CHAPTER SIX: When They Meet Again
"GOKU, GET THE HELL OFF ME!" Bulma roared, trying to jump over the side of the lookout to an almost certain death. "IT'S MY LIFE, AND I CAN CHOOSE TO END IT!"
Goku kept a solid grip on the suicidal woman. "Death will solve NOTHING," Goku told her firmly, dragging her as gently as possible away from the edge of the floating palace and into the bedroom of Mr.Popo's chambers. He placed her, with an air of serene calmness, onto the extravagant, four-poster bed.
"Goku, I don't tell you what to do so I'd appreciate you leaving my life to me and not making it your personal vendetta to save it!" she screeched hysterically at him and collapsed, once again, in Goku's arms in fits of crying.
I swear to god, I will MURDER him for this. Goku thought vehemently, staring down at his childhood friend and how upset she was. It took a lot for Goku to have negative, especially murderous, thoughts, but the Saiyan Prince was taking the piss this time. Goku did what he could to make her feel better but all to little avail. With all his many, inumerable faults and his frankly foul tongue, Bulma still worshipped Vegeta. Good God, Vegeta... you have no idea how lucky you are.
******
Vegeta rolled around, pain searing through every inch of him, as he thrashed around in a vain attempt to rid himself of it. He hadn't a clue what was happening to him but he DID know the source of the pain. The heart. His heart felt as though it was about to explode and implode simultaneously. "Have-to-get-to-Dende..."
NO! Bulma would be there and he couldn't face her. And as quickly as it had come on Vegeta's pain slipped away, rapidly, as though someone had pulled it from under him like a small child may have done with a chair.
The Saiyan stood up, shaking a little from the impact of the pain. His very bones had felt ablaze and the scariest thing was that he was unaware of what had just occured within his body. He stared at himself, astounded at the energy he had just felt, and noticed that at least physically he was unscathed; there wasn't even a scratch, not even on his clothing.
What the... he wondered. This was all Bulma's fault!
Vegeta gasped as that terrible pain grabbed him again and he soon sank to the ground once more, feeling his strength dwindle away precariously. Vegeta thought he was surely going to die and it felt doubly unbearable without her at his side to help him through it. It was as though someone had flicked his tolerance ligh switch, as the pain spiralled off again, and he became aware of the fact that he was indeed still alive.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Vegeta thought for a moment and decided to try out a theory. The Saiyan was very intelligent but he wasn't entirely sure his problem was medical.
He thought of Bulma, screaming the odds at him, and how he had felt. So empty, as if his insides were jellified and almost instantly he fell into a mass of writhing, searing, white-hot pain. Vegeta allowed himself to cry at it, so intense as it was and so fragile he was. He tried to think straight; he had to test the next part of his theoretical idea now, before he truly did die.
Vegeta forced his mind to conjure up images of Bulma when she was laughing, having fun, with him... And as if by magic, his inside ache vanished. "Wonderful," he muttered aloud. "Now she can rule my heart AND my head."
Not that he'd say it aloud but Vegeta was missing Bulma and regretting what he had put her through. He was feeling all her emotions in an agonising manner. How could he make her feel like that?! How could he put someone so beautiful, so pure, so kind through all that pain? I must be a monster.
But even if he was to go back to her where would he start? She must have HATED him now-surely even Bulma wasn't that lenient with him. And Kakarott was right, children do need fathers... Listen to me! I am quoting Kakarott. I must really need to get a life. But the life he wanted wasn't alone, watching, waiting and wishing things could be different. The life he wanted was with his partner, Bulma and, dare he say it, their son or daughter.
So forget all the loneliness and how awkward it will be to face her again-you need her, Vegeta, and she needs you, so get your ass back up there and BE A MAN for once! And with that sobering thought clutched safely into his head, he flew off... but not towards Bulma, towards the mall. If he was truly serious about her then it was about time he showed it. And what better way than by proposal of marriage...
Hope the old man doesn't mind me stealing half his account balance, Vegeta thought, reaching into his pocket to double check he had Mr.Briefs' credit card with him. He sighed with relief as he found out he did. And for the first time in several hours, Vegeta felt elated as a smile spread across his face.
LATER AT THE MALL
Oh my g... what is it with humans and shopping?! Especially women, they are TERRIBLE! Vegeta pushed his way through a crowd of eager teenage girls, who were eyeing up this season's trends with envy in the local shop window. They went sprawling in all different directions.
I could spend WEEKS here and not find the jeweller's, Vegeta mused in anger. But I haven't got weeks, I need help here. Vegeta's eyes scanned the ground floor of the immense feminine Utopia and picked up, right in the far corner, a customer services booth. "You have GOT to be kidding me," he cried to himself, as he saw two woman behind the counter, chatting amiably. He sighed, swallowed his pride and walked over to the booth.
"Hi, can I help you, Sir?" the taller of the two woman started forwards, flashing a dazzling smile that almost blinded Vegeta as it reflected off the artificial lighting.
"Er, yeah. I was wondering where the jeweller's was?" he queried dubiously.
