Yomegagurl01- Another long wait, huh?! Sorry! Glad you like the story! Enjoy the new chapter.
Lenk- Thank you very much! More drama to come, I promise!
Kataan- Hey! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this new chapter. Ya'll certainly waited long enough for it, huh?!
Hannah-Tendo- Wow! Thanks a bunches. I'm really glad you like my story. I see there's a lot of Gilmore Girls fans! Yeah!
Nuthouse- Thanks! I really appereciate the review! Enjoy, Enjoy!
Silentslayer- (hides) please don't kill me. I promise it's not gonna last! Enjoy! (runs away)
Shades of Crimson- Thanks! I forgot to make a big deal about the 100 reviews thing! Much love!!! ;-) As always, you have such great things to say to me. I really love you for it and appreciate it. Thank you, thank you! I'm loveing the new season, too! It's great to finally see Luke and Loralei together, huh?! Anyway, back to my story here. This chapter is just introducing people to where everyone is now after the long jump in time. I hope you like it!
DBZ-fan-JESS- Just a little bit long with Yamcha, at least a couple more chapters, but everything shall work out just fine. I promise! Thanks for reviewing!
Clarobell/ Vegeta's little sister- Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this new chapter.
Chapter 13: One and a Half Years later…
"Aw, how cute," Bulma teased as she watched Arthos' car drive by outside and Akira walk back into the diner.
Akira glared at her as she set her apron on the counter. "You say that every morning he comes in. It's getting old."
The blue haired woman across from her just grinned. "I can't help it. I think it's adorable that Arthos drives two hours just for breakfast."
"It's not like it's everyday," Akira argued and trying desperately not blush.
"True, but still." She picked up her coffee cup and gulped down almost half of it. "You should just let him spend the night at your house after your dates. It'd save him a lot of gas money," she continued to joke.
Her friend just rolled her eyes. "Sorry. I don't move as fast as some people."
"Hey! There's nothing wrong with how me and Yamcha are doing things!"
"He practically lives with you."
"He's my fiancé. He's going to have to move in eventually," Bulma argued.
The door opened and Trunks and Keelin walked over to the counter and sat down next to Bulma. "What are you fighting about this morning?" Keelin asked, grabbing a blueberry muffin from a nearby tray and handing it to Trunks then grabbing another for herself.
"Nothing. I was just telling Akira how cute it is that Arthos comes by here in the mornings," Bulma replied.
"Oh crap!" Akira turned to Trunks. "He wanted talk to you before you went to school this morning. I think he was on his way to your house."
Trunks frowned thoughtfully. "Really? Did he say what about?"
Akira bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't want to say anything in front of Bulma. "Um, not really," she lied.
"There you are!"
The group at the counter turned toward the door to see Arthos walking toward them. "Hey, Uncle Ar! What's up? Akira said you wanted to talk to me," Trunks said.
Arthos exchanged a cryptic look with his girlfriend before motioning his nephew outside. "Yeah. Come on. It'll just be a second. I have to hurry and get to the office."
Trunks slid off his stool and followed the older man outside. Bulma watched them conversing through the large picture window. "What's going on, Kir?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit. I've known you long enough to know when you're lying," Bulma argued. "What's going on?"
Akira sighed heavily. "It's about Vegeta. He's finally moving back into the family estate."
Keelin smiled happily. "That's great! Trunks is going to be so hyped about this."
Bulma stared blankly at her best friend for a long time. She hadn't spoken to Vegeta since his 'going away' party. In fact, she'd ignored what little news happened to get around to her about him since then, too. Suddenly, she shook her head and a determined look came over her face. 'So what if he is coming back,' she asked herself. She had moved on. She was getting married next month to a wonderful man who loved her, and she loved him! 'Who cares if Vegeta's going to be around on a daily basis again?! I can handle him,' she assured herself.
"You okay, B?"
"Huh?"
Akira gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you okay?"
Bulma raised her chin slightly and smiled. "Never better." She stood up from her stood and grabbed her coffee thermos. "I have to get to the inn. It's payroll day, and I have a ton of paperwork to do," she announced. "I'll see you later this afternoon."
(Change scene)
"Wow," Trunks whispered in disbelief. "When?"
"His plane arrives this Friday. I'm going to pick him up, and I thought since tomorrow's Thursday, and your last day of school, that you might want to spend the night and go with me to the airport," his uncle told him.
