Disclaimer; Don't own DBZ now, won't own it tomorrow, might own it the day after though…
A/N; New chapter is up! I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. Well, I hope you all had a great new year and didn't get too drunk, and I hope you all like this chapter.
All right, this chapter is dedicated to Kawaiisempai because he/she (sorry, I have no idea what sex you are, lol) said they like Guys singing too! Now, I realize you probably only said it to try and stop my shameless and no doubt annoying self-promotion of him. But that doesn't matter, because you said it anyway! And I will love you forever because of it. *blows you a kiss*. Well, enjoy your chapter! And also, thanks a bunch for constantly reading my story and liking it, it really does mean a lot to me!
~D.B
And Then You'll KnowChapter 31
He stood just in the doorway, leaning casually against the arch. There was something about the sight in front of him that just wasn't right. 18 lay in her bed – normally enough. The odd part about it was just how close she was to Krillen; their foreheads were almost touching!
Sure, Nison had seen them share a bed together before, but not like this, usually Krillen would only be half on the bed, and on top of the blankets sleeping back to back with 18. Now they were both snuggly under the covers and his arm was resting protectively across her waist.
Scowling, Nison shook his head. He wasn't a dumb man; it was obvious what was going on. He had officially lost his chance with 18, and it was killing him, since everyday his desire to be with her grew stronger and stronger. It wasn't fair. Why should the prince be able to have her and not him? The way he saw it, if he couldn't have her, than no one could.
Nison knew that jealousy was a curse and that he should be happy for 18. But it was hard to be happy for someone when all you could think of was how miserable you were.
~
18 groaned and cracked open one eye. Krillen was still sleeping – she smiled, he looked cute when he slept. Rolling over, she saw Nison, who had clearly been watching her. While she did find that quite disturbing, she flashed him a sleepy smile anyway
"Morning" she said
"Sleep well?" Nison asked
"Quite well" she replied as she half sat up, and pushed her sleep tousled hair back off her face.
"Mmm" Krillen began to stir beside her and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow
"Hey," she prodded him in the side with her finger, "wake up".
Reluctantly, Krillen opened his eyes and sat up, then not so reluctantly took 18's face in his hands and kissed her. Nison rolled his eyes and took that as his cue to leave.
***
The sun wasn't even up yet, and already Chi-chi was busy. Kakkarot had spent the night with her, after the ceremony, and now Chi-chi had decided she wanted to cook him breakfast. Not many people knew that she had a passion for cooking, and that she was damn good at it as well. She remembered back when she was younger, much younger, she used to bake cookies with her mother, who had also thoroughly enjoyed cooking. That was probably where Chi-chi got her talent. She had yet to come across a dish that she couldn't master, from traditional Sayian cuisine to delicious delicacies from across the universe.
She quietly hummed to the tunes from the radio that was sitting on the windowsill as she prepared a feast that even Kakkarot wouldn't be able to get through.
Looking up at the clock on the wall she grinned to herself. Kakkarot would be walking up any minute. She put the last of the dishes on platters and put them onto a trolley, leaving her mess for 18 to clean up later. Then she pushed her little cart out the kitchen and down the hall towards her room
"Kakkarot" she quietly called as she pushed open the door to her room. Leaving the cart where it was, she pulled open the curtains and let in the dull morning light, it was a cloudy morning so the rays weren't to bad on her eyes.
She crept across the room and sat on the edge of the bed, she gently ran her hand through Kakkarot's sleep tousled hair and wondered for the millionth time why it spiked the way it did. "Kakkarot, it's breakfast time" she said sweetly.
Kakkarot's eyes snapped open as soon as he heard the word breakfast and Chi-chi laughed at him.
"What?" he asked as he sat up and kissed her on the cheek.
Chi-chi rested her head on his shoulder and asked, "Do you ever think about anything else beside food?"
Kakkarot smiled stupidly and rubbed the back of his head "I don't think about food that much" he said, honestly believing that it was true.
Chichi couldn't help herself and burst into a fit of laughter, leaving Kakkarot to wonder what was so funny "Are you kidding,?" asked Chi-chi as she wiped some tears from the corner of her eye "I've never met anyone as obsessed with food as you are?"
"Really?" asked Kakkarot.
