Chichi

Chichi sighed as she scrubbed the heavy pans. Goku and Gohan were off training again. Something about killer robots this time. Chichi sighed again. She understood that both of her men were needed to keep the planet safe but…why couldn’t Gohan at least TRY to study at the same time? He didn’t even know what kind of opportunity was knocking on his door! Chichi sighed for the third time. She just got so lonely when Goku, Gohan, even her father left. Always doing something else and leaving her alone. ‘I know! I’ll call Bulma! She always cheers me up!’ Chichi dried her hands on a dishtowel and made her way to the phone.

Vegeta

‘Damn! Curse Kakkorot! How did he do it?!?!’ Vegeta threw several ki blasts at the robots circling around him. Four got fried. ‘How did he become a Super Saiyan, when I , the rightful heir, did not?!’ The irony and unfairness stung at Vegeta’s soul. ‘Kakkorot doesn’t care or even appreciate his power. Why him?! I would rather have seen Nappa become a Super Saiyan before I but Nooooooo! It had to be that third class baka!’ Briefly Vegeta stopped to wonder how a person could tell Nappa was a Super Saiyan, any different from his usual bald self. Vegeta shuddered at the thought. ‘Ok. Maybe not Nappa and certainly not Raditzu. Dammit! I should have become the legendary! Not any of these idiots!’ Vegeta blasted five more robots to the next dimension. An extra ki blast bounced around the room till Vegeta directed it to the last robot. The robot was instantly incinerated.

Vegeta’s stomach growled reminding him that it had been several hours since he last ate. He grabbed a towel around his shoulders then stalked out of the Gravity Room. He stormed into the kitchen noticing the TV was on in the living room and that Mrs. Briefs was sniffling. ‘Probably watching another damn soap opera.’ He snorted, then began rummaging through the fridge for the sandwiches Mrs. Briefs had made in advance for him. That damned onna hadn’t said a word to him since the basement two days ago, and Mrs. Briefs had taken pity on him. He had managed to bully Dr. Briefs into fixing the Gravity Machine for him and making some more training robots.

Vegeta sat at the table with his platter of sandwiches and his gallon of milk when the phone rang. It wasn’t for him; ((He doesn’t know anybody! Who would call, Goku?)) So he didn’t answer it. Dr. Briefs stalked into the room and picked up the phone after the fourth ring. "Hello, Capsule Corporation. This is Dr. Briefs." Vegeta rolled his eyes. His extra sensitive Saiyan hearing allowed him to pick up the other half of the conversation.

~" Hello Dr. Briefs! This is Chichi. I was just wondering if Bulma was there? "~

Dr. Brief’s eyes narrowed and Vegeta watched him. Since his first feeling in the basement Vegeta had been very aware of what his instincts told him. And they told him Dr. Briefs was bad news for Bulma. "Yes she’s here. Hold on." Dr. Briefs turned towards the door and bellowed, "Bulma! Telephone call! It’s here in the kitchen!" A few seconds later Vegeta heard the onna running down the stairs. "Hi Daddy!" She offered him a timid smile. "Who is it?" He handed her the phone and as he stalked back to the living room said, "Chichi."

As Bulma was turning back to the phone she caught Vegeta’s eye. He made the sign against evil toward the phone. She glared at him and smirking he started chowing down. "Hello?"

~" Bulma? "~ She brightened.

"Hi Chichi! Wazzup?"

The women began chatting about unimportant things for a few minutes.

~" Hey Bulma? "~ Chichi paused.

"Yeah Chi-chan?" Vegeta heard her draw in a deep breath before bursting into tears. "Chichi?" Bulma gasped urgently. "What’s wrong?"

There was sniffling from the other line. ~" Oh Bulma! I called because I’m so lonely with Goku and Gohan both off training! I…I called to talk to you because you always cheer me up but you’re depressed too! "~ Bulma blinked twice.

"How did you…?"

Her eyes suddenly fell on Vegeta who was finished eating, sitting back in his chair, and apparently listening to their conversation. "Chichi why don’t you come over and we’ll talk. Or better yet I’ll go over there!" She glared at him. He shrugged and got up from the table. He didn’t care if the onna was depressed. He walked into the living room.

Bulma

Bulma hung up with Chichi after promising she would be over as fast as she could. She growled slightly as she turned and found Vegeta’s dirty dishes still on the table. Picking them up she walked to the kitchen sink. "Onna! You had better get in here!" Vegeta’s voice found it’s way from the living room to the kitchen. She clenched her fists. The last thing she wanted was to talk to that jerk, especially since he was listening to her and Chichi. She tried to ignore him but…"Onna! Get in here! NOW!" Still she ignored him. "BULMA!" He shouted. She dropped the plate she had been holding in surprise. He NEVER said her real name!

