High School Reunions

Chapter 4

Shades of Crimson

"No Goku, that is not a wedding cake."

Goku blinked in the direction at his dark haired wife, who was staring him down with displeased eyes and a scolding tone on her tongue.

Goku frowned, "Aw... ChiChi... But this ones chocolate!"

ChiChi scowled, "Goku, I don't care. Look at it. Look at it! That would be the tackiest wedding cake ever! I am not having my wedding cake looking like... looking like... looking like that."

Goku blinked again, "But ChiChi, it's chocolate."

"I don't care what it is, Goku! It's about what it looks like!"

The wedding planner, watching the couple with half amused, and half worried, eyes stepped in with a calm smile, "I have a plan."

The couple, who were engaged in the argument just moments before, froze -- ChiChi's arms in the air and a child-like frown imprinted on Goku's lips -- and then they turned to face the smiling, bubbly wedding planner.

She laughed, flipping a piece of her thin, sandy hair away from her cheek, "How about we make a compromise."

ChiChi frowned and crossed her arms, "A compromise? Feh."

The wedding planner continued to smile, "Yes, Mrs. Kakerot, what if you found a cake that was chocolate and looked nice?"

ChiChi blinked and her demeanor flipped 180 degrees, her face was lit with a smile, "Oh! A compromise! Haha. Sure."

The wedding planner laughed, placing her arms behind her head and watched Goku stand still, obviously confused. "Here Goku," she offered, pointing at a three layered cake with frilly brown frosting and chocolate covered strawberries lining the layers. Decks were stacked on top of one another, decreasing in proportional size the higher they got. The dainty strawberries, tips drenched in a dried, even chocolate, and a happy, plastic dark-haired couple in wedding attire stood proudly at the top of the refined cake.

"Chocolate Elegance." The wedding planner said the cakes name passionately, watching the couple eye the cake lustfully.

ChiChi smiled, "We'll take it."

A pair of blue eyes studied the pixel numbers that dotted the large computer screen.

The owner of the deep blue eyes sighed, slightly frustrated, but mostly just with exhaustion as she watched as her flight times ran by, followed by the word "cancelled."

"It's pointless keeping up with it, Bee. Everything's cancelled."

Bulma jerked her head to the side as she heard the sound of her friend-slash-business partner's monotone voice.

"Yeah." Bulma sighed, "But I can't get up the nerve to call Chi."

"Why?" Juu said, raising one of her thinly plucked eyebrows in confusion, "She won't be mad, it's not like it's your fault."

Bulma laughed, "Can you imagine how stressed that woman is right about now? She's planning a very last minuet wedding, and ChiChi is a planner. The nervous kind, who does everything in advance."

Juu smiled lightly with a nod, "She'd freak if she knew that she was possibly a bridesmaid short."

Bulma smiled back at her, "Exactly."

Juu shrugged, "But we're going to be back before the wedding. I mean, you'll probably miss rehearsal and stuff, but that's no biggie. You just stand there anyway."

Bulma rubbed her closed eyelids tiredly, "And walk down the isle with him."

Juu smiled as she began to walk her boss to their hotel room, "Oh, so I finally get to meet this mysterious ex, hm?"

Bulma laughed and rolled her eyes, "Yeah."

"Well I can't wait."

Bulma shook her head as she watched Juu smile with anticipation as they approached the hotel room.

Juu pulled the card key from the back pocket of her jeans and quickly swiped it through the doorknob, "Well, it's a big thing. I mean, I get to meet the man you've been obsessed with for all these years, the mysterious man of your dreams, Trunk's father, the infamous jerk -- you know, this guys got a lot to live up to. You've all built him up to have quite a reputation, I only hope I'm not disappointed."

Bulma frowned playfully as she entered the hotel room, "Oh, and I assume this is all just a big joke to you, hm?"

Juu shook her head as she made a pot of coffee for Bulma.

Bulma frowned, "You don't have to do that, Juu."

Juu smiled, "You saw a Starbucks in the terminal, didn't you?"

Bulma laid back on the bed, "Right next to a shoe place. As soon as I nap, I'm there."

Juu laughed as she sat the coffee pot down and flicked the lights off, "Well I'm going for a walk then, maybe go shopping. Catch up with you later Bee."

Juu heard a small grunt before she shut the door and straightened out her hair, smoothed out her button up shirt, and checked her makeup in the reflective elevator door before she hopped in, and started off for the terminal.

