Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Just Like Heaven ❯ End Game ( Chapter 21 )

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to DBZ or The Cure

Chapter Twenty-One: End Game

A shrieking squeal of microphone feedback quickly brought Bulma back to her senses. The lights in the dining area had been dimmed and the mayor was in the process of addressing the crowd.

She pulled herself abruptly from Yamcha's arms, disgusted with her idiocy. Here she was a self-proclaimed genius falling into the very trap she had been forewarned of only minutes before.

Yamcha sensing her indecision, made a desperate bid to maintain control of the situation. Bulma was notorious for acting on impulse and he knew if he had any chance with her tonight, he would have to keep her focused on her emotions rather than her intellect. Any reasonable doubt regarding Vegeta would help him stall for time until Milan could work her magic.

"We can wish Arlen back with the Dragon Balls babe, but what are we going to do about Vegeta? We can't let him go around killing everyone that pisses him off, the city will be wiped out within a month!" he exclaimed vehemently.

But Bulma's mind was quicker to task than even her ex-boyfriend knew. She chewed thoughtfully on a long manicured thumbnail while puzzling out a possible scenario.

"There is more to this than you think Yamcha. Vegeta told me he killed Ginyu…he wouldn't lie to me…" she said aloud (more to herself than to him).

Yamcha frowned, affronted by her words. "Are you saying you would believe Vegeta's word over mine Bulma? I saw him kill that creepy gardener guy! How much more proof do you need to finally admit to yourself that Vegeta is not on our side?" he demanded.

He was suddenly so frustrated he had to fight the urge to shake sense into her rather than verbally reason with his stubborn ex, but he refrained, pissing her off would help nothing.

He knew from past experience an action like that would get him a swift kick to the balls, courteous of Bulma's foot. Or worse yet, his ass kicked by Vegeta.

"That's it! Yamcha, you're a genius! Vegeta came over to our 'side' on Namek right before the Ginyu force arrived. He helped Goku fight them and was an inadvertent decoy to trick Ginyu into swapping bodies with a frog!"

Yamcha stared at her outburst in disbelief, "What in the Hell is she talking about?" he wondered while his ex continued on.

"Ginyu was wished back to Earth as a frog and somehow ended up in the Capsule Corp frog pond. That was one of Arlen's favorite hang- outs. I'll bet Ginyu stole Arlen's body and then went after Vegeta!" she deducted with triumph.

She whirled about, deep in thought and began a determined march towards the balcony doors. She was going to search out Vegeta and straighten this whole damned mess once and for all!

She turned to give Yamcha an impatient scowl, "Are you coming or not?" she demanded.

"Where are you going Bulma?" he asked stupidly. This whole plan was unraveling faster than one of Puar's balls of yarn. He needed to distract Bulma long enough to give Milan a chance to seduce the Saiyan Prince. He had to stall for more time…but how?

He caught her up to her easily. Stepping in front of her he had to make a quick grab for her arm to prevent her from maneuvering around him.

"Bulma, where are you going?" he asked again, this time more urgently. "You can't bail out now, the Mayor is getting ready to introduce you to the crowd. You're supposed to give a speech and accept your father's award!" he implored.

She eyed him warily while trying to shrug out of his grasp. "Let me go Yamcha," she hissed. "Right now I don't really give a flying fuck about the mayor or his stupid speech. All that concerns me now is finding Vegeta and salvaging what little is left of this miserable night. You are just going to have to accept the fact that he and I belong together and understand how much he means to me…"

"More than your father? More than his company?" he pressed. He felt his heart sink as she nodded her affirmation. He was fighting a losing battle and he knew it. He decided to play his trump card, the only thing he knew that would get Bulma's attention.

"What about the people of Earth, Bulma? Are you forgetting that weirdo kid from the future and his predictions of devastation and ruin?" Yamcha felt a rush of relief as she stopped her struggling long enough to listen to his point.

"Think about it Bulma…you are in a room with some of the most powerful people in the country, both politically and financially. When will you ever have an opportunity like this again? You can warn these people of the android invasion, so they can prepare too."

Bulma stared at him for a few moments and then let out a sharp derisive laugh. "Oh…that's a fabulous idea Yamcha, and do you promise to visit me at the Funny Farm after the men in white coats come to drag me away?" She refocused her gaze at the veranda doors watching for any sign of the Saiyan Prince.

Yamcha shook his head in disagreement, "You don't have to tell them everything, just give them a warning…say Capsule Corp intercepted some 'top secret' information or something."

