AN: Oh my, I've been very bad. I never intended to take so long with this new chapter! I've really been putting it off BUT I just watched a rather romantic movie and that put me in the mood to get started again! This will be the last chapter! As a reward for your patience, it is super long…wait is that a good thing?

Thank you for all the lovely reviews. It's good to be back! Let's get right into it…..

"How would it be a surprise if she knows it's coming?" asked the blonde math teacher in her usual icy tone.

Bulma had asked Eighteen to meet her early before school started. The pair sat in the almost empty cafeteria. Very few students or teachers showed up to school this early.

"Well, Eighteen, that's just it," replied Bulma, "Chichi thinks her bachelorette party is going to be a restaurant get-together where we exchange gifts… BLAH BLAH SUPER BORING. That's not a bachelorette party, that's grandma's birthday! That's why I want to throw her a surprise party tomorrow."

"And you want to do that at my place?"

"Yeah but you won't have to do anything. My people will handle decorations, food, and cleanup. We'll tell Chichi that we're picking out bridesmaids dresses and then when she shows up all her friend's will be there! I've got all sorts of things planned…games, activities, and of course the coup de gras…." a devious grin stretched out across Bulma's face.

Eighteen eyed her suspiciously. "No…not—"

"STRIPPERS!" Bulma squealed much too loudly, causing the few people in the room to turn and stare.

Eighteen slapped her forehead. "Do you really think Chichi would be okay with that?"

"Of course! It's all in good fun."

After getting an affirmative answer from Eighteen, Bulma happily headed to the girl's locker room. Since she had time to kill she figured she'd go for a swim. Unfortunately she made the mistake of asking her mother to pack her gym bag this morning.

What the hell was she thinking? Bulma thought holding up the pink string bikini her mom had packed for her. She wore the bikini mostly to tan. It was completely inappropriate for a school setting. Bulma wasn't even sure it would hold up if she swam laps in it.

Well, I guess this is a good time to check out the faculty hot tub…

Bulma gripped her robe tightly as she made her way down the end of the hall from the girls' locker room. It was still too early for most students but she couldn't help but be cautious. Bulma reached the door and quickly punched the entrance code into the key pad Roshi had installed. 80085, Bulma rolled her eyes as she thought, that pervert.

The door opened and Bulma let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one else was in the room. She made her way to the towel rack where she removed her bath robe. Just as she reached up to hang her robe on a hook she heard the sound of the door opening behind her.

20 MINUTES EARLIER

CLINK CLANK CLINK

The sound of the weights rising and falling was all that could be heard in the dark workout room. Vegeta hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. He sat at the pec deck, his frustration increasing. The machines at school never allowed him to work with enough weight…something about students hurting themselves. He'd been visiting the gym earlier and earlier every morning due to his recent lack of sleep. He'd been plagued by dreams starring a certain blue haired woman.

He shook his head as her smiling face came to his mind. Often he'd see the image of her twirling in her idiot boyfriend's arms. It made him angry. She made her choice, he thought, deepening his scowl. Although, he knew he hadn't really given her much of a choice. So why was he so angry?

With a grunt he hopped off the pec machine and headed to the bench press, putting on as much weight as he could. It still wasn't enough. What had he been thinking going to that woman's birthday? Thank God she hadn't seen him. However, Kakkarot's harpy had probably told her of his attendance. He sped up his reps, willing his brain to think about anything else.

He'd successfully avoided her physical presence since the night of her birthday but she was still with him in a way, pestering his thoughts. With an irritated growl he threw the weight off of him. It landed a foot away from him and rolled all the way to the mirrored wall, cracking it. Vegeta sat up, his face buried in his hands.

Suddenly the lights flashed on, making Vegeta bolt upright in his seat.

"Vegeta?" Goku asked confused. He stood by the door with Krillin at his side. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"

Vegeta simply shrugged his shoulders as he grabbed his towel and wiped the sweat off his face. He meant to be out before anyone even knew he was there.

Goku moved to the discarded weight. He looked at it curiously as he picked it up and put it back where it belonged. He could tell something was up but he wasn't sure addressing it head on would do any good.

"The boys have been asking about you," said Goku, referring to the football players. "Are you gonna stick around for morning workout?"

Since football season was over Vegeta recently made the team's morning weight training optional. Surprisingly many of the boys still showed up. Vegeta did not.

"That is not necessary. They have all the supervision they need in you and the midget," responded Vegeta as he pulled himself up on a bar to do chin ups.

Krillin dropped his dumbbell, surprised by the sudden attack. He looked to Goku. "Ouch. What's his problem?"

"Geez Vegeta, you seem pretty tense lately."

Vegeta dropped down from the bar and glared at the taller man. "Is this about to turn into a therapy session?"

Goku laughed off the comment. "Nah, you just look like you need to relax, is all"

"You should check out that Jacuzzi Roshi had installed," Krillin offered. A blush drifted across his cheeks as he remembered his time in the tub with Eighteen. "Believe me it's pretty nice."

Vegeta snorted, "I'm not going anywhere near that cesspool."

He grabbed his towel and turned to leave but Goku's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Vegeta turned to make eye contact and faltered for a second when he saw the solemn look in Goku's eye.

"Vegeta," his tone was grave and an aura of seriousness emanated from him, "could you swing by the cafeteria and grab me a biscuit?"

Vegeta almost fell on his face. "Go to hell, Kakkarot!"

"Pllleeaassse Vegeta?" Goku whined as his angry colleague stomped away. "I'm hungry!"

"I'm not your woman, idiot!" with that Vegeta left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Vegeta headed to the locker room quickly. He saw some of his students out of the corner of his eye headed toward the weight room and wanted to get away before they reached talking distance. He wasn't in the mood for chit chat.

At his locker, Vegeta pulled out his gym bag in which he always kept his swim trunks just in case he felt like swimming laps. They caught his eye now and he considered what Krillin had said. A faculty hot tub was so absurd that he'd scoffed at the idea. But his muscles ached. Not from his workout but because he found himself tensing and straining them a lot lately. Finally giving in, Vegeta changed into his swim suit and headed to the Jacuzzi room.

When he reached the door he entered the code, shaking his head. He could still see the old man's giggling face telling the staff what he thought was the cleverest five digit code ever. However when Vegeta opened the door, that image was karate chopped out of his head by the sight in front of him.

