'Face to Face'

Chapter Fourteen: The Morning After the Night Before

'Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
I don't care,
you're here tonight.'

Enrique Iglesias: Hero

Vegeta woke up with a grunt as the sunlight streamed through the French balcony doors. He blinked dazedly and started when he became aware of his surroundings. A warm, soft skinned body was curled into his, and he remembered the night before with a fierce clarity. He gazed down at Bulma and slid out of the bed quickly and quietly, before heading into his bathroom to shower and change.

When he came out, Bulma was sat up in the bed, and Vegeta's gut lurched as she smiled hesitantly, the white sheet pulled up to her chest, her hair mussed and her lips deliciously red. Desire flooded him and he wanted nothing more than to take her again, but he shook it off and stared back at her stonily.

"Morning. I guess you're off to train already. Although you did have a good work-out last night. " Bulma said, raising an eyebrow and smiling teasingly.

Vegeta scowled. Damn woman, always so bloody cheeky. "Yes. I'm going to so something useful with my time." He pulled his shirt over his head and Bulma snorted.

"Right, and me spending my time fixing your damn machine and inventing things that benefit the world is just total nonsense huh?"

Vegeta sneered, "Your machines aren't going to beat those androids. I'll be doing that."

Bulma chuckled, "Of course you will."

Vegeta froze and glared at her, "What does that mean exactly?"

"Jeez! It means I think you will…can't you take a compliment?!" Bulma cried, exasperated but pleased as a blush tinged his cheeks.

Vegeta stared at her, a strange sense of pride filling him, narrowing his eyes as she smiled back chirpily. Why should I care if she thinks that? She doesn't know what she's talking about…still it's good to know she's not completely stupid.

"Anyway, you're going to have to be more careful these days. I still haven't figured out what's wrong with that bot and I don't want to be replacing anything till we've sorted it all out." Bulma said airily, waving a hand in the air as she talked, before gasping and blushing as the sheet slipped down her chest. She gathered it back up and stared determinedly back at Vegeta, who smirked and raised an eyebrow coolly.

"Fine. But make sure you get it done."

"Yes your Majesty." Bulma rolled her eyes.

Vegeta's smirk widened, "It's good to know you've finally recognised your place."

Bulma's eyes bulged and she gaped indignantly. What a cheeky git! 'Recognised my place' Eugh! Egotistical bastard!

Vegeta chuckled darkly as Bulma floundered in front of him, "Now do as you're told and get on with your work woman." He turned to leave the room, smirking as she glared at him furiously. What an absolute ape! 'Do as you're told'?! Jeez, I want to throttle him sometimes!

He paused suddenly in the doorway and looked back at her impassively.

"Be here tonight." Then he was gone.

Bulma stared after him, her mental rant forgotten completely as she sat, stunned. Be here tonight?... Oh my gosh! He wants me here tonight! She let out a giddy giggle and snuggled into the bed, pressing her face into the pillow as she broke out into a bright grin.

Bulma got showered and dressed not long after Vegeta had left, but she took longer than usual as she couldn't help but pause and reminisce of the night before…all she could focus on was remembering how it had felt having his hands on her, his lips on hers…she shook herself and focused on mentally planning her day, trying to ignore her skittering heart, but as she reached the kitchen and grabbed some fruit and coffee she couldn't help but wonder where she stood with the stubborn Saiyan Prince. It's going to be so difficult with him…am I even with him anyway? He was so passionate last night, and he invited…no, wait, demanded, me over tonight…so that's progress…she sighed and logged herself into her lab…But he'll never get too close, he'll never totally let me in…but I am getting under his skin, literally, she grinned, and I'm going to burrow my way in as far as I can.

She tied her hair up in a messy bun and began to skim through the old research files she had gotten a hold of the day before, in the hope one of them might show her what happened with the bot. She had just taken a bite of a banana when one of them caught her attention. She swallowed her bite and read it avidly.

