Writing these last two chapters has been a mind-bending experience. While the "gap" theme has been explored by others in infinite ways, in my mind Bulma can show vulnerability and mixed feelings and care for Vegeta without completely compromising who she is at her core. It can't be reduced to solely to "How is she falling for this crap?". She makes mistakes and so does Vegeta - who makes more of them because, well, he's Vegeta! That said, I weaved in a bit of "Scandal" into their interactions - for those of you tracking the romantic relationships on that show. I just couldn't help myself. These two are like moths to a flame with each other.
Bulma tried to hold back tears. "I can't believe my father just called me irrational. The nerve of him! Maybe he's been around Vegeta or Master Roshi too long. I've never heard him sound so sexist. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure Vegeta has ever said something that bad. He's equally grouchy with men and women. What the hell am I saying? Of course he has. I can't keep up anymore!"
She decided not to see Vegeta before leaving the mountain. He needed his rest, but it wouldn't take long for him to return to work. She left stronger sets of body suits there for him. He would need them to train with the advanced equipment. It was better this way. He would've been grumpy with her about surprising him instead of telling him early what she had done.
She forced herself to imagine Vegeta and her friends dying brutally, one by one, each time she became annoyed or tired. Those thoughts kept her working hard, but they were also taking a toll on her. Sometimes at night she woke up sweating and crying when those thoughts spoiled her dreams. Her father was so wrong about her. She hadn't lost focus. Failure was not an option.
Dr. Brief strolled down the hall to Vegeta's room. He hoped the prince's mood would improve after moving upstairs to the living quarters for recovery. The less confined Vegeta felt the better, the doctor thought, even though the man would be full of drugs until he completed his treatment.
"You're looking better, son."
Vegeta looked over at him sleepily. "Brief, if feeling better means I can breathe without having holes drilled in my throat and chest, then yes, I am just wonderful."
"It will take a while to return to normal strength, Vegeta - or in your case, outrageously abnormal strength."
"Your joke is not amusing, and how long is a while?"
"You are so bullheaded." Dr. Brief handed him water. "I'll explain in simple language. You are at risk for a stronger reaction now that you've had this episode - which means death could happen within minutes, not thirty minutes. Did I mention dying fast?"
"My hearing is fine. You may continue."
"Furthermore, you are at risk to relapse for at least a week. Vigorous exercise can be a trigger, which is probably what happened with you before."
Vegeta pounded his fist on the bed. "Well what do you expect me to do this week? Plant flowers and paint pretty pictures? This is unacceptable, and you fully are aware of this. You did not bring me here to sit on my hands!"
"Son, you do realize that I have to sacrifice my delightful smoking habit while you're here. If you think we hate each other now, just wait."
"Why is this happening?" Vegeta breathed heavily and closed his eyes. "This of all things should not be happening. How many more humiliations must I endure on this miserable planet?"
Dr. Brief leaned on the door. "You will keep suffering from them until you learn to accept and move on, Vegeta. Don't worry, and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You'll be fine after getting the new treatment. You have my word. Also, my talented daughter left new training gear for you."
"She did?" Vegeta looked up at him. "Is she still around?"
"No. For right now you should concentrate on regaining strength. Bulma will return to work tomorrow. The house is equipped with the recordings you listen to sometimes if you need distraction."
Bulma returned the following day with a large box of her father's favorite snacks. It was her way of making amends. She still planned to say that his comments had been condescending and hurtful. The discussion would end there so they could be partners again.
Vegeta saw them embrace inside the lab. He had planned to barge in before realizing she was there. He had never seen her cry before. Dr. Brief, who noticed him there, used the remote control on his watch to unlock the door.
"Come in, Vegeta. Bulma and I were just discussing next steps."
Bulma quickly wiped her face and walked past them. She wanted to kill her father for letting crown prince pain-in-the-ass see her like that.
"Where are you going?" Vegeta asked.
"I have things to do."
"Oh."
"She is quite busy today," Dr. Brief said, observing their reactions. "I will check on your progress later, sweetheart. Thank you for the treats. Maybe I will share some with our patient over here."
Bulma left without saying anything else to either of them.
Vegeta leaned on a nearby chair and exhaled. "I am not a patient, and I have lost my patience. My training begins now."
"I won't stand in your way." Dr. Brief popped a piece of gum in his mouth and smiled. "Get your new suit on, my boy."
It took five hours before Vegeta passed out from the effects of exercising and drugs on his coordination. The achievement was quite impressive, although the prince was highly disappointed that he couldn't last longer. Dr. Brief kept a careful eye on his movements and lung function, and he made sure a medical staffer was close by. He also kept the gravity level lower than normal - and he lied to Vegeta about it. The two men knew it was unlikely that Vegeta could match this level of exertion again until his treatment was completed. Proving a point came with a cost.