Bulma was frozen with her arm still in the air, her hand gripping her robe. She was standing there, half—hell mostly—naked. Her eyes were locked onto Vegeta's as she struggled with the idea of pulling her robe back on. She wanted to so badly but something about it seemed weak, like a battle lost. He'd seen her naked before but for some reason she felt more exposed now. She was thankful for the water's bubbling sound; otherwise the pair would be standing in complete silence.

Let go of the robe, she ordered herself, Act normal!

Slowly she left the robe on its hook, choosing instead to cover her form in the water.

"Good morning," Bulma said, as coolly as she could. She stuck her foot in the tub. The temperature was so high she wanted to immediately pull it out. Instead she grit her teeth and stepped her other foot in.

Vegeta could only grumble in response as he watched her shapely form lower into the hot water. Was she moving in slow motion? Annoyed at himself, he averted his eyes. He needed to stop standing there like an idiot. Retreat was not an option, though. He would not let the woman think she could scare him away easily.

Bulma looked down at her mostly submerged body. He must think I'm such a bimbo.

She didn't look up until she heard the light splashing sound of Vegeta entering the other side of the tub. He was actually very far from her because it wasn't so much a hot tub as it was a hot, bubbling pool.

She was looking at him. What does she want? he thought to himself. He found himself struggling. Should he say something? Why? Vegeta threw his head back, closing his eyes. The point was to ease his tense muscles right? He focused on his breathing and pushed aside all thoughts. His body was so clenched. It didn't want to let go.

A murmur made Vegeta dart his head up. Did the woman just say something? He thought he heard her voice float across the bubbles. She started making her way across the pool, over to him. Uh oh, was all he could think. He couldn't take his eyes off her breasts as they parted the water like Moses and headed toward him.

"Vegeta?" Bulma's face was concerned. "Are you okay?"

Now right in front of him, Bulma reached out. Vegeta quickly avoided her touch.

"What? I'm fine. Why?" he sounded a little more startled than he would've liked but Vegeta was focused on steadying his heartbeat not his voice.

"I thought maybe the heat made you pass out. You didn't respond for a second. Even now your face is a little red."

Vegeta unconsciously grabbed his face, his eyes widening in what Bulma thought might be shock. She'd never seen him like this before. He turned his back to her. Just by looking at his muscles Bulma could tell they were overwrought with tension.

What the hell is happening to me? Vegeta thought. He'd never had so much trouble controlling his body. Was he blushing? No, it's the heat from the water.

A soft touch at the base of his neck pulled Vegeta out of his thoughts. Bulma pressed her thumbs in a circular motion just under his shoulder blades. His shoulder's seemed to drop 5 inches, instantly. Was the woman some sort of witch doctor?

"There, see? That's better isn't it?" said Bulma, gently in his ear.

Her hands felt good—too good. He needed to get a grip.

Vegeta moved away from her. "You shouldn't touch things that don't belong to you."

"Is that a challenge?"

Bulma's comment made Vegeta turn and look at her, bewildered. Before he could respond she moved toward him with her hands extended. The water slowed her movement making her look zombie-like. He half expected her to start grumbling about brains. The intensity in her eyes was unnerving. Vegeta backed away as she kept coming closer. Eventually, this turned into a full-fledged chase. They were practically swimming laps in the tub.

After a moment Vegeta realized the sound of her splashing behind him had ceased. He turned only to see she wasn't behind him or even in the room for that matter. He squinted to look down, below the surface of the water but the bubbles obstructed his vision.

"RRRAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH" Bulma let out a battle cry from behind Vegeta as she rose out of the water like a shark attacking a large fish. She threw her arms around his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist. She clung to him tightly, mostly because being under the hot water for that long had made her dizzy.

Vegeta thrashed about, trying to shake off the woman but she had really latched on. She started yelling, "I'm touching you! I'm touching you! I'm touching you!"

He stopped moving, finally deciding on a different tactic. Vegeta filled his lungs with air and dunked under the water. About thirty seconds later Bulma shot out of the water, gasping for air. Soon after, Vegeta slowly poked out of the water, stopping just under his nose, and eyed her suspiciously.

"I won't do anything else! I promise." Bulma started to laugh, "That was really fun! Do you feel a little loosened up?"

Vegeta rubbed the back of his neck. Surprisingly enough, he did feel better.

"Here," Bulma said as she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. She placed him in front of one of the jacuzzi's jets. "That outta feel nice. You should really try to relax…you know you're the only person I know who's tense in a hot tub…"

"I was fine until you started harassing me."

Bulma let out a sigh because she knew where this conversation headed. She'd give a heated response, then he would argue back and so on until both of them we're too pissed to continue. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It was nice talking to you again."

She lingered there a moment, making Vegeta aware of every part of her—her soft skin, her chest pressed against his, her intoxicating scent… then she simply moved away and exited the pool.

Bulma started lecturing that day only to find that she wasn't feeling it. Her mind was too distracted and since the day's lesson plan wasn't particularly exciting it was hard for her to focus. Archimides' and Bernoulli's principles couldn't quite compete with thoughts of Vegeta or ideas for Chichi's bachelorette party (when she wasn't thinking about one she was generally thinking about the other). She could tell the students weren't into it either. Bulma let out a sigh and put down her dry erase marker.

"Are you guys even paying attention?" she asked pulling most of her students out of a trance. No one was brave enough to say a word for fear they would be punished.

Bulma continued, "Who am I kidding? I'm the one talking and I'm barely paying attention." Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "How about we put some of these principles to the test?"

She grabbed a box and started throwing supplies into it. "Gather your things!" Once she collected everything she'd need, she headed to the door. "Follow me, everyone."

As they walked down the hall, other classrooms stared curiously at the parade of students passing by. Bulma led them outside to one of the open stretches of grass behind the school.

"Alright," Bulma said, throwing the box in front of her students, "in there you will find paper, scissors, tape, and other various things that might be useful to you. Keeping in mind the principles we've been discussing in class, I want you to construct the perfect paper airplane. I'll give you guys 20 minutes and then we'll test them out. I'll give bonus points to the owner of the plane that flies the farthest and the highest."

