Chapter 17

Capsule Corporation had never been busier than ever. True to her word, Tights made all the necessary arrangements and even more preparations to have the party items delivered right here on the compound the next morning. Delivery trucks were parked right in front of the entrance and movers were carrying everything straight to the big yards, where the reunion party would take place. Tasks were divided among the whole Briefs family and very soon, everyone was working together as a team.

Loudspeakers were set up in the yard, and a male DJ was sitting at a table in the corner with a laptop connected to the loudspeakers. After finishing the chores he was assigned with, Trunks took it upon himself to carry the remaining tables and chairs to every available spot he could find, leaving some movers baffled as to how a young kid could possess such strength. The longest buffet tables sat row by row in the middle of the yard. Bulma and Tights were responsible for laying tablecloths over them as well as arranging the paper plates and silverware. They also set up umbrellas at each table to protect the guests from the hot sun. So much food, appetizers, drinks, candy, and dessert had been ordered that it required the biggest team effort to get it all set up, and in a buffet style so all the guests would be able to help themselves whenever they wanted. In front of the tables and chairs was a performance stage for the Orange Star Band with a crimson red curtain attached to it.

Dr. Briefs climbed up a ladder to hang some ornaments on top while Panchy held onto the ladder tightly to prevent her husband from falling. After setting a cold and icy jar of fruit punch on the table, Bulma stood back with a smile and wiped sweat from her forehead while her older sister was giving out instructions to the movers helping them out.

The only one not contributing was her stubborn husband who was spending his remaining time in the gravity chamber before the reunion party began. Bulma shook her head as she briefly thought of him. Trying to get him involved in preparations was out of the question as it would result in a big fight between them which she wanted to avoid, so she thought it best to just leave him to his own devices until everything was done.

"Phew! I guess that part is finished!"

Bulma turned to the source of the voice and found her sister standing right beside her. "You look really burned out, sis." She commented.

"Making all the arrangements sure is a lot of work." Tights remarked as she watched her mother and nephew now bustling around and putting silver linen over the tables. "But damn, putting everything together before having guests over is energy-draining, should I say."

"Do you want me to get you some water? Looks like you could use it."

"That would be great." Her sister hurried back inside the building and came back in no time with a cold water-bottle. "Thanks." She snatched the bottle and chugged it down almost instantly, then she tossed it in a nearby trashcan and continued to watch the rest of the action.

Bulma looked over at her father who was climbing down the ladder after finishing one part of his work. He addressed them with a tired but proud smile. "Well pumpkins, I think I'm done putting all the decorations. At least the ones on top."

"You did a marvelous job, dad." Tights praised her father and clapped him on the back. "The movers will take care of everything else so you don't need to worry about doing anything that'll put more strain on yourself."

"I still can't believe how quickly you put all this together." Dr. Briefs said, impressed as he observed their surroundings like a proud man.

"Me neither." Tights replied, also satisfied at the progress that had been made so far. "You could say that I'm a natural at this."

"You sure are, sis."

Bulma, Dr. Briefs and Tights watched in silence while the movers were adding the finishing touches and as such, an elated Trunks came bouncing over to them with his grandmother in tow. "We're done, we're done, we're done with everything, auntie!" Trunks cried out as he raced over to his aunt, jumping up and down.

Tights smiled down at him. "I'm proud of you kiddo." Then she glances ahead at the yards. "Woah… now it looks like a party's about to start! Doesn't it mom?"

"It certainly does, darling." Mrs. Briefs said with an exhausted smile. "All that hard work was worth it."

Trunks's mouth started to drool. "And look at all that food…" His appetite started to arise at the sight of spicy ramen and pasta.

"You gotta wait until the party starts, kiddo."

"I know auntie, but the food just looks like… it's out of this world!"

Bulma just chuckled at her young son and stared ahead at the juicy and delicious food. On the buffet tables were huge bowls of chicken and spaghetti casseroles, crispy fried chicken with a little bit of spice, buffalo chicken spaghetti, potato salad, vegetable fried rice, buffalo and chicken wings, chicken and cheese pizza, cinnamon rolls, salmon, the biggest steak ever seen, chicken pot pie, spicy beef ramen, pasta and so much more she couldn't list them all. Finger foods mostly consisted of onion rings, French fries, burgers, and sausage rolls. Drinks consisted of fruit punch, cans of soda, apple cider, iced tea and so much more.

'Sis really did outdo herself here. Just look at all that candy. Buu is sure going to get his hands on it!' Bulma thought to herself as she stared at the cotton candy, lollipops, gumballs, and the bite-sized chocolatey sweets on the buffet table. 'And don't even get me started on the dessert. It looks amazing.'

