Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Duke ❯ You Can't Handle the Truth ( Chapter 5 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: okieday17 
Are the Briefs' ready to learn the truth about Goku's past?
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.30.2011 | Updated On: 08.30.2011 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 672 | Status: Work In Progress
Are the Briefs' ready to learn the truth about Goku's past?
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.30.2011 | Updated On: 08.30.2011 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 672 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Warnings: Cussing.
A/N: AAAAHH! I'm the worst. Sorry guys for not updating sooner. This past month has been insane, and that's a bit of an understatement. On top of that, I feel like my fingers can't put down what my brain wants it too...but anywhooo...I made up for it, hopefully, by making this chapter that much longer--as well as giving you some answers!
And as always, thanks to my reviewers, old and new alike, who manage to make me smile and want to keep writing, even when things are batshit crazy. Love ya!
Chapter Five: You Can't Handle the Truth
Bulma felt like her whole world was changing. She felt like she was losing a grip on her carefully constructed and blissfully happy reality. In the short span of one day she had found out that not only was her adopted brother possibly related to the most infuriating man of all time (who was threatening to take her brother away from her), but that the man she had been expecting a marriage proposal from would rather fool around in the stables with a maid than seriously consider marrying her--the woman he had told he loved!
; Whatever happy future she had been envisioning with Yamcha was now gone in a puff of smoke, and the certain future she had had with Goku always by her side now seemed to be slipping away as well. Things were not going according to Bulma's plan--and Bulma rarely (if ever) did not get her own way, so she was more than a little unhinged at the moment.
; So what did as she felt her whole world unraveling?
She took action.
&nbs p; Let no person accuse Bulma Briefs of not being a go-getter.
& nbsp; After discovering that her beau, Yamcha, was little more than a rotten scumbag who deserved to have his manhood removed, violently, from his body, Bulma had come back to the house and had found her father. She had told him the plan her and Goku had agreed upon the night before, no-nonsense, and straight-faced, not giving him a chance to consider saying no to it. After that, she threw herself in some work she needed to get done before putting her plan into action, and spent all of the morning in her personal lab, her father the only other human she saw for the next four hours.
; Bulma did not stop during that time, as she found that whenever she slowed down, or tried to stop, she would suddenly become overwhelmingly sad at Yamcha's betrayal, or the fact that she might very well be losing her brother, her closest friend and ally, once the hermit and his sister arrived with their tale of Goku's birth. So the second a stray emotion, other than that of being industrious, entered her, Bulma would physically exorcise it, throwing herself into the most manual of tasks, shaping metal tubes, or breaking old scrap metal apart herself. It was intensely satisfying, and distracting, and Bulma spent her morning working up a good sweat, ignoring every single emotion that tried to distract her.
Well, if she were being honest, not all emotions could be blocked out. Namely, she could not help and be stunned as she thought about how she had thrown herself at the dour Duke himself, kissing him! It had lasted all of ten seconds, and Bulma had not felt anything but his firmly closed lips on her own, or starchy fabric of his clothes...but she felt flushed whenever she thought of it. Though his lips had stayed closed, and no bare skin had touched, there had been a tremendous heat that radiated from him, consuming her, and Bulma had felt a spark of something so potent she could not help but dwell on the kiss whenever it would pop into her mind.
She almost wished that the stupid turtle hermit and his sister would arrive so that she would have something to distract her, even if they told the family exactly what they did not want to hear. But the morning wore on, the sun growing higher in the sky, and still there was no sign of them.
It was finally when Bulma was working with her father in the afternoon, going over the latest designs for some very hush-hush innovations, when a footman rushed into their lab, extremely dusty. He gave a respectful bow as he looked at the two anxious Briefs', before catching her father's eye, "sir, I've ridden ahead to let you know that the carriage with the turtle hermit and his sister should be here within the next hour."
Dr. Briefs nodded towards the man, who bowed again, and left. As soon as he was gone, Dr. Briefs turned towards Bulma, whose mouth had suddenly gone dry as she met his eyes, seeing the steely hard glint within her father's usually serene depths.
Well this was it, then, was it not? Time for the truth to come out...Bulma's stomach responded accordingly by instantly tightening itself in knots, before clenching tightly, and flipping in a circle, rather aggressively.
Her father studied her face, before he gently questioned, "now are you sure you want to follow through with your plan? You know once we set your mother loose with this idea, there will be no stopping her?"
Bulma was pulled from her anxiety, looking at her father, before nodding. She took a second to throw her shoulders back, meeting his gaze, completely sure of herself, and needing to convey that to him. He needed to believe her so that, well, she could believe herself. Bulma raised an eyebrow at her dad, going for the old Bulma flare when she spoke, "would you rather send Goku off by himself?"
Dr. Briefs smiled, glad to see his daughter not looking so...lost. "Absolutely not."
Bulma nodded, finding that old confidence of hers as she told him, "then we have to do what we have to do."
Dr. Briefs quirked his head, pausing before he continued, "and are you sure you are okay leaving Yamcha? I had thought this would be the winter he would ask me for your--"
Bulma cut him off by looking back down at the plans, hoping that her fresh hurt was not written all over her face, though she feared it would be, as she haughtily told him, "I told you, father, I'm through with that fool. I want to do this."
Dr. Briefs, being the wise old man he was, only hmm'd, but said nothing else as they went about trying to make time move quicker as they awaited the Turtle Hermit and his sister--and answers.
~~&~~
Not forty minutes later the whole of the Briefs family was back in the sitting room where the bombshell had been dropped yesterday, waiting for the arrival of the carriage. Tea was sitting in front of them, but the whole of the family was still, watching the door for the old man and his sister. Conversation was stilted, but Bulma's mother was nothing if not a true lady, which meant she could fill even the most awkward of silences, even if there was nothing to be said.
When the door opened, they all looked at it expectantly, until the Duke himself appeared, the whole of the room deflating with disappointment at it not being their awaited guests. Only Mrs. Briefs managed to even say anything to him, her British roots coming through, as she nodded at him, "my lord."
; Vegeta nodded back to her, but remained silent as his eyes traveled straight to where Bulma and Goku sat on the couch, his eyes flashing as he saw Bulma's hand was clenched on Goku's thigh. Bulma noticed a slight clenching of his jaw, but other than that, Vegeta's face was impassive.
Vegeta entered the room fully, striding to the back corner of the room, crossing his arms as he leaned against the windowsill, watching the door, and the rest of the room at the same time. Something about him seemed to be always on alert...Bulma wondered if he could ever calm down. Even for just a few moments. Did he sleep? Was he relaxed even then? Bulma scowled as she realized she was staring at him, trying to imagine the planes and angles of Vegeta's face softening in sleep, before she turned back to her brother, smiling at him.
Bulma could feel Vegeta's eyes burning into the back of her head, but she ignored him as she forced herself to listen to what her mother and father were talking about. Not that she could follow it. With Vegeta in the room, she could faintly smell that spicy, musky scent she had caught much closer earlier today, and her mind would not concentrate on anything but what had happened earlier. She had forgotten how manly he had smelled earlier, but when he had walked past, that whiff had been enough to make her cheeks turn red, as she remembered the heat of Vegeta.
&nbs p; When Bulma finally felt herself under control, she calmly squeezed Goku's hand, before she stood, ignoring the curious stares of her family, as she walked over to where the Duke stood, silently observing her progress.
His eyes followed her from under half-lowered lids as she approached, but she could not read what he was thinking, the obsidian depths as bleak as a starless, moonless night. She knew that her family was watching her, but she did not care as she got close to him, and spoke softly, so no one could hear her as she told him, "thank you for your help this morning."
