Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Pseudo Ferocity ❯ Going Home ( Chapter 22 )

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: I took a long time again…sorry.

*Special thanks to Bulma Peacecraft for beta-ing*

22. Going Home.

Yamcha couldn't help but notice that Vegeta looked very handsome in a tux. It irked him…especially since it was obvious that Bulma had also noticed. It wasn't that he was bitter…well okay, he was a little bitter that he had been dumped for Vegeta, but that was beside the point. The real point was that it made him uncomfortable to know that his sweet, if a little overbearing, innocent, if a little lewd, Bulma had become involved with a killer…and not just any killer! She was -discreetly- holding hands with the very man who had send him to the spirit plane!

Yamcha sighed, not for the first time that night. He couldn't help but notice that they made a striking couple.

Vegeta's frown deepened as yet another flash went off in his face. This `premier' business was a pain in the ass. He was sure his picture had been taken at least a thousand times, each noisy photographer clamouring for the best shot. Let them take their silly pictures, he thought, let these little fools worship me! His frown began to lift into a slight smirk at the thought, but quickly returned as the flashes increased tenfold.

Goku's mouth watered as he took in the spectacle…it was so beautiful, so magnificent! He felt privileged to behold such an extraordinary work of art! The buffet table…

Bulma primped and posed for the cameras, revelling in all the attention she was getting. Heiress of a multibillion-dollar company, and a movie star too! What a life! Even though her part was teeny tiny and she'd probably never set foot on a sound stage again…but what did that matter? Bulma loved the camera and it loved her right back, which was most unfortunate for Vegeta, whom she had attached herself to. To him, the camera was like that annoying little dog who tries to hump everyone's legs…he hated it, but my oh my, did it ever love him, and no matter what he did, he couldn't shake it off!

More cameras went off in his face, trying to catch the rare smile that appeared at such a strange thought. This is going to be a long night… He looked at Bulma, inwardly pleased that she was enjoying herself so much, even if it meant spending the whole damn night before these blasted picture machines.

Bulma watched Vegeta, slyly, out of the corner of her eye. He had been surprisingly well behaved so far, though she could tell his mood was becoming increasingly fowl with every flash of light. But then again, he was simply full of surprises that night. She had nearly fainted in shock earlier that evening, when he had come to pick her up, in a sleek, black, stretch limousine, of all things! No doubt, it had been Bruce's idea, but the mere fact that Vegeta had bothered to make the effort was surprising. Though they had been `dating' for lack of a better word, since shooting ended, she had always been the one to travel. There had been a few times where he had hauled her up into his arms and took to the sky, but it was usually due to frustration and impatience with the pace of traffic. It was hardly romantic, to be dragged into the sky by an irritated Saiyan, amidst the honking and yelling of irate motorists.

Bruce winced as Caleb's hand tightened painfully around his own. The poor man was stiff as a board, he was so nervous, as the couple stepped out of their limo. Bruce was his usual bubbly self, though he attempted to tone it down, for Caleb's sake. The businessman was understandably nervous, it being his first time out with Bruce, as a couple. It wouldn't be long before his colleagues and associates got word of his new relationship, and he was worried about the potential impact it may have on his business relationships. He felt Bruce squeeze his hand, and he let out a sigh, trying to relax. He was out, he was in love, and he was still the same man he had been before, so damn anyone who couldn't see that!

Chi Chi stood next to Goku, who was gorging himself, quietly shaking her head at the extravagance of the whole event. "Tsk tsk…For all the money they spent on this carpet alone, we could have those holes in the roof patched, the faucet fixed…we could just buy a whole new house!" she exclaimed jealously. She felt terribly out of place in the home-made satin dress that she had laboured over for weeks, even though Bulma had assured her that she looked as lovely as anyone else there.

"Aww, Chi Chi," Goku swallowed a mouthful of food and draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her close. She stumbled awkwardly, but he didn't seem to notice. "That's just the way these movie people are. Everything's about the big, flashy lights, and who paid the most money for what they're wearing." Chi Chi's face fell a little. The fabric of her dress, though lovely, had been a bargain at 50% off the regular price. Goku squeezed her, and she noticed how the fabric of his tux strained across his oversized muscles.

