Chapter Seven

The Ice Cream Man Cometh

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Yamcha stared at Vegeta as an evil smirked snaked across his face and the Saiyan charged without warning, stopping short of head-butting Yamcha. Yamcha gulped loudly, causing Vegeta to grin wickedly.

"Hit me," he stated.

Yamcha blinked, pulled back his fist and clocked Vegeta as hard as he could. Vegeta tumbled backward, his head hitting the ground hard. Bulma gasped, she warned, him, she warned that silly Saiyan! Vegeta simply grinned, bringing himself back on his feet without any struggle.

"Best fighter at school, you say?" Vegeta grinned. "I think we should invite some boys and girls to watch the best fighter be defeated...or maybe... Bulma is enough..."

Yamcha growled angrily, stupid Saiyan thing!!

"I hate you," he growled, taking another shot at Vegeta.

Vegeta grabbed his fist and grinned. Yamcha's face turned into one of fear, which only made Vegeta grin harder until his teeth were showing to which Yamcha noticed he had abnormally sharp canines. Vegeta grabbed Yamcha's collar and lifted the small human male off his tiny feet.

Bulma gasped from a few feet away. Wow, Vegeta was super strong, he was beating the best fighter at school. Wait a moment, why was he gathering energy in his hand? Why is his hand moving toward Yamcha's head? And why, just why was the ice cream man behind Vegeta? ICE CREAM MAN!?

Vegeta smirked as he gathered a small amount of energy in his left hand, his right holding the squirming humanoid by the collar. A strong hand paralyzed Vegeta's hand in what seemed to be an instant. A stoic voice commanded that he drop the human, and so he did. Yamcha scrambled off, thank you stupid creepy ice cream man!! Vegeta shrugged the hand off and turned around, ready to use the energy he had gathered in his other hand on the offending stupid head, that's right, the offender was a big dumb stupid head. His Ki immediately dispersed as his jaw dropped to the ground.

"Vegeta, you know better," the ice cream man grinned.

"Ra-a-addtiz? Is... is it really you?" Vegeta stuttered.

The much taller man nodded, his lengthy raven hair moving as his head did. Radditz's raven eyes sparked with relief as the smaller Saiyan began to smile fondly, it was a relief to finally find Vegeta. He could tell his Prince felt like crying, after all, it had been so long since last he had seen Radditz the older man couldn't blame him.

Vegeta stared up at Radditz with tears in his eyes, he had come back, the only Saiyan friend he had ever had had come back for him! Radditz was only seventeen, or should have been by that time, but Vegeta was no sadder to see him even in his stupid ice cream man outfit. Vegeta noticed that he looked like one of those guys from the TV with the needles that would calm down the crazy people. What were those again? Oh yes, psychiatric helpers.

"You live here now?" the older asked, looking at the expansive building and backyard.

"Yeup," Vegeta said proudly.

"Good. I know Mrs. Briefs, she's a good woman, she'll take good care of you."

"She's a great cook, too," Vegeta smirked.

"I know, ask her to make her special, you'll like it."

"Radditz-chan!" Mrs. Briefs suddenly squealed coming from watering her plants nearby.

Radditz gave her a big smile and a hug as she neared him and Vegeta. Bulma stood some feet away, her eyes wide, and confusion plain across her face. When Vegeta turned to her and waved her to come closer, she was reluctant to say the least. One, some strange man was hugging her mom; two, Yamcha was cowering behind her; and three, she was just plain scared. Vegeta sensed this and walked over to her calmly, ignoring the squeak of the human male behind her.

"Radditz is cool. He's the nicest guy ever! Plus, he's a Saiyan like me!" he whispered softly in her ear.

"Really, 'Geta-chan?" she asked him softly, cowering when the tall man looked their way.

"Yes," he muttered, hating his new nickname.

After a few moments of coercion, Vegeta and Bulma headed back toward Mrs. Briefs, Radditz, and now Dr. Briefs. On one condition: Vegeta had to hold her hand. After a few hours of catch up, Radditz broke the news to Vegeta. Horrible, horrible news. In six years, he would start liking girls. Other than Bulma.

