Ok people, first up. I want to thank everyone...absolutely EVERYONE who has been reading this story and giving it a lot of support. My gratefulness to you all. I am putting up this chapter quickly and I have no idea when my next update will be because I'm traveling to Michigan and Florida (places I need to go before going off to college). Please be patient and please dont give up on the story. I will have access to my email, so if any of you want to send me ideas and so on, please feel free to do so. Thank you!!!
On to the stowwy!!!!
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Three years later...
"Well, hello. Welcome to the royal kitchen!" a dark-haired girl greeted brightly.
Bulma stood a bit surprised. She hadnt been given such nice treatments in the palace. "Hi, umm...my name is Bu- Celeste."
"Nice to meet you, Celeste. It's so good to have someone our own age around here. Most of them are grown women who talk about their husbands and sons- although they dont look all that bad," the black-haired girl laughed. Bulma smiled. She wasnt sure if she could always be in such good moods as this girl, but she sure liked her.
"How rude of me not to introduce myself!" the girl said indignantly, "I'm Chichi."
"Nice to meet you Chichi," Bulma smiled, "just so you know, I dont know much about cooking and stuff," Bulma whispered.
Chichi laughed, "Dont worry. There's a lot of things to do besides cooking. And the good thing is that we're not on duty every day, so we have days off and can do whatever we want. I'm gonna give you a schedule that matches mine so you dont stay stuck with the oldies."
"That'd be great!I was working with the garden maids. But the work is so tiring under that scorching sun...and we never really had a break, I'm glad we get some time off," Bulma said smiling more and more every time. This place didnt look so bad. Not bad at all. She was surprised at how quickly Radditz had fixed up everything. Sure it had taken a couple of years to get her to the kitchen, but at least he was successful in getting her out of the bordello before the prince carried on his devious threats and plans. What surprised her even more was that the queen personally came to the palace bordello and got her out. She had actually remembered her? Bulma had been more than grateful.
"Celeste?" Chichi asked.
"Huh?" Bulma asked dumbfounded.
"Would you like to come to the market with me and get some things?"
"You mean, as in going out of the palace?" Bulma asked.
"Yes," Chichi smiled.
"Yes! I would love that!"
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"Father, what did you want?" Vegeta acknowledged his father as he bowed down respectfully.
"I just wanted you to know that the training for the special elite force starts tomorrow. It would be in your best interests to join it and personalize yourself with the rest of the team; they will soon be your special soldiers and it wouldnt hurt to start...some kind of bond with them. Get them to like you so they dont betray you somehow in the future," the king said.
Vegeta grunted, "I dont have to get anyone to trust nor do I have to trust anyone. When I am king I will also be the strongest; no one will dare try to betray me, and he who does will not achieve anything but his death."
The king chuckled. If there was somehting in which his son truly surpassed him it was in pride, "Son, it is not always about strength and power. That, I have come to see in the past few years. You see, there will always be someone stronger than you. Not just physically, but mentally as well. And mind power, my son, exceeds all. Use your head and be intelligent and dont let your damn pride get in the way of your success."
Vegeta said nothing; he was too surprised at his father's words. His father, the king, who had always held up the Sayajin slogan of power and strength was now resigning to it and turning to what he should call the human slogan of 'intelligence'? Funny how people and things changed.
"Nevertheless, son. I cant have you around doing nothing but training yourself for your own benefit. As prince of this planet, you have a duty to do something for our people. Rise up early tomorrow. You're going on the next elite mission," the king concluded.
"What? Are you forcing me to work for Frieza?! Again! I was there for two fucking, unbearable years!"
"Son...it's all for the best. I assure you, it will not take more than two years," the king said calmly.
"No more than two years? I will not stand for even two months with that creature!" Vegeta refused.
"My statement is final, Vegeta. Obey me or lose the crown. You choose. I am still young enough to live a good twenty more years and I still havent found the need to use my concubines. Dont make me change my mind," the king said finally as he stood up and walked out of the throne room, leaving a furious prince inside.
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"Wow, I cant remember the last time I actually enjoyed pure daylight!" Bulma said as she sighed and breathed in fresh air.
Her and Chichi had dressed up and gone out to the market. "Well, you'll be doing more of that very often. I'll make sure you meet new people and get used to the life. It's not that bad, actually. We pretty much do whatever we want, as long as we get the job done."
