Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ My Friend ❯ So Close ( Chapter 14 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.

AN: Well I asked for a name and you guys certainly gave me a few. And some great one's too! Unfortunately I could only choose one but if guys don't mind I'd like to use a few of the others in some of my other fics. If you do mind just let me know and I won't use it, though I would be very sad *teardrop*. Anyway I'll be out of town and away from a computer for a few days but I promise updates on Willpower, When You Least Expect, Relationships, and this (probably in that order) as soon as I get back from vacation. So until then enjoy!

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Bulma frowned as she stepped out of the dressing room. After looking the short gold dress over in the three-sided mirror, she sighed.

"I don't think this is it, guys," she called back as she tugged at the material.

"Nor is this," ChiChi said as she exited the other fitting room. The purple dress hung from her frail form too long and too big in all the wrong places. Bulma almost cringed at what remained of her once beautiful body. ChiChi looked herself over in the mirror and for the first time truly saw the full horror of what she had done. She turned her face from the image before her and was surprised when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She looked back to the mirror just as Bulma rested her chin on her shoulder.

"We'll come back in a few weeks and look again," Bulma said.

ChiChi smiled and tilted her head until theirs touched. "Thanks B."

"I think this maybe it," came Juu's voice from her dressing room.

Bulma released ChiChi and both girls turned back to the rooms expectantly. A minute passed and still she didn't come out.

"Gonna show us today?" ChiChi called.

"Just give me a minute," Juu snapped.

"I bet you anything it's skanky," Bulma said making sure her voice carried.

"No doubt," ChiChi answered in the same pitch.

"Bitches," Juu answered receiving the expected chuckle from the two waiting girls. "Okay here I come," she said finally pushing the door open.

Bulma and ChiChi smiled as she stepped out and made a half circle before them.

"That's the dress," they said simultaneously.

"Is it?" she asked over her shoulder with a sly smile. Lifting the skirt to keep the light material from dragging she approached the mirror. She gave the dress a critical look before the left side of her mouth quirked up. The long, almost pristine white gown hung elegantly from her slender form, curving in all the right places. The halter neckline showed just the right amount of cleavage and a mid thigh high split showed off the barest hint of leg when she moved. It had no back to speak of and the intricately placed sequins shimmered softly on the material.

"This dress must have been made for you," ChiChi stated what they were all thinking. "With the right shoes you'll be a knockout."

Juu nodded as she continued to scrutinize the dress. "If I get it I'll have to talk Krillin into wearing a white suit."

Bulma shook her head. "That is not the problem. You can talk Krillin into anything. The real problem is this," she said reaching behind the girl and snapped the clearly visible bra strap.

"Ouch," Juu complained as she slapped her hand away. "That hurt."

"Oh stop whining. Pain and beauty go hand in hand," Bulma spoke authoritatively. "Now, let's discuss options."

"You could try cups?" ChiChi offered thoughtfully.

"No I hear those are uncomfortable. I think you should go with tape," Bulma put in.

"Tape?" Both girls asked with matching expressions of confusion.

"Yeah. My mom did it for me one time. It worked great!"

"I think not," Juu said firmly. "I think I should just go without."

Bulma and ChiChi seemed to consider this when a shrill ring sounded from Juu's fitting room.

"Hold that thought," she told her companions before moving towards the room. After searching through her purse for a moment she answered, "Hello?"

"Hey babe. Whatcha doin'?"

"Shopping," came the breezy reply.

"Find anything?"

"Maybe," she answered. Her mind wasn't really on their conversation but instead on the added cheerfulness in his voice. "I'm sure you called for more than an update on my shopping expediters."

Krillin chuckled. "That's why I love you. You're so smart. Anyway I want you to meet me at the grove at 9:15."

"9:15? But we're supposed to be at the movies at 8:45."

"I've got something to tell you so we're ditching the guys."

"We can't ditch them. It's supposed to be a birthday thing, remember?"

"It's all right. I talked to Goku and he said they could just go without us. No big deal."

"What's this big news?" Juu asked after a moment.

"I'll tell you when you get there. So see you then?"

"All right but this better be good."

"Oh believe me it is," he answered. "See ya in a couple of hours."

Juu hung up the phone and turned to find Bulma and ChiChi watching her expectantly. Juu told them of the change in plans, each girl taking the news in stride. With one last vote, them decided on the dress and quickly changed before moving to the register.

