A week had passed since Bulma had decided to get Vegeta out of his imprisonment, and she was ready. The biggest spaceship had been fuelled, the battery charged, the engines checked and the fridge's stocked fully. She was giving it one last check-over that afternoon. She'd made it as comfortable as possible and ensured that Vegeta would have everything he would need. As she closed the door behind her, she sighed. Saying goodbye wasn't going to be easy. This was their last day together, and she didn't think she would be seeing him ever again.
As she climbed the stairs up to her lab, she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, babe!"
She felt her eye twitch slightly, and she turned around, hinging a fake smile onto her face.
"Hi, Yamcha."
He came up to her and kissed her on the cheek. She didn't respond, but Yamcha didn't notice.
"I thought I'd just come by, and take you out for lunch. You've been cooped up here way too long. Besides, it must get pretty old being Vegeta's warden."
She ached to tell him that it was the best part of her day, but she didn't want to arouse any suspicion.
"It could be worse. Let me just quickly get my handbag, and change out of these work clothes. Be back now."
She changed direction, and on the way to her room, she dropped in to see Vegeta. He brightened up when he saw her.
"Hey, this is unexpected. Are you going to spend the afternoon with me?"
She slumped her shoulders. He sounded so hopeful.
"I can't, Vegeta. Yamcha's here and he's taking me to lunch. I'm so sorry."
All the light faded out of his eyes, as they went from bright ink black to a dirty dark grey.
"Oh."
Bulma felt her chest constrict around her heart. The look of disappointment on his face cut through her like piano wire around her throat.
"I'll make it up to you, I promise."
He looked at the ground, wrists hanging limply in their manacles.
"It's your life, don't worry about me. I'll be gone by tomorrow morning, then you won't have to bother about me. Enjoy lunch. I'll still be here when you get back."
Oh god…what is wrong with me? My last day with him and I'm spending it with Yamcha…Bulma bit her lower lip, as she looked at Vegeta. Then she made up her mind.
"What do you mean, something's come up?!"
"Well, I happen to be the brains behind Capsule Corp, Yamcha. There's been a breakthrough with a new invention and I just have to be there."
Bulma crossed her fingers behind her back.
"Well, how long will you be?"
"It could take the whole day, maybe I'll be free at around nine tonight." Yamcha pulled out his palmtop and checked his schedule.
"But I've got baseball practice from five until ten! Then I'm going out with the guys!"
Bulma shrugged.
"That's too bad. Look, we can do something tomorrow, okay? I'll have more space in my schedule. You understand, don't you?"
Yamcha swung his jacket on.
"Well, you can't help it. I'll fetch you tomorrow."
"I'll see you then. Bye sweetie, they need me in the lab."
She kissed him on the cheek, waved and skipped down the stairs. Yamcha grunted to himself as he walked out of the lobby and got into his car.
"Why do I even bother?" he asked himself, as he revved the car and sped away.
Vegeta was busy being miserable as Bulma walked in but he lifted his head to look at her.
"Why are you back? I thought you were going out with Yamfuck."
Bulma smiled at the name Vegeta had given to Yamcha.
"I realized that I had better places to be, namely here with you. You're more fun than he is."
"Even stuck to a wall with chains?" Vegeta asked, a small smile on his lips.
"Even with the chains."
She smiled, as she put her arms around his neck.
"Just a few more hours, I promise. Then you can be free and do what you want."
Vegeta just rubbed his nose against hers.
At midnight, after Bulma had made sure everyone was sleeping, she went to Vegeta's room. He was awake, and they kept quiet. She went to the control panel next to him, and flipped it open. She entered in the password and gave her thumbprint. After pressing a few buttons, the manacles snapped open, and Vegeta stood shakily on his feet. He smiled, as he took his first few steps in nearly six months. But he stumbled, and Bulma caught him. She put his arm around her neck, her arm around his waist and ignored his protests.
"I can do it myself!" he whispered. She shook her head.
"Just let me help you! Stop being so stubborn, and keep quiet. I'm going to take you to the docking area, and show you how the ship works. Understood?"
He nodded, and they started walking, Bulma taking his weight on herself to help him move faster.
They got to the docking station, and Bulma took him to his ship. He looked up at it, as she opened the door, the gangplank coming down to their feet. When they were inside, Vegeta leaned against a wall while she explained the controls to him.
"Everything is voice activated, and the manual controls are here too. It's just like the one you used to go hunt down Goku a while ago. There are some new combat suits in the cupboard, the kitchen is at the bottom level, and there's a gravitron too. Everything you need."
Vegeta looked around, then at Bulma.
"So, this is goodbye."
She nodded, keeping her head down. I won't cry…but it's so damn hard…
Vegeta walked over to her, still a little shaky on his feet, since he hadn't used his muscles in so long. He put his arms around her, and held her as tightly as he could.
"You're the only one that cared, Bulma. I'll never ever forget that. You made my hell into just a prison. You gave me a reason to keep hoping. And I could never thank you enough for that."
Bulma sobbed, as she held him tighter.
"God, I'm going to miss you, Vegeta. I can't believe you're going."
They were quiet, the ship humming quietly around them, as Vegeta's arms held her.
"Come with me."
"What?"
Vegeta leaned back, and looked right into her eyes.
"You heard me. Come with me. I don't want to lose you. I want you by me. Please, Bulma."
Bulma hesitated. Dare she?
Vegeta sensed her reluctance. He knew that she had more to keep her here than to leave with him. He leaned in, and kissed her, his hands dropping to her waist. Her eyes widened for a moment, then drifted shut. They were lost like that for a few moments, then he pulled away, his one hand resting gently on her cheek, their eyes searching each other.
"I…I…love you. I love you, Bulma. Maybe you don't feel the same way, but I can't miss you if you're with me. I don't want to have to miss you. I want you in my life. But I need to know if you want to be with me, if you even care about me enough to leave this planet and come away with me."
Bulma put her hand on his neck, and smiled.
"I do care about you, Vegeta. Heck, I don't just care about you. I love you too. Let's leave this planet. I'd rather be with you than anyone else, any day. Besides, you need someone to look after you."
He smiled, as he kissed her forehead.
Bulma ran back into Capsule Corp, pressed a button on the side of her cupboard, converted it into a capsule, grabbed her capsule box off her dressing table, pulled another device out of her desk drawer, shoved these things into her pockets and quickly scribbled a note to her parents. She grabbed her toiletries and her make-up bag out of her bathroom, made a last check to endure she had all the important stuff, and with a final smile, sprinted back to the ship, where Vegeta, and her future, waited.