When she showed no sign of relenting her search for Vegeta, he continued with more urgency. "Look Bulma…you've always said you were the one with the brains. Why don't you put those smarts to good use? Convince these people that there is possible danger in the next few years. Give them a chance to stock pile food or build underground shelters. Give them a chance to prepare and survive, just in case we fail…like we did in that kid's lifetime…"

Her immense blue eyes began to flood with the understanding of the severity of his words. "My God Yamcha…you're right!" she whispered. He could almost see the thought process gearing through her mind as she absorbed the idea.

"For once in your life Yamcha, you're actually thinking with the right head," she told him as she began to mentally re-configure her speech.

'He was right, of course', thought Bulma. 'All of her friends were training and pushing themselves beyond human endurance in preparation for the android invasion. And here she was with this perfect opportunity to do her part for the future, for the Earth…and she had almost lost it over her obsession with Vegeta!'

Yamcha nodded in agreement continuing the vein of momentum, "It's amazing how smart I am sometimes!" He chuckled as she rolled her eyes and then sobered to give her a sincere smile.

"You know…Goku is going to be really proud of you when he hears what you've done tonight, Bulma." The look on her face told the Earthling fighter that he had sold his impromptu plan into fruition. All of the Z Fighters worked hard to gain Goku's approval and admiration, Bulma being no exception. Their longtime friend was just the kind of man that brought out the best in people.

"The best in people.' This thought sent a surge of guilt into Yamcha's stomach. He knew Goku would never appreciate the under-handed scheme he was participating in tonight. The younger Saiyan was all about honesty, truth and giving people the benefit of doubt, not deception and lies.

However, it was highly unlikely anyone would ever find out his part in all of this. Everyone totally expected Yamcha and Bulma to marry one day and no one would even think twice about Vegeta taking off with another woman.

He would nurse Bulma's broken heart and re-solidify their relationship preventing Vegeta's return should he ever grow bored of Milan. Which given Vegeta's personality, shouldn't take too long. Luckily Bulma was a big-time grudge holder, so he figured the Saiyan winning the forgiveness of the Capsule Corp heiress would be next to impossible.

Yamcha was surprised when Bulma turned to him and asked, "Are you sure this is the right thing to do, warning everyone about the Androids, I mean."

He nodded enthusiastically as she gave the idea some more thought. Yamcha, nervous about pulling off his end of the plan began to fidget.

Bulma watched him, wondering why he was exhibiting so much nervous energy suddenly grew suspicious. "If this is truly the right thing to do, then why don't you warn the people during your speech?"

The Earthling fighter gave her a startled look and then began to chuckle. "I couldn't do that Bulma. I was born with talents, but being a great communicator is not one of them. You're much better at speaking to a large group of people, being part of Capsule Corp and all…"

"…Besides, you will know the right things to say and they will believe it coming from a genius scientist, not from a washed up baseball player," he admitted with an embarrassed flush.

She smiled at his compliments, obviously agreeing with him, but frowned as he turned to leave her. "Where are you going Yamcha?"

He did his best to look concerned. "I'm going to go and find Milan. You don't need any distractions while you're giving your speech."

She released a sob of gratitude and threw her arms around him. "Thank you Yamcha. I knew I could count on you," she whispered giving him an affectionate squeeze.

Yamcha accepted her into his arms, savoring the feel of her lithe body against his. She felt so right, so good in his arms that any adverse guilt that had been plaguing him melted away. Bulma belonged to him and that dirty little shit-headed Saiyan could go to Hell for all he was concerned.

She broke out of his embrace as the Mayor began to introduce her to the crowd. "Go find Vegeta and bring him back to me. I want to talk to him the moment I'm done accepting this award."

Yamcha nodded his confirmation and skirted the periphery of the room so as not to interrupt the presentation and to (hopefully) give Milan a few more precious moments to entice Vegeta.

He was almost bursting from pride at his own cleverness and hope that this all might turn out in his favor after-all. He was going to find Vegeta all right…in the arms of Milan.

He would then dutifully report this back to Bulma, cementing his place as her protector and true love.

"It's going to be fun watching Vegeta get thrown out on his ass," Yamcha decided with satisfied smirk. "After all, who did that little prick think he was? Arriving on Earth (the first time) to destroy them all and then coming back to bed the most fabulous woman on the planet." Vegeta had under-estimated him for the last time and Yamcha was grateful to have a front row seat to watch the little man's downfall.

Vegeta had initially gone outside to take a leak. He had no idea where the indoor facilities were and he didn't much care. He had grown up on the battlefield using the great outdoors as his rest room and he still preferred a quick duck outside to 'water the flowers' to the suffocating confines of a bathroom.

He wandered through the decorative gardens looking for a darkened clump of bushes to do his business. The area had cleared out immensely since the fat mayor had begun talking and for this Vegeta was glad. He had been spared entrapment into boring conversations with most Earthlings thanks to Bulma's intervention. And for those ignorant enough to attempt tedious prattle, he found a menacing glare was enough to scare them from trying.