Deciding they'd had enough for the day, Bulma dropped off ChiChi and then Juu. With a few words of parting, Juu walked up the drive to the small but homey one story that she shared with her mom and brother. After shutting the door and locking it back, she picked up the mail off the entry table. She readjusted the box in her arm so she could sift through the letters when she heard what sounded like an explosion coming from down the hall. Curious, she made her way towards the family room. She smiled at what she found when she entered the room.

Her mother sat on the sofa with her legs tucked beneath her as she watched the television flinching at every explosion. Jay sat at the other end, his vision transfixed on the violence playing out in front of him. Juu sat the dress box down on a nearby chair before walking across the room, receiving a grunt of disapproval from her brother when she blocked his view of the television, and plopped down between them.

"I can't believe you're watching Black Hawk Down," Juu told the more than slightly squeamish woman.

"Well he watched Chocolat with me so it's sort of a trade off," her mother explained, happy to have an excuse to stop watching the gore before her.

"Oh. I need the car tonight." The last comment was directed towards her sibling. Jay reached into his pocket and handed the keys to her wordlessly never looking away from the screen. Juu pocketed them as she began flipping through the letters again before stopping to open one.

Rei Jashgi watched the exchange with pride. The twins had worked their butts off all summer to raise the money to buy the car. She had to admit that she hadn't been to kin on the idea at first. As children they hadn't even been able to share a coloring book so the idea of them sharing a car peacefully seemed unlikely. She was pleasantly surprised to find that she was wrong and that they shared the vehicle without a single argument since it's purchase.

What she didn't know was that they had also foreseen the problem with sharing and had made a deal of sorts. Since Juu usually caught rides with friends, they had agreed that on the rare occasion she did need it she could have it, no argument. It had worked out pretty well thus far.

"What's that, dear?" Rei asked conversationally.

Juu handed her the letter wordlessly then began flipping through the remaining letters again. As Rei quickly read through the contents of the letter, a bright smile broke across her features.

"Juu do you know what this is?!" she practically exclaimed.

"An acceptance letter," Juu answered nonchalantly as she read through her cell phone bill. Who had she been calling that much?

"It's an acceptance letter!" Rei repeated as if her daughter hadn't spoken. "And it's the school you wanted too! Aren't you excited?!"

"Well it's not like I didn't know I was getting in," Juu said offhandedly. Carme? Who did she know in Carme? To Hell with that, where was Carme anyway?

Her mother gave a sigh of exasperation. "You're impossible. Jay look, your sister got into Arkansas! Jay?" she called again when he didn't look up. When he still paid her no mind, she grabbed a fist full of popcorn from the bowl on the table and chunked it at him. Jay blinked out of his daze and looked at the dark hared woman, his irritation obvious.

"Look your sister got into her school!" she said waving the letter in front of him.

"Oh. Great. Good job Juu," he mumbled before looking back to the TV.

Rei crossed her arms and looked at her children in disgust. "Sometimes I don't know where you two came from," she said sadly.

"Your womb," they both answered neither looking away from what held their attention at the moment.

Rei sighed and sat back on the couch. "So did you find anything on your shopping trip?"

"I found my prom dress," Juu said as she finally gave up on trying to figure the bill out and put it back in it's envelope.

"Your prom dress!" she said sitting up straight again. "Well where is it?"

Juu sat back on the couch and began watching the movie. "Over there," she motioned with a jerk of her head.

Any hope of enjoying the film was taken away as her mother stood and pulled her to her feet. "You may not be excited but I'm ecstatic enough for the both of us so let's see that dress," she said as she dragged her to the door.

"Mom it's just a dress," Juu complained.

"Any dress that my little star athlete gets into willing is not just a dress. I'll be right back, Jay," she called to her son and received a grunt as she picked up the box and pulled Juu out the room.

* * *

"Because I want to ride with you, Vegeta," Bulma explained as she put the last coat on her now very pink fingernails.

She could almost hear his scowl.

Sighing she decided to try logic. "Look, from what you tell me you're not that far from the theater which isn't far from my place. Really it's not even out of your way."

"So what you're telling me is that you what me to turn around and waste gas, energy, and time when all you have to do is get off your lazy ass and drive yourself all simply because you `want to ride with me'?"

"That's about the size of it," Bulma said as she began to blow on her already quickly drying nails.

"Are you nuts? What am I, your personal chauffeur?" the disgust in his tone easily carried over the connection.

"Look just turn around. In the time you've spent arguing with me you could have been here by now," she said. As she spoke she stood from her vanity and looked her underwear-clad form over in the full-length mirror. Damn, she was hot.

