One - Written by PhantomScribe72
Vegeta was lost in a dark mist. He couldn’t see past the fog that surrounded him. “Trunks?” he called out, panicked, “Boy, where are you?”
Bulma was jerked out of a deep sleep by the tortured sound of Vegeta calling for his son. She quickly jumped up and ran over to the bed where Vegeta lay tossing and turning.
“Vegeta,” she said softly, trying to shake him awake, “Vegeta, Trunks is fine. You’re dreaming.”
“No,” Vegeta groaned, “no please don’t...”
“Vegeta!” Bulma shook him harder, “Trunks is fine. Please wake up!”
Vegeta shot upright in the bed, clutching the sheets against him. He winced as the pain raced through his body. He looked around the room wildly.
“Trunks is fine,” Bulma whispered. “No, he’s dead.” Vegeta said flatly.
Bulma sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. “No, Vegeta,” she soothed, “they wished him back. He’s downstairs waiting for you to recover.”
Vegeta shook his head, trying to clear the fog. He felt his son’s strong ki and realized that Trunks was indeed fine.
“Kakarrott?” He asked quietly.
“No,” Bulma said as the tears welled up in her eyes, “he didn’t want to be wished back.”
Vegeta slowly turned his head away from her. “I’m sorry,” he said through gritted teeth. “I know he was your...friend.”
Bulma sighed and stood up and walked away from the bed, “Yes, he was the best friend I ever had.”
Vegeta turned back to look at her. He could feel her sadness and anger, but he also felt another strong emotion...relief. “Woman,” he said quietly, “it is all my fault...I couldn’t....my stupid pride...”
Bulma studied his face carefully. She finally sighed and walked over to sit beside him on the bed. “Yes, Vegeta,” she said, “it is all your fault. But, it’s over and done with now and everything has been set right by the dragon balls.”
Vegeta wanted to reach out to her, but he couldn’t quite force himself to do it. He closed his eyes and silently begged her forgiveness. He felt her hands reach out and caress his face. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her face.
“I thought...” he hesitated, “I thought I would be strong enough. All of that power and strength...I worked so hard. It still wasn’t enough.”
Bulma gently climbed into the bed and laid her head on his shoulder, “It’s over Vegeta,” she said sadly, “Cell is dead, Trunks is fine, and thank Kami, you’re alive. Let it go.”
Vegeta wrapped one of his hands around her waist and tangled the other in her hair. He couldn’t let it go. He had been sure he could defeat Cell. He thought he had been so powerful, but Cell had killed Kakarrott, and then Trunks and Vegeta had been helpless to stop it. In the end, Kakarrott’s little brat, Gohan had defeated Cell while Vegeta laid on the ground in agony.
“It’s OK, Vegeta,” Bulma whispered, kissing his cheek.
“No,” Vegeta said gruffly, “it will never be OK.”
Vegeta sighed angrily and rolled his eyes. The Woman was really getting on his nerves. She had been fussing over him for days and it was starting to make him sick to his stomach.
“Vegeta!” Bulma said breathlessly, “Hold still so I can check your bandage!”
Vegeta pushed her aside and rolled off the bed. He snatched the bandage off his head and threw it carelessly onto the floor. “Leave me alone, Woman,” he snapped.
“I'm just trying to help,” Bulma sighed.
“Well, I don't need your help,” he said roughly, “but there's a perfectly good baby down the hall if you still feel the need to practice your mothering instincts.”
Bulma rolled her eyes, “Well, excuse the fuck out of me for giving a damn.”
“Look, Woman,” he said trying to remain calm, “we've been over this before. I am an elite warrior. I don't need you to fuss over me like some pathetic mother hen.”
“You know, Vegeta,” she replied, “it's seems to me that you'd be happy that anyone even bothered to care what happens to your worthless hide.”
“Be careful,” Vegeta snarled, “your mouth is going to get you into serious trouble.”
Bulma raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. “Bring it on, bad ass,” she challenged, “I'm not afraid of you.”
Vegeta stalked over to her, grabbed her arms, and pulled her roughly against his body. Bulma's eyes widened in shock. She had thought that he was still too weak from injuries to cause any trouble.
