Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Unnatural ❯ Chapter 1: And so it begins... ( Chapter 1 )

AN: I'm so completely proud of myself for getting the prologue out there! It took me only a few hours to finish it… I hope no one noticed… And it was not beta-ed. I probably went over that chapter at least ten times to make sure everything sounded okay and even after I posted it, I found errors, then took it off, corrected it, and reposted it again. That's bound to happen. I'm a perfectionist.

I don't know exactly where I'm going with this story; for now I only know the beginning and the end, and I'm basically just filling in some blanks, but I have a small idea of how I want it to play out. I always welcome criticism and I love sharing ideas, so if you think that I'm not doing the best of jobs, please, let me know. It's been about three years since I last wrote something, and now, I'm jumping in head first to get rid of that obnoxious writer's block I've been suffering.

Eventually, people will be asking me about the lemons I'll be writing and I'm going to be completely upfront before I do any. I have never written a lemon before, I've only read them, so I'm just taking what I know from what I've read and creating my own idea. Self-taught lessons, I guess. The lemon for this story may not appear for a while, I want to build a relationship between Bulma and Vegeta first, and bring in a few conflicts through their characters before I'm fully comfortable that the lemon can be brought in. If you want a little lime I suggest you review, review, review!

Also, this chapter was not beta-ed… I don't have a beta, so I'm doing that work myself till I find one, if I find one at all!

REVIEW THANKS TO: preciousjade76, Courtney, snow.bunny.07, caityuva, lell, Sasse1892

DISCLAIMER: I wished I owned Vegeta… And Bulma too, but Vegeta more… Unfortunately, I don't own any of the characters of Dragon Ball Z. Akira Toriyama owns every… single… character… Including Vegeta… WAH!

WARNING: This story is Rated M for sexual content, adult themes and language. If you are offended by sexual themes or any reference to sex, adult themes, or the use of profane language; this story is not for you! You have been warned!

…And onto the story…

Through the Looking Glass Book I: Unnatural

Chapter 1: And so it begins…

With the company's word, the converter arrived in two days. Bulma opened the package and placed the part upon her desk and sat down with a huff. She had twenty-four more hours to complete the upgrade and replace the converter before his majesty threw another temper tantrum. Setting the converter aside, she placed her notebook in front of her and began to write down a series of equations for the new upgrade. Four cups of coffee and three shots of espresso later, Bulma had only finished a quarter of the equations for the upgrade and were stumped on the rest.

After working for hours and only getting a quarter of the way done, Bulma took a break. She stood and glared down at the offending notebook. If he had only just listened to me, I wouldn't have to stay up and do this… Gritting her teeth together, she added mentally, and he'd be able to train… We wouldn't be in each other's hair all the damn time!

After the movie, Bulma tried her best to avoid Vegeta, but it seemed as though he sought her out just to annoy her. She'd be in her room and cringed when she'd hear “Onna!” from the other end of the house. Most of the time he called for her, it was to demand food, but others times, though Vegeta refused to admit it, it was to get a rise out of her.

Bulma tried to come up with the best way to avoid Vegeta for the day and didn't want to spend it in her lab. She glanced over the equations quickly and decided she would have her father help her with the rest later. She left her lab and peered around every corner, determined to avoid Vegeta at all costs. Passing the window, her eyes landed on her hover jet that she forgot to encapsulate, and she smiled. I know what to do! Now I just need to ninja my way out of here…

After peering around every corning, Bulma finally made it to the front door. In her line of sight was the craft. I just have to make it to the hover jet, start it up, and get out of here without Vegeta catching me… Without a second thought, Bulma made a dash for the vehicle, keys in hand. She hadn't been out of the house in over two months; the last time being a date with Yamcha to his favorite restaurant, though he insisted it was her favorite also.

Making it to the hover jet without anyone noticing, Bulma climbed in and started it up as fast as possible. She pulled the handles back, causing the craft to hover above the ground and as she began to fly away, she saw Vegeta step out of the compound. She blew out a breath as she flew away, hoping he wouldn't fly after her. Several minutes went by and she turned her head to look back, noting that he hadn't came after her.

Good.

oOo

Vegeta noticed the jet take off and knew Bulma was up to something, but decided it was something he'd rather find out later than disrupt his training over. He wanted to train outside instead of his room for a change of scenery. He threw the towel that was wrapped around his neck to the ground and began to power up, then lifted off the ground to strengthen his reflexes. After training for an hour, he was interrupted by the growling of his stomach. He scowled at it.

