Man, what a day I've had ! A stupid teacher gave me a 9, when I should have
got a 10, and my boyfriend just let me know that he is entering a full-
contact Shotokan competition. Guess there's more ChiChi in me than I
realised!
And I actually had to seek information for the next part of the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and I am not happy about it !
PART THREE: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN ( and has no clue about it, may I add!)
Two and a half months after the Cell Saga
Bulma entered the living room with a happy look plastered on her face. She looked like se was about to burst of happiness. Waving her arms like a butterfly she padded towards the kitchen, where the soft humming of her mother could be heard.
Indeed, Mrs. Briefs was cooking, her back on the door.
"Mom, I have to tell you, it was perfect!" Bulma sang happily. "He gave me lovely roses, and we had a romantic dinner at that Italian restaurant I like so much, and we danced and then we went down the beach to see the stars better."
"That's wonderful, dear ! See, I knew you'll find Mister Right some day !" Mrs. Briefs gave a conspiratorial look "So, want something to drink ?"
It was only then when Bulma realised they were not alone. Sitting at the table, dark as ever, Vegeta was waiting for his food to be delivered. Bulma's mind registered that now he came to eat with them almost every day, a definite change from his solitaire attitude. Sometimes, when she paid attention, Bulma found herself X-rayed by his dark eyes, burning with something she couldn't quite put the finger on. It made her both uncomfortable and angry. Why was he paying attention to her now, when everything was over between them, admitting there had been a time when they could be considered a couple? Has he remembered some harsh words he forgot to tell her at the right time? Was he on the verge of becoming physical violent, again? She had let him be, ignore him, and trying to get on with her life. Despite her resolution to ignore him, from time to time he kept on popping in her head, making her wonder about the sudden change in his attitude. For many people, he was still the same, but Bulma had managed to know him a little better than the rest. She would have been happy to see him determined again, striving for a purpose, but something in her guts told her that this new attitude had to do with her. That scared her. Her entire life, Bulma had been pampered and looked after; the most pain on her had been inflicted by this man. When you play with fire, you get burned, and Bulma knew how to learn from her mistakes.
Tonight, however, she was in a very good mood. It seems that the bad luck she had been having with men had finally ran out. For the past month, Bulma had re-entered the dating circuit, but had been unable to find a proper man.
A pattern had been formed: they would meat, go on a date, have a good time, and then she never heard of them again. It was becoming very confusing. She always had high hopes, and the men seemed to be having a good time also, so what was the matter ? Her self esteem was in a bad shape. She didn't even sleep with them, to think that they were just after sex.
Sex, another problem of hers. It had been almost two years since her first and only sexual encounter, and Bulma started feeling like a virgin all over. She needed a man, and fast, and that not only to quench her needs, but also to erase the memory of Vegeta.
Now, however it seemed that the solution had come, in the form of a handsome, rich lawyer, Richard, whom she had met at a conference. They had been seeing each other for a week and tonight had been their second date. Bulma's hopes were high: he was the only one to have come to a second date.
"So, Bulma-chan, tell me more about him!" Mrs Briefs demanded in a cheerful tone.
"Well" Bulma answered gracefully taking a seat opposite to Vegeta "He is so smart, and so handsome and he really seems to like me, and he likes children also, and he loves animals." Bulma sucked in a breath.
Vegeta grumbles something intelligible, and Mrs. Briefs' attention went directly to him.
"What is it, Vegeta dear ?"
"The food is burning, woman !"
"Oh, you're right, silly me!" Mrs. Briefs took the pot off the stove and put the food on the table. Vegeta wasted no time in diving in the delicious smelling food.
Seeing that the guest she had grown fond of was happy, the older woman turned her attention to her daughter.
Bulma felt like she was going to burst if she didn't talk about her perfect date soon. She briefly wondered if she should go on with Vegeta in the room, but, then again, she was going to re-marry someday, and since he didn't want to move, he'll better get used to other men around. Why the hell would he care, anyway? Well, he did have a tendency to behave like an alpha male, but this was the civilised world and not some wild forest, and he'd better start adapting to it. However, upsetting a cold-blooded killed was not considered to be a great idea, so Bulma adopted a small-ration technique. He'll get used to it gradually and slowly.
