DBZ-fan-JESS- Vegeta was cute with the kids, huh? I know what you mean with people like that, and I hate to admit that you're right about where I'm going with this at the moment, but I promise it's not going to last long at all—just about two more chapters. I think you'll enjoy it. Thanks! ;-)

Red Dragon- Hey! Thanks for the review! I'm going!

SilverWing145- I definitely wouldn't want to go through what Bulma is going through. I'm awfully mean to my characters in my stories… Anyhow! Thank you for the review!

Lenk- Thanks for reviewing! Hope you didn't have to wait too long!

Kiersten- Yep. They love Vegeta, and are not too fond of Yamcha for sure! Thanks!

Zicke- Thanks! I never get sick of hearing what people think about my stories! I'm really glad you like it! I don't think you're alone in the hating Yamcha thing. Lots of people do. Sucks to be him!

Kataan- It's not a real movie. It was a cryptic part of one of my other stories. ;-) Can't say which. Don't want to spoil it for too many people. Glad you like Akira and Arthos. They'll be appearing in most all of my stories! Thanks for the review and enjoy!

Vegeta's first fan- Thank you so much! ;-) I'm happy you liked that last chapter. Yamcha will eventually get his. Trust me. I know!

Mustang07- Thanks for the review! I wish Bulma would kick Yamcha's butt too! ;-)

Himitsu no kage- Hiya! Oh, I don't want to spoil how Akira and Arthos come into the picture. It probably won't happen for a while. There're a lot of things that are going to happen. Actually, this story is going to be split into two parts. Thanks for the review!

KarineD- Hahaha. You have espn… that was a decent movie. Thanks for reviewing and enjoy! ;-)

Shades of Crimson- Yep! Bulma admitted to liking Veggie-kins! I hope to get Chichi into the story a bit more before the second part, which will probably be coming up in several chapters. Hey! I told ya'll there was a lot I wanted to do with this fic! ;-) Enjoy, enjoy! Luv ya!

CeltiCrimson- Wow! Thank you so much! I'm glad you think I'm doing such a great job. Have fun with the new chapter!

Gothic Bulma- (Hides) Don't hurt me! (Throws you the new chapter) Here! Thanks! ;-)

Anime-Queen46- Thank you for the review!

TheWarriorFormerlyKnownAsPrince- Hey thanks! Glad you still like the story. Hope this new chapter is just as good!

Beeswax- Hmm, will Bulma find out? That's a good question! Mu hahahaha you'll have to read and find out! Thanks!

Yup-123456789101112- Bulma and Vegeta will get together. I promise, soon! And Yamcha will be out of the picture, so everyone will be very happy. (Hopes everyone can stick it out long enough!) Thanks!

Garowyn- They'll definitely be a part of the story down the road. I know it doesn't seem like Akira and Arthos or Krillin and Marron even fit into this at the moment, but trust me they will! Thanks for the review!

Dark Hope Assassin- Mu hahahaha…. I hope the wait wasn't too bad! Oh, boy am I evil. Anyhow! Thanks for the review! I'm so happy that you like my stories. Thank you, thank you!

Fireblaze- Hey! Thanks for the review!

PrEtTyStUpIdGiRl- Well, here's that update! Thanks!

Chapter 13: It's Finally Over

Bulma plopped down on her bed and stared around her dorm room. It was the same as when she left. Kicking off her shoes, she sighed and then pulled her legs up onto the bed so she could lay down more comfortably. Today was shaping up to be a disaster. We're talking on a global level! She'd rolled out of bed early this morning and had sneaked across the hall into Vegeta's room. She had wanted to talk to him and apologize for how she acted Friday night after their talk and all day Saturday, but he stubbornly refused to speak to her. He had rolled over so his back was facing her and told her to get the hell out of his room because he was tired, and then, he'd decided that he was going to stay at his parents' house, giving them the lame excuse that he, of all people, wanted to spend some quality time with them since they were due back this afternoon!

So Bulma had to go to LAX to drop Karra and Jayson off for their flight, which was fine by her. She had planned on dragging Vegeta there with them to say goodbye, but after several minutes of brooding over his refusal to go, she realized that she was supposed to be getting over this. She was supposed to be distancing herself from Vegeta, not conning him into doing something she knew he wouldn't want to do. She felt like crap.

After Jayson and Karra boarded the plane, she jumped back into the car with June and Seru, and they drove back to San Callisto. Bulma had sat quietly in the back seat and feigned sleep. She didn't feel like talking to anyone. June had went off with her cousin to show him around when they arrived back at the school, finally leaving Bulma alone and giving her some time to think about what she was going to say to Yamcha tonight. She had called his parent's house yesterday to see if he was still there, but his mother had told her that he had already caught a flight back, which meant that he was probably sitting in his dorm room right now.

