The Seventh Chapter
High School Reunions
Shades of Crimson
It's been a while .. So, um … here's a little recap …
"Woman, I brought something to give you to you when we got here, and I guess I should still give it to you."
Bulma stared blankly as Vegeta handed her a small box, and when she opened it she found her ring.
The ring. She smiled unconsciously as she studied it -- remembering how he had given it to her back in high school, and remembering how she had shoved it into Tein's hands when she had seen Vegeta with that girl. She frowned, "Wha--why did you bring it?"
"Well," he said, almost harshly, "I did give it to you."
She blinked down at it, "And I gave it back."
He reached over and snatched the small box from her grasp with a frown, "Fine then woman, if you don't want it, but since your still single I figured--"
"Ug! That stupid magazine! And I thought it would be an honor... not a curse!" She interrupted, more talking to herself.
Vegeta frowned at her, "Woman! Listen!"
She blinked with an almost frightened frown as he continued, "Good. Silence from you, finally."
She glared at him as he nodded, "Well I saw you in that magazine I knew you were still single and I thought that I would, well, just in case."
A smile grazed her features as an adoring look came over her face and she took the ring back from him, "You wanted to start things up again!"
He rolled his eyes, "Possibly. If you were less annoying than I remembered. You aren't, but since I knocked you up, I guess I owe you the favor."
Bulma rolled her eyes as she slipped on the ring and studied it on her finger, half ignoring him she replied sarcastically, "So romantic Vegeta."
He smirked as he gently kissed her forehead, "Woman, I wish you would have told me."
"So do I." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his back, "But is it possible to just pick up where we left off? I mean, it's been a long time and..."
He tucked a stray lock of blue hair behind her ear as he listened to her talk and they met eyes, she looked at him timidly and frowned, "Are you still mad at me?"
With his arms still wrapped around her he nodded, "Furious."
She smiled as she leaned her head into his chest and inhaled the scent she had missed so much, "You don't act it."
"I've never been able to figure you out."
"And I've never been able to figure you out either Vegeta, but I'm going to try, if you'll let me, I'll try." With that she looked up at him with a smile, "I want you to meet Trunks now Vegeta, you'll love him, I promise."
He nodded as they broke apart, a frown crossing Vegeta's features as he let out an almost nervous sigh, "Alright woman."
Marron shifted in her seat. A pair of perfectly manicured nails picked at one another. Her previously bleached teeth chewed with nervous anticipation on her roused lips, and her high heeled feet kicked the wall of her fiancé's private jet childishly.
The man beside her gave her an amused look and then reached for her hand in a feeble attempt to calm her down.
"Excited?"
She lifted her eyes to meet his and the biting of her lips ceased as an honest smile spread across them, "Very."
Her voice was high and confident, and the man let out a small laugh as he continued to hold her hand, "Only a few more minutes, just relax until then."
She turned her attention back to outside of the window and nodded giddily, "Alright… I can't wait for you to meet my friends!"
He laughed, "I'm sure they're wonderful."
"Yep." She said, leaning her head back onto the seat, "They sure are."
Trunks and Goten entered the room and watched as the adults tried to listen in to Bulma and Vegeta's conversation through the door.
Trunks frowned, "Hey, where's my mom at?"
ChiChi turned and smiled at the boys, "Oh, Trunks, she's in there with, er-, Vegeta."
Goten yawned, wide-mouthed and so unmannered that it made his mother visibly grimace.
"I'm tired momma."
ChiChi nodded lightly and turned her attention from the barely audible conversation from the other room, "Let's get you ready for bed."
Launch turned to the two boys, smiling at Trunks and the blend he held of her two friends. With another bight smile she nodded towards ChiChi, "Yeah, it's probably about time for all of us to get to bed. Besides," she looked at the door that hid Bulma and Vegeta from their sight, "we should probably give our friends some privacy."
Trunks yawned, "Where's my mom at anyway?"
As if on cue, the door opened up, and Bulma peered into the crowded hallway with a frown, "Still being nosey, I see."
ChiChi blushed lightly and laughed, "No Bee, it's not even like that! Trunks was, uhm, wondering where you guys were because he's tired."
Trunks nodded with another large yawn, "Yeah, but there were already listening through the door when I got here."
Launch frowned down at the small boy and rolled her eyes, the bratty little snitch side of him must have come from Vegeta, she convinced herself.
