Disclaimers:

Smoking cigarettes increase your risk of cancer, don't do drugs, don't Drink and Drive, brush your teeth and tie your shoelaces.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Goku carried her inside his home. ChiChi was surprised to look at the mess inside the kitchen. She remembered Gine as an industrious woman who'd never leave such a messy kitchen.

"I was rushing to the door and knocked some things over." Answered Goku, reading her thoughts. "I'll get it later."

"Hmmh." ChiChi held on tighter to Goku's frame, trying to decide if his actions were cute or reckless.

Goku begins examining her feet as he began to walk up the stairs to his room. "Your feet look pretty banged up and you're bleeding. Whatever happened to your shoes?" He asked, pausing, now looking at her in the eyes.

"Oh… My shoes?" ChiChi smiled awkwardly trying to think of something less embarrassing than what had actually happened.

-Flashback-

ChiChi was pedaling as fast as she possibly could rushing through the neighborhood streets at night with nothing but her cellphone light to light the way when out of nowhere a giant saint bernard dog starts chasing after her.

-Bark! Bark! Bark!

The dog caught up to her and threatened her with his fangs and barks.

"Ah!" She yelled surprised by the wretched dog. She tried to pedal even faster but the damn saint bernard was faster than she was.

"GET OUTTA HERE!" She yelled, trying to kick him away, but the saint bernard was persistent.

-Bark! Bark! Bark!

Suddenly, the devil dog decided to nip at her leg, taking advantage of the fact that she had to focus on driving and couldn't really fight back. He jumped up and aimed his fangs at her leg getting ready to do some serious damage.

-Chomp!

ChiChi quickly realized his intentions and instantly kicked his giant snout with her knee, pushing him back a couple of feet.

But the damn dog was obstinate, he'd resolved to hurt her and he wouldn't stop until he taught her a lesson; never come back here again.

-Grr!

The dog stopped for a brief second, and propelled himself forward with his hind legs, clamped his fangs on ChiChis stiletto and began destroying it.

"AH! YOU JERK!" ChiChi screamed while she stopped her bike so she could take care of her aggressor once and for all. She threw the bike onto the ground and took off her other stiletto and began beating the dog with the pointy heel.

"GET OUTTA HERE, BOY!" She yelled as she clawed her heel on his fur, over and over. "I WILL END YOU!"

The dog was intimidated by her aggressions, backed down and began to run away.

*Dog whimpers*

By now ChiChi was pretty pissed off so she chased him for another block before she threw her shoe at the abuser with killer precision hitting him right in the belly.

"SERVES YOU RIGHT, YOU LITTLE DELINQUENT!" She shook her fists as the dog continued to run away from her.

ChiChi walked back to the bike limping but was too caught up in the mixture of anger, and the adrenaline from wanting to see Goku to even realize she was wounded.

-End flashback-

"I don't know? They must have fallen off when I was pedaling." She answered as she buried her face in his chest, embarrassed.

"Really?" Asked Goku, not fully convinced and continued analyzing her foot.

Back at the Island Party

Vegeta observed from behind the bar, in the dark. He didn't really feel like socializing with anyone else. He was sleepy and tired to be perfectly honest. He'd trained with Kakarot all morning, then there was the race which admittedly took some energy, then he had to swim to the bottom of the ocean to grab Bulma's damn trinket.

But he couldn't leave.

Sure he could have left with Kakarot and Piccolo, but Bulma was being a complete idiot, getting so high she was such a lightweight. Of course, he couldn't just leave her there, exposed to any idiots trying to take advantage of her, Yamcha included.

He wouldn't leave her.

"Hey what are you still doing here?" Asked 17.

"Raving." Answered Vegeta without taking his eyes off of Bulma.

17 looks at the kitchen. "More like stalking." And laughed dryly.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. He didn't care what anyone thought of him. Not anymore.

"Did Goku leave? Without saying goodbye? I am so offended." He said, saturated with sarcasm holding the palm of his hand up to his chest.

