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AN: So you guys seemed to like my start to this. Good! I'm happy! And it's great to see some of my old favorite reviewers still sticking in there with me. Hi Sue! Hi Nesha! Hey there chica! Lol. Anyway, thanks to all who read and reviewed. Now, enjoy.

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"Goku, I don't understand why we had to come out here tonight," ChiChi grumbled. "I have way too much studying to do, and so do you for that matter. Finals are next week for crying out loud..."

As her rant continued, Goku followed her, blocking most of her comments out. The stars above sparkled brilliantly, despite the few clouds dotting the sky, as they walked through the flower sanctuary. Since moving to Oklahoma four years ago to attend the university in Norman, this had quickly become one of ChiChi's favorite spots. Bringing her here was always sure to put a smile on her face. However, so close to finals, ChiChi had really been on edge. They were just one week from being college graduates and the pressure was on. Despite this, tonight Goku's mind was miles away from schoolwork.

"Hello?! Are you ignoring me?!" ChiChi was demanding.

Goku blinked out of his daze. "I'm sorry Chi. What was that?"

"I said I'm tired. I'm stressed. I'm irritable. And to top it all off, I think its going to rain," she complained.

Goku turned his attention to the sky. There were a few more clouds than before but nothing to worry about just yet. "It's fine ChiChi. Let's just walk a little further, huh?"

"Fine," she sighed.

They wandered through the over-sized garden for another fifteen minutes, ChiChi complaining about this and that all the way. As they passed row after row of flowers, Goku drifted in and out of his 'conversation' with his girlfriend. In the four years they'd lived together since graduating from Orange Star High School, he'd gained a new talent for the technique. ChiChi had a tendency to... well... nag. Learning to block her out when necessary really came in handy. Even counting for this fact, however, he was absolutely crazy about the woman walking in front of him.

"-absolutely nuts, you know what I'm saying?"

"Huh?" Goku looked up, having no idea what she was talking about. "Oh, yeah, that's crazy." Stopping, he grabbed ChiChi's hand causing her to stop too.

"What is it?" she asked, looking up at him curiously. He was acting so strangely over the past week. It was honestly starting to get on her nerves a bit.

He looked as if he was about to say something important, but instead broke out into that big goofy grin of his. Placing a hand behind his head, he laughed nervously. "Oh nothing! I just wanted to see your pretty face."

Giving him a skeptical look, ChiChi placed her hands on her hips. "All right, Kakarot Goku Son. You better tell me what's up with you right now."

Goku grimaced. She only used his birth name when she meant business. Looking around, he spotted a wooden bench surrounded by rosebushes. Clasping her hand again, he started tugging her in that direction. "Come on, let's sit over there and talk."

After they were both seated, Goku began looking around nervously. "You know, its really pretty here. I can't believe they let people come here for free-" he rambled.

"Goku," ChiChi said as a warning.

Goku took a deep breath before meeting ChiChi's eyes. "Okay, right, so, um, well..." clearing his throat he started again. "ChiChi, you know I'm nuts about you right?"

Quirking her brow slightly, ChiChi nodded. "Well, I certainly hope so."

"Okay, well, good," Goku trailed off, looking at the rosebush behind her.

ChiChi frowned. "Is that all?"

"Oh, um, no," he said, not going any further.

"Look, Goku, we could sit at home and stare at each other," ChiChi said as she stood.

"Wait Chi!" Goku said quickly standing. Before he could say anything to halt her, small drops began falling. Within seconds the drops began coming faster.

"Oh great! I just got this shirt for my birthday and now its going to be ruined," ChiChi growled, looking down at the silk top. "I told you this would happen!"

Goku looked around, spotting the little pavilion where others were taking cover. Wrapping his arm around the furious young woman, Goku quickly made his way over to the over hang. He had to squeeze in to make room among the other ten or fifteen people taking cover from the rain. He sat his angry girlfriend on her feet and watched as she tried to wipe water from her soaked top. "You know, sometimes I think you're stupider than you look. Look at me! I told you I didn't feel like coming out here tonight. But nooooo! You just had to come," she finished on an angry growl.

