then reappeared on stage.
"Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron," he demanded of the player of Bathasar. Bulma drowned out the rest of his speech, having heard it so many times. Some time later she glanced up and the player of Paris dropped to the stage, sword "stuck" in him.
She climbed to her feet and made way for the darkened area of the stage where she would be lying when the stage lights shined on her tomb bed in a few minutes. No one from the audience could possibly see her, and if they could, they weren't paying any attention, focusing completely on the other players with words and actions.
The lights began to brighten. She sat up and looked around, confused for a moment, then realized she is in her tomb. Her lines are delivered with perfection and ease, and then she "stabbed" herself and fell on top of Vegeta, who grunted only loud enough for her to hear.
"Hush," she whispered, not facing the audience.
The lights dimmed on them and others came and went and gave their lines. When the Prince player gave his final line, the curtain closed and there was grand applause.
"I hope you're ready for this," Vegeta whispered, then, to Bulma's surprise, stands and lifts her off the ground and walks through the curtains. She notices out of the corners of her eyes that all the rest of the players are watching intently from the side stages, out of audience view. But she's too focused on Vegeta, and whatever he's got up his sleeve, to think about them.
When they reached center stage, he set her down gently.
"Vegeta, what the hell are you doing?" she whispered, trying to appear to the audience that this was all planned.
"Proving myself."
************************************************************
---Chapter 22!! That's right, I'm ending it HERE! Heeheehee! I know, I know, I'm pure evil, but how else am I going to get tons of reviews and eager readers waiting for my next chapter? I myself really liked this chapter. Go Vegeta! I wonder who knows what he's up to. Hmm…I'm not telling!
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Reviews=More Chapters)
Next time: How will he prove himself to her?
P.S.: I wrote that little poem that Krillin read to 18. What'd you think of it? Just wrote off the top of my head. Hope it wasn't too mushy.