When he growled in response she smiled. "Thanks Veggie. See you in fifteen." She then hung up the phone before he could get a word in otherwise. She continued smiling until she entered her closet to scanned it's contents. With a grunt of frustration she realized she had absolutely nothing to wear. Everything she owned Vegeta had seen her in at least a hundred times. That's it! She just wasn't going- wait a minute. This was Vegeta. She didn't even know what they were to each other at the moment and she was already worrying about what to wear in front of him. She was not going to start primping for Vegeta.

With mind set she grabbed the first- okay the second -all right, all right the third pair of jeans and the second mid-bare tank she found in her closet. She pulled on a white headband over her thoroughly brushed hair and then returned to her dresser to snap on her bracelet, which she no longer went anywhere without. Somewhat satisfied with her appearance, she hurried downstairs.

She was humming softly when she passed the family room and paused as her mother's voice drifted out.

"Dinner sounds fine. Tomorrow at eight. I'll see you then. Goodbye," she said and hung up the phone. It was then that she noticed her daughter standing in the doorway. "Well hello Bulma. You look nice. Are you going out?"

"Who was that?" Bulma asked completely brushing aside her question.

Emily looked surprised for a moment then glanced at the phone. "Oh that was just-"

"You can't tell me you're going on a date!" Bulma practically screeched.

"Well sort of but-"

Bulma couldn't believe her ears. "Mom you can't be serious! What about Dad?!"

Emily sighed and stood. "Your father thinks it's a great idea."

"But Mom you guys haven't really broken up yet. Don't you think it's a little soon-" her words were cutoff by her mother placing a gentle hand on her lips.

"Sweetheart, my date is with your father."

"Dad?" Bulma asked in confusion.

"Yes," her mother smiled before stepping around the stunned girl and leaving the room.

Bulma quickly shook off her shock and followed her. "When did this happen?" she asked as she dogged the other woman's steps.

Emily stopped as she entered the living room. Though she was happy to hear some cheerfulness in her daughter's voice once again, she didn't want to give the girl a false sense of hope. "Well he wanted to discuss things and I thought it was a good idea but Bulma I don't want you getting your hopes up. We still have a lot to work out if we're going to ever be together again."

"But it's a good sign right?" Bulma asked hopefully.

Emily couldn't bring herself to crush the child's dream and smiled as she gently cupped the girl's cheek. "Yes it's a good sign."

The symbolism of her caressing the cheek she had struck only a few weeks before was not lost on either of them. Bulma's hands came up to cup her mother's as she snuggled her face into the soft skin of the older woman's palm.

"Mom, I-" Bulma started.

"I know sweetheart. Me too," her mother said quickly then kissed on her child's forehead. Like any bad boo-boo some of the pain from the last few weeks lifted with the placement of the motherly gesture. The tender moment was shattered with the blaring of a horn from outside.

"What in the world?" Emily murmured as she looked towards the door.

The driver continued to lean on the horn and Bulma's eyes narrowed angrily. "Some date he is," she grumbled as she walked to the door.

"Who? Yamcha?" her mother asked completely clueless.

"No. Vegeta," Bulma clarified as she reached the entryway.

"Vegeta?!"

"I'll explain later. Bye Mom," she said as she stalked out into the night.

Vegeta, who was standing just inside his car door, released the horn upon seeing her.

"What the hell took you so long?!" he barked. "You've already made me late enough as it is."

Bulma gave him the cold shoulder as she walked pass him and around to the passenger side.

"Do you always have to be such a jerk?" she snapped as she slipped into the car.

"Do you always have to be such a pain in the ass?" he countered as he reclaimed his seat behind the steering wheel.

Mrs. Briefs witnessed the entire scene from the porch and watched in stunned silence as they argued all the way down the driveway and continued to do so as they disappeared into the night.

"Date?" she murmured in disbelief as she reentered her home still shaking her head, the door sliding close behind her.

* * *

Bulma put her lipgloss back in her purse and smiled at her reflection. The movie hadn't been as good as she had expected but it had been bearable all because of the person she'd been sitting next to. After their initial fallout, she and Vegeta had come to an odd sort off truce by time they'd reached the theater. She was starting to think the night might just turn out pretty well.

She glanced at her friend next to her and wondered if now was the time to try a topic she'd wanted to broach for a couple of days now.

"Chi?" she ventured casually.

"Hmm?" the other girl answered as she switched her brush from one side of her head to the other.

"Why did you go out with Vegeta?"

Her brushing paused for a moment and she met her friend's blue gaze in the glass before them. When she continued her brushing she shrugged. "I don't know. Because he was cute I guess."

