Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Learning to Love ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Edited April 8, 2008

 

Hi everyone! Hopefully, this will one of the shortest chapter in the history of this fic (knocks on wood) but it's still not a bad length. I think I know what I want to do next, so maybe if we all wish on a star, the amount of time between this update and the next will be significantly shorter.

 

Reminder: just remember that this fic is rated R as in Remove yourself if you can't handle the content. The R is also for cuRsing, Romance (lemon, lemonade, maybe even limeade with a twist of kiwi), and the B16 Regular Bitch Special (played by Anyla in this fic). The warning is because there is some 'adult humor' in this chapter; so kiddies, go ride your tricycles, those of us that can handle it, stop reading my babbling and go on to the fic!

 

Learning to Love: Chapter Five

The Next Day

 

"Black or blue?"

 

Chichi looked up from where she and Bulma had been grading papers. "What?"

 

"Which one of these dresses did you like better; the black or the blue one?" her friend asked slowly.

 

"Oh, I don't know! Why don't you ask Lord Vegeta?" she suggested, a sly smile on her face as she tried to gauge her friends reaction.

 

Bulma rolled her eyes at Chichi's teasing. "If only you knew Chichi." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she slapped her palm over her mouth and groaned inwardly. Me and my big mouth.

 

Chichi grinned and leaned forward in eager anticipation. "If only I knew what Bulma? What are you not telling me?"

 

Laughing nervously, Bulma got out of her chair and went to the fridge for something to drink. "I tell you everything, Chi. Don't be silly."

 

"Oh really," the raven haired teaching assistant drawled, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest. "Then tell me why you were kissing Vegetaseii's most notorious rake and obviously enjoying it."

 

Her friend laughed nervously. "Well, you see--"

 

Loud knocking interrupted her, and kept her from finishing her statement. "Just a sec!" Bulma shouted running to answer the door. Saved by the knock. Kami, that was close, she thought, opening the door to let the person in. "Oh, hi Kakkarot. Is there something I can help you with?"

 

He grinned. "Yeah. The King wants to talk to you right now."

 

"Now?" Bulma repeated, frowning down at her clothes. "I'm not even properly dressed."

 

Kakkarot shrugged as he glanced at her clothes, yawning slightly. "You seem dressed all right to me."

 

"You are such a sweetheart," Bulma said dryly, rolling her eyes. "Chichi," she yelled, turning on her foot. "I've got to talk to the King. I'll be back soon, okay?"

 

There was silence until Chichi finally answered. "Okay, but once you get back we're going to talk some more about--"

 

"Bye Chichi!" Bulma said more loudly than necessary, not noticing Kakkarot's wince. She closed the door behind her and followed the tall Saiyan to the King's throne room.

 

Kakkarot politely held the doors for her. After she passed him, he quietly closed the double doors behind them and trailed behind her.

 

Bulma slowed her walking as her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the lighting of the throne room The King's guard gently pushed her in the right direction and she soon found herself standing before the impatient King Vegeta. She smiled at him sardonically. "I'd curtsey, but I'm kind of slumming it today."

 

Vegeta arched his brows as he fully took in her definition of `slumming' his expression one of mild curiosity. Bulma wore grey sweatpants, a form fitting black T-shirt with the words 'Perfection' written on it in silver script, old sneakers, and had a messy ponytail at the nape of her neck. In all of his life, Vegetaseii's ruler seldom saw someone dressed so…casually, yet this female's haphazard appearance was having a dangerous and powerful effect on him.

 

Scowling in annoyance, the King met her blue eyes with his black orbs. "While I was distracted last night, Kakkarot found out that Anyla was meeting with Zarbon," his gruff voice ground out.

 

Bulma felt her hackles rise at being referred to as a mere 'distraction'. "You already knew that," she quickly retorted.

 

Vegeta quickly shot the amused Kakkarot a warning glance. "Tell her what you heard," he ordered his guard.

 

Kakkarot immediately grew serious. "Yes sire." He took a deep breath. "I didn't get to hear much, because I was, uh, equally distracted for much of the time."

 

Flashback

 

"Kakkarot, you're stepping on my feet again."

 

"Oh. Sorry about that."