"Keep messing with Kakarot and you'll regret it", Vegeta gives 17 a look of warning, briefly taking his eyes off of Briefs. "You got lucky tonight."

"That's just what I need... death in the hands of a guy with the personality of a giant puppy dog." 17 stretched his arms in a feline-like fashion. "I could give a crap about Goku. We're not exactly best friends." He answered and quickly forgot about the subject. 17 eyed his sister 18 who was currently having a conversation with Krillin and Raditz. He reached into his pocket and brought out a cigarette and tucked it in his lower lip.

"May I interest you in a cancer stick?" He said as he pulled out a single for Vegeta to grab.

Vegeta answered by grabbing the matchsticks sitting on the bar and lighting the single cigarette hanging from 17's mouth and one for himself.

"Shit, 18 is going to be a pain in the ass to take care of. I better sober up." He said as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "I suppose it's her birthday bash too, might as well let her do her thing."

Vegeta was feeling really tired and was in no mood for conversation, so instead of answering, he asked something that was on his mind. "How long do the effects last?"

17 placed a thumb on his chin and scratched it. "Well… my brother and I made the formula to last 20 minutes, each. We didn't really test it combined. It could be 20 minutes, or… depending on how these two idiots are taking them … could be hours?" He flicked the ashes from the cigarette off on a plant. "But you should know my sister's developed a tolerance... From her wild-child days…"

Vegeta took the cigarette out and exhaled the hot smoke out of his lungs. "What exactly are you saying?"

"That girl, Bulma, has been trying to keep up with my sister and… clearly, she's not doing as well." And points to Bulma with his cigarette. "If anyone cared for this girl, they'd be on their way to the ER right now."

Vegeta puts down his cigarette. "What? The nearest hospital is 20 minutes away from here."

17 scratches his chin. "Like I said… 20 minutes…or it could be hours… I don't know. I'm just saying I don't see any responsible adults anywhere. There's Raditz, but it seems to me his main priority right now is to fuck my sister." Finished 17.

Vegeta grabs a pair of keys from the bar and puts them in his pocket, not bothering to ask who's they are and starts to walk over to the kitchen.

Bulma was currently laying in a fetal position on top of the kitchen table, holding onto the empty tray of vials, mumbling something about a dragons balls. Meanwhile, her kissing-partner Yamcha was dancing on a stool chair shouting.

"I LOVE WOLVES! I JUST LOVE THEM! THEY'RE SO COOL!" Yamcha spun around in the stool chair. "Bulma we should find a wolf and we should pet it!"

Vegeta grabbed Bulma's hand and tried to pull her off the kitchen table. "Hey, we're leaving."

Bulma sat up. "Woah, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking you with me, what does it look like I'm doing?" Answered Vegeta annoyed. She smelled like his cologne. Damn my sensitive sense of smell.

"Well, where are we going?" Asked Bulma, half conscious. "The party is right here!" and points at herself.

"I'm taking you to a hospital. You've had way too much." Answered Vegeta pulling her legs trying to reach her, but she was too far up.

"But I want to stay! I want to party!" She said as she jumped back and threw her arms back, falling backward off of the table.

Luckily TN was walking by on his way to get Yamcha and caught her, Bulma put her arms around his biceps. "Hi there." Is all she said before she drifted out of consciousness.

"Vegeta? A little help?" Requested TN, now holding an unconscious Bulma.

"Yeah," Vegeta answered and quickly grabbed her from him, bridal style. As Vegeta began walking out, towards the exit 18 grabbed him by the arm.

"Woah. Woah. Where are you taking her?!" She stopped him, looking at him with concern but also stumbling back into Raditz' arms.

"Where does it look like I'm taking her? You idiot. You both drank way too much, she hasn't developed a tolerance like you." Answered Vegeta, with more of an accusation than an explanation.

"I'm sorry." She said as she watched Vegeta take Bulma, and placed her on the passenger side of a random car.

