Last time:
"What else?"
"She was pregnant at the time they met, or so Vegeta says—" Bulma felt her resolve begin to bend. NO! Kami no! "—but Sen has a different story, and we believe her. We think the baby is Vegeta's…"
******************************************************************
"So, how was your date with Mr. Spectacular?" Yamcha joked, digging into his peanut butter ice cream. "The whole school's been talking about it. I heard he came storming into the school looking for you."
"Yeah," Bulma sighed. She hadn't touched her banana split. "The jerk. Caused a big scene and everything. Worst part is I almost fell for him. Ick!"
"Almost?" He arched an eyebrow at her. Wasn't he the same guy she had plastered all over the inside of her locker? The same guy whose poster hung above her bed? The same guy who she'd been drooling over ever since Green Dragon started?
"Yeah, but he's a jerk. Chauvinistic pig. Nothing like you, Yamcha. You're my type."
"So, what, you just hate the guy?"
"Not hate. Hate such a strong—Yes! I hate him!" she gasped, throwing down her spoon. "Do you know what I heard from his band mates the other night? I almost had a damn heart attack right there on the floor!"
"Bulma, I hardly think you should be telling me their secrets. I doubt they want it to be public knowledge."
"Are you saying I can't trust you to not tell?"
"What did they say?" he sighed, pushing his own dish of ice cream away. Sure he was happy that she'd called him up that morning and wanted to hang out, but to hear her complain about another guy that she so obviously liked? He didn't know if he could bear it. They weren't together, they would never be together again, and she didn't love him. What chance had he with her? And yet, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but be a little bit jealous, and all he could think was, "She's over me completely. She's found someone new. I'm JUST a friend, a shoulder to cry on, and Kami I love her so much!"
"He's married to some chick in America and they may or may not have a kid together."
"May or may not have a kid? How's that possible?"
"Well," she sighed, seemingly exhausted. Was she getting enough sleep? He glanced at her bony arms. Was she eating enough? "He says she was pregnant when they met, but his band mates seem to think he got her pregnant. They got married in a chapel in Vegas. She drains the band of millions each year to keep her mouth shut. Stupid whore…"
"But you don't like him?"
"No!" she snapped. "Of course not. Why does everyone think that? Kami!"
"Sorry I asked," he said, having a hard time withholding a bitter laugh. She liked him, and it was so obvious, and he wanted nothing more than to beat this guy's face in for hurting her. But, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he knew that hating the guy was stupid and foolish. He was THAT guy. A liar and a cheater and a rotten lowlife. He wanted to make everything up to her, but how? What could he possibly—"That's it."
"What's it?"
"Nothing. Hey, we're gonna be late for that movie if we don't get a move on."
"Kuso! You're right."
************************************************************
"Wait, they're hanging out now?" Chi-Chi groaned, curling in close to Krillin as they watched their usual Saturday cartoons together. Bulma never really liked it, and usually spent her Saturdays in the lab, only coming by when she had nothing else to do. But this Saturday she chose to be with Yamcha, over her best friends.
"That's what she told me when I called," Krillin said. "'Sorry, can't make it. I'm spending the day with Yamcha.' Yamcha? I don't get it Chi. If you were Bulma, what would you do?"
"First off, I'd never talk to the jerk again. I mean, sure, I understand the parents thing. Hell, I loved the Yosanos too. But to hang out with him when she could be hanging out with us? It burns!"
"I know what you mean. When she told me I was like, wait a second, him over us? And she got sort of mad 'cause I asked her that. 'Well, Krillin, if you can't understand, then I don't see the use in explaining it to you.' You think she's still depressed? I mean, she was all summer, and then the thing with Vegeta brought her down really quick."
"I'm worried about her too. Should we say something?"
"I could help with that," came a voice from behind the two friends. They turned around to see Maris coming into the living room, carrying a homemade cake. "Your dad let me in Chi. Hope it's ok."
"You brought cake. You could have stabbed my dad and I'd still let you in."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," she laughed, sitting up. She didn't know how awkward Maris would feel with her lounging all over Krillin. It was natural for them, having been friends since birth. But in front of someone who obviously liked him? She opted to run into the kitchen for a knife and some plates instead.
"You bought a cake?" Krillin asked, patting the seat beside him, opposite of where Chi-Chi had been.