"It seems like the final party preparations are complete!" Tights announced with a proud smile.

"Wonderful!" Bulma clapped her hands at the progress that had been made.

"And darling, I think it's really nice of you to set up these kiddy games for Marron." Panchy softly chimed in. Her younger daughter briefly spoke about the little girl during their family dinner yesterday.

"She may be just a kid, but she should enjoy the party too." Tights said, eyes lingering over the age-appropriate games she managed to find.

"It's really nice of you, pumpkin." Dr. Briefs said before wiping beads of sweat from his brow.

"Now that everything is complete, I guess we should all take a shower and get ready before all the guests arrive." Trunks said to his mother, aunt, and grandparents.

"You're right sweetie and also-" It was then that Bulma remembered something else. She let out an annoyed groan, "And I've also got to get Mr. Grumpypants out of the gravity room. I swear, he almost never takes any time off from training!"

Trunks just sighed, "I just wish he'd lighten up for once."

The Briefs family went back inside the building for a much-needed shower and get ready before they had to receive the oncoming guests, while the movers who helped them set everything up returned to their respective trucks. Bulma however, marched straight towards the direction of the gravity room. Her proud and stubborn husband was going to come out whether he liked it or not!

Just as she reached the gravity room, she heard the controls shutting off and not long after that, the door finally opened and out emerged her stubborn husband whose entire body was covered in sweat.

Bulma smiled smugly at him. "So you've finally come out, my dear prince?"

His eye started to twitch at that. "Tch!" Vegeta slammed the chamber door with so much force and stared coldly at his wife. "It's not like I have a choice in the matter, do I!?" Before she could say anything more, he turned around and stormed off towards their shared bathroom for a long shower before this so-called party began.

'Same old Vegeta...' Bulma shook her head and started to follow her annoyed husband.

It didn't take long for the whole Briefs family to get themselves ready for the upcoming reunion party. Everyone went all out with their appearances, as each person had on their best party outfits. Tights, Dr. Briefs and Panchy were doing one last double check on the yard just to make sure everything was truly in place before the guests' arrival, Vegeta stood at a corner far away from the yard while Bulma and Trunks headed straight to the entrance to welcome the oncoming guests.

"Are you ready to PARTY, Trunks?"

Trunks looked up at his mother like an excited child. "Yes I am, mom! I can't wait to see Goten again and I can't wait for us to eat so much food!"

Bulma laughed. "Don't worry, Goten will be here and the party will start soon."

"No doubts about that."

Both stood side-by-side together at the sidewalk as they were on the lookout for all their invited guests. People walked past them as they patiently waited. Trunks was pacing back and forth while Bulma occasionally checked her wristwatch for the time. It was almost one o'clock, so they were sure to be arriving soon. After what seemed like a long while, the young boy's pupils shot up as he sensed someone flying in their direction.

"Mom look up, look up!" Trunks yelled as he pointed a finger in the sky. "Somebody's coming!"

Bulma raised an arm up and squinted towards where her son was pointing. "You're right… someone's approaching…" Her eyes lit up when she realized who it was. "hey, it's Yamcha!"

Yamcha levitated down on the ground and landed in front of mother and son, while Puar was floating right beside him. He adjusted the baseball cap on his head and greeted the duo with a smile, "Hi Bulma, Trunks… it feels like it's been a while! Actually, it hasn't been that long."

"It's great to see you again, Yamcha!" Bulma moved towards her ex-boyfriend for an embrace. "How have you been doing?"

Yamcha reciprocated the hug as he replied, "I've been doing great. The usual stuff happens. Just been keeping up with my baseball practice and all that…" He released her from the hug before glancing over at his ex-girlfriend's son with a friendly smile. "And how are you Trunks?"

"I'm doing awesome today!"

"Good to hear."

"Hey Puar!"

The blue cat floated towards Bulma. "Hi Bulma!"

"What's up?"

"Just been sticking around with Yamcha as usual!"

"Nice!"

Trunks exchanged pleasantries with Puar then Bulma gestured towards the Capsule Corp yards. "Why don't you two get settled in?"

"Woah… you guys really did a fine job here." Yamcha commented as he approached the decorated yard.

Puar chimed in, "It looks amazing!"

"Thanks guys, but I didn't do all this alone." Bulma said, momentarily thinking of her sister who put in most of the work. "You two get settled in the yard, while Trunks and I stay here and wait for the others. Don't start eating the food just yet."

"Don't worry, we won't."

Bulma and Trunks continued to stand near the entrance while Yamcha and Puar made their way towards the yard. In no time at all, Tien and Chiaotzu arrived at the scene, both wearing something different from their usual attire.

"Tien, Chiaotzu, I'm glad you two could make it!"

