Thank you to everyone who read, and big thanks go to those who reveiwed every chapter most chapters!
I'd name you all, but I think you'd rather I posted this sooner instead ^_~
Now, be prepared, don't stop reading for anything, and remember, have your tissues at hands reach.
~ Epilogue
'Why...why is she doing this?' Vegeta's mind questioned him over and over again.
Each time, he was unable to answer his own question.
Suddenly, and unexpectantly, as he ran, a memory came to mind.
*FLASH BACK*
"Stay here!" Vegeta demanded gruffy, like almost everytime he left the room, he felt the need to remind Bulma to stay, as if afraid she would leave, if he didn't tell her not to.
"Why do you even bother asking...you know I won't...are you afraid one day I just may defy you. and leave?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him.
Vegeta looked at the girl with mock shock and fakes a gasp,
"I heard there was disease going around in slaves...some actually THINK that they could get away with defying me!"
As Vegeta watched the strange look his pet was giving him, he continued the little charade.
"...delusional little creatures...you better hope you don't catch it..." he teased, snickering as he walked off, now assured that Bulma would stay in her spot.
*END FLASHBACK*
Just that memory from several years ago, hurt as much as the note had.
And Bulma's note had hurt Vegeta like a blow to the gut, both leaving him breathless in shock and pain.
He may have been in state of denial, yet he knew he had to go to Kakarrot's and Raddit'z apartment.
If anyone knew what was going on, it would be them!
His father, like always, didn't have a clue about what was going on in his family life.
But Vegeta knew Radditz paid attention to every single word Bulma said, so he had to find him, or at least his half-witted brother.
As Vegeta threw someone into the wall who dared to get in HIS way when his pet was running away, he smirked as he realized Bulma couldn't have left already, for there was no way she could get off the planet without someone knowing about it, and the alarm being sent off.
But still, he had to get to her before she got into her ship, for once she got in, there would be no changing the decision in her little head.
So, instead of slowing down in relief that Bulma had not yet left, Vegeta sped up.
His speed increasing rapidly, surpassing all his personal bests, and when he soon came to a stop, he found himself gasping for breath his chest heaving dramatically.
But instead of stopping to regain his breath, Vegeta merely narrowed his eyes at the door that was in between him and finding out where his pet was, it took his five seconds to: realize he didn't care what was going on inside, take a quick deep breath and then kick the door off its hinges.
"WHERE. IS. SHE?!" Vegeta demanded as he looked up to see Radditz with his head in his hands as he sniffled pathetically.
Kakkorot was sitting beside Radditz, patting his back uncertainly, trying to provide some comfort to his grief stricken brother.
The rather loud announcement did not deter the men from their previous activities before Vegeta so brashly entered.
Radditz merely smiled, with a semi-psychotic look, a man THAT sad wasn't supposed to look THAT happy...
"She's gone." was all Radditz answered, the evidence of tears on his cheeks could be seen, and refused to dry them and pretend to have no emotion.
He could care less right now if his reputation was destroyed, and Vegeta and Kakkorot spent the rest of their days teasing him due to this one moment.
For Bulma was going and nothing was going to change that!
Not the patient one, Vegeta could care less if Radditz was harboring unrequited feelings for Bulma, and was expressing his feelings now that she was going.
So, he grabbed Radditz by the armor and pulled him forward with a jerk.
"Tell. Me. Where. She. Is" Vegeta hissed as he pulled Raddit'z face in close to his, trying to scare the information out if he could, and by no means was he bluffing.
Radditz just grinned in a way that unnerved Vegeta, and made him wonder about the poor boy's sanity, and realized that if he didn't stop Bulma from leaving, that maybe the same would happen to him.
Insane wasn't a good look for him...
"Why Vegeta...it seems you have mixed feelings for Bulma" Radditz grinned as his lips curved into a knowing smirk.
Vegeta huffed in offence; he had no time to play such games with Radditz, and so released him with a shove.
"You're emotional Radditz...you don't know what your talking about!" Vegeta growled as he gave the young man the dirtiest look possible when he said 'emotional', saying it as if the word in the sentence had of been 'drunk'.
"Oh...I think I do Vegeta...why else do you think even I, her BEST friend would allow her to leave...and you wont?" Radditz asked Vegeta in tone that just screamed 'your beneath me', a strange turn around from their everyday life.
It may not have been such a good idea for Radditz to place so much emphasis on the word 'best', for Vegeta seemed not to take to well to the idea, that Radditz would be a better friend to Bulma than he was...er...I mean...is.
"YOU? HER BEST FRIEND? I WAS HER FIRST KISS!" well...maybe he got a little carried away, for he wouldn't have divulged that little secret otherwise...
Not even to rub in Radditz face...
Radditz just sat stunned, as the distinctive, often reoccurring sound of Kakkorot choking on his own spit due to shock could be heard in the background.
"Wow....I mean...Bulma and Vegeta...who knew?" Kakkorot announced in tone of awe, but his statement had an underlying meaning, that he wanted to know if Radditz had actually known about the couple, and like always he had just been in the dark.
Vegeta and Radditz just gave him a strange look, before continuing their previous conversation as if Kakkorot had never said anything at all.
"Any...way..." Radditz started uncertainly as he tried to take in this recent unsettling news, a glance at Vegeta's grim face told him that this situation was not going to get any better...
Or...maybe it was...
(A little while later...)
A few minutes later, the amazing Radditz had not only convinced Kakkorot that there was a magical fruit in the castle and that he should go off and find it, leaving Radditz some privacy to have a man to man chat with Vegeta.
It took only one slap upside the head from Radditz and the threatening to go and tell Bulma about this so-called first kiss Vegeta had mentioned, for Vegeta to: brake down in tears before confessing to everything, denying nothing.
