A/N: I'm making up the lack of apparent text from my last chapter. You people wanted to know so I thought I'd give it to you all quickly. Plus, I wanted to start on this one as soon as I could finish the last, so I threw that one out. Don't like the lack of perfectness? C'est la vie. Anyway, I really do hope that this chapter makes up for it all! I was planning on a 35 chapter story, but I'm not sure if I can make it that. I have some more ideas that I want to throw out to you all, and you might like them, you might not. But, at least I'm keeping you all entertained.

Anyway, this is a longer chapter, and I hope you all love this one. I know I am!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Unexpected Confrontations

The spray of warm water felt good on her stiff and sore body. After her usual bout of morning sickness she dragged herself into the shower. Sand from the beach got everywhere, and she couldn't help but laugh at the looks that Keisha gave her when she was finished with her dancing on the beach. Sometimes her emotions got the best of her, and sometimes she couldn't do anything but exert herself with things she normally didn't do.

The younger girl didn't believe that it had been years since Bulma had danced like she had, smooth and graceful as any professional dancer, yet there was a power and strength behind every movement that was never there before.

Lathering up her hair with her cherished and favorite coconut shampoo, she tilted her head back and heaved a sigh. The child within her was growing more and more each day, and every morning she applied a body butter over her abdomen to help reduce the stretch marks that would come as she grew larger and larger.

As an impulse, when she thought about her child, her right hand slid down to caress the flesh it was growing in. How could she be anything but happy when she thought about the child? There was life inside of her, life that Vegeta helped her to create. Sure, she didn't know how he'd react when she got around to telling him, but she was sure that after a few days to calm down, he'd accept what she did; and the fact that they were going to have a family together, and whether or not he liked it, she was going to be a big part in his life.

Bu there was a nagging voice in the back of her head that managed to make her stomach turn every time she thought about it. That woman with Vegeta, who was she? What was she to Vegeta? Had he already forgotten about her? She instantly broke out into a song, though the sound of her own voice, loud to her ears, didn't register with her. Nor did the song.

find me here
and speak to me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
you are the light
that's leading me
to the place
where I find peace again

If she had realized, she'd have started crying. Emotions at times were nothing more than a royal pain in the rump, but she didn't mind, sometimes. She turned around and shut the water off. Grabbing the towel that waited for her wet body, Bulma wrapped the plush material around her frame and stepped out of the shower and onto the bath mat. A knock broke her off mid-phrase and she tucked the towel more firmly under her shoulders. "Yeah?"

"Hurry up. We're going out."

Bulma made a face. She didn't want to go out anywhere looking like she did. "I don't think..."

"Obviously not. Let's go. We're leaving in 15 minutes." She threw open the door to find Keisha there with clothes already picked out for the woman. "Saved you the hassle." The younger girl grinned and shoved the armful of different materials at Bulma and then closed the door again.

"Where are we going?"

"Out for something to eat! Hurry it up!"

Muttering and making a sour face, Bulma did as she was told and got dressed. Only did she realize that the clothing wasn't hears. A black mid calf-length peasant skirt presented itself to her, after she unbundled the clump of clothing. Grumbling even louder, she was glad to see that at least, some things were hers as she slipped into a matching bra and pantie set, newly bought so that they fit with her expanding flesh.

Stepping into the skirt, she was almost expecting it to be unpleasant, but the light material felt cool on her skin and not hot like she had thought it would be. The shirt wasn't hers either. Pulling the light green material over her head and leaning forward so that her hair didn't dampen the shirt, she straightened the hem and then looked at her reflection in the mirror.

The shirt was a unique one, one sleeve covering her shoulder to flow to her elbow, only to have a huge split so that it didn't cover her arm at all, while the other shoulder was held up by a thin strap, and then flowing material ran down her arm almost to her wrist. The neck was slightly baggy, so she played with it for a moment before it settled into a nice cowl.

Bulma thought that the woman whose clothing she was in was tiny, but obviously the child still had some baby fat that she was losing. Stepping towards the mirror, she pulled open a drawer and began to apply make-up to her bruised and battered face. Keisha had slapped a bag of ice chips over Bulma's cheek and eye while waiting in the office last night and it had reduced the effects of swelling, but the color was still horrible.

15 minutes later, she was just finishing her hair, twisted it around so that it folded against itself, long locks forming threw tight loops. Pinning it to the right side of the back of her head, Bulma looked at herself and she almost felt presentable.