As her students excitedly started working, Bulma sat in the grass and let the sun warm her skin. Every now and then a student would run up to her with a question but mostly she just sat back and watched. She giggled as she watched them eagerly try new things. The joy she felt now was exactly why she started teaching. With everything that had been going on in her life recently it was nice to be reminded of that.

She had the class line up and throw their planes one by one. They laughed as some of them crashed immediately and cheered as others flew farther than expected. All the noise had carried into the classrooms at the back of the school. Students peered through the window at them, envious.

"Sit down! What are you doing?" Vegeta barked at his students who were pressing their noses against the window. They reluctantly complied. "What could possibly be going on out there that's so—" Vegeta stopped as he saw the students outside with their science teacher. He paused as he remembered her arms around his neck and the feel of her lips.

Vegeta growled, shaking that away. Fueled by anger, his most easily accessed emotion; he opened the window and yelled, "Are you enjoying disrupting my class or were you too stupid to even notice?"

Bulma's head snapped toward where the yelling had come from, although she didn't need visual confirmation to know who it was coming from. The best thing for her to do in this situation would be to apologize and move on but she wasn't sure she was a big enough person to take the high road. Besides, how dare he yell at her like that in front of her students?

"Don't yell at me!" she shouted back, "It's not my fault you're too boring to hold their attention!"

"Ooooo burn" called one of Bulma's students from behind her.

Vegeta wanted nothing more than to climb out the window and…well he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do with the woman. He was still having trouble sorting things out in his head. The least he could do was have the last word.

"That's just the type of response I'd expect from an overgrown spoiled brat like you!" Vegeta slammed his window shut and forcefully closed the blinds. His students stared at him in shock. They knew he was mean but not that mean.

"What are you looking at? BACK TO WORK!" Vegeta's stomach was surprisingly unsettled after that. It couldn't be that he felt guilty?

Bulma was fuming over Vegeta's comments but instead of retreating Bulma continued her lesson plan throughout the day and kept her class perfectly positioned outside his window. She hoped he would stick his face out the window again…so she could punch it

After a short inner debate Bulma headed to the faculty lounge for lunch. She was considering eating lunch in her own classroom to avoid another run in with Vegeta. But then she decided that would only make him feel more self-important. I'm starting to forget why I even fell in love with him, she thought as she opened the door. He's only given me reasons to hate him.

All this time had passed and she still had no idea what was going on in his head. She thought for a bit that she could figure him out but recently he was becoming more and more unpredictable. It made her so mad!

Just as she suspected, he was there sitting next to Goku. She seated herself across from him, next to Chichi and made sure to give him her fiercest glare.

"There you are!" Chichi said, "I want you to try these dumplings I made. It's a new recipe!"

"Mmm those look good!" Bulma thought for a moment and directed the next bit at Vegeta. "I feel bad taking some of your food though. Are you sure it wouldn't be too BRATTY of me?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her.

Chichi looked back and forth between the two of them, confused. "Um... I really don't mind."

Bulma accepted the dumpling, keeping her gaze on Vegeta. Chichi looked over at Goku, hoping he'd have some sort of solution for the uneasiness in the room. Goku simply shrugged, preferring to give his attention to the plate in front of him.

Finally Chichi spoke. "You know, Bulma, people are still talking about how awesome your party was."

Bulma snapped away from the staring contest she seemed to be having with Vegeta. "Really? Well, I guess I did go all out this year…"

"You got a lot of presents too!" said Goku, joining in. "Anything good?"

"Yeah! Which was your favorite?" added Chichi, grateful the darkness in the room had finally lifted.

Bulma grinned. They'd just given her a vehicle to exact a very small bit of revenge on Vegeta. "Well, I got this limited edition teddy bear. It was super sweet."

She noticed that Vegeta had stopped looking at her. The corner of his mouth gave a slight twitch.

"Who gave you that?" Chichi asked.

"There wasn't a card but I'm pretty sure it was my dad."

Bulma's smile broadened as Vegeta choked on his food. If she knew anything about him it was that he had a huge ego and that he was extremely proud. She knew he'd want to take credit for buying the best present. However, by admitting he'd bought the present he'd also be admitting that he did something so considerate for Bulma. So even though it was killing him not to loudly proclaim his greatness, his pride simply wouldn't allow him to speak up.

As she watched him squirm she felt the soft spot in her heart—the spot with his name on it—warm up again. He actually looked kind of adorable.

"Chichi, hurry up!" Bulma called to her friend. They'd arrived at Eighteen's apartment and she was having a hard time containing her excitement.

"I'm coming!" Chichi hollered back, "I'm just grabbing my catalogues." She was still under the impression that they would be picking out bridesmaids dresses.

"Shouldn't you knock?" Chichi asked when she reached the door and saw that Bulma's hand was already on the knob.

"Huh? No! She said she'd leave it open…." Bulma pushed the door open and gestured Chichi to enter first.

"SURPRISE BITCH!" the whole room shouted at her. One of her bridesmaids ran up and shoved some sort of tiara on her head.

Chichi look around bewildered. The room was filled with all her favorite girl friends. Streamers and banners were plastered all over the wall with naughty pictures of nude men. In the center of the room a phallic piñata hung from the ceiling. "What…is going on?"

"It's your bachelorette extravaganza, silly!" Bulma squealed nudging her friend further into the room.

Chichi touched the crown on her head. It had a white veil and springs all over it, at the end of which little plastic things were attached. "What's on here?" she asked, pulling the tiara off to take a closer look. "Oh! It's just penises." She flicked them with her index finger, making them bounce around, before putting the crown back on her head.

Chichi held her hands to her chest as if her heart was about to jump out it. "You're all here? For me?"

"Of course! And that's not all. Do you want a cookie?" Bulma asked. She didn't really wait for a response. "COOKIES!"

"Coming!" a soft voice floated into the room from the kitchen.

When they turned to look, a tall woman with long, luxurious dark blue hair stood in the doorway with a tray of penis shaped cookies.

Bulma turned to Chichi, a bit embarrassed. "I may have taken the penis thing a bit too far…"

Chichi wasn't listening. "Launch?" her eyes were welling up with tears at the sight of her childhood friend. Eighteen, who had been standing nearby, grabbed the tray of cookies just before the women embraced.