'Dr. Gero – ex junior CEO of Capsule Corp.

Most notable for achievements in Artificial Intelligence developments.

Disbanded from company for private research.'

Bulma put the file down and sat silent and surprised. Gero had worked for Capsule Corp? Why hadn't her father told her? Why hadn't she known this before? She re-read the paragraph – Most notable for achievements in Artificial Intelligence developments- and couldn't quite believe it. He worked here? Why didn't I know this already?! She frowned before being struck with an idea. But this is great! It means I can access his old notes and files…I could find out all the work he did on the Red Ribbon Army and see if I can figure out where he's going with these new androids!

She felt a surge of determination and remembered her idea to stop Gero from completing the androids in the first place. She remembered Goku's adamantly noble reaction (We can't do that! He might not even do anything in our time!) and Vegeta's derisive response (Are you scared of these androids? What nonsense. I'll defeat them easily myself.) She shook her head in annoyance. Honestly, neither of them have a clue. Why can't we stop anything from happening? This could save people's lives…those idiot Saiyans just want another fight and the rest are too damn in love with Goku to do anything but what he says! He's doing it out of blind nobility, and as usual everyone is following him! Well, stuff that. If I can find a way to stop Gero before anyone gets hurt then I'm going to do my best! She picked up the file and turned on her computer, ready to research as much as she could about Gero.

"Woman!" Vegeta shouted into the kitchen, looking around for Bulma and letting out a low growl when he found it empty- just like he had found the lounge, her bedroom, his bedroom, her lab…Where the hell is that bloody lunatic? She said she'd be working in her lab…no doubt she's just wasted her entire day spending ridiculous amounts of money. "WOMAN!"

"No need to shout Vegeta, I'm right here." Bulma grinned at him winningly from the doorway and he spun around and glared at her.

"Where have you been?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly.

"Aw," Bulma slunk towards him like a cat, a seductive smile playing on her lips, "Did you miss me?" She kissed his cheek and winked, before wandering off, leaving Vegeta to gape after her.

What an arrogant lunatic. Miss her? Why would I miss her?! He scowled and strode back to the Gravity Chamber, having totally forgotten the fact he had been looking for her in the first place.

Bulma sniggered to herself as she returned to her lab, and pulled the memory stick from out of her sleeve. Bulma, you really are one hell of a woman…she grinned to herself at how easily she had distracted Vegeta…Although he'll make me pay for that later. She grinned wider at the thought, but I don't think I'll mind that too much.

She giggled again and then shook herself. Come on Bulma, back to work. This is important stuff…

She slid the memory stick into her computer and downloaded the files in seconds, before scrolling through the file names to see if anything matched what she was looking for. After what seemed like dozens of files she finally spotted one labelled 'Gero. RRA.' and she clicked it open straightaway, gasping out as she saw the entire basic lay-out for the Red Ribbon Army. She read through them avidly, before pausing again when she noticed a familiar string of numerical codes. What the heck…? She read through them and then scrambles for her notes on the bot, letting out another horrified gasp when she realised that the basic stats that were used on most of Capsule Corp's bots were the same ones that Gero had invented for his Red Ribbon Army. Oh my gosh, this is awful! I have to tell Dad straightaway!

Bulma didn't leave her father's laboratory till nine o'clock that night, and she headed straight to her room to change, her mind full of hers and her father's discoveries. I can't believe that our new stat system for the bot's hard drives was based on Gero's work and no-one even clicked! No wonder that bot developed a mind of its own, the upload system was far too advanced for it! She sighed and sat down, pulling her boots off and shoving them under her bed lazily. Although at least I know how to re-programme everything now, but it's going to be one hell of a job- I'll have to do the whole system…and another good thing to come of this- that fact that I might be able to see how these new Androids are going to develop and what sort of weaknesses they'll have.