Chi-chi only nodded in reply then she stood up and dragged the cart over to the bed "I cooked you some breakfast," she said "eat that while I go and have a shower"
Kakkarot didn't reply, he was to busy shoveling food into his mouth.
***
"Vegeta!"
Vegeta blinked and looked up, "Yes father?" he asked, "what is it?"
"You don't seem your usual self today." The King pointed out. "Is something the matter?"
Vegeta shook his head, "No father, everything is fine and as it should be"
The King clearly didn't believe his eldest child, he may have been a single father who didn't really get to spend a lot of time with his children due to him being the King and all, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell when something was wrong, and right now something was definitely wrong. Yet he didn't want to pressure his son into talking about something he would really rather not. He had learnt along time ago when dealing with a younger Chi-chi, that forcing children into talking to you, very often wasn't the right way to go about getting them to open up. More often then not it just forced them to become more and more secluded and hostile. And while it was true that Vegeta was not a 14-year-old teenage girl, the principal was still the same.
"Ok son," he said "I think I can manage things here on my own now, why don't you get some lunch, or take a walk" he suggested.
Vegeta usually spent most of his days in the throne room with his father helping him with the day to day running of the palace. He would make phone calls, fill in for his father when he was out at press conferences and such and generally just assist in whatever anyone needed help with. At times it got a bit hectic, but he enjoyed it nonetheless, and it would be good practice for when he eventually took the throne himself.
It was true, the King could manage on his own, now that Frieza was no more, things around the palace had been quite slow, usually the King would take phone call after phone call from distressed officials from other planets that had received word Frieza or some other branch of his empire were on their way to their home worlds. The King had never really understood why they always turned to him, when Frieza had used the Sayians as his exterminators for years now, and they had no choice but to comply with his every desire, or face total annihilation. But that was in the past now, the Sayians were free. Of course there was always the threat that someone else from his fallen empire could rise to claim his old position, but King Vegeta highly doubted that would happen, at least not for a while.
"Well son, what do you say?" asked the King
Vegeta sighed and looked out the window, it looked cold outside "Alright then, I'll be back soon"
***
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"It looks like your cleaning the pool"
"Well aren't you just the smartest little cookie"
Krillen rolled his eyes and sat down on one of the chairs beside the pool. He watched as 18 moved along the pool holding a net on the end of a big long stick, she skimmed it across the water, collecting any leaves and such that had landed in the water, the banged the net on the ground until all the leaves fell out the net, then repeated the process.
"Do you want some help?" he asked as he began to stand up
"No that ok," replied 18 "I only have one net anyway"
"Hey, hope you don't mind me asking, but why are you doing this? It doesn't seem like a job Chi-chi would give you"
"It's not," 18 replied without looking up from her task "Tarie is getting to pregnant to work now, she cant be seen around the palace anymore or who knows what they'll do to her. So we all have to pitch in to get her jobs done on top of our own. I didn't have a whole lot to do today, so now I'm getting as much of Tar's done as I can"
Krillen smiled, 18 was so beautiful, on the inside and out "That's a lovely thing for you to do for her"
18 only shrugged her shoulders; "She would of done the same for me"
For a brief second, an image of a pregnant 18 occupied Krillens mind, and he laughed inwardly, but it quickly disappeared when he heard footsteps behind him. Twisting his torso around, he looked behind him and saw his oldest sibling climbing the steps that led up to the huge swimming pool.
"Hey Vegeta," he casually greeted him as he sat down in the chair next to him, "What's up?"
Vegeta glanced up. "The sky" he replied.
Krillen shook his head and looked at Vegeta, waiting for a real answer. "I guess nothing" he eventually replied.
Krillen cocked an eyebrow at Vegeta; he had been expecting a better answer that that "You guess nothing?" he repeated. "I might be younger than you Vegeta, but I'm not stupid enough to believe that"
Vegeta blinked slowly and leaned back against the chair "Is it that obvious?" he asked in a tone of voice that sounded like it didn't belong to him at all.
From her position by the side of the pool, 18 blinked. What was going on here? Last she knew, before Krillen and Vegeta left for Namek, they hated each other. Now here they were sharing a deep and meaningful conversation. Exactly what had happened up there on Namek? She made sure to keep cleaning, otherwise it would be stupidly obvious that she was listening in on their conversation, but she kept her ears open and tuned her super sensitive ears in on exactly what they were saying.