Bulma sat next to Vegeta quietly in the recovery room later that day when he regained consciousness. He knew she was deeply angry with him, but his eyes blazed with defiance. He was a risk-taker, and so was she. How she couldn't understand that pissed him off, especially now. They had spent far too much time together working their backsides off. His fighting spirit had been sinking, and now Dr. Brief was offering him another way out. For Bulma, it had become too stressful dealing with Vegeta's and her father's enormous egos. She slammed the door on her way out after adjusting his oxygen mask. Then she put on her coveralls and returned to work.
Dr. Brief entered the machine room that night after Bulma didn't show up for dinner. She moved from underneath the robotic device she was working on and lifted her welding mask. Her face showed a mix of rage and disappointment.
"What do you want, daddy?"
Dr. Brief bent down next to her. "It's getting late, honey - really late. You haven't eaten anything."
"I grabbed some food after seeing your patient."
"Look, I'm sorry. I know you're angry."
Bulma pulled down her mask. "Spare me the apology. You and Vegeta deserve each other. Good night. As you said, I have lots of work to do."
"I will continue saying that, but one of those jobs isn't falling in love with him, Bulma. He will never choose you first - ever. Hear me on this."
Bulma sighed. "You don't even realize what you're doing. Stop trying to protect me from him. Stop standing in the way of me feeling anything for anyone. I know who he is and what he is - and you have some nerve to preach at me. It was your brilliant idea to isolate us here, on this mountain, to work on top of each other!"
"Here's the difference between you two now." Dr. Brief picked up her welding torch. "Vegeta doesn't fear death. You fear for his life."
"Okay, daddy, here's my sermon for today. It's not your place to push him as close as possible to death just because he doesn't fear it. You are not a god, and you're being a hypocrite."
"I'm not a hypocrite, Bulma. That's the beauty of it, and this is what Vegeta wants! You know this! He gets stronger each time he's pushed to the brink. Your attachment, or whatever it is, endangers his well-being and ours."
"But he was sick this time, daddy, not wounded!" Bulma covered her mouth to stop herself from crying. "He is… still sick, and you've been cruel. Just leave me alone. You've kept me from my work long enough."
Dr. Brief patted her arm and stood. "Good night, my darling." He really needed a cigarette - a sweet-tasting, long-lasting, lung-blackening cigarette.
She truly is in love with the man. My daughter has lost sight of what cruelty means anymore, especially with him. He's lucky that I don't shut off his oxygen.
###
Bulma didn't speak with her father or Vegeta much for the next two weeks. Discussions were entirely work-related, and their living space was large enough for them not to see each other most days. For his part, Vegeta wasn't that talkative either, but more so out frustration. He couldn't do much of what he wanted while finishing his final rounds of immunotherapy, but he did observe and plan for when he could.
These days, Bulma jogged in the forest to keep her sanity. Their work would now stretch into two months, which she expected, but it was becoming harder for all of them to remain patient. She thought about going home for a while, but doing so would guarantee that she wouldn't return the mountain. Luckily, her mother had found other ways to enjoy herself at the estate.
One weekend she had run for about a mile before resting on a tree stump. She was unhappy that she didn't beat her timer. She would try again once more.
"I do not see how your self-imposed muteness will last much longer," Vegeta called out to her. "The silence must be killing you."
"I can deal."
"I am not sure about that. Your father seems more displeased by it."
Bulma bent over to tie her shoes. "Look, Vegeta, running is the one time daily that I don't think about work. You and my father are work. Dealing with your endless male pissing contests is work. Talking with you these last few minutes is work. Now leave me alone."
"So working is a burden for you now, or is it just me?"
"I cannot believe you!" Bulma shook her head in disbelief. "You are getting everything you want - everything - and you're still seeking more validation? Well I can't help you there. I'm tired."
"You are wrong," he replied. "I do not have everything I want yet."
"Sorry for you, buddy." Bulma looked at her watch. "Gotta go now. It's cloudy and I still need to finish running."
Vegeta grabbed her arm, pulling her in for a kiss. Bulma rested her forehead against his chin. He quickly moved his hand into her shorts and touched her perfectly. She placed her arms on his shoulders, panting. He chuckled as he partially pulled down her shorts, followed by his. Then he moved her hand over to stroke him. It didn't take him long to get hard after watching her submit to his advances.
"Hn. Does this help relieve your stress now? See, am I so bad?"
His smart mouth had finally tripped Bulma's trigger. She had enough of it.
She backed away and threw a fistful of dirt and branches at him. "Get away from me, Vegeta. How dare you. Is this all you know how to do? I have not bothered you once since we got here. That, my friend, is showing respect. Now return the courtesy and leave me to my own devices."