"Nope. Baked it just twenty minutes ago. I bake when I'm bored. And then I decided to bring it here, since I remembered you guys mentioning about Saturday cartoon marathons. I tried your house first, but no one was home."
"Hey, Maris, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
Krillin glanced back at the doorway Chi-Chi had run out, then, with a sly grin, began his secret request to his newfound friend.
************************************************************
Sen Miyahara walked leisurely through downtown Manhattan, her baby girl, Ryoko, napping peacefully in the stroller she was pushing. Every now and then some giddy New Yorker would stop and ogle at her child, though nothing more than a few "Ooo"s, and "My, what a gorgeous baby!", nothing that the new mother hadn't heard before. She knew her daughter was beautiful, though she always doubted her own looks, hiding behind the mask of her writing and creating an alternate universe for herself where she could be the one that always came out on top. Though the fact that she was married to none other than Vegeta Ouji of Green Dragon was not something she took lightly. It gave her otherwise non-existent ego a major boost, thus allowing her the strength she needed to gain means to continue as an author. With what she books brought in alone she made enough to keep steady, but she wanted something more, something that would ensure her survival for the rest of her and her daughter's lives. And lo and behold, Vegeta walks into a casino, already far too drunk to realize how vulnerable he could be, and, just like that, she had Green Dragon wrapped around her little finger.
"Hello Jun, it's Sen." She was now at home, Ryoko down for a nap, and her nerves were shot. She needed a quick pick-me-up. "I'm fine, and how are you? Well, I was just thinking—" She paused for a moment to get her words straight. "When's the next time Vegeta's going to be in town? I would love to have a nice little dinner with him, at my home, of course. Don't want the media to find out about us, you know. Six months!? Why the hell so long!? I can't wait that long, Jun! Send me a plane ticket; I'm coming to Japan. No buts, miss, I will have what I want or your little group will be no more! I have no use for that damn noise-making nuisance, and I won't think twice about ruining their lives and yours in the process, so—Next week? Great. I'll be there. Thanks doll. Bye-bye."
As she eased herself in front of her vanity mirror, a gaudy over-priced gold number, she felt an unmistakenable wave of nausea. She glanced at her tired, worn expression and closed her eyes, transporting herself back to a time when she didn't need to be superficial to be happy, when everything was perfect, when she only needed one thing to keep her happy: love.
She sighed deeply and let her head fall onto her folded arms, giving way to tears.
"Where are you Akio?"
********************************************************
"No!" Vegeta roared, nearly shaking the tour bus in his rage. "There is NO WAY in hell that I'm going to see THAT woman, EVER again! I've had enough of her to last a lifetime; I do NOT need any more headaches. How many more weeks do we have to tour? And then the new album! No! Shut up 18, I don't care what you have to say, I'm not doing it!"
"If you don't see her, then Jun will drop us, plain and simple. She can't keep both of you under her reins at the same time, and Sen has nothing holding her back the way you do, so I suggest you toughen up and spend one evening with the damn woman." She shook her head, defeated, and turned away. "Who knows, it might do you some good."
"How could you possibly believe something like that? You're an ignoramus. Get away from me."
"It wouldn't hurt to meet your own daughter. Kami knows at least SHE deserves your company."
Vegeta's fingers were digging painfully into 18's arms before she realized she was turned back around and facing him, his eyes glaring deep into her, as if the mere look of them could change her mind.
"I will say this only ONE last time," he breathed, tightening his grip. "I am NOT a father. Is that clear?" He pushed her back forcefully, nearly knocking her over, and almost made it out of the room, when she lunged at him and brought him to the floor.
After several minutes of struggle, he managed to gain the upper hand. He was now straddling her, his hands securing her wrists above her head.
"You've ruined your life, you know that?" she whispered, her eyes beginning to well with tears, and for one moment Vegeta actually felt bad, for the first time in his life. 18 NEVER cried, and now, because of him, she was on the verge of it. It nearly made him sick to his stomach, and he almost let her go. "I've stood by you for years, Vegeta. I've defended you when all the others thought you were no good. But now…" she trailed off, turning her head to the side. "Now I don't know how you can ever fix what you've done to yourself, and I…I want so badly to turn my back on you. I hate you for making me care about you. I hate you for doing something to me that makes it impossible for me to ever hate you. And I hate myself for ever believing in you." She turned her head back to him, her eyes focused and glistening with tears. "I'll give you three months to change Vegeta. If you can't prove that there's even the smallest hint of a decent person in there then I'm leaving Green Dragon…Three months."