Vegeta's face hardened, and his eyes traveled her face, quickly, before they met her own again. She got the feeling he was looking for something hidden, behind her original meaning, and she wondered if he ever believed anything at face value. What had made him so suspicious of everything and anything--even just a simple thank you?
She was distracted from her thoughts when he responded, his voice soft and low, as he drawled out, "of course." Something about the way he spoke made a part of her lower abdomen clench, responding to the almost purr-like way he spoke to her. If she had a more fanciful imagination, Bulma would have called Vegeta's tone just then bedroom-like...but she was not, so she did not.
; Instead she tried to mimic his stoicism as she spoke next, "I would appreciate it if you kept what happened between us."
& nbsp; She did not want her family getting wind of what Yamcha had done to her, as she was sure their response to him hurting her would be extreme, and Bulma did not want anyone but herself to hurt Yamcha. Well...that, and she did not want the whole family knowing about the fact that she had thrown herself at the Duke, even in the most chaste of kisses. It was completely unbecoming of a woman in her station.
; Vegeta quirked an eyebrow at her request, but gave her a nod, and Bulma let out a breath she had not realized she was holding, relief washing over her.
Bulma waited for him to say something else as he continued to stare at her, maybe ask about the situation, but he did not, and so she only frowned, before turning back to her family (who was pretending not to be watching her and Vegeta as they spoke loudly about inane things). It was when she took a step away that he spoke again, soft enough that the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as his words hit her, "you do owe me a favor now, you realize?"
Bulma froze, feeling her shoulders creep up to her ears, before she glanced back at him, her voice slightly higher as she spoke next, "a favor? What favor? I don't owe you a favor."
Vegeta's lips were pulled into that self-satisfied smirk she was really starting to dread when she looked at him, her heart dropping into her stomach as he told her, "yes, you do. I did you a favor by allowing you to use me to make that scarred idiot jealous, and now you owe me one."
Bulma turned towards him completely, wondering just how quickly he had worked out what she had been doing earlier. Not that it mattered, it was pretty obvious, and she would have been more worried if he had not figured it out. But something about seeing that smirk, and the way he had said the word ‘owe,' made her feel a creeping dread down her spine, "what favor?"
As his eyes started to lower, slowly, before they centered on her lips, Bulma felt a blush come up over her chest, up her neck, staining her cheeks bright red as her eyes widened as she picked up on the very obvious signals he was throwing her way. Her whole body tightened with anticipation, and Bulma felt her heart rate quicken the longer his eyes were on her lips.
Vegeta opened his mouth to speak again, but she never got to hear what he was going to say (though she had a pretty good idea of what it would be), as it was at that moment that the sitting room door opened. Bernard barely had time to introduce the guests, "Master Roshi and his sister Baba," before the old pair had pushed past him, into the room, bickering about something frivolous, capturing everyone's attention.
"You could not keep your hands to yourself while we stopped for a drink?!"
"What--my hand slipped!"
"Slipped?! Slipped my ass! I just wanted to have a break from that dreadful carriage ride--but no, you have to get us kicked out of another establishment! All because you can't keep your damn hands to yourself!"
The old man, Roshi, waved his hand, "bah." Before turning towards the room, as if just realizing his sister and him had an audience, smiling to everyone who was watching them, his hands clasped behind his back, "I apologize for being so late."
The older woman, Baba, glared at her brother, still not acknowledging the rest of the room as she scolded him, "you should apologize for being so late! We would have been here earlier if Mister-has-to-stop-at-every-inn-to-look-for-pretty-girls-buts-to-squeeze hadn't been distracted by every pretty barmaid earlier. We got kicked out of every place we stopped at for lunch until we finally made him wait in the carriage."
Roshi turned back to his sister, the Briefs and Vegeta forgotten as he defended himself, "don't blame me for that! They were all lying! I didn't pinch any butts."
"Horseshit! You know you can never keep your hands to yourself..." The two went back to squabbling as if there truly was no one else in the room, their voices getting louder and louder as each successive jab hit home.
Vegeta stared at the bickering, older couple, slightly amazed, wondering just how old these two were. The man was bald with a long white beard, stooped with age, wearing darkened glasses, his wrinkles putting him at about a hundred, while his sister, who was even tinier and wearing all black with a pointy black hat, looked to be at least a hundred years older then him.
Bulma (whom seemed to be impossible not to think about anymore) was forgotten as he frowned at them--this was who he was supposed to get answers from? From their complete lack of manners, he guessed they were both beyond senile. He would rather trust the Briefs tales than anything these two had to say, especially as their uncouth yelling got louder and louder.
Kakarrot was the first one to stand, everyone but the fighting siblings looking at him as he put a large smile on his face, and came between Roshi and Baba, expertly, as if he had done this a millions times. "Master Roshi! Baba! Long time no see!"
Roshi turned towards Kakarrot, his sister forgotten, smiling at the genial man as if he had just realized he was in the room. Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he took the scene in, wondering if the old man truly had not seen Kakarrot as he spoke, "hey! Goku! How goes the fencing? The fighting? Are you still practicing?"
Kakarrot nodded, turning solemn as he gave a slight bow, "of course Master. I train with Yamcha when I'm here, then Krillin when we're back in Manhattan. I continue to use your techniques."
Vegeta stared with blatant interest as he saw Kakarrot's sign of respect to the stooped old man--this was Kakarrot's trainer? Vegeta was not surprised to find that Kakarrot was a fighter--it came from his blood, as all Vegeta's took physical fighting and training very seriously. But what could he learn from such an old stump of a man?
As if on cue, the old man started snorting, looking like a caricature as he spit out, "Krillin! How is that bald fool?!"
Kakarrot smiled, "doing well. Making a name for himself in the world of pugilism."
"Good, good." Master Roshi suddenly peered around Kakarrot, looking at the rest of the room, "now where is that delicio...I mean smart sister of yours?!"
Bulma frowned, moving closer to Roshi and his sister, but staying arms length away (something she had learned to do with experience) as she respectfully nodded, "hello Master Roshi, Baba. I hope the carriage ride wasn't too bad."
Roshi smiled, putting his hands behind his back as he started to rock on his heels, "of course, of course. The Briefs always take such good care of us. Now don't you have a hug for old Roshi?"
Bulma's lips flattened, and she glared at him, "not on your life old man."
Baba let out a loud hoot at that, "she's too smart for you Roshi!"
Roshi glared back at his sister, but before they could start bickering again, Goku smiled, "come on, lets get you some tea."
; The older pair sat across from the Briefs parents, Roshi grabbing Mrs. Briefs' hand, lavishing attention and love on it, before Baba hit him in the back of the head with her cane. Her younger brother glared at her, but Baba's interest was elsewhere as she took in the dark figure in the corner. Something about him seemed familiar to Baba, but she could not place it as she turned back to the rest of the room, her thumb jerking over her shoulder as she spoke, "so who's Mr. Silence over there?"
; Dr. Briefs smiled amiably, "Master Roshi, Baba, may I present the Duke of Vegetasei?" Vegeta nodded to the older pair, as Dr. Briefs continued, "he's actually the reason we called you here."
Roshi gave him a once over then turned away upon finding a man (and not someone who was as luscious as Bulma), but Baba studied Vegeta with interest before she observed, "the Duke of Vegetasei, you say? You're a long way from home, aren't you?"
Vegeta looked to the aged woman, his dark eyes slicing through her with a harsh stare as he answered, "yes--but I have come for a reason. I am told you are the ones who can help us by revealing more about Kakar...Goku's life before he came here."
Roshi froze, finally looking away from Bulma's chest to the Duke, his voice suddenly serious, "why do you need to know about that?"