Vegeta's feelings coming right out in the open...
"Why does the girl have to be...so...so...so..." Vegeta growled as his gripped his head in frustration, trying to think of the right words to describe her.
"So, what Vegeta?" Radditz questioned, with a slight smile tugging on his lips in amusement and his own acknowledgement.
"Why does she have to be so pretty?" Vegeta asked with a strange pink color rising to the surface of Vegeta's tan cheeks, if Radditz know any better, he would think Vegeta was blushing!
But seeming as Radditz knew all too well that Bulma was attractive, had no hesitation in answer Vegeta, nor feeling the need to deny it.
"So you would want to look at her, Vegeta." was his simple explanation, a blush coming to his own cheeks as he remembered her beauty.
"Oh, then why does she need to smell so nice?" Vegeta asked with a whimsical tone as he remembered the strange sweet smell of vanilla soap that accompanied her where ever she went.
"So you would want to be around her, Vegeta." Radditz could think of other reasons why Vegeta would want to be around her, but thought better then to voice them right about now...
"Oh, I see, then why is her skin so soft?" Vegeta asked confused, wondering what explanation Radditz would have for that, suddenly wanting to know more about why Bulma is the way she is.
"So you would want to touch her, Vegeta." he informed Vegeta, the implication was in no way perverted, but referred to wanting to be close to her, and actually fell her moonlight glow like skin against their own battle worn tanned skin.
"Ohh, then Raditz?" Vegeta asked with a childish interest.
"Yes, Vegeta?" Radditz asked with a tired smile, wondering if he was completely insane for tell Vegeta all these things.
But if it helped to get Bulma back, he'd do it.
"Why does she have to be so damn intelligent?!" He asked reminisanant smirk, knowing her intelligent was as obvious as her natural beauty.
"So she'd know better than to love you, Vegeta."
"So she'd be smart enough not to love you..." Radditz announced with a teasing smirk, knowing that whether it was romantically or not, the little pet loved her master, but Vegeta would always have problems of feeling inadequate when it came to loving her.
The smirk soon fading as Radditz noticed Vegeta suddenly growing saddened, as if the last few moments where outside of time, but now reality was coming back, and the truth was there.
Bulma was leaving...and...Vegeta...he...loved her.
And he was unsure if it was not only a platonic way, but, in a romantic way.
It was a very painful thought to Vegeta, and he knew it would not help to deny it, what the point of denying feelings to yourself, for if you had them in the first place, it was either lust, which Vegeta hated to think that was all him and Bulma shared, or it was love.
Radditz seemed to understand the war raging in Vegeta for control of his emotion, or at least understanding of them, and so Radditz did what he knew he'd regret in the morning, he was going to give Vegeta a shove in the right direction.
Literally.
Pulling a shocked Vegeta to his feet, Radditz shoved him out the doorless, doorframe.
Only answering Vegeta's questioning gaze with "The launching bay" it was enough for Vegeta, who smiled his own way of saying thanks and then ran off.
(As Vegeta arrives at the Launching bay...)
"Girl...girl...GIRL!" Vegeta called as he ran to Bulma, thanks to Radditz, he knew where to find her: the departure dock.
As his fast footfalls came to a stop, Vegeta stepped up to the open large doorway of the Launching bay.
The large hanger like room, was seemingly empty, minus two cloaked individuals that stood beside a busted up, old model of a space pod.
It looked like it had been very favored, that or it had at least a several direct shots taken at it, for it was charred black, and it looked in no way reliable, parts seemed to unnaturally protrude from their rightful places.
Vegeta could almost swear it must have been dragged out of a rubbish tip, that or it was about to go to one...
Seriously, the thing was a death trap waiting to happen.
The sound of hushed whispers brought Vegeta back to reality, and to the urgency of his situation, as he scanned the room for Bulma.
"Ssshhh...You don't want us to get caught...do you?" Came a hushed warning from one of the cloaked figures to their companion.
Apparently they had been working on the shacked up space pod, and one of them had dropped the spanner onto the floor.
'Could it be?' Vegeta questioned as he scanned the room once again, and realized there was no one else...
As the black cloaked figure removed their hood, it confirmed his suspicions, there stood Yamcha.
His expression was grim and serious, as he gripped his hood that he had just pulled down, scanning the room to make sure no one had caught them, it seemed as if he had failed to notice Vegeta by the door.
Apparently when you become paranoid...you really start to forget to remember the painfully obvious things; like checking to make sure that no one was standing in the door way...
But Yamcha couldn't hold his attention span for long, for Vegeta's focus had fallen to the crouched over figure beside the little pet.
They were working diligently on the space pod, as Yamcha seemed to whisper words of reassurance.
A lavish royal blue cloak hide their face and body from view, but Vegeta knew it was her, the way she held herself, he just knew it...
"Come on Yamcha...we've only got about...5...more minutes before King Vegeta will come after us!" came the frantic feminine warning from the cloaked figure as she revealed herself to be none other than Bulma.
Yamcha simple nodded and bent down to help her with the needed moderations that may actually allow the hunk of junk to fly.
It was then Vegeta had serious doubts about stopping her, she seemed like she really wanted to get away from Planet Vegeta.
He wasn't sure if he was partially to blame for her sudden desire to try to flee after so many years of being content, maybe she wanted the element of surprise, or maybe that little pet...had something to with it.
If he did, Vegeta was not going to stop himself from hurting him this time.
But as he noticed as Bulma sat their tinkering on the pod, he realized he couldn't go day after day without her, who else would do all the things she did?
Share his bed?
Eat his vegetables?