"So are you going to share with me or not?" asked Krillen. "It might help"
"It's the woman" said Vegeta.
"Who? Bulma?" Krillen asked, not sounding at all shocked or like he was mocking his older brother. 18 smiled to herself, just one of the reasons why she loved him so much, he always had time for everybody and always took them seriously.
"Yes Bulma" Vegeta replied, he sounded a little bit angry at Krillen
Krillen sighed, he knew what it was like to have girl troubles, and now he was also lucky enough to know what it was like to have the girl, without the troubles "What about Bulma?" he asked. "Maybe I can help?"
Vegeta looked away, he was more than slightly embarrassed about having to come to his 19-year-old brother for love advice. "I don't know if you can. I kissed her" said Vegeta, "When we got back from Namek. I haven't been able to get it out of my head"
Inwardly Krillen laughed, he knew what Vegeta was going through. The poor guy had it bad. "I really don't think you should be talking to me about this Vegeta"
"Well who then?" he asked.
Krillen rolled his eyes towards the sky "Bulma" he said.
Vegeta furrowed his brow, he was now in deep though. "But what would I say to her that wouldn't resulting in her slapping me?"
"Did she slap you after you kissed her?" asked Krillen, smiling to himself because he was about to make a point
"No"
"Well then why would she slap you for just talking to her?" Krillen asked his 26-year-old brother. He found it odd really, that someone of his age could go for so long, and yet know absolutely nothing about love. He supposed he took more after their father than their mother.
18 smiled, Krillen was saying the right things again and again. Was there anything he couldn't do?
"But what would I say to her?" asked Vegeta, "I don't want to seem weak in front of her"
Krillen had to laugh. "Vegeta, if you want Bulma, you are going to have to push your pride aside for just a little while and show her that you really do care. You'll have to show her the true Vegeta, not the Vegeta that every body else knows." Krillen paused for a second and looked at 18, she looked back at him. Never breaking their eye contact, Krillen continued. "And if Bulma has the same feeling for you that you have for her, you'll know. And no matter how nervous you are, you'll say the right thing. Just look into her eyes and you'll know that everything will work out fine. That's the only advice I can give you" he said.
Vegeta didn't reply, he had noticed Krillen staring intently at Chi-chi's slave girl, what ever her name was, 12 or something like that; he had seen her in the Harem before she had worked for his sister. And in turn, she was staring back at him. Suddenly it clicked, the girl Krillen had been telling him about on the ship was her. Chi-chi's worker girl. Usually Vegeta would of laughed and never let Krillen live it down, but now he couldn't imagine doing something like that, without really realizing it, he had gotten surprisingly close to his kid brother.
Leaning over towards Krillens, he whispered so that she wouldn't be able to hear them "Why don't you take some of your own advice and tell her" he said
Krillen had to laugh, which totally confused Vegeta, "She already knows man" he said
"And?" Vegeta asked
"And what?"
"Was it successful?"
Krillen only nodded
***
Much later that night, Vegeta still hadn't worked up the courage to confront Bulma, normally he wasn't one to worry about nerves, he would decided he wanted to do something, then go and do it. But now, emotions had come into play, and he didn't want to have his heart crushed.
Looking at the clock, he decided that he should probably attempt to get some sleep, it was late and he needed to be up early in the morning…heck, he needed to be up early every morning.
~
"Vegeta" the voice calling his name was soft, warm and inviting. He thought he recognized it from somewhere, but he wasn't too sure.
Vegeta looked around, he was outside in one of the gardens of the palace. How did he get out here? It was a beautiful day and sun was shining down on him, birds were chirping, the sky was blue. Everything was great. Why was everything so great?
"Vegeta" he heard someone calling his name again, but upon spinning around to find the culprit, he was greeted with nothing but air. Then all of a sudden, he began to see an image materialize right in front of him. His jaw dropped and his eyes bulged in amazement.
Soon the image had become a full solid person and it was slowly walking towards him.
A woman, with long back hair that was gently blowing in the warm breeze, and beautiful sparkling black eyes that could tell an entire story was walking towards him. She was dressed in a long white robe that was tied with a golden cord. At first Vegeta didn't realize who this woman was, but as she got closer it clicked and he felt his legs give out of him and he fell to his knees.
