Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Lost and Found: Royal Line Blues ❯ Good Morning Capsule Corps! ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9

 

After a few hours Krillen and his date returned to the party to get some refreshments. Close behind him were Yamucha and Ami, walking hand in hand. Music still reached their ears through the air, pounding its base beat through their rattling teeth. As they entered Krillen shook his head when he saw the main buffet table littered with emptied trays and its white tablecloth half falling on the floor. Nearby, Goku lie on a large sectional flat on his back, snoring loudly. Curled up in his arms was Gohan, slumbering just as peacefully. "Like father like son," Krillen chuckled.

"Crap, there's nothing left," Yumi mumbled.

“Let's hit the bar,” Yamucha whispered, tugging Ami's hand. She nodded, heading in the direction of the champagne.

"Oh there you are!" Bunny Briefs laughed from behind a huge stack of trays she carried. "I was wondering where you lovebirds popped off too…"

"Lovebirds, sheesh," Krillen chuckled awkwardly, shutting his eyes. "We were um… wondering if you saw Bulma and Vegeta come this way?"

"Oh those two? They headed off to the hanger together. Bulma said something about helping the young man fix his ship…"

"Oh, okay… well at least that seems normal… but what doesn't seem normal is that they went willingly," Krillen said.

"I dunno if I'm nuts about her with that dude, but hey, if she likes him…" Yumi shrugged. "Have they been gone long?"

"The past few hours," Chichi announced, carrying another stack of trays in her arms effortlessly. "I sure hope she knows what she's doing. I don't trust that Vegeta at all!"

"He's not THAT bad… I mean yeah he's not that GOOD, but he hasn't killed Bulma yet, right?" Krillen said. He sounded way more confident than he actually felt.

"You guys are still nuts thinking you can let those two along together," Yamucha snorted as he stormed up, with Ami close behind him.

"Give it a REST already, dude!" Yumi groaned. "She's not interested in you, brightbuns. It's over…"

"That's NOT what I mean…" Yamucha spluttered, wheeling on her. However the bright red blush spreading over his cheeks said otherwise.

"Relax, you really should have another beer," Bunny chirped. "I'm sure we still have some left…"

"Um, where is everyone?"

"Most of the guests went home already," Chichi shrugged. "Oolong and Master Roshi said they had to go, and well, they assumed you two would be staying the night here…"

"Rats… there goes my ride," Krillen said.

"The more the merrier… I have guestrooms all ready for everyone…" Bunny said. "I programmed the servo bots in advance... I knew some of Bulma's little friends would be staying…"

"Little friends?" Yumi said, hiking a purple brow.

"The usual room?" asked Ami.

"Oh yes… the girls can stay in the two rooms on the right of the head of the stairs, and you two gentlemen can have the rooms down the hall from Bulma's… Yamucha, you know the way, right, young man?"

"Well yes… but I could stay in the guest annex…"

"Don't be silly! All your things are still in your usual room," Bunny said. Yamucha turned brighter red, then quickly grabbed Ami's hand and led her upstairs.

"I'll show you to your room… this way girls…" he said quickly, waving to Krillen and his date as well. "Um Chichi, tell Goku we said goodnight, unless you're staying here too…"

"We have plenty of room," said Bunny.

"Oh no, that's all right… we'll just hop Nimbus for a ride back in no time… don't put yourself out," Chichi said. "You've been MORE than hospitable… especially with the extra food…"

Chichi and Bunny carried the piles of empty trays towards the kitchen, following the caterers who were cleaning things up. Piccolo stood in a far corner watching everyone. Yamucha and Ami walked quietly into the room, hand in hand with blushes on their faces. Without watching Piccolo they crept lightly up the stairs. Krillen shrugged at the Namekian, who narrowed his eyes.

“Just be careful you two,” Piccolo grunted. “Behave yourselves. We don't want any problems… any MORE problems.”

“It's cool, plant man,” Yumi grinned.

“My name is Piccolo, girl. Please use it,” Piccolo corrected her, giving her a glare from under the turban perched on his large head. Muscles bulged under green skin, causing Yumi to stare a few seconds longer than she normally would of for a strange looking guy.