She rushed into the living room and her heart immediately sank. She was met by a heart breaking but oh-so-familiar scene. Her mother lay crumpled and crying on the floor. The back of her shirt was badly ripped and her hair was a tangled mess. Her mother was crying into her hands, Vegeta was squatting next to her, rubbing one hand up and down her back, and the other handing her a box of tissues, while whispering words of comfort in her ear. He looked up at her stricken expression and scowled. Softly Bulma walked up to her mother, wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her up. She led her towards the staircase but paused to stare at Vegeta who stood in his classic position. Legs apart, arms crossed over chest, small frown, but this time his expression looked thoughtful. "Domo Arigatou." Bulma murmured before leading her distrot and beaten mother to her room. She sat her onto her parents be, went into their private bathroom, and started a warm, gentle shower. She led her mother by the hand to it then exited the bathroom again in search of different clothes.

"Bulma will you be here when I get out?" Her mother asked frightened. "Please don’t leave!" She whimpered. "Alright mama. I just need to make a quick call." Bulma slipped out of the room and ran down the hall to get her cell phone from her purse.

The phone rang twice. ~" Hello. Son residence. "~

"Chichi? It’s me Bulma again."

~" Bulma? What’s wrong? You sound really…"~ Bulma cut her off.

"Chi-chan? I need a really big favor. I can’t leave the house but I really need to speak to you in person. Can you come here instead?" Bulma held her breath.

~" I dunno Bulma. Goku and Gohan might be coming home soon…I need to speak to you too but, I don’t want to be gone when they get back. "~

Bulma took a deep breath to keep from crying. "Please Chichi? If you’re my friend…I need you right now. Mama…she…I can’t explain over the phone!" Bulma’s voice cracked under the strain of keeping her tears in.

~" Bulma, I’ll come if I can leave a note for Goku honey and Gohan sweetie to come there. Is that ok? "~ Bulma smiled through her tears. "Yeah! That’s great, just please hurry!" Pause. "And don’t tell daddy anything if you see him!" She added apprehensively.

~" Gotcha. "~ Chichi said sounding confused. ~" Bye. "~ She hung up before Bulma could say good-bye. ‘Hurry Chichi! I need you now!’ She thought before dashing back to her mother’s side.

Vegeta

That conversation he hadn’t meant to hear! ‘The onna sounded so…scared.’ Vegeta frowned at the thought. ‘She doesn’t get scared! She’s not even afraid of me!’ Vegeta lay back on his bed. After Bulma had taken Mrs. Briefs upstairs Vegeta had flown to his bedroom window. For some reason seeing that, Mrs. Briefs on the floor sobbing, Bulma’s stricken face, it left him feeling tired and apprehensive. Like the calm before a storm. He had come to his room to take a nap and think a little bit. He had heard the onna rush to her own bedroom, across the hall and to the left. She hadn’t been talking loudly but his trained Saiyan ears could detect a lot.

‘What,’ he mussed to himself, ‘was so important that the onna almost had a break down over it?’ Sure, she was overly sensitive in his opinion but looking at all the Chikyuu-jins he saw on TV and their problems, compared to them she had a cool head. Calm, cool, and collected. The only other times he had seen her like this was when she broke up with her ‘boyfriend’ Yamcha…and when her life was threatened. Vegeta pondered that for a moment. ‘No. If she were in a life-threatening situation she would tell Kakkorot or one of his other friends.’ Still she had been scared.

She’d been timid and jumpy for two days. Vegeta frowned thinking back. The morning had been usual. They had argued about her cooking, the Gravity Room, how weak she was, her cooking, her disrespectful attitude, that he would kill Kakkorot and blow up the planet, and her cooking. She had been fine then. He hadn’t seen her again till after her shower when she had started acting strange. Vegeta growled in confusion. ‘What is up with that onna? She used to act like Queen of the World, and then she suddenly had an attitude change? No. That’s not right. ‘

They had argued like this before. Her getting upset with him and not speaking to him for a few days, so she wasn’t treating HIM any different, not her mother, not Kakkorot, Kakkorot’s she-devil mate, or her friends. ‘Who?’

Vegeta sat bolt right up in bed. ‘Her father! He’s treating HER different and she’s treating HIM different! She is afraid of him. Why?’ Vegeta chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, before his attitude caught up with his brain. ‘Why do I even care?!?! I don’t! That onna means nothing!’ He got up and began pacing the room before walking to the mirror in his private bathroom. "You do NOT care." He said sternly to his reflection, not quite being able to look himself in the eye. ‘Kuso!’ Vegeta shook his head at himself. ‘I need more sleep.’ He moved back into his room, lay down, and closed his eyes. But it was still almost another hour before he could fall asleep.



Next time: Chichi and Bulma have a heart to heart. Or favorite Saiyan no Ouji finds more pieces to his puzzle.

Wella! Watcha think?! I got a sudden flash of inspiration and just had to write! Thanx again for all the reviews and encouragement! But seeing as it’s 11:56 p.m. I’m goin’ ta bed!

Love, Peace, and Bullet-proof Marshmallows! May the Gohan Vu-du doll live forever!

Bulma4veggie