"I'm sorry, Chi," Goku started. "I just wanted it to be special, that's all. I know how you like all that sappy, romantic stuff. So I wanted to take you somewhere you loved to ask you. I never thought it would start raining. This is not turning out the way I planned at all-"

He was cut off as ChiChi looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean 'the way you planned'?" She blinked. "Wait- you were bringing me out here to ask me something? What were you going to ask me?"

When all she got was a blush in response, ChiChi could not help a gasp. "Were you going to propose to me tonight?!"

Still bright red, Goku nodded.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!!!!" ChiChi shrieked, drawing the attention of the small group gathered with them, as she threw her arms around his neck. After a few moments she released him. "Well?!"

He blinked at her. "Well what?"

ChiChi sighed, but for the first time that night, she did it happily. "Well, get to proposing all ready!!"

Blinking in surprise at the turn of events for a few seconds, Goku released a short, "Oh!" He reached into his pocket and retrieved the small black jewelry box. Sinking to one knee, he cleared his throat as he opened the box, revieling the white gold diamond solitaire. "ChiChi Mau, will you marry me?"

With a scream of joy, ChiChi threw her arms around Goku's neck again, quickly following it with an excited kiss. "Oh yes! Oh yes!"

She broke away from him and reached for the ring in the box he was still holding. Slipping it on her left hand, she held it out to gaze at it. "Oh Goku, its beautiful!" she gushed.

Chuckling, Goku stood. "I'm glad you're happy ChiChi."

She turned to him, her eyes filling with tears. "I am so happy! I love you, Goku Son," she said. As she did, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

The people watching began clapping and congratulating the young couple. One pretty blond sighed romantically.

"Isn't it beautiful, David?" she said to her companion.

David frowned at her, crossing his arms. "Don't get any ideas, Sarah."

After shooting him a glare, she turned back to the young Japanese couple still kissing, as the rain continued to fall outside the little gathering.

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"Can you believe it?! And it was all so beautiful! I don't think there's ever been a more perfect proposal."

Bulma smiled. ChiChi had been gushing about Goku's proposal from the previous night for going on fifteen minutes. "I'm really happy for you guys, ChiChi," she repeated for the third time.

"Thanks Bulma! I knew you would be," ChiChi's excited voice rang through the phone.

Bulma shifted the phone to her other ear so she could retrieve the pepper from the cabinet. "So when's the big day?" she asked as she added the spice to the dozen eggs in her skillet.

"You know, I haven't even thought about a date yet. Right now I'm just trying to figure out how to tell my dad. He is going to freak!"

Bulma chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He loves Goku. Besides if he does freak, Julia will have your back."

She could almost hear ChiChi's smile as she thought of her step-mother. "Yeah, I guess so, huh?"

Bulma sighed. "So what did Juu say?"

"Well, you know Juu. She said I was making a mistake. She said getting married and taking herself off the market was the worst thing she ever did."

Bulma laughed. "Right. As if she was on the market before getting married. She and Krillian have pretty much been married since seventh grade."

"She just can't say when she's happy. Always repressing everything," ChiChi sighed. "Speaking of people with lots of repressed emotions, how's Vegeta?"

"Oh, he's still Vegeta. He's really stressed about finals but other than that, same ole same ole," she finished on a sigh.

"Uh oh, that sigh doesn't sound good. What's wrong B?"

Bulma took a deep breath as she turned the burner off under the eggs and began making toast. "Well, I've been really off lately. At first I thought it had to do with my own finals, but with your news I'm worried it might be something else." She paused to check and make sure she was still alone in the kitchen. When she was sure Vegeta was still in the shower, she went back to her call. "Oh ChiChi, what if this is all there is for me?"

"What are you talking about, Bulma? You are still happy with Vegeta, right?" ChiChi asked, concerned.

