Chapter XXXV: Coming home

When Bulma woke up she was in a small space.

Very

Very small space.

It felt like a coffin, she was freaking out punching trough the glass.

Immediately a familiar face appeared trough the glass opening the door.

"Calm down!" Said Goku getting her out of the tank.

She was coughing and trying to rip the mask out of her face.

"The healing was not complete, why did you take her out?" Asked another voice, it was Bardock.

"She began to scream, was I supposed to leave her there?" Asked Goku.

"Well she's not fully healed yet" Said Bardock looking at her, and helping her to take the mask out of her mouth. "How do you feel?"

"Where am I? what happened?" She asked trying to stand up straight. She gave them a look "Where is Vegeta, what happened with Vegeta?"

Bardock and Goku exchanged a worried look.

"Bulma, you better sit down, you're still hurt" Said Goku trying to lead her to a chair.

Bardock looked at them and walked to the door giving them some privacy.

"What happened, Goku?" She asked weakly.

"We left Freeza's planet, and Vegeta stood behind. You passed out soon after the explosion".

"Did he come back?" She asked with wide worried eyes.

"No, we have no news from him yet. But is too soon to know anyway, we're still on the ship travelling back to Vegetasei." He made a pause looking at her eyes. "You were in really bad condition, so you we put you in a regeneration tank, but since you interrupted the healing process, you're still hurt".

"Don't put me back in there ever again" She said rubbing her face.

Goku nodded and gave her a weak smile.

"Bard... my father left these clothes in here, since yours are pretty much destroyed and wet from the tank" He continued.

Then she looked around her, like looking for something.

Goku smiled remembering something "Here" He said giving her belt with the capsules cases to her. "I took it out before they put you in there, I didn't know if they were water proof".

She smiled at him "No they're not. Thank you a lot Goku" and she hugged him. She dried her eyes with her hands when he let him go.

"He's going to come back Bulma"

"I hope you're right".

"We still have the Dragon Balls if he doesn't" He added smiling.

She thought about it for some seconds smiling, but then her smile faded "No..."

"What?" Asked Goku.

"We only have one wish...if he revive him, we would be reviving him on space, he would die again... Bring his body to certain location and then revive him... two wishes". She said looking at an empty space.

"He's going to come back, I know it" Said Goku after a while smiling at her.

She sighed and looked around directing her eyes to the clothes Bardock brought to her.

"Spandex... what a surprise" She mumbled frowning. Goku pointed a door to her right, and she walked in there to see a small bathroom. While she was changing she asked.

"So... what now, Goku?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, we go back to Vegetasei, Vegeta returns and then what... what are you going to do then?"

Goku thought about her words. "Not sure really, I think I'll stay in Vegetasei for a while... you know to train and learn new things... and go back to Earth when the next Martial Arts Tournament begins".

Bulma chuckled "You're seriously going to participate again?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well.. now you're insanely strong compared to those contestants"

"Well... maybe, maybe not, you never know. There might be some strong fighters on Earth we don't know... Besides Piccolo will kill me if I don't go... or if I go..."

"He's going to participate?"

"Yeah everybody will, Krillin, Tien..."

Bulma emerged from the bathroom frowning at her spandex suit.

"How can they wear these things! It keeps getting in my butt" She mumbled.

Goku chuckled. "You look like one of us".

"Yeah, because of my tail and how black my hair is?"

"Don't be jealous because you don't have a tail" Said Goku smiling and petting his own tail.

Bulma's eye twitched a little, but then they heard a knock on the door.

Bardock opened and eyed her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks"

"We'll land in twenty minutes, go strap yourselves" announced Bardock leaving the room.

"Well the ships are returning, that means is good news, right?" Asked Tarble to Rhubol. Both were standing on the docks watching the spaceships arrive.

"I don't know, sir". Answered Rhubol.

They both stood quiet until the ship's door opened, the first one coming out was Bardock. Tarble smiled and kept looking around Bardock to see the others.

"Bulma!" Said Tarble happily and ran to her. Goku was helping her to walk, she looked bruised. "Gods, what happened to you, are you ok?"

Bulma smiled at Tarble "Yes, don't worry I'm fine. Vegeta arrived just in time".

"Where is he?" Asked Tarble looking around.

The soldiers kept leaving the ship, around the young monarch only stood Goku, Bardock and Bulma.

"W-what happened? Where's is Vegeta? What happened with Freeza?" Asked Tarble confused and a little scared.

"We don't know" Tried to answer Goku.

"WHAT?" Roared Tarble showing he had indeed the same genes as Vegeta.

