"Yeah, yeah..." Vegita interrupted impatiently.
"Vegita!" Bulma clenched her teeth so that she wouldn't shout. "You're supposed to wait until he finishes! And you're supposed to say: 'I do'!"
Vegita sighed and rubbed his temples. "Explain to me again why we're doing this?"
Bulma barely supressed a scream. "Because it's our 20th anniversary and we've never celebrated it before!"
"Aren't we already married?" Vegita crossed his arms.
Bulma rolled her eyes. "All we did was go to the notary! We never had a real ceremony!"
"What's so important about a ceremony?" (Vegita had even considered the legalization of their relationship unnecessary. According to him, Bulma had been his wife--no, 'mate' was the word he used--the moment that he told her so.)
"Oh...I don't know...I just thought that since we're spending the rest of our lives together, we might make that fact a bit more apparent, that's all."
(Actually, Bulma had always wanted a wedding with all the works ever since she was a teenager. If it weren't for that desire, she might not have began her quest for the Dragon Balls and thus never have met Vegita. Of course, if she told him any of this he would just insult her 'sentimentality'.)
"I see." Vegita frowned. "But I still don't like it."
"Please, Vegita!For once do something for me!"
"I only said I didn't like it, not that I won't go through with it! If I wasn't going to do this make-believe wedding of yours, I wouldn't have even shown my face for months!"
That's right, Bulma realized. I couldn't force him to do anything, not even if I tried. "Sorry."
"Forget it." Vegita once again gave his attention to the minister. "Continue." The minister continued, and this time Vegita waited for him to finish, then answered 'I do'.
"Now, the rings." The minister brought out the box of rings and opened it. "Take this ring and put it on her left ring finger, then say: 'with this ring, I thee wed'." Vegita complied awkwardly. The minister then handed the other ring to Bulma, who did the same. "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I pronounce you man and wife." The minister turned Bulma and Vegita so that they were facing each other. "You may kiss the bride."
"On the lips?" Vegita pretended to be horrified.
"Yes, the way that I taught you." Bulma suppressed the urge to grab a candlestick and smash it on her husband's head. (It would only break it.)
"Fine..." Vegita lifted Bulma's veil and studied his target carefully. "Do I need to stand on tiptoe?" He asked sarcastically.
"Huh?" Then the minister noticed something. "Oh."
"Usually, the man is taller and he leans over to kiss the woman." Bulma explained. "But in this case, I guess I'll have to do the leaning."
They kissed.
(More accurately, their lips barely brushed.)
"And that's it?"
"Yes."
"Good." Vegita took off his ring and returned it to the minister. "I'm going home."
"Oy." Bulma sighed. "Thank goodness that was only a rehearsal."
"A WHAT?!?" Goten blinked in surprise.
"A rehearsal." Trunks repeated.
"Dang!" Goten let out a whistle. "Your mother is really taking this anniversary thing seriously!"
"Of course she is: Dad never gave her a gift; he never mentioned their anniversary; heck, they never even got married!"
"They didn't?"
"Not the way Mom wanted it."
"Uh...explain."
"Legally, Mom and Dad are married, but they never had a wedding."
"A wedding's that important?"
"You were at Gohan and Videl's wedding; which do you think has more meaning: a piece of paper or a ceremony like theirs?"
"Oh."
"Any further questions?"
Goten broke into a wide grin. "Am I invited?"
Vegita fingered the guest list carefully.
"Are you sure you want to invite Lunch?" He asked.
"We can risk a sneeze or two." Bulma put a stamp on another envelope.
"And that hentai of an old martial arts teacher?"
"Kame Sennin may be perverted, but deep down he has a kind heart."
"Kind-hearted or not, if he even tries to touch you he will have a slow, painful death."
"If he's still alive after I beat the crap out of him." Bulma sealed the last invitation. "There. I hope I got everyone's addresses right." (Tracking down Yamucha's address had been a chore, and finding Tenshinhan and Chaozu was an adventure.)
"If not, then there will be fewer people watching me make an ass out of myself." Vegita wondered whether he could conveniently misplace the invitations to Kakarrotto's family.
"Too late." Bulma playfully poked Vegita, not caring that it wouldn't even tickle.
"Do I really have to wear this?" Vegita unsuccessfully tried to put on his tie.
"Yes." Bulma untangled the tie and redid it correctly.
"............" Vegita shifted uncomfortably.
"You've made it this far..." Bulma encouraged him. "Don't give up."
"Hi, Mom!" Bra and Pan, followed by Trunks, Goten, and Videl, came in. "Wow! You look really nice!"
