Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Any Woman, Anytime, Anywhere... ❯ Chapter Nine ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ/GT. FUNimation, TOEI Animation, and Akira Toriyama get that privilege.

AN: Damn…I don't know if my quick updates are a healthy thing, or not. I mean it feels like I just posted chapter 8 yesterday!!!! Oh well, I guess it's better for you guys, the readers. Anywayz, don't forget to REVIEW!!!!! Oh yeah, I know in previous chapters, 18 and ChiChi already knew about the bet, but now they find out that their boyfriends were in on it too, which gets them really pissed off.

Chapter Nine (almost done with the fic folks!!!)

"I guess everything didn't go as we planned…" Marron said glumly to Krillin over the phone. Krilin was equally disappointed, and on top of that, he was hurt…badly.

"Yeah, and Juu practically killed me 'cause I didn't get her that bracelet."

"Oh…well, she did forgive you in the end, right?" Marron asked.

"I dunno, she was kinda quiet at dinner. She didn't even kiss me goodnight when I dropped her off at her house after the restaurant. I got her roses though!"

"Oh, don't worry. You two were meant to be together…as were Vegeta and I. But he's currently joyriding around America right now. I can't believe that bastard, what the hell possessed him. Honestly!" she fumed.

"Yeah, I know what you're feeling. I mean I can take 18 yelling at me, but the disappointed way she was looking at me last night was practically too much to bear. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd think she'd know about 'the bet'."

"Well, they sorta do…"

"Yeah, but they didn't know me and Goku were in on it…so I think we're cool. But hey, I've gotta go now, okay? My shift at the Y starts in half an hour. See ya later, Marron!"

"Bye Krillin."

*****************

"What?!?!" ChiChi screeched. "You mean to tell me that you and Vegeta and Krillin made some sort of ridiculous bet!? I don't believe you, son-kun!"

"I'm really sorry, Chi. Maybe we should wait 'til everyone gets here. And me an' Krillin can tell you guys the whole story-"

"-too late." Came a flat voice in the doorway of ChiChi and Goku's apartment.

"Juu!" he cried in surprised. "You're…um…here…"

"Rocket science." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Where's Krillin?" ChiChi asked, slowly recovering from the shock.

"Oh, he's still at work." 18 observed in a cool tone, nonchalantly examining her fingernails. "But it's not like it really matters…he's been a true bitch lately. I think he's got this thing for Marron."

"What?!?" ChiChi and Goku exclaimed simulataneously.

"Yeah," Juu looked up, her usually composed expression looking strained this time. "He's been calling her a lot, and more than once, have I had mutual friends who said that he's been talking to her in secret. It also doesn't help that they have a history…" her voice trailed off as her lower lip began to quaver, faintly.

"Aww…" ChiChi said, giving her best friend a hug. "You know you're the only one Krillin loves."

"Yeah well, he sure has funny ways of showing it. He didn't even get me that bracelet that he knows I've been dying for for ages." Goku's gaze wavered. He knew the whole entire situation with the bracelet. Krillin hadn't forgotten, his finances just couldn't afford it, he decided to speak up for his friend.

"Well, maybe Krillin just couldn't afford the bracelet. I mean I know that he's been really pressured lately. Not to mention that he suddenly had to buy three new textbooks because his biology professor suddenly decided that the ones they were using were 'inadequate', so the whole entire class was forced to buy new books."

"Really?" Juu asked softly, her expression softening. "If it was for something like books, then I can understand. He didn't even tell me that he didn't get my bracelet. Just that when he didn't give it to me at the end of the evening I was upset. Now I feel kinda bad-" she was cut off by the sound of rapping at the door.

"Hello?" Bulma's voice came through the wood, ChiChi walked over and pulled the door open. There was Bulma, looking as perfect and as pressed as usual. Dressed in silk, black slacks, black sandaled heels, a pale green top, and a light leather jacket over it, she looked wonderful. In fact, expertly applied makeup hid the bags and circles under her eyes, and if she was facing anyone else, they wouldn't have caught the wary look in her eyes, but then again, she was facing her best friends.