"And he's so sweet, and soo romantic" Bulma chanted bluntly ignoring "him" "and he kisses soo good"
'And he's soo dead' Vegeta snickered darkly in his mind, unconsciously gripping the fork in his hand, till it became nothing more then a small pile of silver ( they are rich, all right !).
Hearing his woman chatting happily about another man almost sent him over the edge. He breathed slowly, concentrating on mediation techniques, while his mind pondered on ways to kill slowly that Richard guy.
He had been behind Bulma's misfortunes with men from day one. It had been pathetically simple: a little intimidation and they would swear not to seek the woman again. Somehow, caught in his training Vegeta had missed this new guy, but he wad determined to correct his mistake in the fastest and the most painful way ( for the other, that is!) possible. Trying to remember the techniques of killing somebody slowly, while they still remained conscious, he failed to notice that Bulma had left the kitchen, heading for her room.
Her mother's high pitched voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"Vegeta dear, you still like Bulma, don't you ?" she asked out og the blue.
That caught him off the guard, but his face remained as unreadable as ever.
"I do not fancy your spoiled child, woman. She's loud, obnoxious and bitchy." He growled angry.
"Sure you do, honey! Look, I don't know much, but when it comes to affairs of the heart, I am the expert!" her face suddenly turned dead serious, as she took a seat next to the warrior.
"You've hurt my little girl a lot. I know she's not perfect, but neither are you, hun. You should have been grateful, when Bulma offered her affection, instead of behaving like you did. And not to mention Trunks. You'll think you have hundreds of kids, from the way you act around him. It's like he didn't even existed!" she finished revolted, nearly in tears.
Vegeta simply starring, asking himself if she was going somewhere with her little speech.
After a short period of silence, she resumed talking, her voice happy again:
"But I realise you were faced with a new situation, and didn't know how to react. So, listen up ..."
*** Next evening:
Bulma was on the couch, caught in the laborious task of painting her toenails. She kept on thinking about Richard, feeling very much like a teenager as she kept replaying what had become in her mind "the perfect date". As she was in a good mood, she decided to sing something, despite knowing she was no Whitney Houston.
That night, she had the house all to herself. Her parents were out for one of their numerous romantic dinner, Trunks was sleeping, and she was planning on spending a quiet evening, with a good, hot bath and a sappy book.
In fact, it had been a good day. After having spent the morning at work, she took some time off and played with baby Trunks for the entire afternoon. Her baby boy was growing so fast! She distractedly rubbed her forearm, where Trunks had grabbed her in a frenzy of the play. The bruise, which had already started to form, was a remainder that the boy was not entirely human. Speaking of the Saiyan, Vegeta was, as usual, training. Her father had taken the task of taking care of the GR, so that Bulma needn't see him more than necessary.
The phone ring, but Bulma decided to let the answer machine take the message, since walking could endanger her work of art. She listenn carefully to the message, recognising the voice almost instantly:
"Bulma, hey it's me, Richard. Look, we spend some nice time together, but things are not working out. So, this is good bye, although I hate doing it through pho."
The voice was cut off as the vase which had been hosting the roses she got the previous night, was smashed against the phone.
"Damn, damn, damn!" she screamed hysterically, bursting into tears. "Why? What is wrong with me ?" her voice became a whisper, as she buried her face in one of the pillows on the couch "What is wrong with me?"
Half an hour later, having cried till no more tears came foreword, Bulma crawled to the bedroom. Her mood a wreck, she still took that bath, but without any joy, changed into fluffy PJs and went to bed. It was still 9 o'clock, but she just wanted to sleep and forget about everything.
Her hope for a quick sleep was quickly erased, as the hurricane, also known as Vegeta, burst violently into her bedroom.
"What, what is it, Vegeta ?" she mumbled numbly.