 

Chichi grimaced in pain as she limped over to a chair and sat down. "It's ok. Right now, I'd really like something to drink," she hinted.

 

Kakkarot sat down, propping his legs up on an empty chair between them, nodding in agreement, secretly relieved that she didn't want to dance anymore. "Yeah, me too."

 

Too exhausted to beat around the bush anymore, the earth female nudged him. "That's your cue Hero. Get up and get me a drink."

 

The King's guard stood up reluctantly and trudged to the bar. "Let me have a Swirled Sheryl and a Gracie May."

 

The bartender grinned as he served up the drinks. "You want a hit of alcohol with those buck-o?"

 

Kakkarot shook his head sheepishly. "I kind of have to keep my wits about me for tonight." With the green SS in one hand and the GM in the other, he carefully weaved his way through the dancing, laughing Saiyans, grinning in triumph as he reached his destination. By the time he got there, Chichi was looking somewhere across the room, a frown on her face. He cleared his throat and grinned as he caught her attention. "Not a drop spilled," he said proudly. A seven and a half foot Saiyan male accidentally bumped into him, spilling both of the drinks onto the floor.

 

Chichi stared down at the spilled drinks for a moment and smiled into Kakkarot's stunned face. "I guess you spoke too soon!"

 

"I guess so," he sighed. "I better go get you another Gracie May then."

 

She arched her brows in question. "What the hell is a Gracie May?"

 

Kakkarot sighed as he eyed the puddle of fluid at his feet. "A Gracie May is the earth equivalent of a Vodka-Whiskey-Everclear mix. It's one of the weaker drinks on the planet."

 

Chichi's jaw dropped. But she quickly composed herself. "Well, for the record, I don't drink. And I have the feeling that Gracie May would have killed me or any other human that tried it. Does your bar have something nonalcoholic, like water or better yet, ginger ale?"

 

"Yeah!" Kakkarot exclaimed in excitement. "I'll go get you one!" He dashed off toward the bartender.

 

"Back again? Drinks too weak for you?" the good-natured slave chuckled, wiping the counter.

 

"Nah," the King's guard denied. "Too strong. Can I get a ginger ale?"

 

The barman ceased his wiping movements and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah. Hold on there a moment." He reached beneath the counter and pulled out a dusty old bottle of ginger ale. He eyed the guard quizzically as he poured the drink into a tall glass and added ice. "Here you go, buddy."

 

The Saiyan nodded his thanks as he took the glass and trudged back to where Chichi was patiently waiting. Kakkarot grinned and sat down in the seat next to her. "Here's your drink Miss."

 

Smiling radiantly, the female took the beverage from him, her fingers brushing his. She took a quick sip of her drink to hide her slight bush. "You can call me Chichi, Kakkarot."

 

"I'm sorry...Chichi," he said slowly, looking into her dark eyes.

 

Chichi felt herself flushing once again in embarrassment so she took another drink from her glass. She looked up into the Guard's eyes again and vaguely realized that they were leaning toward each other. A tiny, scared part of her mind, told her to throw her drink in his face and run. It told her that men were all worthless pigs looking for a female stupid enough to give it up, and once that got boring, they'd move onto to the next one. But I'm not going to have sex with him. It's just a harmless kiss. Besides, Kakkarot isn't like that, she told herself.

 

She closed the distance between them and kissed him, savoring the contact with this man. The Guard didn't appear put off like other men were whenever she tried to take charge. He responded to her kiss, a little shyly at first, but soon he was taking charge, much to Chichi's delight. She could sense Kakkarot's desire to continue this, to go farther. As much as she liked him, she knew she wasn't ready yet. She abruptly broke the kiss and stood up from her chair. "I've got to go," she said.

 

Kakkarot stood also, taking a step back to put some space between them. "Yeah, me too."

 

"Bye," Chichi said softly, leaving.

 

Damn it, Kakkarot thought, watching her leave. What did I do? he asked himself, running his hands through his hair. He forced himself to sit down at the bar and sighed loudly in exasperation. Women.

 

The bartender was wiping glasses, making sure they were spotless. He looked up and raised his eyebrows to see Kakkarot. "You again?"

