Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Vegeta's Proposal ❯ Making an Exchange ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three

"Vegeta, are you going to choose a ring or not?" asked Chi Chi testily.

The Prince cast her a swift venomous glance but obediently glanced at the tray in front of him. His unreadable ebony eyes made it impossible for Chi Chi to tell when he made his choice. He gave the display case an almost- bored once-over. Then, without the slightest change of expression, his arm flashed out and he pointed.

"There. That one."

Chi Chi followed the direction his finger indicated and her eyebrows shot up almost into her hair. Vegeta had excellent taste. The ring was a fine band of gold shaped into a pair of leaves studded with tiny emeralds. The leaves encircled a miniature hibiscus flower carved in diamond. *Wow* thought Chi Chi *that's beautiful.*

"Ooh, you have impeccable taste, sir," purred the saleswoman. "That's called the Flower of Rapture, and it has a very interesting history. It was first designed for-"

"I'm not interested in any history," snapped Vegeta contemptuously. "Just open the case and give me the blasted ring."

"Hey Vegeta," Chi Chi whispered as the intimidated shop assistant did as she was ordered, "how are you paying for that?"

"Paying?" repeated Vegeta blankly. Chi Chi sweatdropped.

"Yeah, you can't just take it, you know," she said lightly, but she was getting a horrible sinking feeling. "You have to give them money."

"Money?"

Chi Chi thought she would collapse on the spot. *Oh, no* she thought. "Yeah, money," she said out loud. The storeperson was giving them weird looks.

"I don't have money," said Vegeta flatly, sounding as though money was a nasty disease you could get from spending too much time with weakling humans.

"Well you have to give them something!" said Chi Chi desperately.

"Fine," grumbled Vegeta, "wait here." He marched out of the store and flew off. Chi Chi dashed out after him and saw a retreating dot in the sky. *Grr, I am going to KILL him* she thought furiously.

But he came back after only ten minutes and walked into the store as though nothing had happened. He went straight up to Chi Chi, who was on the verge of reintroducing him to her frying pan, and said, "Will this do?"

For the second time that day Vegeta completely surprised Chi Chi. The brooch he held out of front of her was shaped like a sword, carved of a single blood-red ruby and edged with silver of the most delicate workmanship she had ever seen. "Oh, sure," she heard herself saying, "it's fine…"

Vegeta had known her answer before she said it. The brooch had been his father's, used to pin his royal robes on formal occasions. It had been but a bauble to him, but anything belonging to the King of Saiyans was of far more worth than this entire Earthling store. It was a fair exchange for the ring that would make Bulma his wife.

"I'll give you this for that," Vegeta told the assistant, whose jaw dropped at the jewel he presented her with. Numbly she took it and went to the counter to put the ring in a box. She couldn't help staring at the strange man who didn't know what money was and paid for rings with brooches the size of hens' eggs.

Once Vegeta had his ring, he and Kakkarot's woman left the store, followed by the awed gaze of the saleswoman. For Vegeta, nothing more had to be done until Bulma had said yes, and the Prince was dead certain she would accept his proposal. How - why - would she refuse him? He had realised not long ago that, for some reason, being married meant a lot to her. Although Vegeta couldn't understand the importance of the whole "romance" concept, he did comprehend that he and Bulma belonged together.

His mushy, emotional thoughts were interrupted when Chi Chi shrieked.

"MY CAR! SOMEONE'S STOLEN MY CAR! POLICE! POLICE!"

"SHUT UP WOMAN!" roared Vegeta. "Must you always insist on making such an infuriating racket all the time?"

"WELL I'M SO SORRY IF I'M HURTING YOUR SENSITIVE SAIYAN EARS, BUT MY CAR HAS JUST BEEN STOLEN! I BET IT WAS SOME BRAINLESS BUNCH OF JOYRIDERS WHO DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND NEVER WENT TO COLLEGE OR GOT A DECENT JOB…"

She was doing it again. Vegeta automatically tuned out the sound of her voice, letting his mind wander freely. In his imagination, a group of teenagers were panickedly scrambling out of the woman's car, while she advanced on them, frying pan raised threateningly … even battle-hardened Vegeta winced at the scene that happened next.

-_-_-_-_-_-

Next time: car thieves are on the loose and it's up to Vegeta P.I. to sort them out! Between him and his dangerous sidekick Chi Chi, the city's criminals will never be safe again! *Veggie and Chi Chi, in stupid Great Saiyaman costumes, do stupid Great Saiyaman poses!* Okay, so it was a bad idea! Don't blame me, I'm just the authoress!