His first reaction was to glare down at his friend, as if somehow trying to make her take back her words that hurt more than anything he'd experienced since his father's death. But, as he looked at her, he saw her brow begin to twitch and her lips begin to tense and release, and he knew, without a doubt, that she wasn't bluffing this time.
Slowly, he eased himself off of her and sat on the floor, his eyes staring forward as if she weren't there. After a long while, she finally said, "I'm sorry Vegeta, but it's the only thing I can do that you'll listen to. Hell, I could throw myself off a damn building and die and all you'd worry about was the future of Green Drag—"
"That's not true, 18," he mumbled under his breath.
"Well," she sighed, picking herself up off the ground. "It's up to you to prove that."
************************************************************
Bulma pulled her head back, her breathing labored, her eyes hazy and unfocused. She blinked furiously then scrambled off her bed.
"No, Yamcha," she panted as she raked her fingers through her disheveled hair. "We…can't. I just…no. You know we…"
"I know," he sighed, sitting up, his naked chest almost more than she could take. How had they ended up in her room together? How could she have let this happen? "I'm sorry I…took advantage of you."
"Took advantage of me?" she nearly yelled, finding her way back onto the bed. "How?"
"Because, you were all upset about that Vegeta guy. When you kissed me I should have pushed you away. But instead, like an idiot, I thought, maybe, just maybe, she wants me again…I'm sorry. I should go."
"No." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. "Just once more…I don't want to be alone right now."
"But Bulma—"
"Please Yamcha. I just…I can't…"
"I love you Bulma," he whispered, then gave in to every urge he'd been feeling since the moment he'd picked her up that morning.
**********************************************************
All eyes were on Bulma and Yamcha as they entered Orange Star High School Monday morning. Especially those of Chi-Chi, Krillin, and Maris, who hadn't heard from her since early Saturday. They fought a mental battle with themselves, forcing their eyes to remain passive, their glares hidden under their fake smiles and mock waves. When she finally reached the group, after having dismissed Yamcha ten feet away, Chi-Chi was the first to speak.
"You don't even need to tell us," she hissed bitterly, unable to keep her anger inside. The nerve of her to not call ALL weekend, and then show up with Yamcha, of all people, happy as can be. When she tried to speak, Chi-Chi was bordering on rage. "I can see it all over the both of you. You had sex with him, Bulma Briefs! After all that he's done to you, and you went ahead and threw away your dignity and self-respect for that worthless—"
"Enough!" Bulma retaliated, her fists clenched at her sides. "I can understand you guys being upset that we didn't hang out all weekend, but to lash of at Yamcha, who didn't even do anything this time, it's just plain immature."
"You're going to be the laughing stock of the entire school."
"And that bothers you because, what, my behavior reflects you guys? Please, get your own identities, and stop trying to run my life by the book. I'm eighteen fucking years old; I can handle myself with a boy. I don't need Mama Chi-Chi to put me in line when I stray from Miss Perfect."
"I am NOT like your mother!" Chi-Chi snapped, fighting every muscle in her body to stay planted in place.
"No, of course you're not. That would mean you would understand and be supportive of MY own decisions."
"I just don't understand," she sighed, trying desperately to curb her rapid breathing. Krillin and Maris looked on in utter terror. "How can you pick HIM over us?"
"Because he's my friend too, Chi. Whether you like it or not," Bulma said with a heavy sigh. "I just wanted to make up for lost time this summer." When her best friend since diapers didn't respond, she weakly whispered, "Please don't hate me, Chi. I wouldn't be able to stand it if you weren't on board with this."
"Well," she finally said, after what could have very well have been two minutes. "I think he at least deserved the time apart during the summer."
A small smile on Bulma's lips told Maris that whatever Chi-Chi had said was her way of saying she wasn't mad anymore and that she would try to understand her friend's wishes from now on. "Ok," she thought as she scanned her new friends, who felt like family after only a week, "I can get the hang of this."
*****************************************************************
Ryoko giggled happily on Vegeta's lap, her cubby arms flung out to either side, as he bounced her on his knee, the way Sen had instructed him to do. He didn't get it. Why did everyone believe that this kid was his? Sure, he didn't mind her, she was cute in that way babies are always cute, and if it was his daughter then he wouldn't protest it, at all. But Sen had specifically been complaining the entire first night they met that she was pregnant and ditched by her former lover. So why didn't anyone believe him?