Crap. I fucked up. No, no, no I don't want to feel this! This is such a horrible, bad feeling! Thought 18, and pressed herself against Raditz and kissed him on the lips. Make me feel, anything. Anything else at all! She felt Raditz introduce his tongue in her mouth, and it just made her feel sicker. It's not working! She tried to push him off, but she'd given such contradictory signals to Raditz that he didn't really know if her pushing him was a part of her game, so he continued to kiss her and locked her in with his huge biceps.

Stop it! Raditz! I don't want this anymore! She desperately thought, not able to fight back. Damn it! I'm so weak! I can't even push him off of me! What did I get myself into?

But before she could think of anything else she heard a shout.

"LET GO OF HER YOU GIANT! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO KISS YOU!"

It was Krillin.

Raditz released 18. "This guy again? What do you want loser? Get out of here!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU LET HER GO!" Krillin shouted, he knew 18 couldn't possibly want to be with Raditz, he didn't know what had happened in the past between them but by the expression on her face she was clearly over it.

"She's the one who called me here," Raditz answered, annoyed.

"I don't care. She obviously changed her mind, you halfwit!" Rebutted Krillin.

"It's true, Raditz." Said 18, feeling relieved and ashamed.

"What the fuck 18?! You make me drive all the way over here for nothing? You owe me!" Answered Raditz, feeling entitled.

"I don't owe you shit! Get out of here!" She answered, feeling sober and gaining back her strength.

"YOU PSYCHO BITCH!" Raditz yelled, spilling saliva all over her face in the process.

"Don't call her that!" Yelled Krillin.

"Call me that again, I dare you." Said 18 feeling like herself again, wiping away the saliva.

"FUCKING. PSYCHO. BITCH!" Said Raditz letting her go, pushing her away.

18 smirked, she balled her fists, leaned back and kicked him in the groin with her knee, spun around and kicked him again this time in the face and sent him flying.

Krillin quickly moved out of the way, as Raditz came flying towards him.

Raditz landed on the ground, unconscious.

Oh, shoot. She thought. "I think I overdid it." 18 said.

Krillin grabbed one of Raditz's arms and checked his pulse and gave 18 a thumbs up. "He's okay! You just knocked him out." He said, smiling like a goofball. "That was one hell of a kick!"

"Yeah. Well, I'd been wanting to do that for a long time." She said to him, confessing a little bit of their background story.

"Raditz wronged you before?" Asked Krillin as he kept feeling for his pulse, after all, he was Goku's older brother.

18 folded her arms. "Something like that."

Krillin gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry about that. You deserve so much better." He waved at her with Raditz's arm, "But at least you got him real good huh? Haha!" And smiled at her fully, trying to make her feel better by being goofy.

There it was again, Krillin being nice to her.

"You have got to stop doing that Krillin!" Shot 18, incredibly annoyed by his cute, sweetness.

"What?" Asked Krillin, suddenly looking preoccupied. "What am I doing?"

"Cute." 18 gave the shortest answer possible.

Krillin's mouth was agape. "You think I'm cute?" His eyebrows raised to new levels, truly shocked.

"You are an idiot!" Shot 18, her arms tightly folded. Why can't you just figure it out on your own? Do I really have to spell it out for you?!

Krillin stayed quiet for a moment. It seemed that 18 did like him, but it also seemed that 18 didn't like the fact that she liked him, which didn't sit right with him. He was disappointed. He exhaled. "I'm sorry if I caused this in any way. I didn't mean to hurt you in any way, shape or form."

You are an idiot! "I know that!" She yelled, angry. She wished she could just get rid of her feelings. She didn't want to feel anything for him, it didn't matter. He didn't like her back, it angered her. She could have any guy she wanted, except for him.

"Why are you yelling, 18? What's wrong?" Asked Krillin truly worried, truly wondering.

Maybe I should take a chance? She thought, if anyone would go easy on her it would be Krillin.

"So you have a little crush on me. So what?" He said, casually.

18's face felt hot, and her heart began beating faster and faster. So he did know.

