Chapter 8
DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters from it, I do own this fics story line though and any characters that I create.
Vegeta woke up to the sound of a door closing; startled he looked around for Bulma but found her gone. Dejectedly he lay down, stared at the ceiling and wondered why he felt so dejected that she never hung around in the morning. He'd never before wanted his women to stay in the mornings; in fact he was usually the one who snuck out early in the mornings. Was she ashamed of sleeping with him? The sex was good, hell it was better then good and any woman on the ship would be gagging for her place in his life…so it couldn't be shame could it?
Maybe she just doesn't like you.
The voice in Vegeta's head mocked him. It would have been nice, Vegeta supposed, to wake up in the mornings and find her in his arms for once. To wake up and be able to look into those beautiful blue eyes and touch that wonderful soft skin…god she was under his skin something awful! But she was beautiful; those mournful azure eyes and that long glossy aqua hair, and her flawless white skin that was oh-so-touchable. Vegeta closed his eyes and moaned, he had to stop thinking like this about her, she was becoming a fixation. Only yesterday he'd found himself trying to imagine what she would look like dressed in a saiyan warrior suit…and he'd been in the middle of a war council meeting.
Swearing under his breath, Vegeta dragged himself out of bed and headed across the shower, he needed a long cold shower to get rid of the saiyan suited Bulma images that were dancing provocatively in his head.
Bulma slid into her work terminal in the engineering lab and called up the plans she had been working on in her spare time. They were plans for a Gravity Machine, a kind of training area for the few insane people who wanted to torture their bodies and at the same time get strong, or something similar. Originally it had been something that Frieza had wanted, now however Bulma was determined to build it so she could train in there, she'd start of at about 2 G and then slowly try to work her way up higher until she was stronger. She had to get stronger. No one respected weakness. No one.
She knew she'd never be as strong as Eighteen but it would be interesting to see how strong she could make herself – she was built to be strong, something had just gone wrong. All she had to do was find a way to push herself physically to the next level…she couldn't stand being this fragile weak creature. She detested weakness in any form, Frieza had made sure of that, but she especially hated physical weakness. She could have been so much more then what she had become.
A little broken solider toy…"Ah, hello Bulma dear." Dr Briefs interrupted her as he stopped by her computer and looked at the complicated diagrams and equations on the screen. He chuckled and shook his head. "I see your still trying to figure out how to get your Gravity Machine working."
Bulma groaned and rubbed her face wither hands. "When am I not? I just cant seem to figure out a way to raise the gravity within the ship and not lose the ships structure in the process…I mean I don't want to be training only to have to the machine crumple in on itself and squish me." Bulma scratched her head and sighed. "It's impossible, I've been working on this for weeks."
"Now, now – you know as well as I that nothings impossible." The doctor paused. "Print out a copy of the plans and bring them over to the table, we'll work through this one together." Dr Briefs took a sip of coffee and wandered away, looking in on the other scientists who were tapping away on terminals.
Bulma pressed print and waited patiently for the printer. As she did she found her mind wandering back to Vegeta, who was her favourite topic to think on at the moment – he was the one to blame for her inadequate work on the gravity machine plans. She was having trouble forcing herself to concentrate on anything that wasn't Vegeta related. It was like some sort of horrible brain disease.
She couldn't understand why he hadn't dumped her yet. Since she'd started sleeping with him on a nightly basis she'd been told all sorts of things - according to the talk of the ship he was a serial womaniser and usually only ever took a woman home once and then dumped her off. Bulma wondered how long it would be before it was her neck on the chopping board…she'd obviously been with him for far longer then anyone had expected. Maybe he was just using her until something better came along? Oh well, she wasn't complaining – the sex was fantastic.
"I must be really good in bed or something." Bulma muttered to herself as she collected the pages being printed out. It didn't matter much to her – really! When the time came and he told her to go, she'd leave quietly and willingly and Vegeta would never hear from her again. Then she'd be free to continue with her own life. Free. Smiling at that thought she watched as the printer spat out the last page of the plans then she gathered it into the pile in her arms and wandered over to the doctors table and set them down.
She waved Dr. Briefs over and they sat down and looked over the plans, trying new formulas and changing the make up of the room. They sat for what seemed like hours (and probably was) and just as they were making some headway a skittish young officer strode into the room and jogged up to Dr. Briefs, an officiously looking smirk on his face. He paused by their table and saluted Dr Briefs, ignoring her as though his life counted on it. Bulma made a mental note to beat this young man up when she got stronger.
"Dr. Briefs sir," The officer stood at ease. "Prince Vegeta has asked to see you and all your head scientists at once in his throne room. I've been authorised to tell you that we have lost all contact with the space station in the Frost Quadrant, judging from their last communication their entire communications system suffered a major break down and they are now unable to communicate with us." The officer nodded to show that he was finished talking and the good doctor climbed to his feet.
"Quite a conundrum. Well young man you can tell your…boss…that I'll be up to he Princes throne room on the double." Dr. Briefs waved the officer away with a complete lack of protocol and glanced at Bulma with amusement. "I guess we'll have to wait until we get back to finish your gravity room, Bulma dear."
"I guess." Bulma repeated weakly, tugging grudgingly at the name badge on her shirt that identified her as 'Bulma, Head Scientist of communications', She smiled faintly. "We'll, I have been meaning to take a trip back to the Frost quadrant for years."
Dr. Briefs looked grim. "Bulma, you don't have to go. Conway knows the system used on that station almost as well as you do – there is no reason for you to go back there."
