Bulma stretched luxuriously on the hospital sheets, reveling in the soft movement against her bare skin.
She could not believe it had happened and so fast. It was as if her and Vegeta could not help themselves…as if they were meant to be together.
She looked up at where the Saiyan Prince sat straight-backed on the other edge of the bed. Even seeing him there, made her wish that he was the type to stay with her forever. But she loved him and as such, knew enough to know that he did not attach himself like people such as Goku. He was a free spirit and so was she for that matter.
He didn't seem like he was going to run away, not yet. Although she would not be surprised if he had. What they had done was so emotional that she almost thought the Saiyan Prince would not be able to live with himself. Heaven forbid royalty such as him do silly things like fall in love.
Even though he was staying close by her, though, Vegeta's stance was that of an animal that had caught a new scent, enticing and slightly alarming. "What's wrong, Vegeta?" Bulma asked, slightly sitting up on one arm.
Now that she could see his face better, she became more concerned. Something in her gut told her that whatever Vegeta was dealing with right then had nothing to do with last night's actions.
Vegeta's frown increased and he slowly articulated, "Kakarot… Kakarot is here."
Bulma raised her eyebrows and practically exclaimed, "Goku's here? In the future?! But how? How in the world could he have gotten here? There's only one time machine!"
Vegeta shook his head, saying, "I don't know. But he is here, of that I'm sure."
What's going on? Bulma asked herself. How had Goku gotten here? Had someone built another time machine?
Vegeta gasped, wide-eyed in shock, making Bulma jump out of her skin. His eyes spoke of old fears and before she had the chance to ask, he whispered to himself, "Frieza…?"
Bulma was dumbfounded. She sat straight up, ignoring her bare top and said, "You can't be serious. Somehow you've got to be imagining this. Goku is dead in this time and Frieza is defeated in both timelines. There is just no way possible that they could be anywhere near here."
Ignoring her words, Vegeta got up and began donning his blue under suit.
Bulma got up out of bed, "Vegeta!" She rushed over to him and grabbed one arm with both of hers. "You can't!"
He shoved her off, gently for him, but rough enough to send her flying to the floor. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do, woman!" He grabbed the white and gold armor, slipping it over his dark head.
Bulma started crying, hurt from the only one who could ever get to her like this. "You don't care about me… just your stupid fighting."
Vegeta perched on the window sill ready to fly off, but he paused.
Bulma could not bear to look at him, but she heard his voice, calm and comforting. "If I cared nothing for you or your future, I would stay here."
Without further explanation, Vegeta blasted off, leaving Bulma stunned and perplexed on the hard, recovery room floor. She forced herself to get up, to move her wobbly legs and open the door.
It was only as she stepped out into the empty hall that she became aware that this wasn't really her house. Or rather, not really her time.
She walked to the kitchen, noticing a feeling of wrongness in the pit of her stomach as she did so. Nothing was cooking, in fact, it looked as though her older self had hardly been down at all while her and Vegeta had been together.
Of course! Bulma thought to herself. Of course she would have known! She probably fell in love with Vegeta too!
Knowing this, she smiled to herself, picking up her bag off of the table to tidy up a bit. It was as she lifted the handles that she noticed its lightness. Something's missing.
She set the bag down and stuffed her other hand inside to feel around. Capsule case…make-up bag…hairspray…deactivator…deactivator… She rapidly swiped her hand around the contents again. Where's the third deactivator? She flipped the contents out on to the table, thinking, Vegeta couldn't have taken it. He flew off too fast. But it wasn't there. That much was obvious.
Then with a clenching in her stomach, she thought of the only other person who could have taken it. And with a sinking feeling, thought of the only reason she would have taken a deactivator with her. The older Bulma had gone to find and fight the last android…on her own.
Bulma stuffed the items quickly back into her bag, fighting to not panic. She knew exactly how the older Bulma felt, but this was crazy. Exactly how had she planned on finding the other android? Even a genius of a scientist couldn't build that sort of thing over night.
Her bright blue eyes widened. But someone else had built a way to track the androids already. She would have realized this. Dr. Gero would have wanted a way to keep tabs on his creations.
Without hesitation, Bulma ran from the house, racing to reach the lab.
Even as her heart told her it was too late.