For nearly five hours now he had been sitting on a plane. And not only had he been stuck sitting there, but he had been in coach.

And now, here he stood, at baggage claim, and all of the other passengers had greeted their families and departed into cabs and family vans and company cars. But still he stood here. The rotating belt was still rotating, but there were no bags left on it. Not a single one.

He watched a Twix wrapper circle and come back to him for about the seventh time with a defeated sigh.

He made his way to the baggage claim office where a pretty woman sat behind the counter with a bored look on her face. Her chin rested in her cupped palm, her elbow digging into the hard counter which she was standing behind.

She was a petite African-American woman with large, brown eyes, and dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail with a couple pieces of soft hair falling to frame her face. Her nails tapped with boredom on the information manual she was scanning through, and a Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper rose to her lips every now and then. But it was sat gently back onto the counter and she continued reading. She wore the standard American Airlines uniform, but it was more flattering to her small figure than to most.

Yamcha cleared his throat to get the woman's attention.

When she heard his deep voice her eyes snapped up, and she frowned, "Sire, Can I help you? Is there a problem?"

Yamcha nodded, "Yeah, I flew in from New York to Tulsa, and my damn bag didn't come around the conveyer belt, so I would conceder that a problem."

The girl smiled a little at the cute, furious New Yorker before her.

"Alright, Mr..."

"Yamcha. Just call me Yamcha." He snapped with a frown.

The woman pulled a few strands of dark hair away from her face and nodded, "We'll lets see..."

She typed something onto the computer and smiled, clearly amused.

"What?" Yamcha asked, blinking with disbelief at her enjoyment.

She shook her head, "Seems our friends at Newark aren't the brightest little crayons in the box... your baggage was never checked. I asked them to send it down on the next flight. It will be here in about seven hours."

Yamcha frowned, "Seven hours?"

She laughed, "Tulsa's not exactly the hot spot for vacationers."

"I've noticed." He muttered.

She sighed and took a sip from her Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper.

Yamcha eyed the can with a frown, "How can you stand to drink that crap?"

She sat the can down and shrugged, "It's great -- that's how. What's wrong with it?"

"Well, it takes longer to pronounce the fucking name of it then to actually drink the damn drink."

"T. T. T. Such language. You know, you should think of controlling your anger."

"And you should be politer, if you'd like to keep your job."

She rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, "If they'd fire me, they'd only be doing me a favor."

He laughed, "Hate your job, too?"

She smiled, "Too? And what do you do, Yamcha?"

He smiled at the sound of his voice. He liked how she said it. But he frowned at her question, "I'm a plumber."

She laughed, and then frowned, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This isn't exactly my idea of a dream job."

Yamcha rolled his eyes, "Mine either."

The woman smiled polietly at him. Yamcha smirked back at her friendly smile, it was perfect, revealing two rows of large, white teeth and a pair of dimples dotted her cheeks.

"So, what's your name?"

"Lana." She said, blinking slightly, knowing that her nametag had been in plain sight, but it was nice of him to ask her anyways.

Yamcha smiled, "When's your lunch break, Lana."

Lana laughed and shook her head, "Not for couple hours."

"Yeah? Well, I've got a couple hours."

She smiled, "Yes, seven, actually."

A pair of eyes traveled lazily across the airport shops. There was a gift shop, shoe store, a Starbucks, a bakery, a magazine stand, and an endless stretch of stores that weren't in they blonde's view.

She smiled as she stepped into the bakery, taking in the scent of freshly baked bread. She bought a bagel and a cup of steaming, hot tea -- cursing the weather.

Juu ate her bagel and sipped her tea, watching the people as they walked by in solitude. She wished Bulma were here, she felt like a loner. But then she shook off the feeling. She had always been a loner, she didn't need others. When her twin brother had moved off to Florida to launch his surfing career, she had stayed in Illinois with her sick father.

Since the first day she had to get a job serving coffee she knew that she wouldn't have time for friends, no time for family, and barely enough time for school work.

After she had graduated she had kept her job, and continued to be a recluse. That was until the day Bulma had offered her a job, and Juu had dropped everything and gained a good paying job, a great traveling opportunity, and a friend.

But with Bulma came the whole crazy gang. ChiChi and Goku were a pair, the thought of those two made a smile spread across the icy blonde's face. She had only been acquainted with Launch and Marron, but liked those two alright.