"Hang on one second!" the woman said, completely false but oddly compelling. "I'll show you on the floor plan." She tapped away at her computer for around half a minute, then spun it around to show Vegeta.
Now, Vegeta, being a Saiyan, had seen technological advancements the planet Earth could only dream of but the plan of the huge building he stood in on a pathetic piece of junk these humans called a PC utterly threw Vegeta. Luckily, the plastic lady was only too glad to be of service.
"Right, so there is one on the first floor, called Bejewlled, then there's one on the third floor, named Carats. Hoping to buy something nice for the woman in your life, Sir?"
Vegeta blushed a vivid crimson. "Yes, thanks." And he walked speedily away from the booth, leaving the giggling women to their own, sad devices.
"Women," he muttered malevolently, as he stepped into a crowded nearby lift and pressed the one button. He instantly got glared at by the angry shoppers, who all wanted the fifth and sixth floors. Vegeta shrugged and gave a little laugh, which caused a hushed verbal frenzy among his fellow lift passengers.
Vegeta left the lift at the first floor and had a quick look around. He spotted Bejewelled after several seconds and walked slowly, as if with a great sense of foreboding, over to it and waltzed in.
Almost immediately he was pounced upon by a sales assistant. "I AM LOOKING," Vegeta snarled and the cocky man backed away instantly, looking petrified.
"The NERVE of these humans!" the prince angered, going over towards the display cases. He didn't want to take all day, as he really didn't have the time for it and he didn't want to be seen here, CERTAINLY not by Kakarott. He reached the display cabinets, and looked at the engagement rings they housed with a sort of strange fascination. They were all shapes and sizes, colours and widths, gold and silver. He had no idea which one Bulma would have liked and he realised this with a grim flash of horror. What if she didn't like the ring he picked? He couldn't afford to offend her again, not today of all days.
"Having trouble deciding the perfect one for you?" a flashy man in a suit of black, expensive material asked him coyly, which caused Vegeta to jump five miles. He growled, livid at the ordacity of this human, who evidently had no clue of the sort of person he was scaring. He had to admit, however, he needed all the help he could get. So, not for the first time that day, he brushed away his pride for his mate, and nodded to the male.
"Yes, haven't got a clue what she'd like," Vegeta confessed, embarassed at this fact. The simple fact was, he thought he SHOULD have known something so trivial as what jewellery she liked to wear, whether it was on her delicate hands or around her dainty neck.
"That's nothing to be ashamed of, I didn't have a bloody CLUE at first," the man responded, seeing Vegeta's humiliated visage. "Basically, you get her something that goes with her skin tone, her colour and general style of clothing, you're home free."
"But how the hell am I supposed to know what suits her?" Vegeta wondered of him.
"Well, I'll help you out if you'll describe her to me."
Vegeta hesitated. If this man guessed who he was talking about, the news of marriage of Dr.Briefs' daughter would spread like wildfire and make their lives hell. However, if he didn't describe her, he may choose the wrong thing and not only offend her but look really stupid to boot.
"She's about five nine, has shoulder-length, turquoise hair. Very soft, actually..." He realised what he had said, and promptly shut his mouth, blushing once again.
"Carry on," the man replied with curiousity.
"Er, yeah. She is very pretty, and she tends to wear vibrant colours."
"OK," he said with a smile and looked into the cabinet for himself. "This would be perfect for her."
He pointed to a ring in the back row of the case. It was something Vegeta didn't recognise, called "white gold". It was fine, elegant and set with three deep blue stones and two brilliant diamonds.
"That would be IDEAL," the male told him, making sure Vegeta could see exactly what he was pointing at. "Twenty-two carat white gold, encrusted with three sapphires and two half-carat diamonds."
Vegeta had to say, the man knew his stuff. The ring matched Bulma to perfection and gleamed elegantly under the lights of the shop, just as she did when she stepped out into the bright sunlight.
"Wow," he whispered, as the man asked the sales assistant Vegeta had scared stupid to bring the ring out and let the prince have a look. "She'd LOVE it," he mumbled to himself, inspecting it once the dim employee had handed it to him nervously. "Hey, how did you know what she'd like?"
The man winked at him. "Bulma Briefs has expensive tastes," he replied simply, in a very quiet voice, so as only himself and Vegeta could hear. Vegeta stared at the man, horrified. He really had blown it this time.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I'm not the money-grabbing type," he answered in response to Vegeta's anxious looks.
"Cheers," Vegeta mumbled, relieved. He hadn't blown it then, thank GOD.
"Nice catch there, by the way."
Vegeta smiled graciously, his cheeks twinged scarlet. "Yes, she is beautiful." He silently reflected for a second, then snapped out of his reverie abruptly. "Thanks anyway," Vegeta said gratefully to the man. "You got a name?"
"Yeah, me and the rest of the world," he said sarcastically, and Vegeta laughed a little. "Menit."
"Well, Menit, looks like I owe you one!" The two new friends shook hands, Menit not comprehending just how truly thankful the Saiyan Prince was for his help.