"How? What are you doing here?"

"Well, Bulma gave me a call," Launch answered, retying the red ribbon in her hair which had come loose. "and I figured, Tien would be just fine if I left for a few days.

Launch grew up in Fire Mount City with Chichi. The pair had been inseparable ever since they met, mostly because Chichi was the only person strong enough the stay by Launch's side. She suffered from a very rare disorder that tended to push most prospective friends away from her. When the time came for college, the pair happily moved to West City together where each girl hoped to build her perfect life. About a year ago, scandal had forced Launch to move away.

The hustle and bustle of West City had only served to worsen Launch's condition. Eventually her blonde alter ego's rampages had become known all around town. Before she knew it, she'd become somewhat of a celebrity with the media hounding her every move. Despite all the trouble, Chichi vigorously defended her friend. When they met Bulma, she also protected Launch, using her family's influence in any way she could.

In order to keep Launch out of a prison or a maximum security hospital, Bulma connected her to a well-respected psychologist, Tien Shinhan. What she hadn't anticipated was that the two would fall in love. When their affair leaked to the media, Tien's reputation was ruined. It was then he decided that it would be best for them to relocate. He loved her more than his career, so as long as they could be together he could care less about what others thought of him. So the two of them moved to the countryside where Tien opened up a care center for patients whose disorder's made it so they couldn't live alone. Launch happily assisted him, considering each of them a member of her new family. One such patient was named Chiaotzu. A trauma had caused him to regress into a permanent state of childhood. He loved Launch and Tien like they were his mother and father.

After quickly catching up, the ladies sat Chichi down to decorate the cookies. The women laughed as they made goofy designs with icing. Bulma decided to turn hers into eyes and a nose. They played a quiz game as Bulma's staff of caterers served them cocktails. By her second cocktail, Chichi had already started revealing some of her and Goku's bedroom secrets. They ate; they drank, giggling the whole time.

"I think its piñata time!" Bulma grabbed Chichi and blindfolded her. Everyone gathered around her. The group counted as Bulma spun her around. Eighteen handed her a bat. When they released her, Chichi's dizziness led her toward one of her friends who had to duck as the bat came flying towards her head. Launch took her by the shoulders and gently herded her in the right direction. The second swing was a miss but the third hit the nail on the head (literally). The tip of the piñata ripped and penis lollipops fell out onto the floor. The women cheered as they grabbed some candy.

Bulma watched and said, mostly to herself, "Yeah, I definitely went too far with the penis theme."

Next up was presents. Chichi found herself blushing often at the gifts. She received quite a bit of lingerie as well as some gag gifts like fuzzy hand cuffs. Eighteen played it safe with a big collage picture frame. Bulma handed her gift to Chichi.

"Bulma! You didn't have to get me anything, especially after throwing me such a nice party!"

"Don't worry," said Bulma with a sly grin, "it's kind of more of a gift for Goku anyway."

Chichi ripped the paper, only to explode into embarrassed giggles when she saw what it was. She held it up to show it off to the group. "Edible underwear!"

Just then there was a knock at the door. Bulma quickly had the caterers bring out another round of cocktails for everyone, effectively distracting them while she went to get the door. She opened it but she didn't see anyone.

"Ahem," the sound came from below. She looked down to see a white cat standing before her with a wooden cane. "Is this Miss Chichi's party?"

"Yes," Bulma responded cautiously, "wait…you're not—"

"No, of course not! The name's Korin and I am part owner of KittyPig Entertainment. Your entertainment is on its way."

From behind him a giant cake that was almost taller than Bulma rolled into view. It was being pushed by a little pig man and another creature that Bulma thought was probably a cat.

"When I read it in the directory, I didn't think the name was literal…" Bulma said to the old cat.

"I get that a lot."

"The dancer isn't…you know…a"

"No, no," responded Korin, "He's all man." He allowed Bulma to let out a sigh of relief.

"Move it or lose it, lady," grunted the pig.

The kitty on the other side looked mortified. "Oolong, don't be rude to the customers!" She turned to Bulma. "I'm sorry ma'am."

Bulma moved out of the way and allowed them into the house with their giant "cake".

"Holy crap! That's a big cake!" It was clear from the sound of her voice that the cocktails were starting to take their effect on Chichi.

Perfect! Bulma thought, She'll be good and loosened up for the surprise!

"Hello, everyone!" said the cat in her high pitched voice. "My name is Puar! Where is our lucky bachelorette?"

Eighteen nudged Chichi, who stepped over to the cake.

"Wooowww! What a beautiful lady! We'll let you do the honors and cut the cake!" Puar handed Chichi a cake knife and stepped back. From the other side of the room, Oolong pressed play on a boom box and Puar called out, "I just hope you don't mind that it's BEEFCAKE!"

Confused Chichi moved closer to the cake but just before she could cut it the top tier popped off. Confetti shot out, catching Chichi off guard, causing her to yelp and fall back into the crowd of ladies behind her. Out the cake they saw a long mane of black hair rise up. The man turned his head slightly and gave them a wink. Chichi watched, mortified as slowly he turned to face them all. He moved to climb out of the cake only to meet some resistance.

Bulma slapped her forehead as the man's giant gut had trapped him inside the cake. All the women looked at her. Was this some kind of joke? The stripper was…so fat.

"Dammit Yajirobe!" shouted the pig. "I told you to test it out before show time!"

Bulma turned angrily to Korin who held his hands up and attempted to appease her. "Don't worry! It's just a minor setback." He hollered at Puar, "GET THE OIL!"

Puar and Oolong ran over to the cake, each with a bottle of oil in their hands. Yajirobe, being a fairly haughty man, tried to make the best out of the situation. "Aww yeah ladies! It's about to get real sexy up in here."

As they poured the oil on him, Yajirobe slathered himself with it. As he rubbed his gut his gelatinous figure jiggled before them. Many of the women let out cries of agony. He then shook his shoulders back and forth, making Eighteen dry heave as his man boobs wobbled about. When he was freed from the cake, everyone was pleased to see he was not naked but that he was instead wearing a loin cloth, similar to one a sumo wrestler might wear.

"There we go! Now who wants to be the first to get a piece of this?" Yajirobe said in what he considered to be his sexy voice. He stuck his rump out to the ladies.