Argue with his father?....Okay so Vegeta could do that, but watching Bulma do it was more entertaining then doing it himself...
But there was so many more reasons could think of why he wanted her to stay, but most of all he just wanted her simple presence by his side, and for the little things she did.
They made every day interesting to say the least.
Had of Vegeta known Bulma was leaving due to the knowledge of that she would be lacking such simple things in the near future, then maybe he would have said something reassuring to her, telling her nothing would ever change between them.
But for once Bulma had kept something from Vegeta...it was NOT good timing for her to go into the withdrawn stage of puberty.
Shaking his head to cleanse his mind, Vegeta regained some courage, and so informed her of his presence.
"Girl." he called from the doorway, before slowly approaching her, as both pet's head snapped to see Vegeta standing before them in all his glory.
Bulma promptly dropped the tool of her choice onto the floor bellow; it made a distinctive "Clunk" sound as it hit the surface, the only sound that filled the uncomfortable silence between master and pet.
"Umm..." Bulma started, gulping on the lump that formed in her throat without warning, it did not help she also found her lips parched, and so ran her tongue across it, moistening it with her almost non existent saliva.
She had absolutely no idea what to say to the man, she had tried to leave behind without saying good bye to, fearing such an event as this.
"Let's go home girl..." he demanded in a quiet tone, leaving no room for discussion, while his expression beckoned her to come to him.
"I...No." she almost found herself succumbing to his pleading eyes, begging her to stay, yet she knew for once she had to be brave, this wasn't the same as all the other times she had defied Vegeta.
This was the end.
He would not take it so easily...
"No?" he asked in confusion, stepping foreword once again.
When Bulma had been just a kid, when she knew she had been caught, she went quietly as if to save energy for the next escape attempt.
Did this mean there was going to be no other escape attempts?
Was this THE escape attempt?
Bulma turned to Yamcha and whispered something that sounded remotely like "finish up without me... gimme just two minutes",
Yamcha merely nodded as he returned to screwing the last panel into place.
It was a shoddy job, but it would have to do, it was all the time they had.
Bulma took a deep breath as she made her way to stand in front of Vegeta, who looked like a lost child just waiting for someone to sit down with him and explain it to him.
"I...I'm leaving Vegeta...Yamcha and myself are running away together..." she told him as she reframed her voice from catching in her throat, as she said the words, they...just seemed wrong.
Vegeta winced at that, before daring to ask "Why?" meekly, fearing the answer, but he had to know.
"I'd...prefer not to say..." was her quick excuse as tried not to seem like she was blaming him for matters that were out of his hand.
Vegeta was less than thrilled with her answer, but took a sideways glance at Yamcha as if having his own hypothesis on why she was leaving.
"Stay" he demanded, but when he noticed that she had not changed her opinion, he tried again.
"Please..." it caught in his throat, but Vegeta continued anyway "stay...you promised..." he reminded her in a pathetically sounding tone, remembering the promise that she made years ago.
"I'm...sorry Vegeta..." she replied as she hung her head in shame for breaking a promise, and so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes, it was far too painful.
Bulma wanted to say more, but the sound of the pod starting up left her no time to do so.
"I have to go..." she said as she looked at him uncertainty, as if afraid he may kill her or do something else to prevent her from leaving.
People in pain can do rash things.
Vegeta looked at her as if waiting for her to change her mind suddenly, and just fling herself into his arms...
Okay, so he knew it wasn't going to happen, but he waited for it none the less.
In one last attempt to get her to stay, Vegeta did something surprising; Vegeta took her hands in his.
Bulma looked like a deer caught in the headlights not sure if she wanted to run or not, she was unsure of what Vegeta had in mind, and that scared her.
Biting his lower lip to reframe from crying or anything else that displayed weak emotions,
Vegeta released one hand as he played with one of the metal cuffs and after a deep breath, snapped it.
Then before Bulma could respond, he snapped the other.
As the broken metal fell to the floor, the sound echoed through the large room,
Bulma did nothing but stare at the metal on the floor which had been so effortlessly been removed.
After she had got out of her immediate shock, Bulma did the only thing she could think of, she hugged him.
"I...was wondering if you'd ever take them off...Bardock has been pestering me for years to let him take them off..."
Bulma informed him as she squeezed him tight; Vegeta's shock could not have been any more obvious.
"If you could of have had it done all this time...why wait for me?" he asked knowing all to well that Bulma was one to do something as soon as it suited her, and not anyone else, and so news of her ability to have the cuffs removed, whether or not he did it, surprised Vegeta.
"It was matter of trust, Vegeta." Bulma answered simply, it was the truth, the whole reason she had not taken them off was to wait until Vegeta trusted her enough, to remove them.
Ironic how he waited until he knew she was escaping for good...
"Oh" was all her replied dumfounded as he simply let her hug him as he watched Yamcha hopped into the space pod, who was apparently watching Vegeta out of the corner of his eye.
Bulma realized that Vegeta was taking this hard, and so was she, so she gave him words of comfort in the form of an earthling saying.
"Vegeta...If you truly love someone...you have to let them go" purposely leaving off the part about them returning if they truly love you back, mainly because that would defeat the whole purpose her words.
Vegeta felt a why coming on, but he was too busy thinking of the true meaning behind Bulma's words, and why she choose them, so he reframed from speaking, almost afraid that if he spoke he may brake up the moment.
But, joy or joy...someone else was willing to do that for him...
"Bulma...we HAVE to go...NOW!" Yamcha called as he poked his head out of the pod,
the urgency of his words brought the pet and master who were sharing quite an intimate moment back to reality.
Turning from Yamcha and back to Vegeta, Bulma sighed, realizing that, this was 'it'.