Vegeta's frown deepened, answering the question with another question, "why don't you just tell me what you know?" Vegeta kept the old fool at the end of the sentence silent, though he had a feeling Bulma had caught what he had not said by the look she shot him.
Roshi picked his tea back up, and calmly said, "he was raised by Gohan, who was his grandfather."
Vegeta let out a low growl as he bared his teeth, "that is not the truth, and you know it you old fool." He did not even try to stop himself from saying it this time, and Roshi responded by scowling at him, Goku's hands tensing as Vegeta insulted his old Master.
Bulma, sensing Vegeta's rising animosity, as well as knowing Goku's need to defend those he loved, turned towards Master Roshi and his sister, trying to stop the tensions in the room from exploding as Goku took a step towards Vegeta. "Please, can you help us?" She swept her hand to the man in the corner who seemed hell-bent on making this as hard as possible for everyone involved, "Vegeta, the Duke, came to us yesterday, telling us that Goku's real name is Kakarrot, and that he is his long lost cousin. But Goku cannot be the person Vegeta thinks he is, since Gohan was his grandfather, wasn't he?" Bulma knew her voice sounded pleading as she asked her question, but she could not help but keep the edge out of her voice. It had been a long two days.
Roshi and Baba's eyes met, her mouth slightly open, before Roshi sighed, turning towards the room as he put his tea down, his normal affable voice level and serious as he announced, "Gohan is not Goku's real grandfather."
Vegeta let out a triumphant snort, "of course he isn't." He pointedly met Bulma's eyes as he continued, "as I said he wasn't yesterday. "
Bulma felt Goku move closer to her as what Roshi said sunk in, and she wrapped her arm around his, their fingers intertwining, Vegeta's gloating ignored, the weight of Roshi's words hitting them hard. Goku sagged slightly against her, but only for a second, and she did not even groan under his weight. She did not care if Goku was this Kakarrot or not--he was her brother, and she would always be there for him.
She looked at Master Roshi, her eyes flashing as her curiosity took over for her, "what do you mean Gohan isn't Goku's grandfather? How do you know this?"
Baba answered Bulma's questions, the wizened old woman catching everyone's attention, "Gohan wrote to us, eighteen years ago now, telling us about how he had come upon a shipwreck on the beach he lived at. He said not much even washed ashore from the wreck, just some parts of the ship, and some bodies. But he said when he was checking the bodies for any survivors, he thought there weren't any...until he came upon a young woman who was cradling a young Goku to her chest. The woman was dead, but...the boy was alive. Gohan took him in, cared for him, and raised him until he died."
Roshi nodded, "he said when Goku was a toddler he was much different then he is now, always unsmiling, very serious, more prone to being violent against Gohan, even as a child...but then Goku fell one day, smashing his head against some rocks, and when he came to, he was the happy go-lucky Goku we all know today."
Bulma found herself hanging off every word the shriveled pair spoke, unable to stop gulping as she realized just what this story was revealing. She needed to be sure, though; she wanted to know beyond a doubt that Goku was this Kakarrot, and not some child from another shipwreck...though even she realized how unlikely this was. "Was there anything else? Anything that would indicate that Goku is indeed this Kakarrot the Duke is looking for?"
Baba looked at her brother, both of them silent, thinking, before Baba spoke again, "yes, Gohan wrote the name of the wrecked ship..."
Roshi nodded at his sister, before tapping a finger to his lips, thinking, "oh yeah, what was it?"
Baba squinted, as if trying to see the name, "Something something...I think. Two words, for sure."
Roshi scratched his bald head, "the Sailing something...the Sailing Sailor?"
Vegeta surprised everyone in the room by speaking softly from the corner he inhabited, "the Sailing Saiyan."
Baba's face lit up, "yes! That was it!"
Vegeta finally moved to the center of the room, staring directly at Kakarrot and Bulma as he spoke next, "that was the name of my Uncle's ship." His eyes flashed to Kakarrot, ignoring how pale and exhausted Bulma looked (though he could not stop that maddening urge he had to wipe the exhaustion from her face) as his tone took on a harsh edge, "I do not require any further proof that you are Kakarrot."
He moved closer towards Kakarrot, his eyes focused on him alone, knowing that now that he had his proof, it was time for his plan to be put into action, "I expect for us to leave in the next hour, so get your things, and say good-bye."
Vegeta started to exit, striding from the room, when he was surprised to hear Dr. Briefs speak up, "hold on a minute."
Vegeta turned, ready to fight the old man about Goku being Kakarrot, but he was surprised to see Dr. Briefs shoot Kakarrot and Bulma a look, urging one of them to speak. Vegeta was suddenly afraid that Bulma was going to open her mouth, and reveal that her and Kakarrot were engaged. Though he was all for leaving behind the blue-hared heiress behind, never seeing her again (maybe then he would stop obsessing about her), he was not ready to hear that she was going to be marrying someone--especially not his cousin.
So Vegeta braced himself for the worst, but was completely bowled over when Bulma turned not to him, but to her mother, her voice almost pleading, "mama, I want to go to England with Goku." Bulma took a step forward, smiling, "you are always saying you would take me if I wanted to go, if I wanted to have a season in England to see if I could find a husband...well I want to go."
Vegeta's mouth dropped, though his reaction was completely overshadowed by Mrs. Briefs loud squeal, as she jumped from the couch, rushing towards her daughter, grabbing both of her hands, "oh Bulma! You've always said no whenever I've offered for my brother to sponsor us in the past, and I'd given up hope! But now you're saying yes! We can get you a real English lord as a husband! I'm so happy!"
Mrs. Briefs turned to Vegeta, surprising him, "you said your ship is going to leave by tomorrow morning?" Without waiting for an answer she smiled, "well we'll be ready!"
&nbs p; She whirled back around to the room at large, her hands on her cheeks, "oh no! I have so much packing to do!"
& nbsp; She turned towards Bulma one last time, "though I suppose we should buy you a whole new wardrobe when we're there. Want to make sure you have all the latest fashions!"
While Vegeta tried to catch his breath from watching the insipid woman turn and talk, Bulma only smiled prettily, batting her eyelashes, "of course mama."
Vegeta felt himself losing grasp of the situation, and he tried to glare at the all of them, even as Mrs. Briefs rushed past him to start yelling at servants about packing. He ignored the loss of the elder Briefs woman, instead glaring at Bulma as he saw her placid smile, "now wait just a minute! I never said you could sail with me."
Vegeta was surprised to see Kakarrot turn towards him, his face grim as he looked his cousin square in the eye, "you want me to come to England, fine. You want me to become this Kakarrot person, fine. But my family, my real family is coming with me." Goku paused for a second, and then his face became more intense as he commanded, "and Bulma is not going to be sponsored by the Baron, but by you."
Bulma had to stop her jaw from dropping at hearing Goku's commanding tone, especially as he added that last bit about Vegeta sponsoring Bulma's hunt for an English husband. She stared at her brother, hit with respect for him as he continued to keep a leveled gaze at Vegeta. Goku might not always seem like the worlds smartest guy, but she sometimes forgot that her brother's naivety should not be confused for stupidity.
Goku's voice was sure as it carried across the room, "you will sponsor my sister because you are a Duke, and more doors will open for Bulma if you are the one helping her enter London society, rather than a mere Baron."
Bulma looked towards Vegeta, waiting for him to flat out refuse Goku's request, but as she watched him, she saw him smirk at Goku's tone, looking at Goku with something akin to respect in his eyes. Bulma would have rolled her eyes at that (of course Vegeta would find respect for Goku when he was acting like an asshole) if she had not felt so disconcerted by the whole thing.
Vegeta looked Goku up and down, considering the younger man, before he spoke again, "and what do I get if I sponsor Bulma?"
