TITLE: Who Wants To Live Forever
AUTHOR: Lady Lark
PAIRING: Bulma/Vegeta
RATING: PG
WARNINGS: Death, angst
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to any of the DBZ characters contained within. This is based off of the song "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Queen (covered by Dune). 
NOTES: I am going through some difficult times right now and need a catharsis. This story is it.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to Mia Skywalker for beta'ing this.
* = Song Lyrics

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Who Wants To Live Forever
part 2

~~~~****~~~~

*There's no chance for us*

It had been five months since Bulma's diagnosis. She had decided to go through with the double mastectomy and was now enduring bi-weekly doses of radiation. She was feeling weaker than she had before the operation and to make matters worse, all of her beautiful blue hair had fallen out.

She had taken to wearing interesting and unique scarves to hide this loss. She refused wigs because none of them were as beautiful as her own color. But even though she was weaker she was still active in Capsule Corp, and refused to let her illness prevent her from having a normal life. At least outwardly.

Inwardly, she had to force herself out of bed every morning. She hated her illness. It made her too weak to do anything remotely strenuous. This included making love. And ever since her mastectomy she needed reassurance that she was still attractive and desirable.

Vegeta was handling her illness surprisingly well. He was at the hospital when the operation occurred although he made the staff's lives a living hell. He also made sure that no one bothered her after her radiation therapy treatments.

Today was her three-month check-up. Hopefully the doctors would know if the radiation had worked and if her cancer was in remission.

However her hopes were dashed when she saw Dr. Sharp's face.

"Bulma, we didn't get it. The cancer has metastasized; it's spread to other tissues including your bones."

Her eyes widened in shock and she breathed, "What can we do now?"

"Nothing. We obviously failed to keep it from spreading and Chemotherapy or additional radiation will only make you weaker. I think it would be pointless to make you suffer and more prone to diseases like pneumonia. In your weakened state, they will kill you. So there is nothing we can do now. I'm sorry."

Bulma sat back against the chair heavily.

"How long?"

~*~

*There's no chance for us*

For the second time in her life, Bulma drove home in a daze. She had asked for a second opinion but that doctor had looked at her results and told her the same thing.

The cancer had spread and was now untreatable. Both doctors advised her discontinuing her radiation but increase her dosage of Prednisone.

Vegeta was waiting for her.

"Well?"

"It didn't work. The cancer spread too quickly and it has infected too many other areas," she answered hollowly.

"I see. What are you going to do?"

"Nothing except for try to slow the spreading. That will give me a little more time. But not much."

"How much time?"

"Six months to a year. Maybe more if I am lucky, but I don't feel very lucky right now."

Vegeta closed his eyes and asked, "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Try to live life to the fullest I guess."

He gathered her into his arms. "How do you want to do that?"

~*~

*It's all decided for us*

Bra and Trunks took the news well. Ever since Bulma had made her announcement, the two siblings had started to prepare themselves for the worst.

Vegeta was proud of his children. They were handling this crisis very well. But the Saiyajin prince wasn't. His heart was breaking, he didn't know how to deal with all of the emotions surging through him.

Grief - that his mate would be taken from him prematurely.

Anger - that there was no cure.

Despair - what would he do without her?

Fear - of the future.

He didn't know what to do to make Bulma's and his last days together happy ones. He had missed so much of their life together that he didn't want to lose anymore. He didn't have anyone to turn to for advice either. Goku had long since left with Shen-long and he wasn't close to any of the other Z fighters. In desperation, he turned to his children.

"Ok brats, I need your help."

The two siblings looked at their father and at each other in shock. Their stoic, arrogant father never asked anyone for help. They were literally stunned into silence.

Bra recovered first, "With what Daddy?"

"We need to make your mother's last months happy ones and I don't know how to do that?"

Trunks considered this, "Well what does she want?"

"I don't know, brat. If I did, I'd be doing it," Vegeta snapped.

"Don't have a cow, Daddy. I know one thing that would make Momma happy. Getting her breasts back," Bra said.

"You're right, Sis. Mom was really upset about having to lose her breasts."

"But how do we 'get them back?' They were removed," stated Vegeta, confusion underscoring his voice.

"Silly Daddy, she can get cosmetic surgery."

Vegeta blinked at this, even after living 35 years on this planet he still didn't understand it. But he continued.

"Alright that is one thing. Anything else?"

"You could marry her," Trunks stated quietly.

"What? I am mated to her already. I do not need to re-mate her," Vegeta stated confused.