"You lie!" Vegeta hissed.

The two now sat on the domed roof of Capsule Corp., staring at the night sky.

"I'm sorry Vegeta, but it's true," Radditz sighed.

"You suck."

"I know. Bulma will start liking other boys as well."

"WHA!?" Vegeta gasped angrily.

"It's true... I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this."

"I hate you."

"I know."

Vegeta sighed loudly, he was only almost eight for the love of Pete! However, the thought of losing Bulma to some stupid human was unbearable for our beloved Prince of the Saiyans.

"How do I keep her? I really, really like her," Vegeta murmured softly.

Radditz only looked at him thoughtfully, then answered. Below them, on a balcony, Bulma stood, listening to Vegeta and Radditz talk about how they would start liking other people. She didn't want that... but why had she liked Yamcha? Oh, she never liked him, she just wanted to make Vegeta jealous. After all, he was just being a meanie. She sighed softly, smiling to herself when she heard Vegeta admit he liked her a lot. She liked him too, a lot, a lot, a lot. She was only seven, so this had to be one of those crush thingies her mother had mentioned to her before when she would blush every time a certain someone would walk past her and she would blush lightly. She smiled as she looked up at the night sky, the stars were really pretty tonight.

"I promised Buruma-chan I would marry her, I'm not going to let some other stupid human get in my way of that!!" Vegeta yelled suddenly, standing abruptly.

Humans were stupid? Vegeta hated humans, why did he like her so much if he hated humans?

"But you don't think her and her family are stupid humans, do you?" Radditz asked the standing Saiyan.

Vegeta sat down, hugging his knees, and placed his chin between his knees.

"'Course not."

Bulma sighed in relief.

"They are my family, I'd never think them stupid. Maybe my father, Vegeta- Ou, but never Charles..."

"Hm?" Radditz tilted his head to the side.

"You're an idiot, Raditsu," Vegeta muttered. "Charles is the doctor's name. His wife's name is... well I haven't found out her name yet..."

"It's Christine," Radditz grinned.

"Capsule Corp.... C.C.... I get it," the smaller Saiyan grinned.

"They were once my family..."

"You told me."

"I ran away. You better not, the world out there is worse than it may appear... I have to go..."

Radditz stood up, causing Vegeta to frown and look up at him. The small Saiyan stood suddenly, and gripped Radditz's leg for all he was worth. Radditz placed a calming hand on the small boy head, roughing his mane a bit. He smiled when Vegeta looked up at him through his thick bangs. Vegeta was crying, he soon learned. However quietly, Radditz gently wiped the small boy's tears away, promising he would return soon. Vegeta smiled at this, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He was sad to see his fellow Saiyan leave him so suddenly.

"So soon?" Vegeta asked him softly.

"Yes, some children," he emphasized children, "need to go to bed."

Bulma took that as her cue and left but how had the Saiyan man known she was listening? Must be some Saiyan thing, she shrugged, heading to bed. She climbed into her bed, just as Vegeta opened her door. He walked to her bed, climbed onto it, and hovered over her a bit, his face just inches above her left cheek.

"I'd never run away from you, my Buruma-chan," he whispered softly, as to not wake her.

Gently, he kissed her cheek and took his leave. He had a busy day tomorrow, if school could be considered quite time consuming, which held true to the Saiyan. He stopped at the door and looked back at her.

"Good night, Buruma-chan," he murmured, closing her door softly, as if he had never been there.

Bulma lay in her bed, smiling as sleep took hold of her.

"Good night, Vegeta-Ouji, may you never run away from me," she murmured as her brain began to shut down certain systems.

That night, her dreams were filled with good things. And Vegeta.

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Sorry for the long wait, I'm having horrible writer's block at the moment, looks like I won't be able to update once a day like I had planned. So sorry. But I still love you!

POAS