Bulma swallowed, remembering how her childhood years had been spent on planet Frost being prodded and poked and tortured until Frieza's scientists knew exactly how much pain she could take. She had no happy memories from her childhood. Even meeting her brother and sisters had been a horrible experience designed to set them against one another. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts – emotions were a weakness.
"I have to go…something could go wrong and Conway doesn't know the system as well as me."
"I have a bad feeling about this Bulma." The old scientist rubbed his head. "I worked for Frieza and his family for years and I can tell you that King Cold can't be happy about his sons death. They may not have been close towards the end…but they were family and Frieza will be after retribution."
Bulma laughed softly and let the way towards the head science office. "If Cold was going to attack us he wouldn't kill us, he'd go straight for Vege…I mean the Prince." Bulma blushed at her impertinence in using Vegeta's first name and went to wait over by the door as Dr. Briefs gathered the other head scientists and brought them over towards her. In a small pack that radiated a mixture of competence, geekiness and importance they all marched up to Vegeta's throne room for their orders.
Vegeta paced about, his nerves on edge as he debated over the possible situation he would be sending his top scientists into. He heard the science team enter but ignored them for several seconds as he pondered wether or not sending them into potentially dangerous territory was for the best…but what else could he do? He had to re-establish communications. Nodding to himself over his decision, Vegeta turned around…and froze.Bulma?
What is she doing here? Vegeta looked at the blue haired girl who stood with the others in a line - a white lab coat on and her hair back in a messy bun. Dammit! He hadn't considered that she may have held a position on this ship other then as Frieza's whore…but she was smart so of course she would have done some work in the labs. Vegeta met her eyes and she looked at him for a second and then looked down at the floor as the rest of them were doing. Was she a head scientist?
I can't send her to Cold…what if she's killed…what is she gets…
Vegeta cut into his brains panicked thoughts and walked over to Dr. Briefs, shaking his hand and then one by one shaking the hands of the scientists – even Bulma who avoided his eyes and jerked her hand out of his as soon as possible. Frowning, he turned his attention back to to Dr. Briefs.
"Dr. Briefs, a slight situation has arisen on the space station at planet Cold. We've lost all communications with them and, given the political ground on which were currently standing with the Cold Empire, that isn't good. I will be requiring you and the head scientists to travel to the station and repair the equipment." Vegeta swallowed and forced himself not to look at Bulma. She couldn't be here as a head scientist could she? But why else would she be here? He didn't want her to go away yet…he still wanted her.
"Of course my Prince." The doctor smiled and bowed his head. "I will leave immediately with Henry and Bulma who - the actual creators of the communication system at planet Cold." The doctor looked thoughtful for a moment. "I believe I will also take Frankie since she is the only one qualified to operate the electrical tools needed to repair it – the others won't be needed straight away on the station. They can leave a little later." Dr. Briefs noticed the slightly pained expression that came over Vegeta's face when he mentioned Bulma's name. He knew of the affair the two were having, the whole ship did, and it pleased him no end to see the fierce Vegeta actually worrying about her safety. As far as he knew, no one had ever shown that girl anything resembling concern…it was pleasing to see that someone cared for her.
"Yes, yes." The saiyan nodded quickly. "You may leave immediately." Vegeta dismissed them with a wave of his hand, however before Bulma could turn around he grabbed her arm and held her still. Dr. Brief's left with a small smile - maybe it wasn't too late for Bulma to feel love after all.
Vegeta waited until the door had shut behind them, pacing around like a caged animal while Bulma watched. She could sense that there was something below the surface bubbling away that he wanted to talk about. Finally he stopped and whirled to face her, growling as he grudging admitted to her; "I don't want you to go." He strode over and kissed her fiercely. "I don't want you to go at all."
"I…have to." Bulma was shocked. He was acting so strange… he was acting concerned, it was strange.
"No, you don't have to, I can make you stay…in fact I should…" He was starting to look panicked Bulma realised.
She cut him off. "But you wont." She took a deep breath. "I have to go Vegeta, I'm the only one who can write the communication programs for the system. I'll come back." Bulma tried to brush him and the issue aside. "I'll be fine, what could go wrong?"
"God, everything could go wrong!" The saiyan looked into Bulma's blue eyes and tried to convey to her what it was he was feeling. "I…" Vegeta looked unhappy and tried to speak again. "Bulma, I love…." Abruptly he paused with his mouth open and then sighed, "It doesn't matter."
"What?" Bulma felt that weird feeling in her stomach start up again, what had he been about to say? He didn't…he couldn't…? Could he? The tingle in her stomach whirled to life and she swallowed hastily, feeling some emotion swirling through her bloodstream.
"Nothing, I was going to say nothing." He ran a hand through his hair. "You're absolutely right, you have to go." He looked even unhappier then before. "Just know that I'm not going to get another woman while you're gone."
Bulma blinked at him. "Oh…" She tried to sound unconcerned. "Okay. I'm that good in bed, huh?" She smiled slowly and stepped forward, touching Vegeta lightly on the chest. "I'm not sure what I feel when I'm around you…and I'm not afraid of it…but I want you to know that you make me feel, and that's more then anyone else has done for me." She pressed a finger to Vegeta's lips when he went to speak, then she slowly kissed her Prince goodbye and walked from the room, her footsteps echoing as she left the throne room.
Oh God…how could this happen to me? Vegeta slowly sat on his throne and closed his eyes as realisation hit him.
"I love her…"
A/N – Ba ba baaaaaaaaa! gasp