“Uh sure… yeah…” she chuckled, unable to tear her gaze away from how sexy he appeared, for a vegetable man.

“This way,” Krillen urged, tugging her hand gently. Still undressing the Namekian with her eyes, she allowed Krillen to drag her upstairs.

“Humans,” Piccolo shook his head.

***

Morning broke over the Capsule Corps mansion. Gohan and Chichi had left the night before after the party had wound down. Piccolo had joined the rest of the Namekians in the large courtyard complexes constructed as their temporary housing. As she had for many mornings before, Bunny Briefs got up at the crack of dawn, slipping out of her bed to dress and start breakfast.

“Honey!” Dr. Briefs grinned as he sat up in bed. “Good to see you…”

“When did you get in?” Bunny yelped as he gave her backside a little swat. “You didn't even wake me up to greet me…”

“Well I hate waking you when you're fast asleep,” Dr. Briefs said, leaning down to pick up his pet cat that bumped its nose under his hand. He draped the kitty around his shoulders, and climbed out of bed. Just how his wife managed to dress and have her hair perfect before he rose was one of those secrets of the universe he left unanswered. Especially since he was starving and they'd need all their strength to put up with the daily verbal battle they were about to face.

“I'll bring up your coffee here dear… if you'd like…” said Bunny, tying an apron around her hips.

“No, I'll be down soon. How did the party go? I see the bots managed to clean most of it up… and I heard some major snoring when I came in late last night…”

“Yamucha and Krillen spent the night, as did Bulma's little friends… but I'm letting the poor dears sleep in… they had a bit too much medicine last night…” Bunny laughed as she exited the room.

“Sounds like I missed some fun,” Dr. Briefs shrugged. “Oh… by the way, I didn't notice anyone screaming `Woman' at the crack of dawn… is that young man actually sleeping in?”

“Well I did see him walk off with our little princess to the lab…”

“Did you now? Has her bed been slept in?” asked Dr. Briefs.

“Honey, let's wait till after breakfast to ask,” Bunny suggested, exiting the room.

Bulma grumbled and turned over in her sleep. She could swear something was missing. First, she missed someone screaming “Woman, get me breakfast” at the top of his lungs through the whole house. Secondly, she felt as if her bed was somehow wrong, because she was curled up and facing a wall, while trying to stop from pitching over the edge of the small bed.

“I have a full size bed… what the hell,” she wondered, turning over. Rough cloth registered against her fingers when she gripped the covers, and did not recognize anything resembling the fluffy comforter. Rather rough wool from a surplus army blanket. She smelled the sterile crisp air of a laboratory, and heard a faint humming of a generator pulsing like a lullaby. As her sense of touch came into awareness Bulma felt soft cotton of a T shirt instead of warm silk covering her body.

“Must have slept in the lab again… but who put me to bed?” she wondered, blinking.

"Wake up…" purred a deep voice that sent shivers down Bulma's spine. She mumbled at the soft warm breath puffing against her ear. For a moment she did not recognize the male presence she felt just behind her. A hand shook her shoulder lightly, but the flat surface on which she lay felt too comfortable. It was the cot in her lab, she remembered. Whenever she was working night and day on a project, she would curl up on the small camping bed and wrap the old green wool blanket around her to sleep. Strangely she slept better in the lab than in her bed lately.

"Go away, just five more minutes dad," she mumbled, batting the hand away.

Fingers lightly jabbed Bulma in her ribs. "Woman, wake up, you've been sleeping too damn long… you've got work to do!"

"Mmm," Bulma grumbled. She blinked up into two dark eyes glinting with amusement at her. Clutching the blanket she yelped when she recognized their amused owner smirking at her. Clad in gleaming white breastplate overtop blue spandex bodysuit, Vegeta hunched over Bulma.

"About time you moved those lazy bones, woman," he said. "Wake up already… your baka mother is hurting my ears with that shrilling voice of hers, and I'm damned if I'm eating in the same room with those weakling losers…"

"So what do you want ME to do about it! Ack, don't tell me you let me sleep in HERE! I look DISGUSTING."