The trio winced a little, and Bardock stepped up and answered "Vegeta realized that if he tried to kill Freeza with us on the planet, we would all die. He needed us away and safe."

"B-but what about him?!" Asked Tarble again frowning.

"There was a escaping pod for him in there, but we're still not sure if he managed to leave" Continued Bardock.

Tarble looked to the floor and nodded, then he turned around to leave.

"Tarble, where are you going?" Asked Goku.

Tarble stopped, still giving them his back. "Someone has to communicate the events to the council and to our people" Then he continued to leave.

Bardock sighed and then looked back at Bulma "Come on, you look like hell, you need to get to the infirmary".

Frieza survived once, so this last blast had to be massive enough to stop him from being cloned or regenerated.

After the last Gallic gun, Vegeta run with all his strength to the docks, getting himself inside the pod, he left the planet that was already exploiting.

The woman outdid herself he thought smirking for a second. She managed to put explosives inside capsules in a couple of strategic points, so they would respond to Vegeta's blast.

Planet Cold was exploding in million pieces.

But the destruction wave hit his pod, as it happened before, he hit himself against the walls. After being so tired and bruised with Freeza's fight, he felt asleep.

When Vegeta woke up he was inside his pod already in an unknown planet. He didn't recall writing the coordinates to Vegetasei... he just remembered turning on the damn thing to leave the planet the soon as possible... then blank.

He opened the pod and looked at the navigation system, the blasted thing was off.

'So... unknown planet, with no navigation system... precious". He thought rolling his eyes.

He got himself out of the pod with difficulty, he was limping and could barely walk, but since he had no idea where he was, there was no way he would stand in there in the middle of nowhere as an easy target. He had to move.

He tried to fly, but in his exhaustion he only managed to crush with the ground unceremoniously.

"Oh fucking hell" He growled spiting the dirt out of his mouth. He stood up again and tried to walk away from his pod.

Taking a better look at the planet... it looked familiar...

Red Sky...

Sandy...

The thing looked a lot like Vegetasei, maybe Bardock was smart enough to program the pod for him before he left...

If that was the case he owed him big time...

By the time he saw civilization it was already late, there was nobody on the streets, and everything was quiet as hell. But thank the gods...

He was indeed on Vegetasei.

But There were black marks in some of the doors in the city.

"Mourning?"

They waited for Vegeta for the next hours. Bardock mentioned he had programmed the pod before they left, so Vegeta should have already been there.

The night arrived and there was no news from him.

They sent a couple of searching ships back to where Planet Trade used to be, looking for any trace of the saiyan King.

It was around six in the afternoon, more than twenty-four hours since they arrived back at Vegetasei, and there was still no sign of Vegeta.

The council claimed what seemed obvious to them. Vegeta succeeded killing Freeza, but without being able to escape himself.

Tarble still ordered some saiyan ships to look for his brother. The council was getting on his nerves, and he was indeed showing his 'family temper' more and more through the hours.

When the first 24 hours passed, the council made the official announcement. The King passed away, naming Tarble (against his will) the new King.

Of course the younger saiyan had better things to do, than play the King's ceremony for the council. He had to find Vegeta.

Through the hours Bulma was feeling more and more desperate, she had faith in Vegeta, but it has been so long!

When the council made his death an official announcement, she went numb.

She was sitting on her bed, in the very place they discussed the last time...

' Kami what have I done!' She thought to herself trying to avoid the tears. Her eyes were still kind of purple, so crying didn't help the pain at all. But she couldn't help to think... what if he said the truth the last time? For much insane it sounded...

But what if it wasn't the truth, but he truly believed it? Well if he was mentally unbalanced she would deal with it! No second thoughts... all she wanted was him! And back!

Somehow in her grief, she felt asleep.

Vegeta limped into the castle, with his last strength, he flew to his bedroom, not without tripping with the balcony. His strength barely let him get in there.

He wanted to avoid the big doors, he could have an idea why the black mourning marks were on the doors, but he didn't want to make a big deal of it right now. He needed a shower and sleep.

After all... he fought Freeza and then spent a day and a half limping to the damn city!

After the so needed shower he looked at his bed almost with little conscience on his mind... but with that little conscience, he decided he would rather spend the night with Bulma...

he deserved it.

He walked... limped more likely, with difficulty into her room, he slowly opened the door. The woman was sleeping. She looked...

awful.

She was still bruised... he made a mental note to ask why the hell wasn't she put inside a regeneration tank! And then he slowly got into bed with her.

Feeling her scent, he made a little smile on his mouth and felt asleep.

Bulma turned around on her bed in the morning... the bed felt so comfy and warm.

Too warm...

She opened an eye and screamed so loud she could have been heard in the entire kingdom.