Juu sighed as she finished the last bite of her bagel and threw her empty glass and napkin in the trashcan.

Juu started her walk back towards the hotel room, she couldn't seem to have as much fun as she used to. Maybe she wasn't capable of being a loner any longer. Maybe she was bored with herself. Maybe she had ---

"Ouch!" Juu muttered, as she tripped over something small.

She rubbed her soar thigh from her crumpled position on the ground and raised her eyes to meet a short man lending his arm out to help her up.

Juu smiled, something short and cute.

"Oh, I'm -- I'm so, so sorry Miss!" The man said, quickly.

Juu accepted his outstretched hand, dusting herself off and then laughed, "Oh -- Don't worry about it, I should probably look where I'm going..."

Krillin blinked and then laughed.

But the dark haired man standing just behind him spoke first, "Well I'd say. Idiotic woman.."

Juu glared at the man and then suddenly blinked, "Wait, Krillin! Hey!"

Krillin smiled back at her, "Juu! I knew I recognized you!"

"What on earth are you doing here?" Juu asked, a peppy curve in her usual monotone voice. It was still melancholy, but a minute tint of happiness surprised even her.

"Vegeta and I had a meeting and our plane landed here because of the 'inclement weather'."

Juu smiled and nodded back, "Yeah, our plane was supposed to depart here this morning, but the weather screwed our plans, too."

Krillin blinked, "Our?"

"Oh." Juu chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, she couldn't mention Bulma. Not with Vegeta standing just meters away. She didn't really know him, but she recognized him from ChiChi's house. He was the one Bulma had run from. And she knew that her blue haired companion wouldn't be too happy with her blowing her cover. For whatever reason, she needed keep it hidden.

"Oh." Juu repeated slowly, "My business partner and I -- we're, going to Chi's wedding."

Krillin smiled happily, "Really! Us too! I mean, Vegeta -- he's, he's one of Goku's groomsmen. Wow. What a small world. Isn't this exciting, Vegeta?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes, "Wonderful."

Juu frowned at his sarcasm, wondering what Bulma had seen in him.

"Well," Juu said, "I guess I'll... I'll... see you around."

"Wait!" Krillin jumped, a little too quickly. Juu looked up at him, a blank expression covering her features.

"Have you eaten?"

Juu looked over at Vegeta, not wanting to ask him aloud if Vegeta would be joining them. She wouldn't want him to be accompanying them.

Krillin smiled, "Oh, Vegeta -- no, he was just about to... go somewhere."

The dark haired man rolled his eyes and stalked away.

Krillin smiled, "So, dinner?"

"Sounds great!" Juu said with a smile. Almost forgetting that jut moments before she had been filling up on a bagel, but she didn't much care.

"Would you ladies like something to drink?"

Launch turned from the movie playing on the small screen in front of her and smiled at the polite flight attendant, "Oh, no thank you."

Leah frowned at Launch and then smiled at the stewardess, "I would like a Coke, please."

Launch frowned as her friend was passed another coke, "Another one, Lee?"

Leah shrugged, "Airplanes make me thirsty."

Launch laughed and turned her attention back to the movie, "Good thing you've got the aisle seat, I would hate to have to keep moving when you get up every five minutes to pee."

Leah rolled her eyes and stood up. Taking a quick glance at her blue haired friend in the center of their three-seat aisle, Launch's boyfriend, Chip, taking the window seat, only to sleep and snore softly as faint traces of country music blared from his headphones.

Launch smiled as she leaned back in her seat to take a nap, it wasn't a long flight from Florida to Oklahoma, but it wasn't short really, "Bathroom again?"

Leah ignored her friend and stepped back to the back of the plane, but she nearly choked when she saw Jay standing in the back of the plane, in line behind a heavy set woman and a small boy to use the pair of small restrooms.

Jay turned to her in surprise and smiled, "Hey!"

Leah laughed and stood beside him, "Tulsa?"

He nodded, "Yup."

"Wow." Leah looked down at her feet to avoid eye contact, "Small world."

Jay smiled, "Surfed lately?"

She shook her head, her eyes remaining averted from the black haired boy who was currently in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, "Not since... last week was it?"

Of coarse she had remembered the day. But she didn't want him to think she was still caught up on it.

