"More noodles?" Chi-Chi asked. She and Kakarot were in her kitchen, and she was watching admiringly as he stuffed his face. She'd spent the majority of the day cooking, knowing that his appetite had no limit, and it was more than flattering to see how much pleasure he got from her food.

"Yes, please!" Kakarot said. He grinned happily and handed the bowl back to Chi-Chi. Blushing, she took it to the stove and spooned more noodles in.

"This is the best thing I've ever had." Kakarot said enthusiastically when she set the bowl down in front of him. "You're so amazing, Chi-Chi!"

"You really think so?" Chi-Chi smiled, "Oh Kakarot… I think you're amazing too-"

Knock , knock, knock!

The two looked at each other.

Knock, knock. Knock!

"Who could that be at this hour?" Chi-Chi asked. Kakarot shrugged, slurping a single noodle into his mouth.

Wiping her hands on her apron, Chi-Chi headed for the front door. She answered cautiously, and was really confused to see quite a short and stubby bald man on her front step. "Chi-Chi?"

"Why?"

"You are close friends with the Princess?"

"Why, yes, I-"

"Please give this to her as soon as possible."

Krillian thrust the note into Chi-Chi's hand. She gave it a quizzical look, before turning back on Krillin. "Who are you…?"

"Doesn't matter. Just make sure the Princess gets this as soon as possible. If you don't, she may resent you for the rest of your life."

"What?!" Those words lit a fire in her. "Hey, you can't just show up and threaten me like that! What is this even about?!"

But Krillin didn't answer. He simply turned on his heels and began his march away.

"Who was that?" Kakarot asked when Chi-Chi returned to the kitchen.

"Some weirdo, I don't know." She grumbled. Angrily, she took Kakarot's bowl and carried it to the sink. She started scrubbing immediately, running the water to rinse the dish clean.

As she worked, Kakarot excused himself from the table. He strolled into the living area, listening to the woman he admired as she worked through her chore. And he noticed something felt different about this room, as he inspected from wall to wall.

Suddenly he saw it - there was a folded up paper on the coffee table. That hadn't been there before.

Wondering if it was mail that had been urgently delivered, Kakarot found his way to it. Thinking it might answer why Chi-Chi was suddenly so upset, he unfolded the parchment and began to read.

His eyes ran back and forth as he worked his way down the letter.

He frowned.

—

It was the morning of the wedding, and Bulma took her time as she got ready. There were several helpers that assisted in styling her hair, getting her dress on, and applying makeup. Through it all she managed to avoid the mirror completely.

Around noon Bulma was dabbing some of her favorite honeysuckle perfume when there was a knock at her door. In walked King Briefs, dressed in his most formal of royal attire. "Are you ready?" He asked cautiously.

"Of course," The Princess replied, and the King frowned at the lack of excitement in her voice.

"Sweet girl," He said, looking down at his daughter. "It isn't too late. You can still change your mind."

"No." Bulma shook her head. And then she smiled, nodding enthusiastically at her father. "I want this… I'm just, erm… tired."

The King looked through her eyes for several seconds, as if reading her. And then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue necklace. "This was your mother's. She wore it on our wedding day."

Gasping, the Princess took the jewelry from her dad. "Oh, Daddy…"

"Put it on," The King grinned. "Let's see how you look with it."

And then one of the helpers approached, offering to assist in clasping it. King Briefs smiled down at his daughter.

"You look as beautiful as your mother did."

..

At exactly 12:45, Bulma and Vegeta were pronounced man and wife. The large crowd clapped and cheered their approval. The kiss that sealed their union was nowhere near as enjoyable or experimental as the one they'd shared the night before. In fact, the Prince looked more flustered than Bulma when he leaned in and gave her a split second peck on the lips. The Princess couldn't help but think that Vegeta wasn't kidding when he said he was not a fan of public displays of affection.

After the ceremony, it was time for the reception. All of the guests filed into the Grand Hall, where ballroom music was already playing. The Earth citizens of the group watched expectantly for the couple's first dance. Bulma looked shyly at Vegeta and he scowled in return, not being one to ever agree to such a thing. Finally she took his hand and led him onto the dance floor.