"Woman, fetch me dinner! Now!" he shouted, crossing her arms over his bare chest. The night hid the flicker of desire that darkened Vegeta's face, seeing her little form, looking pretty and vulnerable, in the king-sized bed.
"C'mon Vegeta, get something from the fridge!"
"There is nothing in the fridge, servant woman !"
Sighting, she got off the bed and went to the kitchen, unnerved slightly by the shadow following her silently, and grateful that the PJ covered most of her body. Since the incident in his room , she tended to wear baggy clothes, lest should she lead him on. Despite the lack of sexual advances from his part, she still felt funny around him.
Opening the door to the fridge, she had the surprise of seeing that it was empty indeed. Strange, her mother was supposed to buy some groceries this morning ! Now that she thought about it, she was a little hungry also.
"Well, guess we'll just have to order something !" Bulma eyed the wonderful invention also known as telephone.
"No" came a rather angry reply.
"No? And what do you suggest we do ?"
"We shall go to that places where they serve cooked food." He demanded.
"To the restaurant ? I really don't feel like it, but I can give you the money if you want to go " Bulma offered calmly.
That enraged the prince, as he started walking decisively towards the woman. Bulma, who started to have flesh-backs of their previous encounters, tried to back off, forgetting that she had nowhere to go, being so close to the fridge.
Vegeta stopped in front of her and put his arms on either sides of her body, effectively pinning Bulma. The woman panicked, thinking that he was going to kill her, as he had darkly promised some tine ago. She mentally slapped herself for forgetting just how dangerous he was, and for not foreseeing his actions. Who would stop him, now ?
Vegeta clenched his teeth hard, smelling her fear in the air. 'She is probably afraid I'm going to hit her or something!'
"Woman" he whispered in a calm voice " go and change your outfit. I expect you to be here in half an hour sharp. Do you understand?"
Bulma could only nod.
"Out loud !" he raised his voice.
"Yes" Bulma whispered shaking like a leaf.
"Good!" he nodded at his turn, stepping back and exiting the door, as Bulma collapsed on the floor, her mind flooded with incertitude.
And I actually had to seek information for the next part of the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and I am not happy about it !
PART THREE: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN ( and has no clue about it, may I add!)
Two and a half months after the Cell Saga
Bulma entered the living room with a happy look plastered on her face. She looked like se was about to burst of happiness. Waving her arms like a butterfly she padded towards the kitchen, where the soft humming of her mother could be heard.
Indeed, Mrs. Briefs was cooking, her back on the door.
"Mom, I have to tell you, it was perfect!" Bulma sang happily. "He gave me lovely roses, and we had a romantic dinner at that Italian restaurant I like so much, and we danced and then we went down the beach to see the stars better."
"That's wonderful, dear ! See, I knew you'll find Mister Right some day !" Mrs. Briefs gave a conspiratorial look "So, want something to drink ?"
It was only then when Bulma realised they were not alone. Sitting at the table, dark as ever, Vegeta was waiting for his food to be delivered. Bulma's mind registered that now he came to eat with them almost every day, a definite change from his solitaire attitude. Sometimes, when she paid attention, Bulma found herself X-rayed by his dark eyes, burning with something she couldn't quite put the finger on. It made her both uncomfortable and angry. Why was he paying attention to her now, when everything was over between them, admitting there had been a time when they could be considered a couple? Has he remembered some harsh words he forgot to tell her at the right time? Was he on the verge of becoming physical violent, again? She had let him be, ignore him, and trying to get on with her life. Despite her resolution to ignore him, from time to time he kept on popping in her head, making her wonder about the sudden change in his attitude. For many people, he was still the same, but Bulma had managed to know him a little better than the rest. She would have been happy to see him determined again, striving for a purpose, but something in her guts told her that this new attitude had to do with her. That scared her. Her entire life, Bulma had been pampered and looked after; the most pain on her had been inflicted by this man. When you play with fire, you get burned, and Bulma knew how to learn from her mistakes.