"It'll go away. Don't worry, nothing to fuss over." He said, with disappointment. He didn't know why 18 didn't want to like him, but he had a guess. He wasn't perfect, and she deserved perfect.

Asshole. Again, you reject me. 18's eyes began to well up with tears, she started to fully feel the moment, the rejection. She decided she would just go through with it, she was so tired of this Kami-forsaken night. It's certain now, you truly do not feel the same way.

"I have liked you… for a very long time, Krillin." She shook her head. "It's not just going to go away like that."

Krillin felt something new, happiness. But it couldn't be, he couldn't be happy she liked him, he loved Marron. Why would 18's feelings have any effect on him? Why did it matter? He didn't know how to respond.

"But now that you know. It would help me a lot if you just… stop being so… nice and sweet." She finished. She was so close to releasing the tears forming in her eyes, but she wouldn't. It would be too humiliating. "In fact, it would really help me if you didn't speak to me at all."

And suddenly all the new found happiness was gone. "So we can't even be friends anymore?" He asked, disappointed. She was one of his favorite people.

"I just need some time to get over this, whatever this is. And I haven't really had a chance, we see each other at school every day… it's too much."

Krillin hated this, she was his favorite person. He loved Marron, but 18… she was his favorite person. He didn't want to lose her, but he didn't want to be selfish either. "I understand."

"Krillin." She had to know. I have to take a chance.

Krillin looked up at her and nodded, "Yeah?"

"Was there ever a chance? Of ...you know?" She asked, hopeful.

Krillin smiled disappointed and shook his head. No 18, I never had a chance in hell with you.

"Ah." This is torture. She began to walk away. "Oh and Krillin, please do not mention this to anyone."

Of course, you don't want anyone to know you liked a loser. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. And I'll take care of him (Raditz) too".

This is torture.

On the way to the Emergency Room.

Bulma had been unconscious the whole time, so Vegeta kept checking if she was still okay every once in a while. When Vegeta tried to reach for her neck to feel her pulse Bulma grabbed his hand and held it. "Hi."

"You're awake." Stated Vegeta, letting her hold his hand.

"I think so. Unless you're a dream." She giggled.

So she's not fully sober, yet. It's been 20 minutes. Vegeta began to worry.

"You're in my dreams a lot these days, you know," Bulma said, letting go of Vegeta's hand and extending her arms far too wide, blocking his view. "How do I know this isn't a dream?"

Vegeta removed her hand from his view.

Bulma leaned close and she pinched his cheek.

"Oww! Why'd you do that for?!" Scolded Vegeta.

"I want to know if I'm dreamin'," She said, smiling, her eyes unfocused.

"You aren't dreaming. I'm taking you to a hospital because you had too many of those damn vials." Said Vegeta with concern.

"So? What do YOU care? I could die and you wouldn't care!" She pouted. "You hate me!" She began sobbing.

"I don't hate you, Bulma," Vegeta answered, still worried. "That's why I'm driving you there."

She wailed, and pushed him. "Yes, you do! You hate me! You didn't even say anything about my blue dress and I know it's your favorite color, you stupid jerk!"

"It's a nice dress." He looked at her, "I like it."

Bulma wiped her tears and smeared her mascara all over, "You do?" and cleaned her snot with her arm.

"I like blue." He said, a little disgusted by the snot in her arms. He took a cleaning tissue from the middle compartment and cleaned her face a little.

"I KNOW YOU DO! THAT'S WHY I WORE IT! TO MAKE YOU JEALOUS!" She said happily, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

"Huh?" Asked Vegeta. Why is she being so blunt?

"You like blue, and I drank ALL the True is Blue." She sang. "All. Of. It." She said pointing her fingers in the air to emphasize. "Vegeta likes blue, so I will drink all of the blue! So he can't have any!" She laughed.

That means she can't lie. "Bulma…?"

"Yes, my little Veggie-cakes," She sang putting her arms around his bicep.

Let's do a test. "What did you ask for from your dad on your 16th birthday?"