"I might as well get this over with," she whispered to the ceiling and reached for her phone. She dialed Yamcha's dorm room and waited patiently for him to answer while her insides twisted into knots.

"Hello?"

"Yamcha," she responded quietly.

"Bulma."

She frowned. He sounded irritated. "Can we meet somewhere private and talk?"

There was a slight pause before he answered. "Yeah. Meet me at my car. We'll drive somewhere," he told her.

"Sounds good. See you in a few."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone and sat up. 'I can do this,' she told herself mentally.

(Change scene)

Lisdore walked into her house and smiled at her son. "Vegeta!" She rushed over and hugged him, kissing him on the cheek before pulling away.

"Hello, mother," he greeted. "How was Miami?"

"Boring. Your aunt and uncle couldn't plan a decent dinner party if their lives depended on it," she joked. "We ended up going to a fundraiser in Palm Springs."

Vegeta chuckled. "Father must have been pleased." He knew how much his father hated Palm Springs in the winter. 'Things must have been extremely boring,' he mused.

His mother gave him a concerned look. "What's wrong, dear? You seem a little depressed."

He shrugged. "I supposed I just realized I should have went with you instead of staying here alone," he lied.

"You should have hopped on a plane and flew down then," she told him. She dropped her purse on one of the side tables. "Your cousin was asking about you. He told me to tell you he said hi. Honestly, I don't understand what's happened between you two. You were so close," she trailed off.

Vegeta frowned, deciding to change the subject. "Where's father?" He didn't want to talk about Brolly.

"He flew your sister back to Vermont. Her classes start back up tomorrow."

"I still don't know why you sent her to a boarding school when you didn't send any of us boys to one."

Lisdore sighed. "Your father didn't want her to have to change schools like you boys had to almost every year. We saw how hard it was for you. Besides, Indara has tons of friends there, and it's a very good school."

"I take it Arro and Mara went back to New York," he changed the subject once more. He definitely didn't want to talk about school.

"Yes, Cass went with them," she responded with a hint of annoyance. "I swear that brother of yours is going to be the death of me."

"What'd Cass do now?" Vegeta inquired with a smirk on his face.

"He decided to switch colleges, again! It's his senior year," she complained. "He wants to go to Columbia. Can you believe that? He wants to pass up getting his diploma from Harvard for Columbia! Of course, your father is throwing a fit," she went on.

"He met a girl there, I take it?"

"What else would motivate your brother to make a stupid move like that? Speaking of girls, how's things with Bulma?" She asked, switching the topic on him.

Vegeta opened his mouth slightly, but wasn't sure what to say. "Um, we're kind of not talking at the moment." How could he possibly explain his situation to his mother in the fist place!

His mother's face dropped into a scowl. "What'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything! We're just having a little trouble."

"Well, you better straighten it out before Arro and Mara's wedding. They're expecting her to be in it, and Mara's so excited about it. She thinks Bulma is just perfect for you, and I have to admit," Lisdore went on with a smile. "I agree with her. There's just something about the girl that compliments you so well."

'Oh great!' He hated having to lie to his parents in the first place, and this was just making him feel like shit. "I'm sure things will work out just fine," he answered, hoping to get her to drop it.

(Change scene, Rome)

"No!"

"What?" The other woman asked in alarm.

"You really married him?"

"Had I had a choice in the matter, I assure you I would not have," the other woman answered irritably. "He is a truly horrible man." She paused, lowering her voice and leaning toward her old friend. "I know that most rumors are spun so many times that you can hardly put any weight on them, but I'll tell you this. Any rumor you hear about my dear 'husband' is definitely true!"

"Cut!" Jerry, the director, turned to the two actresses on the set and groaned. "This man has just ruined your life, and I'm not sensing that from you! Do it again," he shouted.

Arthos hid a smirk behind his hand. "Jerry, I think I'm going to call it a day. You're obviously going to be tied up with this scene for a while."

The director just waved him off without turning away from his set. Arthos just shook his head and walked out of the warehouse. As soon as he stepped onto the street, a swarm of paparazzi rushed at him and started snapping pictures and shouting questions at him.

"Damnit," he whispered furiously.

