No Regrets [A DBZ Fanfiction]

Chapter 4 - Night Shift

After lunch, Mr. Briefs accompanied Bulma and Goku to the regeneration tank after Bulma persuaded her father to join them. Mr. Breifs was fascinated with the saiyan race and expressed some concern over their unruly house guest after listening to Bulma's report of her morning.

After removing the prince from the tank Vegeta didn't appear to show that much improvement.

"I think he'll need a proper rest in his own bed," Mr. Briefs said looking over Vegeta's vitals on the CPU screen at the base of the tank. "But he's definitely on the mend."

Goku obliged and carried Vegeta to his room. After Vegeta was placed in bed, Goku expressed his gratitude over the generous lunch and said his good byes to the Briefs family. Before he disappeared he took Bulma aside.

"Bulma, maybe having Vegeta stay at Capsule Corp. is a bit too much for your family to take on," Goku started and Bulma rolled her eyes from hearing the same sentiment from Yamcha many times. "If the burden ever gets too great don't be afraid to ask me for help." Goku told her.

Bulma annoyance was immediately diffused with Goku's offer for assistance. Unlike Yamcha, Goku didn't argue with her about getting rid of Vegeta but actually pledged to help her if she ever needed it again. But that was Goku for you, Bulma thought to herself.

"Thank you Goku, it means so much to me that I can count on you for anything." Bulma replied with gratefulness thick in her voice. Goku's thoughtfulness and unselfishness had always impressed her and humbled her at times. A few times it had even made her question her own selfish intentions in the choices she made. She was very lucky to have an individual like him to care about her like he did.

Goku gave her smile of assurance and then placed his fore and index fingers to his temple before teleporting out.

Bulma sighed as she dug her fists into her pockets and joined her father by Vegeta's bedside.

"These saiyans are amazing," Mr. Briefs murmured witnessing Goku's disappearance act.

"Amazing is just one word of many to define them. I wonder if there's one to describe their ravenous appetite? Then that would be most accurate word for them," Bulma replied with a smile and Mr. Briefs chuckled.

"Thank goodness Capsule Corp. is doing well this quarter, otherwise we might go into debt feeding Vegeta and taking Goku out to lunch," Mr. Briefs agreed with his daughter.

"I guess having Vegeta as a guest has motivated you to do better in business, so you can support his appetite," Bulma laughed.

"Well, I suppose when he wakes up he'll need something more than substantial for a meal. These saiyans expedite their calories at such an alarming rate, it's no wonder why they consume so much food," her father mused aloud. He was becoming quite the expert of the saiyan-jin race by merely observing their houseguest and checking on the stats that Gravity Chamber collected on Vegeta after a workout. That is whenever the Gravity Chamber didn't breakdown after Vegeta abused it.

"So should we take shifts on supervising our house guest here?" Mr. Briefs asked. Bulma raised her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked.

"Well, it wouldn't be proper for Vegeta to wake up alone considering the circumstances. Although his vitals looking promising, we need to make sure he doesn't go right back into the Gravity Chamber. He'll need more rest and a big meal before he can start training again." Mr. Briefs explained. Her father was right, as soon Vegeta woke up he would most certainly get head straight back to Gravity Chamber.

"Dad, don't worry about it. I'll watch over him. I'm sure you have more important things to do." Bulma replied, trying to take a page out of Goku's book and attempted to be thoughtful and unselfish too.

"Well, if you need a break your mom and I am just a couple of floors away," Mr. Briefs said.

"He'll probably wake up sooner than we think, so don't worry yourself," Bulma stated as she made herself comfortable at the desk by Vegeta's bed. She waved a goodbye to father as he fussed over Vegeta one last time before exiting the room.

Mrs. Briefs stopped by to check on Vegeta as well, but left her daughter a few magazines and a cold beverage while Bulma was tasked with watching over the saiyan. Bulma was grateful for the magazines and the drink. She slurped loudly as she flipped listlessly through the glossy pages of her mother's fashion magazines.

However long she gazed at the dramatic pictures of grand couture, it didn't hold her interest for very long. She tried making it stimulating for herself by creating captions for the model's expressions but that could only entertain her for long.

Page 3: This young girl just got a whiff of rotting fish.

Page 8: This mystical princess just caught her prince in bed with the evil troll.

Page 9: The career woman just realized there was sale on stilettoes on top of skyscraper.

Eventually her gaze drifted in Vegeta's direction. Most people looked at peace when they were in slumber but not Vegeta. He looked very much at war even though his eyes were closed. Bulma wondered to herself what sort of past did Vegeta possess to achieve such an expression in his sleep. She didn't like to admit it, but secretly she was just as fascinated as her father about Vegeta. Perhaps even more, since her interests weren't entirely scientific.

Being best friends with Goku meant that she already had the natural curiosity for saiyans but Vegeta was unadulterated version of their race since he didn't bump his head as a child. The way Vegeta behaved, is that how Goku was supposed to behave as well? Bulma had a difficult time picturing Goku behaving proud and arrogant. Could Goku be as ruthless as well? Or was Goku's current behavior proof that Vegeta had the potential to be caring and decent and wonderful?

Oh dear, did she just admit to herself that she thought Goku was wonderful? She chewed on her bottom lip guiltily. She could remember seeing Goku for the first time at the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament and blushing at how handsome he had become from the goofy child she used to have adventures with. She thought she had successfully buried those feelings long ago before he married Chichi. But the emotions started bubbling up unceremoniously since their short conversation in the regeneration tank room.

What was she supposed to do with such unnecessary emotions? There was no place for them. She turned her gaze back to Vegeta, she needed some distraction from her awkward thoughts.

Although he came off quite cruel, there was no denying that Vegeta was a fine specimen of the saiyan-jin race. Bulma had always had an appreciative eye for the opposite sex, especially when they were good looking and athletic, so Vegeta certainly didn't miss her radar. His body was well formed with lean muscle and his dark brooding gaze gave him an air of mystery that any female with a pulse would find hard to ignore. He also possessed a grace of predatorily cat that Goku was incapable of.

It wasn't hard to decipher why Yamcha had been overly jealous of Vegeta's existence under the Capsule Corp. roof, Bulma knew, but it had irked her that Yamcha didn't trust her. This is why Bulma had eventually come to the conclusion that she and Yamcha would only be friends. It was weird that only a short year ago she was certain that Yamcha and herself would ultimately get married but now she couldn't see him as any more than a friend, she thought with a frown.

Bulma then chuckled to herself as she gave her conceited ward a sideways glance. What were the chances that she and Vegeta would ever hook up? Yamcha just threw away their relationship for no reason at all. Bulma couldn't put a scenario together where her and saiyan prince would ever be on such romantic terms. She probably had a better chance being Goku's love interest than Vegeta's.

Bulma abruptly choked on an ice cube as soon as that thought entered her mind. Maybe her time was better spent perusing her mom's magazines, turning her attention back to the Japanese Vogue.