Besides, Ryoko, beautiful as she was, didn't carry any of his features what so ever. Her hair was a deep auburn color, while his was black and Sen's was a still the striking blonde she was born with. And her eyes, large and green, didn't match those of his and Sen's which were both so dark they were nearly black. If only there were some consensual way to prove the child wasn't his. Sen had already disagreed to having a paternity test taken, and even if she had, the other band members, not to mention Jun, didn't think it was necessary. So, once again, Sen was coming out on top. Did they want to dig themselves deeper by attaching this woman to the band? He figured that with their behavior, they most certainly did.
"Isn't she the most beautiful child in the world?" Sen asked, her motherly admiration just the right mix of creepy and over-bearing. She wanted Vegeta to love her as if it were his child, when she knew damn well that it was not.
"She's cute," he muttered, though inside he agreed one hundred percent. If he ever had kids he would want them to be like Ryoko. It wasn't her fault that her father was a runaway low life and her mother was, well, Sen Miyahara.
"I want you to be more involved in her life Vegeta. She needs—"
"How can you ask me that?" he sneered, trying his hardest to keep his voice down so not to scare the innocent child. Who would have thought he'd be so caring towards children? "She's not my daughter, Sen, and you know that perfectly well. I wasn't as drunk as you thought I was. I was looking for a good fuck, and I didn't even really get that. So stop trying to pin this kid on me. I'm no coward. If she were mine, then I'd take care of her in a heartbeat, but she's not. Isn't the money enough?"
"I need her to have a father figure Vegeta. She can't grow up the way I did. Even if it seems that mothers connect better with their daughters, I was still missing out. I won't have that for Ryoko."
"Ah, so there is something to your past. I was beginning to think you were created souly to make my life a living hell. It's good to know Kami doesn't hate me THAT much."
Sen wrinkled her nose at her one-night-stand and reached for her daughter. Vegeta handed her over without a moment's hesitation, feeling that his holding her at all was wrong. She wasn't his daughter, and he didn't even care about her mother, though he did feel bad for her. Poor baby, not having a chance being born into such psychotic-ness.
"I can arrange a babysitter for her," he finally said after a long pause, in which he'd been contemplating to himself. "That's as much as I'll do. And it can be a male babysitter to give her the fatherly attention you want. But I am not going to lift another finger for you, is that clear? I know my career could recover from a scandal like you, but you have the others blinded, and until they can see clearly, they're stuck with paying you ridiculous amounts of money for no reason. But I'll have no part with you."
"Once every other month. That's all I ask," she nearly whimpered, having just set Ryoko in her playpen for a nap. "I'll even sign a waver. If I ask for more, I'm out of the money and I can't sue you."
Vegeta narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. Why did he let himself get involved with women like this? That was the whole purpose of one-night-stands, to not have to deal with a nagging woman down his back all the time.
"I pick the day."
"Sounds fair."
"I'll have Jun stop by your hotel room tonight or tomorrow."
"Alright."
"Why?"
"Why what?" She arched an eyebrow at him, her arms falling to her sides.
"Why do you want to see me? You hate me, and vice versa."
"I told you, its for Ryoko…and…well…"
"Yeah," he groaned as he pulled off his shirt. Even if she was the most annoying woman he'd ever met he couldn't deny his attraction to her. She was by far one of the sexiest women he'd had the pleasure of taking to bed, though, sadly, not the sexiest woman he'd ever seen. She was yet to be branded by him, but he wasn't about to give up on her. Someday he would know Bulma Briefs, and when he did, he'd have his prize. With a smirk he lifted Sen off the ground and tossed her onto the bed. "This better be worth my time."
***************************************************************
---Chapter 9!! Ok, there are a few things I want to say about this fic. One, Bulma did NOT beg Yamcha into bed with her, and it was not because she was desperate. Her and Yamcha have a lot of history together, and she was comfortable with him, and needed to be comforted by someone, and he was there. And she's not a slut for that, because of the history and whatnot…Second, How do you people like Maris? Any better now? :D
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Reviews=More Chapters!!!)
Next time: Its vacation time for Green Dragon…what could happen? ;) It's so big, even I don't know!!!!