"Of course I am," Bulma said quickly. "It's just, well, it seems like everyone is making big changes in their lives except me. First Juu, now you, what if I never get past live in lover?" Bulma took the freshly browned bread from the toaster and placed it on a plate. Sighing she continued, "You know, I heard even Yamucha got married."

"Yeah, well, I heard he got divorced like four months ago, so I wouldn't use that as a reason to get hitched immediately," ChiChi countered. "Anyway, I thought getting married was the furtherest thing from your mind?"

"It was but lately...I don't know," she trailed off.

"Well, have you told Vegeta you want to get married?"

"Of course not," Bulma said. "His parents set the worse possible example of marriage and I'm sure its still his basis for what all marriages are like."

ChiChi frowned as she considered Vegeta's abusive childhood. "Well, maybe you should still talk to him about it. I mean maybe he's worked through all that stuff," ChiChi offered even though she doubted it.

"Yeah maybe," Bulma said just as doubtfully. She was by no means a stupid woman and the facts were clear. Four years had passed since Vegeta's parents had returned to Vegetasei to reclaim the throne and he had made no attempt to take his mother up on her offers to visit. Though he spoke with his mother briefly at least once a week, he'd only spoken to his father once in all these years. It was obvious that he hadn't worked through anything as far as his parents were concerned.

"Anyway," Bulma switched gears, "I'll be more than happy to fly out there to help once you start planning for the wedding."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." ChiChi couldn't keep the pity for her friend out of her voice.

Hearing the shower cut off, Bulma decided this was as good a time as any to cut their conversation. "Well ChiChi, I better get off here and finish this breakfast. Congratulations, oh, and tell Goku I said congrats too."

"Thanks and I will."

"Talk to you later."

"Bye Bulma."

After hanging up the phone and setting it on the counter, she quickly finished the last pieces of toast. Just as she was placing those pieces on the plate with the others, Vegeta entered the kitchen, buttoning up his shirt as he did.

Bulma threw him a smile over her shoulder. "Morning."

"Morning," he responded gruffly as he stopped beside her at the stove.

"Everything is ready," she said as she moved to get two plates out of the cabinet. She handed one to him and waited as he started piling food on his plate.

"It seems you're developing a talent for this," he commented.

Bulma smiled proudly at her creations. "I know, huh? I haven't burned anything in a month."

"And to think, it only took you four years to learn. Miracles never cease," he replied.

Bulma chuckled as she started filling her own plate. "I guess you consider yourself to be a regular comedian."

He gave her a small smirk, as he took his plate to the table. She finished filling her own then joined him. As was their routine, Bulma allowed him time to finish his first plate and get a second before starting in on him with conversation. Setting the newspaper she'd been skimming aside, she picked up her coffee cup and brought it to her lips. "Goku proposed to ChiChi last night."

Vegeta finished chewing then took a sip from his own coffee cup. "Kakarot has always been an idiot."

Bulma watched him over the rim of her cup. "ChiChi seemed pretty happy."

Having returned to his plate, Vegeta grunted. "I suppose she would be. She's finally trapped him."

Bulma sat her cup down gently. "Is that what marriage is to you? A trap?"

He looked up at her as he popped a couple pieces of bacon in his mouth. "What else would it be?"

She held his gaze a moment before standing and gathering her dishes. "I don't know. A symbol of love and commitment between two people, maybe?"

"And the difference would be?"

She frowned. "You think love and commitment is a trap?"

Setting down his silverware, he met her eyes again. "Essentially, yes."

Oddly enough, Vegeta was actually surprised that hurt, followed quickly by pity, entered her eyes. "I'm sorry to hear you feel that way," she said before carrying her plate over to the sink and setting it inside. Without another word to him she walked over to one of the kitchen chairs and lifted her backpack from it.

When she turned, still not saying anything, he questioned. "Where are you going?"

"To the library to research. You'll have plenty of private time to study today." And with that she was gone.

Frowning, Vegeta thought, 'What did I say?'

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Poor boy is confused. Anyway see you guys next time. Thanks for reading.