 

"Yeah," Kakkarot said dismally. "Can I have a ginger ale please?"

 

The bartender nodded. "Sure thing." He quickly filled the order, placing the drink before the somber Saiyan.

 

Kakkarot quickly downed his drink and indicated for the bartender to make a re-fill.

 

"Hold on Guard. Let me see if those good for nothings in the back have another bottle." The bartender put down his towel and went through the doors to the back.

 

Kakkarot sighed sorrowfully and leaned his elbow on the counter and placing his chin in his hand, reflecting on all that had happened in the past ten minutes. Did I scare her or something? Or maybe I'm a bad kisser? His Chichi-centric thoughts ceased as his ears picked out the all too familiar sound of a certain female's voice. Anyla? Oh, shit. I forgot all about her. He spotted her about four stools down from him; she wasn't alone. One of Freeza's lackeys was at her side, looking very bored.

 

The King's guard quickly lay his head down on the counter as if he had passed out so that Anyla would be unable to see his face. The people beside him ignored him completely, lost in their own little worlds, and caught up in their own thoughts and problems. Because of taciturnity, it was easy for Kakkarot to hear her words clearly and they cut straight through him like a hot knife through butter.

 

"The Saiyan Empire deserves to perish. No more abhorrent, invidious race has ever existed and I no longer want anything to do with them."

 

A cultured voice laughed. "So, Vegeta finally dropped you did he?"

 

There was a sound like someone slamming a fist on the countertop. "No, nor will I give him the chance to! I'm not exactly sure where he is right now. I hear he's in his chambers but I have the feeling he's with that earth woman," she snarled.

 

"Look babe, why do you hate the Saiyans so much? I mean, you ARE one of them." His voice was full of derision and it was obvious that Freeza's henchman was not a huge fan of the female Saiyan.

 

"It's not the Saiyans-"

 

"So it's Vegeta?" he interrupted.

 

"No," Anyla denied. "It's just that I see no advantage or reason to stay on Vegetaseii any longer. The people are weak, the technology is weak, the King is weak-"

 

"Wait a sec babe; we don't know for sure whether or not that's actually true."

 

"Let me assure you it is," Anyla sneered. "I've been monitoring his power level even more closely than his own father; you are much stronger."

 

"If you say so," the accented voice said skeptically. "So what exactly did you want me to tell Master Freeza?"

 

"I want to join your side. Freeza is much stronger than Vegeta and I think he will respect that I will be an invaluable addition to his army."

 

"What do you want out of all this?"

 

"Power," she responded matter-of-factly.

 

"Right, well it's time for my ship to go love. You know how to contact me right?"

 

"Yes, I just--"

 

Kakkarot jumped as a glass was slammed on the counter in front of his face. He looked up to see the irked barkeeper furiously wiping glasses again. He picked up the drink and took large gulps, using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth when he was through. He nodded his thanks to the bartender. The frustrated man nodded in acceptance and continued his wiping, mumbling about the 'inept inbred idiots' that work for him.

 

Kakkarot scanned the room for Vegeta but could find no sign of him. I wonder where he's gone and why he left before finding out about Anyla. He turned around on his seat and got off the stool. Shooting a glance down the counter where Anyla and her 'guest' had been sitting. No trace of them. He sighed and walked out the door, going back his room in the castle.

 

End of flashback

 

Kakkarot finished re-telling what had happened, leaving out the parts with Chichi involved.

 

Bulma twirled a strand of hair around her finger pensively. "So, is Anyla right?"

 

Vegeta frowned at her. "Right about what?"

 

"Is that Zarbon guy stronger than you?"

 

The King shot a glance at his guard and both snickered. “In his dreams maybe," he managed to get out. "I could kill that fool effortlessly."

 

Kakkarot nodded, a smirk on his face. "Yeah, what Anyla doesn't know is that Vegeta is a Super--"

 

"That's enough Kakkarot, you needn't say any more," the King interrupted, any trace of amusement gone from his face.

 

"My apologies," the guard said automatically.

 

Bulma frowned as she looked from Kakkarot and then to Vegeta. "You don't trust me, do you?"

 

"I trust no one. You are certainly not an exception from that."