Goku's mouth tightened, but he answered him, "I will come with you willingly, and I will take over this viscountcy, without complaint."
Vegeta was struck with how much Kakarrot looked like his father when he did not have that idiotic smirk on his face. And to see him commanding Vegeta like that...he would make a British lord of him yet. The smirk that spread across Vegeta's face at that thought was real, but he quickly hid that as he broke eye contact with Kakarrot, turning towards Dr. Briefs. "If your family comes with me, I would expect you to come to my family's factories with me to help us improve industrialization."
Dr. Briefs smiled, amiable as usual as he spoke, "I'm sure either me or Bulma could help you with that."
Vegeta frowned at hearing Bulma's name (what could a mere woman do when it came to machines?) but he only nodded, "fine. We leave in an hour," before he strode from the room, not breaking his stride as he left his unexpected traveling guests behind.
As Vegeta exited the room, though, he slowed on the steps as he heard the turtle hermit speak again, "so you're leaving America for a while, eh? How about a hug for you brother's old teacher?"
"NOT A CHANCE OLD MAN!"
Vegeta only smiled at the woman's tenacity, before he frowned as he realized why he was smiling. He might just, in the smallest of ways, have some respect for the infuriating woman.
Which was definitely not a good thing.
~~&~~
Vegeta was not surprised to see Nappa waiting for him in his room, and as he strode in, he spoke as he walked to his closet, "be prepared to leave in the next hour."
Nappa nodded, though he did not leave, waiting for Vegeta to change into his traveling clothes before he spoke, "I asked around the village for you, like you asked."
Vegeta looked at him as he exited his dressing room, pulling on his riding coat, "oh? Anything of interest?"
Nappa told him some of the gossip he had heard learned in the village, though there was not a lot, "...the parents are rather boring, as Dr. Briefs rarely comes to the village, and Mrs. Briefs is known as the best party giver in all of the county. Goku..." Nappa froze as he saw Vegeta's gaze, and corrected himself, "Kakarrot, I mean, is known around the parts for his fighting abilities--"
Vegeta hmmphed, "I doubt an American's fighting or fencing abilities will be anywhere near mine, or even give me a hint of a challenge."
Nappa nodded his assent, his toothy grin malicious, "of course not, milord. No American can compare with a British man, let alone you!" Vegeta smirked, but then motioned for Nappa to continue which he did, droning on, Vegeta hardly paying attention before Bulma's name caught his attention, "...the girl, Bulma, is known as something of a genius, and I have heard she intimidates the local boys with her poise and intelligence."
Vegeta scoffed, loudly, trying to reconcile what Nappa was telling him with the loudmouth obstinate woman he had met over the last day, "poise? Intelligence? If that is what is considered poised and intelligent in America, I cannot wait to be back in Britain."
Nappa chuckled at Vegeta's remarks, and then added, "she has been linked to one of the boys in the area, though, Yamaha or something like that? I think they said his face is scarred." Nappa rubbed his head, thoughtful as he tried to remember the name, before he shrugged, giving up as he continued, "well whoever he is, rumor is that they are all but engaged."
Vegeta let out a small shake of his head, hiding his smirk from his inferior as he whispered under his breath, "not anymore." He looked up at Nappa, finding his countryman staring at him. Vegeta frowned at him, and glared, "well? What else?"
Nappa shrugged, "that seems to be the gist of it."
Vegeta frowned, and almost stopped himself from asking, but found he could not, as he slowly questioned, "what about Bulma's relationship with Kakarrot? Did anyone mention anything about the two of them?"
Nappa scratched his baldhead, thinking, "not anything besides that the pair of them are known to cause trouble when they get bored. Pull pranks on people, stuff like that."
Vegeta froze, considering telling Nappa that he suspected the pair of them were lovers, but decided that that information was not relevant to the idiotic giant who followed him everywhere. Nappa had not even noticed Vegeta's, though, as he barreled on, "oh yeah--one more thing." Vegeta looked at him expectantly, and frowned when he saw Nappa was frowning, "no one would tell me who the shop keep was, or give me even any information about him."
Vegeta was caught off guard by this news, "what do you mean?"
Nappa's gulp was visible as he spoke next, "I mean that no one admitted to knowing anyone who fit that description, saying that the person who runs the Capsule Corporation store in the village is an old man, not a young one, who has no children. Either they knew who I was asking about and were protecting him, or no such person exists..."
Vegeta studied Nappa, before waving his hands, dismissing the shop keep from his mind as he spoke, "well we can worry about that some other time. We have to get to New York before the Briefs' do...and alert the Captain that we have to make room for some more guests."
Nappa was nodding when he froze, looking at Vegeta, eyes wide with disbelief, "do you mean Kakarrot is coming with us?"
Vegeta smirked, "yes, Kakarrot is coming with us." His smirk turned sour as he continued though, "as well as his sister, and his mother, and his father. I should consider myself lucky that the rest of the servants aren't coming as well."
Nappa's mouth was open, "the whole damn family is coming?"
Vegeta only nodded, and Nappa chuckled, "well this should make for an interesting journey." Nappa paused before he added, almost thoughtfully, "I've heard that the daughter is quite beautiful."
Vegeta pursed his lips, "I suppose she could be called beautiful in a sort of coarse, uncultured way."
Nappa's smirk turned lecherous, "don't care about that stuff. If she's as pretty as the rumors state, I wouldn't mind bedding the filly during the journey then...would keep things interesting on the ship."
Vegeta did not speak at first, as he was trying to restrain himself from jumping across the table and strangling Nappa, beating him for even thinking he could touch Bulma. When Vegeta finally felt himself gain a modicum of control, he spoke, "and do you think an heiress would go for a man like you, who has no money?"
Nappa grinned, not noticing Vegeta's very obvious anger, as he rubbed his hands together, "word is, the man she was connected with doesn't come from money...and you know what they say about American girls having no morals. She should be pretty easy to bed."
Nappa completely missed out on Vegeta's clenched fist and jaw, but the icy tone was hard to miss as Vegeta ground out, "you will not touch the girl."
Nappa's mouth dropped as he saw Vegeta's death glare (that was currently aimed at himself), and he confusedly asked, "milord?"
Vegeta straightened, his eyes hard as chips of granite as he spoke, "I do not want to upset Kakarrot, and he seems to have an attachment to this girl."
Nappa looked like he was going to say something, but then he thought better of it as he caught Vegeta's expression. Nappa stood, realizing it was time for him to beat a hasty retreat, before Vegeta decided to take out some of his anger on Nappa. "I'll go make sure we are going to be ready to leave within the hour, sir." Nappa then left the room as quickly as possible, knowing that when Vegeta was truly angry, it was best not to even think about crossing his path.
Vegeta watched Nappa go, silent, before he turned to the window, seeing that Mrs. Briefs was directing trunks onto a carriage, and he frowned as he realized the reality in front of him. Yes, he had gotten what he had wanted from America, he was coming back with his cousin...but at what cost? He was now facing a month long journey on his ship with a woman who tempted him beyond anything he would care to admit.
Vegeta only sighed at that thought, then steeled himself. Vegeta had long been in control of his emotions, and it would take more than a blue-hared witch, and a month long journey on an enclosed ship to tempt him.
No matter what every cell in his body was screaming out at him to do to that blue-hared witch and her oh-so tempting curves...
~~&~~
A/N: So not the biggest of surprises (you mean Goku really is a Saiyan?!), but hopefully I managed to answer some questions. I guess this could be considered the end of part 1 (America), and now onto England! I could not not have them all go there, what with the ideas of balls, and lords and ladies, and intrigue...