Staring into Vegeta's eyes, Bulma smiled sadly as she tightened her arms around his neck, hugging him close, but kept at enough distance so she could look into his eye as she did.
"Remember Vegeta...Ai shiteru..." Bulma told him in a comforting way, her words whispered so only she and he could hear.
Vegeta could tell she didn't want Yamcha to hear, because he wasn't trying to hide the fact he was trying to hear over the low hum of the ship.
All the secrecy and the fact they were her last words to him, Vegeta could help but question their meaning.
"What does that mean?" he asked her simply, watching as she smiled tenderly as if telling a young child the meaning of a commonly spoken word.
"It means...'I love you'..." she admitted honestly as she smiled at him sweetly, tears started to fall silently.
Removing her arms from around his neck and taking the sides of Vegeta's face into her hands, pulling him forward gently, she kissed his cheek.
Gruntingly letting go of his face and walking backwards as she watched him, she noticed as his hand seeked the warm tingling feeling on the side of his face where Bulma had caressed with her innocent kiss, he touched it cautiously, but hesitantly.
She smiled before turning around and running to the pod, only craning her neck to call.
"Good bye Prince Vegeta"
Vegeta found himself unable to reply as he watched the door close behind her, as she squished into the confined space with Yamcha, sitting on his lap in the one seated vehicle.
He couldn't do anything to stop her, even if he had heart to stop her after that little goodbye, the space pod door closed, Bulma's mind obviously made up.
As the pod rose a foot of the ground, Vegeta merely watched as Bulma placed her hand on the pod window a simple gesture that was signally her goodbye.
Too caught up with his own thoughts, Vegeta could merely do nothing as the pod raised and headed out into space.
"Good bye girl" he whispered to the empty space that she had once stood in, and like ghosts,
Vegeta could remember the events of just a few moments ago; they played over and over again in his mind.
Especially those three words she had admitted twice, in two different languages no less.
'I love you'.
Had Bulma meant anything romantically about her words, or whether she was referring to deeply caring for him, he would never know now, but it meant a lot to hear them none the less.
Had she stayed to deal with the after effects of her proclamation, it would have meant a lot more to Vegeta, but it could not be helped.
Just then denial, wore off, and reality came crashing down around Vegeta in a horrible quick sharp pain of realization.
Vegeta had let her go....
He let Bulma run off to who knows where, taking a busted, probably stolen ship away from the planet, with who he believed was her to-be-mate, knowing that once she arrived at her destination, he'd never see her again.
Vegeta knew he could have forced her to stay, but what for?
To know that she would spend her days crying for her mate, pinning for the freedom she apparently wanted, knowing that in the end he would more than likely be begged to kill her, to put her out of her misery, unable to look at her while she was suffering...
he might even comply.
Such a horrible thought was nearly making his body shake in convolutions, from the impending tears that he refused to let fall.
But like always he couldn't, no wouldn't allow himself to cry, so out of over ten years of routine habit, Vegeta returned to his room.
Vegeta was unconsciously, if not consciously seeking comfort from his pet.
Even though he knew it would not be there, he still needed to make it back to his room, he needed comfort, he needed his 'pet', and since he could not have either, he could at least find privacy to cry there.
So with quicken steps, he arrived at the room he had always returned to, only to not have anyone to return to.
'She's gone, get over it!' his mind told him, he had tried to tell himself he didn't care, but although he wouldn't admit it, he did.
She wasn't his lover, not to his knowledge anyway, but she had something that no one else did, Vegeta wasn't quite sure what it was...
but she had it.
Maybe he did, maybe he had romantic feelings for the woman...why was beyond him...
Okay, she was kinda pretty...
And Intelligent...
She did match HIS temper and all...but she still obeyed him...sometimes...
Groaning Vegeta destroyed the closest object possible, a vase.
It was then that he realized despite he own delusion, he was completely in 'love' with his pet...
Gripping the wall beside him, Vegeta chocked back sobs, feeling dejected, infuriated, ashamed and worst of all...alone.
Suddenly feeling the pressure of tears now needing to fall now more than ever, Vegeta used the required support of the wall to lean on as he walked, stumbling like a man drunk with emotions.
It felt as though nothing else mattered anymore.
That's when dangerous thoughts of suicide and other depressing ideas came to mind, but like always Bulma saved him from himself.
For as Vegeta opened his bedroom door, as if by mistake, there sat his pet?
On the pillows in the corner, sitting head hung as if ashamed.
Like a ghost she sat her things beside her, it looked like wandering around in the halls for who knows how long had given her time to return.
Vegeta thought for a moment, before getting over the immediate shock before with the most embarrassing stutter, Vegeta asked more than stated.
"You...You came back?" semi successfully regaining some composer as the sentence trailed off, he came closer to her as if waiting for her to disappear like an illusion, a really taunting one at that.
But when she didn't fade, this became all too much for Vegeta to comprehend, but he couldn't loose focus, the woman was back...at least...he thought she was...
"I-I could NEVER leave my master." she said with finality, at this Vegeta did what he hadn't done since the first day he met her, he smiled, and with a strange act, he hugged her.
Surprising the girl that the prince for once had been the one to invoke the intimate gesture, Bulma gasped, just letting him hug her, too shocked to return it.
Vegeta sighed in purely europhia, and with hushed words and strained speech, he continued.
"Thank you...Bulma"
The End.
I hoped you all liked it.
I would really appreciate everyone's final thoughts of this fic.
If you don't like where it ended, I hope I pacify you with there will be a sequel further on, but first I'm working on a new fic.
If you liked this fic, stayed tuned for my newest fic coming out Friday: Identity.
A Bulma and Vegeta A/U fic like never before!
