Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Princess WHO of WHERE?!? ❯ Seeing the Light ( Chapter 23 )

As a present, here's TWO chapters. I wasn't really feeling the last chapter. There were some things that I needed to get out of the way, but I wasn't to sure how I wanted to go about it and that's what took me so long to post. I'm sorry if it sucked. I'll do better. I promise.

&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&

Bulma held herself stiffly. She hadn't been this close to him since they had sparred that one time in front of his men.

Vegeta began to rub Bulma's back, hoping the friction would help warm her. He noted how stiff she was in his arms, but after a few minutes of his treatment, she started to relax.

"Now go to sleep," he ordered her.

He rested his cheek on her forehead and closed his eyes, though he continued to rub her back. Bulma moved around a little to see if she could get some space, but Vegeta wouldn't give her an inch. She gave up trying to move away and put all her concentration into ignoring his presence. However, the hand stroking her back made it very difficult. The feelings it gave her made her want to purr in pleasure, but the certain embarrassment that was sure to follow kept it restrained. Not only that, but for the first time in days, she was truly warm!

Bulma caught herself about to burrow even close to Vegeta and resolved not to move at all.

Well, she tried not to move.

When she woke up, she was lying on her side with Vegeta spooned along her back and one arm casually thrown across her. What disturbed Bulma the most was that she was clutching Vegeta's hand in her own and he was holding hers in return. She slowly squirmed her way out of his limp grasp and got out of the bed.

She turned to look at his sleeping form. She shook her head and left the room, knowing that there could never be more between them. While yes, he did stand up for her against his Father, saved her from being raped, and now was concerned enough to make sure she was warm, he still treated her any other time as if she were just another servant. (A/N: Did she fall out of the bed and bump her head?)

Bulma took some clean clothing and headed for the bathing rooms to meet Chi Chi. Much to her surprise, Eighteen had also gotten up early to join them. Bulma chose to just soak instead of swimming in the larger pool. Now finally away from Vegeta, she was trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings. She didn't hear Chi Chi talking to her.

"Isn't that right, Bulma?" Chi Chi asked. When she got no response, "Bulma?" she moved a little closer to the blue haired girl who was staring off into nowhere. "BULMA!" she yelled and simultaneously splashed the distracted female.

"Huh? What? Oh, yeah, what ever you say Chi Chi."

"Bulma, what's got you so distracted this morning?" Chi Chi asked in a concerned yet annoyed tone.

"Yeah, really," Eighteen added. "You haven't paid us a bit of attention since we got here. The way your acting, I'm surprised that you even made it out of bed this morning."

If Bulma's face weren't already flushed from the extreme heat of the pool they were in, she was sure she would have blushed from the innocently given admonition. She looked away from her two friends, hoping to hide the look in her eyes.

"I have to tell you two something," Bulma admitted.

She had to tell someone and if not them, who? Both of them caught the nervous and uncertain tone of Bulma's voice and crowded closer as if she were about to tell them the meaning of life.

"I………..I…………," she stuttered, having a hard time getting it out, "I……….."

"Come on, Bulma! Just spit it out!"

"Okay! Okay! I slept with Vegeta last night!" she blurted out a great deal louder than she had intended.

Fortunately, they ere the only ones there. Her friends gasped and drew back for a moment before drawing in even closer.

"Really?" Eighteen asked.

Bulma just nodded.

"How was it?" asked Chi Chi.

Bulma looked at her friend in surprise. "I don't mean like that!"

Both girls frowned in extreme disappointment.

"We just slept in the same bed," Bulma clarified.

Eighteen and Chi Chi went back to their previous positions.

"Oh, Bulma," Chi Chi said annoyed, "who hasn't just lain in a bed with a man! We thought you had a real juicy story to tell us."

"Chi Chi!" Bulma gasped.

"Well, it's the truth," Eighteen said.

"Yeah and if you don't WANT Vegeta, Bulma, I'll try my best to take him off your hands," said Chi Chi.

Bulma just stared at her friend in shock.

"That might be a little difficult though," Chi Chi continued, rubbing her chin speculatively trying to squeeze some sort of response out of her friend. Both Chi Chi and Eighteen knew that Bulma was falling for Vegeta, but they couldn't get her to admit it because she wouldn't even admit it to herself. Chi Chi's strategy was to make Bulma jealous.

"I mean, just think of all the privileges you could get if you were his mistress."

Bulma's temper began to flare and only the fact that this was her friend kept her from drowning her in the bathing pool.