But I'm getting ahead of myself--next up, the trip across the sea. Bulma, Vegeta, on a boat...enclosed spaces lead to some of the best meeting's, don't they?
Converting /tmp/phpnkOCRc to /dev/stdout
Warnings: Cussing.
A/N: AAAAHH! I'm the worst. Sorry guys for not updating sooner. This past month has been insane, and that's a bit of an understatement. On top of that, I feel like my fingers can't put down what my brain wants it too...but anywhooo...I made up for it, hopefully, by making this chapter that much longer--as well as giving you some answers!
And as always, thanks to my reviewers, old and new alike, who manage to make me smile and want to keep writing, even when things are batshit crazy. Love ya!
Chapter Five: You Can't Handle the Truth
Bulma felt like her whole world was changing. She felt like she was losing a grip on her carefully constructed and blissfully happy reality. In the short span of one day she had found out that not only was her adopted brother possibly related to the most infuriating man of all time (who was threatening to take her brother away from her), but that the man she had been expecting a marriage proposal from would rather fool around in the stables with a maid than seriously consider marrying her--the woman he had told he loved!
; Whatever happy future she had been envisioning with Yamcha was now gone in a puff of smoke, and the certain future she had had with Goku always by her side now seemed to be slipping away as well. Things were not going according to Bulma's plan--and Bulma rarely (if ever) did not get her own way, so she was more than a little unhinged at the moment.
; So what did as she felt her whole world unraveling?
She took action.
&nbs p; Let no person accuse Bulma Briefs of not being a go-getter.
& nbsp; After discovering that her beau, Yamcha, was little more than a rotten scumbag who deserved to have his manhood removed, violently, from his body, Bulma had come back to the house and had found her father. She had told him the plan her and Goku had agreed upon the night before, no-nonsense, and straight-faced, not giving him a chance to consider saying no to it. After that, she threw herself in some work she needed to get done before putting her plan into action, and spent all of the morning in her personal lab, her father the only other human she saw for the next four hours.
; Bulma did not stop during that time, as she found that whenever she slowed down, or tried to stop, she would suddenly become overwhelmingly sad at Yamcha's betrayal, or the fact that she might very well be losing her brother, her closest friend and ally, once the hermit and his sister arrived with their tale of Goku's birth. So the second a stray emotion, other than that of being industrious, entered her, Bulma would physically exorcise it, throwing herself into the most manual of tasks, shaping metal tubes, or breaking old scrap metal apart herself. It was intensely satisfying, and distracting, and Bulma spent her morning working up a good sweat, ignoring every single emotion that tried to distract her.
Well, if she were being honest, not all emotions could be blocked out. Namely, she could not help and be stunned as she thought about how she had thrown herself at the dour Duke himself, kissing him! It had lasted all of ten seconds, and Bulma had not felt anything but his firmly closed lips on her own, or starchy fabric of his clothes...but she felt flushed whenever she thought of it. Though his lips had stayed closed, and no bare skin had touched, there had been a tremendous heat that radiated from him, consuming her, and Bulma had felt a spark of something so potent she could not help but dwell on the kiss whenever it would pop into her mind.
She almost wished that the stupid turtle hermit and his sister would arrive so that she would have something to distract her, even if they told the family exactly what they did not want to hear. But the morning wore on, the sun growing higher in the sky, and still there was no sign of them.
It was finally when Bulma was working with her father in the afternoon, going over the latest designs for some very hush-hush innovations, when a footman rushed into their lab, extremely dusty. He gave a respectful bow as he looked at the two anxious Briefs', before catching her father's eye, "sir, I've ridden ahead to let you know that the carriage with the turtle hermit and his sister should be here within the next hour."
Dr. Briefs nodded towards the man, who bowed again, and left. As soon as he was gone, Dr. Briefs turned towards Bulma, whose mouth had suddenly gone dry as she met his eyes, seeing the steely hard glint within her father's usually serene depths.
Well this was it, then, was it not? Time for the truth to come out...Bulma's stomach responded accordingly by instantly tightening itself in knots, before clenching tightly, and flipping in a circle, rather aggressively.
Her father studied her face, before he gently questioned, "now are you sure you want to follow through with your plan? You know once we set your mother loose with this idea, there will be no stopping her?"
Bulma was pulled from her anxiety, looking at her father, before nodding. She took a second to throw her shoulders back, meeting his gaze, completely sure of herself, and needing to convey that to him. He needed to believe her so that, well, she could believe herself. Bulma raised an eyebrow at her dad, going for the old Bulma flare when she spoke, "would you rather send Goku off by himself?"
Dr. Briefs smiled, glad to see his daughter not looking so...lost. "Absolutely not."
Bulma nodded, finding that old confidence of hers as she told him, "then we have to do what we have to do."
Dr. Briefs quirked his head, pausing before he continued, "and are you sure you are okay leaving Yamcha? I had thought this would be the winter he would ask me for your--"
Bulma cut him off by looking back down at the plans, hoping that her fresh hurt was not written all over her face, though she feared it would be, as she haughtily told him, "I told you, father, I'm through with that fool. I want to do this."
Dr. Briefs, being the wise old man he was, only hmm'd, but said nothing else as they went about trying to make time move quicker as they awaited the Turtle Hermit and his sister--and answers.
~~&~~
Not forty minutes later the whole of the Briefs family was back in the sitting room where the bombshell had been dropped yesterday, waiting for the arrival of the carriage. Tea was sitting in front of them, but the whole of the family was still, watching the door for the old man and his sister. Conversation was stilted, but Bulma's mother was nothing if not a true lady, which meant she could fill even the most awkward of silences, even if there was nothing to be said.
When the door opened, they all looked at it expectantly, until the Duke himself appeared, the whole of the room deflating with disappointment at it not being their awaited guests. Only Mrs. Briefs managed to even say anything to him, her British roots coming through, as she nodded at him, "my lord."
; Vegeta nodded back to her, but remained silent as his eyes traveled straight to where Bulma and Goku sat on the couch, his eyes flashing as he saw Bulma's hand was clenched on Goku's thigh. Bulma noticed a slight clenching of his jaw, but other than that, Vegeta's face was impassive.
Vegeta entered the room fully, striding to the back corner of the room, crossing his arms as he leaned against the windowsill, watching the door, and the rest of the room at the same time. Something about him seemed to be always on alert...Bulma wondered if he could ever calm down. Even for just a few moments. Did he sleep? Was he relaxed even then? Bulma scowled as she realized she was staring at him, trying to imagine the planes and angles of Vegeta's face softening in sleep, before she turned back to her brother, smiling at him.
Bulma could feel Vegeta's eyes burning into the back of her head, but she ignored him as she forced herself to listen to what her mother and father were talking about. Not that she could follow it. With Vegeta in the room, she could faintly smell that spicy, musky scent she had caught much closer earlier today, and her mind would not concentrate on anything but what had happened earlier. She had forgotten how manly he had smelled earlier, but when he had walked past, that whiff had been enough to make her cheeks turn red, as she remembered the heat of Vegeta.
&nbs p; When Bulma finally felt herself under control, she calmly squeezed Goku's hand, before she stood, ignoring the curious stares of her family, as she walked over to where the Duke stood, silently observing her progress.
His eyes followed her from under half-lowered lids as she approached, but she could not read what he was thinking, the obsidian depths as bleak as a starless, moonless night. She knew that her family was watching her, but she did not care as she got close to him, and spoke softly, so no one could hear her as she told him, "thank you for your help this morning."
Vegeta's face hardened, and his eyes traveled her face, quickly, before they met her own again. She got the feeling he was looking for something hidden, behind her original meaning, and she wondered if he ever believed anything at face value. What had made him so suspicious of everything and anything--even just a simple thank you?