Tonight, however, she was in a very good mood. It seems that the bad luck she had been having with men had finally ran out. For the past month, Bulma had re-entered the dating circuit, but had been unable to find a proper man.
A pattern had been formed: they would meat, go on a date, have a good time, and then she never heard of them again. It was becoming very confusing. She always had high hopes, and the men seemed to be having a good time also, so what was the matter ? Her self esteem was in a bad shape. She didn't even sleep with them, to think that they were just after sex.
Sex, another problem of hers. It had been almost two years since her first and only sexual encounter, and Bulma started feeling like a virgin all over. She needed a man, and fast, and that not only to quench her needs, but also to erase the memory of Vegeta.
Now, however it seemed that the solution had come, in the form of a handsome, rich lawyer, Richard, whom she had met at a conference. They had been seeing each other for a week and tonight had been their second date. Bulma's hopes were high: he was the only one to have come to a second date.
"So, Bulma-chan, tell me more about him!" Mrs Briefs demanded in a cheerful tone.
"Well" Bulma answered gracefully taking a seat opposite to Vegeta "He is so smart, and so handsome and he really seems to like me, and he likes children also, and he loves animals." Bulma sucked in a breath.
Vegeta grumbles something intelligible, and Mrs. Briefs' attention went directly to him.
"What is it, Vegeta dear ?"
"The food is burning, woman !"
"Oh, you're right, silly me!" Mrs. Briefs took the pot off the stove and put the food on the table. Vegeta wasted no time in diving in the delicious smelling food.
Seeing that the guest she had grown fond of was happy, the older woman turned her attention to her daughter.
Bulma felt like she was going to burst if she didn't talk about her perfect date soon. She briefly wondered if she should go on with Vegeta in the room, but, then again, she was going to re-marry someday, and since he didn't want to move, he'll better get used to other men around. Why the hell would he care, anyway? Well, he did have a tendency to behave like an alpha male, but this was the civilised world and not some wild forest, and he'd better start adapting to it. However, upsetting a cold-blooded killed was not considered to be a great idea, so Bulma adopted a small-ration technique. He'll get used to it gradually and slowly.
"And he's so sweet, and soo romantic" Bulma chanted bluntly ignoring "him" "and he kisses soo good"
'And he's soo dead' Vegeta snickered darkly in his mind, unconsciously gripping the fork in his hand, till it became nothing more then a small pile of silver ( they are rich, all right !).
Hearing his woman chatting happily about another man almost sent him over the edge. He breathed slowly, concentrating on mediation techniques, while his mind pondered on ways to kill slowly that Richard guy.
He had been behind Bulma's misfortunes with men from day one. It had been pathetically simple: a little intimidation and they would swear not to seek the woman again. Somehow, caught in his training Vegeta had missed this new guy, but he wad determined to correct his mistake in the fastest and the most painful way ( for the other, that is!) possible. Trying to remember the techniques of killing somebody slowly, while they still remained conscious, he failed to notice that Bulma had left the kitchen, heading for her room.
Her mother's high pitched voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"Vegeta dear, you still like Bulma, don't you ?" she asked out og the blue.
That caught him off the guard, but his face remained as unreadable as ever.
"I do not fancy your spoiled child, woman. She's loud, obnoxious and bitchy." He growled angry.
"Sure you do, honey! Look, I don't know much, but when it comes to affairs of the heart, I am the expert!" her face suddenly turned dead serious, as she took a seat next to the warrior.
"You've hurt my little girl a lot. I know she's not perfect, but neither are you, hun. You should have been grateful, when Bulma offered her affection, instead of behaving like you did. And not to mention Trunks. You'll think you have hundreds of kids, from the way you act around him. It's like he didn't even existed!" she finished revolted, nearly in tears.
Vegeta simply starring, asking himself if she was going somewhere with her little speech.
After a short period of silence, she resumed talking, her voice happy again:
"But I realise you were faced with a new situation, and didn't know how to react. So, listen up ..."
