Disclaimer: Now, if I owned these characters and Dragonball, would I be writing a fanfic that changes one of the pivotal moments? I doubt it, but just in case you lack some sort of common sense, no, I don't own anything I use in here. ^^; Now that we got that over with....

Okay, I'm sorry if this ends up short, but I've seen so little of DB, and I wouldn't want to mess something up. ^^; Laugh guys! I'm being silly.

Anyway, this is dedicated to Datura-san, who needs it ever so badly.

Just you guys wait, I will be posting for the next five days, as I seem to have tons of ideas all of a sudden. ^^; Hehe...inspiration is the greatest thing in the world. It comes and goes, but I embrace it when it shows it's face.

Now, background info you may need: (I never like to leave you in the dark)

In DB, after killing Piccolo Daimaou (giving birth to Piccolo Ma Junior ::cuddles Ma Junior:: have to love him!) Goku goes to Kami's palace. He also trains there for the next three years. Three years later he goes to the world tournament, and Chichi shows up, as well as Piccolo Ma Junior. Chichi ends up getting Goku to marry her because of the promise a naïve little boy made, even when he thought marriage was a type of food. Goku fights Piccolo...blah, blah...Chichi and Goku go off and get married...you know the story from there. However, some of us were never really satisfied with that...and the same old story over and over gets really boring.

Anyway, I forgot just how Gourry's "pickle" moment went in Slayers, (It's been about two years since I saw Next...and I saw it dubbed as well,) but I thought it was about time Goku had an allusion to Gourry. It's very appropriate. Believe me. Rivka-san knows what I'm talking about. And further more, I would have rather seen the subbed version, as I think it was more of a pun thing, but I can't tell from the English version. _-_; It's the scene where Gourry is talking with Martina over her desire to marry him, for those of you who have actually seen Slayers. Trust me...Gourry *was* spawned from Goku in SSJ form. ^^! (He also looks a tad like Cloud from FF7, only Cloud is very smart and acts more like Vegeta. ^^;) 

So for Datura, I've decided to do this. ^^; We'll see if she likes it. This is different. If you guys don't like Goku/Bulma, don't read. Please. Just walk away. Thank-you kindly.

Change of Plans

Bright, white satin lit across the globe, bringing to light the things the night had hid within its darkened cloak of midnight colored feathers. Heat started to build on the surface, awakening thoughts that had slept. Today, liquid ice was a rare crystal all would chase after, but the intensity was only in the first stages of ripening.

Fighters of every type gathered for the day they had prepared for. Some had secret agendas, as the out of place man with accidental moves, and the tall, pale pretty boy with an attitude apparently did. However, there was one blue haired vixen who's mind was traveling back into the spans of time, remembering a friend she hadn't seen for three years.

She could still see his wide, innocent, black eyes scrunch up as he laughed. She recalled the times they had spent together, and the friends they had met along the way. Then she looked at the man beside her and groaned.

Now, Yamcha was decent, but Bulma had found, with time, that he lacked something she craved. Something she no longer had herself. She deciphered it might be an essence of purity she had once seen in a certain small boy. Like her, Yamcha was jaded to life's truths, while to a few select others, those would always remain a mystery. However, she had yet to find another who could possibly be compatible with her while maintaining this lost desire. It was a trait unknown to those she attracted, and she herself found no interest in those who had it, for they bored her.

On this day she was looking forward to seeing Goku again, almost as though he was a childhood friend who could bring back pieces of her heart she left behind in the dust of the mountains.

Naturally, Kuririn was overjoyed at the thought of seeing Goku again, and the others were more inclined to see how he had improved as far as skill went.

Uncertain of what to expect, Bulma was rather surprised when an attractive dark haired man walked by them and stood by the companions. They were all in shock at his boldness of just being there, and no one knew who he was. But Bulma knew one thing; he had a nice build, with sweet innocent looking eyes. She stopped on the eyes for a moment, staring deep into them. They gave the impression of a friendly openness and kept her gaze for a while.

It was Kuririn who recognized the dark haired male, shouting an enthusiastic, "Goku!" giving way to excitement to everyone else as well.

This was Son Goku? This was the child Bulma remembered so fondly? This charming, well shaped, smooth faced man was the little boy she once traveled with? She was over taken by it, shocked at the change in his appearance. But at the same time, she knew with a growth of appearance must come a growth and change of naïveté. She feared that more than anything, and looked away. No matter what she still had Yamcha. Although, he hardly ever pleased her, if she was to be true to herself.

Out in front of them, a dark haired girl walked by, her eyes right on Goku. Kuririn joked about Goku being a ladies man, and the ingenuous male stared at his best friend in confusion. 