Jay laughed as a man in a business suit exited one of the bathrooms and the lady in line stepped in.

"Yeah. So... what brings you to Tulsa?" Leah asked, looking up at him. He was terribly attractive, with his friendly smile with a tint of cockiness on his tan, chiseled form.

"Visiting my sister." Jay laughed, "I haven't' seen her in so long." He studied her for a moment, "What about you?"

Leah shrugged lightly, "My best friends friend from high school is having a wedding."

Jay raised one of his eyebrows in her direction, "Sounds lame."

"Ooh." Leah taunted jokingly, "And catching up with your sister makes you a pimp."

Jay laughed and rolled his eyes at the pretty, pale brunette, "So, when we get back to Florida I'm going to give you another surfing lesson, and then I'm taking you to dinner."

"Dinner?" Leah smiled, "And what if I object?"

Jay shrugged, "Then I guess I'll just have to call one of those other chicks I hang out with, there's like a thousand of them all dying to date me."

Leah rolled her eyes, hearing his joking tone, "Riiiiight."

"You don't believe me?" Jay frowned slightly, "I'm hurt. Really."

"Okay." Leah said, smiling at him, looking him straight in the eye, "Let's say that I do go on this surfing lesson-slash-dinner --"

"And possibly movie." He interrupted.

She laughed, "Okay, surfing lesson-slash-dinner-slash-movie --"

"I said possibly movie. That all depends on how much I like you."

Leah smiled at the adorable look on his face and rolled her eyes, "Okay, well let's just say we do all that, and then --"

The boy exited the bathroom and Jay smiled, "I think your next, babe."

Leah blushed slightly, remembering just how bad she had to pee, and just how embarrassed she was that he knew what she was going to be doing in there.

Jay winked at her as the other bathroom opened as well, "I'll need your number."

Leah blushed again as she shut the restroom door and locked it with a sigh, rubbing her cheeks in an attempt to wipe the blush that seems to be permanently plastered there.

"Oh well." She muttered to herself, "maybe it could pass off as if I got some sun."

He smirked as he listened to her laugh. It was small and high, loud and cute.

She shook her head, "Yamcha, I've eaten my lunch in this terminal everyday for as long as I've worked here -- and this is the best Chinese food restaurant there is."

Yamcha smiled, "Here?"

She shrugged as she chewed on a piece of chicken, "I guess I wouldn't know."

Yamcha laughed again with a shrug, "So... what do you do for fun in Tulsa, Lana?"

She shrugged, "I... I like yoga."

He blinked, "Oh, your the new age type?"

She smiled, "You could say that."

Yamcha smirked, picturing her doing yoga and then shook his head.

"So Yamcha, what do you do for fun? Besides pluming, of coarse."

Yamcha rolled his eyes, "I play baseball."

"Baseball, hm."

"I'm pretty good."

She laughed, "Okay Mr. Humble."

He shook his head with a toothy laugh, "No, but I've played since I was a kid. I was on the team in highschool, and I play for a minor league team in New York. Scouts said I could play pro with a little more practice."

She blinked, "Pro? Really? Wow Yamcha, that's great."

He smiled, "What are you doing in two days."

She frowned, thinking lightly, "Saturday? Um.. nothing, I don't think."

"Good." There was a serious look on Yamcha's face, "Then you should come with me to a wedding."

She blinked, "A wedding."

Yamcha smiled, "It's a friends -- and he said I needed a date."

She smiled with a small laugh as she placed some more rice into her mouth, chewed a little and the nodded, "Alright. I'll go."

Yamcha smiled, "Good."

She nodded and laughed again, "Great."

After Launch, Leah, Chip, and, consequently, Jay, had landed in Tulsa, they had gotten a cab and, minus Jay, went straight to ChiChi's house, where the taxi driver dropped them off at a pleasant looking redbrick house with a tall fence in the back and a row of green bushed leading guests up to the front porch.

"Wow." Launch said with a smile as the trio made their way past the row of bushes and she knocked on the door, "This is exactly the kind of place that I pictured ChiChi and Goku living in."

Leah smiled and glanced at Chip, and then smiled, "They're the kind of people that you always pictured growing old together?"

Launch laughed, "Yeah. Stragely enough I pictured Bulma and Vegeta, Marron and Yamcha, and Tien and myself together, too."

Leah laughed, "You guys would get condos on the beach together and on thursday nights get together and play cards."