Tien looked down at the digital watch that rested on his right wrist and frowned, "It is pretty late, and I have no idea where Julie is."
Launch looked over at him, "With Chip, no doubt. They certainly clicked."
Vegeta glared at them all as he tried to exit the room, "I'm staying over at Bulma's tonight, having one annoying woman around seems to be a much better option than you two and your mindless small talk," he said, casting a cold glaze at Launch and Tien, "and much less dreadful then staying with Kakerot and his screeching harpy."
Then he looked at Bulma and a teasing smirk crossed his dark features, "Though her breakfast would probably be much easier to stomach then anything she will be making."
"Oh shut up, Vegeta." Bulma retorted, rolling her big blue eyes at him, "you need to learn to work on your manners, that is no way to return the favor of an old friend's hospitality."
Her attention turned to the young boy who was looking up at her strangely, the boy then turned to Vegeta and frowned.
"Mister."
His voice was almost haughty as his face held a look of scorning innocence, a few more days around his father though, and he would probably have the scowl perfected, "Don't expect her to make you anything, she's only a lousy cook if she ever gets around to making anything."
Vegeta chuckled as an embarrassed look crossed Bulma's features, "Trunks, do you have all your stuff?"
"Yeah." The boy said, making his way down the hall, "I'm already to go."
Bulma gave ChiChi and Launch each a quick hug and a promise that they would see one another early tomorrow to get ready, only to miss Vegeta looking curiously upon her son, a look of bewilderment and just the slightest hint of what Goku could only mistake as …. Pride?
Juu, Krillin, Leah, and Jay pulled into the Son's drive way at eleven thirty, the four of them laughing as they talked.
They had gone on a double date, consisting of the cliché dinner and a movie, but all four had a good time and as Krillin cast a look at Juu on the way inside he could only hope that Bulma and Vegeta would work things out, because he wouldn't mind seeing a lot more of her …
Yamcha laid back in the over stuffed guest bed in the Son's household. He reached over at the wooden dressed positioned neatly beside the flowery bed and plugged his cellular phone into the charger. His tired eyes stared into the glowing lights and saw that he had a voice mail.
His tired thoughts were now replaced with curiosity as he saw the unrecognizable number and picked up the small phone to check his voice mails.
A smile crossed his lips unconsciously as he heard the soft voice of the woman he had met earlier at the airport.
"Hey Yamcha, it's Lana."
There was a slight pause and her voice became slightly nervous, "The girl from the airport. Well, the uhm, worker from the airport. You took me out to lunch -- okay, hopefully you remember who I am."
Yamcha's smile widened, she had been on his mind a lot lately, how could he forget?
"Well, you invited me to your friend's wedding and I was wondering about the details, you said it was tomorrow, right?"
Another short pause and the she sighed, "Well I have a dress and I clean up nicely, so if you could call me back I would like to go, if you could tell me the time or where to meet you, or you could pick me up, or -- or you could just call me back because I would really like to come. Alright, well call me back when you get this, or tomorrow, or … well, talk to you later Yamcha."
The phone clicked off and Yamcha smiled at the pretty mocha skinned woman he had met earlier, there was no denying that he was extremely attracted to her, and as he pulled the phone away from his ear to return her phone call, he felt himself no longer tired, but anxious and nervous, like he was back in high school with a crush.
Julie stared over at Chip as they walked to her car.
The concert was a lot of fun, more fun then she had had as of late. And not solely because she had gone and seen her favorite artist perform, but because she had shared a few drinks with a nice, interesting man whom she had a lot in common with.
Chip smiled back at her as they met eyes and he thanked her for coming with him.
She returned his smile and stopped, thanking him for inviting her.
He took a step closer to her, and without either of them thinking clearly they leaned in for a short, simple kiss.
But as they pulled away, both blushing with nervous thoughts running through their heads, their situation didn't seem so simple.
"I'm -- I'm sorry." Chip apologized feebly.
"No, don't be sorry Chip." Julie said, turning her head away quickly, "It was the both of us. Not just you."
"But -- but I have Launch. And you -- you have Tien." he frowned, "This is wrong."
She looked up at him and nodded, "It doesn't feel wrong."
He looked back at her and frowned, "I won't be unfaithful to Launch, and I can't just leave her -- not like this."
Julie nodded, "Well, let's get back then, it's getting late and I'm sure Tien is wondering where we are."