"I'm leaving!"

"SHUT UP!" Bulma cried out, and stormed out of the bathroom, skirt billowing around her legs and stomped her way into the front hall, where Keisha stood, a huge grin on her face.

"You look good."

"Thanks. You too." Which was true. Wearing the same style skirt, though white, Keisha also wore a white tank top, with a yellow tank top over it. Not too much make up was required to cover the marks that she had received earlier last night before she met up with Bulma. On her feet, to throw the whole thing off, were a pair of lime green flip-flop sandals.

"Great. Get some shoes on, grab your purse and let's get going."

Rolling her eyes, Bulma slipped her feet into a pair of black sandals, flip-flops as well, with little platinum gold diamond incrusted squares on the outside straps. Her most expensive pair of summer foot wear, ever. But she couldn't resist them when she saw them. A woman had to indulge every now and then right?

Grabbing a small black tube-shaped purse, she threw in her keys and wallet, not needing anything else. "Let's go."

"Great!" Keisha chirped, snagging Isis' leash from off the table. The dog snuck out passed both women and waited outside, checking the hall as she went. "So, where do you want to go for coffee?"

"I don't know." Bulma sulked. She wanted to stay home and didn't feel like going out, but Keisha wanted to go out and it wasn't like Bulma had much of a choice. More and more she could see the resemblance between brother and sister, and she didn't like it.

"How about Raspberry's?"

"Sure." She didn't care where she went, but as they walked out of the elevator and outside, Keisha hailed a cab and gave the address, she realized how hungry she was getting. And when she got hungry, she became irritable. And when she was irritated, she ate. It was a lose, lose situation for those around her, but there were never any people around her for too long, other than Keisha, and she was newly acquired. Chewing on her lower lip, Bulma stared out the window and watched as people passed by.

10 minutes later they pulled up in front of a small building, wooden surface painted yellow with a brick red trim, tables outside on the boardwalk with chairs and large umbrellas in various colors to keep the sun off of the people enjoying lunch outside. Surrounding them, was a glossy black railing. An outside café that was almost always jammed full of people. "Thanks!" Keisha grinned, throwing some money at the cab driver and sliding out, holding the door open for the mother-to-be and canine friend; leashed of course.

"Great..." Bulma sighed and began to shoulder her way through the crowd milling outside the building. Keisha laughed and spotted a table outside and climbed over the railing and sat down, much to the couple that were walking towards the table. A glare from Keisha and a look at her companion that stood on the other side looking a bit perplexed, along with the vicious looking dog, the pair turned away and went back inside. "Keisha, that's dishonest."

"Yeah, well..." Shrugging, she took Isis' leash and tied it to the railing and waited as Bulma pushed her way through the crowd and slowly moved into the building and outside onto the boardwalk. Sliding out a chair, she plopped herself into it and leaned forward, chin in hands, elbows on the table.

"What's wrong?" Keisha asked, looking around for one of the waiters that would be floating around.

"I didn't want to come out."

"Huh..." Keisha looked at her watch and pushed her loose black hair behind her ears and then began to look over her shoulders. Another 45 minutes. Just enough time to eat lunch. This was going to be quite the interesting afternoon. Keisha couldn't wait to see how it all turned out. Somehow she felt like she were a match maker, and this was going to be the perfect day for both her brother and her new friend. Or so she hoped.

Bulma started to clench her cheeks, eyes darting around to find someone to serve them. She saw a young man, sandy blonde hair falling into his eyes, laughing with a woman, the two obviously flirting. Unable to take anymore, Bulma threw her chair back and stalked into the building. Keisha was surprised. Something must have been irritating the pregnant woman, badly. She was more irritable than her brother some times.

Suddenly she could hear Bulma, her voice rising above the crowd. "I've been here for more than ten minutes, and all you do is sit here and LOLI-GAG?" She shouted, hands flying into the air. Everyone around the woman stopped talking and looked at each other. "Is flirting more important that serving people?"

"Hey lady, I'll be ther ein a few minutes."

"Few minutes my ass." She hissed. "You're going to go over there, you're going to go over there right now, and you're going to take our order. If you don't I'll calmly go to your boss, complain, and then you'll lose your job."