Vegeta's eyes snapped open immediately, and he crushed her mouth with his hands.

"Gods woman, are you trying to make me deaf?!"

Her blue eyes were wide looking at him. After a couple of seconds of her trying to analyze what was happening, she jumped over Vegeta hugging him.

He winced and let out a tiny moan of pain when she jumped, after all he was in need of a regeneration tank himself.

She kissed him deeply crushing his face with both her hands.

"Wmmnan" He tried to talk between her mouth, she immediately put her head back looking at him.

"My jaw is broken" He tried to say while she kept cupping his jaw with both her hands.

She let his jaw go immediately "Sorry!" She repeated. She sat on the bed and looked at him. "H-how did you...?"

"BULMA ARE YOU OK?" Screamed Goku opening the door, to his surprise his best friend was in bed with Vegeta.

"Vegeta?" He asked smiling, then he ran and jumped over Vegeta making the older saiyan twist in pain once again.

"Goku! Be careful, he's injured!" Bulma said.

"Oh, now you care" Tried to say Vegeta with a very weak voice.

"Ups, yes! Uhm... wait! I'll get the regeneration tank!" Said Goku very fast and left running. Then he came back running scratching his head "I forgot I can't bring the regeneration tanks"

Vegeta glared at him.

"Do you need a ride to the tanks?" Asked Goku looking how Vegeta could barely sit on the bed.

"NO I do not need your help you third class weakling, get the hell out of my room!" Vegeta screamed.

"Well... technically... is Bulma's room"

"OUT!" Vegeta screamed.

Goku left immediately with a huge grin. Once outside he saw Tarble, Bardock, Tien and Krillin running to the room.

"What happened? Is Bulma ok?" Asked Krillin worried.

"Yeah... she's fine" Said Goku scratching his head.

"What happened?" Asked Bardock.

"Uh, nothing I guess she was just surprised to see Vegeta in her bed, that's all".

"WHAT?!" Screamed Tarble immediately opening the door, and the other followed.

"I guess I should have mentioned Vegeta didn't want them in there?" Mumbled Goku looking at the others walking inside the room.

"OOOOUUUUUT!"

Then they were all outside the room again. "Sorry I should've mentioned he didn't want company" Said Goku with a grin.

After the interruption at their room, Vegeta went to the regeneration tanks and took a shower. Constantly being followed by Bulma, Tarble, Goku, Nappa, Radditz, Bardock, Krillin... well everyone! They all wanted to know what happened, why he arrived so late, what would he do now...

But Vegeta didn't say anything.

After the shower, he walked into the council's room and closed the doors leaving everyone outside wondering what the hell was on his mind.

"UUUgh what the hell is this man doing in there, he's driven me crazy!" Said Bulma tired of waiting, she looked at her fingernails, she had bitten them all without noticing.

"I have no idea, but if he's with the council I don't think he's having a friendly chat" Said Tarble a little worried.

"Well what's the worst that could happen? I mean, Freeza is dead, now. Vegeta is back to his home planet, he can rule now..." Said Goku shrugging. He was lying on the floor.

"Yeah... yes I guess you're right... I mean now he's back, he'll keep the council in line... and now we'll have a King Vegeta ruling again."

"Then that means we'll be going back to Earth soon, right? I don't know you guys, I'm thankful of your hospitality Tarble, really, but I want to go back to Earth".

"Yes, I didn't like the saiyan females... they're too aggressive" Said master Roshi rubbing one of the many kicks he earned around the feisty saiyan girls.

"Don't worry, I understand. I couldn't imagine being far from my home planet for so long... I hope you visit us in the near future" Said Tarble smiling back at Krillin and the others.

"Sure I will!" Said Krillin smiling, "and I hope you take the time to visit us too!"

"I will" smiled Tarble. "I'll tell them to check your ships today, so you have everything ready to leave in the morning".

"What about you, Bulma? Are you going back with your family, or are you staying with Vegeta?" Asked Bardock.

"I..." She looked at the older saiyan. "I haven't thought about it".

The council was worried.

Freeza was dead... that was good. Vegeta was gone.. also a good one since the former King didn't tolerate them at all. But now Tarble, the always manageable saiyan was behaving oddly. Since the announcement of his brother's death, he was dismissing more and more the council. He even told them they could shove their resolutions were the sun don't shine.

The royal family was in the mouths of all saiyans, and how their former King finally saved them from the evil Freeza. There was no way they could put Tarble down a bit so they could finally govern.

"Maybe we could claim grief is not allowing him to make the right decisions?" Said one of the members.

"We could directly intimidate him, after all it worked in the past!" Said another one.

