Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Happy Birthday Vegeta ❯ Too Easy ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: Bare with me folks...I do know where this is going...we just have to get there.

Happy Birthday Vegeta

Chapter Six

"Thank Kami this is the only one we have to find like this..." Bulma grumbled. They had worked their way painstakingly through about half of the dense jungle that capped the island like spiky, saiyan hair. It was unbearably humid, and Bulma's long tresses were sticking to her face.

"I swear, when I get out of here, I am so getting my hair cut short." she said as she pushed the sweaty strands back for the thousandth time. Gohan listened to her complaining good naturedly while he continued to look for the dragonball. He shuffled his feet through layers of decaying vegetation and shouted triumphantly when he uncovered it.

"Hey Bulma! I think I got it!"

"What?" she squealed and ran to where Gohan was kneeling at the base of a large tree. He held the thick, broad, green leaves at bay and pointed down.

"Just like an Easter Egg." Bulma squeaked as she reached for the perfectly round, gray stone and plucked it from its nest on the ground. The moment her fingers touched the stone, its rough surface began to crumble away, leaving her holding the final dragonball.

"That was cool." Gohan quipped. She nodded, "I had forgotten that they revert to stone when seperated after a wish." She held it up to the light and sighed as golden beams refracted and lit the jungle with a warm glow. Having the last ball meant the game was almost over. She wondered if she would remember anything after the wish, would she be ignorant of her loss, or simply cease to exist? How horrible, the thought that she might not know she had a whole other lifetime to grieve over. 'Vegeta.' she thought of her difficult Saiyan Prince, and managed a small smile at the thought that his real happiness, was worth the loss. She fished a microcapsule out of her jeans pocket and sealed the ball within it. She turned to find Gohan staring gently at her. He had been watching the play of emotions cross her expressive face. He saw the blue eyes darken with pain, and glimmer with tears. 'Whatever she's planning must be major-if just finding the seventh ball brought her to tears...' To avoid the unspoken questions she saw in his eyes, she spoke.

"Let's get the hell out of here hhhmmm Gohan?"

"Sure!" he agreed with grin so like his father's that it made her heart twist.

"We'll have to walk--" she began but Gohan interrupted her.

"Let me fly us back Bulma....at least back to the beach." he amended when she arched one beautiful blue brow at him.

"Alright Gohan-san, let's go." He returned her grin, grasped her securely around the waist, and felt with his mind for his ki.

"What?" he gasped, unable to find his own energy.

"Gohan, what's wrong?" she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Be quiet for a minute Bulma." he ordered. He breathed slowly, centering, and found his ki. What was usually a bright, steady glow was barely a flicker, and no matter how he prodded, he could not get it to flare. "What is going on?" he shouted in frustration. Bulma turned in his grasp and waved her hand in front of his face.

"Yoohoo! Gohan? You want to let me in on this? Is there a problem?" The look he gave Bulma was horrified.

"Bulma, I can't get my ki to respond...I can't power up...I can't fly...and I have no idea why." She looked at his stricken face, and she tried, Kami, she tried not to laugh.

"Kuso Gohan! I'm insulted! You have me in your arms and you can't get it up?" She burst into peals of laughter as his face flamed crimson.

"Bulma!..." he strangled on his humiliation. Bulma dried the tears streaking down her cheeks and spoke, "Hai Gohan, I know...I just couldn't resist..." she chuckled as the tips of his ears blazed pinkly. "It's okay Gohan.." she tried to sound supportive.." lots of men are intimidated by beauty and brains..." She cracked up again as Gohan wished for a hole to dissappear into.

"Gomen, Son-kun, you're too easy... " She looked at Gohan who was still blushing and looking very worried, as if it was his masculinity in question.

"Gohan, I'm sure it's temporary. It must be related to whatever it is that made the radar malfunction...there's nothing wrong with you physically..." she blinked at the wall of chest in front of her. "So we'll just have to walk back to the beach...it's not that far."

"I don't like this at all, Bulma. If something--"

"Don't. Stop right there," she put her hand up, "Nothing is going to happen. We are going to walk back to the beach, and take the jet back to capsule corp., and I am going to make a very special birthday wish for one stubborn Saiyan. End of story."

'Literally' she thought.

Gohan shook his head, and silently led the way back out of the jungle. There was a soft sound behind him, and he turned just in time to see a huge man touch Bulma on the back of the neck. She crumpled in place like a marionette with broken strings. Then a stinging numbness spread from the back of his neck, and his own world went black.