Bulma had generously offered to pay for their attire, but prideful as she was, Chi Chi had refused. She wasn't the type to accept handouts, so she had worked for weeks on her dress, which was simple enough, just time consuming. Goku's tuxedo, however, had proven difficult. The man was never around, always off training, never thinking of the impending humiliation of not having anything to wear to "Bulma's big Hollywood-movie party", as she liked to call it. So, Chi Chi had improvised, guessing measurements here and there, sometimes sneaking into their bedroom at night with her tape measure. The suit had turned out well enough, thought it was a little tight in some places, and a little big in others. No one at the party really seemed to notice…perhaps only because no one was really paying much attention to the unknown couple.

"Man, look at this place!" Yamcha raved, startling Chi Chi out of her thoughts. "I still can't believe Bulma managed to get us on the guest list! Hell, I still can't believe she even invited me!" He laughed, stealing a pastry from Goku's overloaded plate. He was doing his best to remain jovial, in spite of his past with Bulma, though he was surprised at the tiny pangs that rattled his heart when he caught her in his eye, laughing and talking, one hand entwined with Vegeta's. He thought that he had got over her in the past few months.

"Hey!" Goku protested, as Yamcha popped the pastry in his mouth. "Those were my favourite ones!"

"You snooze, you loose, old buddy." Yamcha smiled boyishly, giving Goku a quick slap on the back. "Now if you'll excuse me," he straightened his tie, "I'm going to go mingle…" He wandered off into the crowd, and it wasn't long before he had amassed a following of young starlets, all hanging on his every word. Hey, it was time for him to move on, wasn't it? Even so, he found himself sneaking glances at Bulma and her moody new boyfriend.

"So, what's it like, dating multi-billionaire, Bulma Briefs?" A reporter for some entertainment magazine had managed to corner Vegeta. She thrust a microphone, attached to a miniature tape recorder, into his face, awaiting an answer. He glared at her, through narrowed eyes, thinking about all the annoyances that he had been forced to put up with since news of their relationship had become public.

"A pain in the ass." He snapped, turning on his heel and walking away.

The milling crowds were beginning to get to him. All these mobbing reporters! He thought, exasperated, the adoring fans never would have been this disrespectful on Vegetasei! It was true. Rather than mobbing him with questions and snapping cameras in his face, they would have lined up, bowed, spoke only when spoken to, and treated their prince with the utmost respect! "Stupid earthlings." He muttered, plowing through the crowds without care for who he was trampling.

It was a pain in the ass to date Bulma sometimes. No matter where they went, someone would eventually recognize them, and their dinner, movie, or whatever they happened to be doing at the time, would turn into a complete circus. He liked it best when they just sat alone, watching movies or television on the couch, which they didn't do very often. They hadn't really seen much of each other at all, since the shooting ended. The hustle and bustle of Capsule Corporation had reclaimed Bulma, and Vegeta had gone back to the runway, awaiting the results of his movie. Bulma had the silly idea in her head that the time they spent together should be `special' and `memorable' but Vegeta didn't get it. What was so special about sitting in a restaurant, eating overpriced food, whilst a million other couples surrounded them, doing the exact same thing? And then to finish the evening with a movie, where they were forced to sit and watch passively, unable to speak for fear of disturbing the others around them. He enjoyed his time with Bulma, but in his mind, there were much better ways of spending it.

The theatre grew quiet as the lights dimmed, and the screen roared to life in a brilliant flash of light. An exquisite caravan trudged through the rain, along a rutty dirt road, bouncing and bumping along. The camera panned along a lush expanse of rolling country hills, until an enormous castle came into view, surrounded by a bustling city. Slowly moving in through cobblestone streets, slums turning to markets, which gave way to grand homes and finally the palace gates.

"His majesty bids welcome to Lord Dominic Satayn and his company." A steward in royal livery bowed as the gates swung open, manned by armour clad knights. A cough from the door of a gilded carriage; a haughty looking woman, dressed to the pique of fashion, stepped out. The steward corrected his mistake. "And a most gracious welcome to the Lady Satayn." She smiled icily back at him, before taking the arm of her husband, which had not been offered. He looked away, an irritated and exasperated expression on his face, but did not shake her off.

The throne room. The King and Dominic. Barely concealed resentment, hatred, and animosity. A thin veil of polite procedures to cover the raging disgust of each with the other. The Queen, Aria, so young, so enchanting. A torrid love affair.

Yamcha watched uncomfortably as Vegeta stripped and crawled into the bed with his ex-girlfriend. His eyes narrowed as their lips met with such need and passion that people in the audience sighed and hugged themselves, as if to duplicate the sweet love that the two characters shared.