 

"Kakkarot obviously is," Bulma said smugly, crossing her arms over her chest. “And you've entrusted me with information I'm sure you have no intention of telling most of your subjects; so why not this?'

 

The King's eyes glittered in annoyance. "That may be true, and I have my reasons for doing so, but this particular information is not your business. It is solely my concern and whoever I wish to include."

 

"Not my business?" the renowned scientist repeated her voice dangerously calm. "The well-being of the planet I am working on-that I left my life on earth for-is very much my business! It's everyone's, not just yours."

 

"For fuck's sakes, you couldn't possibly understand. The state of the planet is my burden and my business," the King snapped back, scowling at the straightforward female.

 

Bulma smiled prettily at him. "Make this your business asshole." She gave him the universal signal for 'fuck you', turned on her heel and left, the doors slamming shut behind her.

 

Kakkarot watched her go in complete surprise. Did that really just happen? That's the first time a female, or anyone for that matter, has ever talked to Vegeta like that. I hope he doesn't take it all out on me. He turned his gaze to the King who was staring at the doors the earth female had just walked through with a wry smile on his face.

 

Vegeta turned to meet his guard's stare, a frown on his face. "Don't you have something to be doing Kakkarot?"

 

The guard's lips twitched as he struggled not to laugh. "No sire."

 

"Well go make yourself useful before I think of something you won't like,” he growled.

 

"Yes sire," was the amused reply.

 

"Damn earth women," the King muttered after his guard was out of earshot.

 

The Teachers' Quarters

 

"You didn't! Oh Bulma, please tell me you're kidding!"

 

Bulma sniffed angrily. "I'm as serious right now as a heart attack! The bastard was asking for it! He deserved a lot more than what I just gave him, that's for sure."

 

"I can just see what's going to happen next. He's going to do something awful to both of us."

 

"He wouldn't dare."

 

"Yes he would," Chichi groaned, putting her forehead on the table.

 

"Never fear Chi, I'll be ready for him."

 

"Oh, I feel so much better now," she said sarcastically, looking up at her friend.

 

"I knew you would," Bulma joked, a smile on her face.

 

"So," the raven human said, going back to grading papers. "What's the plan genius?"

 

"It's a secret."

 

"Uh huh," Chichi said cynically. "So you don't have one yet."

 

Bulma sighed. "You know me too well."

 

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

 

"I hope so. So, how are you and Kakkarot?" Bulma teased, changing the subject.

 

Chichi blushed as she remembered the previous night and the kiss. "There is no me and Kakkarot," she stated, peevishly. "The question I'm dying to know the answer to is how you and Lord Vegeta are?"

 

"Didn't we already talk about this?" Bulma sighed, leaning back in her chair.

 

"No," Chichi denied, a smile on her face. "Now spill."

 

She rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to spill for crying out loud. And there is no me and Lord Vegeta."

 

Chichi's face brightened as she suddenly realized something. "Lord Vegeta shaved yesterday."

 

Bulma leaned back even further in her chair as she looked at the ceiling. "So?"

 

"So you weren't kissing him. He has at least 1 and a half days worth of stubble on him."

 

The science teacher blinked twice rapidly before she could help it. Since when is Chi so damn attentive?! "Are you trying to get at something?"

 

"You were kissing the KING! Oh my Kami! I guess that explains why you're so pissed off about his attitude earlier." Chichi was beaming at her discernment.

 

Bulma flushed in embarrassment and slammed the front two legs of her chair to the floor. She closed her eyes and held her head in her palms.

 

Chi grinned. "You just gave it away Bulma. That and I just happened to see the shaved Lord Vegeta just before Kakkarot and I were together."

 

"Oh gods, I plead temporary insanity," Bulma moaned.

 

"Well, I guess he's sexy in a 'bad-ass' sort of way. He doesn't really look like your type..." she trailed off as she recalled all the stunts, pranks, escapades, schemes, adventures, capers and mischief Bulma had managed to convince her to join in over the 15 years they'd known each other. "Never mind, you two are perfect for one another."

 

"Thanks a lot Chi. You're not exactly making me feel any better," her friend lamented.