"Funny. You're talking to him." The young man smirked. And she could see, that up close, he wasn't as young as she thought. Lines formed around his eyes, and yet she could see a bit of grey at his temples, but that didn't take away form his youthful looks.

"I demand service."

"You'll get it in a few minutes."

"I said I demand service!" She huffed, hands clenching the black skirt. Stepping closer, she leaned forward and put her mouth right up to his ear. "And if you don't give me what I want, right now, I'm going to make sure that the health-board, and fire-department catch wind of this place and come check it out again. No shoes? No shirts? No business." She moved away and turned to join Keisha once more, the owner following close on her heels.

Keisha was amazed. Bulma had more of a temper than her brother did, either that, or she was starving. Both were dangerous with this woman she could see. They ordered, both deciding on salads, and an iced raspberry herbal tea for Bulma, an iced latte for the other. "Right away ma'am."

Bulma grinned sheepishly at Keisha and then looked around once more. 10 minutes later, drinks and food were brought to the table. It seemed that her empty threat had worked rather well, and the service they were getting was top-notch. "Shit." Bulma sighed, throwing her napkin onto her finished salad.

"What?" Keisha looked up from her own empty plate and was in the process of reaching for her third iced latte.

"I have to pee." Her comment got a laugh out of Keisha.

"Then go pee?"

"I'm going." Pushing her chair backwards, Bulma slid out of the seat and made her way through the thick crowd of people, both sitting and standing. Keisha watched as she picked her way slowly, disappearing from her view. Isis stood up and stared straight ahead, the direction that Bulma moved and refused to let her attention slip. A waitress came to clear away the dishes, and bring Keisha yet another iced drink.

A scent tickled her nose, and she sneezed, head turning around to find another hint of the smell that had drifted to her well trained nose. And then she let out a startled bark, for a large, bulky rottweiler was coming her way, dark eyes staring intently at the smaller canine. Keisha turned around and looked at the man walking her way.

Dark blue jeans, a tight black t-shirt that fitted over his torso like a second skin, all covered up with a white long sleeved button down shirt. On his feet were his ever present black boots, though this pair one of the newer and not well wore. She waved at him and he nodded.

"Keisha."

"Veggie-head." Standing up, Keisha wrapped her arms around her brother, having to lean over the railing to do so. He even smelled good. "It's good to see you." Isis, meanwhile was sniffing at her sire and then backed away to once more continue watching and waiting for her mistress to come back. "Come, sit down."

Nodding once, Vegeta tied the large male beside the other and with ease, climbed over the railing, not knowing that he had mimicked his sisters movements from a little while ago. Lifting her head, Keisha peered around and then held up a hand, index finger in the air.

"What can I get for you Madame?" The man gurgled, obviously the owner of the establishment.

"Nothing for me. My brother though."

"Coffee. Black." Vegeta looked at his sister and then to Isis. "She's here isn't she?"

"Who?" Keisha giggled, chewing on the clear plastic straw that was in her glass. They were both silent as a steaming cup, dark blue with a green trim, was placed in front of him.

"You know who I'm talking about. Bulma."

Keisha sat back in her chair, crossing her hands over her stomach as she regarded her brother. "What makes you think she's here?"

"The dog Keisha. Don't be a fucking idiot."

"Woah. Now, if she is here, there's no way you're going to treat her like that. In fact, you're going to treat her rather well. Aren't you?"

He clasped his fingers around the coffee mug and took a long swallow of the scalding drink. "I can't say anything to that. If you knew..."

"I know Veggie-Head. You have to believe me. I know everything."

So that would explain the slight glimmer in his younger sisters' eyes, and the secretive smirk that played at her lips whenever her dark eyes met his. Vegeta could feel the back of his neck starting to burn. "Then you'll know why I'd act like an ass when I see her."

"If you see her you mean?"

"Don't play these fucking games with me Keisha! I could throttle you as well! God!"

"You could, but you won't."

Isis let out a bark as she caught sight of her mistress, carrying a glass of water garnished with not only a slice of lemon and lime, but orange as well. There were green leaves floating in the water, and she held it high above her head so that no one knocked it over to made her spill any. She hadn't noticed.

Keisha's head snapped around to look at her friend, shoulder her way through to get outside and flashed her a smile. But what Bulma did was anything than she expected. The glass slid from her hand, shattering loudly on the ground. People around moved out of the way, a few shuffles of their feet, but continued on with their conversations. It was almost as if everything had turned into slow motion. A hand went up to her mouth and she turned around once more and fled into the building, hoping for an escape.

