A/N:
I can't believe it. My first Vegebul multi-chapter fanfic is over! I legit feel like crying, because I am so happy that I actually completed this fic. This story started just from a one-shot inspired by a cute little fanart that I found on tumblr, and has somehow turned into this story that helped me explore not just these characters, but facets of myself, as well.
Also, because of this story, I have met and interacted with so many wonderful people, have received amazing writing tips and inspiration, and I am really very, very thankful to all of you who liked, commented, kudos'd, favorite/bookmarked and reblogged this story. You all made it possible for me to push through and finish this story, so from the very bottom of my heart, thank you so much to all of you!
Let's get on with this then! The final chapter of Impasse.
And as always… your feedback will be greatly appreciated!
.
8-8-8-8-8
Chapter 9: Epilogue
8-8-8-8-8
.
Bulma hummed a small tune as she drove, her shiny new periwinkle hybrid car gleaming as it sped down the highway.
She knew she was speeding just a tiny bit, but it was Friday, and she really couldn't wait to get home that day.
She was bursting at the seams with excitement, dying to share her most recent discovery with the dark-haired man waiting for her at home.
She stopped at a red light, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel as she impatiently waited for the light to turn green.
The rays of the setting sun reached for her through her lightly-tinted car windows, bouncing off the shiny, intricately-engraved golden ring and its grander diamond-topped twin on her left ring finger.
She smiled, excited to see Vegeta.
Vegeta… Her husband.
It had been five years since she had met him, since she had first looked into the piercing eyes of the man she would later fall madly in love with.
Three years since he, at their annual office party, got down on one knee before her, and with the entire staff of Ouji Enterprises as their witness, asked her to become his wife.
It had been nearly two years since she walked down an aisle littered with blue flower petals, her bouquet of light blue roses and hydrangea clutched tightly in her hands, and promised her mind, body and soul to the only man she would ever cherish more than life itself.
He was truly the love of her life, and she was determined to make sure that he knew it, felt it, every single day…
Which was the reason why he needed to be the first one she told about her entire life's most amazing discovery.
She slammed down on the gas, giddy as she saw the roof of their medium-sized mansion, nestled among the trees, smack down the border of the South and West Cities.
It was a strategic spot. It was only half an hour away from both of their places of work.
He at Ouji Ent…
And she at Capsule Corp.
Vegeta had taken it upon himself to help the Briefs reconcile. Several months after Bulma had admitted to the public that they were together following his car accident, he had pulled strings to, without Bulma's knowledge, gain an appointment with Dr. Briefs.
They had spoken at length about her, him promising her father that he was going to look after her and be there for her, before he begged them to leave Bulma alone to find herself.
She had been livid about his interference, but he had simply said that he knew, deep down, that she still loved her family in spite of their issues… and she had nothing to fear from them now, as he would be there with her, standing with her, to keep her strong, all the way.
She had later gone back to her family home to speak with her parents, and with her hand in Vegeta's warm grasp, she had looked at her father and mother…
.
8-8-Flashback-8-8
.
"I am happy. I am very happy right now. Vegeta," she paused as she choked back tears, and he squeezed her hand in support. "Vegeta makes me happy. My job right now, makes me happy. And I don't care if you think I'm a harlot," she glanced at her mother, "for dating my boss. Because this thing between us is real."
Her father had sat straight, brows knitted together as he responded. "Bulma... If you two are in love, then I am glad that you have found each other. Your mother and I… We are your parents, and we want you to be happy, dear."
"Then I need you both to promise that whatever I do, you'll be happy for me. I need to know that you won't try to stop me from discovering more about myself, because as much as I am your daughter, I am also my own person," she paused to glance at the dark-haired man sitting beside her. "Vegeta makes me happy because he supports me. He gives me my freedom and lets me have a choice. My life is up to me, and he has never tried to force or impose himself and his decisions on me. I need that kind of support from you two, as well."
Panchy refused to look at Bulma as she spoke, her voice light and airy, but Bulma sensed the underlying seething in the blonde woman's tone.
"You would abandon us for him? Your family who raised you, gave you everything you needed and wanted… just to prove a point?" Panchy asked.
Bulma gasped, utterly mortified as fury crawled through her veins.
She opened her mouth to reply, but a stern voice beat her to the punch.
"If I may interject, Briefs-san," Vegeta spoke, pulling all of their attention to him.
His face and tone remained polite, nearly impassive, but Bulma could tell from the way his hand curled convulsively around her fingers, and his eyes had darkened in his barely leashed rage, that he had reached his boiling point.
"Bulma did not join Ouji to prove a point. She wanted to discover herself, find her own way. She is not abandoning you, but she had distanced herself from you because she needed room to grow, which is something that in your overprotectiveness," he paused, his teeth grinding in agitation. "she was having a hard time finding. I cannot promise to be the perfect person towards her, but I can guarantee you this… with me, she will be free to learn all she can about herself. And I will stand by her. Because I cherish your daughter, as I am sure you do, as well."
