Interludes

Interludes
By: Kichi

DISCLAIMER: DBZ and its characters do NOT belong to me. If it did, there would be no Mr. Satan or Videl or Majin Buu. Frieza would have been the last DBZ villain and after that, it would just get sicker and sicker. Little kids wouldn't be allowed to watch it. It would have to be on the adult swim on cartoon network. Yeah.


Chapter 5 - Yamcha-cha

I hate Vegeta. Kami do I hate him. I see how he and Bulma look at each other. It makes me regret cheating on her so much because then she couldn't say anything about the other ladies in my life. For once I could have the last word with her. But I can't say shit now. She'd just throw it in my face what a hypocrite I am. I'm so pissed. I can't believe Bulma of all people would be attracted to that psycho. He's killed more people than live on this planet. Way more than this. No one knows for sure, because he won't tell. Which kind of surprises me. You would figure that a jerk like him would have no problem scaring people with the grisly details of his past. But to be honest (and as far as I know) he's pretty close-mouthed about his past. Like my bud Mike told me: "I've had girls dump me, but not for Tim McVeigh." *
But that doesn't matter. He's going to hurt Bulma one day and I won't have the heart to tell her "I told you so" because that would be a low blow to her. Not Vegeta. And if I want to stay on her good side, I'd better not piss her off. But why Vegeta? Why him? I mean, sure I've seen a few girls ogling him, but he parades around half-naked most the time. What straight girl wouldn't stare?
Whatever. I'm going to talk to Tien and Chao-Tzu. They hate Vegeta as much as I do. Plus, it's been so long since I've seen them.
Traveling was easy once I borrowed a capsule jet from Bulma. I know very well how to fly, but they live in the coldest region of Tibet and I'm not gonna get another cold. I just got over one.
It took almost an hour to get there, even in one of Bulma's fastest jets. But the trick was finding them. I didn't really know the exact location of where they stayed, but I could sort of feel their chi. I could tell when I was getting closer.
Suddenly I spotted a small temple and I could see firelight coming from inside. Their chi was unmistakable. I grinned and landed. If there was anyone I could talk to who knew how I'd feel it was Tien. I landed the jet in a flurry of snow and hopped out as Tien and Chao Tzu came out to greet me.
"Yamcha!" Tien exclaimed, grinning. I could feel myself doing the same.
"Tien! Chao Tzu! What's up?"
"Hi Yamcha!" Chao Tzu greeted enthusiastically.
"Hey squirt!" I replied.
"What brings you up here?" knowing it was almost impossible to lie to Tien, my smile vanished.
"We need to talk." I said, my voice surprising in its somberness. "Actually, I need to talk and I need you to listen." Tien blinked and smiled.
"Sure, buddy. Come on in."

I love Chao Tzu's cooking. Its not as good as ChiChi's but he still cooks great.
"So Yamcha, what's been bothering you?" I looked up from my nearly-empty plate.
"Vegeta." Immediately his eyes darkened. I smiled. "It's good to know that you, at least, still feel the way I do about him. That's why I had to see you. You're the only one who hates Vegeta as much as I do."
"Hate is a strong word Yamcha. Let's just say I dislike him intensely."
"Regardless." I said waving that away. "I just had to tell you what I just found out." Tien leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with interest.
"Go on." I swallowed nervously. Now that I had to bring the subject up, I wasn't quite sure what to say. The knowledge hurt beyond all reason. Better to let it out, share it with someone I trust.
"Bulma is pregnant."
"Oh Yamcha! Congratulations!" Chao Tzu squeaked. I shot him a glare and he lapsed into stunned silence.
"Its. Not. Mine." I ground out. I heard a collective gasp from Chao Tzu and Tien.
"No-!" Tien began.
"Yes. Yes, Vegeta is the father."
"WHAT?!" Tien thundered. I blinked, taken aback. His reaction was almost as violent as mine.
"I know." I sighed, glumly.
"What is that girl thinking? Is she crazy!?" I shrugged. I had wondered the same thing myself many times. "What the hell does she see in him? He's a murderpsycpsycho!" again I shrugged.
"I don't have a clue. And I talked to Goku about it too. He didn't even seem surprised."
"WHAT?!" Tien and Chao Tzu both cried.
"Well you know how Son is. He's everyone's friend. I've never seen him hold a grudge. I bet if he saw that rotten brother of his who started all this mess, he'd forgive him and invite him to dinner." Tien and Chao Tzu nodded in agreement. "But the worst thing is that Vegeta took off as soon as he found out Bulma was pregnant. She doesn't even know where he is."
"Did she tell you this?" Tien asked.
"Not all of it. But ChiChi was more than happy to. She hates Vegeta maybe more than I do. I could hear her screaming at Goku when I left for letting him live." I smiled at that. "Poor Son. What does she expect him to do? I would have killed him though."
"Same here." Tien nodded. "Now he's too strong for any of us. He always was, but now only Goku can stop him."
"Gohan is getting really str Ma Maybe one day he could-" Chao Tzu began.
"No way, he's just like his old man. He wouldn't try to fight Vegeta unless he had to. And he's too young to understand what's going on now."
"True. And even if he did.." Tien began.
"Yes, he's too much like his father I think. ChiChi on the other hand..." Yamcha paused for a moment trying to remember his heated conversation with her. "ChiChi said that she tried to convince Bulma to have an abortion." Chao Tzu gasped in horror. But we ignored him. I was not interested in hearing his views on abortion again. Besides, they clashed with my own and I was not here to argue about a subject I had no interest in.
"I can see why." Tien said.
"Tien!" Chao Tzu gasped. We both flashed him a glance warning him to be silent. His mouth shut with an audible snap and he frowned.
"What did Bulma say?" Tien prompted.
"She told ChiChi to go fuck herself." All three of Tien's eyes bulged.
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah." I nodded solemnly. "Yeah.. I don't know what the hell is going on. Why does she want to have Vegeta's kid so bad? I've never known Bulma to be particularly Pro-Life."
"But the fact that she is already pregnant might alter her opinion." Tien added.
"True." I nodded in agreement. I hadn't thought of that. I was glad I'd come to see him. Tien always made things come into perspective for me. "But still. Vegeta took off. No one's seen him in weeks. I'm going to assume he doesn't want her to have the kid either. ChiChi told me that Bulma said he didn't even say anything when she told him. He just turned around and walked away."
"Ouch." Tien said softly. "Poor Bulma."
"Poor Bulma nothing!" I shot back before I could stop myself. "He didn't rape her. I would have found out! She is just as responsible as Vegeta if not more so! She was on the pill when we broke up." Tien blinked.
"Are you thinking that she stopped taking it on purpose?" Chao Tzu gasped. I frowned.
"I think so, but I can't say for sure. I haven't even talked to Bulma about all this. And I'm not sure I want to. It's none of my business anymore. She's not my girlfriend."
"But your still friends." Tien objected. "Just talk to her as a friend. If she sees you as just a friend and not a jealous Ex, she'll be more forthcoming." I grinned.
"Your right, as usual." I said. Tien smiled.
We sat up and talked for a few more hours before I decided to head back to Bulma's and return the jet. It would be the perfect opportunity to see her.