"B-chan…" Juu said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Bulma asked in that high-pitched, strained voice that she seemed to be adapting these days. "Oh, don't worry about me…I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seem-" and ChiChi was cut off by the sudden arrival of Krillin and his boisterous entrance through the front door. All of the people in their group had been given keys by Goku and ChiChi. The couple was so disoriented that both of them often forgot their keys, and would have to borrow a friend's. Bulma on the other hand, was particularly unorganized today, also.

Krllin leaned forward to give Juu and friendly peck on the lips, she abruptly turned her head so that his lips gently grazed her hair (o0o…rejected! ^__^). Krillin looked dumbfounded.

"Still mad at me, huh?" he smiled. Then he turned to the rest of the group. "Now what was it that you guys all wanted to talk about, huh?"

"Oh yeah, before I forget," Goku spoke up. "Did you guys know that Vegeta-"

"Don't say that name!" Bulma commanded. "I refuse to associate with anyone who has known him…or has…" and she broked down into helpless tears, her slender form being wracked with her sobs.

"What's wrong?" Goku mouthed to ChiChi, she indicated Juu to stay with Bulma, and led the two guys over to a quiet corner.

"Bulma found out that Vegeta hooked up with her again because he wanted some money. She got so mad, and literally exploded at him. Hell, I would too. In fact, if I find out who those other guys were that was betting with him, I'll rip them limb from limb." Krillin and Goku both sweatdropped, looked at each other, and gulped.

"Wow…I wouldn't like to be in their shoes." Krillin said, nudging Goku.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Goku asked, "We are the ones wearing the shoes…Oh shit."

"What did you say?" ChiChi asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Juu looked over too. Goku had said his comment a little too loudly. Thankfully, Bulma had been sobbing too loudly to hear it.

"Nothing," Goku said, his eyes widening, the epitome of innocence.

"Oh, you're not getting outta this, buddy boy," ChiChi said sternly. "What were you saying?" she asked menacingly.

Goku cast Krillin a helpless glance. "Krillin and me made the bet with Vegeta…" he said feebly, his voice growing smaller with every word. ChiChi turned bright red, 18 whipped around, and just glared at him with those icy blue eyes and at the same time…

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!?!?!" they both yelled at the helpless Goku. Bulma, sensing all the commotion, looked up, just in time to hear Goku say…

"Um…Krillin an' me were the ones who made the bet with Vegeta-"

"WHAT?!?!" Bulma screamed. "You were the ones who did that. Ohmigod!!!! You don't know what you did…you guys…you're…I'm…"

"GOKU!!!!!!" ChiChi shrieked, the graveness of the situation finally setting in. "You are soooooo dead. I can't believe you would do something like that!!!!!…I'm never going to talk to you again."

"Aww…c'mon Chi it wasn't that bad…" Goku said looking helplessly around.

"I knew something was up," Juu huffed, breathing heavily. "I can't believe you'd do this…to your best friend! I thought you had better morals than that, Krillin. So you mean to tell me that you've been lying to me all this time?!?! I can't believe you, you are a bigger moron than I ever took you for. I can't believe I ever cared about you at any point."

"Amen to that," ChiChi muttered miserably. Bulma was still sobbing helplessly on the couch. "Are you sure you're okay, B?" but before Bulma could answer she rose up from the couch, and took something out of her bag.

"Ohmigod, she's gotta gun!!!!" Krillin shrieked diving under the table. Bulma shot him a lethal glance, and with as much strength as she could muster, threw the Ziploc bag at him.

"Take a look at that, you bastard. If it wasn't for you guys, it wouldn't have happened!!!!!!" and with that, Bulma flew out the door, and slammed the door shut with a loud thud.