"How DARE you show any interest in Vegeta when you know I like -," Bulma slapped her hands over her mouth to stop what she was going to say.

"Ah Ha!" both girls shrieked.

"We knew it!" Eighteen shouted. "You're in love with Vegeta!"

"I am not!" Bulma wailed in self defense.

"Whatever Bulma," said Eighteen.

Bulma looked away from her friends sadly and said, "Even if I were, nothing could ever come of it."

"Bulma, you cannot be serious," Eighteen regarded her in disbelief. "Vegeta would do anything for you. He NEVER spent any time with any female voluntarily until you came along. With you, he finds excuses to keep you near. We hardly see you anymore because you're always with him."

Bulma couldn't seem to make eye contact with either of her friends. Something in her mind finally opened to accept the idea of her and Vegeta together, but that didn't mean she was going to stop fighting it.

"It doesn't matter. I won't be staying here long. I don't need that kind of attachment to anyone."

Chi Chi and Eighteen looked at each other sadly. Their friend was going to allow herself any kind of happiness, though it only be temporary. She was clearly miserable from trying her hardest to deny herself what she wanted the most. They knew Vegeta wanted Bulma, but Bulma herself couldn't see it.

Bulma got out of the water and sat on the edge of the pool wringing her hair out. "I think I'm going to go now," she said as she finished getting all the water out of her hair and coiled it on top of her head. She picked up a drying cloth that was lying on a nearby bench and wrapped it around herself.

"I'll see you two later," Bulma said over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Bulma," Chi Chi called, but Bulma didn't stop. Chi Chi looked at Eighteen. "I wish there was something we could do to help."

Eighteen shook her head. "I think we did well enough to get her jealous enough to admit her feelings. Anything else will be up to the two of them."

&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&

Bulma used her foot to push open Vegeta's door, as her hands were occupied with Vegeta's breakfast. She saw that he was already dressed and sitting at his table awaiting his meal. His eyes were focused on her, so she looked away, thinking of this morning's conversation. DID Vegeta really care for her? And even if he did share the same feelings, what was she supposed to do about it?

Vegeta woke up right after she had left, subconsciously noticing a lack of warmth. He was a little surprised she was already gone. He hoped that despite her habit of rising early, she would have been tempted to stay. That would have been a prime opportunity to `develop' their relationship. It wasn't to be, so Vegeta had gotten dressed and waited for her in his sitting room, while planning out the day's activities.

She arrived, bearing his breakfast, with the strangest look in here eyes. Her face was the usual mask of indifference, though it sometimes his some faint amusement, but her eyes weren't matching the face. She looked sad, as if she were going to cry, but was holding it in. As she gingerly sat the tray down, he held back any of his usual smart ass comments. Instead, he watched her straightening his sitting room.

"What's wrong with you, Woman?"

Bulma started as is someone had jumped out and scared her. "Nothing," she answered simply.

Vegeta stared at her a moment more, then shrugged his shoulders before digging in to his meal. As usual, Bulma didn't have much time to clean up because Vegeta didn't finish too long after she sat the tray down.

"Let's go," he told her.

Bulma immediately stopped what she was doing to join Vegeta. He had already cleaned himself up and was pulling on his gloves. He picked up a long, slender bundle off the table that Bulma hadn't noticed before and slung in over his head and settled its carry strap diagonally across his chest. They were about to go out the door but Vegeta stopped suddenly. Bulma stepped to the side, Vegeta's sudden stops created a new reflexive action for her.

"One more thing," he said. He went to the window seat where he kept some of his things and pulled something out. It was folded up, so Bulma couldn't tell what it was. He tossed it to her. Bulma caught it and looked at it, not knowing what to do with it. "Put that on."

Bulma shook it out to find that Vegeta had given her a cloak to wear. She looked at him in surprise. He regarded her stare as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary.

"Come on. We've wasted enough time." Without a backward glance he left the room.

Bulma stared at his retreating form a moment wondering what the heck had just happened. She looked at the cloak again, then swung it over her shoulders and hooked the clasp at her shoulder. She picked up the hem of it and rubbed it between her fingers. It wasn't made of the finest material, but it was sturdy and looked to be fairly weather proof. She brought it to her nose and inhaled Vegeta's scent.

`Maybe he does care,' she thought.

"WOMAN, LET'S GO NOW!" he bellowed from where he disappeared down the corridor.