"What else?"
"She was pregnant at the time they met, or so Vegeta says—" Bulma felt her resolve begin to bend. NO! Kami no! "—but Sen has a different story, and we believe her. We think the baby is Vegeta's…"
******************************************************************
"So, how was your date with Mr. Spectacular?" Yamcha joked, digging into his peanut butter ice cream. "The whole school's been talking about it. I heard he came storming into the school looking for you."
"Yeah," Bulma sighed. She hadn't touched her banana split. "The jerk. Caused a big scene and everything. Worst part is I almost fell for him. Ick!"
"Almost?" He arched an eyebrow at her. Wasn't he the same guy she had plastered all over the inside of her locker? The same guy whose poster hung above her bed? The same guy who she'd been drooling over ever since Green Dragon started?
"Yeah, but he's a jerk. Chauvinistic pig. Nothing like you, Yamcha. You're my type."
"So, what, you just hate the guy?"
"Not hate. Hate such a strong—Yes! I hate him!" she gasped, throwing down her spoon. "Do you know what I heard from his band mates the other night? I almost had a damn heart attack right there on the floor!"
"Bulma, I hardly think you should be telling me their secrets. I doubt they want it to be public knowledge."
"Are you saying I can't trust you to not tell?"
"What did they say?" he sighed, pushing his own dish of ice cream away. Sure he was happy that she'd called him up that morning and wanted to hang out, but to hear her complain about another guy that she so obviously liked? He didn't know if he could bear it. They weren't together, they would never be together again, and she didn't love him. What chance had he with her? And yet, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but be a little bit jealous, and all he could think was, "She's over me completely. She's found someone new. I'm JUST a friend, a shoulder to cry on, and Kami I love her so much!"
"He's married to some chick in America and they may or may not have a kid together."
"May or may not have a kid? How's that possible?"
"Well," she sighed, seemingly exhausted. Was she getting enough sleep? He glanced at her bony arms. Was she eating enough? "He says she was pregnant when they met, but his band mates seem to think he got her pregnant. They got married in a chapel in Vegas. She drains the band of millions each year to keep her mouth shut. Stupid whore…"
"But you don't like him?"
"No!" she snapped. "Of course not. Why does everyone think that? Kami!"
"Sorry I asked," he said, having a hard time withholding a bitter laugh. She liked him, and it was so obvious, and he wanted nothing more than to beat this guy's face in for hurting her. But, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he knew that hating the guy was stupid and foolish. He was THAT guy. A liar and a cheater and a rotten lowlife. He wanted to make everything up to her, but how? What could he possibly—"That's it."
"What's it?"
"Nothing. Hey, we're gonna be late for that movie if we don't get a move on."
"Kuso! You're right."
************************************************************
"Wait, they're hanging out now?" Chi-Chi groaned, curling in close to Krillin as they watched their usual Saturday cartoons together. Bulma never really liked it, and usually spent her Saturdays in the lab, only coming by when she had nothing else to do. But this Saturday she chose to be with Yamcha, over her best friends.
"That's what she told me when I called," Krillin said. "'Sorry, can't make it. I'm spending the day with Yamcha.' Yamcha? I don't get it Chi. If you were Bulma, what would you do?"
"First off, I'd never talk to the jerk again. I mean, sure, I understand the parents thing. Hell, I loved the Yosanos too. But to hang out with him when she could be hanging out with us? It burns!"
"I know what you mean. When she told me I was like, wait a second, him over us? And she got sort of mad 'cause I asked her that. 'Well, Krillin, if you can't understand, then I don't see the use in explaining it to you.' You think she's still depressed? I mean, she was all summer, and then the thing with Vegeta brought her down really quick."
"I'm worried about her too. Should we say something?"
"I could help with that," came a voice from behind the two friends. They turned around to see Maris coming into the living room, carrying a homemade cake. "Your dad let me in Chi. Hope it's ok."
"You brought cake. You could have stabbed my dad and I'd still let you in."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," she laughed, sitting up. She didn't know how awkward Maris would feel with her lounging all over Krillin. It was natural for them, having been friends since birth. But in front of someone who obviously liked him? She opted to run into the kitchen for a knife and some plates instead.
"You bought a cake?" Krillin asked, patting the seat beside him, opposite of where Chi-Chi had been.