She was distracted from her thoughts when he responded, his voice soft and low, as he drawled out, "of course." Something about the way he spoke made a part of her lower abdomen clench, responding to the almost purr-like way he spoke to her. If she had a more fanciful imagination, Bulma would have called Vegeta's tone just then bedroom-like...but she was not, so she did not.
; Instead she tried to mimic his stoicism as she spoke next, "I would appreciate it if you kept what happened between us."
& nbsp; She did not want her family getting wind of what Yamcha had done to her, as she was sure their response to him hurting her would be extreme, and Bulma did not want anyone but herself to hurt Yamcha. Well...that, and she did not want the whole family knowing about the fact that she had thrown herself at the Duke, even in the most chaste of kisses. It was completely unbecoming of a woman in her station.
; Vegeta quirked an eyebrow at her request, but gave her a nod, and Bulma let out a breath she had not realized she was holding, relief washing over her.
Bulma waited for him to say something else as he continued to stare at her, maybe ask about the situation, but he did not, and so she only frowned, before turning back to her family (who was pretending not to be watching her and Vegeta as they spoke loudly about inane things). It was when she took a step away that he spoke again, soft enough that the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as his words hit her, "you do owe me a favor now, you realize?"
Bulma froze, feeling her shoulders creep up to her ears, before she glanced back at him, her voice slightly higher as she spoke next, "a favor? What favor? I don't owe you a favor."
Vegeta's lips were pulled into that self-satisfied smirk she was really starting to dread when she looked at him, her heart dropping into her stomach as he told her, "yes, you do. I did you a favor by allowing you to use me to make that scarred idiot jealous, and now you owe me one."
Bulma turned towards him completely, wondering just how quickly he had worked out what she had been doing earlier. Not that it mattered, it was pretty obvious, and she would have been more worried if he had not figured it out. But something about seeing that smirk, and the way he had said the word ‘owe,' made her feel a creeping dread down her spine, "what favor?"
As his eyes started to lower, slowly, before they centered on her lips, Bulma felt a blush come up over her chest, up her neck, staining her cheeks bright red as her eyes widened as she picked up on the very obvious signals he was throwing her way. Her whole body tightened with anticipation, and Bulma felt her heart rate quicken the longer his eyes were on her lips.
Vegeta opened his mouth to speak again, but she never got to hear what he was going to say (though she had a pretty good idea of what it would be), as it was at that moment that the sitting room door opened. Bernard barely had time to introduce the guests, "Master Roshi and his sister Baba," before the old pair had pushed past him, into the room, bickering about something frivolous, capturing everyone's attention.
"You could not keep your hands to yourself while we stopped for a drink?!"
"What--my hand slipped!"
"Slipped?! Slipped my ass! I just wanted to have a break from that dreadful carriage ride--but no, you have to get us kicked out of another establishment! All because you can't keep your damn hands to yourself!"
The old man, Roshi, waved his hand, "bah." Before turning towards the room, as if just realizing his sister and him had an audience, smiling to everyone who was watching them, his hands clasped behind his back, "I apologize for being so late."
The older woman, Baba, glared at her brother, still not acknowledging the rest of the room as she scolded him, "you should apologize for being so late! We would have been here earlier if Mister-has-to-stop-at-every-inn-to-look-for-pretty-girls-buts-to-squeeze hadn't been distracted by every pretty barmaid earlier. We got kicked out of every place we stopped at for lunch until we finally made him wait in the carriage."
Roshi turned back to his sister, the Briefs and Vegeta forgotten as he defended himself, "don't blame me for that! They were all lying! I didn't pinch any butts."
"Horseshit! You know you can never keep your hands to yourself..." The two went back to squabbling as if there truly was no one else in the room, their voices getting louder and louder as each successive jab hit home.
Vegeta stared at the bickering, older couple, slightly amazed, wondering just how old these two were. The man was bald with a long white beard, stooped with age, wearing darkened glasses, his wrinkles putting him at about a hundred, while his sister, who was even tinier and wearing all black with a pointy black hat, looked to be at least a hundred years older then him.
Bulma (whom seemed to be impossible not to think about anymore) was forgotten as he frowned at them--this was who he was supposed to get answers from? From their complete lack of manners, he guessed they were both beyond senile. He would rather trust the Briefs tales than anything these two had to say, especially as their uncouth yelling got louder and louder.
Kakarrot was the first one to stand, everyone but the fighting siblings looking at him as he put a large smile on his face, and came between Roshi and Baba, expertly, as if he had done this a millions times. "Master Roshi! Baba! Long time no see!"
Roshi turned towards Kakarrot, his sister forgotten, smiling at the genial man as if he had just realized he was in the room. Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he took the scene in, wondering if the old man truly had not seen Kakarrot as he spoke, "hey! Goku! How goes the fencing? The fighting? Are you still practicing?"
Kakarrot nodded, turning solemn as he gave a slight bow, "of course Master. I train with Yamcha when I'm here, then Krillin when we're back in Manhattan. I continue to use your techniques."
Vegeta stared with blatant interest as he saw Kakarrot's sign of respect to the stooped old man--this was Kakarrot's trainer? Vegeta was not surprised to find that Kakarrot was a fighter--it came from his blood, as all Vegeta's took physical fighting and training very seriously. But what could he learn from such an old stump of a man?
As if on cue, the old man started snorting, looking like a caricature as he spit out, "Krillin! How is that bald fool?!"
Kakarrot smiled, "doing well. Making a name for himself in the world of pugilism."
"Good, good." Master Roshi suddenly peered around Kakarrot, looking at the rest of the room, "now where is that delicio...I mean smart sister of yours?!"
Bulma frowned, moving closer to Roshi and his sister, but staying arms length away (something she had learned to do with experience) as she respectfully nodded, "hello Master Roshi, Baba. I hope the carriage ride wasn't too bad."
Roshi smiled, putting his hands behind his back as he started to rock on his heels, "of course, of course. The Briefs always take such good care of us. Now don't you have a hug for old Roshi?"
Bulma's lips flattened, and she glared at him, "not on your life old man."
Baba let out a loud hoot at that, "she's too smart for you Roshi!"
Roshi glared back at his sister, but before they could start bickering again, Goku smiled, "come on, lets get you some tea."
; The older pair sat across from the Briefs parents, Roshi grabbing Mrs. Briefs' hand, lavishing attention and love on it, before Baba hit him in the back of the head with her cane. Her younger brother glared at her, but Baba's interest was elsewhere as she took in the dark figure in the corner. Something about him seemed familiar to Baba, but she could not place it as she turned back to the rest of the room, her thumb jerking over her shoulder as she spoke, "so who's Mr. Silence over there?"
; Dr. Briefs smiled amiably, "Master Roshi, Baba, may I present the Duke of Vegetasei?" Vegeta nodded to the older pair, as Dr. Briefs continued, "he's actually the reason we called you here."
Roshi gave him a once over then turned away upon finding a man (and not someone who was as luscious as Bulma), but Baba studied Vegeta with interest before she observed, "the Duke of Vegetasei, you say? You're a long way from home, aren't you?"
Vegeta looked to the aged woman, his dark eyes slicing through her with a harsh stare as he answered, "yes--but I have come for a reason. I am told you are the ones who can help us by revealing more about Kakar...Goku's life before he came here."
Roshi froze, finally looking away from Bulma's chest to the Duke, his voice suddenly serious, "why do you need to know about that?"
Vegeta's frown deepened, answering the question with another question, "why don't you just tell me what you know?" Vegeta kept the old fool at the end of the sentence silent, though he had a feeling Bulma had caught what he had not said by the look she shot him.