I landed an hour later and surprisingly, Bulma was on the porch.
"Waiting for me?" I asked, smiling. Bulma returned the smile and I sat down next to her on the porch swing.
"No. But I'm glad you're here." She said softly. I frowned, she sounded subdued.
"I wanted to talk to you too." I admitted. "But you go first." She sighed.
"I know you had to have heard by now."
"That your pregnant?" I ask as nonchalant as possible. She nods. "What about it?" She gives me a hard stare for a moment.
"You know whose it is then." She said.
"Yes." I said, sounding angry and disgusted without really meaning to. Again she sighed. "Sorry." I mumbled. "It's just-" I broke of and turned away abruptly.
"What? Tell me Yamcha." She said softly. I turned to face her again and, as always, I was entranced by her beauty. I had actually been surprised that Vegeta had noticed. Although, how could he not?
"I'm just angry that Vegeta left like he did."
"ChiChi-" she began hotly, anger darkening her pretty face for the first time.
"Yes, she told me." I said. "And I know it's none of my business, it's just-" I broke off again. I suddenly seized her hands and her ocean blue eyes met mine. A shiver passed through me. How was I to know I'd long for her so much when I could no longer have her? "I'm worried about you!" I whispered. "Does he even care about you at all?" I asked. I saw some color fade from her face.
"I don't know. I think he does, but I also think he's fighting it. I think he's afraid to care about someone." I snorted and looked away. "Yamcha." She said, her voice commanding. "I'm serious." I met her eyes again, nodding. Her grip tightened on my hands. "I know more about him than anyone else and it scares him. He's afraid to have any kind of emotion considered "weak" but he still cannot help what he feels. And I know he feels something." She declared vehemently. I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat. "He is afraid to feel because for him, the only thing to feel has been pain! Don't you understand?" she demanded. I was getting a little scared. The thought almost made me laugh. Almost.
The look in her eyes wouldn't allow it. I knew she was telling the truth. Tien, myself, and Chao Tzu had seen him die, had heard his awful confession. How could I forget? But I had intentionally forgotten because I didn't want to believe that someone as evil as him could have been a result of terrible abuse. He had had his home destroyed. They very fate they had just missed by his hands.
"I understand what your saying, but that doesn't make up for the fact that he killed all those people." I said, stubbornly.
"All this time he's been here and he's done nothing!" she snapped, equally obstinate. "He didn't do anything when I told him I was pregnant. He could have killed me then and he wouldn't have to worry about a child!"
"All right!" I yelled, pulling my hands away and raising them in defeat. "I give up Bulma! You have an excuse for everything."
"Excuse!" she thundered, her cheeks flushing and eyes flashing. Once again, I was caught in her spell, she was one of those girls that looked cute when she was angry. Maybe that was why Vegeta provoked her all the time... Kami! Now I'm rationalizing this in his favor. Fuck that.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter. I don't want to fight with you anymore Bulma. I still want to be your friend at least." Her angry tirade died on her lips. She raked her fingers through her hair with a sigh.
"Your right. I'm sorry" she muttered.
"Me too. Buds?" She grinned.
"Buds." She said giving me a hug, which I returned, although not too enthusiastically.
"Ok!" I said, feeling relieved. "Hey! I just remembered! If're 're bored Sunday, you wanna go shopping with me?" her eyes brightened.
"Sure! I've been dying to go to the mall and look for baby clothes!" Damn, that's right. For a moment everything was as it had been before I'd ever heard the name "Saiyan."
"Ok, I'll call you Sunday then!" I said lifting up and taking off into the sky as if I had no care in the word.
I was still sad, but I felt a little better. I just hoped Bulma was right about Vegeta. I hoped he came back and took responsibility for his family. If only for Bulma's sake.
Besides, there are always hot girls at the mall and if they see me with a hottie like Bulma, they'll all want a piece of me!
I smile, immediately thinking about the future. As long as me and Bulma are friends, I can live with it.



* SECOND DISCLAIMER: The quote: "I've had girls dump me, but not for Tim McVeigh." That was from "Made from goats.com" a really hilarious site. I recommend that EVERYONE check it out.