Vegeta chuckled at the surprised expression on her face. “What's wrong, Woman,” he asked with amusement, “Bite off a little more than you could chew?”
Bulma was trying to stammer out an answer when the bedroom door flew open and baby Trunks toddled in, followed closely by the teenage Trunks.
“Ahem,” Trunks cleared his throat when he saw Bulma wrapped in Vegeta's arms, “sorry to interrupt.” Vegeta pushed Bulma away from his body, “Are you almost ready to go?” he asked the teenager.
“Are you in a hurry to be rid of me father?” Trunks asked with a grin.
Vegeta started to spit out a brutal reply, then he saw the twinkle in his son's eye. “You know,” he said with a smirk, “you're a lot like your mother. You waste an awful lot of time asking questions for which you already know the answer.”
Bulma sighed and picked up her baby. She walked over and put her hand on the teenager's arm. “Ignore you father,” she said, “he can be a royal pain in the ass sometimes.”
Vegeta glared angrily at Bulma, but said nothing.
“Well,” Trunks said with a sigh, “I guess it's about time for me to go.”
Bulma couldn't help the tears that clouded up in her eyes. “I'm going to miss you so much,” she cried.
“I know,” Trunks tried to comfort her, “But I have to go back and try to set things right. I have to get back to my time…to my mother.”
Bulma hugged Trunks tightly and began to sob.
“That's enough of this foolishness,” Vegeta bellowed. “Leave us, Woman. The boy and I need to talk.”
“Listen, you asshole,” Bulma hiccupped, “can't you stop being a jerk for a minute and let me say goodbye?”
Vegeta sighed angrily and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I promise you will have time to say goodbye,” he said gently, “but it is very important that I speak to him alone before he goes.”
Bulma looked at Vegeta uncertainly, but the baby in her arms was starting to squirm and demand her attention anyway, so she kissed the teenage Trunks on the cheek and reluctantly left the room. Vegeta started pacing as soon as the door was closed. Trunks walked over and sat down on the bed, waiting for his father to start speaking. After what seemed like an eternity, Vegeta finally stopped pacing and turned to face his son.
“What did they tell you about me?” he demanded.
“Who?” Trunks asked, caught off guard by the question.
“Who?” Vegeta mocked, rolling his eyes. “Your mother, Gohan…in your time…what did they tell you about me?”
Trunks considered the question for a few moments. He knew that Vegeta wasn't going to like his answer, but he needed to know the truth. He took a deep breath and said, “Mom doesn't talk about you much. She only said that you were very strong and very brave and that you gave your life trying to defeat the androids.”
“And Gohan?” Vegeta demanded.
Trunks took a deep breath, “He said you were a real son of a bitch who never gave a damn about another living soul.”
“Really?” Vegeta seemed surprised by the answer. Gohan had always seemed to be as easygoing and nonjudgmental as his father. Vegeta found it almost amusing that the little brat would insult him in such a manner. “Well, now that you have met me, you can make up your own mind about me.”
“I already have made up my mind about you, Father,” Trunks replied quietly.
Vegeta walked over to stand in front of the boy. “When you get back,” he said solemnly, “you must face the androids of your time. Take what you have learned from your time here and use it to defeat them. You must fight them with intelligence. If you try to fight them with brute strength they will kill you.”
“I know, Father. I'll be careful,” Trunks promised.
“Fine,” Vegeta said gruffly, “now go find your mother and let her say goodbye.”
Trunks got up to leave the room, “Aren't you coming Father?” he asked.
“No,” Vegeta said, “There's something I have to do first. I'll see you before you go.”
“Alright,” Trunks said with disappointment and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
Vegeta stood staring at the tombstone. He still couldn't believe that Kakarrott was gone. The inscription on the stone was simple, but poignant: Son Goku - Beloved Husband, Father, and Friend. Vegeta knew that Kakarrott had not been his friend…Vegeta had never had a friend, at least not until Bulma…but he still felt the loss keenly. Kakarrott had been his most hated enemy, but Vegeta had always respected him. Vegeta was no fool. He knew that there were very few beings in the universe that could match his power…and Kakarrott had been one of those beings.