Her brother let out a curse and shoved his chair backwards so hard, that it crashed into the person sitting behind him, and forced them forward so that their coffee spilled all over them. "HEY!" Was all the guy said. Vegeta tried to get into the throng of people and when he reached the center of the building, he stood up on the tips of his toes and looked around. He could see a patch of red hurrying towards the door.

She was leaving!

Shoving his way back out to where he had left his sister, Vegeta hopped over the railing and caught from the corner of his eye as soon as he landed, a flash of billowing black material darting across the road, not hearing the angry blaring horns. Tired screeched, brakes slammed on as the cars stopped in various degrees away from the fleeing woman.

"Wait!" Vegeta shouted, and ran across the road, darting and dodging the best that he could, but unfortunately got clipped in the leg and tumbled over the hood of another car. Keisha screamed and ran after him, but after untying the leashed canines. Vegeta got up and chased after Bulma. "Bulma!"

She ran faster, fingers gathering up the skirt she was wearing to hold it above her knees. Unknowing, she ran started towards the beach, her feet slapping the side-walk under her feet. He was getting closer. She was going to kill Keisha! How dare she do that to her? The only thing other than killing Keisha she thought about was getting away from Vegeta. He didn't look happy, and he shouldn't be, but she didn't want to be near him.

Her legs were burning by the time she bounced down the stairs to the sandy beach and she had to stop for a moment while she took off her sandals and ran with them clutched in a hand. "Bulma!" The voice was still behind her, but gaining. "Stop!"

A sob broke from her lips. She couldn't, as much as she wanted too. She couldn't face Vegeta! The material of her unique shirt fluttered against her arms, tickling her flesh. She didn't have the strength that she needed at the moment to face the man that was the father of the unborn child within her womb.

"STOP!" He shouted, voice getting louder and louder as his temper started to rise. His leg was burning, and so was his pride, but he couldn't let the woman get away from him; not after this long. He forced his legs faster and could see that she was starting to falter and slow down, but she refused to give up. "Bulma. Please!"

Time to change tactics. Slowly his legs into a jog, then a fast walk and finally he stopped, panting and watched as Bulma continued on down the beach, chancing once to look over her shoulder and saw that she was no longer having to out run the young man. She stopped as well, doubling over as she caught her breath in ragged gasps.

"We need to talk!" He called out, voice still loud over the distance.

"No we don't!" She replied, turning around to look at him. Her hair had fallen from the twist that it had been in, hair tie broken and long gone. The breeze from the ocean caught her hair and the skirt, whipping both behind her.

"I got your email."

"Good!"

"But I didn't get a chance to reply."

"Great!" She had to keep a firm hold on herself. She was angry at Keisha, and yet she knew deep down that she shouldn't be taking her anger out on Vegeta. Anger burned deep in her stomach, the thought of him with another woman made her mouth go sour.

"Can we talk?"

"We're talking!"

Vegeta took a step forward, and she stayed where she was. He took another, and another until he had closed the gap between the two, so they were now standing 10 feet apart. "No. I mean, talking. Sitting down and talking."

"I don't have anything to say to you..."

"Bull shit. Don't you give me that shit Bulma! You're dying to talk to me. I know you are, and I'm dying to put my fingers around your throat and throttle you. But I won't." He could see her face taking on a change in the reaction, eyes widening then narrowing until they were nothing more than black slits, green hinting between.

He could see that he shouldn't have said that, and by the way she lifted her head and chin, she was ready to start throwing words along with insults right back at him. "Go home. You're not wanted here."

"Don't feed me that shit. I know you're lying. Why can't you see that yourself? Why do you have to think that everything is about you? Don't you want to know about your daughter, the daughter that you left behind, or have you too forgotten her?"

Bulma gasped. She had expected everything but the verbal attack. "No! It's not like that!" She licked her lips carefully, mouth parched and throat dry.

"I don't want to hear any more lies Bulma!"

"I'm not lying to you!"

"Bullshit!" Vegeta shouted, hands flying to his hair to grab a thick handful. He was getting agitated. Their first meeting wasn't going the way that he had thought it would, and he almost wanted to turn around and leave her; almost.

