Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Pseudo Ferocity ❯ Quantum Physics and Rocket Science ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or any of the character appearing in the manga or television show. Nor am I making any profit off of this story.

Author's Notes: Hey all, sorry this chapter took so long to get out! I meant to have it out sooner, but problems arose, first with my computer, and then a few of my beta readers happened to be on vacation and oi! It was madness!! Lol…it really wasn't…no madness at all…damn.

And big thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!!! Everyone's invited back to my place for pizza and beer! No wait…I don't even like beer…and even if I did, I'm underage…well crap-diddly. Will you settle for my gratitude??? *giggle*

Special thanks to ssjblackguy, Kat8125, and SilverSun, for beta-ing!

Pseudo Ferocity

3: Quantum Physics and Rocket Science

It was raining outside, great big fat drops of water falling from the sky, like the clouds were crying. The wind was strong, lashing the tree branches around like whips, as it screamed its sorrow. Inside the Briefs' comfortable home on the Capsule Corporation compound though, it was warm and dry. A crackling fire had been lit in the small library, and Bulma had taken advantage of the cozy room, curling up in one of the overstuffed armchairs to read.

It was the first time she had been able to relax in nearly two weeks, and curling up in the knitted afghan blanket by the fire was absolute bliss. The miserable weather was a separate entity, prohibited from entering the fantasy world of knights and dragons she was currently engrossed in. The book was one she had read often, about a kidnapped princess and her mysterious knight in shining armor. It was a tale of a love that could never be, a princess and a common soldier. But Bulma loved the ending, when the knight revealed to all that he was the crown prince of a neighboring country…the two would get married and live happily ever after.

It was a good story. Unfortunately, it was only that.

Bulma sighed, setting the book down on the oak coffee table at her feet, and looked out the window, disturbed by the insistent tapping of a tree branch against the pane of glass. Fairytale worlds were all well and good, but eventually, one had to give up fantasy and live in the real world.

"Bulma, dear!" Mrs. Briefs' shrill voice called from somewhere in the house. "Will you come out to the dining room and help me set the table?"

"Coming Mom!" the young woman called back, pulling herself out of the chair. She stretched languidly, allowing the blanket to fall to the floor at her feet. She debated leaving it there for a moment in her mind, before stooping to pick it up. Folding it neatly, she set it back down on the chair and closed the grates of the fireplace before heading out of the cozy library and down the stairs toward the kitchen.

Stepping out into the hallway, a chilly draft of air hit her and she shivered, wondering where the draft was coming from. It was late spring, but the weather was unusually cool for the time of year, and it irritated her. It was early June, nearly the end of the school year, and that meant summer was coming. The weather seemed to be more fitting of autumn, with cool winds and cloudy skies.

Pushing open the dining room door, Bulma was almost surprised to see such a small amount of food sitting on the table. But she quickly realized that Vegeta was gone…he had been gone for nearly a week, but it was still a shock to see such a small amount of food being prepared after the enormous quantities he had eaten. On the first day, Mrs. Briefs had forgotten their Saiyan houseguest was no longer around, and as a result, the Briefs' had eaten leftovers for almost a week straight. This was the first fresh meal that had been cooked since his departure.

"He'll be back Bulma. You know he always comes back." Mrs. Briefs smiled comfortingly, seeing the look on her daughter's face. It was strange, but they all missed the cocky, self-assured little prince, even Dr. Briefs, who had been terrified of the surly man, felt a little empty without the strong presence in the house.

"I'm not worried about that jerk." Bulma snapped back, irritated that her feelings could be read so easily. She felt bad about reacting like she had. It was only food, and, as much as she hated to admit she was wrong, he hadn't known about the picnic…Hell, whether or not he ate the food hadn't even made a difference, because the Capsule Corp. picnic had been cancelled due to heavy rain. So really, it was almost a good thing he had eaten the feast, or it would have gone bad.

She was still upset though, more at herself than at him. She had overreacted, and gone so far as to throw him out, not that he didn't deserve a lesson in manners, but he hadn't deserved to be treated so harshly. The worst though, was knowing that he was alone…probably outside in such bad weather with nowhere to go. He would be angry with her, and had likely taken that anger out on several innocent people already. He probably wouldn't come back soon either, unless someone forced or begged him to. He had been quite insulted by her comments, and Bulma knew that in his mind, to come crawling back to Capsule Corporation would be admitting defeat. No, Vegeta would not be coming back any time soon.

"Bulma…" Mrs. Briefs ventured, unsure of how to approach the subject of Bulma's feelings for the odd little man. It was quite apparent that her daughter held a certain amount of affection for their royal houseguest, but was too stubborn to admit such a thing. Mrs. Briefs wasn't quite sure if Bulma even knew about her own feelings toward the Saiyan.

"Mom…can we just talk about something else for now? I couldn't care less about Vegeta." The young woman pleaded, setting a plate in the place Vegeta usually sat at dinner. A look from her mother made her realize her mistake, and she snatched the plate up again, a furious blush on her cheeks.

Muffled footsteps were heard padding down the hallway, and in shuffled Bulma's father, looking unusually disheveled, and slightly puzzled at the expression on his daughter's face as she stalked out of the dining room. "Burajaa, what was that about?" Dr. Briefs asked his wife, who just smiled, giving her husband a peck on the cheek.

"Just some girl stuff." She giggled, setting the last glass down in its place. "Nothing you'd understand."

