Bulma sat at the dinner-table, staring blankly at the untouched food on her plate. She was twirling her fork around, indifferent to the cold meal in front of her. Maybe I went too far with that 'date' thing. Goku's my friend. I shouldn't have done that to her! She already has it rough enough as it is! What's wrong with me? Bulma impatiently glanced up at the clock for what felt like the umpteenth time. It was five minutes till eight o' clock. I was acting completely childish! Why would I go to such lengths to get Vegeta to look at me for once? It's obvious who he wants. Besides, what if Koshin tries to take advantage of Goku's innocence? It's getting really dark now. Oh, Goku, I'm so sorry…
Bulma flinched in her chair as she heard an unexpected rapping at the front entrance. Why the heck do they never think to hit the darn doorbell? It's right there! were Bulma's initial thoughts, as she began to lift herself into a standing position. Could it be…? Goku?
"I'm coming!" she hollered out loudly, sprinting toward the door impatiently. She fumbled with the locks until she managed to get the right combination that enabled her to yank the door open. She smiled brightly at her visitor, whom she wished was Goku. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't.
"Oh, hi, ChiChi. What brings you to Capsule Corp.?" asked Bulma, her smile dropping into a bemused frown.
"Hey Bulma, it's great to see you too," replied ChiChi sarcastically.
"Oh, don't take it the wrong way, Chi. It's great to see you too. We haven't had our girl-talk in ages. It's just, I was really expecting to see somebody else right about now…" Bulma quickly realized where this conversation was headed and chose to drop the subject of this expected "mystery" visitor.
Unfortunately for Bulma, either ChiChi read her mind, or she just really couldn't get a certain someone out of her head. "That someone that you're waiting for, it's Goku, isn't it?"
"Yeah, you caught me. It's Goku that I'm waiting for. Ya' see, she went out with a… friend of hers, and I was sort of expecting her home at least an hour ago. Hehe, you know me. I worry too much about Goku!" Bulma could clearly see that ChiChi wasn't listening to her any longer.
"So Goku isn't here then?" began ChiChi, desiring a second confirmation just to be sure. Bulma stared at her blankly for a moment, but eventually nodded an affirmative. "Okay," continued ChiChi, sighing softly, "Bulma, I have something I need to tell you."
Bulma furrowed her eyebrows together in worry. "Is something wrong, ChiChi?" she asked softly, reaching out a hand to rest reassuringly on ChiChi's shoulder.
ChiChi placed her hand over Bulma's and clutched it tightly. She could no-longer keep eye contact with her, so she chose to stare at the floor in embarrassment. ChiChi's face became flushed, and her eyes watered. As she spoke, Bulma could tell that her voice had changed. She was going to cry, that much was inevitable now. "Oh Bulma! I miss my Goku so much! I don't even care anymore if Goku is a girl. We can fix that with the Dragonballs. I just…" ChiChi trailed off, tears were now spilling out of her eyes and cascading down her crimson-tainted cheeks.
ChiChi looked so miserable, Bulma reached out and held her in her comforting warm embrace. She could feel ChiChi's chest convulsing uncontrollably as she hiccuped in-between her crying. "… I just want Goku back, Bulma. I love him! I can't live without him! I don't know what I'm going to do anymore! I'm a complete wreck without him by my side, without at the very least, having the knowledge that he still holds his love for me!"
Bulma rubbed ChiChi's back gently, trying her very best to console the wretched woman. She didn't want to have to take sides. She was Goku's best friend damn-it! She wanted him to be happy! Though, seeing ChiChi like this pulled on her heart-strings. It was a pitiful sight to see.
ChiChi sniffled loudly and continued on, "I said such cruel things to him when this first happened. They were such horrible, hateful, words to say! Bulma, I didn't really mean all of them! I didn't want to hurt him like this! I never meant to make him hate me! Now he'll never take me back; he'll never forgive me!"
Bulma patted ChiChi on the back once more, then backed away to get some space. After all, ChiChi's tears were starting to seep through Bulma's blouse, and it was white. Oh damn it all, there I go being selfish again! I really do need to work on that! thought Bulma.
"Okay, ChiChi, now you're just being overdramatic! Of course Goku will forgive you! She just needs some time to think things out. Think about it, her female hormones are messing with her head in ways we can't even begin to imagine. She's got the brain and body of a woman now. She is the same Goku, but severely altered. She may not be head-over-heels for you right now, but that's perfectly understandable. She'd have to be a lesbian to be into you right now. Since Goku was a heterosexual male, I really don't think being turned into a female gave her a change of heart. She's not going to stay a woman forever you know. When she becomes a man again, she'll be starstruck by you, you'll see, and all of your worrying will have been for naught!" Bulma let out the breath she'd been holding in for a long time with an exasperated sigh.
"No she won't, Bulma! I know it! This goes deeper than it looks! Didn't you hear what she'd said at the reunion?" ChiChi choked out.
"Sure, I heard what she said, but that was only because Goku was majorly frustrated with just about everything at the time, that's all. Sure, she blew up on you, but that was all hormones talking, believe me. She probably didn't mean a word of what she said," explained Bulma rationally.
"No!" cried ChiChi, "She said she never wanted to marry me in the first place. She said that she was tricked into our marriage. Bulma, you know full-well that Goku didn't know what marriage was when he agreed for me to be his bride. So, in a way, what Goku said was true!"