"So what Woman, you ALWAYS look disgusting," Vegeta shrugged. She screamed in outrage, pouncing on him. For a moment she forgot that she was dealing with one of the strongest fighters in the Western Galaxy next to Goku.

"Shut up ass, I do NOT!" she squealed, beating at his chest. Vegeta laughed in amusement, catching hold of both her wrists in turn.

"Feisty, aren't we? You're not dealing with your baka human weakling ex mate…" Vegeta chortled. "Lucky for you I'm in a good mood, or you'd be executed for attacking the Prince of Saiyans royal person…"

"Ugh… Excuse me your royal whyness for forgetting…" she groaned, flopping back on the bed once Vegeta released her wrists.

"Get that ass of yours up and get me some breakfast… and yourself some if you don't' want to pass out… thankfully this time I don't have to eat your vile cooking…" he teased.

"I'm going, I'm going… damn… you're such a frickin' SLAVEDRIVER," she grumbled, brushing past him. Still wearing her coveralls she marched out of the workshop with Vegeta following closely behind her.

"March… one two, one two…"

"And where are YOU going? Making ME go get your lazy ass breakfast when you're RIGHT behind me?" she growled at him.

"Don't ask stupid questions, just move it… I'm hungry!" he laughed, swatting her behind.

"Ouch!" she squealed. Bulma broke into a run, with the Saiyajin prince in hot pursuit. Vegeta chased her from the laboratory through the long Capsule Corps hallways. She dodged his white gloved hands reaching out to snatch her up or smack her backside.

“You can't get away from me that easily, woman…” Vegeta taunted.

“Says you… what the hell's gotten into you, Vegetable brains?”

“You should mind your place,” Vegeta grunted, reaching down and sweeping her up.

“Put me down! This is getting old! You Neanderthal!”

“You run too slow, wench,” Vegeta commented. He carried her the rest of the way through the living room, with Bulma pounding on the hard white surface of his armor.

“Hey, I made you that armor and I can break it!” she squealed, then shook her bruised hand. “Ouch!”

“I'm not the stupid female fighting a losing battle,” Vegeta smirked. “Who do you think you're dealing with? Mind your manners or no breakfast for you!”

“Shut up… I thought you couldn't STAND to be around me, and now you're hauling me around!”

“Does the woman think that she can order me around, neh?” Vegeta chuckled, swinging her around his head so she squealed at the room spinning. “Should have thought of this before…”

“I'm gonna puke…” she warned.

“Stop it…” Bulma whined as he approached the kitchen. He stopped momentarily to sniff the aroma of crackling bacon. A high pitched titter assaulted his ears, telling him that the woman's mother was fussing over a stove. Peering inside he saw the blonde mother unit clanging pots and pans in a morning symphony. Four places were set at the small table, Vegeta noticed. Already she was singing in that nauseatingly high pitched voice like a marshmallow soaked in honey.

“Pathetic,” Vegeta grumbled. “But at least she knows how to treat royalty. Take a good look woman… you could learn something from your otherwise crazy mother… she may be nuts but she DOES have the necessary knowledge approaching proper royal protocol.”

***

"Mom!" Bulma yelled. "Get this royal Pain in the ass some food before my butt turns red!"

"There you two are! Having a late night?" asked Bunny. She hiked an eyebrow and winked at Vegeta, seeing her daughter slung over the Prince's shoulders.

“Hn,” Vegeta grunted, not in the mood to battle wits with someone who wasn't armed. Not as well armed as the woman he carried like a sack of flour.

"God mom it wasn't that… I mean..." Bulma wailed. Vegeta swatted her backside again and cackled mischievously as he swing her around.

"Hurry up and get me some food dammit," Vegeta interrupted. "The woman has work to do, and she's wasted ENOUGH Time…"

“Oh… I can see that I'm not the only one who was working late,” Bunny giggled as she saw Vegeta swinging Bulma in ever increasing circles.