"Well, I'm happy. And thanks for being so nice to me. After the queen and Radditz, I think you're the closest to a friend I've had in this place."
"You know Radditz?! And the queen?" Chichi halted and gasped.
"Yes. They're very nice," Bulma said blankly.
"Radditz? As in Kakarot's brother? Wow. I'm surprised you say he was nice. Thats not the reputation he has. He's a very harsh soldier...one of the king's favorites, as a mtter of fact," Chichi explained.
"Oh? Well, Radditz was the one who brought me captive here. But he has been like a brother to me. And the queen has been very kind too."
"Yes, she is very gentle, but she can also be twice as bad as the kign himself...but only when she needs to be," Chichi said with a smile, "at least you've got those two people on your good side."
"Yeah, I guess," Bulma said with a shrug, thinking about how bad it was that the prince hated her more than anything, "hmmm, so, you know Kakarot? I talked to him once. Now he...is a very nice and kind person."
Chichi blushed and laughed, "Yes...a little too much, I'd say."
Bulma laughed, "Do I sense something you have towards him?"
Chichi said nothing, but her red face said it all.
"Aww, well, that's really cute! He's your boyfriend, then!" Bulma said with a smile. She wished she had someone to have a crush on, at least; just to make her forget about how much her life sucked, at least for a little while.
Chichi gasped, "There he is! Oh my gosh, I should have definitely worn something better than this!"
Bulma laughed, "Woa, you're pretty nailed to this fellow! Dont worry, Chi, you look fine. And I'm sure that if he likes you, he sees you as a beautiful woman with whatever you're wearing."
"Thanks," Chichi whispered as she smiled towards Goku, who approached them
"Hello, ladies!" Goku greeted happily, "hey, it's you! Celeste, right?"
"Yes, Kakarot, if I am not mistaken," Bulma said as she shook his hand smiling broadly. This was the first time in her life she was actually socializing...and it didnt feel all that bad.
"Please, just call me Goku. Kakarot makes me sound ugly," Goku laughed. He looked at Chichi and his look changed from happy to wistfully-dazed, "Chi, you look...amazing...like always."
To this, Chichi blushed profusely, "Thank you, Goku...I..think you look very hadsome yourself."
Bulma couldnt help but smile at the shy yet honest couple. Here were two kind people who deserved to love each other.
"Chichi, I know I invited you for supper tonight...but, would it be ok if I had a friend come over? We leave on mission tomorrow and well...he just got selected to join our crew. I want to hang out with him since he's one of the very few humans that were chosen...and the rest of the sayajins are just gonna make his life miserable," Goky said sadly.
Chichi smiled, "Sure you can...it's only fair that you bring a friend since I already brought one."
For one time, Goku caught on and laughed, "Yeah, that wouldnt be a bad idea, right Celeste? He's a good guy."
Bulma said nothing. She felt like an object; a victim of a set up situation. But she liked the idea, nonetheless. It couldnt hurt to meet someone new, right?
Chichi frowned, "How long will you be gone?"
"I dont know...hopefully not too long," Goku said as he embraced her and kissed her gently.
Chichi smiled, then looked to Bulma, "I'm sorry. Goku, that was rude!"
Goku laughed, "I'm sorry...couldnt help myself. Well, I'm starving, and my friend's probably waiting for me at Tino's."
"Wait, Chi. Dont we have to go to the market and get some things for the kitchen?"
Chichi seemed taken aback, then laughed, "Oh, that! Hon, sometimes you just need some lame excuses to get away."
Bulma smiled, "Oh. Right."
The trio talked and laughed as they made their way to the dining house. And although Bulma had just practically met both people, she felt like she'd known them from way before. She felt comfortable with them, and they made her feel like she was worth something. As they entered the dining house, Bulma was completely oblivious to the numerous pairs of eyes that held her as she walked in. Sure, she'd had cute curves when she was 13- just started to become a woman. But now, as a sixteen-year-old, she was more than fully developed- in every way.
"Wow, Celeste, you're putting on quite a show. You should thank me for giving you that dress...it's gluing all eyes on you," Chichi whispered as she smiled.
Bulma looked around and noticed, for the first time, all the men sitting around, gaping at her. She'd always known men were lecherous creatures- ready to fuck whatever they saw. But she never thought she'd be the object of such attention. She felt a bit uncomfortable, deciding that she might as well be raped and it would be equivalent to the lust-filled stares she was getting.