"Of course! I mean, I'll have to ask mom, but I don't see why she'd have a problem with it."
Arthos nodded. "Just give me a call at my office later. I have to work late tonight. You got the number?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I'll talk to you later. I'm going to be late if I don't leave right now," he told him with a laugh.
"Bye!"
Arthos waved as he walked around to the driver's side of his car and jumped in. Trunks watched his uncle speed off down the road just as his mother came out of the diner and stopped next to him.
"Everything okay?" She asked.
Trunks smiled. "Yeah. Dad's finally coming back from California," he told her. "Uncle Ar wants to know if I can spend tomorrow night at his place so I can go with him Friday morning to pick dad up from the airport."
Bulma wanted to say no so bad for some reason, but she knew that'd be selfish of her. Instead, she patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "Sure, Trunks. It's fine."
(Change scene)
He sat at his desk staring out the window absently while his phone-line beeped. He had no intention of answering it, and he decided to show his assistant just how much he didn't want to answer it by picking up the receiver and then dropping it back down, terminating the call. Several seconds later, his office door swung open and Tessa walked in with a furious look on her face.
"What's the matter with you?! Do you have any idea who that was on the phone?" She demanded.
"Yes," he answered uncaringly.
The woman standing in front of him sighed and plopped down in an empty chair. "She's been trying to get in touch with you all week. What's the problem, Vegeta? She's your mother."
He glared over at her. "No she's not," he argued.
"Um, she gave birth to you. I think that kind of means she's your mother," Tessa shot back irritably.
"That doesn't make her my mother." He stood up and moved closer to the window to watch all the people walking by on the sidewalk below. Why was Jelena being so damn persistent now after all these years? Three times a day, every day for the last two weeks she had been calling. It was driving him insane.
Tessa sighed and got up from the chair. "Vegeta," she whispered sympathetically, walking over to him and placing her small hand against his shoulder. "You really should just talk to her. Get it over with, you know? She's not going to stop calling until you do."
Vegeta shrugged her hand away and started for the door. "I'm going out for lunch. Take messages and don't schedule any appointments for the afternoon," he commanded as she followed him out of his office and toward the elevator.
"Where are you going for lunch?"
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I just need to get out of this place."
The elevator doors slid open, and he quickly stepped inside. Tessa put her hand against the doors to keep them open. "What am I supposed to tell you mother when she calls?!"
He leaned forward, pulling her hands from the doorframe and pushing her away gently. "Tell her I'll call her back," he said.
"Really?" Tessa inquired carefully, standing back away from the doors.
Vegeta smirked. "Yeah." The doors began to close. "In about twenty years when I have nothing better to do," he added just as they shut.
Tessa groaned and clenched her fists at her sides. Sure, she knew that coming to work for Vegeta was going to be frustrating, but she just had to do it despite all that. "Stupid man," she muttered turning back around toward her desk. A sad smile graced her pretty, pink lips as she sat down and grabbed several folders from the corner of her desk.
They'd both been hurting so much when they first started seeing each other a year and a half ago, and the pain just didn't go away for either of them. He was still madly in love, though he vehemently denied it, with Bulma, and Tessa was still in love with her ex-husband. The mutual pain was the only thing they had in common. They knew they were just using each other for company and sex, yet Tessa worried about the move back to the East Coast. Would he go back to chasing after Bulma and leave her all alone? She knew she didn't love Vegeta, but he was the only part of her life right now. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle being brushed aside; as if she meant nothing to yet another man she cared about.
(Change scene)
The doorbell rang twice, and Cass stumbled over several boxes to get to the door. A wide grin spread across his face as he opened the door and set eyes on his nephew. "Trunks! Come on in," he greeted cheerfully. "Don't mind the boxes," he excused.
The young, lavender haired teen squeezed into the room between two large boxes. "What's all this?"
"Arthos is, um, cleaning house, I guess you could say," Cass joked. "Getting ready to move out finally."
Trunks gave him an expectant look. "He's getting his own place?"
"Yeah. He's leaving me here all by my lonesome."
"When'd he decide this?"
Cass led him into the livingroom and plopped down on the leather sofa. "A week ago. I think he's getting ready to you-know-what," he announced cryptically.