"No, Princess." Vegeta was saying through gritted teeth. "I won't do it,"

"Shh, we're compromising." Bulma whispered back.

When they reached the center of the floor, she let go of Vegeta's hand. As the music played on, she turned, resembling a pirouette that a ballerina would make, but with both feet remaining on the floor. The move allowed her gown to flow behind her with the air. Many of the guests gasped. Even Vegeta's eyes widened. Did Bulma know just how majestic she looked, with her hair blowing behind her, and the skirt of her dress following her moves?

She turned again, throwing her head back as if enjoying the music. She held her arms out in a rounded shape as she moved. Her hips began to sway with the ballroom music, and she spun one more time, ending the move by grabbing Vegeta's hand.

An applause followed the improvisation, and Bulma beamed at her husband.

"How did you do that?" He whispered.

"They just wanted to see something. So I tried to imitate ballet. But I was never good at it." She said back. "See? You didn't have to do a thing."

Yet again he wondered if she knew how flirtatious she was. She didn't evenhave to dance well, and yet she'd earned an ovation for her beauty. And Vegeta couldn't help to feel smug. For he was the man who had married her, and she had chosen him.

..

Shortly after the dance, Bulma moved to the bar. She was about to ask the butler to serve her some cherry juice when she felt a nudging behind. "That was great." Chi-Chi was saying. "I didn't know you liked to dance,"

"I don't" Bulma laughed.

"Look, I have something to give you." Chi-Chi whispered. "Do you think you can slip away with me?"

The Princess looked around the room. At the mingling groups, the older couples swaying on the dance floor, at the saiyans glaring at one another suspiciously.

"Yes, I don't think anyone will notice," She said. And so Chi-Chi took her hand and led her into the hallway, slipping through a side door that was far less prevalent.

"I was told I needed to give you this. But I haven't had a chance until now." Chi-Chi whispered, once they were in the privacy of the hallway. She slid the note into Bulma's hand.

"What is this?" Bulma asked. Chi-Chi shook her head, for she had respected her friend's privacy by not reading the letter.

Genuinely curious, the Princess unfolded the paper slowly.

Bulma,

We need to talk.

Meet me in the garden at 1:30.

We'll escape together.

I love you, I love you.

Yamcha.

Gasping, Bulma looked up at her friend. "It's from Yamcha!" She hissed, and it was hard to keep her voice down. "He wants to meet me at 1:30!"

"But it's 1:25 now!" Chi-Chi whispered back.

Bulma grabbed the skirt of her dress and hitched it above her feet to make it easier to move. She began to speed down the hall.

"Wait!" Chi-Chi tried to call while keeping her voice down. "You can't!"

"I must!" Bulma whispered back. She wanted an explanation from him. She wanted an apology for how bad he'd hurt her. She wanted to confront him, to slap him, to call him the pig that he was.

And through the palace she continued, even as sweat began to form on her temple from the exertion. She did not stop running until she made it to the gardens, gasping for breath as she fell to a walk. She went for the same place that they always met. It was in the back, between the two trees that bloomed orange flowers. And sure enough, as she approached, Yamcha stepped out from under the tree.

"Bulma," He breathed, looking her up and down. "You look so beautiful."

She didn't respond right away. She was stunned at the man in front of her. So skinny and scruffy, with his beard overgrown. "Yamcha," She breathed. "What happened to you?"

She watched as he opened his arms. And she stepped back when he moved to hug her.

"You don't understand. I've been locked in the dungeons." He said. "We don't have time. We need to go. Please, I'll explain everything. But we need to get out of here. Trust me. We need to run away."

"You're married," Bulma gasped. "You ran off on your wife while she was pregnant ."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Yamcha replied, but he seemed too tired to argue. "It's wrong! Bulma, it's wrong. They arrested me.. I've been locked away since the night of the sayains' arrival."