"Please stop!" they cried, covering their eyes.

Yajirobe looked at their horror, completely baffled. How could they not be enjoying this? His face turned beet red. In order to cover his shame, he crossed his arms and turned his snub nose up at them. "Oh I get it! You ladies just can't handle such a large bundle of sexiness…you're just like the rest of them."

The room was silent. The women could tell they'd made him feel bad. They looked at each other guiltily. Bulma felt the worst. She never intended for the party to take such a turn. She put her hand on Chichi's shoulder. "Chi, I'm so sor—"

"Alright then fatty," Chichi said after a moment, "are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna shake it?"

Yajirobe didn't turn around. Bulma started a slow, rhythmic clap. The other ladies soon joined in and the tempo picked up. They began to chant. "Shake it! Shake it! SHAKE IT! SHAKE IT!"

As the chanting got louder and faster, Yajirobe started moving his massive behind from one side to the other. When he turned around, Oolong restarted his music and he sprang full on into his routine. The women cheered, supporting him. Chichi even stood up and started dancing with him. As the other women joined in on the dancing Yajirobe stood himself up on the coffee table. He did a few booty pops, followed by some high kicks. No one had cleared the table of course so silverware and food started flying everywhere. He punted the salt and pepper shakers, sending flecks of the seasonings into the air. It lingered for a bit floating just under one of the women's noses as she danced, Launch.

"AAAAHHH-CHOOOO!"

Krillin sat at a table watching Goku stuff bar food down his face. He swigged his beer and thought, I'm such a failure.

Bulma had informed him only just recently that she intended to have Chichi's surprise bachelorette party. She told him it would be wise for him to throw Goku's party as well. He'd never thrown a bachelor party before so he figured he'd do what they did in countless movies.

"Want a dance?" asked a very tall Amazonian looking woman to Vegeta. He dismissed her by looking away and guzzling his beer.

Krillin watched the exchange. He couldn't believe he'd actually managed to get Vegeta here. He glanced over at the stage where Roshi was waving bills at a lady swinging on a pole. It was pretty easy to get him to come out. Roshi had dragged Piccolo over to the stage with him. A purple color graced his cheeks as he bashfully tried to avert his eyes from what was before him. Yamcha sat on his other side. He very happily accepted a lap dance from the woman who had been offering them. Krillin slapped his forehead. What a motley crew.

He considered getting Goku a lap dance but Chichi's angry face kept appearing in his mind. He knew he'd be in for it when Chichi found out that he brought Goku to a strip club. Krillin would definitely be dead if she found out he'd gotten him a lap dance on top of that.

Vegeta angrily watched Yamcha's lap dance. He flicked his bottle cap at him, bouncing it off the side of his head.

"What's the big idea?" Yamcha yelled grasping the now red spot on his head. He handed the stripper some money and said, "Thanks babe" before going over to confront Vegeta.

Vegeta rose to meet him. "Maybe I should be asking you that, you sleazy bastard."

"What are you talking about dude? This is a strip club! People get dances at a strip club! If you're so offended why did you come?"

"I'm sure that excuse will make perfect sense when you have to explain to your woman why you're covered in body glitter." Vegeta was seething. He'd seen Bulma's face after Yamcha had hurt her and he couldn't bear to see it again.

That threw Yamcha off. "My what? Who're you…oh Bulma? Woah man, she's not my 'woman'." Yamcha watched as Vegeta swallowed that bit of information. He seemed thoroughly taken aback. At that point, something clicked in his head. "Wait a minute…are you into her?"

Vegeta didn't bother answering. He simply sat back down again, taking another gulp of his beer. When Yamcha didn't move away, Vegeta finally spoke. "Get out of the way, idiot. You're blocking the boobs."

Yamcha moved out of his line of sight but made sure to put his chair right next to Vegeta's. "So you like Bulma, huh."

Vegeta growled, continuing to ignore him.

"Man, I had a feeling," Yamcha resumed. "Can't say I like it but I guess I don't have a say anymore."

"Will you shut up?"

Yamcha couldn't help but laugh. In a weird way, it seemed like Bulma and Vegeta were meant for each other all along.

Krillin put his hand on Goku's shoulder after ordering him another round of buffalo wings. "I'm sorry, man. This bachelor party isn't very good, is it? I'm the worst best man ever."

Goku looked up, his face splattered with buffalo sauce. "What are you talking about, man? These are the best wings I've had in my life! I'll have to bring Chichi here next time!"

Krillin shook his head and laughed at his best friend. Not even the filthiest places in the world could stain his purity.

"I'm so sorry again!" Bulma said bowing in apology.

Poor Yajirobe was now covered in bruises. Unfortunately, Launch had had another episode and her vicious alter ego had taken out all her violence on the plump stripper. Luckily, Eighteen and Chichi were able to apprehend her while Bulma held some pepper under her nose to set her straight.

"Hopefully this will cover any sort of mental or physical damage." Bulma handed him a wad of cash that was twice their agreed upon price.

"He'll recover," said Oolong his eyes glistening as he accepted the money. "You know, you've got a nice tush. Give me call if you ever want to join the company. We're always hiring." He handed her his card, which she promptly crumpled up and threw aside.

Once they left, Launch regained consciousness. "Where'd the stripper go?" she asked genuinely confused.

Bulma laughed and Chichi hugged her. "I missed you so much."

Launch was unpredictable and kind of dangerous but they couldn't help but love her.

After the evening winded down, some of the guests went home. The women actually did end up picking bridesmaid's dresses from one of Chichi's catalogues.

Chichi kicked her feet up and leaned back into the couch. "Bulma, this was awesome! Someday I hope I can return the favor."

Bulma nodded, her smile fading a bit. A sinking feeling had started in her chest. Chichi noticed of course and reached out to her.

"Don't look like that! It'll definitely happen for you."

Launch touched her other shoulder. "That's not the Bulma I know. C'mon, you're one of the strongest, most beautiful women I've ever met! You can have any guy you want!"

"Not quite," Bulma sighed.

"What d'ya mean?" asked Launch. She was completely out of the loop.

"It's not a big deal," Bulma tried to minimize the situation. She didn't want to spoil the evening with her problems. She tried to smile and joked, "For the first time in my life, I want something I can't have."