Wrapping the white towel around his neck again, he walked inside the giant domed compound, his stomach grumbling for nourishment. The house was unusually quiet, the kitchen was empty, and as Vegeta searched for the wench's mother's ki, he found none.

Damn.

He knew nothing about cooking, only the knowledge of watching, but not taking much in. He became use to the blonde wench waiting on him. Now, he had to fend for himself and that in and of itself was a nuisance to him. Opening the door to the freezer, Vegeta quickly found that thing the onna had been eating during the movie. He grabbed the cold tub and slammed the door shut to the freezer, then found a spoon and his thoughts drifted back to when she slowly pulled it out of her mouth. Chasing the thought away with a frown, Vegeta sat at the table and dug in, surprised at the sweet and cold taste of his meal.

Shoveling through what was left of his cold treat; Vegeta tossed the tub into the trash and headed back outside to resume his training, the entire time keeping Bulma's odd behavior in mind.

oOo

A half an hour came and went, and Bulma's destination was in sight—The Son's House. She decided after a long day of upgrading, she'd visit her one best friend for a surprise. Landing the craft near the house, she hopped out and headed to the door, then knocked, and waited patiently. Several minutes went by and no one answered, and after she knocked and waited again, she finally decided to give up and leave.

With her shoulders slumped, she made her way back to the craft, until she heard a thud, then a masculine groan off to the side near the creek. Turning, she found Gohan on his back on the ground, and watched as he climbed to his fight and begin to power up. She called out to him, and he stopped, and glanced her way, surprised.

“Bulma… Hey… What are you doing here?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Bulma smiled and shrugged. “Just thought I'd get away from the compound for a little bit…” She trailed off and looked around. “I was actually hoping to catch your parents…”

Gohan's brows lifted. “Well, my mom isn't here and my dad is on the other side of the lake with Mr. Piccolo, sparring…” He looked down at the ground and murmured, “Dad thought it would be good for me to train since mom went out.”

Bulma chuckled. “You're mom just worries about you.” She glanced across the yard towards the body of water, and sure enough, on the other side in the air were Piccolo and Goku, sparring away. “I can just come back later. I don't want to intrude…” She trailed off, unsure.

Gohan shook his head and smiled. “I'll go get him for you. Dad isn't like Vegeta when it comes to training,” he laughed, then flew off in his father's direction quickly, leaving behind a red faced Bulma.

She crossed her arms and waited for a few minutes. Finally, she saw Goku begin to head her way while Gohan sparred with Piccolo. He landed in front of her and smiled his signature goofy smile. “Hey, Bulma!”

Smirking, Bulma held her arms out for a hug, and Goku obliged. “Hi, Goku. How are you?”

Stepping away from her arms he answered, “Good. Training Gohan when I can…” He looked her up and down, and then observed her tired face with a hint of concern. “Are you okay, B?”

“Yeah, just fixing the gravity simulator almost every day for his royal pain in the ass,” she sneered. She looked back at Gohan and Piccolo, and then glanced at Goku. “I hope I'm not interrupting.”

Goku shook his head and laughed. “It's just training,” he shrugged. Bulma sighed and became silent, glancing off towards the wooded area that surrounded the Son residence. Noting her silence, Goku placed a hand upon her shoulder. “If there's something bothering you, you can tell me, B.”

Biting her lip, Bulma turned her head back to him and nodded. “I just wanted to get out of the compound for a little while. Vegeta's been driving me insane…” Trailing off, Bulma crossed her arms and glared at the ground, gritting her teeth. “It's not like I'm his damn servant or anything! I practically wait on him hand and foot when it comes to the simulator, and every other day, he breaks it!” She let out an exasperated breath. “I don't receive any type of gratitude, not that I should expect it… It would be nice, though, to at least be acknowledged for my work, in some way…”

Goku nodded throughout all of this and when she trailed off towards the end, he cut in. “You know how Vegeta is, B. It takes time and patience to deal with him.”

Bulma shook her head. “Time and patience isn't something I have right now.”

Grasping her shoulders, Goku shook her lightly. “You need to find it, then. No one is saying wait on him. You're right, you're not his servant. But think of it this way. He's helping us with the androids and he needs help to get to where we all need him to be so we can survi—“

Bulma took a step back and cut him off. “I know, I know. We need to survive the android's attack, he's helping us, blah blah blah. I don't mean to be an antagonist, but there's only so much someone can take… And I'm coming to my limit.”