He'd done so well, dodging them lately. How'd they figure out where he was shooting his new movie! He glanced around for his car, having temporarily forgotten where he parked it. A silver Lexus with black tinted windows pulled up nearby, and for some reason, he found himself running over to it and jumping into the passenger's seat. He turned toward the driver and was stunned.

Akira laughed at him. "What would you have done if it was some crazy stalker fan girl in the car you just jumped into?"

He smirked and leaned over toward her. "I'd kiss her," he whispered huskily, doing just that.

Akira kissed him back, letting her hands slip off the steering wheel and move to rest on his shoulders. When they broke apart, they were both short of breath but smiling.

"My hero," he teased.

She laughed and handed him an envelope. "Here."

He ripped it open and pulled out several Polaroid's of her playing video games with her little brother. He chuckled and stuffed them into the inside pocket of his jacket. "Thanks."

"No problem," she told him.

"How'd you manage to get here?"

She looked down at her lap. "I have to confess something."

"What?" He was kind of worried this might be leading somewhere not good from the serious look on her face.

"I lied to you about having this week booked up. I kind of feel like we're moving really fast, and I've heard all the rumors about you're penchant for womanizing." She glanced up at him. "I don't want you to think I believe everything in the papers. I know how they embellish things to make a profit, but I know there is some truth to it. I just wanted to be sure that you weren't," she trailed off, looking back to her trembling hands.

"Playing you?" He supplied knowingly. "I won't lie about how I've been in the past. I've gone out with a lot of girls just for the fun of it, but there's something more with you." He reached over and took one of her hands into his own. "But I understand that it's going to take time for you to be comfortable and trust me. The only thing I'm asking for is a chance to have a real relationship with you."

"I know," Akira told him.

(Change scene)

Bulma leaned against the side of Yamcha's Durango and waited nervously for him to meet her. She was about to give up and go back to her room when she spotted him walking toward her from the direction of his dorm. He gave her weak smile and unlocked the doors so she could get in. She took a deep breath and sat down in the passenger's seat, waiting for Yamcha to turn the car on and pull out of the student parking lot.

"Where are we going?" She asked softly.

"I don't really know," he confessed. "We could just find an empty parking lot somewhere. It's Sunday, after all, so most places are closing by this time."

Bulma nodded. "That's fine."

They drove down the main street of town, which was actually more like a small city. It was starting to get dark considering it was close to seven-thirty at night. Bulma looked quietly out the front window and prayed that her boyfriend would find a place to park soon. She just wanted to get all this over with. Finally, he found a deserted lot and parked his SUV.

The couple sat in complete silence, neither sure what to say to the other, and both afraid of what they wanted to say. Bulma screwed up her nerve first and broke the silence.

"I should have told you that I invited Vegeta home for Thanksgiving," she spoke firmly. "I'd like to think that I would have told you straight out, but I'm really not sure if I didn't tell you because I was so mad that you slept through our original flight plans or if I just subconsciously didn't want you to find out." She stared straight ahead through the windshield. "Probably both."

"I know," he said. "I pissed you off, and you had every right to be mad at me for it."

Bulma turned to him and gave him a pleading look. "Yamcha, I love you more than anything, so I'm going to be completely honest with you. Ever since we came here, you've changed. You've started partying and ditching class, and you never use to do that stuff. I didn't know anyone here, so while you were out with your new friends, I made a few of my own. I never intended to become so involved with Vegeta. I was lost, and he's been there for me along with June."

"Have." He paused to take in a ragged breath before looking back up at her. "Have you and him done anything?"

"No, but I've started to have some feelings for him that have nothing to do with friendship," she admitted shamefully.

Yamcha felt angry and rejected all at the same time, but then, he remembered what all he had done. He felt guilty. Bulma had remained loyal, and she was constantly hanging around Vegeta. His affairs had been fleeting—no connection at all, and his girlfriend actually felt something for this other guy and didn't give in to temptation. God, he felt like shit.

Bulma mistook his silence for anger and quickly added, "I plan to work on it though, Yamcha. I want to be with you," she cried. "I can distance myself from Vegeta. I know I can," she told him quickly, clutching at his sleeve tightly.

Something in him changed. He couldn't tell her what he had done. Here she was, so afraid to lose him, and he didn't want to lose her either. He grabbed a hold of her hand and raised it to his mouth, kissing the back of it gently.

"I have things I need to work on, too. I haven't paid you the attention you deserve, and I'm going to start. No more partying with the guys every night or ditching classes. God, I talked you into going to this school, and look what I've done to you."

Bulma leaned into his side and cried against his shoulder, holding on to him for dear life. Yamcha wrapped an arm around her and held her close, and he actually started to cry for the things he did that he was too afraid to tell her about because he knew it would push her away right now.