"If that is what you want."
"What I want is for you to pull your giant head out of your butt."
Vegeta eyes flashed angrily. "I am not staying here to listen to this!"
"Oh, wow!" Bulma paced around him like an enraged tigress. "Why not, Vegeta? You can dish this crap out but can't take it yourself? Perhaps you would get what you want if you stopped trying to conquer me. You've shown with your arrogance that I'm attracted to you, so why not make it official? That's all you want, isn't it? Isn't it?!
"Oh god!" She slapped her forehead. "From the first day I lusted after you, but I offered proper reasons for why we couldn't go further. Of course I did! But I ignored my better judgment each time you touched me. The funny thing is after all of this drama, I see our encounters differently. Sure, your desire to conquer is in your nature - I'll give you that- but ask yourself why I'm your coveted prize. Are you lonely? Are you bored? Are you so attached to me that you can't help yourself? I ask these questions each time I consider having sex with you. My conclusion is you're playing with your own emotions as much as mine. My question is why? Can you answer that for yourself?"
Vegeta glared at her. Then he turned his back. Bulma ran around in front with her arms spread wide, blocking his path.
"Go home, Bulma."
"No, sir! Not today. You sought me out, so you will hear me out. I could certainly help you find other women to satisfy your appetites. There are attractive ladies all over West City who would gladly want you, and they won't ask questions. They could be your paramours doing whatever you want, whenever you want - but right now you are standing here with me. Can you explain that? Now here's another thought: If we fully act on our desires, you might even be disappointed. I may be too. What will you do then?"
"So you consider yourself my prize." Vegeta crossed his arms and huffed. "You do think highly of yourself."
"Always have." Bulma fastened her jacket and walked past him, but not before throwing more dirt in his direction. "That won't change, and I am not ashamed about anything that happened between us. I smell rain, so now I'm leaving. Do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from me."
Vegeta clutched her arm. "You want to know why, Bulma?"
"Are you ready to tell me?"
"I have no other way of being. I am exactly the person you know me to be. You told me some time ago that I was not of this world in mind or spirit. You were right. I have toyed with you because I could."
"Damn it, you are such a terrible liar." Bulma tied her hair back in a knot. "Well, you did tell the truth about toying with me, I guess. I wonder about the rest of it now, despite of what I said a long time ago."
"What do you want from me?!" Vegeta seized her shoulders. "Maybe I pursue you because you talk with me. Maybe I pursue because you are not afraid of me, at least not anymore, and you challenge me. You are the most intelligent and beautiful woman I have ever met, and I cannot stop thinking of you. And I hate myself for it. This is not who I am or what I envisioned for myself. You are just as bad for me as I am for you."
Thunder rumbled around them. Vegeta threw his arms up as birds scattered from the trees. "See there?" He pointed upward. "You hear that? What perfect timing. Listen to the skies! You broke past my armor. You saw into my mind. Well there it is, woman. Are you satisfied now?"
Bulma threw branch pieces on the ground each time Vegeta paused. He lifted his head skyward again. This time he couldn't look at her because of shame, and Bulma realized this. He wanted to be left alone, so she did.
"I'm returning home." She switched on her flashlight and walked a good distance before turning around. "Would you believe me if I said I understand, Vegeta?" She yelled until her voice became a whisper. "I understand. I'm sorry it had to be this way."
Vegeta listened closely as the leaves and branches cracked under her feet. He wanted to hear every single step. Then he decided to fly overhead. She would be safe under his watch that night. He just didn't know how long she would be safe with him. He felt like the mountain had landed on his chest, and it was hard to breathe. Tiny drops of rain fell on his face.
Bulma poured a small glass of wine when she returned to the house. She was glad to be back before the big rainstorm hit. Even better, she was satisfied with what she told Vegeta. Now she was having trouble deciding whether to listen to the rain from her balcony or read a book in bed. She briefly considered finding her father to talk, but he was probably sleeping.
She had been nodding off until she heard soft tapping outside of her room. Dr. Brief tended to be extremely polite when he approached his daughter's bedroom at night, so she assumed really needed something. She opened the door and gasped. There Vegeta stood, drenched from the rain, with his head down. Bulma stared for a minute and then brought him into her arms. She held him until his breathing slowed.
"Hey, it's okay," she whispered. "Let's get you dried off. You are soaked."
"I… do not know why I am here. I should not be here."
"You do know why, Vegeta. You just told me in the woods."
He continued staring down. He didn't want to look into her eyes. Not now. Not like before. Then she would see everything. Everything was different now.
She lifted his chin and kissed him.
"Listen to me. You do know why you're here."