Falling In Love A Second Time

Chapter 2- The Awakening

Chi-Chi sat upon the edge of Bulma's bed as she watched her friend's lifeless slumber. Once every week for the last six months, Chi-Chi had come to check the progression of Bulma's health, which unfortunately, ever since that fated day had remained unchanged.

But this day had been different.

Chi-Chi lightly kissed the top of her friend's hand that she had been holding, whispering a quiet plea for Bulma to come back to her family and friends that missed her so desperately, before rising to leave.

Chi-Chi's hand had reached for the door, and she was merely seconds from departing when she heard a soft whimper escape her friend's motionless lips. "Bulma?" Chi-Chi gasped, as she ran back to the bed to confirm that what she had heard had not simply been some delusion. Chi-Chi sat holding Bulma's hand once again, feeling a deep grin spread across her face as she watched her once immobile friend begin to slowly contract her limbs. "Bulma!" Chi-Chi repeated. This time the patient opened her eyes to lock onto the form of the woman sitting beside her. "Bulma! Thank Kami you're finally awake! I knew you would be soon, I just knew it."

Bulma blinked a few times, as if trying to focus her eyes on the being before her. Her mind raced to determine what was happening. "Chi-Chi?" pale lips whispered her first word in over six months. "What… What am I doing here?" she asked as she looked around the room, trying to recognize her surroundings.

"You don't remember the explosion?" Chi-Chi asked only mildly concerned. She had heard that after a traumatic experience, memory of the last few events surrounding an accident could be temporarily if not permanently lost. Under the circumstances though, that didn't sound like a terrible concept.

Bulma paused a few moments to run through her last memories before waking in the hospital bed. From what she could recollect there hadn't been any explosion to her immediate detriment. Of course, considering where she had been, being caught in the crossfire wouldn't have been much of a surprise. "No… I don't remember any explosion. Tell me what happened."

Chi-Chi paused a moment, not certain that she should be telling the recently awakened woman that her son and husband had been the ones to land her in the hospital. She decided it would perhaps be best to keep things generalized. "There was an explosion at Capsule Corp. You were unfortunately close to the scene."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, shaking her head in confusion. "Capsule Corp?" she whispered in utter bewilderment. "Chi, how could I have possibly been in an explosion at Capsule Corp? I have been on Namek for the last few weeks."

"N-NAMEK?!?!" Chi-Chi cried. It was her turn to be utterly flabbergasted. "You haven't been on Namek in over thirteen years!"

"Thirteen years!?" Bulma screamed in repetition. "But… that's impossible; I was just there before I woke up. Are… Are you telling me that… I mean… Have I been in a coma for thirteen years?" The patient drew the only conclusion her mind could formulate.

Chi-Chi's eyes went wide as she started to fear that the accident was not the only memory Bulma had lost. Pulling a chair up next to Bulma's bed, Chi-Chi sat down quietly. With a long sigh, she asked her friend, "Alright Bulma, why don't you start from the beginning. Tell me what you remember."

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"Dad!" Trunks screamed in jubilation as he ran into the recently reconstructed gravity room to find his father.

"What is it boy?" Vegeta asked, rather irritated that his training was interrupted. Grabbing a towel to wipe some sweat from his face he turned to listen to his son's exciting news.

"It's Mom!" Trunks cheered, jumping up and down with a huge grin upon his face. "She's awake! I just spoke to Chi-Chi. She was at the hospital visiting Mom when she woke up. Do you believe it! We finally have Mom back!"

"Well it's about time." Though Vegeta's tone was masked with irritation and indifference, his soul felt a deep relief overwhelm him. He finally had his mate back. His pain and misery could finally end, with the curative of his bond. His bond. 'Why did I not feel her awaken?' he quickly asked of himself. 'Why hasn't she reached out to me through our link?'

"Hello… Dad? Earth to Dad!" Trunks waved his hand in front of his father's face, attempting to refocus his seemingly zoned out father. "Come on." Trunks grabbed his father's hand, pulling the man towards the exit. "We have to get to the hospital right away!"

Vegeta shook off his questions as he allowed his son to guide him out of the GR, stopping quickly upstairs in his bedroom to shower and change before heading off to the hospital. He decided to let his curiosity go for now. All of his questions would be soon answered anyway. He finally has his mate once again.

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When Trunks and Vegeta finally arrived, Goku, Goten, Gohan, Videl, Krillin, Eighteen, Yamcha, and Chi-Chi were already assembled outside of Bulma's hospital room. All were ready to see their finally awakened friend.

"Harpy!" Vegeta scowled at Chi-Chi as he pushed through the crowd. "What did you do, tell everyone she came out of her coma before her own damn mate and son!?!"

Goku released a lighthearted laugh as he stepped in between his wife and the angered prince. "Of course not Vegeta," the goofy man worked to defuse the situation quickly. "I just used my instant transmission technique to get everyone here faster. I thought it would save time."