Roshi picked his tea back up, and calmly said, "he was raised by Gohan, who was his grandfather."
Vegeta let out a low growl as he bared his teeth, "that is not the truth, and you know it you old fool." He did not even try to stop himself from saying it this time, and Roshi responded by scowling at him, Goku's hands tensing as Vegeta insulted his old Master.
Bulma, sensing Vegeta's rising animosity, as well as knowing Goku's need to defend those he loved, turned towards Master Roshi and his sister, trying to stop the tensions in the room from exploding as Goku took a step towards Vegeta. "Please, can you help us?" She swept her hand to the man in the corner who seemed hell-bent on making this as hard as possible for everyone involved, "Vegeta, the Duke, came to us yesterday, telling us that Goku's real name is Kakarrot, and that he is his long lost cousin. But Goku cannot be the person Vegeta thinks he is, since Gohan was his grandfather, wasn't he?" Bulma knew her voice sounded pleading as she asked her question, but she could not help but keep the edge out of her voice. It had been a long two days.
Roshi and Baba's eyes met, her mouth slightly open, before Roshi sighed, turning towards the room as he put his tea down, his normal affable voice level and serious as he announced, "Gohan is not Goku's real grandfather."
Vegeta let out a triumphant snort, "of course he isn't." He pointedly met Bulma's eyes as he continued, "as I said he wasn't yesterday. "
Bulma felt Goku move closer to her as what Roshi said sunk in, and she wrapped her arm around his, their fingers intertwining, Vegeta's gloating ignored, the weight of Roshi's words hitting them hard. Goku sagged slightly against her, but only for a second, and she did not even groan under his weight. She did not care if Goku was this Kakarrot or not--he was her brother, and she would always be there for him.
She looked at Master Roshi, her eyes flashing as her curiosity took over for her, "what do you mean Gohan isn't Goku's grandfather? How do you know this?"
Baba answered Bulma's questions, the wizened old woman catching everyone's attention, "Gohan wrote to us, eighteen years ago now, telling us about how he had come upon a shipwreck on the beach he lived at. He said not much even washed ashore from the wreck, just some parts of the ship, and some bodies. But he said when he was checking the bodies for any survivors, he thought there weren't any...until he came upon a young woman who was cradling a young Goku to her chest. The woman was dead, but...the boy was alive. Gohan took him in, cared for him, and raised him until he died."
Roshi nodded, "he said when Goku was a toddler he was much different then he is now, always unsmiling, very serious, more prone to being violent against Gohan, even as a child...but then Goku fell one day, smashing his head against some rocks, and when he came to, he was the happy go-lucky Goku we all know today."
Bulma found herself hanging off every word the shriveled pair spoke, unable to stop gulping as she realized just what this story was revealing. She needed to be sure, though; she wanted to know beyond a doubt that Goku was this Kakarrot, and not some child from another shipwreck...though even she realized how unlikely this was. "Was there anything else? Anything that would indicate that Goku is indeed this Kakarrot the Duke is looking for?"
Baba looked at her brother, both of them silent, thinking, before Baba spoke again, "yes, Gohan wrote the name of the wrecked ship..."
Roshi nodded at his sister, before tapping a finger to his lips, thinking, "oh yeah, what was it?"
Baba squinted, as if trying to see the name, "Something something...I think. Two words, for sure."
Roshi scratched his bald head, "the Sailing something...the Sailing Sailor?"
Vegeta surprised everyone in the room by speaking softly from the corner he inhabited, "the Sailing Saiyan."
Baba's face lit up, "yes! That was it!"
Vegeta finally moved to the center of the room, staring directly at Kakarrot and Bulma as he spoke next, "that was the name of my Uncle's ship." His eyes flashed to Kakarrot, ignoring how pale and exhausted Bulma looked (though he could not stop that maddening urge he had to wipe the exhaustion from her face) as his tone took on a harsh edge, "I do not require any further proof that you are Kakarrot."
He moved closer towards Kakarrot, his eyes focused on him alone, knowing that now that he had his proof, it was time for his plan to be put into action, "I expect for us to leave in the next hour, so get your things, and say good-bye."
Vegeta started to exit, striding from the room, when he was surprised to hear Dr. Briefs speak up, "hold on a minute."
Vegeta turned, ready to fight the old man about Goku being Kakarrot, but he was surprised to see Dr. Briefs shoot Kakarrot and Bulma a look, urging one of them to speak. Vegeta was suddenly afraid that Bulma was going to open her mouth, and reveal that her and Kakarrot were engaged. Though he was all for leaving behind the blue-hared heiress behind, never seeing her again (maybe then he would stop obsessing about her), he was not ready to hear that she was going to be marrying someone--especially not his cousin.
So Vegeta braced himself for the worst, but was completely bowled over when Bulma turned not to him, but to her mother, her voice almost pleading, "mama, I want to go to England with Goku." Bulma took a step forward, smiling, "you are always saying you would take me if I wanted to go, if I wanted to have a season in England to see if I could find a husband...well I want to go."
Vegeta's mouth dropped, though his reaction was completely overshadowed by Mrs. Briefs loud squeal, as she jumped from the couch, rushing towards her daughter, grabbing both of her hands, "oh Bulma! You've always said no whenever I've offered for my brother to sponsor us in the past, and I'd given up hope! But now you're saying yes! We can get you a real English lord as a husband! I'm so happy!"
Mrs. Briefs turned to Vegeta, surprising him, "you said your ship is going to leave by tomorrow morning?" Without waiting for an answer she smiled, "well we'll be ready!"
&nbs p; She whirled back around to the room at large, her hands on her cheeks, "oh no! I have so much packing to do!"
& nbsp; She turned towards Bulma one last time, "though I suppose we should buy you a whole new wardrobe when we're there. Want to make sure you have all the latest fashions!"
While Vegeta tried to catch his breath from watching the insipid woman turn and talk, Bulma only smiled prettily, batting her eyelashes, "of course mama."
Vegeta felt himself losing grasp of the situation, and he tried to glare at the all of them, even as Mrs. Briefs rushed past him to start yelling at servants about packing. He ignored the loss of the elder Briefs woman, instead glaring at Bulma as he saw her placid smile, "now wait just a minute! I never said you could sail with me."
Vegeta was surprised to see Kakarrot turn towards him, his face grim as he looked his cousin square in the eye, "you want me to come to England, fine. You want me to become this Kakarrot person, fine. But my family, my real family is coming with me." Goku paused for a second, and then his face became more intense as he commanded, "and Bulma is not going to be sponsored by the Baron, but by you."
Bulma had to stop her jaw from dropping at hearing Goku's commanding tone, especially as he added that last bit about Vegeta sponsoring Bulma's hunt for an English husband. She stared at her brother, hit with respect for him as he continued to keep a leveled gaze at Vegeta. Goku might not always seem like the worlds smartest guy, but she sometimes forgot that her brother's naivety should not be confused for stupidity.
Goku's voice was sure as it carried across the room, "you will sponsor my sister because you are a Duke, and more doors will open for Bulma if you are the one helping her enter London society, rather than a mere Baron."
Bulma looked towards Vegeta, waiting for him to flat out refuse Goku's request, but as she watched him, she saw him smirk at Goku's tone, looking at Goku with something akin to respect in his eyes. Bulma would have rolled her eyes at that (of course Vegeta would find respect for Goku when he was acting like an asshole) if she had not felt so disconcerted by the whole thing.
Vegeta looked Goku up and down, considering the younger man, before he spoke again, "and what do I get if I sponsor Bulma?"
Goku's mouth tightened, but he answered him, "I will come with you willingly, and I will take over this viscountcy, without complaint."
