Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ It Was Supposed To Be Forever ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Me (Lady Valtaya), Severina and Gokusgirl don't own nothin' in this story. We're just writing it because we love Veggie and Bulma!!!! *Giggle* So don't sue us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially me… since the most valuable thing I have is my Vegeta key chain and I'll die before I give that up!!

Notes: This is an AU. There are NO ADDED fighters an NO Mary Sue scares in here, this is just a different take on the time between Cell and Buu!! This is a Romance and HELL YES there will be lemon!! But for the moment our rating sits at a calm PG. So pull up a comfy chair cuddle up with someone you love and lets get going. Uh… and did I mention this will start out a little confusing?? I promise, it will be a V/B story, but not a short one!!

It Was Supposed To Be Forever

The image in front of her was starting to blur. She shook her head hoping it would disappear. She didn't notice that she was crying as her fingertips traced the sculpted body, black hair like a towering flame, strong, aristocratic features and a sexy smirk… It was Vegeta. But whom could he be holding in his arms? It certainly wasn't Bulma. The red head seemed in perfect ecstasy, her head was tipped slightly back, and to the side, slightly exposing the smooth skin of her neck behind her waist length red curls spilling unbound around her like a glorious mane of fire. Her richly brocaded winter evening gown in green clung to her smooth curves in all the right places and while her face was hidden, shadowed by Vegeta's muscular neck and shoulder, her expensive jewelry was clearly visible. Bulma gasped and began to back away. She dropped her shopping bags and was forced to sit down quickly as she smacked into a bench, still staring at the photograph of the man she loved with his arm around another woman. The red head's small, elegant hand rested lightly on his shoulder, making her wedding ring plainly visible. The ring was as unmistakable as Vegeta's smirk. Only one woman had a ring like that. It was intricate platinum and diamond filigree like fine lace topped by a five-karat diamond… a rare pink diamond of incredible beauty, and a wedding present from her husband. The one and only Marcus Brach. So… if that was his wife's ring, then it was Sapphra that was so happily pressing her body into Vegeta's.

Bulma was too shocked to move as she stared helplessly at the photo of Vegeta with Sapphra. It was too cruel to be true, she knew the gorgeous red head had wanted Vegeta since the moment she saw him at that damned New Years party for Capsule Corp's employees and shareholders, seven years ago. The 18 year old girl that Marcus had married 8 years earlier was always alone, while her husband traveled the world with his many mistresses, that was no secret, and while Bulma understood being lonely that way, it made her very nervous to know that Sapphra made it a point to try to seduce Vegeta at all the Capsule Corp parties Bulma forced him to attend. Apparently it had finally worked.

When had this started? She thought Vegeta had been a little distant and that they couldn't seem to agree on anything these last few months… Even their lovemaking seemed different, lately she had started to think she wasn't really satisfying him anymore. When they finished he used to purr softly as he let her go to sleep. He seemed tense and he left afterwards a lot of the time now. Even when he did stay, he seemed to roll over and ignore her. Was this the reason? Another woman?

Beautiful, charming and a lot smarter than she acted a lot of the time, Bulma had to admit she was impressed when Sapphra managed to keep her shares in Capsule Corp despite a little political hardball between their lawyers and a lot of substantial financial offers, the wealthy young lady had mischievously, but adamantly refused to give up her shares. Sapphra was so much younger, and prettier than she was… the thought of loosing Vegeta already tore her apart. But Bulma still remembered how much it hurt to have lost Yamcha to a younger woman, and she really didn't know how she could get through that again. Desperately hoping that there was some mistake or a misunderstanding… Bulma got unsteadily back to her feet and walked to the newsstand, still fighting back tears.

For years the tabloids often featured little articles about her and Vegeta. Her "mysterious" lover was considered very sexy by everyone who saw him and the fact that she was a famous, wealthy heiress and yet had never actually legally married him and they had a six year old son was tantalizing enough to the news hungry press. But adding in that Vegeta was known as one of those at the Cell Games made the rarely seen Prince of the Saiyans even more interesting to the rest of Satan City. Mr. Satan got the credit for beating Cell, of course, but those who were 'with him' that day were still apparently not forgotten either. Vegeta especially, since he still had a habit of destroying things and places that pissed him off. Luckily he made it a point not to kill anyone anymore. Only her position as head of her father's company and their money had kept the police and the government from getting too interested in apprehending him. She had assured them that there was no cell that could hold him and no army that could subdue him, and these days he didn't do much of that destroying things anyway. Goku was the only Vegeta-proof security system the earth had, oddly in his absence, Vegeta had settled considerably.

This was a different sort of article than any of the others that had appeared over the years, she felt it immediately. Bulma read the largest headline on the page and growled instinctively. " Is The Dark Prince of CC someone else's White Knight? " Those words hurt, and upset her terribly, and yet somewhere in the back of her mind she still doubted the authenticity of the photo. When would Vegeta have found the time to see her? And where was this taken? The caption just below the photo answered both, and Bulma growled again. " This image taken Friday night by a security camera in the hall at Sapphra Brach's penthouse apartment shows the man that captured her heart some time ago. Check page 15 for the full story and more pictures, as things get hotter in that hall.

Bulma gingerly picked up the trashy magazine that she normally would've ignored and told herself that it was a lie… just a mistake… but on page 15 it felt as if her world was falling apart. There was the lovely Sapphra kissing Vegeta! And from the looks of that kiss and the way her dress was coming down, that wasn't all that they did once they finally got through that door a few steps away. If Bulma hadn't been so upset she might have seen that Vegeta was the one up against the wall, and he never tolerated that, and that Sapphra's dress seemed different, not so heavy or such a good match for her emerald eyes. But Bulma only grabbed the magazine, threw five zeni at the vender and stalked out of the store, leaving her other purchases at the bench beside the door and went to go find Vegeta.