He dropped to his knees sadly, looking up at her. "Please," He begged. "You've got to believe me. You're the only person I love."

Everything was so confusing. Everything was happening so fast. Bulma gazed down at the man below her, studying his eyes. His face was sunken in, and she realized there were bruises upon his skin. And in his eyes, deep in them, she saw the same set she'd fallen in love with.

"We can go to a far away planet. We can get out of here," He pleaded.

"Yamcha," Bulma said. She placed her hand on his forehead, rubbing down to his cheek. "I can't."

"I don't know what happened, but I know you didn't want to get married." He said. He put his hand over hers, "There's some kind of conspiracy going on."

"I can't, " Bulma said again, and this time her voice cracked. She thought of her Dad, her planet. The people dancing in the Grand Hall just inside the palace. The kiss she'd shared with Vegeta. Watching the mustangs with him. His witty banter at the breakfast table. "I… I..."

"Yes you can," Yamcha urged softly. "I love you," He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. And her knees softened up, and she felt herself nodding.

"What is this?!" A booming voice from above. Bulma looked up to see Vegeta hovering with Kakarot, both peering down on her.

"Vegeta!" She gasped. She'd never seen that look on his face before.

"I told you!" Kakarot was saying. "She was going to run away!"

"It's not what it looks like," Bulma tried, but she knew that was such a cliche thing to say. Vegeta landed right in front of her, his hand around her neck.

"Don't LIE to me!" He snarled. "You were letting him kiss you like a filthy whore!"

"No!" Bulma tried. She pulled at Vegeta's hand, but his grip was too strong. The look on his face feral, he was blinded with rage.

"Prince Vegeta!" Kakarot shouted. There was a thud and Bulma felt herself being jerked. She screamed, flying into the hedge that was behind them. And before she could register what was happening, Yamcha was by her side.

Bulma looked up to see Kakarot and Vegeta wrestling on the ground. It looked like Kakarot was trying to pin him down, while Vegeta shouted expletives and thrashed against his assailant.

"You're going to kill her!" Kakarot yelled.

"I will not kill her !" Vegeta spat. And his fist crunched into Kakarot's face, knocking him back.

Bulma screamed as Vegeta stood. And when she realized he was heading for Yamcha, she got to her feet. "Please don't!"

But he wasn't listening. He was single visioned, and Bulma remembered the irrational anger he'd felt towards her horse. She began to dart, and she lunged on his back when she was close enough. "Stop!"

This got Vegeta's attention, and he swung, knocking her off. "Don't defend him, you stupid girl!"

Tears flowed down her cheeks, and he roughly pulled her to her feet. Bulma saw at the corner of her eye that Kakarot had made it to Yamcha and was holding him tight, while the captain struggled to break loose.

"How dare you fool me!" Vegeta spat. He squeezed Bulma's wrists. "Using me to gain alliance with my planet, planning to run away during our own wedding! I will not be made to look pathetic! You hear me?!"

"I didn't! I didn't!" Bulma wailed. "Vegeta! Please!"

"That's Prince Vegeta to you!"

"Leave her alone!" Yamcha yelled, but it was no use. He was still being restrained by Kakarot, and Vegeta began to pull Bulma towards the palace. "Kakarot! Kill him!"

"Don't!" Bulma screamed. She resisted moving her feet, and it only resulted in Vegeta dragging her.

"Shut up!" Vegeta spag, unrelenting. "You are my wife, you bitch!"

"Where are you taking me?!" She wailed.

"To the ship. The wedding is over. We're leaving!"

Bulma begged and pleaded as he pulled her around the palace walls and towards the spaceship her father had prepared for them. Seeing as how pods were too small to transport more than one person, it had been decided that an alternative method of transportation would be used for the newlywed couple's journey to Vegetasai.

"Please!" She begged as he forced open its door. "Let me say goodbye to my father!"

"You don't deserve to!"

And he shoved her into the ship. Bulma landed on the floor and let out a cry.

"I am going to tell my father that we're leaving. You stay in here, and don't move." He spat. And then he turned, the door slamming behind him.