AN: Let's keep going, shall we? Thanks for all the great feedback.
Bulma stood next to Goku as he observed his fellow Saiyans. After three weeks of concentration and training, they were coming along fine. They had progressed beyond meditation to mental fighting.
Vegeta was paired with Yamcha. Inside their shared meditation, Yamcha was still dominating the Prince. As fast as Vegeta might be, his partner was a step faster. Yamcha had meant to push the Prince, forcing him to come up to his level. He also took a great deal of joy in humiliating this so called warrior.
"You're all wasted movement, Princy" he teased. Vegeta snarled at the scar-faced warrior. "You know, she will never have you" he said suddenly.
Vegeta tilted his head sharply. "She? She who, weakling?" he sneered
A sly smile slowly spread across Yamcha's face. "You know, my girl Bulma. You know she's with me, right? I see the way you look at her. You hunger for her but she's beyond your reach"
Vegeta raised an eyebrow at the presumptuous prick. "How would any-UGH!" Yamcha's distraction worked beautifully as he landed a super fast punch to Vegeta's solar plexus, but he was a little disappointed that the Saiyan didn't puke after the hit. "But there's still plenty of time for that Yamcha thought, with a sly smile revealed on his lips. He momentarily dropped his stance, in order to walk around the doubled over warrior like he was surveying a piece of art he just created.
"Yeah, she's what's called 'too much car for you' dude. And if you ever think to take her from me, I'll kill you before you finish the thought" he said with a manic gleam in his eye.
As Vegeta was still doubled over, Yamcha decided to send his message home with his knockout blow. "WOLF FANG FIST" he screamed as his arms moved at the speed of light toward the doubled over prince.
However, the Prince had other plans. Vegeta had been quickly recovering from Yamcha's attack. Fighting his disappointment in himself for being distracted by thoughts of the Woman, he absorbed the punch as a punishment for himself. He also noticed that, even though the hit was strong, it didn't affect him as it once had. With this new fortification, he could anticipate his opponents next move more quickly. In slow motion, he felt the attack coming. Vegeta had to stop himself from laughing out loud at the ludicrous movements Yamcha was making. 'So much wasted motion' he thought matter-of-factly. He found it quite easy to sidestep the frontal assault, pivot on his heel, and deliver a surprising strike of his own...
As Yamcha's Wolf Fang Fist launched, instead of pummeling his partner, Yamcha felt only empty air, as a searing pain erupted at the base of his skull. "AHHHH!" he screamed as Vegeta buried a well timed elbow to the back of his head. "SON OF A BITCH!" he roared as he tried to counter. His eyes flashed dangerously as he rounded on the smirking Saiyan.
"Head ache?" Vegeta said with a smile. Now seeing red, Yamcha lost all control as he charged at Vegeta, to use his full power on this 'princy' to teach him his place. If permanent damage happens to this bastard who dared hurt him, so be it. Yamcha launched his Ki enhanced fist for maximum effect, but was met with an immovable, painful force as Vegeta caught his fist and slowly began to crush the offending hand. Yamcha's Ki flared wildly as each bone on the back of Yamcha's hand violently snapped under Vegeta's powerful grip. To Yamcha's training and credit, he would not give Vegeta the satisfaction of screaming, even though the pain was the worst he's felt in a long time.
"Enough!" commanded Bulma. Vegeta, disgusted he couldn't continue his fury-filled revenge threw Yamcha's mangled hand down and away from him, hoping to cause a final bit of anguish. Yamcha's pain was broadcast all over his face and seeing that put Bulma on her guard.
"Yamcha leave the meditation and get yourself healed." she ordered. "Babe, come with me. I need you" he almost whined. Bulma again flinched at being called "Babe". She shook her head silently, her stony look signalling the end of the conversation as he left the meditation.
"Prince Vegeta, I think you should start training with Goku" she stated definitively. Vegeta's eyes widened a touch but then narrowed on her. "Why not you, are you not the next stepping stone?" He relished the chance to fight her again in any capacity. She challenged him in ways he never thought possible. As much as he would had to admit Yamcha being right about ANYTHING...he did have a slight interest in the woman.
Bulma smirked in spite of herself. "As much as I would like to spend time knocking you on your ass repeatedly, I have bigger fish to fry these days." A small smile broke out over the Saiyan Prince's face as he concentrated solely on her. He could actually feel her Ki for the first time. It was vibrant, strong, and obviously suppressed. "I see." he said as his eyes raked her body. A light blush stained her cheeks stunning the Prince. She smiled then disappeared from the meditation without further comment.