Without a word the woman walked up to him and kneeled down in front of him. She stroked his cheek with her soft hand and wiped away the tears that had strayed from his eyes. She seemed to be inspecting him, taking in everything about him.
"Vegeta" she whispered to him, speaking his name for the third time. Only this time it was so much more emotional, and to Vegeta is seemed like she also had tears in her eyes.
He opened his mouth to say something, but it took a few minutes for him to find his voice "M- mother" he whispered.
"Yes Vegeta, it's me. You've grown so big" she said sniffing back tears
"What's going on?" Vegeta asked
"I've come to help you"
"You can't help me. You're dead. Frieza killed you"
"And you killed Frieza. I'm so proud of you, and your brother and sister. Don't think just because you can't see me, I can't see you"
Vegeta was lost for words; here was his mother, who had been dead for 8 and a half years, sitting in front of him, talking to him, touching him.
"You need some advice Vegeta" said Lumie, tucking some of her hair behind her ear as she spoke
"I do?" asked Vegeta, sill in shock that he was talking to his mother
Lumie nodded "I can't stay long, so here's what I have to tell you," she said "just do it, I promise you won't be disappointed"
Vegeta was confused. What was she talking about? "Mother, I don't understand" he said quietly, looking at the ground
"You will, in time," she smiled at him "I have to go".
She leaned toward Vegeta and gently gave him a kiss on the cheek "I love you and you brother and sister and I am so proud of you all. Never forget that" she said, and then she was gone. Leaving a dumbfounded Vegeta behind
~
Vegeta opened his eyes and sat up. It was morning, 7a.m to be exact. Had he dreamed everything that had just happened? No he couldn't of, it had been so real, he had been able to smell her sweet perfume, feel it when she touched him. It had to be real. But then, why was he in bed? As much as he would of loved to deny it, it had to have been a dream.
He thought about what she had said, "just do it" and suddenly inside his brain it clicked, she had been talking about Bulma!
***
Chi-chi and Bulma were sitting in Chi-chi's room, well Bulma was sitting on the bed and Chi-chi was rummaging through her closet looking for something to wear to a press meeting she had to go to with her brothers. Everything she didn't like went on the floor. And according to Chi-chi, everything that went on the floor, needed to be washed. 18 sat in the corner of the room, calculating in her head all the hours she was going to have to spend un-necessarily washing clothing.
"What do you think of this one B-Chan?" Chi-chi asked, she was holding a pink boob tube dress that fell to about her knees and had thin white stripes running diagonally across it, against her.
"That's cute. When did you get it?" asked Bulma
"A while ago" replied Chi-chi
"It's good, but you'd need to wear a jacket or something with it, it's cold outside"
"Yeah!" agreed Chi-chi then she had an idea and disappeared back into her closet "What about this?" she asked holding up a long white scarf. It was different, but it would look nice. "Isn't that my scarf?"
Chi-chi's eyes darted all around the room, then she burst out laughing "maybe" she said.
"Chi" Bulma sounded annoyed, but she didn't object to Chi-chi wearing the scarf.
Suddenly, the door swung open and Vegeta strode into the room "Vegeta!" shrieked Chi-chi, "I could have been nude you know"
"God help me, I think I'd shoot myself if I ever saw something as horrifying as that"
Chi-chi rolled her eyes, clearly pissed at her older brother.
Bulma looked at Vegeta and her thoughts instantly went back to that kiss, not that had really been anywhere else for the last 4 days. It was all she had been able to think about.
"What do you want Vegeta?" asked Chi-chi as she laid her outfit for the night over her chair "Iron it" she spat at 18.
"Yes ma'am" she muttered.
"I want to talk to the woman" said Vegeta. Bulma felt her heart skip a beat; he wanted to talk to her.
"Who B-Chan?" asked Chi-chi.
"No, the one on the floor" Vegeta snapped sarcastically. Chi-chi actually considered that for a second before she realized that he was joking and did indeed want to talk to Bulma.
"Oh ok then. Bye B-Chan" she said with a wave as she watched Bulma rise up from the bed and follow Vegeta out the room.