Vegeta bent down on one knee and took a deep breath. “Kakarrott,” he said quietly, “I am sorry for the loss of your life. If I had only destroyed Cell when I had the chance…”
“It's not your fault he's gone,” a voice said from behind Vegeta.
Vegeta turned around quickly and saw Chi Chi coming toward the grave with an armful of fresh flowers.
“I am the one who allowed Cell to achieve his complete form,” Vegeta snapped, annoyed that she had gotten so close to him without him noticing her presence.
“Yes,” Chi Chi said, bending to place he flowers around the tombstone, “it is your fault that he was killed, but it's not your fault that he's gone.”
“What are you babbling about?” he asked with barely contained frustration. “You're not even making any sense.”
Chi Chi stood up and looked at him warily. She knew that Vegeta was supposedly one of the good guys now, but she still didn't trust him. In fact, she was still very afraid of him. “Vegeta,” she began carefully, “Gohan and the others were more than willing to go to Namek and find the dragonballs. Goku did not want to be wished back. He made the decision to stay in the other dimension himself. He had his reasons…I don't understand them but he had them just the same. He is the one that is responsible for this tombstone…not you.”
Vegeta looked at Chi Chi for a long time before speaking. “He was a great warrior.”
“Yes he was,” Chi Chi sighed, “but I'm afraid that that will be of little comfort to me as I raise our children alone.”
Vegeta raised an eyebrow, “Children?”
“Yes, Vegeta,” Chi Chi said with a smile. “I'm pregnant. So I guess a part of Goku will always be around…in Gohan and in this child that I'm carrying.”
“Yes,” Vegeta said, “I guess so.”
“Well,” Chi Chi said, turning her back to Vegeta, “you'd better get back home. Bulma is probably missing you by now.”
“Yes she probably is,” Vegeta agreed. He reached out and touched her lightly on the shoulder, causing Chi Chi to jump with surprise and fright.
“I have wondered many times why Kakarrott would take such a harsh and shrill woman for a mate. Now I understand completely.” Vegeta flew off into the clouds before Chi Chi could respond. She stared after him with a confused look on her face until he was nothing but a tiny speck in the sky. Then she shrugged her shoulders and went back to arranging the flowers around Goku's grave.
Vegeta leaned against a tree, his eyes scanning the crowd gathered around the time pod. The whole Z team had turned out to bid Trunks goodbye. Bulma seemed to be thrilled to be surrounded by her friends, but Trunks seemed a little flustered by all the attention. Vegeta was keeping his distance. He had said his goodbyes to Trunks in private after coming back from Kakarrott's grave. He had no intention of putting his personal business on public display.
From where he was standing, he could see Trunks climb into the pod and fire up the engine. Vegeta sighed in relief. He wasn't exactly happy to see Trunks leave, but he would be happy as hell when this circus was finally over and all of those idiots went home.
Vegeta saw Trunks glance in his direction and send him a small wave. Vegeta smirked and gave him the thumbs up sign. He regretted doing so almost immediately. The useless Namek had seen the exchange between father and son and had dared to shoot Vegeta a satisfied grin. Vegeta gave him a glare that would turn most men to a quivering pile of jelly. The Namek simply raised his eyebrows and slowly turned away.
Vegeta turned his attention back to his son. Trunks gave everyone a final wave. Bulma handed baby Trunks to Yamcha and crawled up onto the pod's entrance. Trunks leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. Bulma stepped down and the door slid shut. Vegeta saw the tears that ran down her face as the pod took off. She waved until it flew out of sight.
Her friends gathered around her, giving her as much comfort as they could. Vegeta saw her eyes scan across the landscape…he knew she was looking for him. When she saw him leaning against the tree, their eyes met and locked for what seemed like an eternity. Vegeta finally ripped his gaze away from hers and pushed away from the tree, heading towards the gravity machine. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her take Trunks out of Yamcha's arms and start to follow him. She was practically running in an effort to catch up with him. Vegeta finally stopped. He never turned around to look at her, but he stood still long enough for her to catch him.
When she was finally beside him, he turned his head sideways and gave her a questioning look. When she said nothing, he raised his eyebrows and began walking again, but this time, he walked slow enough for her to keep up. When they reached the gravity room, Vegeta didn't go in. He continued to walk with her until they reached the front door to the house. He opened the door for her. She carried Trunks inside. Vegeta disappeared into the house after her, and slammed the door shut with a bang.
