Chapter 24

A/N: So, once more a new chapter. Summer is a great time for updates, huh? Anyway, now I'm really not sure when I will wrap this up, so work with me. I hope you guys liked the new chapter 23 more than the old one I had posted. Sorry about all the confusion! Also, I created a new fic…check it out, and share it with your friends. Thanks! Now on to chapter 24!

Bulma and Chi Chi sat morosely silent on Bulma's bed. Yamcha sat on Bulma's floor, slumped in a corner, holding ice onto his arms and legs. No one had spoken since the dragon disappeared and Bulma and Chi Chi realized that Goku and Vegeta must have been transported back to Planet Vegeta. The girls had no idea what to do, and talking about what they'd lost only seemed to make them feel more hopeless.

"Um, Bulma?" Yamcha muttered, almost not wanting to disturb the blue-haired beauty. He knew that her silence denoted her pain, fear, and anger at the current situation, and he wasn't sure how she'd react to what he had to say. Bulma looked up at Yamcha, but it seemed that she was looking through him, looking for Vegeta, but he decided to continue anyway. "I owe you a huge apology. The way I've treated you, the way I tried to take advantage of you, and the way I've held no respect for you or your beliefs has been completely unacceptable, and I know that now." He paused to see that Bulma's eyes were now fully focused on him. "So I wanted to say I'm sorry, and I see how you feel about Vegeta, and I want to help you and Chi Chi however I can to bring Vegeta and Goku back." He then fell silent, waiting for Bulma's response. He was completely surprised by her choice to stand up from her bed and embrace him in a hug.

"Yamcha," Bulma began, breathing wearily, "I really thought I loved you at one time, but now, the way I feel about Vegeta…well I've never felt that way about anyone before. I'm totally terrified of him, you know, but at the same time, now that he is gone, I really don't think I can go back to being the Bulma I was before Vegeta. And I don't want to. I want him back here because I want to explore this feeling that I have. I'm not saying that I love Vegeta yet, but I want to find out." Bulma breathed, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Bulma, is this you accepting my apology, because I'm really not following you," Yamcha questioned, confused.

"I'm not done yet, you dolt," Bulma snapped. "What I am trying to say is that my relationship with you, even though it was totally messed up, taught me so much about me and how I feel about love." Seeing that Yamcha still didn't understand what she was trying to say, she continued. "Yamcha, what I am trying to say is that without you, I don't think I would have been ready to feel for Vegeta the way that I do. And it means a lot to me that you have apologized and are willing to help me get him back. You got it?"

"Yeah, I got it now. Thanks Bulma." Yamcha breathed out a sigh of relief. Sometimes Bulma confused the hell out of him, and this was one of those times, but he was pretty sure that she had forgiven him, so he dropped the subject.

Bulma stood up and stretched, looking over at Chi Chi, who was still silently staring at the wall into nothingness.

"Chi Chi, are you going to be OK for now?" Bulma asked, startled when at the mention of her name, Chi Chi threw her hands over her face and began sobbing. She was even more surprised at the large diamond resting on the ring finger on Chi Chi's left hand.

"Chi Chi, what the hell is this!" Bulma screeched, pouncing toward Chi Chi and snatching her hand from her face. "Holy crap, this is the biggest diamond I have EVER seen!" Bulma seemed to have forgotten her current plight.

Chi Chi momentarily regained her composure, and she looked at Bulma wearily. However, Bulma's cerulean eyes were fixated on Chi Chi's ring.

"Well, I wanted to break the news in some other way," Chi Chi began, "but when we were looking for the dragon balls, Goku asked me to marry him. He is my fiancé, so no," Chi Chi tried to hold back her tears, but her efforts weren't strong enough, "I don't think I will be OK until I know that Goku is coming back."

"Oh Kami, Chi Chi, I had no idea!" Bulma gasped, grabbing her friend in a comforting hug. "Don't worry, we'll bring them back. We'll think of something." Bulma tried comforting Chi Chi, but Chi Chi only cried harder into Bulma's shoulder.

While the girls were chatting, Yamcha sat silently, racking his brain for something that the three of them could do to bring Goku and Vegeta back to Earth. And then he had an idea.

"Bulma! What is stopping us from going to Planet Vegeta?" He hobbled up from his spot on the floor, ecstatic from his though process. "I mean, Bulma you're a genius, and Chi Chi, you must know all about travel and Planet Vegeta after spending all the time with Goku hunting for dragon balls! Isn't this a workable idea?" Yamcha was nearly hopping up and down in delight. "And you guys! I know where Vegeta stored his spaceship!"

"Yamcha, I never thought I'd say this, but I could kiss you right now!" Chi Chi squealed, hopping up from her spot and launching across the room to hug Yamcha. "You're a genius! HAHAHA!"

But Bulma had remained silent, thoughtful.

"Bulma," Chi Chi asked, "Don't you think this is a possibility?"

After a pause, Bulma replied, "Yeah, Chi Chi, I think we could make this happen. We could go to Planet Vegeta…"

A/N: wow, will they go to P.V. Watch for updates and please review! Please!