A Woman's Duty

By: Priscilla-Chan

PART 2

The Next Day...

"Chi-Chi, I think you've lost your mind... really. Last night.. I was only kidding around!.. But Vegeta really is something. I've never seen anyone with his personality before. I learn new things about him everyday. You know, Yamucha really doesn't seem all that interesting compared to Vegeta... aside from the fact he's been on television before." Bulma commented.

"Bulma... that was not a show anybody would want to be on... it was COPS! Anyways, I've noticed you two using less harsh language towards each other and I just got to thinking that perhaps you two are loosening up to each other. I mean, after how many years! It's about time. Goku was commenting last night that he thinks Veggie-head came down to see you. Apparently, he forgot he had told Vegeta to come down too. laughing That man can be so forgetful at times..." Chi-Chi trailed off with a smile upon her face.

DING DONG

"Oh! That must be the pizza man! Hurry Bulma, get me 20 Yen! They're having a special! " Chi-Chi squealed in delightfulness.

Bulma reached over onto the marble counter and grabbed what 20 Yen she spotted. After Chi-Chi payed the pizza man and threw him out before he could start flirting with Bulma, they opened the pizza box and examined all of the toppings. The smell of the brick-oven pizza had drifted into the breeze through the window and out into the backyard where Goku was playing with Gohan.

"Uh oh.." Chi-chi mumbled as she realized Goku had smelled the food.

The two other Sons had flew in through the open back door and plopped down at the table, mouths watering.

"Oh no! No no no! You two have food in the fridge. There's last night's leftovers and the lunch I made for you two this afternoon!" Chi-Chi bellowed at the two eating machines.

"Everyone, I'm home!" Bulma bellowed as she entered her mansion-sized home. Oddly enough, the house was silent, neat, and no one appeared to be home. Bulma walked to the den in the back of the house, peered outside through the French windows, but noticed the Gravity Machine wasn't even on. "Odd..." Bulma commented out-loud. Then it suddenly clicked to her! I have the whole house to myself.. To myself! Wahoo-hoo! She jumped in the air in giddiness and ran about the house whooping and hollering. She hadn't had such a turn of luck in so long! She ran upstairs, tugged off her day clothes, put on her terry-cloth robe and grabbed a couple of items to keep her busy as she made her way to the grand bathroom. After turning the diamond tub knob onto "really warm", she slipped off her robe and slid into the bubbly bathtub. The feeling was wonderful: warmth covering her in a blanket of white bubbles, her favorite music playing, candles lit, and the lights dimmed— Wait a second... it's too quiet, no birds are even chirping, and it's two in the afternoon! Bulma thought. Suddenly, she heard a vase tip over onto the wooden floor in the hallway. Her eyes opened wide and her heart skipped a beat. Then she heard some other fragile piece of decoration fall to the ground and shatter.

"Hello? Mom, dad, Vegeta?" Bulma called from behind a closed door. Silence. She turned her music down so she could hear anything else including footsteps. There were footsteps! Very slowly, she rose herself from the tub, bubbles covering her areas (good thing incase Peeping Toms were outside watching her through the silk curtains.) Grabbing her robe, she made her way towards the door, tip-toeing quietly. Placing her hands on the doorknob, she gently turned the knob and cracked open the door. Unfortunately for her, she had no way to defend her self except with her body.. And a toothbrush. Wonderful! As she stuck her head through the crack, she spotted nothing, except for the vase and a mirror which had apparently been knocked over by horseplay or clumsiness.

"HELLO?" She was becoming inpatient now. She heard some faint chuckling coming from down the hall... from her parent's bedroom! Yet, it wasn't her parents making this odd noise. All of a sudden, something flies through the hall and into the room. Crashing and banging is heard; gargling and gasps are heard as well. Shattering of glass draws the line, but Bulma is too scared to leave the safety of her bathroom. The shattering turned out to be a body being thrown through the window of her parent's bedroom on the 4th story. When she hears silence, she deems it somewhat safe to exit through the door, and tiptoed to the bedroom. Peering in, the bedroom is in an astonishing arrangement: The burgundy walls are slashed, blood is strewn everywhere. The pillows were thrown across the room and the velvet comforter and silk sheets were messed up, doused with blood. The chandelier was dangling side to side, dimly brightening the room. As she glanced around in shock and fear, she spotted a body hunched over on the farther side of the bed on the floor, near the violet velvet draperies which hung, torn, along the balcony doors.

As she crept closer, the bathroom music had softened and the room grew more quiet, aside from the body breathing deeply and harshly with difficulty. She took one glance at the body and recognized the owner of it at once: Vegeta.

The room was dimly lit, the ceiling fan spinning in circles, making itself dizzy. The cool fan breeze blew against the sheer window draperies, making them whiff softly. The cool blue of the room was covered in shadows as silence filled the volume.

Bulma crept open the door and snuck in to bring lunch on a silver tray to the poor, tattered man lying in his bed, bandaged and asleep. She stared at him for some time, taking in what was observable: Eyes closed, gashes lined his face and a white bandage was wrapped around his crown multiple times to stop the bleeding. He was breathing steadily, deep and at peace. She stared down at him and slowly, placed a gentle hand with a wet wash rag on his shoulder. Patting away more dried blood, she placed the lunch tray down on his bedside counter. As she turned to leave, she swear she saw him open one of his eyes wearily. Glancing back and not noticing anything different, she made her way into the hallway and headed to the bathroom to put stuff away and empty the tub. Vegeta opened his eyes and watched her walk away, his mind completely in shock that she would help him like that. He then closed his eyes an drifted back to sleep.

Hey I hope ya'll enjoyed this part of my story! Stay tuned for more! Priscilla-Chan