~
They walked outside into the cool afternoon air and sat down on a wooden bench under a big old oak tree. They sat in an awkward silence for quite a few minutes before Bulma grew to anxious and needed to say something.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
Vegeta gulped and thought back to what his mother had said 'Just do it' he heard the words echo in his mind and with that he received a sudden boost of confidence.
"I don't really know how to tell you this, Bulma". Bulma blinked, he never called her that. She hoped she knew what he was about to say. "Just say it. It'll come out right" Bulma spoke sweetly to him.
"I…um…I have feelings for you, woman" Vegeta muttered, his confidence boost suddenly lost.
Bulma smiled, she had never seen him so nervous, it was cute. "I like you to, Vegeta" she said not nervous at all, unlike him, she had been waiting for this moment almost her whole life.
Vegeta didn't know what to say, his mind was blank… he was no good at this. "I'm sorry," he said, "I have to go". He had hardly even taken three steps away from her before he heard Bulma call him "Vegeta, wait!"
He stopped and turned to face her. "What?" he asked
"Come here" she said, her voice kind yet firm. He did as he was told and resumed his seat next to her.
Bulma smiled, this was a side of Vegeta she had never dreamed of seeing, she hadn't even known it existed. She reached out and took hold of Vegeta hand, which was considerably bigger than hers and threaded her fingers through his. "Don't be scared Vegeta" she said as she rested her head on his shoulder. At first she felt him tense up, but then he relaxed and let the romance of the moment take him through.
"It's alright" Bulma soothed him, "I promise".
Even though Bulma couldn't see it, there was a smile on Vegeta's face. His mother had been right, Bulma was right, everything in his world, for once, felt right.
***
Bulma was banging on Chi-chi's door and chanting her name over and over again "Chi-chi! Open up this damn door!"
Finally the door opened, but it was 18 who she was greeted by, not Chi-chi. "Hi 18" Bulma sounded exceptionally happy. 18 pulled open the door all the way and let Bulma in.
"Chi-chi is in the shower, she should almost be done though". Then as if one cue, Chi-chi emerged from the bathroom wearing the pink boob tube dress and toweling her hair dry.
"Oh my god Chi! Guess what?"
Chi-chi took a step back, kind of scared by Bulma's weird behavior "What's up B?" she asked.
"Me…Vegeta…I can't believe it!"
"Whoa, calm down B. You aren't making any sense. Take a deep breath, sit down and try again" Chi-chi instructed.
Bulma did as she was told and sat down on Chi-chi bed. "Ok, she said," speaking very slowly "me and Vegeta are a couple!"
Chi-chi was quiet for a few seconds as those few words sunk it then she found her voice "What!" she shrieked. Bulma nodded and jumped up of the bed.
"Oh my god B," Chi-chi cried as she threw her arms around her best bud "That's so great! I'm so happy for you!"
Bulma looked over at 18 and smiled. "What are you looking at her for?" Chi-chi asked.
"I'm just really happy".
"Well I'm happy for you as well. You two are just so perfect for each other." Chi-chi said, then she gasped as she had a great idea, "Now we can go on a double date!"
"Yeah!" agreed Bulma, "Now sit down and I'll do your hair for you"
18 was quietly working away in the corner, busying herself putting all of Chi-chi's C.D's in alphabetical order. It was another pointless task, as by this time tomorrow they would be all over the floor again. She could hear Chi-chi and Bulma yapping away as Bulma worked magic on Chi-chi's long black hair and sighed. She liked Bulma and was glad she had found someone to make her happy. But Vegeta? Why him?
"Ma'am" she called quietly as she stood up.
"What?"
"I'm finished all of my duties for today"
Chi-chi flicked her wrist in 18's general direction, not bothering to look at her, "Go on then. Get out of my sight"
~
18 decided that she would drop in and pay her brother and Tarie a quick visit, besides, she wanted to share her special news with them. She knocked on the door and waited, it was Tarie who greeted her.
"Hi" she said with a bright smile.
"Hi" 18 replied.
"Come on in" said Tarie, she was in a particularly good mood tonight.
18 walked into the room and collapsed onto the bed, it no longer smelt like Krillen, 18 noticed with dismay.
"Where's my brother?" she asked, realizing Tarie was alone in the room.