"Be patient."

Bulma, Chichi, and Launch looked up. Eighteen had been quiet for a while so when she finally spoke, her voice had surprised them all.

"It's not so easy for some people. Sometimes it takes time for them to wake up and realize," said Eighteen.

Bulma beamed at her. Her tone had sparked something inside her. She didn't know why but she was glad.

Bulma slipped on her white heels and inspected her appearance in the mirror. She looked pretty good in her bridesmaid's dress. It was a black A-line dress with a white ribbon just above the waist. The skirt of it landed just above her knee. Once she was satisfied with the way she looked, Bulma headed to Capsule Corp's indoor garden.

She was pleased to see that the altar construction was finished and most of the chairs were already set up. The wedding planner updated her on the status of food and decorations for the reception as she walked out of the garden, down the hall, and into the living room.

"Sounds good!" Bulma said, dismissing her. "Now time to check in with Chichi."

Just as she headed for the stairs a very loud snore stopped her. She hadn't noticed before but Goku had been sleeping on the couch the entire time. Bulma shook her head in disbelief.

"Goku!" she shouted. When he didn't stir, she shook him. "Wake up, Goku! You need to get ready!"

"Hnn wha? Is it time for breakfast?"

"No dummy, it's time to get dressed, you know, for your WEDDING! I can't believe you could sleep at a time like this."

"Sorry," Goku said scratching the back of his head. "I haven't been sleeping well. Chichi kept calling me last night. I guess she's kinda nervous about today."

Despite living at different locations, the two generally spent the nights together. However, for the past week, Chichi insisted that they sleep apart in order to make their wedding night all the more special. That, of course, didn't stop her from calling him every hour with her concerns.

"Well go on now! Shoo!" Bulma nudged him. "I'll have some food sent to your room, okay."

Goku happily complied, heading to one of Capsule Corp's many guestrooms.

"Oh! And Goku," Bulma called, stopping him, "try and do something about your hair."

Bulma had made sure to send Goku to a guestroom in a wing that was far away from the room Chichi was getting ready in. It was a precaution she knew she had to take, lest he simply waltz in to see Chichi before the ceremony. Goku really didn't know much of superstitions.

Chichi was surrounded by a team of stylists—one working on her hair, another on her makeup, a third on her nails, and a fourth was fidgeting with her dress. Bulma had no idea how they weren't tripping over each other.

On the other side of the room, Eighteen sat in a chair fiddling with her tiny bouquet, while Launch adjusted her hair in the mirror.

"How's our beautiful bride doing?" Bulma asked.

"I feel like a parade float," Chichi barely moved her lips when she answered as they were currently having lipstick painted on them.

Bulma shooed the stylists aside. "Let's take a break, huh?" She handed Chichi a bottle of water with a straw in it. "You look gorgeous."

Chichi really did look beautiful. Her ball gown style wedding dress was a pure ivory color. The top was heart shaped and a black sash wrapped around her midsection, tying into a bow in the back. Her hair had been curled, styled into an up-do, and embellished with a small white flower.

The men didn't take long to get ready. They stood by in the living room, waiting for the bridesmaids to come down. The guests shuffled in. Ushers led them to the garden where they started taking their seats.

Goku, now dressed in a black tuxedo, fiddled with his white bowtie. He'd untied it and was struggling to retie it.

"Why did you untie it?" Krillin asked.

"It was really tight! I felt like I was choking."

Krillin gestured for him to kneel down. "This is what a best man is for," he said, shaking his head.

It was at this point Krillin remembered that his bowtie had come pre-tied. He fumbled with it until it gained some semblance of a bow. When he stood back, he could see that it was crooked and not quite right.

"Crap…sorry Goku. I guess I'm not that good at tying bowties," admitted Krillin. He looked to Yamcha, who simply shrugged. His bowtie was a clip on.

"Stand aside." Vegeta stepped forward. He undid Krillin's sloppy knot and easily tied it the proper way. Krillin watched closely, memorizing the steps.

Goku smiled. "Thanks man!"

The wedding planner entered the room. "Alright, everyone's here. The ceremony's about to start so Mr. Son you can head to the altar now."

Goku nodded and turned to his friends. "Well, here we go!"

"Wow…I can't believe it," Krillin said, grasping Goku's hand. "The next time we talk you'll be a married man."

Goku gave Krillin's hand a shake. He chuckled, "Haha I guess you're right."

He gave a nod to Vegeta, who returned it. Yamcha, as well as a few others patted Goku on the back as he stepped out of the room.

Eighteen and Launch had joined the men. Krillin was still staring at the door from which Goku had just exited. "That Goku, he's as cool as ever…"

Bulma entered the room just as the wedding planner started pairing them up to walk down the aisle.

"Alright let's see here. You and you," she said pointing to two of Chichi's cousin's, who were a groomsman and a bridesmaid respectively, "come stand here. You'll be stepping out first."

She put another pair together before placing Launch and Yamcha together behind them. Then she paired Vegeta with Eighteen.

"And last to enter before the bride will be the best man and the maid of honor," she stated, placing Krillin and Bulma into position. "Is the bride on her way?"

"She should be," said Eighteen, looking over to the stairs.

The group waited, all looking at the stairs expectantly. She didn't come.

"Where is she?" One of Chichi's cousins asked.

"She must not have realized we were starting," assumed Bulma. "I bet she's still sitting in the room. I'll go get her."

When Bulma got to the room Chichi was nowhere in sight. The only ones in the room were the stylists who were packing up their things.

Bulma questioned them. "Where'd Chichi go?"

"She left," the makeup artist answered. "The ceremonies starting so she headed down."

What? Bulma thought. Chichi would have walked past her if she was heading down to the ceremony. Where did she go?

Bulma walked down the hall, peeking into rooms as she past them. She was met by Eighteen and Launch who were wondering what was taking so long.

"I don't know where she is!" Bulma told them her voice bordering on panic.

Eighteen wondered aloud, "You don't think she ran…do you?"

"No!" Bulma responded. "There's no way! She's wanted this for so long. Let's just keep looking. I'm sure there's an explanation for this!"