"Nope. Baked it just twenty minutes ago. I bake when I'm bored. And then I decided to bring it here, since I remembered you guys mentioning about Saturday cartoon marathons. I tried your house first, but no one was home."
"Hey, Maris, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
Krillin glanced back at the doorway Chi-Chi had run out, then, with a sly grin, began his secret request to his newfound friend.
************************************************************
Sen Miyahara walked leisurely through downtown Manhattan, her baby girl, Ryoko, napping peacefully in the stroller she was pushing. Every now and then some giddy New Yorker would stop and ogle at her child, though nothing more than a few "Ooo"s, and "My, what a gorgeous baby!", nothing that the new mother hadn't heard before. She knew her daughter was beautiful, though she always doubted her own looks, hiding behind the mask of her writing and creating an alternate universe for herself where she could be the one that always came out on top. Though the fact that she was married to none other than Vegeta Ouji of Green Dragon was not something she took lightly. It gave her otherwise non-existent ego a major boost, thus allowing her the strength she needed to gain means to continue as an author. With what she books brought in alone she made enough to keep steady, but she wanted something more, something that would ensure her survival for the rest of her and her daughter's lives. And lo and behold, Vegeta walks into a casino, already far too drunk to realize how vulnerable he could be, and, just like that, she had Green Dragon wrapped around her little finger.
"Hello Jun, it's Sen." She was now at home, Ryoko down for a nap, and her nerves were shot. She needed a quick pick-me-up. "I'm fine, and how are you? Well, I was just thinking—" She paused for a moment to get her words straight. "When's the next time Vegeta's going to be in town? I would love to have a nice little dinner with him, at my home, of course. Don't want the media to find out about us, you know. Six months!? Why the hell so long!? I can't wait that long, Jun! Send me a plane ticket; I'm coming to Japan. No buts, miss, I will have what I want or your little group will be no more! I have no use for that damn noise-making nuisance, and I won't think twice about ruining their lives and yours in the process, so—Next week? Great. I'll be there. Thanks doll. Bye-bye."
As she eased herself in front of her vanity mirror, a gaudy over-priced gold number, she felt an unmistakenable wave of nausea. She glanced at her tired, worn expression and closed her eyes, transporting herself back to a time when she didn't need to be superficial to be happy, when everything was perfect, when she only needed one thing to keep her happy: love.
She sighed deeply and let her head fall onto her folded arms, giving way to tears.
"Where are you Akio?"
********************************************************
"No!" Vegeta roared, nearly shaking the tour bus in his rage. "There is NO WAY in hell that I'm going to see THAT woman, EVER again! I've had enough of her to last a lifetime; I do NOT need any more headaches. How many more weeks do we have to tour? And then the new album! No! Shut up 18, I don't care what you have to say, I'm not doing it!"
"If you don't see her, then Jun will drop us, plain and simple. She can't keep both of you under her reins at the same time, and Sen has nothing holding her back the way you do, so I suggest you toughen up and spend one evening with the damn woman." She shook her head, defeated, and turned away. "Who knows, it might do you some good."
"How could you possibly believe something like that? You're an ignoramus. Get away from me."
"It wouldn't hurt to meet your own daughter. Kami knows at least SHE deserves your company."
Vegeta's fingers were digging painfully into 18's arms before she realized she was turned back around and facing him, his eyes glaring deep into her, as if the mere look of them could change her mind.
"I will say this only ONE last time," he breathed, tightening his grip. "I am NOT a father. Is that clear?" He pushed her back forcefully, nearly knocking her over, and almost made it out of the room, when she lunged at him and brought him to the floor.
After several minutes of struggle, he managed to gain the upper hand. He was now straddling her, his hands securing her wrists above her head.
"You've ruined your life, you know that?" she whispered, her eyes beginning to well with tears, and for one moment Vegeta actually felt bad, for the first time in his life. 18 NEVER cried, and now, because of him, she was on the verge of it. It nearly made him sick to his stomach, and he almost let her go. "I've stood by you for years, Vegeta. I've defended you when all the others thought you were no good. But now…" she trailed off, turning her head to the side. "Now I don't know how you can ever fix what you've done to yourself, and I…I want so badly to turn my back on you. I hate you for making me care about you. I hate you for doing something to me that makes it impossible for me to ever hate you. And I hate myself for ever believing in you." She turned her head back to him, her eyes focused and glistening with tears. "I'll give you three months to change Vegeta. If you can't prove that there's even the smallest hint of a decent person in there then I'm leaving Green Dragon…Three months."