Look out for a preview of it in my profile!
I'd name you all, but I think you'd rather I posted this sooner instead ^_~
Now, be prepared, don't stop reading for anything, and remember, have your tissues at hands reach.
~ Epilogue
'Why...why is she doing this?' Vegeta's mind questioned him over and over again.
Each time, he was unable to answer his own question.
Suddenly, and unexpectantly, as he ran, a memory came to mind.
*FLASH BACK*
"Stay here!" Vegeta demanded gruffy, like almost everytime he left the room, he felt the need to remind Bulma to stay, as if afraid she would leave, if he didn't tell her not to.
"Why do you even bother asking...you know I won't...are you afraid one day I just may defy you. and leave?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him.
Vegeta looked at the girl with mock shock and fakes a gasp,
"I heard there was disease going around in slaves...some actually THINK that they could get away with defying me!"
As Vegeta watched the strange look his pet was giving him, he continued the little charade.
"...delusional little creatures...you better hope you don't catch it..." he teased, snickering as he walked off, now assured that Bulma would stay in her spot.
*END FLASHBACK*
Just that memory from several years ago, hurt as much as the note had.
And Bulma's note had hurt Vegeta like a blow to the gut, both leaving him breathless in shock and pain.
He may have been in state of denial, yet he knew he had to go to Kakarrot's and Raddit'z apartment.
If anyone knew what was going on, it would be them!
His father, like always, didn't have a clue about what was going on in his family life.
But Vegeta knew Radditz paid attention to every single word Bulma said, so he had to find him, or at least his half-witted brother.
As Vegeta threw someone into the wall who dared to get in HIS way when his pet was running away, he smirked as he realized Bulma couldn't have left already, for there was no way she could get off the planet without someone knowing about it, and the alarm being sent off.
But still, he had to get to her before she got into her ship, for once she got in, there would be no changing the decision in her little head.
So, instead of slowing down in relief that Bulma had not yet left, Vegeta sped up.
His speed increasing rapidly, surpassing all his personal bests, and when he soon came to a stop, he found himself gasping for breath his chest heaving dramatically.
But instead of stopping to regain his breath, Vegeta merely narrowed his eyes at the door that was in between him and finding out where his pet was, it took his five seconds to: realize he didn't care what was going on inside, take a quick deep breath and then kick the door off its hinges.
"WHERE. IS. SHE?!" Vegeta demanded as he looked up to see Radditz with his head in his hands as he sniffled pathetically.
Kakkorot was sitting beside Radditz, patting his back uncertainly, trying to provide some comfort to his grief stricken brother.
The rather loud announcement did not deter the men from their previous activities before Vegeta so brashly entered.
Radditz merely smiled, with a semi-psychotic look, a man THAT sad wasn't supposed to look THAT happy...
"She's gone." was all Radditz answered, the evidence of tears on his cheeks could be seen, and refused to dry them and pretend to have no emotion.
He could care less right now if his reputation was destroyed, and Vegeta and Kakkorot spent the rest of their days teasing him due to this one moment.
For Bulma was going and nothing was going to change that!
Not the patient one, Vegeta could care less if Radditz was harboring unrequited feelings for Bulma, and was expressing his feelings now that she was going.
So, he grabbed Radditz by the armor and pulled him forward with a jerk.
"Tell. Me. Where. She. Is" Vegeta hissed as he pulled Raddit'z face in close to his, trying to scare the information out if he could, and by no means was he bluffing.
Radditz just grinned in a way that unnerved Vegeta, and made him wonder about the poor boy's sanity, and realized that if he didn't stop Bulma from leaving, that maybe the same would happen to him.
Insane wasn't a good look for him...
"Why Vegeta...it seems you have mixed feelings for Bulma" Radditz grinned as his lips curved into a knowing smirk.
Vegeta huffed in offence; he had no time to play such games with Radditz, and so released him with a shove.
"You're emotional Radditz...you don't know what your talking about!" Vegeta growled as he gave the young man the dirtiest look possible when he said 'emotional', saying it as if the word in the sentence had of been 'drunk'.
"Oh...I think I do Vegeta...why else do you think even I, her BEST friend would allow her to leave...and you wont?" Radditz asked Vegeta in tone that just screamed 'your beneath me', a strange turn around from their everyday life.
It may not have been such a good idea for Radditz to place so much emphasis on the word 'best', for Vegeta seemed not to take to well to the idea, that Radditz would be a better friend to Bulma than he was...er...I mean...is.
"YOU? HER BEST FRIEND? I WAS HER FIRST KISS!" well...maybe he got a little carried away, for he wouldn't have divulged that little secret otherwise...
Not even to rub in Radditz face...
Radditz just sat stunned, as the distinctive, often reoccurring sound of Kakkorot choking on his own spit due to shock could be heard in the background.
"Wow....I mean...Bulma and Vegeta...who knew?" Kakkorot announced in tone of awe, but his statement had an underlying meaning, that he wanted to know if Radditz had actually known about the couple, and like always he had just been in the dark.
Vegeta and Radditz just gave him a strange look, before continuing their previous conversation as if Kakkorot had never said anything at all.
"Any...way..." Radditz started uncertainly as he tried to take in this recent unsettling news, a glance at Vegeta's grim face told him that this situation was not going to get any better...
Or...maybe it was...
(A little while later...)
A few minutes later, the amazing Radditz had not only convinced Kakkorot that there was a magical fruit in the castle and that he should go off and find it, leaving Radditz some privacy to have a man to man chat with Vegeta.
It took only one slap upside the head from Radditz and the threatening to go and tell Bulma about this so-called first kiss Vegeta had mentioned, for Vegeta to: brake down in tears before confessing to everything, denying nothing.