The three women bolted down the hall, looking everywhere they could think. Bulma checked a room: nothing. Another room: nada. The hallway closet: zilch.

"I FOUND HER!" Launch's voice echoed down the corridor. Bulma and Eighteen rushed over. Launch was standing outside the bathroom.

"Chichi?" Bulma called, pressing her ear against the door.

"Yeah.." Chichi's voice was wrought with anxiety.

"What's going on hon? Can we come in?"

In answer, Chichi opened the door for them. As they entered, they saw her standing slightly hunched over, her expression filled with anguish. Her eyes were brimming with impending tears that threatened to fall and ruin her makeup.

Bulma rushed to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Chichi what's going on? Are you okay?

Chichi shook her head. "I…" she winced, unable to continue.

"You can tell us dear," said Launch stepping forward. Eighteen joined on the other side.

"I... I HAVE TO PEE SO BAD!"

Eighteen braced herself on the sink to keep from falling over. "What? Then do it…"

"I tried but I can't figure out how to...my dress is so big, I'm scared I'll pee on it. Then I thought maybe I could hold it through the ceremony but there's no way! I'm about to bust!"

The other women looked at each other. They knew what to do.

"Don't cry," Bulma said warningly. She knew there would be no time to adjust her make up after this. She looked into Chichi's eyes with intensity. "This is what bridesmaids are for."

They each grabbed a section of her dress. Bulma got the front, Launch the side, and Eighteen held on to the train.

"Don't look," Chichi said sheepishly.

Once Chichi had finished her business, they straightened out her dress and finally headed downstairs. The wedding planner looked like she had almost had a heart attack but she was relieved the ceremony could finally begin.

The band struck up the music and they began their march. As the first pair came out they saw that that everyone who had been seated had turned around in their chairs with concerned faces. Upon seeing the procession they looked relieved.

"I never really liked these things," Eighteen muttered to Vegeta as they walked slowly down the aisle. "I always thought they were kind of silly but I guess I'm happy for Goku and Chichi."

Vegeta only offered a "Hn" in response.

"I guess I could see myself doing this," she thought aloud in her usual cool tone. "It'd be much smaller of course…"

Vegeta gave a snort.

"Oh come on, I'm sure you've imagined your wedding at least once."

"Please…You're talking to a man, not a teenaged girl."

Eighteen sighed, "You remind me of someone, you know."

"Really," Vegeta responded in faux interest.

"Yeah, she closed herself off from the world because she thought she didn't need anyone. She figured other people would just slow her down—make her weak or… hurt her. But she's changed now." Eighteen said thoughtfully.

"What happened?"

Eighteen responded rather matter-of-factly, "She found someone to care about—someone who loves her no matter how cold or mean she appears to be." She couldn't stop the blush from creeping onto her cheeks.

"What d'ya think their talking about?" Krillin whispered to Bulma. They were walking a few feet behind.

Bulma shrugged. "I don't know. They're quite the pair aren't they?"

"Don't say that!"

"Oh sorry, Krillin. I don't mean it like that… They're just kind of alike in a way, you know? They're both tough and hardened somehow."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Krillin admitted. "Eighteen was a hard shell to crack but she's actually really warm and good inside. I think I just got lucky."

Bulma smiled, "She was lucky too." Krillin didn't understand so she elaborated. "No one would have gotten to know that side of her if it wasn't for you. I don't know how you did it."

Krillin shrugged. "I'm not quite sure either. Once I stopped trying so hard, it just kinda happened. I guess sometimes you just have to say 'screw it' and see what happens."

They separated once they reached the altar. Krillin took his spot by Goku and Bulma moved next to where Chichi would stand once she got there. She gave Goku a wink.

"Oh yeah, Bulma!" Goku said as if he just realized something. He pointed to his hair. "I tried to do something with my hair but it just keeps sticking back up. Sorry!"

Bulma's eyes widened. Some ill-contained giggles could be heard from the crowd. She spoke back at him through clenched teeth, "That's alright, Goku… how bout you just focus, huh?"

"Yeah okay!" Just then Goku's attention moved to the end of the aisle, where Chichi had finally appeared arm in arm with her father, Ox King. The bridal march began and she glided down the aisle serenely. She captivated the entire room but mostly Goku.

Just seeing her friend, Bulma could already feel tears welling up in her eyes. If she was like this now she knew she'd be done for once they actually started.

Chichi reached the altar and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. The minister began, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

Bulma glanced at the faces in the crowd. She could see that she wasn't the only one feeling emotional. She spotted their boss, Roshi openly weeping. Piccolo patted him on the back, consoling him but mostly trying to keep him quiet. She wondered if Roshi was actually moved by the ceremony or if he was just sad a hot ticket like Chichi was officially off the market. That kind of thinking wasn't beyond him.

"Chichi," the minister said, "do you take Goku to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

She answered breathlessly, "I do."

"And Goku, do you take Chichi to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"Yup!" he said beaming, making the crowd chuckle. "I mean, I do."

"May we have the rings?"

Krillin and Bulma both stepped forward and handed them off.

"Repeat after me," the minister said first to Chichi, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," she echoed.

"Now you, Goku."

Bulma's eyes briefly met Vegeta's. Her face suddenly felt hot so she looked away, afraid that she'd started blushing.

"With this ring, I thee wed," recited Goku.

The minister happily chimed back in, "Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife! You may kiss the bride!"

The audience erupted into cheers and applause as Goku pulled Chichi in for a kiss. At this point Bulma stopped fighting her tears, happily letting them fall. Goku lifted Chichi and spun her around. They then turned away from the altar and ran down the aisle as the crowd happily threw flower petals at them.

The crowd moved to one of Capsule Corp's parlors for the reception. Goku and Chichi were seated in a loveseat with their own special table for dinner. Chichi playfully fed her husband. Every now and then someone would clink their wine glass and the lovers would oblige with a kiss. Bulma sat next to her father who was chatting with Chichi's dad.

"Thanks again for letting us borrow Capsule Corp, Briefs!" The much larger man patted Mr. Briefs on the back. He almost spat up his food.

He recovered quickly. "We were glad to do it, Ox. Chichi and Goku are practically part of the family."

Bulma scoped the room. The band had started playing and people were cheerfully dancing. She was pleased to see that everyone was having a good time. It was then that she noticed Vegeta, heading toward the exit. She followed him.