 

The black haired woman shrugged, unperturbed . "You're the one who kissed him, not me. And from what I saw, it was mutual kissing going on."

 

"Don't remind me. It was a stupid one time mistake that I will never let happen again."

 

Her friend patted her comfortingly on the back. "He's probably feeling the same way. Just try to forget about it."

 

The Dining Hall

Later that same night

 

"…I was sitting there like I was supposed to, bored out of my mind, and then I realized something; everyone thought I was the King. I could have done anything under the suns and the blame would all go to the brat! I thought about bringing the harem into the throne room and finally christening the place if you know what I mean but I decided against that. I thought about calling Freeza and telling him, in tears, that I only wish I could be as good as him, I thought about sending all of Vegeta's funds into my account, but I decided against those ideas also. I finally decided to just sit there with the biggest smile imaginable on 'Vegeta's' face," Lord Vegeta guffawed.

 

The Lieutenant, the Royal Guard, and the Activity Coordinator all rolled their eyes.

Egplnta laughed aloud as she imagined what the servants must have thought. Bulma was trying to ignore the pointed glances she was getting from Chichi and Vegeta was poring over documents laid out before him, seemingly tuning them all out.

 

Anyla frowned. "Why were you in Vegeta's--?"

 

"Bulma," Bardock interrupted, shooting his former monarch a look of exasperation. "Uh, so how are your lessons in Saiyago going?"

 

The teacher grinned at the man's attempt to quickly change the subject but shook her head. "Not so well I'm afraid. I'm still relying on your translator bracelet."

 

"Don't be modest Bulma; she knows way more of it than I do," her best friend chimed in.

 

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Anyla muttered under her breath, heard only by Bulma and Egplnta.

 

King Vegeta looked up finally from the papers he'd been poring over the entire night. "Would you be willing to put that to the test? Give us some assurance of your so-called genius?"

 

Bulma's nostrils flared at the challenge, and for a moment as she met his gaze, she smirked in such a Saiyan like fashion that Vegeta was taken aback. "Of course, sire, though I'm sure I'll do terribly." She took off her silver bracelet translator and pushed it to the middle of the table.

 

The other occupants of the room watched in amusement as the science teacher eyed her challenger coldly, waiting. Lord Vegeta elbowed the Lieutenant in the ribs. "If looks could kill, huh? Fifty units says she can't do it."

 

"Fifty says she can," Bardock whispered back. The two men shook hands and waited.

 

Vegeta leaned back in his chair, taking his sweet time. He looked across the table at the impatient woman, a smirk on his face as he posed his question in Saiyago. "Tell me Bulma, how many people are present in this room?"

 

Chichi cringed, having taken off hers as well; the only words she could make from that were 'me', 'room', and 'Bulma' of course. She slid the silver bracelet back on her wrist so that she could keep up with the rest of the King's challenge.

 

Bulma's eyes never wavered as she replied perfectly in Saiyago. "Exactly nine, sire. Four females, five males, seven Saiyans and two humans."

 

Lord Vegeta chuckled good-naturedly as he made an IOU out of his napkin for the grinning Lieutenant. "I think she's proved you wrong, boy," he informed his son.

 

"Not yet she hasn't," Vegeta growled.

 

Anyla frowned at Lord Vegeta, her gaze full of contempt. "She hasn't proven anything, except that she can count up to seven.”.

 

"Speaking of counting," Lord Vegeta began, pointedly ignoring Anyla. "Bulma, you're a smart girl, maybe you can figure this one out. If Anyla weighs 130 and charges 300 units a fuck--"

 

Anyla gasped. "You sick son of a bitch!"

 

"-how much does she cost a pound?" he finished, a smirk on his face.

 

A few people began to cough into their napkins, hiding their laughter from the King.

 

Bulma smiled mischievously. "The cost is 2.30769, or 2.31 a pound." She shifted her gaze so that it rested on the King, whose lips had twitched at her response. "But I'm sure Vegeta already knew that."

 

Anyla's face was turning red in anger. "Why you--"

 

"Bitch," Lord Vegeta supplied, grinning at the earth female. "I must say, that makes you all the more attractive in my eyes!"