Vegeta's feelings coming right out in the open...
"Why does the girl have to be...so...so...so..." Vegeta growled as his gripped his head in frustration, trying to think of the right words to describe her.
"So, what Vegeta?" Radditz questioned, with a slight smile tugging on his lips in amusement and his own acknowledgement.
"Why does she have to be so pretty?" Vegeta asked with a strange pink color rising to the surface of Vegeta's tan cheeks, if Radditz know any better, he would think Vegeta was blushing!
But seeming as Radditz knew all too well that Bulma was attractive, had no hesitation in answer Vegeta, nor feeling the need to deny it.
"So you would want to look at her, Vegeta." was his simple explanation, a blush coming to his own cheeks as he remembered her beauty.
"Oh, then why does she need to smell so nice?" Vegeta asked with a whimsical tone as he remembered the strange sweet smell of vanilla soap that accompanied her where ever she went.
"So you would want to be around her, Vegeta." Radditz could think of other reasons why Vegeta would want to be around her, but thought better then to voice them right about now...
"Oh, I see, then why is her skin so soft?" Vegeta asked confused, wondering what explanation Radditz would have for that, suddenly wanting to know more about why Bulma is the way she is.
"So you would want to touch her, Vegeta." he informed Vegeta, the implication was in no way perverted, but referred to wanting to be close to her, and actually fell her moonlight glow like skin against their own battle worn tanned skin.
"Ohh, then Raditz?" Vegeta asked with a childish interest.
"Yes, Vegeta?" Radditz asked with a tired smile, wondering if he was completely insane for tell Vegeta all these things.
But if it helped to get Bulma back, he'd do it.
"Why does she have to be so damn intelligent?!" He asked reminisanant smirk, knowing her intelligent was as obvious as her natural beauty.
"So she'd know better than to love you, Vegeta."
"So she'd be smart enough not to love you..." Radditz announced with a teasing smirk, knowing that whether it was romantically or not, the little pet loved her master, but Vegeta would always have problems of feeling inadequate when it came to loving her.
The smirk soon fading as Radditz noticed Vegeta suddenly growing saddened, as if the last few moments where outside of time, but now reality was coming back, and the truth was there.
Bulma was leaving...and...Vegeta...he...loved her.
And he was unsure if it was not only a platonic way, but, in a romantic way.
It was a very painful thought to Vegeta, and he knew it would not help to deny it, what the point of denying feelings to yourself, for if you had them in the first place, it was either lust, which Vegeta hated to think that was all him and Bulma shared, or it was love.
Radditz seemed to understand the war raging in Vegeta for control of his emotion, or at least understanding of them, and so Radditz did what he knew he'd regret in the morning, he was going to give Vegeta a shove in the right direction.
Literally.
Pulling a shocked Vegeta to his feet, Radditz shoved him out the doorless, doorframe.
Only answering Vegeta's questioning gaze with "The launching bay" it was enough for Vegeta, who smiled his own way of saying thanks and then ran off.
(As Vegeta arrives at the Launching bay...)
"Girl...girl...GIRL!" Vegeta called as he ran to Bulma, thanks to Radditz, he knew where to find her: the departure dock.
As his fast footfalls came to a stop, Vegeta stepped up to the open large doorway of the Launching bay.
The large hanger like room, was seemingly empty, minus two cloaked individuals that stood beside a busted up, old model of a space pod.
It looked like it had been very favored, that or it had at least a several direct shots taken at it, for it was charred black, and it looked in no way reliable, parts seemed to unnaturally protrude from their rightful places.
Vegeta could almost swear it must have been dragged out of a rubbish tip, that or it was about to go to one...
Seriously, the thing was a death trap waiting to happen.
The sound of hushed whispers brought Vegeta back to reality, and to the urgency of his situation, as he scanned the room for Bulma.
"Ssshhh...You don't want us to get caught...do you?" Came a hushed warning from one of the cloaked figures to their companion.
Apparently they had been working on the shacked up space pod, and one of them had dropped the spanner onto the floor.
'Could it be?' Vegeta questioned as he scanned the room once again, and realized there was no one else...
As the black cloaked figure removed their hood, it confirmed his suspicions, there stood Yamcha.
His expression was grim and serious, as he gripped his hood that he had just pulled down, scanning the room to make sure no one had caught them, it seemed as if he had failed to notice Vegeta by the door.
Apparently when you become paranoid...you really start to forget to remember the painfully obvious things; like checking to make sure that no one was standing in the door way...
But Yamcha couldn't hold his attention span for long, for Vegeta's focus had fallen to the crouched over figure beside the little pet.
They were working diligently on the space pod, as Yamcha seemed to whisper words of reassurance.
A lavish royal blue cloak hide their face and body from view, but Vegeta knew it was her, the way she held herself, he just knew it...
"Come on Yamcha...we've only got about...5...more minutes before King Vegeta will come after us!" came the frantic feminine warning from the cloaked figure as she revealed herself to be none other than Bulma.
Yamcha simple nodded and bent down to help her with the needed moderations that may actually allow the hunk of junk to fly.
It was then Vegeta had serious doubts about stopping her, she seemed like she really wanted to get away from Planet Vegeta.
He wasn't sure if he was partially to blame for her sudden desire to try to flee after so many years of being content, maybe she wanted the element of surprise, or maybe that little pet...had something to with it.
If he did, Vegeta was not going to stop himself from hurting him this time.
But as he noticed as Bulma sat their tinkering on the pod, he realized he couldn't go day after day without her, who else would do all the things she did?
Share his bed?
Eat his vegetables?
Argue with his father?....Okay so Vegeta could do that, but watching Bulma do it was more entertaining then doing it himself...