He spied the perfect secluded spot on the opposite end of the gardens and set out towards the area with his usual brisk and confident stride. Truth be told, his bladder was seconds away from exploding, but he kept his purpose hidden as he did with every other aspect in his demeanor.

He knew he would feel more secure within the darkened depths of the garden, concealed from any curious party guests and left alone to contemplate his thoughts. Unfortunately he wouldn't be completely alone for long as he was well aware of the Weakling's date trailing behind him, but he would deal with her later.

He passed several groups of people hurrying back into the dining area as Bulma's name was announced to accept her paltry award. And the shiver that ran along his spine did not go unnoticed by the Saiyan Prince, once he heard her unmistakable voice sound through the garden, courtesy of the high powered sound system.

He lost the definition of her words as he traveled away from the mansion, but felt calmed by the musical cadence of her eloquent oration. Her speaking voice was so confident and self -assured Vegeta couldn't help but marvel at yet another of the woman's many talents.

A surge of lust added to the discomfort of his groin as he imagined that same sexy voice imploring him to ravish her body to the point of insanity. "Will this fucking night never end?" he wondered with a growl.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a plaintive wail and he recognized two of the women that had accosted Bulma earlier. The tall thin one bedecked in the many jewels was sobbing incoherently about her 'wonderful father' and how she couldn't help but love such a 'fine man'.

It was obvious to Vegeta that the woman had tried to drown her embarrassment with alcohol and she promptly proved his theory correct by puking all over her fat friend who was trying desperately to console her.

The image was wickedly wonderful and the Saiyan Prince chuckled at their expense. "Freaks!" he muttered in amusement.

He left them behind and was soon emptying his own body of previously consumed alcohol. He nearly sighed in relief and shook off the last remaining remnants with a satisfied smile. He turned, still zipping his pants to face the woman who had crept up behind him.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Milan took a surprised step backwards and exclaimed, "Prince Vegeta, what are you doing out here?"

He snorted in contempt, crossing his arms against his muscular chest. "I had to take a piss," he said simply. He watched the woman for a few moments as she flushed over his lack of modesty.

"Why did you follow me?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Milan cast a bewildered look of surprise. 'How had he known she was following him?'

But she recovered quickly, lowering her eyes and flashing him a seductive smile as she answered, "I wanted a chance to get to know you away from the watchful eye of your socialite girlfriend."

She produced a bottle that she had been hiding behind her back and waved it tauntingly before the scowling Prince. "I sweet-talked this bottle of rum off of one of the bartenders. Care to join me for a drink?" she asked heading towards a nearby bench.

Vegeta followed but refused her offer to sit. He preferred to hold the dominating edge of standing. He knew her game. He had overheard every word of her pathetic plan earlier. He would not comply with her feeble enticements. Besides, standing he had a perfect view of her abundant cleavage. He had to admit; she had a nice set of jugs.

"Suit yourself," she stated taking a long swig of the bottle. She wiped a delicate hand across her mouth before offering the alcohol to the Prince.

He took the rum from her and made a visible display of wiping off the mouth of the bottle off before taking a drink. If his action offended her, she gave no notice. He took another swallow before returning the beverage.

"What makes you think you can hold your own, drinking against the likes of me?" he asked with a teasing growl.

The dark-haired woman laughed and crossed one long leg over the other, "Prince Vegeta, I have many talents…consuming alcohol is just one of them."

"Hnh…" was all Vegeta could say. He was distracted by her leggy show and was as equally impressed with her magnificent limbs as he was with her enormous tits.

She smiled, basking in his admiration. "Do you like what you see, Your Highness?" she asked with a purr.

Vegeta re-crossed his arms and sniffed. "I've seen better," he stated unimpressed. He had decided early on to play along with her little game. He was bored and until he could claim his prize at the end of the evening (a night with Bulma), he would play into the hands of the Weakling and his date.

Mind games were his specialty and he anticipated the mighty adrenaline rush he would receive from crushing the human female's fragile ego at the end of game.

Milan, oblivious to the Saiyan's knowledge, extended her crossed leg to rub the toe of her sandal against the Prince's thigh.

"Silly Prince, little do you know…there is no one better than me. All you have to do is have a taste. I promise you will not be disappointed," she encouraged in a husky tone. She brushed the toe of her stiletto across his groin and grinned when he jumped back out of her reach.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and smirked as she took another generous swig from the rum. "You think I know little? Just keep drinking that grog woman, you get more humorous with every swallow," he said with a chuckle.

The booze was beginning to effect Milan with a pleasurable numbness, which emboldened her advances on the sexy man before her.

"It's nice to know I amuse you Prince Vegeta," she said rising unsteadily to her feet. "But what I need to know is…do I turn you on?"