 

"You're too kind my lord," Bulma said absently, laughing derisively at the now deadpan Vegeta. "Tell me Vegeta, do you get frequent flyer miles for riding on Anyla Airlines? I would think with all the traffic in and out of her, she'd reward those that actually bothered to come back."

 

"That is it!" Anyla screamed finally, pushing her chair back. "Why don't you stop attacking my character and attack me instead you cowardly bitch?!"

 

Bulma's eyes gleamed with malice as she rose from her seat as well. "Coward? Do you want to see how 'cowardly' I am?"

 

"Whoa, this is getting way out of hand," Kakkarot protested, pushing Anyla back down in her seat.

 

"Kakkarot's right," Chichi reluctantly agreed, urging her friend back in her seat.

 

"Damn," Lord Vegeta murmured. "And I was getting ready for a death match."

 

The younger Vegeta was watching Anyla carefully. The enraged female Saiyan was glaring at the now calm earth female, animosity in her eyes. Egplnta nudged Bulma in the ribs and jerked her thumb in Anyla's direction. The teacher met Anyla's gaze and winked devilishly before turning back to her friend.

 

Lord Vegeta coughed in the silence that followed. "So…where's the food?"

 

The King looked at his father in surprise. "What?" he asked, his brow furrowed as if he'd been very seriously considering something.

 

"The food boy; are we going to eat the table?"

 

"They've been waiting over there," Vegeta said, absently pointing toward the door.

 

Lord Vegeta beckoned for the slaves to come forth. "Move with some alacrity, will you? I'm starved."

 

Kakkarot's belly rumbled as the aroma of the food met his nostrils. "Me too."

 

Bardock, Lettuco, and Egplnta eyed the trays hungrily, not wasting time speaking as they were all served.

 

Bulma and Chichi spoke quietly amongst themselves, unnoticed by the Saiyans.

 

"Why did you stop me Chi?"

 

"Bulma, you're pretty fast and you handle a weapon well, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat…well, you suck."

 

"I still could have torn that bitch a new one," the blue haired woman protested, insulted.

 

"I doubt it," Chichi replied, eyeing the psychotic Saiyan from the corner of her eye. "She's been training all of her life. Neither of us is anywhere close to her level."

 

"Maybe not in terms of physical strength. Well, I'll just have to come up with something to level the playing field, won't I?" Bulma said absently, her mind already constructing plans.

 

"Just as long as I'm not involved, it's fine by me," Chichi answered, placing food on her plate.

 

Planet Freeze

Days later…

 

A scream rang out, loud and long, and was abruptly ended. Welcome to Freeza's Playhouse some jokester had written with his dying blood on the walls. Freeza had found the statement so amusing that he said the phrase to every man-or woman-admitted to one of his jails.

 

The basement jail was no place for the likes of Zarbon, and he normally wouldn't be here, but he had a suspicion that Dodoria was hiding in here again. He walked the length of the jail, looking into each cell. There were only about 20 or so, each the same size. Some were vacant, most were not. He'd learned long ago to ignore the occupants of these cells, or run the risk of angering Freeza. He went to the cell on the end and found him; pouting like a 500 pound baby. "What did you do this time?" he asked, his tone leaving no room for pity.

 

Dodoria looked up at the blue green man in surprise; his face twisted into a sneer and then back into his regular straight line. "It wasn't me this time. He's angry about some planet that is refusing to sign over there gold and oil supply. They are threatening to blow their planet up themselves before letting us touch it."

 

Zarbon's eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "They can't be serious."

 

"They are and Master Freeza isn't liking it one bit." He looked up at the higher officer, a hopeful look on his face. "He likes you Zarbon, why don't you go up there and talk to him? Maybe you could calm him a little."

 

"Just how mad is he?"

 

"Well," the pink alien pondered. "He blew up our second to last moon."

 

Zarbon's face was lit temporarily with fear. Not a good sign at all. "You must be out of your damned mind."

 

"It was worth a shot."

 

End of Chapter Five

 

YAY! It's the end! It is actually about 3 pages longer than I thought it would be. So what'd you think? I know the dinner scene was a little over the top but you know how it is. Any questions? Ask away! This is Bulma16, saying peace out and all that hippie stuff.

 

~B16/Claire-chan