Her heart clenched, and she could feel his love for her enveloping her, giving her the courage to push forward and make her parents understand that she didn't hate them, but she was done being a child.
She was a grown woman. A woman who had been lucky enough to find and fall in love with a wonderful man who, amazingly, loved her back.
"Please remember that it was Vegeta who wanted me to talk to you," she said through gritted teeth, causing her father to wince, and her mother to blink. "I never would have found the will or desire to come here if not for him, so don't suggest that he is the reason I have turned away... He is the reason, the only reason, I am trying to clear things between us now. I would prefer to have you in my life, but I will not hesitate to turn away again if you cannot accept that I am my own person, and the decisions about my career and personal life are mine to make."
She stood, Vegeta following suit. As they made their way to the door, she turned back slightly as she remembered something else.
"By the way, Tights called a week ago. She and Kaito, Jaco's father, are getting married. If you'd like to attend the wedding this fall, you know how to find her."
.
8-8-8-8-8
.
That slightly disastrous meeting had led to further conversations between Bulma and her parents, until they had finally settled on a truce, on the day of Tights' wedding.
However… it was not until after they had gotten engaged that Vegeta had asked her to think about going back to Capsule Corp.
He had known, before she herself had realized it, that she could never truly turn her back on CC, because she would wish to honor her father's legacy and hard work.
He never pushed, only planted the idea in her head… but as a testament to how well he knew her, Bulma realized that he was right… she did want to eventually lead CC, but the problem she had before was that if she had just taken over the company at 21, then she would not have been happy because it wouldn't have been her choice to do so.
She also knew that without any corporate experience, in spite of her genius, she would have surely run the company into the ground. She would not have had the chance to learn and grow, to develop strategies that could help her manage a corporation. Now that she had learned the ways of steering an organization from Ouji, she could seriously consider eventually heading their family's company.
Vegeta truly did know her better than she knew herself.
Her father had been ecstatic when she called him to talk about Capsule Corp., but she had insisted that she first be assigned a lower executive position, until she felt confident in fully taking on the responsibilities of leading the company.
She left Ouji Ent. shortly before she married Vegeta. He had been very sad to have her leave the company, but he had been happy for her, knowing that her moving to CC was the start of yet another chapter in their lives. She joined CC as the Chief of Research and Development six months after their wedding.
Bulma's life was going exactly the way she wanted it to, perhaps even better.
She turned into their large garage, grinning as she saw her husband already there, pulling open the back of his SUV, that she saw was full of groceries.
"Hey babe!" she greeted, carefully parking beside him.
He gave her an answering smirk, moving to meet her at the driver's side, extending a hand to her. She smiled gratefully as she took his hand, easily hopping off the large vehicle with his help.
They walked to the back of his car, and Bulma snickered at the number of bags she saw.
"What's all this?" she asked amusedly, eyeing the grocery bags he was unloading.
"Food."
She rolled her eyes. "Ok, smartass. What kinds?"
He smirked. "Meat, some vegetables. A bunch of your Cheetos and coffee. I sent Kakarot out to buy all this."
After Goku graduated, Vegeta had hired him as one of Ouji Ent's purchasers.
"I'm pretty sure that's not in his job description," she grinned, pulling out some of the lighter bags to help her gluttonous husband take the food into the house.
"I am also quite sure he doesn't mind, after he received that large bonus that I approved."
Bulma's smile widened. "Oh come on. You realize that the whole thing would probably be spent on his and Chichi's wedding next month?"
He scoffed. "I am already paying for the wedding cake."
"And that was really nice of you."
"What can I say… you made me do it," he groused as he heaved the last of the bags into his arms, heading for the door with Bulma in tow.
Suddenly he grinned, teeth gleaming with his lascivious smile. "I seem to remember that you had been… extremely persuasive that night."
Bulma flushed, gaping as she stared at him incredulously.
"I- I- I didn't-" she sputtered.
"That was an extra nice touch, the thing you did with the-"
"Vegeta!"
Vegeta threw his head back, laughing raucously in the face of her distress as he began walking towards the house.
Bulma ran after him, face red as a tomato.
"I did not do that to persuade you, you ass-"
"Whatever you say, woman," he said as he pushed the door open and let them both inside the house.
The mansion was deserted, save for them and the security guards at the gates. All their housekeepers have gone home, as was usual for them every Friday evening. Their household help all had the weekends off, since Vegeta and Bulma preferred to have the entire house to themselves during the weekends.
It was also Vegeta's chance to have Bulma cook his meals, as for some reason she really could not fathom, he absolutely loved her cooking.
It still puzzled her to high heavens, as she knew that her cooking was mediocre, at best. Nobody other than Vegeta seemed to like it.
She pouted as they went into the kitchen, where Vegeta dropped their bags onto the counter, teasingly placing a kiss on her cheek before turning from her to hunt down the TV remote. She smiled at his back, then started placing their food into the cupboards and the fridge.