"You are such a bastard!!!!" ChiChi shrieked, now throwing the nearest thing she could find at Goku, the silverware on the table. "I cannot believe you'd do that to Bulma. She's known you friggin longer than I have!!!!!!"

Juu simply stared at them with this heartbreaking, disappointed look etched on her crystalline features. "You know, when I first met you guys," she said softly. "I thought you were the nicest and most considerate people I knew. But you proved me wrong. I can't believe this…I…" she took a deep breath, and her next comment looked like it took all her resolve to say, "-I never want to see or talk to you two ever again." With that, she left the apartment the same way Bulma did, slamming the door so loudly that it left your ears ringing.

"The same goes for me, you inconsiderate, selfish sons of bitches." ChiChi yelled, slamming the door behind her. "Oh, and here's your promise ring, you liar!" she said, throwing the sterling silver ring at Goku.

*******************

After cleaning up the apartment, and receiving several calls of complaint from their neighboors, Krillin and Goku sat, exhausted emotionally and physically, onto the couch.

"I can't believe that just happened," Goku said, miserably cradling his head.

"Well, believe it…Man, I can't believe Juu would just dump me like that. All over a stupid bet!" Krillin fumed.

"Well," Goku mused. "It didn't seem so stupid at the time. But I think there was more behind her dumping you over that."

"Nani?" Krillin asked, "What're you talking about?"

"Well, before the whole…y'know….fight…18 said something about how she thought you were…um…cheating on her…with Marron."

"Really?" Krillin asked incredulously. "Well, not like it matters now, but for the record, I wasn't."

"But Juu mentioned all the times you've called her…and this…and that…and it doesn't help that you had a history with her."

"Yeah, I know, but honestly, it wasn't any way like that. Besides, you know very well that she likes Vegeta…" Krillin's voice trailed off, and he looked at Goku meaningfully.

"Marron likes Vegeta now? I didn't know that," Goku blinked naively. "Are you trying to say some-oh…" he said as Krillin began nodding. "No, no 'oh'. I don't get a single thing you're saying."

"Look, Marron wants to get with Vegeta. We need money. We get money by having Marron break up Bulma and Vegeta."

Goku blinked. "I still don't see it."

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Fine, I got Marron to try and break up Bulma and Vegeta. So we could get the money. It worked, the whole break up thing, but not the way we intended. So now you and I are free again."

"But I don't want anyone else aside from Chi-chan!" Goku whined.

"Whatever Goku, as much as you'll want her back, she's not gonna come back to you. Hey, what's that bag doing there?" he said, pointing at the Ziploc bag that they had missed in their sweep of the apartment under the table.

"Oh that, I dunno? I think it was the one Bulma threw at you when she got really mad."

"Oh yea…well, c'mon let's go see what it is." Krillin walked over and picked it up. "Holy shit!" he yelled, dropping it like a hot poker.

"What's wrong?" Goku asked, intrigued, and he picked it up. "What's so bad about it, it's just a white stick." Krillin took it from him and flipped the bag over so that the other side was visible. "Oh, so it's got a small window-thingie, and there's this blue line-thingie in the window-thingie."

"Goku, don't you even watch TV?" Krillin asked.

"No time to, besides I don't like it. It kinda freaks me out. I mean think about it, it's like having a bunch of people in your house at one time. I think it's pretty scary."

"Goku, Goku, Goku," Krillin tsked. "But now is not the time to discuss the issue of television, do you know what that white stick is?"

"Nope."

"It's a pregnancy test."

"You're saying Bulma's pregnant?!" Goku asked disbelievingly.

"Well, I personally don't know how to use these things-"

"-we'd hope you wouldn't." Goku added.

"Anyways," Krillin said, shooting a glance at the chuckling Goku. "I don't think Bulma would've chucked it at us, if she wasn't with a child."

"Wow…" Goku murmured. "Gosh, I wonder if Juu and ChiChi know?"