“Oh god, you stop now!!!” Bulma begged. “Vegeta… your royal highness, would you mind before I puke?”

“You're no fun,” he smirked, plopping her on her shaky feet. “If you're going to fly in space you need to improve that weak sense of balance.”

“No thanks to you, Mr. hot shot `I've been in space'…” Bulma snorted at him.

Bunny giggled as Vegeta put considerable distance between Bulma, staring at an invisible spot on the wall. He grabbed one of the chairs and tugged it out, while Bulma caught the edge of the counter. It took a while for the room to stop spinning in circles. Yet he had actually been playful, despite her butt which felt a bit tender from his slaps. If he really had wanted to hurt her he'd have done far worse.

“If that's his idea of flirting, I'm doomed,” Bulma groaned.

Bunny handed her a cup of coffee. “So… sweetie I checked and saw that your bed hadn't been slept in… is there something you'd like to tell me dear?"

"Mom, please tell me you cooked something…" Bulma begged as she saw her mom frying something in a pan she hoped was for her pursuer.

"That's not all that's been cooking,” Bunny grinned, pressing her hands together. “Do you have some good news for me, young lady… and young man? Don't worry; I want ALL the details…”

“I was in the lab mom!” Bulma said, gasping at the knowing wink in her mother's eye.

“What are you babbling about,” Vegeta mumbled, not turning his head to look at the two women standing there.

“Oh come on… I know what young people nowadays do, and your secret is safe with me… I did so hope that you two would see what was right in front of your face…” Bunny giggled.

“Where the fuck was she when they handed out brains?” Vegeta mumbled.

“Oh stop it will you,” Bulma growled at him.

“Weren't you in the lab all last night?” Bunny asked, nudging Bulma in the ribs. “What were you doing if you weren't working?”

"None of your damn business," Bulma and Vegeta growled in unison, flopping into chairs at the kitchen table. Both exchanged shocked glances, and then glanced quickly away. Bunny grinned in triumph when she saw the matching shades of pink spreading over Bulma, then Vegeta's cheeks. They glared in opposite directions, pretending that Bunny did not exist.

“You should keep your strength up then,” Bunny said in the awkward pause. Vegeta released his breath in a huff, grateful for the huge stack of pancakes Bunny set in front of him. Bulma flinched as her plate clattered before her, grasping her cup of coffee and hiding her face behind it as she swallowed half of it. Grabbing his fork the Prince began to pick at his food, dumping a considerable amount of maple syrup overtop first.

Bulma panted, and then picked miserably at her food. Bunny was singing under her breath again, while Vegeta said nothing. It would be so much better if he was insulting her, instead of this odd silence grating on her nerves. A nervous flip flop in her stomach cancelled any desire for the food before her.

“What the hell are you staring at?” Vegeta glowered at her. “If you're not going to eat those…”

“Take `em,” she mumbled, shoving her plate towards him.

“Hmh,” he said in triumph, adding them to his plate. He glared at her mother grinning mischievously. Bulma grabbed the nearby paper and buried her face in it. Vegeta grinned behind his forkfuls of food, loving to see her squirm uncomfortably on her seat. It was so obvious what her idiot mother thought, and so fun to play with Bulma's mind.

“Mom… um… It's NOT what you think,” she said.

“What honey?” Bunny called.

Just when it couldn't get any more uncomfortable in Bulma's reality, she heard her father calling out, "Is that my little inventor I hear?"

"Oh no, Dad?" Bulma asked. "When did YOU get back?"

"Just early this morning dear," Dr. Briefs said, walking in to give his wife a peck on the cheek. He walked over with outstretched arms to see Bulma sitting there next to their houseguest, trying not to look at him.

"Hi dad…" she said, letting him peck her cheek as well.

"Are you staying up all night in your lab again, little girl? You're going to end up like me you know…"

"Kami forbid," Vegeta grumbled.

"Hello there, young man… I see you're all suited up for your training. I do hope the GR is working well…"

"If you hadn't been away it would…" Vegeta shot back. "Where the hell were you anyway, not like I CARE?"