"Why don't you tell Goku how you feel? She'll understand, you'll see. I'm sure that she didn't mean to say any of those hurtful things. She was just retaliating in the best way that she could at the time. Remember, you'd insulted her pretty badly," Bulma reasoned.
"Oh Kami!" exclaimed ChiChi, "Don't remind me!"
There was a sudden knock at the door that startled both of the women. ChiChi jumped a little bit and gasped, "Oh no! That must be Goku!"
ChiChi panicked. She didn't feel she was ready to come face to face with Goku again just yet. She was scared that Goku might still have that look of hate on her face when she looked at her. ChiChi scampered over to a nearby couch and hid behind it.
"Seriously ChiChi? Now you're just acting childish!" pointed out Bulma in annoyance. She combed her fingers through her hair, and began to approach the door. She wasn't sure if she was even relieved to see Goku anymore. This was going to be a disaster, she just knew it!
Bulma opened the door and smiled at Goku, "So how'd it go, girl?" she asked cheerfully. Her facade quickly dropped as she noticed the absolutely mortified expression on Goku's face. Oh Kami, what happened? Bulma thought as she witnessed Goku frantically brush past her into the house.
"So, I'm gonna go ahead and guess that it didn't go well?" began Bulma unsure of herself, "By the way, where's Koshin's car?"
"I had to leave him earlier than I thought. Something happened so I began to fly home, but that's when I realized that I could just instantly transport here, and oh geeze, Bulma, you gotta hide!" Goku babbled, pacing around the room anxiously.
"What? Why? Seriously Goku, what's up? Why are you freaking out so much?" questioned a baffled Bulma.
Goku began to look almost hysterical, "Oh Kami, Bulma, I don't have enough time to explain! Just know that you have to hide because I think Vegeta's gonna kill you!"
Goku was so incredibly flustered with her current predicament, she hadn't even noticed ChiChi's ki in the room.
Bulma sighed, quietly shutting the newly-fixed front door. Her patience was beginning to wear thin. "Okay Goku, you need to chill. His arrogant majesty may have some anger issues, but he certainly isn't going to kill me."
"B-but Bulma!" Goku stuttered relentlessly, "You told Koshin to make a move on me and he listened, and for some crazy reason, Vegeta's gone completely nuts!"
ChiChi stretched her head out a little bit from behind the couch. She needed to see what was going on as well as hear it. Just what the hell is going on? she thought with suspicion glinting in her eyes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that it sounds like Bulma set Goku up on a date! She wouldn't do that to me, would she?
Bulma's face turned a bright embarrassed red as she finally realized she'd been caught for her dirty little scheme. "Goku, you have to believe me. I was totally joking with the guy! I didn't know he'd actually do it, really I didn't!" Bulma defended herself adamantely. She then paused for a moment, bringing her index finger up to her lower lip to rest on it quizzically, "Say Goku, what exactly did he do?" she asked, unable to hide her mounting curiosity.
Bulma finally hit a sore spot with Goku and she could see Goku's eyes momentarily flash with what looked like anger. "What do you think he did, Bulma?" Goku asked, her voice becoming very tense. "He tried to make-out with me!" she suddenly shouted.
ChiChi stood up with such speed and force that she nearly knocked the couch she'd been hidden behind over. "What!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
Goku stared at ChiChi, nearly shell-shocked. "Wh-why is she here, Bulma?" Goku questioned, pointing an accusing finger at ChiChi.
"Oh, her…" began Bulma, silently reprimanding herself for letting ChiChi hide in the first place. "Well, she just came by to—"
Bulma was unable to finish her sentence because she was interrupted By a look squealing noise. Vegeta had once again torn the front door open. It was hanging on to the wall by a thread, and the wood surrounding the doorknob was splintered. He'd nearly torn it out of place. His eyes first rested upon Goku, then flickered to ChiChi, and finally came to rest upon Bulma. He began clenching and unclenching his fists angrily. Bulma couldn't tell if he was threatening her, or merely attempting to mull things over in his head first, before he did something he'd regret.
Damn-it! I'm going to start charging Vegeta for property damage if he keeps this bullcrap up, she thought in thorough annoyance.
Vegeta stood in the doorway. The breeze outside was pulling the wretched excuse for a door inward and outward. Its lone intact hinge squeaked in protest. Vegeta's eyes were glazed over in thought. He began to see flashbacks of what had happened earlier that day, and he suddenly felt ashamed for how he was acting.
Vegeta shook his head in frustration as the second memory faded. He stood stock-still. Everyone else in the room was starting to give him weird looks. After all, he had been standing in the doorway with an intense look upon his face for a pretty long time by now. " Why do you care so much ?" Bulma's voice repeated over and over again in his head, taunting him. "I never returned the kiss back! Even if I did, it would be none of your business!" Goku's angry shout echoed in his ears. "None of your business! None of your business! None of your business!"
Then suddenly, Vegeta snapped out of his awkward trance and began muttering inaudibly to himself. "What am I doing?" he asked himself, genuinely confused.
He dropped the scowl that had formed on his face, being careful to show absolutely no emotion to the group that was watching him. He quietly strode out of the room, leaving it as if nothing had happened. Though his mind was turbulent with questions, and the taunting accusations were seriously running amuck in there. He walked briskly in the direction of the Gravity Room. He seriously needed to let out some steam. What is wrong with me? he thought in bemusement, Why should I care what Kakarrot chooses to do with her own free time? Why should I care about her at all?