Arthos rushed into the room with the phone in his hand. "I need help," he told them frantically.
Trunks and Cass exchanged smirks. It was obvious that he had just got off the phone with Akira. Trunks sat down in a chair by the fireplace. "What's up?"
"Akira's on her way over. She's staying the night so she can go with us to pick up your dad at the airport."
Cass shook his head. "You're pathetic, bro! How long have you two been dating? Over a year now," he went on, answering himself. "What's the big deal about her spending the night? You've had sex with her."
"We've never spent the entire night together, though, and you're a pervert and you have a date tonight," he responded evenly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're always eyeing her up when she's here. It makes her uncomfortable, and if I know you, which I do, you'll be bringing your date home. I don't want to be kept up all night because you can't keep it down," he accused. He placed the phone on the bookcase. "Maybe you should go stay with mom and dad for the night."
Cass stared at his older brother. "You're joking right?"
"No."
"This is ridiculous! I'm not going to stay at mom and dad's tonight."
Arthos crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. "You need to help me hide all those boxes, too."
"What?!" Cass jumped up from the couch. "I just helped you bring them all out here, and now you want me to help you hide them? What the hell for?!"
"Because I don't want her to know that I'm moving out yet. I want this to be a surprise."
Trunks somehow managed to not laugh out loud as he witnessed his two uncles argue over Akira spending the night. "If she asks, why don't you just tell her that the boxes are my dad's? Say his assistant messed up the addresses when she had his stuff shipped."
Arthos tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I didn't think of that," he replied. "But what about Cass? He still needs to go."
"I'm not leaving! I have a date tonight," he shot back angrily. "Why don't you leave that way I can have the apartment to myself in case things go really well for me tonight?"
"Akira's already halfway here."
"Call her up and tell her to meet you at mom and dad's."
"Well, that'd be rude," Arthos continued. "I already invited her to stay here."
Cass threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine! I'll take her back to her place if things go well."
Trunks and Arthos watched as Cass stormed out of the room. The second he was gone, Arthos cracked up with laughter. "He's so easy to get riled up." He smirked over at his nephew. "Want something to drink?"
"Yeah, sure!"
(Change scene)
"Babe! I'm home," Yamcha called out from the doorway.
"In the kitchen."
He grinned. "You're not trying to cook again, are you?"
Bulma poked her head around the wall and glared at him. "Very funny!" She disappeared from sight again, coaxing him into the kitchen.
Yamcha couldn't help but laugh when he saw what she was doing. "What happened in here? It reminds me of my office."
"I was just checking out all the invitations to make sure there weren't any misspellings or anything," she replied in reference to the piles of papers strewn across the table.
"You had to check every single one?" He sat down across from her.
"Yes, as a matter of fact." She carefully straightened a stack in front of her. "How was work?"
Loosening his tie, he leaned back. "Board meeting after board meeting, but at least Krillin was there to keep me company."
"I thought he was still out on leave," she trailed off. "Damn Eighteen for not keeping me up to date!"
"He came back last week. I thought you knew."
She sighed. "No. Ever since the baby was born, she's been keeping to herself. I don't think I've really gotten to talk to her in a month. Things are just so hectic anymore. Between our wedding and helping Goku and Chichi with their plans, I'm tapped."
Yamcha stood up and walked over behind her. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "You're stretching yourself too thin. You need a break," he told her.
She reached up and took ahold of his hand. "I know, but there's just too much on my mind."
"I know." He let go of her and went to the fridge. "Where's Trunks? Studying late at school again?"
"He's spending the night at his uncles' apartment, remember?"
"Oh, that's right! I feel like an idiot now. You only told me like three times yesterday," he berated himself.
Bulma got up, rubbing her eyes. "It's okay. You've got stuff on your mind as well." She poured herself another cup of coffee and took a large gulp. "Yuck! It's cold," she complained.
(End chapter)
Okay. So Bulma and Yamcha are getting married in a month. June and Krillin have had a baby together, but they aren't married yet. Chichi and Goku are starting to plan their wedding. Arthos is getting his own place, and Vegeta's on his way backhome finally! There'll be more catching up in the next chapter!
Next chapter: Arthos, Akira, and Trunks pick up Vegeta from the airport. Bulma receives a call from her overbearing mother. Dinner at Vegeta's parents' house, etc...
PANDORA ;-)