"A nose-job." She smiled and placed an index on the tip of her nose. "Just the tip, I had a cute nose, but I wanted to look like a princess!"

That's true. Dr. Briefs told me in secrecy.

"What size do you wear?" He asked. You tell people you're a size 2, but I've seen the tags on your clothes and it's actually size 5.

"Five, sometimes even seven!" She said, nonchalant.

Okay. She's telling the truth.

"Why did you kiss Yamcha at the party?" He asked, annoyed.

"Because he's cute!" She answered, poking his nose with her finger. "And because I wanted to make you jealous."

"Why did you want to make me jealous?" He asked, wanting to dig deeper.

"Because you're mean! And I wanted to make you pay!" She said pouting, crossing her arms.

"Make me pay for breaking up with you?" He asked, looking at her. She looked so sad.

"NO… for breaking my heart." She said, "You broke my heart! And you didn't even tell me why!"

She started wailing again, "Why did you break my heart Vegeta? Why did you humiliate me in front of everyone!" She exclaimed, once again expanding her arms a little too wide, hitting the steering wheel.

Vegeta couldn't tell the real Bulma, but this Bulma wouldn't remember a thing. "I heared rumors that you wanted to be with Yamcha."

"And you believed them? Even though I loved you with all my heart?" She asked, truly sad.

"Not at first." He stated. "But then you started spending all that time with him… "

"For school! You knew that!" She answered, with desperation.

"Yeah, but at the time it seemed like a confirmation, it just made the rumors worse."

He said looking ahead, unable to look at her.

"YOU ARE SUCH A BABY!" She yelled, "A BIG BABY!" She smacked him in the face a few times. "You humiliated me like that because of stupid rumors?! Why didn't you ask me, you dummy!?"

"I tried." He said, holding her hands in place, "But when I did you were with him. HUGGING HIM! What was I supposed to think?!"

She let him go, and looked at him with disappointment. "You were supposed to believe me, Bulma. Your girlfriend."

"Yeah." He said, disappointed in himself. "Do you think you could ever forgive me?"

"No." She answered without even taking a second to think it through. "No, fucking way."

"YOU BROKE MY HEART!" She screamed inside the small car and began to cry. "You broke my heart, you humiliated me! You yelled at me in front of the whole school!"

Vegeta looked somber. She was telling the truth.

Bulma twisted her body in her car seat and kicked Vegeta. "YOU HURT ME SO MUCH! I COULD NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

Vegeta just let her kick him. He deserved it. "I'm sorry Bulma."

"Are you?!" She straightened herself up and pulled on his naked bicep. "Are you sorry Vegeta?!"

He nodded. "Very."

"You don't seem sorry! Y-you see me in the halls and it's like I don't exist! Tonight you didn't even say anything to me! You don't seem sorry." She accused.

"Well.. sober you is intimidating." He answered, if he was baiting her for the truth, the least he could do is return the favour. "I can't talk to you."

"Why not? I love you." She said.

Vegeta felt goosebumps. "You do?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"You still love me?" He asked, once more for confirmation. I can't believe it.

"OF COURSE I LOVE YOU! Do you think it's just going to disappear? It has nowhere to go… It's just sitting in here." And she puts her hand to her chest. "Right in here."

"Bulma… I… had no idea…" Vegeta's voice began to break.

"Vegeta… are you crying?" Bulma asked getting even closer to his face to examine.

"No... " He said, lying.

Bulma took the tear forming outside his eye with her finger and licked it. "Yup that's a tear! It's salty like my own!" She said giddily.

"Bulma. What can I do to make it better?" He asked, desperate he was already in the Hospital parking lot.

"Just keep trying." She smiled and as she tried to kiss him, proceeded to barf all over him.

Vegeta wiped the vomit from his nude chest. "I'll keep trying then."

Bulma leaned back wiping some of the vomit from her lips, "Vegeta do YOU still love me?"

"Of course I do! You're all I think about!" He answered her, but it was too late. Bulma had drifted out of consciousness again.

Damn.