"You're not too bad looking yourselves." Bulma traced her fingers over Bra'silk dress. "You two ready?"
"Definitely!" The girls answered simultaneously.
"Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride right now?" Videl teased.
Bulma grinned. "I think we've already broken every other superstition anyway..."
"I hate this suit," Goten pulled at his tie. "The collar's too tight."
"Here." Bulma undid the top button of Goten's shirt and hid it behind his tie. "You don't need to suffocate."
"Now why didn't I think of that?" Trunks wondered aloud, doing the same.
"Sorry I'm late," Dr. Briefs rushed in breathlessly.
"I thought you would never come." Bulma hugged her father happily.
"I would never miss my daughter's wedding." Dr. Briefs replied. "Not for anything." Pan and Bra debated among themselves what the halo floating over his head was for.
"Is everyone here?" The wedding coordinator stuck her head through the door. "Great. Let's go over the order one more time: first, the flower girls go in," Bra and Pan cursteyed and giggled. "Then, the groom, accompanied by the best man--"
"Men." Goten corrected.
"Sorry. Men." The coordinator smiled. "Next, the bridesmaid enters. Last, but certainly not least, the bridesmaid, escorted by...uh..." she looked at Dr. Briefs. "I thought your father passed away."
"Well...um..." Bulma didn't know how to explain Uranai Baba. "It's really complicated..."
"Okay..." The coordinator decided not to press the issue. "When I call you, come out and line up in that order." She looked at her watch. "Until then, I'll be outside helping the guests get seated. See you later!"
".............." Vegita began to pace.
"Hey, Dad..." Trunks teased. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"
"Leave him alone," Bulma scolded.
After what seemed like forever, the wedding coordinator came back.
"It's time. Let's go."
Everyone (except Vegita) excitedly hurried out of the dressing room. Even as they made their way through the halls they could hear the restless anticipation of the guests. Just as they reached the door, Mendolsson's 'Wedding March' began to play.
"Perfect timing." The coordinator smiled in satisfaction. "Okay. You're on." She gave Pan and Bra a little push. After they successfully made it to their respective positions, she turned to the men. "Your turn." Bulma nervously watched Vegita, Goten, and Trunks, and then Videl, walk to the end of the aisle.
Finally...the moment I've been waiting for...
"Hey, Bulma. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet." The coordinator put her hands on her hips.
"Huh?" Bulma was rudely jerked out of her reverie.
"The groom is waiting," The coordinator guestured towards the altar.
"Right." Bulma took her father's arm. "Let's go."
The moment that Bulma stepped though the doors of the church her eyes met Vegita's--and everything else seemed to disappear. She didn't even feel her father's guiding arm beside her. There was something more in Vegita's usually expressionless, cold, proud, or haughty eyes, something that drew Bulma step by step towards him. Dr. Briefs also sensed this force and thus let go of his daughter before he was supposed to; he had already 'given' her to Vegita 20 years ago anyway. Still looking at one another, Bulma and Vegita joined hands and approached the minister, who smiled, opened his book, and began.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."
Bulma and Vegita's eyes were locked throughout the minister's speech. Trunks could almost see the emotons and memories that flowed between them. It was as if Vegita was making up for twenty years of arguments, heartbreaks, and forgotten anniversaries.
Not that Vegita was entirely cold to Bulma of course: every once in a while there was a tender touch or some other show of affection...but Trunks had never seen his father so--well, for lack of a better word--'sentimental'.
Is this why Mom chose Dad? Trunks wondered.
"I do." Bulma answered without turning her head.
"And do you, Vegita, take Bulma as your lawfully wedded wife--to love and to honor; for richer, for poorer; in sickness, and in health; and forsaking all others--'til death do you part?"
"I do."
The minister handed a ring to Vegita, who put it on Bulma's finger without taking his eyes off of her.
"With this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring, I thee wed." Echoed Bulma.
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
When the veil lifted, Bulma discovered that Vegita was now taller than her. She glanced down and saw that he had levitated several inches.
"Vegita..." she whispered.
"Shh." Vegita commanded. "Don't you like it better this way?"
"Yes, but--" Vegita stopped her with the longest, deepest kiss he had ever given her since they met. Bulma tilted her head back and closed her eyes as they kissed.
Neither of them noticed Goku as he scrambled out of his seat and took a picture.
"Kakarrotto, what the hell do you think you are doing?" Vegita demanded after the kiss ended.
"Just capturing the moment on film." Goku replied, patting his camera.
That was the only time Bulma was happy that Vegita didn't look at the camera.
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