"Coming!" Bulma answered, running to catch up.

&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&

Today, Vegeta and his men were training in the same meadow he had taken her to the first time. She thought maybe he was going to do the kind of training he had done with them before.

"Since none of you have yet to develop any kind of true skill with an edged weapon, I'm going to provide all of you with a demonstration today," he told them.

Bulma's ears immediately perked up at this. `Edged weapons?' she thought. `I thought Kylarians didn't like any sort of weapon other than those they were born with.'

Vegeta got his bundle that he had brought from his room. He loosened it and drew a sword. It wasn't the one he had caught Bulma with. This one was quite different. For one, it was a great deal larger than the one Bulma had wielded. She was sure that it was twice as heavy as well. It also didn't sport a huge sapphire on the end of the pommel. In comparison, it seemed quite plain, unless on were to consider the ornate writing on the blade itself. Bulma immediately recognized it as Kylarian, though she had still hadn't learned to read it.

Vegeta twirled the sword effortlessly as if it were an extension of himself, and then slid it into a scabbard that Bulma hadn't noticed before at his waist. He reached down to the bundle again and drew another sword. This one Bulma did recognize. It was the very same one that she had tried out, much to Vegeta's dissatisfaction. He held it reverently by it handle and blade in his open palms. He looked around as if searching for something and then his eyes landed on Bulma.

"Woman!" he called.

Bulma nearly fell out of the tree. HE wanted HER? She jumped down, landing lightly, and walked to the group of men. They all parted for her respectfully, since they had long ago discovered her skill. When she got to Vegeta, he looked at her expectantly. Bulma wasn't quite sure what to do.

"Well? Take it," he told her.

"Really?" Bulma asked, one hand reached out for the sword as if not sure whether this was a trick or not.

"Do you want to spar me or not?"

She looked at Vegeta in shock.

"I need someone that will actually give me some competition. I can't show these fools the benefits of learning to wield a blade if I don't have a proper demonstration for them."

She couldn't believe that Vegeta was actually ASKING her to fight with him. Bulma took the sword from his hand and looked at how the morning sun reflected from it perfectly, casting an intense glare to any who stared directly at it. She rolled it in her right palm until she got comfortable with it.

"Are you sure, Vegeta?" Bulma asked, taking up a ready stance. "I won't go easy on you. I'm about as good with a sword as I am at hand to hand."

Vegeta snorted and took up his own ready position. "As is I'd let you beat me, Woman." He waved his free hand at his men and they quickly backed away, anticipating a good match.

"Well, then," she said, "ON GUARD!"

&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ;&&&&&&&&&&&&

Okay that's the end of that one. I might as well tell you guys that are expecting this big fight scene in the next chapter to not hold your breath. No fight scene. Well, not right now. I needed to get this out to set things up for the next couple of chapters.

Within the next three chapters, expect Bulma to lose the collar.

Yup that's right. It's finally time for it to come off. I needed Vegeta to allow Bulma to use her mother's sword in this chapter because of more permanently developments in their relationship not to mention some subtle irony.

So hang tight! More to come! But here's a teaser………………

It took every ounce of Bulma's will to pull away from Vegeta. She was only just barely able to hold him at bay and that was only through the strength of her legs that were wrapped around his waist and pulling him back. His eyes, dark and heavy with lust and confusion, glared up at her.

"Vegeta, I can't do this," she told him.

"Woman," he began, before amending to, "Bulma," he purred huskily into her chest. He used his arms to help pull himself out of the death grip her legs had around him. Not too successfully though, he could only get close enough to lightly kiss her chin and neck, which he did with a great deal of reverence.

Bulma almost let him slide free, but resolved to keep him clamped down as her conscience kept nagging her.

"Why won't you let us do what we both want?" he asked her.

Bulma looked away, slightly embarrassed at her already compromised situation. "Vegeta, I don't want to be another one of your little peasant girls. I can't sit back and wait for you until you're ready. I swore to myself, that the next man I allowed into my life would be the only one."

Vegeta regarded her averted face for a moment, puzzled at why she finally was seeking some sort of commitment from him. Maybe neither of them was as ready as they thought they were. He touched her cheek and turned her so that he could look her straight in the eye.

"Bulma, I can't promise you forever," he started, but when he saw her face begin to crumple, he quickly finished what he had to say, "but let's see how things work out. Maybe there's more for both of us than just a casual acquaintance."

That's enough. Can't give everything away

R&R for lemon meringue pie and no collar!