The Saiyan watched her movements warily, using his trained critical eye to his own advantage. The woman was appealing, there was no doubt about that, but she did nothing for him sexually. She lacked emotional warmth and passion, two of Bulma's more appealing inner-traits. Everything about this female was calculated and cold and in another lifetime he would have found her one Hell of a turn on. But that was in a previous life, one that had died along with his soul on the barren plains of Namek He now had a new lease on life along with a blue-haired fairy woman that drove him mad with desire. He decided to end this little façade and get back to his original plan of whisking Bulma off .

Unfortunately for Vegeta, Milan knew nothing of his future plans with the Capsule Corp heiress. She approached in a sexy prowl, undoing the halter of her black dress to expose her naked chest for the Prince's viewing pleasure.

She smiled in delight at his open-mouthed surprise and snuggled up to him, brushing her mammoth nipples against his rock hard chest. "Just say the word Prince Vegeta…and I'm yours for the taking," she invited with a honeyed whisper.

Vegeta let his instinct and reflexes take control as he reached out and cupped each heavy breast in his hands. He massaged the tips into hardened nubs as he roughly squeezed the fleshy mounds, satisfying his curiosity and confirming Bulma's earlier claim of their lack of authenticity.

He watched with amusement as the topless female swooned under his skillful touch and wondered how many countless men before him had fallen for this brazen display of undress.

He ceased his ministrations as the woman emitted a low gratified moan and waited until she snapped her eyes open to flash her a wicked smile.

"Thanks…but I'll pass," he declared as he dropped his hands away from her chest. He enjoyed her bewildered outrage, obviously the woman was not used to such blatant rejection.

"You'll pass…?" she gasped in surprise. The Dark Prince gave her a somber nod and then smirked. He was anticipating a violent outburst from the woman and he braced himself for her attack.

Instead, she threw her head back and burst out laughing. Her amusement lacked the musical merriment he was used to with Bulma, this woman's icy mirth reminding him more of Frieza. Specifically the contemptuous cackle the tyrant would emit while killing lesser beings.

He felt a cold shiver disperse through out his body as his smug expression turned to one of astonishment.

Milan stopped laughing and looked him straight in the eyes. "You play a good game of 'hard-to-get', Price Vegeta. I love a good challenge," she declared placing her hands on her hips. She strode confidently towards him, her top still down and her enormous breasts bouncing with her stride.

Vegeta found her rebuttal confusing and distracting as he fought to maintain eye contact with the woman. The action with her chest was tempting but he knew had to keep complete control. He willed his gaze to remain upon her face, while tilting his head back, prevailing against her assault and giving him a full frontal view of her body. He didn't plan on accepting her offer, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the scenery.

"Yamcha told me earlier that you are a very bad man," she purred as she narrowed the distance between them.

He watched her approach with bored nonchalance. Milan couldn't help but marvel at the considerable amount of ego packaged into such a diminutive man. She found his arrogance sexy along with his obvious physical perfections.

His short stature was even more pronounced as her stiletto heels gave her an almost Amazonian advantage over his size.

"I've always been attracted to bad boys. Nice guys like Yamcha are too boring and predictable," she declared reaching out to pet his ebony flame of hair.

"You're a magnificent man, Prince Vegeta. It's a shame Bulma Briefs cannot look past her own personal ambitions to see your potential," she said still stoking his gravity defying mane.

Vegeta stepped back beyond her reach and began to levitate his body upwards, until he was a full head higher then the Earthling woman.

"You…you're floating!" she gasped with surprise.

"I despise women that are taller than me!" he snapped. "Now explain your previous statement. What were you saying about Bulma?"

Milan shook her head in wonderment, 'Surely the man was a magician to have pulled off a stunt like this,' she decided fanning the air below him for trick wires.

She looked up and recognized the growing impatience in his eyes and continued. "Bulma was bragging to Yamcha the other day about what a fine husband and father you will be. She obviously does not see much more for your future than playing life as a token trophy husband," she said shrugging, scanning the darkened air above the man for more wires.

Vegeta scooped down pulling the dark haired women into his arms and taking flight into the air once more.

"You believe I am destined for more than a life of domesticity do you?" he growled. He held her out at arms length so he could look her straight in the eye, enjoying her confusion and bewilderment.

"How are you doing this?" she asked, choking down her rising panic. She spared a quick glance down and saw only the darkness of the garden floor several feet below.

Milan kicked her feet helplessly, realizing something definitely was not normal about the strange Prince. Was he a sorcerer, a harbinger of some dark magic from centuries ago? She quickly refocused her mind back to her original plan. She hooked her arms around Vegeta's neck and gave him an awestruck smile.

"You are amazing! What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?" she gushed. She wanted nothing more than to kiss the incredible man who was holding her aloft in mid air with little to no effort.