"Hmm, someone got out of the wrong side of the bed today, didn't they?" dr. Briefs shook his head. He took the chair next to his daughter's right, while his wife set out the breakfast plates.

"Bulma was up all night in her lab with the young man," she said, leaning close to her husband.

"Is that so, young man? Were you two having some late night experiments I should know about?"

"Mooom!" Bulma wailed. "Shut up already…"

"Stop that damn noise," Vegeta held his hands to his head. "It's none of your business WHAT the woman and I were doing. What do you think normally goes on in a lab anyway? Now shut up so I can eat."

"Humph, well if you two ARE doing what I think you are, I'll have you know that I expect my little princess to be treated RIGHT. She's had one too many bad breakups…" Dr. Briefs said. Bulma hid her face in her hands, wishing the floor would swallow her up.

"What ARE you going on about, you old fool?" Vegeta snorted, digging into his mountain of scrambled eggs. "I can't follow a word of your idle prattle!"

"Oh Kami, I'm NOT here," Bulma groaned.

"I hope your intentions towards my daughter are honorable, sonny… that's what," Dr. Briefs said, looking pointedly at Vegeta.

Hiking a dark eyebrow, Vegeta regarded him suspiciously as if he'd sprouted a second head. "For your information, you old fool, I'm NOT sonny, nor am I in ANY way related to you. And SECONDLY, you'll address me by my proper title, or at the very LEAST my proper name, got it?"

"Yes that's all very well, but you MUST understand that my little girl has needs, and you WILL have to learn that just because you two might have some plans to hem… spend time together in rather…"

"Dad, knock it off, it's NOT like that!" Bulma cried.

"Dear, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, how did you think YOU got here?"

"Mom, enough!" Bulma wailed.

"This is getting out of hand. Shut up all of you!" Vegeta exploded, slamming his hand on the table. "What the fuck are you babbling about, you insane bakas? I can't think with your idle chattering in my ears!"

"Well, that language isn't necessary, my stars," Bunny sniffed.

"I'm simply trying to make you understand that if you are planning on getting involved with my daughter…"

"Old man, let me get this straight. You think that the woman and I… are…" Vegeta asked.

"Well, aren't you? I mean your bed wasn't slept in, and you DID leave early from the party… and well…" Dr. Briefs said.

"Dad, no way!" Bulma shouted.

"You can trust us dear… if you two ARE having a relationship… we'd just like to know if you plan on…"

"Oh this is too fucking funny…" Vegeta smirked. "Can you believe this?"

"Kami, I'm so not here. Vegeta, please let's get the hell out of here, fix your ship and GO! I can't stand being here a second more…"

"Yes, I think its high time we did go…"

"Oh, so you ARE…" Dr. Briefs said.

"Old man, I'm taking a trip, and the woman is coming with me. Got it? And you won't have to worry your silly head about anything INDECENT because unlike some people, the Prince of Saiyans doesn't involve himself in casual affairs…" Vegeta said as he leaned close and grabbed Dr. Brief's coat. "So don't even INSULT me with your sick dirty little fantasies… got it?"

"Now hold on," Dr. Briefs said.

"Dad, nothing's going on… it's just… I'm fixing his ship and we're taking for a test flight!" Bulma yelled. "GOT IT! I'm NOT sleeping with him! We were just working in the lab together and I fell asleep! Vegeta found me and woke me up!"

"Why didn't you say so?" Dr. Briefs stammered.

"Because you didn't shut up long enough. Anyway, what I chose to do with the woman is our… my business," Vegeta snorted, getting up from the table. He grabbed a tray and threw his sizeable portions on it, then grabbed Bulma's hand in his other. Marching out with his breakfast and Bulma, he left the two parents scratching and shaking their heads.

"Well I never…" Dr. Briefs shook his head. "Young people!"

"Dear, don't worry… I'm sure they'll behave themselves…" Bunny reassured him.