A dark forest at night. Two figures on a horse, galloped wildly through the trees, trying desperately to escape their pursuers. "Dominic!" Aria cried as the horse stumbled and fell, nearly crushing the two riders.

Vegeta remembered that scene. On the first take, he had flown headfirst into a tree. Bulma had been the only one who was not concerned. The crew had thought her heartless, until he stood up and shook them all off, with a glare of the type that only he could muster. He had been more concerned for the damn horse, with its long, spindly legs that looked so easy to break.

The King's men had caught up to them. A fight broke out. Aria tried to stop it…and she did. With a sword through her heart. Dominic found himself in the town square, a noose around his neck, charged with the murder of the Queen.

Luke. Dying. Hell. That was the favour. Luke was old and tired. Someone needed to take care of Hell for him. Dominic Satayn; the new ruler of Hell.

Goku had to pee. Badly. But he didn't want to miss the movie, so he sat squirming in his seat, accidentally elbowing Chi Chi every few minutes. She glared at him, her steely gaze screaming "It's your own damn fault!" He had drunk so much punch, to wash down so much food, and it had caught up to him at the worst possible time! Vegeta was on the screen, crashing around in his underground palace, peering into the mystical pool of water. He had found Aria's reincarnation and was making plans to kidnap her. Goku didn't want to miss that!

Chi Chi hissed in annoyance as he once again slammed an elbow into her arm, but Goku didn't really seem to notice, as he was too busy trying to maintain control of his bladder.

Kidnapping Aria's reincarnation. A forceful kiss and a glimpse into Dominic's madness. A tiny spark of something; some emotion. A budding relationship. A jealous boyfriend.

"Charlie no! What are you doing?" Kali smiled as she watched herself on the screen. What a performance! Vegeta was a fool to have picked Bulma over her! Oh well, his loss! He seemed possessive, and she didn't want to be tied down to one man.

"I'm saving you!" He snarled, grabbing Dominic's sword off the floor. The fallen lord lay prone on the ground, blood gushing from his abdomen. He had been shot right through. "I'll run him through on his own damn blade!" Charlie raged, pushing past his girlfriend, toward her ethereal kidnapper. He raised the sword with both hands high above his head, preparing to slam its blade straight down through Dominic's heart.

"Dominic! NO!" She shrieked, throwing herself over his fallen form, just as the sword began it's descent.

A sickening rip of steel through flesh. Charlie looked down to see his girlfriend impaled upon the sword. It had gone right through her middle, and he watched, as her eyes grew wide. She coughed up blood as she tried to speak.

"Aria! Aria no…" Dominic was panicked. "No…why would you do that? Why would you do it again? You…" he was growing weak, and he struggled to speak. "You…you weren't supposed to die for me again," he sobbed, "we were supposed to find each other and be together."

"But…" Charlie's head snapped up as she spoke. Her voice was so different…and her eyes…

"Who are you?" He screamed, wrenching the sword from her gut. "Who the fuck are you?"

"But," she continued on, ignoring everything but Dominic, "but we have found each other, my love."

Max smiled as he watched Bulma's image materialize over Kali's, the ghostly form and her solid counterpart moving and speaking in exact synchronization. It had been an exceedingly difficult scene to set up, as they had had to set a very definite pattern of movements that each actress had to follow perfectly and separately in order to cleanly edit Bulma's image onto the film of Kali.

There were two distinct voices now, Bulma's soft tones growing louder, to drown out Kali's.

"Aria…" Dominic breathed.

"We have found each other, and now we will die again, this time together. We will be together now. Forever, as it was meant to be." She smiled, pressing her face into his hand as he reached up, shakily, to wipe a tear from her eye.

Charlie watched them die, slowly, in each other's arms. He was so transfixed that he didn't notice the figure step out of the shadows, until it was right beside him.

"I helped you," the old man said, laying a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "And now I believe it's time for you to uphold your end of the bargain."

"…Luke."

"Wow, what an ending!" Vegeta heard someone say as the lights came on.

"Yeah, it just screams `sequel'!" Someone else replied. The rest of the conversation was lost to him as they wandered away.

"Well, it looks like you guys have a hit on your hands." Yamcha said, patting Bulma on the back, and then quickly stepping away from Vegeta's warning glare. "Congratulations."

"Yeah you guys, that was great!" Chi Chi appeared at Yamcha's side, minus one Saiyan husband, who had hightailed it to the bathroom in a hurry. "Bulma, I had no idea you could act!"

"Me either!" Bulma laughed, pleased that the movie seemed to be enjoying such an enthusiastic reception.