"He went to visit Nison" replied Tarie. 18 looked across at Tarie and instantly she noticed that Tarie's belly was considerably bigger, there was a visible lump there now. "How far along are you?" she asked
"Bulma thinks about 4 and a half months"
"Already?" asked 18
"Yup"
Just then 17 walked into the room, he kissed Tarie and gave his sister a hug. "How've you been 18?" he asked as he walked into the bathroom to wash his face and hands before sitting down to eat the food Bulma had left them.
"Fine," replied 18, "I actually have something I want to tell you and Tarie"
"Really?" asked Tarie as she sat down beside 18 and handed her a piece of fruit, which 18 declined, she felt bad taking their food
"Well what have you got to tell us?" asked 17
"Well um…" 18 stalled, trying to find the right words "Krillen and I…well… we're a couple" announced 18. The next thing she knew, Tarie had her arms tightly wrapped around 18 "Oh my gosh, that's great 18. I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks" 18 said, sounding a little bit shocked at the intensity of Taries joy.
"I'm really happy for you 18" 17 said as he rested his hand on 18's shoulder.
"Thanks"
"Well then if you and Krillen are together, then I guess I should tell you that he is downstairs waiting for you"
"He is?"
"Would I lie to you?"
18 knew the answer to that. She stood up and smiled at the pair on the bed. "Thanks guys. I'll see you tomorrow" she said and she walked out the room.
***
"I heard you were down here" 18 said as she walked into the room
"Was I busted?" Krillen asked as 18 sat down next to him.
"By my brother" said 18 through a yawn.
"Sleepy?"
18 nodded and rested her head on Krillens shoulder. "Very. You're stupid sister makes me do to much stuff, I don't like it"
"I'm sorry babe, I'll talk to her if you want me too"
"Don't waste your breath, I can tell you what would happen right now"
"What?"
"Chi-chi would get mad at me for talking to you and probably beat me within an inch of my life"
Krillen felt horrible, mainly because he knew it was so close to the truth.
"I swear, if it wasn't for Nison and his magic fingers I would be long dead by now"
Krillen felt a wave of jealously wash over him, and he knew jealousy was both a curse and a sin, yet he couldn't help it, "What do you mean?" he asked
"He's half Namekian," she said "You know that. He has the ability to heal people"
"Ah, I see" sighed Krillen, now it all made sense.
"Well, I'm going to sleep now. You can stay if you want" 18 offered.
"I have to go to a press conference upstairs, sorry babe. I'll come down later if you want me to"
"Don't bother, I'll be asleep and won't even notice it."
"Ok then," said Krillen and he bent down and gave 18 a kiss on the cheek, that wasn't enough for 18 though and she pulled him back again and pressed her lips to his. "Good night" she muttered as Krillen pulled the blankets up over her, she was already half asleep
"Good night" he whispered to her as he crept out of the room.
***
A few days later Kakkarot walked down the halls of the palace, he and a certain bounce in his step today and he hummed to himself as he walked along. Looking at his watch, he quickened his pace, he was running late, and he didn't really like being late.
Suddenly, he heard someone calling out somewhere behind him. "Kakkarot!" he turned around and saw Chi-chi running towards him.
"Hi" she said, "We're you looking for me?" she asked, not expecting any other answer but yes.
Kakkarot smiled brightly at Chi-chi and rubbed the back of his head, "Na, I'm not here to see you Chi, I'm here to see Krillen" he replied
Chi-chi blinked "What?" she asked, not knowing what else there was to say.
"Yeah, I've come to visit Krillen," Kakkarot repeated himself, "I'll maybe see you later ok".
Chi-chi was at a loss for words, but the look on her face as she watched Kakkarot walk away from her said it all. She was pissed. Whether Kakkarot realized what he had just done or how much trouble he had gotten himself into was debatable. But he would find out later.
Shaking her head and muttering cuss words under her breath, she turned on her heel and stormed off in the other direction to find Bulma, she wanted to be as far away from him right now as she possibly could.
***
A/N; Uh oh, Chi-chi's cracked it now! Wanna know what's going to happen next? Well Chi-chi…yeah, like I'm going to tell you. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon, then you really will be able to find out what is going to happen next
Review Please! ^^
~Deadly Beauty