It was a comically simple routine, but it was all part of Bulma's domestic dreams come to life.
She shook her head at the sight of the cans of his Hetap energy drink, arranging them into the fridge as she heard the television blare to life in the living room.
"Bulma," Vegeta called as he reentered the kitchen. "I almost forgot, Raditz said thanks for those CC shoes you gave Laura. Apparently, the kid loves them and refuses to take them off."
"Oh that's great!" she said brightly. "Launch told me that their little girl doesn't like wearing shoes. I guess the new prototype soles we produced were comfy enough that Laura actually likes them. I'm gonna tell Marketing to complete their market research so we can mass-produce the shoes."
She felt his thick, well-muscled arms snake around her waist from behind as she finished arranging the last of the groceries into the cabinets.
She lifted her hands up to grasp his as he rested his hands across her stomach, and their fingers linked together as she leaned back, turning her head slightly so she can gaze at him while he lowered his lips to kiss the side of her neck.
She felt the warmth of his lips contrast with the coolness of the golden chain around her throat as he moved up, leaving small nips and licks until she giggled, and he smiled as he moved so her lips could gently meet his.
She stayed in his arms, luxuriating in his heat, silently feeling him for a few minutes before she took a deep breath.
He felt her inhale, and he asked, "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You seem a bit… anxious. Did anything happen at work?"
She smiled, raising a hand to stroke her crescent necklace, silently asking it for support.
"Nothing bad, but I did discover something very important today," she whispered.
He pulled back, turning her so she faced him, before he wrapped her in his arms again, their hands resting on each other's waists.
"What? Do you need help?"
"Well…" she started, smiling softly at him. "Not right now… but I will probably get a lot needier in the next few months."
His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Her smile widened, before she lifted a hand, taking one of his…
And very gently, very slowly, laying it across her abdomen.
His eyes widened, hope and disbelief brightening his obsidian orbs as he stuttered at the insinuation.
"Bulma?" he breathed. "Are you saying…"
"I've been feeling a bit strange, so I did a test at work and discovered that… I'm six weeks along, Vegeta."
"You're… Bulma, you're-"
"Yes!"
"You're serious?" he asked, face flushing as he watched her smile, tears of joy filling the corners of her eyes.
She nodded. "We're gonna be parents, Vegeta!"
"Bulma!" he exclaimed, his voice catching slightly as he said her name.
He pulled her close, lifting her off her feet in his excitement, and she laughed, holding him around his neck as he held her tight, his face buried into the crook of her neck.
He let her go, gently dropping her to her feet, as he began frantically asking if she felt ok, if there was anything she needed…
"Do you want me to call the housekeepers in? Do you want to sit down and let me make dinner? Do you want me to buy the actual moon for you?" he asked, and Bulma wasn't quite sure anymore if he was kidding or actually serious.
"I've got my own moon around my neck, thank you very much," she laughed. "And no… I can still make dinner."
"Bulma, anything you want, let me know immediately," he said, a huge grin splitting his face as he still held her loosely, unable to let her go.
"l will."
"You have no idea, I can't even tell you how happy you've made me," he said.
She laughed as she watched him, his eyes glued to her stomach as he stared in wonder, no doubt already imagining the child that was growing within her right at that moment.
"I love you, Vegeta," she whispered, and his sharp eyes flew to hers as his hands tightened their grip around her waist.
He leaned down, his soft breaths fanning over her cheeks as he lowered his lips to hers, giving her a heartfelt kiss that breathed life into her every cell, sustaining her heart, letting her feel how much he treasured her and everything they shared together.
He suddenly lifted her up, and not breaking their kiss, began walking out of the kitchen with her in his embrace.
She wrapped her legs around his waist as he deftly found his way into their bedroom, and he laid her down on the very center of their plush king-sized bed.
He held himself over her, his weight carefully on his hands and knees that surrounded her like a protective cage.
Her heart was in her throat as she stared at him, taking in every line and curve of his gorgeous face, as he lifted his left hand, stroking her cheek.
Her eyes strayed momentarily to the scars adorning his arm: the tiny one from their first night together, and the longer, harsher one from his accident.
Two scars that somehow brought them together, reminding her even more of the things they had endured to finally find their way to each other.
They had won.
"I love you, Bulma," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her again, and she felt him pour his entire heart and soul into the beautifully intimate contact as his fingers traveled down to undo the buttons on her blouse.
She pulled away from his kiss with a gasp. "What about dinner?" she asked, half-jokingly.
"That can wait," he smirked, pulling her blouse open and eagerly cupping her soft breasts, making her moan.
As she surrendered once more to his touch, let him ravish her with his love, she couldn't help but agree.
This overwhelming feeling of joy, that she needed to express to him in the deepest way possible, cannot wait.
Dinner could, until much later.
After all, they had plenty of time.
Together, they had forever.
8-8-8-8-8
.
The end.