"This is nothing," he answered honestly. It was true; he had been flying since he was a child. Flight for Vegeta was as natural as walking, he believed Earthlings to be the peculiar lot for not having discovered the power within to take wing. Well, with the exception of the Z Fighters.

He had yet to understand how those morons had conquered aviation, not that it mattered. What was of serious consequence was this half-naked Earthling woman in his arms. She was currently attempting to suck face with him and the thought was revolting.

An image of Yamcha's spunk squirting penis came instantly to his mind (again) and blanched in disgust, almost dropping Milan in the process.

To prevent any further lip-locking attempts, Vegeta began to engulf himself in a shield of energy, causing the Earth woman to momentarily cover her eyes.

As her sight recovered, Milan began to admire the aura of power that surrounded the Prince. "Is Bulma Briefs aware of your abilities?" she asked breathlessly.

Vegeta frowned, 'How much more could this woman take, before cowering before him with fear?' He raised his ki a few levels, disappointed as Milan's admiration grew, stimulated by his increase in strength.

"Of course she does," he snapped with irritation. This woman was obviously not the type to be easily intimidated and her bravado was beginning to wear on his nerves.

"Then Bulma is an even bigger fool than I had thought," she announced taking in every nuance of his beauty. "She will never allow you to achieve your full potential Prince Vegeta…with me at your side you could rule the world!"

In a move that all but startled the breath right out of the woman, Vegeta changed his grip into a throat crushing chokehold. He held her out away from his body with a one-handed grasp and shook her slightly, as if she were a rag doll.

"You are the fool!" he hissed. Her eyes bulged slightly from lack of oxygen and the Saiyan Prince loosened his death clutch to allow for breath.

"I attempted to destroy this planet once. It would have meant complete annihilation for this entire race. I didn't care, the people on this world meant nothing to me. The Earth would be mere space dust today, if not for a Saiyan named Kakarott."

Milan's eyes bulged in fear, as she instinctively knew the man was speaking the truth. His onyx eyes held little emotion, his voice a deadly cold rasp and his inhuman strength and abilities all were signs that she should have heeded Yamcha's warning to stay away from the mysterious Prince.

"You're afraid now," he acknowledged. "Well…now it seems you are beginning to understand exactly who and what I am…a murderer of hundreds of thousands of innocents, all in the name of power and revenge. My homeland and my people were taken from me and I was prepared to destroy the Universe, if necessary to regain my birthright."

Milan began a futile kick of her legs. She knew she had two choices: fall to the garden floor twenty feet below, most likely becoming injured in the process, or stay dangling in midair with this Prince of Madness.

Vegeta laughed at her squirming and again tightened his hold around the woman's neck. "So now you know that the fabulous Bulma Briefs is harboring a homicidal maniac under her roof. Do you actually believe I would allow you to walk away and sell our secrets to the highest bidder?"

Milan shook her head in negation. She wanted to tell Vegeta that if he let her go she would take his secret to her grave. But she couldn't say a word in self-defense. She could barely even breathe.

"You're afraid I'm going to kill you?" he asked in a quiet whisper. Milan was able to nod. Vegeta cocked his head to the side, looking at her as if for the first time. He released his grip on her neck to once again allow her to draw breath, which she did in great panicked gasps.

"I was a killer without conscious, a warrior bent on destruction and mayhem. I wanted all races to know my pain and suffering. But I have since been humbled and tamed. You see…Kakarott is a common soldier that has surpassed me in strength and ability. He not only bested me in battle, but also then spared my life. Kakarott is a dear and beloved friend of Bulma Briefs, a female that has tamed the blood lust from my very soul with her friendship and kindness."

Milan noticed a flicker of emotion flash through his dark gaze. She had no idea of who or what Kakarott was, but decided the very existence of this person might mean her life might be spared tonight.

"My goals in life have changed. I now train to become stronger and more powerful than my Third Class adversary and to become a better man worthy of Bulma's affections. She has never asked anything from me and if a life with her means settling down to form a family…then so be it. I suppose there are worse fates for a man in my position to face."

The Saiyan Prince lowered Milan to the ground, letting her fall the last six feet into an ungracious heap. He hovered above her and spoke as he again powered up his energy. "I admire your spirit, Earthling whore. I will let you live on one condition…you will never use anything I have told you tonight to hurt or slander Bulma or her family."

Milan gazed upon the glowing man and promised her silence. Vegeta landed next to her and announced, "Good…now that we have that settled, why don't you adjust your top and rejoin the party. There are dozens of rich old geezers that would like nothing more than to spoil and ravish you with riches."

And with that, the Saiyan Prince was gone.