Vegeta's only response was an irritated growl before he stormed over to the hospital room his mate was in. He didn't make it inside however, before a rather determined Chi-Chi blocked his path.

"Hold it right there, Vegeta," Chi-Chi demanded, while poking Vegeta in the stomach, forcing him to take a few steps back.

"Look wench," Vegeta started with restrained anger. "My mate has been comatose for half a year. Now, she has finally wakened and if you think that I won't physically remove you to get to her-"

"You can't see her Vegeta," Chi-Chi cut off his threats in as calm a tone as possible. "Please, you need to hear about her condition before you go in and see her." Chi-Chi suddenly turned her focus to the entire group. "You all need to know."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Vegeta's eyes narrowed, he was beginning to feel his original concerns flooding back.

"Please," Trunks stepped in front of his father as he spoke for the first time. "Is there something wrong with my Mom? Does she have brain damage or something?" Trunks stammered, fear dripping in his voice.

Chi-Chi sighed. Ignoring Vegeta's question, she knelt down so she was eye level with the younger man. "Trunks your Mother is physically fine. The doctors say she will make a full recovery."

"Ok… but?" Trunks asked worried, he knew something more serious was going on, and he wanted to be told immediately.

"But…" Chi-Chi took a long breath as she revealed the depressing news to the group. "Your mother is suffering from partial amnesia."

Vegeta's eyes widened as he heard the news. 'Is that why she hasn't contacted me through our bond?' he immediately wondered, as he decided to remain quiet as the rest of the alarmed group voiced their own questions and concerns.

"Amnesia? So Bulma has lost part of her memory?" Gohan asked slightly confused. "What kind of memory loss? Is it the accident that she doesn't remember?"

"I am afraid it is more than just the accident." Chi-Chi sighed; she knew this next part would be difficult to hear. "She doesn't remember the last thirteen years of her life."

Vegeta's mouth fell open slightly as a shocked moan escaped his lips. 'This can't be.'

"You mean my Mom doesn't remember me?!" Trunks jumped up, greatly distressed by the possibility.

"Wait a minute," Yamcha interrupted for the first time to throw in his two cents. "Thirteen years ago, hun? As I recall that was about when I was dead, which means Bulma was on Namek looking for the Dragonballs, right?"

Chi-Chi nodded. "Bulma said her last memory was of being on Namek, and then waking up here."

"How weird!" Goku added utterly stunned. "So she doesn't remember Vegeta or Trunks?"

Chi-Chi took a deep breath; it was only going to get worse. "Well… She doesn't remember Trunks of course, but Vegeta…" She dropped off, not ready to face the devastated husband quite just yet.

"Well out with it!" Vegeta demanded as he clenched his fists, preparing to hear the news. "Does she remember me?"

Chi-Chi slowly nodded her head in confirmation before explaining the extent to which his wife recalled him. "According to Bulma, the last memory she has of you was when you tried to kill her."

"What?! That is absolutely ridiculous, I never tried to kill her!" Vegeta shouted, completely outraged by even the mere suggestion.

"Well, Bulma seems to think you did," Chi-Chi insisted assuredly.

"How could you try to kill Mom?!" Trunks yelled protectively as he turned to glare at his father.

"I didn't!" Vegeta refuted, crossing his arms over his chest, extremely exasperated.

"Well, actually… um… Vegeta, that's not true," Krillin stammered as he offered to shed some light onto the vexing situation.

"What are you saying Krillin?" Goku raised a skeptical brow, from his knowledge, he had never heard of Vegeta attempting to kill Bulma.

"Well… Um…" Krillin started as he strategically positioned himself between Gohan and Goku, well away from Vegeta. "Remember after you killed that green guy?"

"Yes, I killed Zarbon," Vegeta quickly agreed. "What does that have to do with my mate's false memory?"

"Do you remember what you did after that?" Krillin hoped if the Saiya-jin no ouji replayed the events of that afternoon in his mind Vegeta would recall all the details without having to force the lowly earthling to be the bearer of bad news.

Vegeta took an frustrated breath before racking his brain. "I killed that miserable excuse for a soldier. Then I wanted your dragonball, you refused to give it to me, so I--" Vegeta froze mid-sentence as his eyes went wide with regret. "Shit."

"What!?!?!" Trunks asked as he watched his father take a few steps back, quietly whispering various vulgarisms under his breath.

"He grabbed Bulma and threatened to kill her if I didn't hand over the dragonball I had." Krillin finished where Vegeta had left off. The entire room shook their heads in disappointment.

"You did try to kill Mom!" Trunks shouted completely disgraced by his father's actions.

"I only threatened," Vegeta argued weakly, before breaking his typically stiff stance to lean lightly against a wall.