She stood up and begun to pull her tank top over her head when a thud on her balcony startled her, and with her top half covering her face she spun around, losing her balance with a cry and falling against something hard. She wriggled in her captor's grip before a gruff "Stop it," let her know it was Vegeta and she stopped straightaway, opening her mouth to speak but instead gasping as his hands slid up her bare waist to rip the top over her head roughly, and before Bulma could even move her arms or anything to respond, he had captured her lips with his own and slammed her up against the wall.

She let out a muffled squeak into his mouth as her back hit the wall with a thump, and then gasped again as Vegeta slunk his hands onto her shorts and pulled them down her legs, before sliding his hands under her thighs and practically tying them behind his back. Bulma immediately felt his erection pressing at her opening and she wriggled closer, groaning into his mouth as her entire world seemed to melt away around her as desire clouded her every thought.

He pulled away suddenly and stared down at her, his eyes flashing dangerously, and Bulma opened her mouth to speak again before he silenced her by plunging his fingers into her and smirking wickedly as she gasped and her eyes widened in surprise. He withdrew them just as quickly and within moments had slammed her against the wall, sheathing himself inside her with a low growl that sent shivers throughout Bulma's entire body. Vegeta dropped his head to her shoulder, his nose brushing the crook of her neck, before he pulled out again, his body raging with the desire that had been building up inside of him all day, and he grabbed her hips and stared at her again, searching her lively, blue eyes, sensing the desire, the want, the trust in them and with a surge of pleasure, he pulled her off the wall briefly, before slamming back into her and back against the wall, crushing his lips to hers in demanding, bruising, passionate kiss that made Bulma's heart twist and lurch in her chest.

Bulma slumped against Vegeta's chest with a low moan as the remnants of her orgasm rippled through her, and faintly realised- with a contented smile- he was carrying her to the bed. He set her down roughly- as expected- and stared down at her.

Bulma opened her eyes and stared back up at him, trying to read his impassively set face, before stretching out a hand to grab his forearm and sitting up. "Vegeta," she paused as he stayed silent and still, and leant up and kissed him softly and lingeringly, trailing her arms up to his neck and arching up off the bed to lean into him seductively.

Vegeta, still slightly dazed with desire, but again annoyed at his own inability to pull himself away from her, felt his arms move up to grab at her waist, "What are you doing woman?" he growled, scowling even as he let her pull him down to the bed. What the fuck are you doing? You've had your fill, get out of here, you're not her bed partner, she is a necessity- something only to fulfil your needs.

Bulma kissed down his neck and up to his ear, smoothing her hands over his tight shoulders and whispered, "Vegeta, come to bed." There was a stony pause where Bulma's every fibre in her body skittered nervously. Oh come on Vegeta, you want to. You want me, us. You're here, aren't you? You can't leave me now. She realised with a sudden lurch in her stomach quite how invested she was in the Saiyan Prince, and as he leant down further she felt like she had won the Nobel Peace Prize ten times over.

And every atom in his body seemed to conflict as he leant against the headboard and closed his eyes as Bulma's tongue flicked deftly over his earlobe. Have you lost your mind? LEAVE! You are not attached to the damn woman…but all thought fled completely as Bulma straddled him, leant down so her breasts were hanging enticingly in front of his face and slid her hands down his muscled torso with a grin that was smugger than a cat who had got the cream.

Hello again- god i'm so sorry i'm taking so long to update these days, and the chapters aren't as long as they once were...i've got so much work on at college at the mo i'm hardly getting any time to write any more! I definately still intend to do this story though, so please bare with me with the slighlty longer waits- each chapter probably will be a week in the making now i'm afraid!

But Oh My Gosh, the reviews for Chapter 13 were brilliant! I'm so glad you all enjoyed it so much and i hope you will continue to leave reviews and make my days! You are all the best! I know this chapter was a bit slow, but i am getting more on the ball again soon enough, and i hope you all stick with me :D THANK YOU XXXXX