Launch shook her head, knocking again, "Though Marron and Yamcha, they wouldn't have ever worked out -- and Bulma and Vegeta, those two were just a disaster waiting to happen."

Chip nodded, "And this Tien guy?"

Launch shook her head with a small laugh, "High school romances never work out anyway, well, except for these two."

With that said, the front door opened up and ChiChi greeted Launch with reuniting hug.

"Oh! Chi! I've missed you so!" Launch said, continuing to embrace her old friend.

When ChiChi let go Launch introduces ChiChi to Chip and Leah.

ChiChi welcomes them inside and Chip asks were the bathroom is.

ChiChi smiled, "Down the hall, second door on the left."

She watched Chip go with dark eyes and then Launch blinked, "Are we the first ones here?"

ChiChi shook her head, "Oh, no, Goku took Tien down to dojo to show him around."

ChiChi watched Launch smile slightly and then she sighed, "He has a girlfriend, you know?"

"Yeah." Launch said with a distant nod, "He and I had dinner the other day."

"What?" ChiChi said, slightly taken back.

Leah smiled as she watched Launch blush, "Well, it was... just as old friends. He lives in Florida, and, uh, well Leah and I just moved over there to start a new chain of stores. I ran into him last week and we got a few drinks. It was nice catching up with him. I haven't met her, but he seems to like her well enough, and we're just friends, honestly, Chi."

ChiChi nodded, "Yeah. I haven't met her. She's staying with her cousin who lives here. Tien came by after he had dropped her off."

Launch smiled, "So when is everyone else expected to get here?"

ChiChi took in a small breath of air and smiled, "Well, Yamcha got his luggage lost, but it will be here in about an hour he said, so he'll be here shortly, I presume. Marron is taking her rich older man's private jet here, I'm a little anxious to meet him, as I'm sure we all are. I haven't talked to her since yesterday on the phone, I think they'll be in in the morning though."

ChiChi grinned, "But this is my favorite -- about an hour and a half ago I got a call from Bulma saying that she was stranded in Denver. Apparently there was some bad weather and due to ice on the runways they aren't allowing any planes to depart until they get it cleared up--"

Launch frowned, "What? And how is that god?"

ChiChi shook her head, a grin remaining on her face, "That's not all, Launch, listen. Well, I told this to Goku and he nearly flipped. Vegeta had called him earlier today to say that his plane had made a quick landing for fear that the runways would worsen where they were expected to land, so he called to say that he was stuck waiting for flight to Tulsa -- In Denver."

Launch's jaw dropped, "No!"

ChiChi smiled wider, "Yes."

Launch laughed, "Oh... wow."

ChiChi shook her head, "Those two are bound to run into each other.. I can hardly wait."

Launch laughed again, "I only wish I could see their expressions."

ChiChi sighed, "I'm almost glad that they will have already gotten over the seeing-each other part before they ruin my wedding."

"And what about Trunks?" Launch asked, the question suddenly filling her mind.

"He went to the dojo with Goku and Tien. Oh, and Goten, of coarse."

Launch smiled, then noticing Leah's confused expression, she obviously felt left out knowing none of these people.

"Laaaaaaaaunch!" A deep voice called from somwhere down the hall. Launch rolled her eyes at the sound of Chip's voice, "He probably can't figure out how to work the faucets, I swear, that man asks me every time we go somewhere new how to turn the water on."

Leah laughed, and after Launch had stalked down the hall she turned to ChiChi, "Launch doesn't really like Chip."

ChiChi blinked, "What?"

"No." Leah continued, "She can hardly stand him. She just doesn't want to be alone. Ever since she went out with Tein last week, well she's been a much happier person."

ChiChi smiled, almost evilly, "Hm."

Leah smiled back at ChiChi, "Yeah... It's kind of, complicated."

ChiChi shook her head, "Oh, it can't be that complicated. Those two were always crazy about each other. There's not a doubt in my mind that they're dying to be together."

Leah sighed, "But what about Tein's girlfriend?"

ChiChi waved her hand in the air, "Feh. If I got Bulma and Vegeta together, I'm sure this will be a piece of cake."

Leah blinked, "Haven't Bulma and Vegeta been furious at oneanother for almost seven years?"

ChiChi blinked, "No. Not furious... just... distant. But that's about to change, too. Just wait. Weddings bring out the true romance in everyone."