"Look," Chi-Chi cut in, "I didn't tell you all this because I wanted to make Vegeta feel bad, that was just an added bonus." Chi-Chi allowed a brief chuckle before continuing. "But, the point is, Bulma's system is still recuperating, she can't have any shocks right now. So, telling her that she is married to a man who tried to kill her, destroy her home planet, and went after my Goku and Gohan," Chi-Chi stressed glaring at Vegeta, "would be counter to her recovery. She needs some time before we drop this bombshell on her."

Everyone then looked at each other, nodding in agreement, save the two men whose opinions counted the most. "So what are you saying?" Trunks face fell into a deep frown. "I can't see my own mother?"

"No, I am not saying that at all," Chi-Chi tried to ease the boy's worries. "Your mother knows she is missing a large part of her memory. And I have already told her that a significant component of that memory was having you."

"So," Trunks shook his head quickly, attempting to focus on what this all meant. "Mom knows I am her son, she just doesn't know he," Trunks then pointed to Vegeta, "is my father?"

"That's right." Chi-Chi nodded.

Vegeta just huffed at the woman's stupidity. "Don't you think she might get curious about that little tidbit?" Vegeta asked noting the absurdity of all of this. "After all, children don't just make themselves," his voice was dripping with mockery.

Chi-Chi glared at the man's sarcasm, shooting back with her own spiteful remark. "Of course you are right Vegeta, and that is what brought Bulma to the same conclusion that we all made when we first found out about Trunks."

The entire room then looked over at Yamcha who blushed ridiculously.

"NO WAY IN HELL!" Vegeta violently objected. "I am not going to let her think that weak fool is her mate!" The angry Saiya-jin no ouji pointed a threatening finger at the intimidated z-fighter.

"Will you control yourself, Vegeta!" Chi-Chi demanded, before instructing him to keep his voice down with Bulma only a stone's throw away. "I have explained to Bulma that Yamcha is not Trunks' father."

Vegeta allowed himself a short breath to control his temper before demanding a full explanation. "Then what the hell did you tell her?"

"I simply told her that she and Trunks' father had irreconcilable differences and they parted shortly after Trunks' birth. Bulma seemed to accept this scenario; so as long as none of you let anything slip, all should be well, alright?"

The group all nodded in understanding and acceptance, save one still fuming Saiya-jin. "No, harpy, not alright! I will not speak with my mate as though she is nothing more than an indifferent acquaintance!"

"I'm not asking you to do that, Vegeta," Chi-Chi refuted quickly. "I'm simply asking you to not speak with her at all."

"What!?" Vegeta's voice was rising with every word. "She is my mate! I will not be told whether or not I may see her!"

"Oh, that's just so like you, isn't it Vegeta?!" Chi-Chi shook her head utterly frustrated. "Who cares what's best for Bulma, as long as you get what you want, right?"

Vegeta blinked in shock at her words. 'Damn wench is right,' he realized resentfully, as he crossed his arms over his chest in a more composed manner. "How long?" he asked very simply and directly.

"Well," Chi-Chi cleared her throat, thinking carefully before speaking. "The doctors said her memory could come back at anytime. It could come in bits and pieces or all at once. It really depends on how her memories are triggered, but as far as how long, the doctors aren't sure. It could be days, weeks, months or maybe… years."

"What! You mean my Mom might never get the last thirteen years of her life back?!" Trunks groaned at the devastating thought.

"Wait a minute," Eighteen interrupted as if she had the answer all the other fools were overlooking. "If that is the case, then why don't you just collect the Dragonballs and wish her memories back?"

"Yea, in five months the Dragonballs will be regenerated. We can make the wish then, if Bulma still hasn't remembered everything!" Goku added optimistically.

"Well that still is kinda a long wait, but I guess five months is way better than an eternity," Krillin noted reassuringly.

Vegeta growled deep in his throat as he watched the group all nod to one another as though this was a brilliant solution. 'Five more months in separation, our bond will surely be destroyed.'

"So we agree," Chi-Chi ignored Vegeta's opinion in the moot matter. "If Bulma doesn't get her memory back in five months we will use the Dragonballs. And in the meantime, make sure none of you let anything slip, alright?"

"Agreed," Everyone said unanimously.

"Ok Trunks, I think it's time you get to see your mother." Chi-Chi pointed him to the door.

"Alright," Trunks nodded slowly, before walking into the hospital room to speak with his mother for the first time in months.

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Author's Note: Awe. Looks like Vegeta is going to be mate-less a little while longer. Will he be able to handle another possible five months alone? And what about Bulma? How will 'meeting' Trunks go? Will he let anything slip? Wait and find out in the next chapter.

Story Note: I just wanted to mention, before I get flamed for it, that I know Vegeta never actually grabbed Bulma when he threatened Krillin to get his Dragonball. I changed it for plot purposes. Makes Vegeta seem more scary… not of course that he needs much help in that department!