Vegeta was struck with how much Kakarrot looked like his father when he did not have that idiotic smirk on his face. And to see him commanding Vegeta like that...he would make a British lord of him yet. The smirk that spread across Vegeta's face at that thought was real, but he quickly hid that as he broke eye contact with Kakarrot, turning towards Dr. Briefs. "If your family comes with me, I would expect you to come to my family's factories with me to help us improve industrialization."
Dr. Briefs smiled, amiable as usual as he spoke, "I'm sure either me or Bulma could help you with that."
Vegeta frowned at hearing Bulma's name (what could a mere woman do when it came to machines?) but he only nodded, "fine. We leave in an hour," before he strode from the room, not breaking his stride as he left his unexpected traveling guests behind.
As Vegeta exited the room, though, he slowed on the steps as he heard the turtle hermit speak again, "so you're leaving America for a while, eh? How about a hug for you brother's old teacher?"
"NOT A CHANCE OLD MAN!"
Vegeta only smiled at the woman's tenacity, before he frowned as he realized why he was smiling. He might just, in the smallest of ways, have some respect for the infuriating woman.
Which was definitely not a good thing.
~~&~~
Vegeta was not surprised to see Nappa waiting for him in his room, and as he strode in, he spoke as he walked to his closet, "be prepared to leave in the next hour."
Nappa nodded, though he did not leave, waiting for Vegeta to change into his traveling clothes before he spoke, "I asked around the village for you, like you asked."
Vegeta looked at him as he exited his dressing room, pulling on his riding coat, "oh? Anything of interest?"
Nappa told him some of the gossip he had heard learned in the village, though there was not a lot, "...the parents are rather boring, as Dr. Briefs rarely comes to the village, and Mrs. Briefs is known as the best party giver in all of the county. Goku..." Nappa froze as he saw Vegeta's gaze, and corrected himself, "Kakarrot, I mean, is known around the parts for his fighting abilities--"
Vegeta hmmphed, "I doubt an American's fighting or fencing abilities will be anywhere near mine, or even give me a hint of a challenge."
Nappa nodded his assent, his toothy grin malicious, "of course not, milord. No American can compare with a British man, let alone you!" Vegeta smirked, but then motioned for Nappa to continue which he did, droning on, Vegeta hardly paying attention before Bulma's name caught his attention, "...the girl, Bulma, is known as something of a genius, and I have heard she intimidates the local boys with her poise and intelligence."
Vegeta scoffed, loudly, trying to reconcile what Nappa was telling him with the loudmouth obstinate woman he had met over the last day, "poise? Intelligence? If that is what is considered poised and intelligent in America, I cannot wait to be back in Britain."
Nappa chuckled at Vegeta's remarks, and then added, "she has been linked to one of the boys in the area, though, Yamaha or something like that? I think they said his face is scarred." Nappa rubbed his head, thoughtful as he tried to remember the name, before he shrugged, giving up as he continued, "well whoever he is, rumor is that they are all but engaged."
Vegeta let out a small shake of his head, hiding his smirk from his inferior as he whispered under his breath, "not anymore." He looked up at Nappa, finding his countryman staring at him. Vegeta frowned at him, and glared, "well? What else?"
Nappa shrugged, "that seems to be the gist of it."
Vegeta frowned, and almost stopped himself from asking, but found he could not, as he slowly questioned, "what about Bulma's relationship with Kakarrot? Did anyone mention anything about the two of them?"
Nappa scratched his baldhead, thinking, "not anything besides that the pair of them are known to cause trouble when they get bored. Pull pranks on people, stuff like that."
Vegeta froze, considering telling Nappa that he suspected the pair of them were lovers, but decided that that information was not relevant to the idiotic giant who followed him everywhere. Nappa had not even noticed Vegeta's, though, as he barreled on, "oh yeah--one more thing." Vegeta looked at him expectantly, and frowned when he saw Nappa was frowning, "no one would tell me who the shop keep was, or give me even any information about him."
Vegeta was caught off guard by this news, "what do you mean?"
Nappa's gulp was visible as he spoke next, "I mean that no one admitted to knowing anyone who fit that description, saying that the person who runs the Capsule Corporation store in the village is an old man, not a young one, who has no children. Either they knew who I was asking about and were protecting him, or no such person exists..."
Vegeta studied Nappa, before waving his hands, dismissing the shop keep from his mind as he spoke, "well we can worry about that some other time. We have to get to New York before the Briefs' do...and alert the Captain that we have to make room for some more guests."
Nappa was nodding when he froze, looking at Vegeta, eyes wide with disbelief, "do you mean Kakarrot is coming with us?"
Vegeta smirked, "yes, Kakarrot is coming with us." His smirk turned sour as he continued though, "as well as his sister, and his mother, and his father. I should consider myself lucky that the rest of the servants aren't coming as well."
Nappa's mouth was open, "the whole damn family is coming?"
Vegeta only nodded, and Nappa chuckled, "well this should make for an interesting journey." Nappa paused before he added, almost thoughtfully, "I've heard that the daughter is quite beautiful."
Vegeta pursed his lips, "I suppose she could be called beautiful in a sort of coarse, uncultured way."
Nappa's smirk turned lecherous, "don't care about that stuff. If she's as pretty as the rumors state, I wouldn't mind bedding the filly during the journey then...would keep things interesting on the ship."
Vegeta did not speak at first, as he was trying to restrain himself from jumping across the table and strangling Nappa, beating him for even thinking he could touch Bulma. When Vegeta finally felt himself gain a modicum of control, he spoke, "and do you think an heiress would go for a man like you, who has no money?"
Nappa grinned, not noticing Vegeta's very obvious anger, as he rubbed his hands together, "word is, the man she was connected with doesn't come from money...and you know what they say about American girls having no morals. She should be pretty easy to bed."
Nappa completely missed out on Vegeta's clenched fist and jaw, but the icy tone was hard to miss as Vegeta ground out, "you will not touch the girl."
Nappa's mouth dropped as he saw Vegeta's death glare (that was currently aimed at himself), and he confusedly asked, "milord?"
Vegeta straightened, his eyes hard as chips of granite as he spoke, "I do not want to upset Kakarrot, and he seems to have an attachment to this girl."
Nappa looked like he was going to say something, but then he thought better of it as he caught Vegeta's expression. Nappa stood, realizing it was time for him to beat a hasty retreat, before Vegeta decided to take out some of his anger on Nappa. "I'll go make sure we are going to be ready to leave within the hour, sir." Nappa then left the room as quickly as possible, knowing that when Vegeta was truly angry, it was best not to even think about crossing his path.
Vegeta watched Nappa go, silent, before he turned to the window, seeing that Mrs. Briefs was directing trunks onto a carriage, and he frowned as he realized the reality in front of him. Yes, he had gotten what he had wanted from America, he was coming back with his cousin...but at what cost? He was now facing a month long journey on his ship with a woman who tempted him beyond anything he would care to admit.
Vegeta only sighed at that thought, then steeled himself. Vegeta had long been in control of his emotions, and it would take more than a blue-hared witch, and a month long journey on an enclosed ship to tempt him.
No matter what every cell in his body was screaming out at him to do to that blue-hared witch and her oh-so tempting curves...
~~&~~
A/N: So not the biggest of surprises (you mean Goku really is a Saiyan?!), but hopefully I managed to answer some questions. I guess this could be considered the end of part 1 (America), and now onto England! I could not not have them all go there, what with the ideas of balls, and lords and ladies, and intrigue...
But I'm getting ahead of myself--next up, the trip across the sea. Bulma, Vegeta, on a boat...enclosed spaces lead to some of the best meeting's, don't they?
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