Bulma rose from her meditation and turned to see her friend. Goku was hopping on the balls of his feet left to right, waiting impatiently for news. He was giddy, and obviously excited to finally get a chance to spar. Vegeta was improving so fast he knew he'd be a challenge that could eventually take him to his limit, that excited him to no end. Bulma waited a good minute before opening her mouth...then closing it again with a small smile. "Aww come on, Bulma" Goku frowned. Seeing this side of him again after so long was a joy. Sadness and despair had consumed his entire being for over a year now, while he looked for a challenge, ANY challenge to help him get better.
Bulma decided to end his suffering with a curt "He's ready". Goku lept into the air like a kid at Christmas. She did punctuate his happiness with "Just let him heal and start tomorrow." Goku greedily nodded his head in compliance, and took off to go warm up for tomorrow.
"Start where, Woman?" came an authoritative gravelly voice. She tamped down her gasp as she trained her eyes on the Prince. His shirt was torn, he was dripping with sweat, face flush, and veins bulging from his shoulders and arms. He had the look of predator, and prey-making her mind wander. But before she could answer the Prince, Goku enthusiastically shouted from nearby "The Hyperbolic Time Chamber!"
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "The what..., you clown? What nonsense is this?"
"All will be explained in the morning. There is food in the commissary. And..." Bulma sniffed "...you need a bath, bud. You stink." With that, she smirked, put her nose in the air and strode away still smiling; leaving an outraged Prince in her wake.
Bulma turned her thoughts away from Vegeta by focusing on her plan for the endgame. She pushed any primal emotions deep down and couldn't get distracted by what could be a passing fancy in a Prince. She knew it was tradition that he "mate" a noble Saiyan female and a relationship was never going to happen. She sighed. All things being equal it would have been nice to be closer to him but she tried that once.
Her mind flitted back to a couple years ago. Newly established as the leader of this rag-tag group she was still feeling out her new position. She also allowed herself to socialize with the former desert bandit, Yamcha. To have such a handsome powerful man interested in her was addicting to her young ego. He looked as if he could be a real partner to her and what she needed to steady herself. But, if it looks too good to be true it probably is-and boy was that true with Yamcha. The moment when it all came crashing down was a shock as it started as a joke:
Turning Bulma in a flourish, dipped her, he pulled her into his chest and said "Forever baby".
"Is that a proposal?" she giggled
"Oh you'll know when it's the real thing" he said huskily. "*I'll wait until the time is right-the place is right. I will take your hand and tell you how I love you. How I always loved you. I will get on my knee and one thought will be running straight through my head. I am kneeling in front of my past and if you would have me, I will rise to greet my future"*
Bulma was in absolute shock. Never had Yamcha been so eloquent about anything let along marriage. She placed a light kiss on his lips and snuggled into his strong chest feeling so loved.
"After all that, I would do some work before my head gets any bigger." Her smile was beaming as she walked back to her lab.
Krillin had viewed the scene with disgust. His friend's words had no meaning. They were just a means of getting in Bulma's pants-he'd seen it countless times before. Fury burned in his blood at the disgraceful deceit from the Desert Bandit.
Yamcha waited until she was out of site before looking Krillin in the eye. "I will end up married to the richest, smartest, most beautiful girl in the universe-with the added bonus of being able to keep many, many beauties on the side." He basked in his triumph not knowing Bulma had returned to a forgotten notebook and heard his confession. Without drawing attention from Yamcha, she nodded at Krillin and left. She trained at Kami's lookout for a year to break her egocentric habit of focusing on herself when there is the prophecy to fulfill. Day after day Kami and Popo drilled into her. her role in freeing the universe and not indulging in flirtations, even though she was only human.
After her time with Kami and Popo, she was never the same. Bulma returned more cool and reserved, secure in herself and duties. Yamcha was so affronted she dared to leave without speaking to him that he found a new floozy within days of her absence. They moved on silently or so she thought. But now he was slowly moving back into her life, testing her resolve with calling her 'Babe' and watching her possessively. A part of her still finds his bravado attractive, and she would need to address it, but putting it in the back of her mind for the moment is the smart move. Shaking off her thoughts she sent a short encrypted message off world:
"Moving on to stage two. Be ready" it read.
"Acknowledged" was the sole reply.
*Days of our lives 2010, EJ to Sami*