"His brother taught him how to behave. The little time he was here he got himself all imbued into Tarble... no the last one wouldn't work. Even more now when the people is pretty much in love with the royal family..." Said Brocco sighing. "Grief then?"

All the other five member nodded.

"Grief? Aw I didn't know you missed me!"

All the members of the council looked back to see where did that voice came from, to see the former King standing by the door.

"What, scared of ghosts now?" Said Vegeta smirking walking to the table.

"H-how d-did you?" Said one of the council's members.

"You're alive?" Asked Brocco.

"No shit" Answered Vegeta taking a fruit from their table. "Now... since I'm here now, we have a couple of matters to discuss" He said, then he bit his fruit sitting in the head of the table.

The council was pale, all of them.

"Funny how you react when you know you can't beat me" Said Vegeta chuckling. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you... at least not unless you tempt me".

"What would you like to talk about, K-King?" Said Brocco trying to regain his composure.

"Oh, don't mind with the title, it's Prince Vegeta actually..." He said looking at the fruit frowning, the thing was bitter. Putting the fruit back on a plate he glared at the council.

"First we'll make a change on the council, I'm sparing your sorry lives, but you'll take a permanent forced retirement." Said Vegeta smirking.

"Are you insane you crazy primate! We have been ruling Vegeta since you were nothing more than a idiotic cub, and now we're not going to allow your..." Screamed one of the members, red in anger, until he was interrupted with light.

Bright Light

Then he disappeared. All the council members with wide eyes, looked back slowly at Vegeta who was still sitting in the head of the table with his arm pointing where the old man used to be,

"Don't you dare to think I didn't learn anything after living with Freeza for more than twenty years. I might still look like one of the good ones for some people, but believe me when I tell you I do not hesitate when it comes to killing those, who only contributed to my years under the lizard". Said Vegeta with a very low and calm voice.

The fact he said 'more than twenty years' didn't go unnoticed to the rest of the council, but they preferred to not mention it at the moment.

"Now, does anybody else have something to say to me before I can continue?" Said Vegeta looking at the four members left.

None of them dared to make a sound.

"Good" Said Vegeta standing from the chair.

"Bardock will be named the new head of the council... the rest of the members will be chosen by our people, I don't care how or who. Bardock will bother himself with those details..." Said Vegeta looking at the window.

"I know the fact I had to take a mate bothered you" Said Vegeta looking back at them. "For much I wanted to blast you for even daring to say my already chosen mate was not fit, I know our people have different beliefs which I'm not interested to change for now..."

"Tarble will remain as the King of Vegitasei, and I will return to planet Earth with the woman. Don't you even think that might mean a free way for you. I've already heard about how Tarble has been doing around since I was gone... We'll let him stay that way, and believe my words when I say, if you make any kind of trouble, oh I will know" He said speaking each time slower. "And I will come back here, track you down and kill each and every one of you if you don't let him rule"

"But I trust he would know how to keep you in line... he had been doing an excellent job I heard" He said smirking.

Then completely changing his mood he said. "Well... now you can go and clean your shit out of the palace, farewell". Said the young saiyan smirking.

The elders only managed to look at each other, and stood up immediately to leave.

The council left the room, glaring at all of those who were standing in the hallway.

"Well they looked pissed" Said Tien.

"They were..." Said Nappa.

"Wait... why were there four of them?" Asked Bardock.

"Uh oh" Said Tarble looking back at Bardock with wide eyes.

They all entered the room to see Vegeta standing by the window, then he looked back at them frowning.

"Vegeta! tell me you didn't kill one of the councils!" Said Bardock fearing the answer.

Vegeta shrugged "I had to set an example... besides he defied me".

Bulma looked at Vegeta with wide eyes.

"I overheard you're leaving tomorrow?" Said Vegeta looking at the z-fighters changing the subject.

They only nodded, a little nervous with his cold reaction with death.

"Very well then..." He said turning to look at the window again. "You assistance in the fight was... adequate... Specially for weakling humans that is"

Piccolo rolled his eyes while the others understood that was Vegeta saying "you did a great job, thank you!"

"Could the rest of you leave Bardock my brother and I alone?" Said Vegeta.

Bulma was about to protest, but she decided to follow the rest frowning. When they left, Vegeta turned to look at the two saiyans.

"Bardock... the council has been dissolved. I've named you head of the council and the new members will be chosen by vote" He said looking at the wide eyed saiyan.

Then he looked at his brother. "You did a good job while I was gone... not only now, but before I arrived. And I know that you'll keep it that way while I'm gone".

"What? what are you talking about? You're leaving?" Asked Tarbled confused.