"Kuririn, I'm here to fight. Now, how have you guys been doing?"

From there the group headed in, leaving Bulma in the stands, feeling a tad threatened. Kuririn didn't hold back in praising the other girl they had seen. And now that Bulma thought about it, she looked familiar, but Bulma wasn't too sure where she had seen her before.

Waiting for their turn to battle, Tenshinhan stayed rather quiet, studying the competition and keeping his eyes on the tall one with the turban. Everyone else was rather quiet, just observing and pondering the chances of making it through.

****************

When it was Goku's turn to fight the dark-haired female, he did his best holding back, only to find she didn't need him to diminish his fighting power to such a low degree. He did manage to gently bring her down, but then the real fun began.

They met back in the waiting area and she finally explained who she was.

The mystery girl was one Goku had met so many years ago. He remembered her, slightly, but he was uncertain of the things she was trying to discuss with him.

For example; one thing he felt forced to say was, "What is marriage?"

To which Chichi just sweat dropped and looked to his friends for help. The others could just stare, still in shock the gorgeous girl who was after Goku was none other than Chichi. The girl Yamcha remembered best for running away screaming and shouting at every little thing. 

Like Goku, she had also grown up, and quite nicely as well. 

"I still don't know what you're talking about...."

"But you did promise...."

"I promised? Gosh, I don't remember any of this Chichi," Goku sheepishly admitted, a grin flaunted on his sincere face. 

Chichi, who's aggravation was growing by the minute, screamed out, "You promised to marry me!" 

"Promise...I promised...p...you know I want a pickle. I'm hungry! Do you have a pickle on you?"

"PICKLE?! You know what Goku, you know where I live, I'll be there and I'll make you something to eat for when your mind isn't so cluttered. I'll be there waiting for you for when the tournament is over!" Chichi spat back, and then turned on her heels, aggravated and walked away.

Goku's large eyes blinked at her, "No pickle?" 

***************

From then, the tournament lived up to the past ones, and was even more explosive then the previous two. 

The tall pretty boy, whom Kuririn mistakenly called "Prissy," and paid for it, turned out to be none other than Piccolo. But the others found out it wasn't Piccolo Daimaou, but a clone of him called Piccolo Ma Junior. 

Things became more confusing when he blasted the audience, causing many to go into hiding, Bulma one of the first, valuing her life over watching the rest of the battle.

To further irritate the kind-hearted Goku, Piccolo managed to trap Kami in a bottle and swallow it. He had to trick the over confident Ma Junior into growing large enough so Goku could enter this new nemesis and get the bottle. Not to mention the rush of the battle was taking over Goku, and gave into the excitement of the game, thrilled to have such a tough competitor, but disappointed in his actions.

All in all, the fight was exhausting, and left the stadium non-existent and the crowd frightened. 

When all was said and done, Ma Junior was half-dead, Kami was safe, but now the god of the earth wanted to kill Piccolo and end the feud he could see brewing; however, Goku would not hear of it. He insisted on giving Ma Junior a senzu bean, shocking him, and everyone else present. 

Since his birth, Ma Junior had been alone, with angry shouts of revenge screaming and raping his mind and beating down any thoughts he may have held separately. He had experienced fear, and the power of it, as well as the influence terror could hold on one small soul. Sadly, he also discovered what it felt like in the reverse. But this individual, this one known as Son Goku had overwhelmingly stunned him. 

He had been certain he was lucky only to be alive, but for Goku to give him a healing bean, that was beyond the mere kindness of just letting him live. It was also something Ma Junior had previously known nothing about, and had never experienced. He would have to see more of this Son Goku, later. After his wounded pride healed some.

With Piccolo gone and the tournament over the companions once again found themselves at a splitting crossroads, but Goku was left standing there, slightly lost. "Where was I gonna go?"

Eagerly, Bulma decided it was her chance, and rushed up to him, one idea on her mind. "Well, if you don't remember what you're doing...and I have nothing to do...we could always go looking for dragonballs again. Wouldn't you like to find your Grandfather's four star ball again when it replenishes?"

"Huh?" Goku stared at her for a moment and then looked at Yamcha, whose mouth was just hanging open, soundless, but wanting to protest, and then he answered, "Okay! Sounds like fun," and picked her up.

Gladly showing off his new technique of flying again, Goku waved bye to the others and carried off a flabbergasted Bulma. Her large blue eyes stared at him in shock as she gripped onto him tightly, the air rushing by her.

The initial concerns wore off with the freedom of flight, though to be honest she would have loved to be more like Goku, and have been able to fly herself. With the worry fading, came a thirst for the sensation. She couldn't be higher in the clouds. She could have continued on, just like that, forever in his arms with everything soaring by and the ground so beneath her. It was where she wanted to be on many plains of life.