Chip took one last glance at her and began walking back to the car, "Will you at least save me a dance tomorrow."
Julie didn't turn to face him, but nodded slightly, "Thanks for taking me, again."
Chip shrugged, "You're probably the only person who would have come."
They couldn't deny that they wanted one another, and they knew that Launch and Tien were probably feeling the same way, but the air on the ride home was one of, despite the loud country music playing, was full of awkward silence.
The ride to the Breif's mansion was relatively quiet.
Vegeta was seated in the passengers seat beside Bulma, who was driving slower than normal in, for once, no real rush to get home. Trunks was in the back with his head resting against the window, a tired yawn escaping his lips ever so often.
The man in the front stole a small glance at the boy through the reflection the soft glow of the streetlights were casting on the window, and blank expression crossing his dark features as he was barely able to register the word that was coming to his mind.
It was nothing more than a word to him, it seemed, barely tangible. The entire idea of his circumstance unreal.
It wasn't as if he had totally forgotten Bulma, she had been there in his thoughts, right before his head hit the pillow at night, every time he passed those disgusting coffee houses with that reeking odor that would loom around her, every time his cerulean haired secretary would deliver him a paper, or a wink, he would see his own cerulean beauty through a vague memory -- though, he would remember with a smirk, she was much more beautiful than his secretary.
It was strange to him that he was seeing her, and himself, in his -- there was that word again. Son. It was the most unnatural feeling. You don't become a father over night. And you certainly don't become a father to the boy of a woman you haven't spoken with in, what had it been? Six-seven years?
The car moved on, Bulma's driving gradually picking up to it's normal speed. Vegeta watched her switch gears from the corner of his eye.
They had so much history, but where was their relationship now? Certainly they weren't suddenly bonded by the birth of a son she had been keeping hidden from him for so long.
Though he was certain that he wouldn't just be walking out of their lives forever. It had seemed to him that he and Bulma had almost made up. They were now, at least, on speaking terms, and now that he knew the truth about his son, he certainly wasn't going to walk out of his life forever.
Simultaneously, millions of thoughts were running through the head of the woman seated beside him.
Her's were more of guilt, however.
She was, again, beating herself up with the thoughts of why. One thought that stuck out particularly was why hadn't she told him sooner?
He had seemed so shocked, hurt almost, that she would keep it hidden, and yet, here he was, sticking beside her with no visible signs of wanting to walk out of either of their lives again.
A smile spread across her face, causing her to involuntarily pick up speed, as she pictured the three of them living happily ever after as a family.
It was a silly thought, even if the three did live together they certainly wouldn't function like a normal family. She pictured Vegeta out playing catch with Trunks in the back yard while she made dinner and folded laundry. It was a ridiculous thought.
They would fight constantly, and … nothing else really seemed to matter to her though. She loved them both very dearly, and she knew she was only being unfair to both of them by keeping the truth hidden from them. They each deserved each other, and, she thought herself a little selfish, but she honestly wanted both of them in her life. To stay.
The boy in the back seat watched his, unknown to him, parents with sleepy eyes, remember how effortlessly Vegeta had kept up with Goku. He remembered how well he had fought and how sharp and insulting his tongue had been.
He was strangely captivated by the dark man and was thrilled to have him come stay with his mom and him.
A devilish grin spread across his face as he thought of his mother, the lonely, beautiful woman in the front seat … he knew that tomorrow was the wedding, and while all that gross grownup-mushy stuff was going on, perhaps his own mom would be looking for someone …
He now only had to think up a plan to get his mom and Vegeta together … little did he know, it would be so much easier than he thought …
Okay. Lame chapter -- I know. It was more of a filler slash look into a little more detail about Bulma and Vegeta and a kinda set up for the wedding. I didn't want to cram all of that into this chapter -- and my writings a little choppy and I haven't written anything in like a year. This wasn't proof read or anything but I couldn't bear to wait another day to get this chapter up. Hopefully I'll be back to normal writing and consistent updating and have a new, eventful chapter up soon.
Thanks to everyone who has put up with my extended period away from fan fiction, I am back now with a new idea for a story, and motivation to complete this fic before I even attempt to start anything new!
I would really like some feedback about what you guys want to see more about or who or … well, whatever really -- so please review! I would really appreciate it.
Sorry again for the wait, it won't be as long next time.
So thanks -- and much love!
-Crimson