"So what are you going to do now, Vegeta?" Goku appeared from within the crowd. "Gonna hang up your armour for stardom?"

"Pft. Don't be an idiot Kakarott." The Prince snorted. "I've proven my point."

"You mean you're not going to do anymore movies or anything?" Bulma asked, somewhat stunned. She had thought Vegeta was enjoying the attention.

"Of course not. I've delayed my ascension to Super Saiyan for long enough."

"But…but you'll be bombarded! You won't be able to go anywhere or do anything without the whole world knowing about it!"

"You humans will forget about me within a matter of weeks." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Though this is only a testament to the idiocy and frivolity of your race." He snapped. "No intelligent race would ever dare to forget the name Vegeta!"

"Things don't work quite like that, you know." Bulma sighed in irritation. "Someone will always recognize you after you've been in the spotlight like this."

"What a mixed up race." Vegeta shook his head, and fixed Bulma with a patronizing look. "You mean to tell me that none of you can be bothered to recognize the would-be destroyer of your planet, but you'll google over me for the rest of my life because I played pretend in front of a camera?"

"Yep, that's about right!"

The after party was buzzing with good cheer, excitement, and champagne. Already, the movie was a big hit with critics and the public was sure to love it too. Reporters were already beginning to pester the cast and crew about the possibility of a sequel.

People had been approaching Vegeta all night, asking him about his plans for the future, and where they could send their script offers. He was quickly growing tired of it, and beginning to worry that perhaps it would not be so easy to fade back into obscurity as he had hoped.

"Well, it looks like you're a big success, huh?" Bulma looped her arm around his, handing him a glass of champagne. "A toast," she clinked her glass against his, "to success." They both sipped silently from their glasses, lost in thought.

This was the moment that had been building for the past several months, since that fateful, windy day at Capsule Corporation. Vegeta had met her challenge. He had proven himself capable of both survival and success in her world, but had he become so comfortable in his new life that he didn't want to return to his old one? Bulma desperately wanted him to come back; she deeply missed his presence in her home, and the thought of his return had given her a much needed boost in accepting his decision to stay away until he gained his `human' success.

"Vegeta?" She finally broke the silence. "What are you thinking?"

Vegeta took a swig of champagne, draining the delicate glass. He thought a moment before he spoke. "I'm thinking this party blows. Let's go home."

"You mean…home?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" He gave her a look, as if to say "Are you stupid?" and then dragged her off to collect their coats, all the while muttering about annoying, deaf women.

After several months of having their scripts returned to them in ashes, movie producers started to get the message, and slowly, Vegeta's mail began to dwindle in quantity, from hundreds of scripts a week, to seventy five, fifty, ten, one, and finally, none. He still got the occasional bit of fan mail, which he read, never answered, and kept in what he thought was a secret place, until Bulma accidentally stumbled upon it one day while cleaning. She never did tell Vegeta that she knew, for fear of wounding his pride.

As he predicted, people did begin to forget about him; after all, who wants to worship a star that never appears in public, much less does anything noteworthy. One tabloid figured out the secret of his heritage, but nobody paid much attention.

Max and Ray went on to collaborate on several more successes, though Ray never knocked on another door before listening to what was going on inside first.

Kali Delmar became quite a successful actress, but developed alcoholism and was court ordered to undergo rehab. She was last heard to be struggling with step 6.

Eikre graduated from University and found a job with Capsule Corporation's space exploration program. He and Bridget dated for a while, but broke up after she kept calling him "Eric" in bed.

Christian's image helped make thants a fashion craze.

Bruce and Caleb moved in together and nine months later, held a commitment ceremony, which Caleb's mother bawled all the way through. She has since been looking in to the adoption rights of gay couples.

Bulma got pregnant, but didn't quite know how to tell Vegeta…so she didn't. He figured it out when they were able to keep at it right through the time when her period should have been there, but didn't say anything, because he didn't know how to bring it up. They both pretended to be shocked when her stomach inflated to the size of a basketball.

All in all, things ended up pretty well.

Mp3 of the Day: "Dr. Worm" by They Might Be Giants. It's a song about Dr. Worm…who is not a real doctor, but is a real worm. What more can I say?

So this is the end of Pseudo Ferocity…*sniffle* I've been working on this fic for over a year now! (mostly because of those little 3 month waits between the last few chapters…eh heh…) Anyway, I just wanted to thank you readers for giving this strange and somewhat unbelievable fic a chance! Thanks for sticking with me!

^._.^