His first reaction was to glare down at his friend, as if somehow trying to make her take back her words that hurt more than anything he'd experienced since his father's death. But, as he looked at her, he saw her brow begin to twitch and her lips begin to tense and release, and he knew, without a doubt, that she wasn't bluffing this time.
Slowly, he eased himself off of her and sat on the floor, his eyes staring forward as if she weren't there. After a long while, she finally said, "I'm sorry Vegeta, but it's the only thing I can do that you'll listen to. Hell, I could throw myself off a damn building and die and all you'd worry about was the future of Green Drag—"
"That's not true, 18," he mumbled under his breath.
"Well," she sighed, picking herself up off the ground. "It's up to you to prove that."
************************************************************
Bulma pulled her head back, her breathing labored, her eyes hazy and unfocused. She blinked furiously then scrambled off her bed.
"No, Yamcha," she panted as she raked her fingers through her disheveled hair. "We…can't. I just…no. You know we…"
"I know," he sighed, sitting up, his naked chest almost more than she could take. How had they ended up in her room together? How could she have let this happen? "I'm sorry I…took advantage of you."
"Took advantage of me?" she nearly yelled, finding her way back onto the bed. "How?"
"Because, you were all upset about that Vegeta guy. When you kissed me I should have pushed you away. But instead, like an idiot, I thought, maybe, just maybe, she wants me again…I'm sorry. I should go."
"No." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. "Just once more…I don't want to be alone right now."
"But Bulma—"
"Please Yamcha. I just…I can't…"
"I love you Bulma," he whispered, then gave in to every urge he'd been feeling since the moment he'd picked her up that morning.
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All eyes were on Bulma and Yamcha as they entered Orange Star High School Monday morning. Especially those of Chi-Chi, Krillin, and Maris, who hadn't heard from her since early Saturday. They fought a mental battle with themselves, forcing their eyes to remain passive, their glares hidden under their fake smiles and mock waves. When she finally reached the group, after having dismissed Yamcha ten feet away, Chi-Chi was the first to speak.
"You don't even need to tell us," she hissed bitterly, unable to keep her anger inside. The nerve of her to not call ALL weekend, and then show up with Yamcha, of all people, happy as can be. When she tried to speak, Chi-Chi was bordering on rage. "I can see it all over the both of you. You had sex with him, Bulma Briefs! After all that he's done to you, and you went ahead and threw away your dignity and self-respect for that worthless—"
"Enough!" Bulma retaliated, her fists clenched at her sides. "I can understand you guys being upset that we didn't hang out all weekend, but to lash of at Yamcha, who didn't even do anything this time, it's just plain immature."
"You're going to be the laughing stock of the entire school."
"And that bothers you because, what, my behavior reflects you guys? Please, get your own identities, and stop trying to run my life by the book. I'm eighteen fucking years old; I can handle myself with a boy. I don't need Mama Chi-Chi to put me in line when I stray from Miss Perfect."
"I am NOT like your mother!" Chi-Chi snapped, fighting every muscle in her body to stay planted in place.
"No, of course you're not. That would mean you would understand and be supportive of MY own decisions."
"I just don't understand," she sighed, trying desperately to curb her rapid breathing. Krillin and Maris looked on in utter terror. "How can you pick HIM over us?"
"Because he's my friend too, Chi. Whether you like it or not," Bulma said with a heavy sigh. "I just wanted to make up for lost time this summer." When her best friend since diapers didn't respond, she weakly whispered, "Please don't hate me, Chi. I wouldn't be able to stand it if you weren't on board with this."
"Well," she finally said, after what could have very well have been two minutes. "I think he at least deserved the time apart during the summer."
A small smile on Bulma's lips told Maris that whatever Chi-Chi had said was her way of saying she wasn't mad anymore and that she would try to understand her friend's wishes from now on. "Ok," she thought as she scanned her new friends, who felt like family after only a week, "I can get the hang of this."
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Ryoko giggled happily on Vegeta's lap, her cubby arms flung out to either side, as he bounced her on his knee, the way Sen had instructed him to do. He didn't get it. Why did everyone believe that this kid was his? Sure, he didn't mind her, she was cute in that way babies are always cute, and if it was his daughter then he wouldn't protest it, at all. But Sen had specifically been complaining the entire first night they met that she was pregnant and ditched by her former lover. So why didn't anyone believe him?