How after everything that she had done for him… How could he do this to her? Years ago he had told her he would get bored with her, well, why did he stay if that was what had happened? It hurt enough to have seen it first in a fucking two dollar freak show of cheap lies… but this? She had been mad at him numerous times… but this? This time there was no turning back if he didn't have a damn good explaination of why he was there and why Sapphra was apparently leading him into her apartment while kissing the hell out of him, they were through.

She had been late working in her office on Friday, catching up on some paperwork, and had come home to find Trunks at Chichi's staying over night, while Vegeta had been gone most of the day. It was late when he got home, and she'd been too tired to be suspicious as he crawled into bed next to her at two o'clock fresh out of the shower. "Where were you? " She remembered asking him.

" Out. " He had sounded a little amused when he had answered, and she remembered curling up in his arms and going to sleep, watching the snow fall outside. She cursed herself in every language she knew and drove faster. How could she have trusted him so blindly? " Out. " What kind of an answer was that? The same kind of answer she used to get from Yamcha when he 'accidentally' forgot one of their dates, she snapped bitterly at herself. She fought to keep Vegeta from sensing her extreme anger and frustration. She wanted him to be unaware that she knew what he was up to. " If this is a bad dream, " she prayed to Dende, " please please let me wake up before I get home. "

As if in answer to her thoughts, the song on the radio ended and the DJ laughed, " Hey, " he chuckled, " On the cover of this week's Satan City Expirer we have the lovely Sapphra Brach cuddling with another local Celeb… pretty hot stuff on page 15, don't forget to check it out peeps! Well hey on with more music, eh? "

Bulma kicked the radio with all of her strength wishing it was that DJ, and smirked as it went static and garbled itself into silence. " It's on the radio too? Damn it Vegeta! I'm going to kick your ass! Besides me is there anybody that DIDN'T know? How could you do this? "

" What in the hell are you mad about this time, woman? " Vegeta snarled into her mind.

" Are you done ignoring me for a while? I have something VERY important to ask you. " Bulma snapped back at him.

" What is it? And you'll find out if I'm going to ignore you or not. "

"Very funny you royal pain in the ass! Pissing me off at the moment is a really bad idea, Vegeta. " She growled, imitating him, when he was really angry, he didn't yell. This time she didn't either, and she stopped the car. " Vegeta… I need to know right now. Did you or did you not go to Sapphra Brach's apartment on Friday night while you were "out"? "

" Who? "

" You know damn well who she is! She throws herself at you constantly Vegeta! I'm really warning you this time. I know damn well that you were at her apartment Friday night. The security camera's tapes are the only thing most of Satan City wants to talk about right now! "

" So what if I did kill the weakling that was beating her up. The idiot was drunk and when I took her to the hospital the nurses were just glad to see her alive. For a man that's never around, he certainly spent a lot of time hurting his mate. " Vegeta growled indignantly, he hated getting caught killing someone, but he had forgotten about the cameras. For three days he'd been wondering how she'd take that. She got mad enough when he destroyed the mall parking lot, to her, murder was even worse.

" How dare you dodge the subject! You know damn well that you really did in that hallway! Couldn't you at least have come up with a better lie than that? I'll be back in 5 minutes Vegeta, and you better not be home when I get there. "

Vegeta arched one eyebrow in surprise. For the last hour her emotions had been a jumble of pain and confusion, and now this? He knew they'd been fighting a lot, and nearly always because of stupid little things. As adorable as he used to find her temper, at the moment he wasn't impressed. He was starting to get very pissed about having to sleep on the couch… since she only let him back into their shared bed when she wanted him. But now she was throwing him out, calling him a liar and wouldn't tell him why?

He had never lied to her. He had just told her the truth that he killed a human and she thought he was lying? Vegeta's anger effortlessly took him to Super Saiyan, then as he thought about it more, he transformed again. His mate doubted his word? Did she really think he would've stopped killing because he was afraid of Kakarrot, or more insulting yet that half-breed brat that could barely control his own powers? Kakarrot was dead, and Gohan hadn't really trained in years. Didn't she know that the only reason there was still anyone and anything living on this planet was because SHE loved this place? SHE valued these human weaklings. SHE was the one he was bonded to, and she was the only thing that kept him here. Trunks was more than old enough now to take care of himself. Although, he had to admit training the brat was finally starting to get interesting, it was still Bulma that kept him here.

He had given her everything he had; his life, his soul, his mind and his body that was what kept him from leaving, the same way that it kept him from betraying her with another woman or… was that what she was angry about? She thought he had been with the woman before he killed her husband? The penthouse level of the enormous building in question was home to five suites, not one as she seemed to think. One of them belonging to a master jeweler, well, he was an artist really. The man whom Vegeta had commissioned to create an engagement ring for Bulma, he had been working on it for three months, and Friday, it was done. These last three months had been very stressful, and he couldn't really put a finger on why, but he had spent countless hours trying to think of a way to ask her to marry him… without sounding like a weakling human or a heartless bastard just trying to mock her.

But if this was how much she trusted him, then perhaps he really ought to leave. She would either realize her mistake and ask him to come back or they weren't meant to be bonded together in the first place. However slim, there was still a chance that ki powers alone could simulate the bond, after all, for a human female, Bulma certainly had her share of ki, and he had grown up with these powers, they were second nature to him. It was possible that this lack of trust was a sign that she wasn't drawn as strongly to him as he was to her. He shook his head and glared bitterly at the familiar surroundings that had been his home for seven years. How ironic that he once told Bulma not to get too attached to him, when he was about to make her his mate according to her laws as well as his.