The hallway outside the parlor was lined with chairs that had been placed there in case extras were needed. Vegeta sat in one and leaned back with his head on the wall behind. Bulma poked her head out to look at him. She wondered what he was thinking about.

The sound of heels clicking down the hall made Vegeta finally look up. When he saw Bulma standing there alone, he returned to his former position. There was silence between them.

Bulma finally spoke up, "You look pretty good in your monkey suit."

He didn't respond. Bulma moved closer, sitting in the chair beside him. "It was really beautiful, wasn't it?" Bulma continued, "Seeing them together like that?"

"We see them together almost every day," Vegeta scoffed. "What's the difference?"

Bulma sighed, "I guess your right but I just thought they looked extra lovely today."

Seeing the wistful look in her eye, Vegeta stood. He started to walk back into the reception when Bulma's voice stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta" the twinge of melancholy in her voice made him want to turn but he stayed put.

She stood and went on, "I'm not sure when or how it happened but I…I guess I fell in love with you. I assumed you would feel something for me too so I probably pushed you into situations that maybe you weren't quite comfortable with. Somewhere in my heart I thought maybe I could teach you to love me—I know, it's silly—I see now that that was a mistake…you can't force someone into something like that, so I'm truly sorry."

Vegeta still hadn't budged. Bulma's heart fell a little but she knew this was for the best. "I promise I'll leave you alone from now on, okay? I swear. Hopefully, one day we can be friends but for now you can live your life Bulma-free."

Bulma sighed. Having said what she needed to say, she could return to the parlor. As she walked past Vegeta, he grabbed her wrist making her jump. She looked at him. To her surprise the corner of his lip had curled to form his signature smirk.

"Don't tell me what to do, woman," he said, pulling Bulma to him. Before she could say a word he brought his lips to hers. Bulma felt like her heart was exploding. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kiss.

"Bulma, hurry! They're gonna—oh oops…" Launch stumbled upon the scene. She came to tell Bulma that Chichi was about to throw the bouquet.

Bulma pulled away from Vegeta. She was pleased that he hadn't abruptly ended their kiss just because someone had seen them. He was still smirking at her. She smiled back, answering Launch.

"We're coming." Bulma took his hand and led him back into the parlor.

Vegeta sat nearby as Bulma joined the women who had collected to catch the bouquet. The ladies all hooted, begging Chichi to throw the flowers in their direction. Bulma stood toward the back with Eighteen. Neither of them was as aggressive as the others. This kind of thing wasn't really Eighteen's style. Bulma was just happy Vegeta had kissed her. She was worried she'd scare him away if she caught the bouquet.

"Are you ready?" Chichi asked the crowd. They cheered in reply and she turned her back to them. "Here I go!"

Chichi bent her knees, swinging her arm up and releasing the bouquet into the air. It launched through the air, past the arms of the women jumping for it. Chichi had a stronger throwing arm than they thought. Bulma's eyes followed it as it flew above her head. The whole group turned to run after it but stopped when they saw where it landed.

Vegeta was still sitting in his chair, his face incredulous. He reached up into his flame of hair and pulled out the bouquet. He couldn't stop the faint red that appeared on his cheeks. The women applauded, running over to congratulate him. Vegeta simply sat their looking sour, unsure how to react. Once the women cleared away Bulma came into his view. She'd been standing back, watching the whole time. She covered her face to smother her giggles.

Chichi slapped his back. "You know if you want, you can borrow my dress."

That made Bulma lose it. She burst out laughing.

"Yes alright, have your laugh," Vegeta said rolling his eyes. "I'm sure it's very amusing."

Bulma sat on his lap, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't be such a sourpuss. It's just a silly superstition."

Chichi's jaw fell. She was surprised to see the two being so cozy. She started to say something but Goku appeared right on cue to whisk her away.

The crowd gathered outside as Chichi and Goku got into a white car which, of course, sported the phrase "JUST MARRIED" on the back window. They waved as everyone blew them kisses and cheered to send them off to their honeymoon. The lovers would be spending all of spring break in Tahiti (a wedding gift from Chichi's father).

Bulma woke from her peaceful slumber. As she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, fear crept into her belly. Was this real life? If memory served her correctly, after watching Goku and Chichi drive off, Vegeta had accompanied her back to her room. Closing her eyes, she could see and feel it so vividly: his arms around her, his masculine scent, and his surprisingly gentle lips making contact with various spots on her body. It felt too real to be a dream…

Cautiously she reached behind her, hoping to feel him there. Her hand slid across the sheets. She gasped as her hand landed on a hard surface. With her heart beating quickly she turned to see Vegeta lying beside her. It wasn't a dream! Hesitantly, she reached out to touch him again.

"Ah!" she gave a surprised yelp as Vegeta snatched her hand before it could touch him.

"Is it company policy to rudely awaken your guests?" his tone was more playful than she'd ever heard it. She stared at him in awe.

"Have you gone mute? Ha, I've left you speechless. Well, well, I'm better than I thought I was," he said haughtily as he rested his hands behind his head. His arrogance was quickly smothered, literally, by Bulma who pressed her pillow to his face. Vegeta only wriggled for a second before flipping her over onto her back.

She threw the pillow aside, placing her hands on his now uncovered face. "I can't believe you're here."

Vegeta bridged the gap between their lips with an intimate kiss. Bulma felt like she was melting into him. When he separated his mouth from hers, she yearned for its return.

He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers. "You said before that you…" Vegeta grappled with himself to get out the next word. It was one he'd never said before.

Bulma spared him the struggle. "That I love you. I meant it."

"Yeah well, perhaps I also…I may be feeling…"

Bulma couldn't help but smile. He was trying so hard. People had told Bulma they loved her before but watching this seemed to mean so much more. It was a personal sacrifice on Vegeta's part—a giving up of a part of himself. She didn't need to hear the words. This was enough.

She kissed him passionately with every ounce of affection she felt. He returned it and the two of them drifted off into ecstasy together.

WOO! There it is. All finished! And it only took me….about 2 years… I hope this chapter wasn't too long and that you've enjoyed the ride. Please review!

P.S. If you don't get the entrance code joke, try typing it into a calculator