Goku slumped his shoulders and thought carefully what he could say. They need to get together for the sake of Trunk's future! “I understand how you feel, B. Vegeta is different.” Before Bulma was able to interrupt him, he held up his hand to stop her. “I'm not defending him, I'm just trying to make you see a different side to him. The smallest head nod from Vegeta is the best acknowledgement you'll get from him. My advice…” He trailed off and waited to see if Bulma was willing to listen. After she turned her head up when he trailed off, he continued. “My advice is to pay close attention to him. I bet you're working so hard and so fast that you're not even giving him the time of day when you're showing him your work…”

Bulma nodded slowly. “I do have a habit of trying to get out of his presences somewhat fast…”

Giving her shoulder a light squeeze of encouragement, Goku smiled. “Just be patient with him.” Then he snickered. “In a funny way, he's like you when it comes to his temper,” then laughed when Bulma's face went red as she gasped.

“There is no way in hell I am anything like that bastard!” Shaking off some of her anger, she plastered a small smile on her face as she glanced up at Goku. “I appreciate you letting me rant off…”

Goku waved it off. He turned back to his son just in time to see Piccolo be pummeled to the ground, and he busted out laughing. “How about we go back and watch Gohan beat Piccolo?”

Chuckling, Bulma accepted and they walked towards the two sparring together.

oOo

It was late lunch when Bulma made it back to the compound. She encapsulated the hover jet and made her way to her lab. She quickened her pace to avoid an interaction with Vegeta as she walked throughout the compound and finally made it to her private lab. Grabbing the notebook full of equations, she went in search of her father.

She came upon his office on the opposite side of the compound and respectively knocked on the door. Shortly after she knocked, thuds and bumps were heard from within the office. “Dad, are you alright?”

“Just a second, dear.” More thuds and bumps were heard, as well as muttered curses.

Finally, the door opened to reveal a much disheveled looking Dr. Briefs. He smiled warmly at his daughter and motioned her inside. She walked to his desk and sat the notebook down on top of a pile of messy papers. She glanced around his office and shook her head. Books and sheets of paper were scattered everywhere. She knew his office was only like this when he was amidst of a big project. It was how he worked. He wasn't as organized as she.

Dr. Briefs took his seat and picked up the notebook, flipping page from page, reading each equation. He didn't have to ask to know why she came to his office. She was silently asking for his help. Grabbing a pen, he began to take notes. Bulma smiled and pulled up a chair, a pen in hand as well, and she watched as her father took what necessary notes were needed, and wrote his own separate equations down on another piece of paper.

It only took a few hours to finish the set of equations, after correcting a few mistakes. Thanking him, she took the notebook back to her private lab and began to type the set of equations into the computer. Throughout all of this, she was surprised to notice Vegeta hadn't once come to find her. Once she was finished programming the set of equations in the system, she downloaded the program to a small microchip disc, then grabbed the converter, the disc, and her tool belt, she made her way to the GR.

Outside of the simulator, she took a few breaths, and then typed in the code to open the door. Vegeta wasn't anywhere to be seen… yet…She thought. She sat her items next to the control panel and proceeded to take apart the console to replace the converter. Once that was done, she slipped the small disc in to download the new upgrade. Once that was done, she sighed. Just one more thing to do…

As she made her way into the compound, she took heed of Goku's advice. She came upon her destination and slowly raised her hand to knock on the door. After a few short knocks, the door was swung open harshly by Vegeta. “What now, onna?”

Bulma crossed her arms. “I'm finished with your upgrades.” As she said this, she made sure to pay close attention to his reaction. When she saw nothing but an unreadable stare, she added, “The converter's been replaced as well. I modified the upgrade so that if the GR were to overload, it would just shut down instead to prevent any damage…”

After a few second of silence and Bulma nearly giving up on Goku's advice, she finally saw it. A small smirk. That's it. It was there, then it was gone, and if you blinked, you wouldn't have seen it. Her heart swelled, but she pushed her feelings aside and stayed as neutral as possible. Vegeta said nothing when he left his room and made his way to the GR. She stepped off and watched him descend the stairs, and then she turned and walked into her room. Sitting upon her bed, she lay back and starred at the ceiling.