Leah smiled, "I sure hope so."

Juu sat across from Krillin in the Chilies that lay just across from the airport. Their booth was in a corner in the back of the light room. The other tables around them were completely filled, for their was a ten minute waiting list when the couple had arrived.

Krillin laughed as Juu admitted her distaste for zucchini and everything that had zucchini in it.

Juu frowned, "Oh, come one. There has to be something that you don't eat."

Krillin shrugged, "Yeah. I'm a picky eater. Oh, but you should see my business partner, Vegetea, that guy would eat anything."

Juu blinked, remembering that Bulma had always said the same thing about Trunks.

Krillin laughed, "Of coarse, he eats so quickly I doubt he even has time to register what his food tastes like."

Juu smiled and then her cell phone began to ring from pocket. Krillin smiled as he regonized the tune and as he watched Juu stare at the name in the phone and curse under her breath.

"Jay?"

She looked up at Krillin apologetically.

"Oh, Jay, I'm so sorry... Yeah, my plane was laid over in Dever... Yeah. It does suck... Sorry... No, you go straight ahead to ChiChi's house, she understands what's happening... Yes... Yes I'm sure... Okay... Look, tell her that you can stay there... No... Okay... I love---... No... No... NO!... Haha. Alright... Okay... I love you too, bye."

Juu hung up her phone and rolled her eyes. Then she looked up at noticed a disappointed look on Krillin's sweet face.

She laughed, "Oh, that was my brother. He's coming in town for ChiChi's wedding and I was supposed to pick him up from the airport."

Krillin perked up a little. Her brother! Haha... thank God. I thought she was with... oh, chill out. She probably is. Woman like her aren't still single.

"Do you have a girlfriend Krillin?"

Krillin looked up at her, she wore a calm expression with a teasing smile and he blushed furiously, "Umm... well... No. Not exactly."

She smiled again, "Not exactly?"

"Well.. not at all."

"Good." She said with a small nod, "Because I think I'm starting to like you. I mean, truthfully, I just went to dinner with you because I wanted to be with you. I'm not hungry at all. I had actually just eaten before I ran into you."

Krillin smiled, "Literally..."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm serious. And I'm not so dense to have not figured out that were stranded here for the same reason. We're both on our way to ChiChi and Goku's wedding thing. God only knows why a married couple would plan their own second-wedding, but I've figured something else out, too."

Krillin blinked, "And that would be?"

"Vegeta... and Bulma."

"Vegeta and, who?" Krillin asked, confusion in his tone.

Juu smiled, "Bulma. My boss. The one I'm here with. They're... old friends from high school."

Krillin blinked, "Wiat... Vegeta's Bulma... Old girlfriend, is Bulma.. Bulma Briefs?"

Juu nodded and Krillin shook his head, "Unbelievable."

Vegeta had been walking aimlessly through the terminal for what felt like hours now, he glanced down at his watched and his eyebrows knitted together. Okay, so it had been only twenty-three minutes -- wait -- twenty-four.

But still, he was bored, and Krillin, the only person in this place he knew, was even gone. He smirked to himself, imagine how bored he must be -- wanting to waste his time with that annoying short man who drove him crazy half the time.

But now, walking around purposelessly, just to waste time, he decided that he actually needed some company.

That was until he walked past a familiar coffee shop that always made his fist compress.

Whether it was with anger or grief or remembrance -- he hated the smell of the rich coffee coming from Starbucks. It was unfortunate that he often traveled to New York and was greeted with this same sight and smell every few blocks. It was like running into her again.

Bulma.

He frowned. Why did she haunt him so? Was she somewhere on the opposite side of the country drinking this very coffee as an obsession, he frowned, she was probably in Tulsa helping ChiChi prep for her wedding, thanking the lord that she wasn't stuck with the awkwardness of having him around.

He shook his head, cursing himself for being so weak. But he blinked when he thought he saw her.

Yes, right there. Purchasing a cup of coffee. He laughed at himself as he stared blankly at her. He had gone so preoccupied without her that he was now even picturing her at a terminal Starbucks in Colorado.

But he still watched the back of her head, or what he thought was her head. It looked enough like her. Long, blue locks, they were straight, and shiny, reflecting the lights above her as she paid.

He shook his head, cursing himself. He rubbed his soar eyes and opt to go back to the hotel and get some much needed rest.