"I'm not!" She screamed back at him. Anger blazed in her green eyes and they bore deeply into his dark ones.

For once in his life, he was actually afraid to step out of line with this woman. The look written clearly on her face was a sure sign that she was not impressed, and she hadn't expected the events that were taking place to have happened any more than he did. But he was taking it better. She, on the other hand was acting like an over grown child in the middle of a hissy-fit.

"Quit acting like a spoiled brat and calm down!"

"Calm? You want me calm? Then leave! I don't want your two timing face around here! Leave! Get out! Right now! Get out of my face!"

"Two... TWO-TIMING?"

"I know all about you. I know all about you and that blonde you're running around with."

Vegeta was confused and then it donned on him. She thought he and 18 were...unbelievable. "Which blonde do you mean? The one I sleep with every night, or the one that takes care of me and does my laundry?"

"TWO?" She screamed, stepping closer and closer until their toes were touching. Shorter than he, she made up her lack of inches by standing on the tips of her toes. "You're fucking two women?"

"Fucking? I never said anything about that. If you'd calm down and actually give me a chance to talk longer than it takes to defend myself, you'd realize that what you're accusing me of is impossible. I, for one, wouldn't sleep with my daughter, and another, I wouldn't sleep with my best friend either. But you wouldn't know anything about that now would you? You had to go and jump to conclusions didn't you? You had to be the spoiled brat you are and have first say."

"You fucking asshole!" The next thing she knew, her hand was stinging, and Vegeta's face was turned so that his reddening cheek was visible. She licked her lips again, carefully running her tongue over the tender stitches.

He righted his head slowly, and then looked down at her. Fake eyes wide with fear and amazement that she had done something like that. He saw the bruises on her face, covered up with make-up yet still visible to him, and the stitches in her lip but Vegeta wanted nothing more than to return the smack to the woman. And she knew it.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, and her eyes showed that she was.

"You're lucky I don't hit women."

The anger that seemed to have been finished flared back up again. "Lucky? LUCKY? If I were lucky, you'd leave me alone! You don't hit women because you don't want to turn out like Jade. And you don't want to turn out like him because he's lower than dirt... but you're on your way to getting to where he is, aren't you?" What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she keep control of her tongue?

"Do you not think before you speak?"

"I..."

"Obviously not. I don't want to hit you because if I did, you're right. I wouldn't be any better than Jade. I can see that you're upset with me, but darling, I'm more than pissed off with you. You left without telling me anything!"

"I know! You'd have kept me there and I have no idea what would have happened if I hadn't left!"

"You're selfish, you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"All you think about is yourself, you don't care about anyone or anything other than yourself. I think that's disgusting and pathetic."

"That's not true Vegeta!" She pleaded, but she knew that it was, well, half true anyway. "I thin about you, and Rayne and everyone else. That's why I left!"

Vegeta laughed and shook his head. "You're lying again. You were scared. You're still scared."

"Damn straight I'm scared! You don't know what it's like to have to look over your shoulder every day, afraid that the one person you don't want to find you is right there walking behind you. I'm scared that you're taking better care of my daughter than I ever will be able too. I'm scared because I love you. I'm scared that the child, your child, is going to be loved by you more than my own daughter. I'm scared because you're here and I cannot control myself from attacking you! Fuck Vegeta!" Bulma rushed out.

With that, she turned away and ran back tot he boardwalk, and Vegeta let her go. He was stunned. Her words repeated through his head, echoing in his ears. She was scared of him? Of loving him? How could that be? He'd never hurt her any more than he had already had, ut he was learning from his mistakes.

I'm scared that the child I'm having is going to be loved by you more than my own daughter... He ran a hand through his hair. What did she mean by that? He saw her getting into a taxi, Keisha following her, though the pair were nothing more than faint specks.

The weight of the news hit him harder than anything had ever hit him before. Bulma was pregnant. Bulma was pregnant. "BULMA!" He ran up the beach but knew she was long gone. He saw another cab coming and jumped in it. The sight of the car holding his pregnant girlfriend was turning a corner and he caught a glimpse of Keisha's face. "Follow that cab!"

A/N: Well don't you all feel special? Two updates in two days! I'm doing pretty good. Believe it or not, I got the first few pages of the story done yesterday after I finished off the last chapter, but then really started to work on it this morning. Well, I hope you all enjoy! As always, hope you're enjoying the story!