"That's not what I'm worried about…" Dr. Briefs said, wiping his forehead off. "That man has a foul mouth on him. I just don't want to see our little princess get hurt… if it were anyone else I'd be panicking just about now… This going up into space business doesn't seem natural… unless they're going up there to spend some time alone and do what young people their age do"

"I'm sure they ARE together… you see the way they were avoiding each other's glances? Who knows, when that young man brings our little girl back, we might see grandchildren before you know it!"

"Well, he'd better fess up, because people will say things. At least he's got some intelligence in that head. Unlike her last boyfriend…" Dr. Briefs shrugged. "I hope he does the honorable thing if he DOES knock her up and marry her! If he's a so called prince…"

"Maybe I should dust off those wedding plans…" Bunny grinned.

"It WOULD be nice to see her settle down. I only hope that she gets him to clean up his language. Phew!" Dr. Briefs sighed. He picked up his mug of coffee and took a sizeable gulp.

***

"Vegeta, put me down!" Bulma protested. He dropped her into one of the seats by her workbench, then resumed eating the breakfast he'd swiped.

"Stupid old goat," Vegeta commented. "Can't mind his own fucking business. Serve him right if I did blast this place into the next dimension…"

Bulma yelled right into his ear, "Vegeta, you'll do NO such thing, or you'll never get off this 'third rock from the sun'! You wouldn't DARE blow up my parents, buster!"

"I won't… I'm only joking woman, so shut up and let me eat in peace," Vegeta waved her away. "Can't get away from this planet SOON enough. How much longer till we're ready to take off?"

"How long of a test flight are you suggesting?" Bulma asked him, snagging a piece of bacon off his plate. He turned to the sizeable pile of hotcakes while she grabbed one of the dozen donuts he'd swiped from the kitchen counter.

"Depends on how much fuel," Vegeta said between mouthfuls. "Now hurry up…"

Bulma sighed with pleasure as she bit into smooth creamy chocolate icing, covering a freshly baked vanilla donut. She followed it up with hot coffee, glad that she'd grabbed a mug of it while she was dragged out of the kitchen.

Within a few minutes Bulma finished her donut, and cleared up the breakfast dishes. "Well I'm gonna get a shower and change before we launch," she said.

"You can do that in space," Vegeta said.

"What, and have you walk in on me? No way… you get your stuff together, and I'll show up in CLEAN clothes, thank you very much!"

"Just hurry up, woman, I'm anxious to see if the repairs work," Vegeta snorted, tossing the plates on the tray. She grabbed it and marched out down the hall. Neither she nor Vegeta noticed Yamucha and Ami poking their heads around the corner to peer into the hanger.

***

"What are we doing here again?" Ami whispered, buttoning up her dress.

"Spying on them to see what they're up to. I just KNOW that guy's up to something… he's got some kind of hold over Bulma… she's not been this into a project since that ship to Namek…"

"I don't know you guys… maybe we should just get Goku to talk to them, or Piccolo. I don't like sneaking around…" Krillen whispered.

"You hear that, they're planning on taking that ship there up… we've got to stop them… before Vegeta kidnaps Bulma. I just know he's trying to escape fighting the androids…" Yamucha hissed back.

"Um, well whatever we do, we'd better do it soon. They're talking about launching and refueling…"

"I don't know, Yamucha," said Krillen.

"Why is he insisting on taking her with him? He could just take the ship and leave… I wouldn't care. But he's got Bulma going with him! Doesn't that mean something to you?" Yamucha asked.

"Why don't we just stow away on the ship someplace and keep an eye on them. If it's nothing, it's nothing. Then we can just convince them to turn around," said Krillen. "If we're in trouble, then we can radio back to earth…"

"Sounds good to me," said Yamucha. "You girls better stay here."

"No way, we're going too," Yumi whispered.

"She's our friend," Ami nodded. "They've got to be supplying the ship, so maybe we can climb into a crate and when they load it in the cargo hold…"

"Don't be stupid… we should get into a safer place. We'll need cushioning for G force…" Krillen whispered. "Let's go get into some spacesuits, and get onboard while they're still working. We'd better keep our ki shielded from Vegeta…"

"Right… this way," Yamucha nodded, leading the way down the hall to the workshops where various equipment was stored.

***