Bulma was besieged with questions from both diplomats and reporters once she finished her speech. They were demanding more details about the domestic threat she had warned them about. 'Was it terrorist related? How did she intercept this type of classified information?'

The flurry of excitement was only subdued when she promised to give a full press release after speaking with her father. The crowd only backed off after she firmly told them she had "no further comments" and was "leaving immediately".

She stormed out to the garden to find Yamcha shrugging as if apologetic for helping cause such a ruckus.

"Where's Vegeta?" she demanded in an irritated and bossy tone. She suspected that there was more to Yamcha's speech idea than being a 'good Samaritan'.

Yamcha warned off some pesky journalists and then told her quietly, "I'm sorry Bulma. I looked for both Vegeta and Milan and couldn't find either of them. Becky Parker told me she saw them leaving together. I guess I didn't make it out here in time."

Bulma's wire thin temper broke and she advanced upon him in a fury of blue. "Like hell you're sorry…you…you had this planned all along, didn't you?"

Yamcha attempted to stutter an explanation, but Bulma wasn't listening. She stomped her foot in anger, "I totally fell for it too, even after I heard you two conspiring. And do you want to know why?" she asked barely containing her tears of anger.

"I trusted you Yamcha and you used our friendship to trick me! How could you?"

Yamcha's former foreboding sense of guilt was now ten-fold. Hurting her now with his deception was minor in comparison to the devastation and heartbreak Vegeta would eventually cause. Having faced her fierce temper many times before, he spoke to her with soothing words to extinguish the fuse of her bad temper.

"You're right Bulma…I tricked you and for that I am truly sorry. But I had good reason and once you calm down, you'll see that this was the ways things were meant to be…"

"Bull-shit!" Bulma screamed, shaking with anger. "That is bull-shit and you know it Yamcha! You've been jealous of Vegeta since the first moment he arrived back on Earth. Now I want you to locate his ki and tell me exactly where he is. I don't care if he is alone or not!"

She accentuated this by giving him a brutal 'granny-poke' to the chest. Yamcha did his best not to recoil, but truth be told, her pokes really did hurt.

He closed his eyes, feigning a ki reading. (Too bad for Yamcha's fake attempt at locating Vegeta. Little did he know that the Saiyan was advancing towards them and his temper was not much improved from Bulma's.)

"I don't have a sense of Vegeta," he lied. He opened his eyes in time to see a returning ripple of fury on the face of his beloved. Yet another encounter with Bulma was spiraling out of control and he was mere seconds away from losing her forever.

"I'll find him Bulma, I swear on my oath as a Z Fighter. I promise, no tricks this time. There is just something I've been trying to tell you all night. Will you hear me out?" he asked. The desperation was as raw as his sincerity; he needed this one last chance to tell her how much he truly cared about her, had always cared and had been to chicken-shit to admit.

Bulma eyed him skeptically and sighed. She had always been a sucker for his puppy-dog like pleading and once again she gave him the benefit of doubt.

"Two minutes, Yamcha. I'll give you two minutes to talk and then I'm out of here, with or without your help." She knew Goku would be more than willing to help her find Vegeta. He would also be a great help in preventing her from bitch slapping Milan once they found the two. She reached into her purse and clutched her cell phone for reassurance.

Yamcha pulled at the collar on his designer silk shirt. A small crowd had gathered to watch the theatrics between the Capsule Corp heiress and the All-Star baseball player. Including Vegeta, who stopped short of entering the veranda to watch the little scene playing out before him.

It wasn't an Earthling influenced sense of etiquette that prevented Vegeta's intrusion, but rather his morbid curiosity to actually see how far the Weakling had progressed with his pathetic portion of the plan.

"I know you're probably really mad at me for lying to you…" began Yamcha, " But in time I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me…"

He tugged again on the seeming stranglehold of his necktie. This was certainly much more difficult to say with an audience, not to mention Bulma's impatient toe tapping.

She pulled out her cell phone and flashed the time in his face. "Get on with it Yamcha, you're wasting your time," she snapped.

Vegeta, still harbored in the shadows, couldn't help but grin. "That's my girl," he nodded with satisfaction.

Yamcha gulped at her tone, while mopping the sweat from his brow with his pocket kerchief. "Oh hell…" he muttered and dropped down to perch on one knee.

"Bulma, you were right when you said I was jealous of Vegeta, but the truth is…I'd be jealous of any man you chose to be with. I love you Bulma!"

"You once told me you wanted me to settle down with you and raise a family, but I was too young and wild and like an idiot, I let you slip away. But I meant what I said the day Frieza returned, I want to marry you and have some kids."

Yamcha reached out and took her free hand into his own. "Bulma Briefs, you are the love of my life…will you marry me?"