"Het, 'Geta, what are you doing here?!" Goku suddenly called out to the prince who'd enetered unexpectedly. Bulma's heart stopped and she slowly looked towards the prince,
"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing, Kakarot? A man's gotta eat...a soldier must feast," Vegeta said as he noticed Bulma and his eyes traveled slowly through her body.
He'd been in some king of trance, not even noticing who she was until, of course, he took notice of her hair. His eyes narrowed, "You...I could have sworn you were dead by now...and yet, by the mercy of something you're still alive."
"And yet, if that same mercy is what keeps us bumping into each other, then it might as well just be a curse," Bulma said coldly. Vegeta smirked. He was in a bad mood. He left with his elite unit the very next day to work for Frieza; plus, he was starving. And yet, seeing this...beauty...somehow made him look forward to an argument with her. The feeling frightened even him. Why? Why was it that he could forget about her for such a long time and then see her and have all these strange feelings surge from within him?
"Measure your words, slave, they help you stay in your place," Vegeta said, his eyes intently locked with hers. Both refused to surrender.
"Ahem, sorry to interrupt this...battle, but Celeste, would you mind helping us find some seats for all of us?" Chichi asked in an attempt to prevent her friend from making the mistake of disrespecting the prince.
Bulma rolled her eyes, then almost kicked herself for looking away first. Vegeta smirked and then turned to Kakarot's girlfriend, "Huh, I see you make it a point to surround Kakarot with all the palace whores. I'd watch out if I were you."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, you sick bastard?!" Bulma erupted angrily. How annoying could he be?!
"Yeah, Vegeta, what the hell's your problem?" Goku asked.
Vegeta shrugged, "Whatever."
As they sat down, there was definitely a lot of tension, but Goku and Chichi decided to ignore it and set about to coo on one another and just talk, leaving Bulma and the prince angrily glaring one another.
Bulma sighed. The truth was, she knew she could be as disrespectful as she wanted to his royal pain-in-the-ass and he wouldnt do sqwat about it, as a matter of fact, she knew he liked to her her argue with him and say the roughest and meanest things she could come up with. But then, why? Why did he treat her so bad whenever they (rarely) met o ran into each other? Why did he humiliate her and belittle her to a mere slave who was worth nothing? Now, if there was something she wished but couldnt forget was that kiss he'd given her a while ago. That had left her confused and with a curiosity she would die with. But although she knew very little about him (and the little she knew was not positive) she figured that there must be something and she would settle things.
"Vegeta? Why do you do it?" she asked softly and calmly, making the prince tense up. That effect she'd just had on him infuriated him. That was a moment where he felt he had no control.
"What?" he asked roughly.
":Why do you treat me like shit? What have I done to you?"
Vegeta almost cracked a laugh at that, "You've done your share at putting the respect of royalty among lower classes at a very low point in some moments."
Bulma nodded; he was right about that, "that doesnt explain why you kissed me a couple of years ago. You left me in that...confusion."
"You would be a dumb and ignorant woman if you believe that I did so because I had feelings for you," Vegeta said, and for some reason, regreeting it for the slight disappointment he saw in her eyes. Damn it, I dont know why I have this urge to be with her. Fuck! This is insane...!
Bulma said nothing, but she now made it a point to avoid looking at him, which angered him.
"Why the hell are you lookign away?" he asked angrily.
"I dont think I'm obligated to look at something; especially if that something is...undesirable," Bulma said as she looked at him through icy eyes. Vegeta clenched his fists and tightened his jaw. How dare she demonstrate her hatred in such open manner?
"Hey! Over here!" Goku suddenly called out and waved to a young, black-haired man who had entered.
Bulma's eyes widened and a small smiled appeared on her lips. So much for fate not working in your favor.
"Yamcha," she whispered.
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I am sooo sorry I didnt put a good dose of drama in this chapter...but time has gone by, and hey, there are feelings imvolved! (I think 'Geta really likes Bulma!!) >(Duuuhh!)
Well, like I said, I dont know how long it'll take me to make the next update, but I'll try to get it out as soon as possible. Thanks to all the loyal readers out there who send in their ideas and indispensable support and suggestions.
Luv you all,
Stonecrusher7.