The Z Team watch in amazement as Vegeta walked to the house with his family.
“Would you look at that!” Krillin said, shaking his head in wonder.
“Yeah,” Piccolo said, “I guess wonders never cease.”
Yamcha didn't say a word. He watched silently as the woman he still loved disappeared into the house with the father of her child. When Vegeta slammed the door, Yamcha smiled a smile that was both happy and sad. He was happy that Vegeta finally seemed to be coming to grips with his feelings for Bulma. He was sad for his own loss…the loss of the only woman he had ever loved.
Bulma laid awake in the bed, waiting for Vegeta to get out of the shower. It had been an incredibly long day. The future Trunks had gone back to his time. Bulma had cried for hours after his departure. The only thing that had kept her from going to bed and curling herself up into a tight ball of pain had been that her baby needed her. Baby…Bulma thought with amusement, he would be a year old soon. She had already bought his presents and planned his birthday party. She let her gaze wander over to the closed bathroom door. She wondered if the man inside would be around for his son's birthday.
He had been behaving strangely since Trunks left. He had seemed to want to comfort her, but it was clear her didn't know how to do it. He finally got so frustrated and the situation got so awkward that Bulma had sent him out to train in the gravity room.
Bulma sighed deeply as she contemplated what her future with Vegeta would hold. He wasn't a family man, and if today was any indication, he never would be. She smiled sadly as she remembered the look of disgust that had crossed his face when Trunks had fallen down and ran to her to kiss his boo boo. Yes, she thought, he was way out of his element when it came to dealing with their baby.
A single tear escaped her eye as she came to grips with the probability that he would soon leave again. She just couldn't see him settling down with her. She knew that he needed his freedom. She also knew that she loved him enough that she would never try to keep him with her if he wanted to go.
The bathroom door suddenly flew open and Vegeta stalked over to the bed. He stood above her and glared at her angrily for a while. Then he removed the towel that was wrapped around his waste and walked over to his side of the bed.
“I'm not going anywhere, Woman,” he said as he slid under the covers.
“You've been reading my mind without permission again,” she said weakly.
He reached out and pulled her up against his body so that her head was lying on her chest. “It's not my fault you're too lazy to keep your mental wall up,” he said with a smirk.
Bulma smiled and lifted her head to kiss him gently on the chin. “Yes, I do need to work on that. I'm afraid I haven't had much time to spend mediating since Trunks was born.”
“Well,” Vegeta said as he began to stroke her hair, “you're going to start making time…starting tomorrow.”
Bulma rolled over so that she was lying on top of his chest. She brought her face so close to his, their noses almost touched. “Vegeta,” she said breathlessly, “you don't have to stay. I know it will be very hard on you. I don't want to change who you are. I fell in love with you because of who you are.”
“Bulma,” Vegeta whispered, “I'm staying with you because I want to. I'm not saying that there won't be times when I need to go away for awhile. But when I do leave, you will always be assured of the fact that I will be coming back to you soon.”
Bulma smiled and bent her mouth to claim his. He allowed her to kiss him for several minutes before taking control of the kiss. He kissed her thoroughly, but gently. He used his hands to caress her breast. Bulma squirmed on top of his body. She needed him so badly. Vegeta felt her desperation. He brought his hands down to massage her buttocks. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when her slid a finger under her panties and discovered that she was already moist. “Woman,” he whispered as he nibbled at her ear, “you are already ready for me.”
“Oh, Vegeta,” she moaned. His finger had begun to stoke her clit gently. “I'm always ready for you. All you have to do is look at me and I get wet.”
Vegeta smiled and rolled on top of her. He disposed of her panties. He laced his hands through hers and kissed her deeply as he entered her. His eyes never left hers the entire time he made love to her. Bulma thought she would die from the intense look of need in his eyes. When they both finally climaxed, he wrapped her up in his arms tightly.
“I love you, Vegeta,” Bulma sighed just before she drifted off to sleep.
Vegeta smiled against her hair. He place a gentle kiss on the top of her head and then let sleep claim him.
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