But soon, that faded as well when she caught a whiff of Goku's scent. Fighting was hardly a sweat-free sport, and Bulma was over-come with the odor he was now wearing. But that could be solved, and in the meantime she could have some fun.

"Son-kun! You stink!"

His large eyes blinked at her, and she held back a giggle. The clueless face he gave her was a refreshing change from what she was accustomed to.

"I do?" He asked, smelling himself, only to find out the woman was very correct. "Okay. We'll land somewhere...le'me see." He looked around, and then found a calm lake in the middle of a secluded forest.

They landed, and Bulma missed the rush of the cool wind by her face, but was willing to give it up if it meant Goku would be more palatable, scent wise. Quickly she rushed through her capsules, looking for just the right one, and when she had her shampoo and body wash, she grinned and turned around to hand everything to Goku. Yet, she had forgotten Goku's lack of modesty and his general careless nature about private issues.

The view he gave her, she would admit, was eye catching and pleasing, but like any woman, she was also caught off guard and flushed. "G-G-Go-ku...you really should...ummm...." She averted her eyes to his pile of discarded clothes, unsure of what to say.

He took the bottles from her, thinking they were coloured drinks and started to tilt the shampoo bottle to his mouth.

"No! That's for your hair!"

"Huh?" Goku looked at the bottle of strawberry smelling chemicals, and then at Bulma, with a huge smile. "Thanks Bulma! I would have drank it. What do I do with it?"

Bulma groaned, knowing her work was cut out for her, but what was this? He said thank-you? For such a small thing? Her heart felt a little tug at the thought of someone in such need of guidance. She felt essential to someone. 

"Here, you need to get your hair wet first...." Bulma explained for him, while pointing to the lake. 

Within seconds the raven haired man was in the water, his face under the surface, looking at a few large fish staring at him with wide eyes. He pulled his head up, an opalescent arch of water glistening in the sun following his hair. The droplets hit his body, reflecting pure brilliant light on his hardened physique, and Bulma greedily watched and drank in the view of the satiny, liquid light falling down his back, down around the perfect, sphere-shaped muscles just above Goku's legs. 

"Come back here," Bulma shouted out to Goku, noticing she could hardly wash his hair with the distance he had put between them. When he looked back her, large grin on his face, hair wet and dripping around him, water shining of his body, her breathe was knocked out of her. She never thought the man could win a battle without his fists, but he had proven her wrong.

Goku waded back, the water only up to his thighs, and reached her. Bulma forced her eyes to look up, and gently instructed, "Sit down right here. That will make things easier." He followed her order and sat in the shallow waters, while she knelt slightly on the bank. Bulma rubbed some of the shampoo in her hands until it became foamy, light bubbles covering hands, and then she ran her soap covered hands through his wild, raven tresses, finding they were just as soft as when he was young.

A content vibrating sound soon massaged Bulma's ears, as her hands expertly rubbed through Goku's hair and over his scalp. She soon realized her friend was purring at her efforts. She stared at him for a moment, and then relaxed, allowing the sound to calm her. 

"Okay, Son-kun. Now rinse it out."

Goku looked up at her, his face upside down in her view, and blinked his eyes. "What about you? Aren't you gonna come in?"

"In a little while," she replied with a nervous stammer. She wasn't too fond of bathing with a naked man, but Goku didn't see things the way she did...did he?

He swam out further this time, the water still only meeting his thighs, and ducked his head under again, rinsing out the suds. Bulma continued to just watch in awe of his cat-like movements, her memory flickering to his missing tail. A tinge of sadness stole her, as she wondered what it would feel like grasped in her hands. Before she knew it, her clothes were missing, and she was walking out to him, as though in a trance.

Light splashes could be heard behind him, and slowly Goku turned, to find Bulma walking out to him in the water. He grinned at her, glad to see she had joined him.

Thoughts ran through Bulma's mind in a clutter as he smiled for her. 'Is he like every other guy? What does this mean to him?' She approached him slowly, almost afraid of what she would find. What the answers would hold?

Would he kiss her? Fondle her? Go further? Ask for more then she wanted to give? Or just stare at her forever?

A wave of cold water passed over her, the ice feeling stabbing her face.

"GOKU!" She was angry at first, and then she realized she had received her answer. He still had his innocence, above all else. Her lips gently curved upwards with the discovery, and then she sprayed water back.

Giggling through the lake they chased each other. She tickled him. He picked her up and threw her in the water. They laughed, and played, and Bulma found something within herself.