He waited, holding his breath for her answer, watching her face for any sign of emotion. Yamcha's apprehension soon turned to relief as Bulma's angry face softened into a sentimental smile.

She squeezed his hand gently as she murmured, "Is that what this was all about, you're still in love with me?"

He returned her smile and blushed. "I have always loved you Bulma and I always will."

Vegeta felt the smile fall away from his face. He certainly hadn't expected this, could it be that the Weakling had actually won back the heart of the blue-haired beauty? "Not in this fucking lifetime!" he decided and felt his power level rise along with his rage.

He raised his hand to point a well aimed Gallic Gun at Yamcha's head and was about to let loose enough power to kill the fighter without seriously harming the woman, when she abruptly pulled away from his grasp.

She turned her back, as if to collect her thoughts before addressing him, leaving a bewildered yet hopeful Yamcha to await her response.

When she faced him again her face was mixed with sadness and nostalgia. She ran her fingers through the top of his hair, as if deep in thought. "Yamcha…I'm flattered that you still care so much about me, I really am. But I am no longer the naïve little girl that once fell in love with you. I've changed and so have my feelings…I love you…but I'm not in love with you anymore…"

Vegeta halted the surge of power as it neared his fingertip. He held steady, as did everyone else watching. A hush had fallen over the crowd and the silence seemed to suspend time itself.

"…I'm in love with Vegeta…"

A sexy chuckle echoed throughout the garden as the Saiyan Prince made his grand entrance. "Looks like you've lost to me once again, Weakling."

Both Bulma and Yamcha turned in surprise as Vegeta prowled across the veranda. He wore a rakish smile of victory, which only added to his handsome and chiseled good looks.

He swiped the still kneeling Yamcha aside with little effort and gathered Bulma into a powerful embrace, enjoying the sudden electrical charge emitted from their bodily contact.

The Earthling fighter rebounded and pounced into attack mode. "You haven't won yet Saiyan, you've never had the pleasure of meeting my Wolf-Fang-Fist!"

Vegeta, clearly unimpressed merely shrugged and said, "Sorry…you're not my type. However, there is a bar down-town where I believe your 'fisting' talents might be widely appreciated."

The sarcasm went right over Yamcha's head as the younger fighter dug his heels in and declared, "I'm not going anywhere, not without Bulma!"

"Hnh," scoffed Vegeta, "But that might be your only chance at seeing any action tonight…and speaking of action…" he said drawing his attention back to the female in his arms. "I believe you were right in the middle of declaring your love for me when I so rudely interrupted."

Bulma, still recovering from Yamcha's professions of love and Vegeta's dramatic return, finally found her voice.

"Vegeta…I…I thought you left with Milan."

"And does the fact that I didn't, change your affections for me?" he asked with a low growl.

Bulma shook her head but furrowed her brows with determination as she pushed out of his arms. "No, it doesn't…but if you think I'm going to willingly become part of your harem, then you've got another guess coming!"

"What are you babbling on about Woman?" he asked with his usual throaty rumble. He stood, smirking at Bulma's outrage and then took a bold step towards her.

Bulma felt her knees begin to tremble as her heart beat took on a thundering pace. But as sexy as he looked and as much as she wanted him at that very moment, she resolved to stand her ground until she got the real story.

"Well…someone told me you had left with Milan," she announced, giving Yamcha another death glare. "I thought that maybe Saiyan's mated with more than one female…like baboons," she knew as she spoke she sounded as ridiculous as she felt.

"Silly girl," laughed Vegeta, "I've never had much use for women other than a quick screw…occasional blow job…but then I saw you on Namek and my perspective changed. There you were, beautiful and virtually unprotected, but determined as all Hell to capture those Dragon Balls."

"The Saiyan race was built on the power of the warrior. Breeding became a specialty, combining the genetic traits of two superior beings to create a blue-ribbon pedigree for the future. With the destruction of my people, I never bothered to concern myself with finding a suitable mate. I refused to believe such a woman existed…until I met you, Bulma."

"It is against my nature to care about anyone, yet my feelings for you refuse to subside. I can no longer focus on my training, sleep or even eat without thinking of you," he admitted, his voice hoarse with emotion.

His words felt like thick, soft velvet and Bulma imagined his rare confessional enveloping her like a warm embrace. The fact that he wanted her as she wanted him made her heart leap with joy and the lust reach a raging boil.

She stepped towards him reaching her hand out to clasp his. His dark gaze did not waver, he looked deep inside her eyes as if reading the hieroglyphics of her soul.

She had never before; been so sure about anything in her life; she and Vegeta belonged together. It was the way things were meant to be.

"You've got to be shitting me Bulma," Yamcha screamed in protest. He had been watching this whole display with a sinking heart. He, along with a dozen or so fellow party guests watched the thick sexual tension between the two, all fully aware of where this brief encounter was headed.