"Oh come on Chi. It had to be more than that. I mean you guys were sort of friends first. What made you take the next step?"

"To be completely honest I don't know. Whatever it was I must have been off my rocker that day. All we ever did was fight." ChiChi shook her head at the memory as she returned her brush to her bag.

Giving ChiChi her full attention, Bulma leaned her hip against the sink and crossed her arms. "So is that why you broke up? Because you fought?" If that was the case they were already in trouble.

"No. I think it was more we couldn't connect," ChiChi said after a moment. "Vegeta was too closed off for me. I wanted someone more free spirited and fun. Someone who wanted to do stuff like going to the park and holding hands. I guess I should have know from the beginning that Vegeta wasn't that guy but I guess I thought I could change him."

Bulma took note of every word she spoke and had to fight a sigh of relief. Everything ChiChi had mention was not a problem for her. Though she sometime had to pull it out of him, Vegeta was pretty open with her. Extremely so when compared to his other friends. Even though it would be nice she didn't need the PDA, just as long as he showed he cared in private. And most importantly he was her best friend and she loved him just the way he was. She would never want to change him whether they were in a relationship or not. After this she was surer than ever that this was the right move for them.

"B?"

The sound of her name drew her out of her daydream. "Huh?"

"I said what's with all the questions?" ChiChi asked seeming slightly irked at having to repeat herself.

"Oh! No reason," Bulma said quickly as she pretended to gather her things so that they could exit the theater's ladies room.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were-" ChiChi paused as her eyes widened in realization and she smiled knowingly at the girl who was doing her best to look innocent. "Bulma, are you telling me you have feelings for Vegeta?"

"Of course I do. He's one of my closest friends," Bulma said offhandedly as she swung her purse onto her shoulder.

ChiChi pushed her shoulder slightly so that she could see the other girl's eyes. "Come off it B. You know what I meant."

"Actually I have no idea what you mean. Now come on. The guys are going to kill us if we stay in here any longer," Bulma said firmly before she waltzed out the door.

ChiChi smiled an I-know-a-secret-smile at her back before following. They walked through the lobby and found the boys right where they'd left them by the front door. Goku walked up to meet them and wrapped a protective arm around ChiChi's waist.

"You guys ready?" he asked. "Maybe we could all stop and get something to eat."

"Actually Goku I think I lost an earring in the theater," ChiChi said quickly.

"I'll go help you find it," Bulma offered knowing exactly what the girl was up to.

"No, no! Goku can help me. You two go on. We'll go out another day. Come on, Goku," she said pulling her boyfriend back in the opposite direction.

"But Chi, you weren't wearing earrings," Bulma heard Goku complain as she dragged him away.

Bulma shook her head before she turned back to her original companion.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

Vegeta pushed off the wall he was leaning against and with a jerk of his head motioned for her to precede him out the door.

The multiplex theater was large and had an even larger parking lot to accommodate their heavy traffic flow. It was just their luck that they had gotten there in the mist of one of the theaters busiest hours and had had to park pretty far from the theater itself, a fact that Vegeta had not so silently fumed about being her fault for making them late.

The silence as they walked in the night was comfortable and Bulma acted on the urge to loop her arm through his. He frowned down at her but didn't pull away. Bulma looked at the barely visible stars above as they moved towards the car and she couldn't help but sigh contentedly.

"Guess what?" she said after a moment. His glance little her know she had his attention. "My parents are going on a date."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked.

At first she thought he was kidding until she remembered that if their situations where reversed he probably wouldn't see the reconciliation of his parents as a bonus. "It's definitely a good thing."

She wasn't sure what the nod that followed meant but she knew he was happy for her. They reached the car then and Vegeta moved to pull away from her but she held his arm fast causing him to frown his confusion at her.

"Thanks for listening to me," she said with a soft smile.

"Well I doubt anybody else would listen to your crazy babble," he answered, the corner of his mouth hitching slightly.

"That's because crazy people think alike," she countered receiving a half chuckle from him.

"I guess so," he said no longer seeming in that much of a hurry to go.

"And just maybe two crazy people need each other," Bulma slipped in and awaited his reaction.

His gaze clouded as he searched her eyes briefly. "Perhaps," came his serious reply finally and Bulma felt her heart leap in a way that it shouldn't have at such a noncommittal word.

They felt the anticipation of what they both wanted suddenly thicken the air and Bulma subconscious moistened her lips. His eyes immediately lowered with the action and she couldn't stop the strange flutter in the pit of her stomach.