After, they both laid on the shore, next to each other drying in the warmth of the sun. Bulma found he could awaken within her a piece which she never knew she had. She could never remember having so much fun with anyone before. And for him, she could give knowledge and the continuous excitement in return. 

"Goku...." Bulma sat up, thinking.

"Yeah?"

Bulma stopped, unsure of how to word herself, but she felt something being unwoven in time's perfect weave. "Do you think maybe you shouldn't be here right now. I mean, Chichi sure was positive you belonged to her. What if this changes what is supposed to be?"

"Whoa...Bulma...slow down. First off, nothing's happened yet. Further more," he smiled at her, knowing how much fun they had both uncovered, "sometimes, things need to be changed." 

Her fears set to rest, Bulma laid back down next to him, her head on his chest, one of his arms around her, "Never thought I would hear you sound so philosophical."

"Philosophical? Is that one a pickle?"

Bulma stifled a giggle, secretly wondering if Goku played dumb on purpose. After all, it was making her laugh and enjoy the day. "Does every word starting with a 'p' make you think of pickles?"

"Nah. I'm just hungry...but...now that you mention it...Piccolo...pickle!"

She gave up on trying not to laugh, and exploded with mirth. "That one's too easy! Just don't tell it to his face."

***************

Five years later:

A small, four year-old boy, with dark blue hair, and dark blue tail ran down a path in the forest. Behind him was a saber-tooth tiger, eagerly chasing after the small child.

The child looked back and stuck his tongue out at the cat, and then turned, leaping with a kick into the air.

Knowing the game, the saber tooth managed to duck and the child hit the ground in back of him. Then he turned as well, waiting for the child get up.

But when the saber tooth turned, the child was no where to be seen.

"Hehe! Gotcha!" 

The saber tooth looked up to find the boy descending from the trees. He landed on the saber tooth and patted him, grateful for a partner.

"Gohan! Gohan! Your mother said we need to go!" 

Gohan's ears perked up at his name, and then he turned to his friend, "I'll be back later on. Okay?!" Gohan waved good-bye to the saber tooth, and then ran off to find his father.

He ran up to his father to be held close in strong arms. He loved the warmth his father's heart was always filled with, and naturally felt comfortable with him. "Come on Gohan. We're gonna have some fun today, and then tomorrow we'll train some more, okay?"

"Where were you, Daddy?"

"I was just making sure we had some food for tomorrow." Goku grinned down at his offspring.

"Okay! Where's Mom?"

"Ahem! Right here."

Both men turned around to find Bulma, with her hands on her hips, grinning at them. "Took you both long enough to quit playing around," she teased.

Goku smirked back, thinking on the past years. Compromise after compromise had brought them to where they were. But it seemed worth it to him. They didn't live in the city, but they weren't that far from it. Just far enough to make things difficult from time to time for Bulma. But she was learning to deal with the lot life gave her. After all, some things were more important.

"Mom!" Gohan shouted, leaping to her for a moment.

Bulma looked over at Goku, "We need to get going. I told Kuririn we would be there at three. I think it's going on two, forty-three and we have yet to leave the ground."

"I understand. KINTOUN!!" 

Ever faithful, Kintoun flew up to Goku and waited to be boarded, but Bulma was now frowning.

Goku lighted on the cloud and then Gohan followed, while Bulma glared at the two.

"Goku! You know I can't ride that thing!"

Kintoun growled at being called a "thing," thinking to herself, 'If you were nicer to me, maybe I would let you ride.' 

"Don't be silly, Bulma," Goku said as he pulled her up, keeping her close to him. "This will do just fine."

"Goku! If you drop me...."

"I know Bulma...I know. But don't worry. I won't. Have I ever let you down before?"

Bulma smiled to herself, keeping her eyes on his face instead of the ground below. "Of course not. I trust you."

And they flew off, ready to meet the challenges Fate was still scheduled to leave for them.

The End

**********

End notes: Wow...I finished one of my one-shots, and it was a Goku/Bulma fic. My first one too. ^^; Also, no KaioShin. Wow! O.O That's unusual for me, considering Shin was the first DBZ character I started using in fanfiction. ^^; 

Let me apologize for the lack of fight scenes. First off though, I personally haven't seen them, I just know how it happened and the basics of what took place. Besides, it would just be a rehash of what you get to see on DB when they *finally* get to the Piccolo Daimaou Saga. (No telling what they'll rename it. _-_;)

Also, I apologize to Datura if it didn't live up to what she was expecting from me, as I it didn't live up to what I wanted, and now amount of improving will get me there either. I don't see the point in doing fight scenes that are supposed to happen and I've never seen before. It's just pointless. However, this is the fanfiction world, and things run that way sometimes. Geez, I hope they weren't out of character. _-_;