Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Alternate Reality ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three

Bulma's eyes fluttered open to the empty side of her bed. It was a routine procedure, but this morning, it seemed different. Buried thoughts of her dead lover began to resurface and feelings of deep nostalgia filled her. It was almost as if Vegeta was still alive, somewhere on the compound. Training or whatever else his morning regime consisted of.

At that though, Bulma got angry with herself and decided not to dwell on such things so early in the morning. She had only gotten a few hours of sleep. So, when she decided to wake herself with a warm shower, she padded across the carpet, clad in her nightie and fuzzy slippers.

~*~

From where Vegeta stood on the balcony, he could only hear her waking and then walking across the floor. He didn't dare look at her, knowing that she barely wore anything in the morning and he wasn't sure how he'd react. So he sat in the early morning sun, on the balcony that he used to love so much. Countless times he had awoken his sleeping mate to watch the sunrise and many times, they had stood there, just watching the stars. Somewhere in his mind, Vegeta missed those feelings, yet he never once was going to admit it. Five years of being without these people didn't change what he would and would not say.

Soon, Vegeta heard the distinct sound of running water and knew that Bulma was showering. And so, he waited.

~*~

Bulma stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. The room was now filled with soap-scented steam. Bulma opened the door seperating the bathroom and bedroom and the scent permeated the other room. Feeling dried off, Bulma proceded to dress herself casually. Feeling a little lazy, she merely towel-dried her hair, letting the air do the rest.

Something soon compelled her to step closer to her glass sliding doors and to open the curtains. The door quietly slid open and she stepped onto the balcony, looking across the city. She didn't even notice the man who stood beside her.

"Good morning," Vegeta said softly, the faint hint of a smirk appearing on his face. He didn't need to look at Bulma to know her reaction.

Bulma immediately recognized the deep voice and she had to look over to make sure it wasn't in her head. She gazed to her left to see the profile of her dead lover, flame-like hair and all. With tears forming in her azure eyes, Bulma opened her mouth to say something but no words would come.

But soon, Bulma's doubt clouded her feelings. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No! You're just a figment of my imagination and I'm only hallucinating!!" she yelled.

Vegeta sighed, knowing that this reaction was highly plausible as well. With strong arms, Vegeta grasped her shoulders to make her stop.

Bulma's eyes shot open in response, staring backing into Vegeta's coal dark eyes. He looked so real. He felt so real. And if he were only her nostalgic imagination, then she had a damn good one.

She squeezed her eyes shut again and a fresh set of tears formed. She then leaned up against Vegeta's chest, crying into his midnight blue shirt. This was becoming a little much for the middle-aged, blue-haired woman.

Vegeta openly welcomed her. He fondly remembered moments like this before, such as when Goku had died. But he had missed the feeling of his arms around her frail body for five long years. And when he heard her muffled sobs, he realized that she was neither happy nor sad.

"Why did you have to come back now?" Bulma's muffled voice asked Vegeta's chest. The rhetorical question only triggered more and she was soon standing out of the arms of her ex-lover and glaring. "Why now, Vegeta?! I'm getting married in one month! Why come back now?!?"

This was a side of her that Vegeta had not seen in a while. Anger. He glared down at her when she looked at him with fiery, questioning eyes. He refused to answer her questions. Defiance.

Bulma was the first to look away. She crossed her arms and turned to look at West City. "I don't know what the hell you're doing here. But y'know, I just got over the fact that you were gone and weren't coming back." She paused for a while, not really knowing what to say next.

"It was a very noble thing for you to do. Not coming back, I mean. Giving your life for Goku's like that," she laughed shortly, "I would've never believed it. But Goku said so, and I believed him.

"We held a funeral for you. I tried to tell Goku that we shouldn't have. I tried to tell him that it was honorable enough to say that you died in battle. But we held a damn funeral and I had to be there."

At this time, Bulma's eyes began to sparkle with unshed tears. Vegeta intently listened to her anecdote and contemplated it. She did know him far too well, and he smirked at her recollection of the funeral.

"And then I tried to get over it. You weren't there and you never were going to be. So I stopped sleeping in our bed; I didn't even go into the room very often. I almost even completely destroyed the GR, but Trunks didn't let me. And I would suppose that's what he's doing right now," she smiled. "He definitely is your son."

Vegeta smirked at her comment and a tiny spark of pride made him glad that Trunks was not turning into his counterpart from the future.

But then Bulma's eyes filled with anger again. "And then I found solace. Solace in my ex-boyfriend. We became like we once were and a year ago, he proposed."

She had to look away from a Vegeta who was hiding his anger very well. That metaphorical slap kinda hurt.

"We actually set the date for three months ago, but Videl and Gohan had just had a baby, so we delayed it for another four months."

Vegeta stared at her for a long time before she spoke again. He soon realized that five years had changed Bulma. She had moved on with her life, unlike Chichi had twelve years ago.

"And now you're here. I can't believe that you would just appear on my balcony and then what?!" she asked, the fire raging inside her grew and she was taking it out on Vegeta. "Do you want me to just welcome you back with open arms?! Well that's just too bad, Vegeta. I've found a way to move on and I don't think that I could EVER forgive you for leaving." She then turned and walked back inside. This was looking very bleak for the Saiya-jin prince.

****I bet all those metaphorical slaps hurt too. I'm sorry guys, for not updating sooner. I had every intention of getting this up about two weeks ago. . . but I've been having some problems with my social life and I can't seem to get any free time to type fics. But, now that this is up, I should have the 4th chapter up shortly. I hope. ::crosses fingers::

So please review, seeing as how you got this far. That's all I ask. . . .****