"Hey Bulma, Trunks, good to see the both of you." Tien greeted the duo. "This place looks like heaven!"

"Yeah! Did you put all this together yourself?" Chiaotzu questioned.

"Believe me, even though it was my idea to have this party, a certain 'someone' was helping me out."

"But still, it's impressive just how much this place has transformed!" Tienshinhan remarked.

"It's incredible!" Chiaotzu chimed in, agreeing with his partner.

"Yamcha and Puar are in the yards right now." Bulma told them, pointing a finger in their direction. "Why don't you go join them?"

"Sounds great." The three-eyed warrior said with a smile. Then he looked at his partner and friend. "Come on Chiaotzu, let's get a move on!"

Tien and Chiaotzu made their way towards the yards all the while talking about how amazing Capsule Corporation looked now and how it had been quite a while since they attended a party. Once they were in the yards, mother and son continued to wait for the other guests. It didn't take long for Krillin and Eighteen to show up with their only daughter Marron. They had flown all the way to their destination while the blonde android was the one carrying the little girl in their arms.

"Krillin, Eighteen!" Bulma greeted cheerfully as the married couple approached the entrance with their daughter. "Glad you could make it. How are the two of you doing?"

"Great as always." The bald man said with a smile. "Just working as usual and looking after Marron."

"Yeah, Krillin has been working extra hard to support us lately." Eighteen added. Then she noticed the environment looking different than usual. "Wow… this place is like paradise now!"

"To be honest… I didn't do this alone."

"But still… I can tell that a lot of work has been put into preparations." Krillin commented. "Nice job Bulma!"

"Thanks."

Trunks chose this moment to say something. "Before we forget, there's some kiddy games set up for Marron. I think she'll really like them!"

"You went through all that trouble?" Krillin asked, surprised.

"You didn't have to do that." Eighteen said as she held her small daughter in her arms. "We could have found some way to keep her occupied."

"Well… it's not a problem."

"The food smells pretty good." Krillin complimented.

"We've also got dessert, candy and drinks." Bulma added as she thought of the buffet. "But we're waiting for the rest to arrive before we start the party."

"Not a problem." said Eighteen. "We won't touch any of the food."

"Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Puar are here. Feel free to join them in the yards." Bulma invited.

"We will. Marron honey, there are some games for you." Krillin spoke softly to his daughter as his android wife handed her over to him. "Would you like to play?"

"YAY!" Marron cried out as she clapped her small hands together. "I wanna play, I wanna play!"

"Okay, take it easy." Eighteen chided softly.

The family made their way towards the yard where the others were. Immediately after, Master Roshi and the shapeshifter Oolong could be seen wearing their own party outfits. Bulma beamed brightly at the two new guests.

"Hehe… it seems like you've managed to put together this party pretty quickly." The turtle hermit commented as him and Oolong approached the entrance.

"I can't believe it… there's food, candy, drinks and dessert!" Oolong said as he observed everything in his sight.

"I suppose the others are here?" Roshi questioned as he heard voices in the yard.

"They are. You two can join them if you want."

"We sure will." Roshi said as he held his walking stick. "Come on, Oolong. Don't be slow."

"I'm coming, you old goat!"

Not too long after they disappeared, Piccolo could be seen flying towards the direction of the duo. Bulma and Trunks's faces lit up after catching sight of the namekian. "Piccolo you made it!" Trunks cried out.

Piccolo managed to let out a small smile. "Nice to see you again, kid." Then he turned to the hostess of the party. "Same to you Bulma."

She returned his smile. "The party hasn't started yet, but the others are in the yard."

"I can hear them chatting away, so I might as well join them."

Piccolo moved past the duo and made his way to the yard. Bulma once again checked her wristwatch. "It's left with Gohan, Videl, Goten, Buu, and Mr. Satan. Oh, and three of Gohan's classmates are coming over too. Let's just hope it doesn't take too long for them to get here."

It was like they didn't have to wait at all. Just as she said that a van pulled up near the entrance and through the vehicle's window, the duo could see the faces of Gohan, Goten, Videl, Mr. Satan, Buu, Erasa and Sharpener. The vehicle's door opened and as the gang were gathering their belongings for the party, Goten speed-blitzed past them with the biggest smile reminiscent of his father's.

"TRUNKS!"

"Goten!"

The little boy rushed to his best friend and before Trunks could react, he was flung into the biggest bear hug of his entire life, and both were knocked to the floor. "I missed you so much!"

Trunks dusted off his party outfit and rubbed his aching head from the unexpected assault. "C-Come on Goten, can't you control your excitement every time you see me?"

"Oops sorry…" Goten apologized, then the goofy smile returned to his face as they both stood up. "I was just waiting for this day to come!"