"Anytime, man. I work here, so if ever need any help don't hesitate to seek me out."
Vegeta went up to counter, paid for the ring and walked out of the shop, feeling glad he done at least SOMETHING right today. He vacated the mall at top speed, before his reputation could be further ruined, and took off, towards the lookout and his mate. Hey, maybe there are some nice humans on this pathetic planet, Vegeta shrugged, picking up speed.
***
So, the bastard decides to show his face. Goku thought contemptuously, sensing Vegeta's ki heading towards them. This better be GOOD. If he upsets her again, he will get a Kamehameha up his ASS. Better warn Bulma then she can tell him to piss off if she wants to. "Bulma, Vegeta is coming," Goku told her tentatively, apprensive of her reaction.
"Really?"
Goku nodded regretfully. "Would you like me to brush him off for you?"
Bulma shook her head profusely. "I apologise, Goku, if you think I am an idiot for doing this, but I cannot live without him, and I KNOW he cannot live without me either," Bulma said quietly, nervous of Goku's negative reaction. "I have been planning this for a while... I'm going to propose to him, no matter what state he's in. It will seal our bond and stop our child being born out of wedlock."
Goku sat up, amazed. "After all he said to you, you still want to marry him?" Goku questioned, astounded at her loyalty to him.
Bulma nodded, sincere as hell and attempting to stem the flow of tears now she knew of his imminent arrival. "He didn't mean what he said, Goku. He is as confused as me and we both get very uptight when we are that enraged."
Goku opened his mouth to protest, but Bulma placed her fingers on it. "Goku... I love him and we are MEANT to be."
The Saiyan sighed, and pulled her hand away gratefully. "Suppose I better go out there and meet him, tell the lucky bastard he gets a second chance."
Bulma smiled weakly. "Thanks Goku. I know you think I'm stupid, but trust me. I know what I'm doing."
"I'll take your word for it," he replied with a wry smile and walked out to meet Vegeta. Hopefully the Saiyan Prince was in a much better mood than he had left him in.
***
"So, you came crawling back then," Goku said coldly as Vegeta touched down on the lookout several minutes later.
Vegeta shot him a stare, sharp and calculating but laced with wit. "So you win bragging rights. Get over it," the prince shot back with a coy smile. He sensed Bulma's somewhat faint ki from within the palace and walked off to find her, trying to calm his jangling nerves.
"Oh, and Kakarott?" Vegeta had stopped smoothly, although he hadn't turned around. Goku looked at him, flooded with curiousity. "Thanks for the wake-up call." He resumed his walking, leaving Goku alone and stunned.
Vegeta soon came to the room he had sensed Bulma's ki from and found her, lying on her side, on her favourite side of the bed at home. He climbed onto it, and put his arm around her.
"Took you long enough to come back," Bulma commented drily, pulling him closer. "Thought you wanted me to rot."
"Bulma, listen to me..."
She spun around to face him and pressed several gentle fingers to his lips. "I don't want to hear it, Vegeta. I realise you are confused by what pregnancy can do to my hormones. I want you to know that I am exceptionally sorry that I got so het up about such a small issue. I now know you would never let any harm come to me and you will never know how sorry I am for betraying your trust in such a manner. I know you'd never wish me dead."
"You have NOTHING to be sorry for," Vegeta answered, astounded at her need to apologise. "I am sorry, Bulma, for my evil words, for making you cry and for making you feel so SHIT that you want to die. How DARE I make you feel that you don't want to live. I am a MONSTER, Bulma... how could you ever love me? You are beautiful, intelligent, kind, wealthy... The world is your oyster, yet you choose me. Why, I don't know. You nearly killed yourself because I made you feel so bad, yet you still worship me, with every fibre of your being."
"That was my hormones, grossly overexaggerating my reactions. It wasn't really you," Bulma replied, not entirely honestly. They kissed, displaying their love, despite the day's tumultuous events.
"You want to know why I love you, Vegeta? I love you because you are you, my Prince. You are handsome, romantic, wise and caring, and you constantly fascinate me with changes and variations. And as for the things you said, and how you made me feel... Well, it's all in the past, and we aren't really ourselves right now. I don't think you realise what you are to me, Vegeta. You are my life, my future and the father of my child, and I want to be with you for all eternity."
"And I want to be with you even longer", the Saiyan smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. She gasped, amazed.
"Bulma Briefs, you are everything to me, and I promise I will never scorn you again, for as long as I live," he swore solemnly, as he slipped the beautiful ring onto her ring finger. "Will you consent to be my wife?"
Bulma was, as a scientist, generally prepared for anything life threw at her... but she had to admit, that CERTAINLY threw her.
"It'd make me the happiest girl alive", she responded, pure joy coursing through her, and they kissed, passion encasing them both. "Wow. I'm getting married to the best man ever," Bulma said ecstatically, hugging him half to death. "Thank you, Vegeta. You have NO idea how happy you've made me!"
He grinned. "Oh, I think I have an inkling," he replied truthfully. "I know it's not half as happy as I feel right now."