(Change scene, Philadelphia)

Marron stood in front of Krillin with tears in her eyes. He smiled softly and carefully wiped them away. "I'll be back in four days," he told her, pushing her light blue hair out of her face by placing both his hands against her cheeks. He kissed her quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, sniffling slightly. "Don't you forget to call me when you land," she told him.

He smiled. "How could I forget to call such a beautiful." He stopped to kiss her again. "Wonderful woman like you?" He pulled her close. "I'll be back before you know it."

Marron took a deep breath and pulled away. "Okay, you better go, or they're going to leave without you," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"That's my girl," Krillin said. He squeezed her hand gently before letting it go and picking up his briefcase. He wished she could have come with him, but her job wouldn't let her. He waved to her once more before boarding the plane. 'I hope I get this promotion,' he thought, crossing his fingers.

(Change scene)

Seru looked around the library in awe. "This is huge," he whispered.

June chuckled. "It's just one of four."

"Four? Really?" He shook his head. "I can't wait to go here."

"You're such a geek."

"Shove it, 18!"

June laughed out loud and pulled him along to the next building. "You just don't know how much fun it is to pick on you," she explained.

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered irritably. "I'm getting hungry, and I have to drive back home soon."

"Come on. We'll go over to the café where I work. Their food's pretty good."

"Good because I'm starving! Man, Vegeta kicked us out this morning without so much as a pop tart! What was up with him? You guys tell me he's cool, but he was acting like an ass the whole time," Seru complained, following his older cousin across the street.

"He is cool. There was just something bothering him." She sighed. It was obvious to her that something had happened between Vegeta and Bulma again, but she had no idea what. Neither one of them had said anything about a fight, though their behavior said otherwise. She'd get to the bottom of it later tonight when she gets back to her dorm room.

(Change scene, Tuesday morning)

Vegeta sat in the back of the classroom, listening to his CD player and reading a book. The class started soon, so out of habit, he tossed his backpack onto the chair next to him to save it for Bulma. He was surprised when the professor walked in five minutes later, and she wasn't there yet. He slid the headphones off his ears and put down his book. Where the hell was she? Glancing around the room, he spotted her near the door sitting alone. It was a small class, only fifteen people. Vegeta glared at her back and pulled his bag off the seat next to him and let it drop to the floor with a loud thud. A few of the other students looked back him, but turned around quickly when they saw the pissed off expression on his face. Bulma hadn't even bothered to turn around.

After class, Vegeta stormed out into the hall and straight out the double doors. June was waiting outside for him and Bulma. She frowned when he purposely walked past her.

"Vegeta!" She jogged to catch up to him. "Hey, what's going on?"

He stopped abruptly and glared at her. "What's going on!" He asked in disbelief. "That's funny, 18, because I'm trying to figure it out myself," he hissed. "What the fuck is her problem?"

June swallowed nervously and took a step back. "Um, I don't know what happened in your class just know, so I don't know what to tell you."

"Forget it," he growled. "It doesn't matter because I'm finished with this farce of a friendship. I can't believe I wasted this much time on the ungrateful shrew." With that out of his system, he left June by herself to wait for Bulma.

"Holy shit," she whispered. "I've never seen him so pissed off before."

"Hey, June," Bulma called out from behind her cheerfully.

The blond girl spun around on her heels and grabbed Bulma by the shoulders. "What'd you do in class?"

"Um," Bulma laughed. "I took some notes and listened to the lecture. Why?"

"Vegeta is pissed."

"What for? I didn't even do anything to him," she lied. She knew what she had done, but she believed it was for the best, for both of them. "Look. He's probably just still mad about our conversation Friday night. Give him a few more days to cool down."

"I don't think you get it, B. I've never seen him this mad before," June argued. "He looked like he was ready to kill someone, and he said he was finished with your friendship."

Bulma tried to keep her composure in place despite the pain that was wracking her mind at the moment. He'd said that! God, she wanted to run to him and apologize, but she reminded herself that she had to stay away from him. If he didn't want to be friends anymore, that was fine. It was for the best anyway.

"Let's just go get some lunch. I'm really hungry." She walked off in the direction of the cafeteria.

June watched her roommate walk off with a confused look on her face. She couldn't believe what was happening around her!

(End Chapter)

So, yeah. They didn't break up yet. It's coming soon. There is a specific way in which I want Bulma to find out, and it's not time for that yet. You'll see. ;-)

Don't forget to review!

PANDORA ;-)