Besides, Ryoko, beautiful as she was, didn't carry any of his features what so ever. Her hair was a deep auburn color, while his was black and Sen's was a still the striking blonde she was born with. And her eyes, large and green, didn't match those of his and Sen's which were both so dark they were nearly black. If only there were some consensual way to prove the child wasn't his. Sen had already disagreed to having a paternity test taken, and even if she had, the other band members, not to mention Jun, didn't think it was necessary. So, once again, Sen was coming out on top. Did they want to dig themselves deeper by attaching this woman to the band? He figured that with their behavior, they most certainly did.
"Isn't she the most beautiful child in the world?" Sen asked, her motherly admiration just the right mix of creepy and over-bearing. She wanted Vegeta to love her as if it were his child, when she knew damn well that it was not.
"She's cute," he muttered, though inside he agreed one hundred percent. If he ever had kids he would want them to be like Ryoko. It wasn't her fault that her father was a runaway low life and her mother was, well, Sen Miyahara.
"I want you to be more involved in her life Vegeta. She needs—"
"How can you ask me that?" he sneered, trying his hardest to keep his voice down so not to scare the innocent child. Who would have thought he'd be so caring towards children? "She's not my daughter, Sen, and you know that perfectly well. I wasn't as drunk as you thought I was. I was looking for a good fuck, and I didn't even really get that. So stop trying to pin this kid on me. I'm no coward. If she were mine, then I'd take care of her in a heartbeat, but she's not. Isn't the money enough?"
"I need her to have a father figure Vegeta. She can't grow up the way I did. Even if it seems that mothers connect better with their daughters, I was still missing out. I won't have that for Ryoko."
"Ah, so there is something to your past. I was beginning to think you were created souly to make my life a living hell. It's good to know Kami doesn't hate me THAT much."
Sen wrinkled her nose at her one-night-stand and reached for her daughter. Vegeta handed her over without a moment's hesitation, feeling that his holding her at all was wrong. She wasn't his daughter, and he didn't even care about her mother, though he did feel bad for her. Poor baby, not having a chance being born into such psychotic-ness.
"I can arrange a babysitter for her," he finally said after a long pause, in which he'd been contemplating to himself. "That's as much as I'll do. And it can be a male babysitter to give her the fatherly attention you want. But I am not going to lift another finger for you, is that clear? I know my career could recover from a scandal like you, but you have the others blinded, and until they can see clearly, they're stuck with paying you ridiculous amounts of money for no reason. But I'll have no part with you."
"Once every other month. That's all I ask," she nearly whimpered, having just set Ryoko in her playpen for a nap. "I'll even sign a waver. If I ask for more, I'm out of the money and I can't sue you."
Vegeta narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. Why did he let himself get involved with women like this? That was the whole purpose of one-night-stands, to not have to deal with a nagging woman down his back all the time.
"I pick the day."
"Sounds fair."
"I'll have Jun stop by your hotel room tonight or tomorrow."
"Alright."
"Why?"
"Why what?" She arched an eyebrow at him, her arms falling to her sides.
"Why do you want to see me? You hate me, and vice versa."
"I told you, its for Ryoko…and…well…"
"Yeah," he groaned as he pulled off his shirt. Even if she was the most annoying woman he'd ever met he couldn't deny his attraction to her. She was by far one of the sexiest women he'd had the pleasure of taking to bed, though, sadly, not the sexiest woman he'd ever seen. She was yet to be branded by him, but he wasn't about to give up on her. Someday he would know Bulma Briefs, and when he did, he'd have his prize. With a smirk he lifted Sen off the ground and tossed her onto the bed. "This better be worth my time."
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---Chapter 9!! Ok, there are a few things I want to say about this fic. One, Bulma did NOT beg Yamcha into bed with her, and it was not because she was desperate. Her and Yamcha have a lot of history together, and she was comfortable with him, and needed to be comforted by someone, and he was there. And she's not a slut for that, because of the history and whatnot…Second, How do you people like Maris? Any better now? :D
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Reviews=More Chapters!!!)
Next time: Its vacation time for Green Dragon…what could happen? ;) It's so big, even I don't know!!!!