In the kitchen, Bulma yanked open one of the cupboards, roughly putting the delicate porcelain plate back in its place. How embarrassing…it was like the one time back in the old days, when her mother had walked in on herself and Yamcha making out…But for some reason, the embarrassment was much worse when it had to do with Vegeta.

"What am I so embarrassed about? So what if she knows I'm kinda worried about him. It's not like I'm in love with the bastard or anything. I mean, I would know if I liked him in that way, and I totally do not!" She muttered to herself.

Who are you trying to convince? Her brain taunted, There's no one here but you and me…

"Shut up." She snapped aloud. "Stupid brain…you don't know anything."

No, not at all. Nothing except quantum physics and rocket science.

"I thought I told you to shut up."

"Bulma! Come on back in here! It's time to eat!" Mrs. Briefs called, seating herself at the dark mahogany table. "That girl, she can be so flighty sometimes!" She commented to her husband, who had also seated himself. "She must get it from your side of the family."

Bulma rolled over, looking at the clock on her dresser. 3:20, the glaring red numbers told her, and she groaned. Why was it that whenever she actually needed to sleep, she couldn't? Vegeta was the cause of her insomnia this time. She was worried about the little bastard…for some unknown reason. She had slept earlier, she guessed for only about an hour, but it had been fitful sleep, full of dreams. "This will teach me to read fantasy novels before I go to bed." She moaned, remembering some of the fuzzy details of her dream.

She had been a princess, captured by an evil lord. He wanted to marry her, but she refused so he locked her away in a dungeon until she changed her mind. But that would never happen. Her heart had belonged to another; a man on a gleaming black stallion, hidden within a suit of shiny silver armor. She could not recall the exact details of his face, but he had been handsome, with sharp, regal features and challenging eyes, daring her not to love him. Strong and muscular, warm and gentle…she remembered what it had felt like to be held in his arms, and she shivered beneath her covers, even though the room was warm. Even the center of the earth would feel cold without his arms around her.

Rolling over, she tried to block the thoughts from her mind, but to no avail. Each time she tried to think of something else, the knight would come galloping by and scoop her up into his lap. He would hold her there, not that she made an attempt to move, as his warm hands, callused from years of dragon-slaying and sword-fighting, ran over her body, scorching her through the fabric of her dress.

Good Kami, how she wished he were real. The feelings she was experiencing, so undeniable sincere, would easily have fooled her if she had not known the man was her own brainchild. He seemed so familiar though, like she already knew him. His subtle, masculine scent lingered in her nostrils, sending her into a confusing whirl of déjà vu. She knew she had smelled that exact fragrance before…but where? Where on Earth did she remember it from?

Rolling to the other side of her bed, she yanked open the top drawer of her nightstand, pulling out a coiled notebook and a pen. Flipping to a fresh page, she clicked on the reading lamp hooked to her headboard, and poised her pen over the paper, chewing on the end as she tried to recall the date.

June 4th

It's 3:30 in the morning right now, and I can't sleep. I dreamt for a while earlier, but I woke up about two hours ago and haven't been able to fall back asleep. My dream though, I've had dreams like it before…you know, the good one where I'm a princess, and my one true love comes to save me from an evil lord who intends to make me his bride. Well, it was one of those dreams again, but there was something different. My knight in shining armor, he was familiar to me for some reason. Like I actually know him or something. It was so realistic this time. It was like he was really here in my room with me, holding me in arms strong as steel and warm as my electric blanket…Okay, lame description, I know, but science is my strong suit! Not writing! But anyway, back to my dream…it was so real! It sounds silly, but I can even smell him still…and it's weird. The scent is giving me major déjà vu. I know I've smelled it before, but I can't figure out where! It's driving me insane!

Ahh well, I suppose having a true love in my dreams is better than not having one at all, ne?

Bulma Briefs

Sighing, she snapped the hardcover journal closed again and set it back in the drawer along with the pen. She shut the drawer quietly, lost in her own thoughts, still engrossed with the dream. A tapping at the window startled her and she nearly screamed, slapping one hand over her mouth to hold the sound in. She calmed down, seeing a tree branch swaying in the wind, knocking against the side of her house, and occasionally, the window. "Damn wind…it's supposed to be nice outside." She muttered to herself, unable to stop herself from worrying a little about Vegeta. He was probably out there right now, huddled somewhere trying to sleep, or maybe killing some unfortunate soul who tried to mug him…

"Vegeta…" Bulma sighed, watching raindrops splatter against her window, "I'm sorry…you can come home whenever you want to."

Okay, there's the chapter!! Kinda short, I know, but I can assure you though, that the next chapter will be longer!!! And there is a definate lack of Vegeta, but no fear; he'll be back and sexy as all hell for the next chapter! I'm sure you all noticed I gave Bulma's mom a name too… I normally don't like to because it's hard to find something that fits her personality and stays in with the underwear theme, but typing "Mrs. Briefs" over and over again would have sounded quite bad because of the repetitiveness. So I called her Burajaa, which still doesn't fit great with her personality, but it means 'brassiere' in Japanese.

Mp3 of the Day: Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." Yes, I know this is not a strange or little known song, but I think this piece is absolutely amazing and everyone should listen to it! *giggle* Plus, the mood of the song strikes me as being sorrowful and tinged with regret, which just happens to fit this chapter perfectly!! So go download it!

And have a spectacular day!!!