That was until the goddess with the coffee cup turned in his direction -- and it was clear. It had been her.

Same perfect face with it's petite features, but large, curious and fiery blue eyes. She wore a pair of jeans with a tight, pink trench coat and a pair of pink Old Navy shoes.

Vegeta could do nothing but stare at her. The cup of coffee was at her lips -- the very coffee that he had despised for all of these years for reminding him of her, had brought her back to him.

She blinked back at him, the coffee just resting there on her lips, her eyes wide with surprise.

But unlike the other night it wasn't terror that caused her knees to shake -- it was excitement.

"Vegeta?" She asked, stepping in his direction. Her eyes taking in his handsome features, he looked the same, but older and possibly darker. She smiled, possibly more handsome. Or maybe she had just forgotten the creases of his face, the perfect line of his jaw and the dark circles that were his eyes.

"Vegeta!" She repeated, but this time it wasn't a surprised question. It was a question cornered with happiness.

"Vegeta!" And, for a third time, it was repeated from her lips, but this time his name was loud and she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck, being careful not to spill her coffee which was being held behind his head with her right hand as she took in his masculine scent. Wanting to believe that she was the only woman who had the privilege of being this close to him.

"Wow!" She said, pulling away, "What on earth are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Tulsa?" The happiness in her voice surprised her. What happened to dreading to see him?

Vegeta smirked at her, "I was about to ask you the same thing."

She continued to smile at him. What had broken them apart? she wondered. How could she had ever been so furious at him? They seemed so good now.

Bulma sighed, "The weather, I guess it screwed up both our plans."

Vegeta chuckled, "No, do you know who's plans were really screwed?"

Bulma smiled wider, "ChiChi? Oh, that poor woman, she's probably hysterical right about now. Frantic and in a panic, she won't get a wink of sleep until the wedding."

Vegeta smirked back at her and nodded, "I almost feel bad for Kakerot."

"Well it was his choice marring her." Bulma added, jokingly, "Again."

Vegeta chuckled, "Woman,"

Bulma looked up at him, this seemed unreal to her. She remembered Trunks. She knew how livid Vegeta was going to be when he found out. When he found how long she'd hid Trunks from him.

She felt like a wreck, here Vegeta stood -- they were having friendly conversation. He seemed to be the same Vegeta. The Vegeta she had fell in love with. The Vegeta that had broke her heart. And the Vegeta that she had spent the last seven years trying to get over, but the thought of him had been tormenting her at night, and she had to fight herself from crying in the single hours of morning.

She hated that she loved him, and she couldn't even fathom that he had felt the same for her all this time.

And here they had been -- standing face to face, like old friends. Just catching up.

No one around could guess their history. Their misery. Their passion. Not even they could quite grasp what was happening.

But they were both too prideful and too stubborn to admit that either of them had done wrong.

"Woman, are you hungry?"

"Hm?" Bulma asked with a blink, she hadn't been listening to him through her thoughts.

"Are you hungry?" He repeated, a little perturbed, but mostly just anxious to spend some time with her.

"Oh, yes." She laughed, a small suiting blush crossed her pale cheeks, "Starved, actually."

"Good." Vegeta smirked, "Let's go get something to eat." he finished, leading her through the glass doors of the airport.

Bulma smiled, "Alright Vegeta --let's."

Summer! At last! ... of coarse... I'm not sure what that's going to do about my updating. Hm. I'm going to be vacationing a lot, and with friends doing stuff... but... I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to update!

Dark Hope Assassinsuggested that I get a beta reader. It's a good idea actually, my stories are littered with mistakes... I never proof read like I should. So -- if you are interested please say so in your review, thankies!

This chapter was a lot of fun to write, maybe it was because of all the support I've gotten from the past few chapters! You guys are seriously the best! Thank you!

As for the next chapter? Hm. We'll let's see... I'm promising some Bulma/Vegeta. Not full out romance. ((yet...)) But the chapter will defiantly concentrate more on them... with, of coarse, other couplings happening too... since this plot takes more than just those two to work. But, I hope to clear up some things between those two... And Trunks? Hm. Who knows.

What else do you guys want to see soon? Please.. .tell me!

Thanks again for all the great reviews! I hope to hear from you all again. And I hope that you have a wonderful summer! ((i know i sure will))

With love!

Crimson