"Well, as mad as they are at us right now, I still think they should know. You call them." Krillin said.

"No way, you call 'em."

"You call 'em."

"You call 'em."

"You call 'em. Damn, this is getting us nowhere. You know what?" Goku said. "Neither of us call them. If I know Chi, and I do, the first place she'll go is to Bulma's house. And I bet that Bulma will tell them everything."

"No, don't bet. But you probably are right," Krillin agreed. "Okay, then it's settled. We'll leave it at that."

****************

Proving that he wasn't really as dense as he looked and acted (sometimes), ChiChi did go over to Bulma's house first.

"Hey, B? What's wrong?" she asked, strolling into her private quarters, unannounced as usual. Bulma gave her a dead look,

"I'm pregnant."

"That's not funny," Juu stated flatly. "Seriously…what's up?"

"I'm not joking. I would never joke about something as serious as this. I'm pregnant."

"No way…" ChiChi exclaimed. Then, undeterred, she spoke the next thing of utmost importance. "Who's the father?"

"The person I hate most in this world." Bulma muttered.

"Vegeta?!" ChiChi and 18 whispered at the same time.

"The very same bastard." Bulma affirmed. "That's why I'm so mad at him right now. I was pissed enough at him for lying to me. But he impregnated me, and then he lied about it. That's what really ticked me off."

"Do Goku and Krilin know?" ChiChi asked after a long moment of hesitation.

"They should," Bulma chuckled, but with little humor. "I threw the pregnancy test at them before I left."

"Wow…well, if you ask me, I think Vegeta should at least know." Juu said.

"No!" Bulma cried, then the tears began flowing again. "I don't want him to know…he doesn't deserve to know…besides…I can raise a child by myself. It's not as though I'm dirt poor, if all else fails, my mom can do it…"

"I know, but you've got to remember Bulma, it's his fault."

"And it's not mine?" the heiress asked dully.

"Don't tell me you've been blaming this on yourself." ChiChi stated. But Bulma's silent glare told her otherwise. "C'mon B, it's not that bad…"

"Oh yea, you tell me how it could be worse. I'm currently carrying the child of a guy who doesn't even care about me, or doesn't seem to anyways."

"Aww…" Juu said trying to comfort her friend. "Well, it was as much Vegeta's fault as it was yours. You should have asked him if he had protection. And he should have had protection. You can equally share the blame."

"Great, that makes me feel loads better." Bulma said dryly.

"Glad to be of help," Juu shot back, starting to get mad at her friend. "You know what, Chi? Obviously Bulma doesn't want us to be around anymore, so I'm gonna grant her wish and leave." When Bulma didn't protest, 18 gathered up her bag and left the compound. ChiChi bit her lip and looked at Bulma.

"You know, B-chan. I never did like pity. So if you think I'm gonna give you any, you're not gonna get any."

"Fine, then why don't you leave!" Bulma snapped, her patience finally breaking. ChiChi's eyes widened, and then she began searching for her jacket and purse. "Aw…c'mon Chi, you know I didn't mean it that way."

ChiChi's eyes flashed at Bulma one more time. "Look, B. I just broke up with the guy I've been going out with for almost 6 years. I'm not exactly in a peppy mood either. But you know what? You're being downright bitchy right now, and I don't feel like dealing with it. So I'm gonna leave, give you some time to cool down, and then if you feel like talking, maybe Juu and I can help you sort things out. But until that time, later." And ChiChi left the house too. The self-pity that Bulma had been feeling finally began to sink in, and she collapsed into helpless sobs.

**************

AN: and that's the chapter. I'm sorry!!! Gomen nasai!!!!! I know I said I mention Veggie in this chapter, but with what I've got planned for him, that would add waaaaaay too much drama into this already incredibly dramatic chapter. So next chapter is solely dedicated to all those Vegeta-lovers out there, cuz itz gonna be featuring him…and only him…REVIEW!!!! ~xangeliz91487x