*** Next evening:
Bulma was on the couch, caught in the laborious task of painting her toenails. She kept on thinking about Richard, feeling very much like a teenager as she kept replaying what had become in her mind "the perfect date". As she was in a good mood, she decided to sing something, despite knowing she was no Whitney Houston.
That night, she had the house all to herself. Her parents were out for one of their numerous romantic dinner, Trunks was sleeping, and she was planning on spending a quiet evening, with a good, hot bath and a sappy book.
In fact, it had been a good day. After having spent the morning at work, she took some time off and played with baby Trunks for the entire afternoon. Her baby boy was growing so fast! She distractedly rubbed her forearm, where Trunks had grabbed her in a frenzy of the play. The bruise, which had already started to form, was a remainder that the boy was not entirely human. Speaking of the Saiyan, Vegeta was, as usual, training. Her father had taken the task of taking care of the GR, so that Bulma needn't see him more than necessary.
The phone ring, but Bulma decided to let the answer machine take the message, since walking could endanger her work of art. She listenn carefully to the message, recognising the voice almost instantly:
"Bulma, hey it's me, Richard. Look, we spend some nice time together, but things are not working out. So, this is good bye, although I hate doing it through pho."
The voice was cut off as the vase which had been hosting the roses she got the previous night, was smashed against the phone.
"Damn, damn, damn!" she screamed hysterically, bursting into tears. "Why? What is wrong with me ?" her voice became a whisper, as she buried her face in one of the pillows on the couch "What is wrong with me?"
Half an hour later, having cried till no more tears came foreword, Bulma crawled to the bedroom. Her mood a wreck, she still took that bath, but without any joy, changed into fluffy PJs and went to bed. It was still 9 o'clock, but she just wanted to sleep and forget about everything.
Her hope for a quick sleep was quickly erased, as the hurricane, also known as Vegeta, burst violently into her bedroom.
"What, what is it, Vegeta ?" she mumbled numbly.
"Woman, fetch me dinner! Now!" he shouted, crossing her arms over his bare chest. The night hid the flicker of desire that darkened Vegeta's face, seeing her little form, looking pretty and vulnerable, in the king-sized bed.
"C'mon Vegeta, get something from the fridge!"
"There is nothing in the fridge, servant woman !"
Sighting, she got off the bed and went to the kitchen, unnerved slightly by the shadow following her silently, and grateful that the PJ covered most of her body. Since the incident in his room , she tended to wear baggy clothes, lest should she lead him on. Despite the lack of sexual advances from his part, she still felt funny around him.
Opening the door to the fridge, she had the surprise of seeing that it was empty indeed. Strange, her mother was supposed to buy some groceries this morning ! Now that she thought about it, she was a little hungry also.
"Well, guess we'll just have to order something !" Bulma eyed the wonderful invention also known as telephone.
"No" came a rather angry reply.
"No? And what do you suggest we do ?"
"We shall go to that places where they serve cooked food." He demanded.
"To the restaurant ? I really don't feel like it, but I can give you the money if you want to go " Bulma offered calmly.
That enraged the prince, as he started walking decisively towards the woman. Bulma, who started to have flesh-backs of their previous encounters, tried to back off, forgetting that she had nowhere to go, being so close to the fridge.
Vegeta stopped in front of her and put his arms on either sides of her body, effectively pinning Bulma. The woman panicked, thinking that he was going to kill her, as he had darkly promised some tine ago. She mentally slapped herself for forgetting just how dangerous he was, and for not foreseeing his actions. Who would stop him, now ?
Vegeta clenched his teeth hard, smelling her fear in the air. 'She is probably afraid I'm going to hit her or something!'
"Woman" he whispered in a calm voice " go and change your outfit. I expect you to be here in half an hour sharp. Do you understand?"
Bulma could only nod.
"Out loud !" he raised his voice.
"Yes" Bulma whispered shaking like a leaf.
"Good!" he nodded at his turn, stepping back and exiting the door, as Bulma collapsed on the floor, her mind flooded with incertitude.