But there was so many more reasons could think of why he wanted her to stay, but most of all he just wanted her simple presence by his side, and for the little things she did.
They made every day interesting to say the least.
Had of Vegeta known Bulma was leaving due to the knowledge of that she would be lacking such simple things in the near future, then maybe he would have said something reassuring to her, telling her nothing would ever change between them.
But for once Bulma had kept something from Vegeta...it was NOT good timing for her to go into the withdrawn stage of puberty.
Shaking his head to cleanse his mind, Vegeta regained some courage, and so informed her of his presence.
"Girl." he called from the doorway, before slowly approaching her, as both pet's head snapped to see Vegeta standing before them in all his glory.
Bulma promptly dropped the tool of her choice onto the floor bellow; it made a distinctive "Clunk" sound as it hit the surface, the only sound that filled the uncomfortable silence between master and pet.
"Umm..." Bulma started, gulping on the lump that formed in her throat without warning, it did not help she also found her lips parched, and so ran her tongue across it, moistening it with her almost non existent saliva.
She had absolutely no idea what to say to the man, she had tried to leave behind without saying good bye to, fearing such an event as this.
"Let's go home girl..." he demanded in a quiet tone, leaving no room for discussion, while his expression beckoned her to come to him.
"I...No." she almost found herself succumbing to his pleading eyes, begging her to stay, yet she knew for once she had to be brave, this wasn't the same as all the other times she had defied Vegeta.
This was the end.
He would not take it so easily...
"No?" he asked in confusion, stepping foreword once again.
When Bulma had been just a kid, when she knew she had been caught, she went quietly as if to save energy for the next escape attempt.
Did this mean there was going to be no other escape attempts?
Was this THE escape attempt?
Bulma turned to Yamcha and whispered something that sounded remotely like "finish up without me... gimme just two minutes",
Yamcha merely nodded as he returned to screwing the last panel into place.
It was a shoddy job, but it would have to do, it was all the time they had.
Bulma took a deep breath as she made her way to stand in front of Vegeta, who looked like a lost child just waiting for someone to sit down with him and explain it to him.
"I...I'm leaving Vegeta...Yamcha and myself are running away together..." she told him as she reframed her voice from catching in her throat, as she said the words, they...just seemed wrong.
Vegeta winced at that, before daring to ask "Why?" meekly, fearing the answer, but he had to know.
"I'd...prefer not to say..." was her quick excuse as tried not to seem like she was blaming him for matters that were out of his hand.
Vegeta was less than thrilled with her answer, but took a sideways glance at Yamcha as if having his own hypothesis on why she was leaving.
"Stay" he demanded, but when he noticed that she had not changed her opinion, he tried again.
"Please..." it caught in his throat, but Vegeta continued anyway "stay...you promised..." he reminded her in a pathetically sounding tone, remembering the promise that she made years ago.
"I'm...sorry Vegeta..." she replied as she hung her head in shame for breaking a promise, and so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes, it was far too painful.
Bulma wanted to say more, but the sound of the pod starting up left her no time to do so.
"I have to go..." she said as she looked at him uncertainty, as if afraid he may kill her or do something else to prevent her from leaving.
People in pain can do rash things.
Vegeta looked at her as if waiting for her to change her mind suddenly, and just fling herself into his arms...
Okay, so he knew it wasn't going to happen, but he waited for it none the less.
In one last attempt to get her to stay, Vegeta did something surprising; Vegeta took her hands in his.
Bulma looked like a deer caught in the headlights not sure if she wanted to run or not, she was unsure of what Vegeta had in mind, and that scared her.
Biting his lower lip to reframe from crying or anything else that displayed weak emotions,
Vegeta released one hand as he played with one of the metal cuffs and after a deep breath, snapped it.
Then before Bulma could respond, he snapped the other.
As the broken metal fell to the floor, the sound echoed through the large room,
Bulma did nothing but stare at the metal on the floor which had been so effortlessly been removed.
After she had got out of her immediate shock, Bulma did the only thing she could think of, she hugged him.
"I...was wondering if you'd ever take them off...Bardock has been pestering me for years to let him take them off..."
Bulma informed him as she squeezed him tight; Vegeta's shock could not have been any more obvious.
"If you could of have had it done all this time...why wait for me?" he asked knowing all to well that Bulma was one to do something as soon as it suited her, and not anyone else, and so news of her ability to have the cuffs removed, whether or not he did it, surprised Vegeta.
"It was matter of trust, Vegeta." Bulma answered simply, it was the truth, the whole reason she had not taken them off was to wait until Vegeta trusted her enough, to remove them.
Ironic how he waited until he knew she was escaping for good...
"Oh" was all her replied dumfounded as he simply let her hug him as he watched Yamcha hopped into the space pod, who was apparently watching Vegeta out of the corner of his eye.
Bulma realized that Vegeta was taking this hard, and so was she, so she gave him words of comfort in the form of an earthling saying.
"Vegeta...If you truly love someone...you have to let them go" purposely leaving off the part about them returning if they truly love you back, mainly because that would defeat the whole purpose her words.
Vegeta felt a why coming on, but he was too busy thinking of the true meaning behind Bulma's words, and why she choose them, so he reframed from speaking, almost afraid that if he spoke he may brake up the moment.
But, joy or joy...someone else was willing to do that for him...
"Bulma...we HAVE to go...NOW!" Yamcha called as he poked his head out of the pod,
the urgency of his words brought the pet and master who were sharing quite an intimate moment back to reality.
Turning from Yamcha and back to Vegeta, Bulma sighed, realizing that, this was 'it'.