"You better kiss me for real this time," Bulma practically whispered the words then to her horror realized she'd spoken out loud. She was so sure that he would pull away from her that she lowered her head and cursed her stupidity.

He surprised her once again by capturing her chin and tilting her face back up to meet his smiling one. "I maybe an excellent kisser but even I need for the girl to be facing me to use my talents," he said as he lowered his head towards hers.

"Well if it isn't Bulma Briefs."

Vegeta paused inches from her lips and a murderous glint that was only matched by her own entered his eye. "I'll kill whoever it is," he swore.

Bulma really couldn't believe her shitty luck as she watched him pull away from her. Resisting the urge to snarl she turned to see who the intruder was and wanted to scream when she did. The handsome man stopped in front of her and smiled as if he didn't know he had just interrupted a very private moment.

"Long time no see," Zarbon said in greeting.

"I wish it had been longer," Bulma snapped.

"You don't mean that," Zarbon said pretending that his feelings were crushed.

"You don't know how much I do," she told him matter-of-factly.

Zarbon gave her another of his winning smiles and when she seemed unaffected he tried another approach still completely ignoring her companion and the menacing glare he was getting from the smaller man. "You know Bulma I just arrived and if you'd like to stay I wouldn't mind taking you home afterwards a bit."

Vegeta opened his mouth to tell the creep just what he could do with that idea but Bulma beat him to the punch.

"Look Zarbon, I don't know why you can't take a hint but I'm not in the mood to explain things to you so get lost. Come on Vegeta," she finished before she turned her back to him and walked around to her side of the car.

Zarbon was too stunned to do anything but watch the two climbed in the vehicle. No girl had ever told him get lost before. Not a single one. He wasn't too stunned, however, to jump out the way as Vegeta back out almost hitting him in the process. As he watched the car pull out the parking lot he decided he would have to rethink his plan on capturing the feisty Miss Briefs.

* * *

Juu pushed the brush aside and stepped into the secret clearing. She spotted him where he sat on a blanket staring out at the night sky. When she was standing a few feet away from him she cleared her throat breaking the trance that he seemed to be in. He smiled bright as he stood and walked over to her.

"You came," he said.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" she asked raising a brow.

"I can never be sure with you," he half chuckled. "Come here," he said taking her hand and leading her over to the blanket to sit. He just sat there smiling at her for a moment and Juu sighed.

"Krillin you're driving me nuts. Will you just tell me already?"

He laughed again before he reached into his back pocket and handed her a folded envelope. Curious she opened it and couldn't help a smile as she read through the acceptance letter.

"Congratulations Krillin," she said sincerely.

"Thanks babe. I still can't believe it! I really got in!" His enthusiasm flowed from his every pour.

"Well I told you that, goon," she pointed out.

"I know but man this is so great! Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for your letter," he said as he leaned back on his elbows.

"Actually I got mine today," she shrugged as she put the letter back in it's envelope.

"What?!" he exclaimed sitting back up. "And when were you going to tell me this?"

"Just then I guess," she said as she handed the letter back to him.

Krillin shook his head. She was really something else. "I say we should celebrate," he declared as he stood.

She chuckled as she watched him began to strip his shirt. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

"By going for a swim," he murmured as he leaned over and kissed her lips. He quickly climbed down the ridge to where the lake lay.

"But I didn't bring my suit," she called.

"Neither did I," he yelled back.

Rolling her eyes playfully she made her way down the ridge. By the time she reached the bottom he had already strip all the way down and was diving into the water.

"Come on," he called.

Still shaking her head she stripped down to her underwear and entered the water. "Krillin?" she called looking around for her missing boyfriend. Suddenly, something grabbed hold of her legs and before she could react she found herself begin tossed headfirst into the water. She came up gasping and found him laughing his head off.

"You jerk!" she raged half-heartedly.

Krillin swam towards her still chuckling softly. "I'm sorry babe," he half apologized as he pulled her close. "I'll make it up to you," he murmured as his lips touched hers.

"You better," she muttered as he moved his lips to her neck.

"Oh I will," he promised before he ducked his head beneath the water. The zubret that followed was so unexpected that she couldn't contain the bark of laughter that tore from her lips and floated into the beautiful night sky.

* * *

Well that was a pretty dramaless chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed the break because there won't be another for a while. Special thanks to Susan for giving me the name for J/J's mom (have you noticed a tread here? First Lucifer now Rei. I should probably just start asking you directly). Once again if you don't want me to use the name you gave me in another story just let me know and I won't. Thanks again for all your help. You + Review = Update. Thanks for reading.