This was Yamcha's last chance to plead his case and he approached the pair with the same determination of a kamikaze pilot. Mustering all of his jealous energy into a delirious bravado, he attempted one last intervention.

"Bulma," he said again, this time gaining her dazed attention. "Don't tell me you are willing to give up a lifetime of security with me, for a roll in the sack with the Little Big Man! What about the family you always dreamed of having? You think this little prick is going to stick around and play 'daddy'?"

"Do you want a husband and family, Woman? Is that the purpose behind your subtle flirting and skimpy designer gown?" Vegeta asked in a teasing tone and flashing a playful wink.

"In all honesty, I'm not looking beyond a night of wild sex. Although, if you're as good in bed as I think you'll be…I won't object if you decide to stick around," she murmured.

The chemistry between the two upped in intensity and suddenly Bulma fought a violent urge to kiss Vegeta's delicious mouth. She wanted very much to be alone with the Saiyan Prince. Away from the prying eyes of West City society and even farther yet from the annoying interruptions of her ex-boyfriend.

"You're assuming you can keep this madman entertained, what happens when he tires of you…when your bossing and nagging drives him back to his murderous ways. Are you forgetting Arlen? Vegeta snuffed him with little conscious, what makes you so sure he won't do the same to you?" screamed Yamcha.

Bulma's stubborn nature was driving him to desperation. He knew he was putting his life on the line with this little nugget of information, but no longer cared. He would go down in a blaze of glory, if it meant keeping Bulma safe.

"Oh…Vegeta knows better than to kill me. He knows I'd haunt him, making his life miserable until he wished me back to life again," Bulma announced with a mischievous grin.

She moved closer to Vegeta and asked in a sobering tone, "Ginyu swapped bodies with the gardener and tried to kill you didn't he?"

The Saiyan gave an affirmative nod but added, "His plan was to steal my body and take over the world. Using my form he would have raped and killed you Bulma. I couldn't let that happen…" he whispered as his words trailed away.

He suddenly realized that life without this alluring and brilliant creature would mean living a life with no further purpose. Even his eventual defeat of Kakarott would mean nothing if he did not have Bulma to share in his victory.

"Are you prepared for a lifetime of disapproval from your friends? Choosing me over him will cause disruption in your inner-circle. They do not trust me or even like me for that matter. And for the record…the feeling is mutual," he said glaring at Yamcha, who took a cautionary step back in response.

"You must also accept that Kakarott will always be my adversary and that I will not rest until I surpass him in strength and power. Will your loyalty to your friends eventually blind your feelings for me? Will you grow to hate me as all others have in the past?" he asked her in a low serious tone

He was serious and would allow her this one last chance to override her lust with logic. His breath caught in his throat as she reached her hand to caress his face.

"Vegeta, nothing and no one will ever prevent my loving you. I want you to obtain your true power, even if it means besting Goku in a fight. Believe it or not, he wants you to succeed in your quest to become a Super Saiyan even more than I do. Now…do you have any more questions for me? Because I've been fighting the urge to kiss you and I'm afraid I'm losing control…"

She leaned into his body and let her lips brush across his mouth in a soft sensual sweep. He reacted instantly, pulling her against him, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other gently bracing the back of her neck. He regarded her silently for a few moments and she saw a hint of amusement flash across his impassioned dark eyes.

"One more," he said in a quiet whisper audible only to Bulma, "Have you ever fucked a monkey?"

"No…" she gasped in mock surprise.

"Then tonight is your lucky night, Woman," he rasped, crushing his mouth upon hers. She responded with a heated passion, both losing themselves in a ferocious kiss fueled by suppressed desire and long denied carnal magnetism.

It was a kiss that transcended all kisses. The unification of two lonely, kindred spirits in a melding of tongues and soft lips that left both Bulma and Vegeta gasping and panting for more.

"I want you Vegeta…take me home…" pleaded Bulma with a breathless eagerness.

The Saiyan turned, acknowledging the crowd of on-lookers for the fist time. "Show's over folks," he growled. He raised his hand and emitted a flash of light so bright; everyone watching was temporarily blinded courtesy of Vegeta's version of Tien's Solar Flare.

When sight returned to the high society of West City, the fantastic couple was gone, having taken flight during the brief distraction.

Yamcha, having had the fore- warning to shield his eyes, recovered first. He stared up into the night sky with a look of dejection and final defeat.

A woman nearby gushed with enthusiasm, "That was so romantic!"

Another added, "Did you hear the gentleman say something about the 'show being over'? Was that a scene from a movie or a play?" she asked the forlorn Earthling fighter.

Yamcha nodded and crossed his arms in disgust, "Yeah…Capsule Corp's very own version of Beauty and the Beast!"