Staring into Vegeta's eyes, Bulma smiled sadly as she tightened her arms around his neck, hugging him close, but kept at enough distance so she could look into his eye as she did.
"Remember Vegeta...Ai shiteru..." Bulma told him in a comforting way, her words whispered so only she and he could hear.
Vegeta could tell she didn't want Yamcha to hear, because he wasn't trying to hide the fact he was trying to hear over the low hum of the ship.
All the secrecy and the fact they were her last words to him, Vegeta could help but question their meaning.
"What does that mean?" he asked her simply, watching as she smiled tenderly as if telling a young child the meaning of a commonly spoken word.
"It means...'I love you'..." she admitted honestly as she smiled at him sweetly, tears started to fall silently.
Removing her arms from around his neck and taking the sides of Vegeta's face into her hands, pulling him forward gently, she kissed his cheek.
Gruntingly letting go of his face and walking backwards as she watched him, she noticed as his hand seeked the warm tingling feeling on the side of his face where Bulma had caressed with her innocent kiss, he touched it cautiously, but hesitantly.
She smiled before turning around and running to the pod, only craning her neck to call.
"Good bye Prince Vegeta"
Vegeta found himself unable to reply as he watched the door close behind her, as she squished into the confined space with Yamcha, sitting on his lap in the one seated vehicle.
He couldn't do anything to stop her, even if he had heart to stop her after that little goodbye, the space pod door closed, Bulma's mind obviously made up.
As the pod rose a foot of the ground, Vegeta merely watched as Bulma placed her hand on the pod window a simple gesture that was signally her goodbye.
Too caught up with his own thoughts, Vegeta could merely do nothing as the pod raised and headed out into space.
"Good bye girl" he whispered to the empty space that she had once stood in, and like ghosts,
Vegeta could remember the events of just a few moments ago; they played over and over again in his mind.
Especially those three words she had admitted twice, in two different languages no less.
'I love you'.
Had Bulma meant anything romantically about her words, or whether she was referring to deeply caring for him, he would never know now, but it meant a lot to hear them none the less.
Had she stayed to deal with the after effects of her proclamation, it would have meant a lot more to Vegeta, but it could not be helped.
Just then denial, wore off, and reality came crashing down around Vegeta in a horrible quick sharp pain of realization.
Vegeta had let her go....
He let Bulma run off to who knows where, taking a busted, probably stolen ship away from the planet, with who he believed was her to-be-mate, knowing that once she arrived at her destination, he'd never see her again.
Vegeta knew he could have forced her to stay, but what for?
To know that she would spend her days crying for her mate, pinning for the freedom she apparently wanted, knowing that in the end he would more than likely be begged to kill her, to put her out of her misery, unable to look at her while she was suffering...
he might even comply.
Such a horrible thought was nearly making his body shake in convolutions, from the impending tears that he refused to let fall.
But like always he couldn't, no wouldn't allow himself to cry, so out of over ten years of routine habit, Vegeta returned to his room.
Vegeta was unconsciously, if not consciously seeking comfort from his pet.
Even though he knew it would not be there, he still needed to make it back to his room, he needed comfort, he needed his 'pet', and since he could not have either, he could at least find privacy to cry there.
So with quicken steps, he arrived at the room he had always returned to, only to not have anyone to return to.
'She's gone, get over it!' his mind told him, he had tried to tell himself he didn't care, but although he wouldn't admit it, he did.
She wasn't his lover, not to his knowledge anyway, but she had something that no one else did, Vegeta wasn't quite sure what it was...
but she had it.
Maybe he did, maybe he had romantic feelings for the woman...why was beyond him...
Okay, she was kinda pretty...
And Intelligent...
She did match HIS temper and all...but she still obeyed him...sometimes...
Groaning Vegeta destroyed the closest object possible, a vase.
It was then that he realized despite he own delusion, he was completely in 'love' with his pet...
Gripping the wall beside him, Vegeta chocked back sobs, feeling dejected, infuriated, ashamed and worst of all...alone.
Suddenly feeling the pressure of tears now needing to fall now more than ever, Vegeta used the required support of the wall to lean on as he walked, stumbling like a man drunk with emotions.
It felt as though nothing else mattered anymore.
That's when dangerous thoughts of suicide and other depressing ideas came to mind, but like always Bulma saved him from himself.
For as Vegeta opened his bedroom door, as if by mistake, there sat his pet?
On the pillows in the corner, sitting head hung as if ashamed.
Like a ghost she sat her things beside her, it looked like wandering around in the halls for who knows how long had given her time to return.
Vegeta thought for a moment, before getting over the immediate shock before with the most embarrassing stutter, Vegeta asked more than stated.
"You...You came back?" semi successfully regaining some composer as the sentence trailed off, he came closer to her as if waiting for her to disappear like an illusion, a really taunting one at that.
But when she didn't fade, this became all too much for Vegeta to comprehend, but he couldn't loose focus, the woman was back...at least...he thought she was...
"I-I could NEVER leave my master." she said with finality, at this Vegeta did what he hadn't done since the first day he met her, he smiled, and with a strange act, he hugged her.
Surprising the girl that the prince for once had been the one to invoke the intimate gesture, Bulma gasped, just letting him hug her, too shocked to return it.
Vegeta sighed in purely europhia, and with hushed words and strained speech, he continued.
"Thank you...Bulma"
The End.
I hoped you all liked it.
I would really appreciate everyone's final thoughts of this fic.
If you don't like where it ended, I hope I pacify you with there will be a sequel further on, but first I'm working on a new fic.
If you liked this fic, stayed tuned for my newest fic coming out Friday: Identity.
A Bulma and Vegeta A/U fic like never before!
Look out for a preview of it in my profile!