Vegeta smirked.

"I've spend the last forty years wondering how would it be to rule my own people, brother".

"F-forty?" mumbled Tarble.

"But now that I can, I realized... I've only spend four years of my life in our planet... ten on Earth and the rest... living on space... I don't really belong here, Tarble".

"W-what are you talking about, Vegeta?" Said Tarble shocked.

"I'll... explain later" Said Bardock touching Tarble's shoulder.

"But no! I just met you, You just came back, you can't leave us again!" Said Tarble holding his emotions.

"I'll come back, midget" Said Vegeta smirking at his younger brother. "Now go, you have a kingdom to rule... and maybe it would be a good thing if you could tell our people the changes that have been going today".

Tarble nodded a little defeated and left with Bardock. Before leaving the room, Bardock looked at Vegeta. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Vegeta gave a weak smile, the first smile Bardock have ever seen on him. "Yeah, I'm fine".

Bulma didn't see Vegeta in the rest of the day... her friends were leaving in the morning, which meant she should be leaving too. But what about Vegeta? And where the hell was he? Was he hiding from her? Was everything just a fling?

She saw the speech Tarble gave to the saiyans, about how Vegeta survived, and how he decided to stay as a prince while Tarble would be the king.

She wasn't expecting that move.

The saiyans were celebrating the death of Freeza, the super saiyan prince Vegeta, the new King Tarble, and the help of the earthling visitors. The entire planet was partying.

It was late, she would be leaving in hours, but there was no sign of Vegeta.

She didn't feel like celebrating, she felt like crap... physically and mentally. She decided the best was going back to her room.

When she closed her door behind her she heard a deep voice.

"Well that took you long enough"

"Vegeta?" She gasped.

"Where you expecting someone else, woman?" He said smirking walking to her.

She frowned. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Here" He simply answered.

"All afternoon?" She asked glaring.

"Well... I trained a couple of hours in the training rooms, then I came here" He shrugged.

Bulma wanted to stab him... "You came to say goodbye, I suppose?"

Vegeta smirked, he knew what was she thinking of. "Do you want me to say goodbye?"

"You're an asshole, you know that? You disappeared the entire day, I don't know what the hell is going on, and now I know I'm leaving tomorrow, and... I don't..."

"You don't know what"

She didn't answer, she began to take her things from the drawers and putting them in capsules. "It doesn't matter anymore, Vegeta".

"Woman, I can't read your mind" He said rolling his eyes.

"I don't know what's wrong with you! You drop a huge bomb before Turles took me, and now I'm hearing I'm never seeing you again! What the hell were we doing then?!"

"I don't think I have to explain that..."

"No, please, enlighten me, what the hell are we, Vegeta? Was I just a fling while you were trying to gain your power? What now! It was nice to meet you, now bye bye?"

Vegeta began to chuckle.

"WHAT THE HELL IS SO FUNNY!" She hissed at him.

Vegeta grabbed her and pinned her against the wall. He began to nip her neck,

Although it was kind of arousing to her, she contained herself. "Vegeta I swear if you keep that I'll scream until I make your ears bleed".

Vegeta smirked against her neck, then he looked at her eyes, face to face.

"Complete truth?"

"Yes!" She screamed.

"Very well..." He said sighing and cupping her face with his hands.

"Everything I told you, before they took you is true. So keep that in your tiny brain. What now?, well, now we go back to Earth, I'll keep training, you keep inventing. I'll kill anything that could attack your mudball and I'll take you as my mate. I'll fuck your brains out every day until you begin to look so hideous as the wrinkled woman you'll be, but I'll keep fucking you... maybe I'd turn you over... but I guess I'll be used to your hideous face by then" He said smirking while she made funny faces with his words.

"Is that a good plan for you, woman?" He finished.

After a couple of seconds she frowned, and punched him in the stomach... and succeeding since he was not expecting that. While he recoiled, she yelled.

"I you ever, EVER. Make me think you died again, I swear god Vegeta I'll revive you myself and kill you with my bare hands! Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" Then she grabbed his face and kissed him while jumping over him.

THE END

A/U: Not happy with the ending... but couldn't think in something else, and I've been blocked for soo long, so I thought If I don't write this down, I would never end this thing.

I know some people asked for a lemon at the end...but I honestly were like "Uh... sex..." Maybe I'll ask someone to add it in the end... I don't know.

I've been writing a one-shot while I was writing this chapter, but it became a little larger... so I guess it would like a 3 chapters thing. I just put the first part of it online... and I have no name for it yet!.

... of course also a Bulma/Vegeta one...

Thanks to all who took the time to review and read this fic, from all my heart, thank you.

Sindell