He just sighed, knowing that his best friend wouldn't change. "It's not a problem. What do you want to do first?"

"I wanna eat first, and then party!"

"Of course, you'd wanna do that."

It didn't take long for the others to come out of Mr. Satan's van. Erasa and Sharpener came out with their musical instruments while Hercule emerged from the driver's seat and shut the door.

"Hey Bulma!" Videl called out to the scientist with a bright and cheery smile.

She waved at the younger female as she was making her way to the entrance. "Videl, how are you?"

"Great. It took a bit of time to get ready, but we're finally here."

"I love your outfit!"

"Thanks, yours looks stunning as well!"

"Bulma!"

"Gohan, glad you could make it!" She expressed.

"Me too. We thought it'd be easier for Erasa and Sharpener to tag along with us in the van since they'll be performing." Gohan said as he pointed to his two classmates standing far behind with their musical instruments.

"No problem."

"Wow, this place looks-" Mr. Satan was cut off when Erasa and Sharpener brushed past him and approached the party hostess with wide eyes.

Erasa was speechless for a minute before she finally found her voice. "Wait a sec… are you Bulma Briefs!?"

"Yeah like… THE Bulma Briefs?" Sharpener butted in; mouth still agape at her. "The one who created the Hoi Poi Capsules?"

Bulma couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't everyday that she was approached by a bunch of fans. "It was actually my father who created them."

"But still… I can't believe I'm meeting you for the first time. I'm like a HUGE FAN of you!" Erasa squealed like an overexcited fangirl.

"Calm down missy." As amusing as Bulma found her to be, she needed to get straight to the point. "You two must be Gohan's classmates, right? He told me you two wanted to perform a song here at the party. He said your band was called… the Orange Star Band, am I right on that one?"

Sharpener nodded rapidly. "My friend Erasa is playing the piano while I have my electric guitar right here!" He raised his instrument in front of the heiress.

The blonde girl looked around their immediate area to see if there was any free spot where they could practice the song they had in mind. "Sharpener and I will go over to the back and practice the song. Our singer Angela will be here soon!"

Gohan gulped as he tried not to show how terrified he was at the thought of seeing that girl again. He was secretly hoping for something to come up which would prevent her from being here and singing for the band.

"Sounds like a plan! There's plenty of space for you two to use!"

"Once again, Miss Briefs. It was really nice meeting you." Erasa chimed in, still mesmerized.

Bulma shook hands with the two excited teenagers. Then they ran off to an available spot at the back with their musical instruments in hand.

Videl watched them run off, finding their antics humorous. 'Those two will never change. They're always excited whenever they meet a famous celebrity or a well-known person.'

Gohan looked around their surroundings and asked, "Has dad arrived yet?"

"No." Bulma replied, then an amused smile appeared on her face. "Though knowing your father, he'll probably show up late."

Gohan laughed a little at that. "Haha, that's true. Dad never shows up on time for a public event."

"Since Goku may be coming a little late, how about we get the party started?" Bulma suggested as she pointed towards the buffet. "Help yourselves to some food, drinks, candy and dessert!"

Trunks nudged his friend's shoulder. "Hey Goten, didn't you say you wanted to eat and party?"

"I did say that…" Then his eyes widened as he just remembered something. "Wait a minute, I have to hide!"

Trunks stared at him in bewilderment. "Hide? What for?"

"Gohan and I decided earlier that when we got here, I would hide somewhere and mask my energy." Goten explained. "So when daddy arrives, I come out and surprise him!"

Trunks nodded in approval. "Not bad."

"It would be a really cool surprise," Gohan added. "Dad hasn't seen Goten since we left Mount Paozu, so this should cheer him up!"

Bulma felt her heart warming. "Aww, that's a nice thing to do. He certainly won't expect it."

"Gotta hide! See you later Trunks!" Goten waved at his best friend before running off to the biggest tree on the compound and readying himself for what he was about to do. He started climbing at a slow pace just to ensure he didn't fall and once he reached the highest point, he entered the treetop and huddled inside it while masking his energy. Once she saw that he was comfortable inside his hiding place, Bulma turned to the others.

"Well, why don't we start the party while we wait for Goku?"

"Good idea." said Mr. Satan as he tapped his pink friend's shoulder and pointed to the piles of sweets on the buffet table. "Let's go Buu and you can have all the candy you want!"

"Buu wants candy!"

With that out of the way, the group all made their way towards the yards where the others were doing their own thing. Bulma ordered the DJ to start up the music and she let the rest of her friends know that it was okay to help themselves to some food and drinks. It didn't take long for the reunion party to be in full blast despite Goku's absence. Nearly everyone ate, drank, talked, laughed, and just enjoyed the music playing through the loudspeakers.