Nothing can damper my mood right now.

oOo

Days went by and things between Vegeta and Bulma went back to normal, as normal as could be.

Whenever Vegeta demanded something from her, she would retort in her usual tone, and their regular banter would ensue. Whenever she finished his demands, she would pay close attention to his reactions and most of the time, she'd come back pleased with herself. Most of the time he demanded anything from her, it was to repair the battle bots.

He never said anything about the upgrade.

On her one day off, Bulma entered the kitchen to make a light lunch for herself. Today, she planned to relax.

No work, no equations… And I'm definitely not doing anything for his royal pain in the ass!

She finished making her sandwich and sat down at the table to eat. Before she was able to take her first bite, a hand reached out and grabbed hold of the delicious morsel and whisked it away. She blinked, surprised, then an angry fire filled her eyes as she turned to find Vegeta walking away with her meal. Bulma let out a screech as she made chase and blocked Vegeta from leaving the compound.

“What do you think you're doing, you jerk!” she nearly screamed.

Vegeta winced at her screeching voice, and then a sly smirk appeared on his features before taking the sandwich he held and slowly took a bite from it. He watch as her eyes widened and then narrowed. “I'm just enjoying my meal,” he said smugly as he took another slow bite, enjoying her agitated state almost too much.

Bulma watched fuming as he ate her sandwich in only three bites and before she could muster up a comeback for him, he grabbed a hold of her arms and gently moved her aside before making his way into the GR. She stood in place, shocked and angry. What the hell just happened? She glared at the simulator before letting out an aggravated scoff. Bulma walked back into the kitchen to make another sandwich, muttering a few choice curses for the dear Saiya-jin no Ouji along the way.

She took her sandwich and ate it in her lab, away from the annoying Saiya-jin. As she ate it, she pulled out a sketchbook and began to sketch ideas for her new project. Though she was still fuming over what had just happened, she put her feelings aside as she worked. After she discovered a way to read Vegeta's acknowledgment for her work, she wanted to do something else for him just to see it again.

It became an obsession of hers.

For whatever reason, though she couldn't explain it, his silent gratitude meant a lot to her, and it gave her a warm feeling. Her behavior did not go unnoticed. Her mother on multiple occasions made comments about their “developing relationship,” if that's what it could be called. To her, they still acted normal, but Bunny was able to see a difference in Bulma.

It annoyed Bulma to no end.

She began to hole herself up in her private lab, sketching her ideas, and whenever a meal was cooked, she would endure her mother's blabbering. Until her mother began to talk about Bulma and Vegeta's relationship, making Vegeta spit his food out, red faced, and yell about how they had no relationship to speak of, before leaving the dinner table to train. Bunny just laughed it off, calling him a “sweet dedicated boy”, whereas Bulma's reaction was completely different. Her face was a deep red, hidden behind her hand. She didn't know what to say, but since then, she ate in her lab for the last several days.

Bulma set aside the notebook and sighed. She pushed her plate of her half eaten sandwich away and folded her arms. She leaned back in her chair to rest her feet atop her desk and looked up at the ceiling of her lab. She would never admit it to her mother, but she agreed with Bunny. Bulma had changed. She couldn't explain why and in a way she was afraid to know why, but she knew she was beginning to become attached to the Saiya-jin no Ouji. Ever since she saw him smirk at her without any hint of malice, her heart would skip a beat in his presence.

So, she kept it to herself, and tried to find logical explanations for her actions. She was a scientist after all, and finding answers to a puzzle always captured her interest.

oOo

…TBC…

Alright, I know I promised a longer chapter, but this is what came to my mind, and if I kept going, it would've ruined the chapter. So, I thought this was a good place to stop.

So far, it seems things are developing for Bulma, but what about Vegeta? I know this was a very Bulma based chapter, and I will be putting out a Vegeta based chapter, but I wanted to get a little insight on the mind of Bulma. This is probably how it'll be, Bulma based chapter, Vegeta based chapter, and combination. But who knows, I'm just going with the flow.

I don't know exactly how I feel about this particular chapter, I want it to be better, but I did my best. So review please! I love the few reviews I got, but come on! I'm seeing my status history for my stories and I'm getting more hits than I am reviews! Like, A LOT MORE! So, if you're reading, review!!!

Next chapter will be out soon…

Until next time, my lovelies!

Crystal