"You are mated to her. Not married. There is a difference, Father. On Vegeta, the bond you have would be enough. On Earth though, it is different. There is a ceremony involved. You never performed it with Mom and I know she wishes that you did," Trunk explained heatedly.

"I am the Prince of all Saiyajins, boy. I do not submit to stupidly redundant ceremonies."

"But it will make Mom happy."

Vegeta growled, "I will consider it. Anything else?"

"I know Momma wants grandchildren, Daddy."

"Well how are we going to manage that, brat?"

"Please Daddy don't call me that. I have a secret from you."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and waited.

"I-I've been seeing Goten for a year now and he asked me to marry him a month ago."

"WHAT!?" Vegeta roared.

"I said . . ."

"I heard you! How dare you consort with that third-class idiot's son! He is not worthy of you. I forbid it. I absolutely forbid it! No royal Saiyajin blood is intermingling with Kakarot's spawn!" Vegeta raved.

"But Daddy I love him!"

"NO! And that is final!"

"But Daddy if we got married quickly, I could try to become pregnant. And Momma would have her grandchild."

"There is no try about it, girl. When a Saiyajin couple consummates their bond the first time, a brat is always the result. Why do you think Trunks was born nine months to the day after I took your mother as my mate?"

"Well then, Momma would get her grandchild then wouldn't she?"

"You are not mating Kakarot's brat!"

"Please Daddy, It would make Momma happy. It would make me happy. Please?" Bra pleaded using her 'Daddy's little girl' powers of manipulation.

"I will consider it. IF. If I agree, you and Kakarot's spawn will live here. I will not have you away from your mother during this."

"Thank you Daddy."

"So boy, do you have any secrets that you have been keeping from me?"

"Um no Father. Nothing of importance, anyway," Trunks shrugged.

"Good. Keep it that way. I don't need anymore insults inflicted on the Royal House of Vegeta."

~*~

*This world has only one sweet moment set aside for us*

Vegeta looked pensive. He had cloistered himself off with their children and heaven only knew what they were talking about in there. All she knew was that he had not been happy about something.

She had been standing outside by the rose garden looking at the stars when Vegeta strode from the house with a scowl on his face. It had become a ritual for her. Whenever her self-pity threatened to overwhelm her, she would come outside and gaze at the stars.

"What happened in there, Vegeta?" she asked quietly.

"Your daughter has the gall to fall in love with stupid Kakarot's brat! And that brat has the temerity to ask a Saiyajin princess to be his wife!" he fumed.

"So Goten finally asked her. How romantic!" she breathed.

"You mean you knew! Woman, how many secrets are you keeping from me?"

"Oh a few," she replied airily.

"So you approve of Kakarot's brat becoming our daughter's mate?"

She nodded and answered, "Vegeta, I want Bra to be happy. And Goten makes her happy. Not every girl is as lucky as me to have a Saiyajin prince for a husband."

Vegeta looked at her seriously for a moment. Then he scooped her up into his arms. She was lighter than he remembered.

"Come with me, Woman," he said as he began to rise into the air.

"Like I have a choice?" she responded wryly as she looked down at the rapidly increasing stretch of air between her and the ground.

"You do."

"Okay, fine. I'm game. Where are you taking me?"

"You will see."

She sighed and shifted in his arms snuggling closer to him. She loved being held in his arms. It made her feel safe. Like nothing in the world could harm her, because he would protect her. She felt his body shift and the air rushing past her began to slow.

"We are here, woman."

She twisted her head to look at their destination. They were landing on a cliff that was overlooking the ocean on three sides. The land was grassy and covered in wild flowers. Below them she could see the water breaking up against the walls of the cliff.

"It is beautiful, Vegeta . . "

"Wait," he commanded.

He set her down in front of him and turned her to face the eastern sky.

The sky was turning lavender with tendrils of pink and orange streaming across it. The few low clouds were bathed in a gentle glow of gold and crimson. Then the sun rose majestically over the horizon illuminating the water in rioting hues of vermilion, magenta, and yellow. The molten ball continued to rise slowly up into the sky and Bulma could feel Vegeta's breath against the back of her neck as he too watched the day begin.

When the sun had cleared the horizon, she felt him straighten up.

"Bulma Briefs, mother of my children and keeper of my heart, will you join with me and consent to be my queen?"

Bulma was stunned. She slowly tore her eyes away from the scene before her and turned to face him.

His heart was in his eyes and his guard was completely down. She reached up and cupped his face with her hand. He turned his head and kissed her palm. She continued to study his face in silence. Leaning forward, she turned his head back to face her. Before she captured his lips with her own she breathed two words.

"Yes. Forever."