Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Darkness ❯ Unexpected News ( Chapter 32 )

A Light in the Darkness - part 32: Unexpected News
by Mia Skywalker & Wataruo

PAIRING: Hm... maybe you can figure it out! ^_~
RATING: PG due to violence
WARNINGS: Angst, violence
DISCLAIMER: Neither of us owns any of the DBZ characters or anything about DBZ, but we both wish we owned the Saiyans. All of them. At least all of the ones with hair. These characters are owned by Toei, Viz, Akira Toriyama, and FUNimation. We do own what we've written here, and our specific storyline, just not Dragonball itself. We make no money off of any of these guys, nor off this fic. We just have fun writing it.
SUMMARY: Surprise, surprise! A few people get some unexpected news.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thanks to saiyengerl for the beta!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 4

 

The rising sun found Bulma standing on her balcony. Once again she hadn't slept. She had tried a few times, but all she had managed to do was cry. She knew she should try - sleep at least would be a temporary surcease from pain - but she couldn't manage it. She had done her best to make her bed look slept in, though. No need to let her mother worry.

 

She had tried to give her previous night's dinner to some passing morning birds, but all they had accepted was the bread, and even that she had to tear up first. She knew her mother would worry that she hadn't eaten, but she didn't know what she could do about that. Even the thought of food was making her ill. All she could think about was Vegeta.

 

::Oh, Vegeta.... Why can't you love me the way I love you?::

 

Why did she have to fall in love with a Saiyan? Why couldn't it be a nice, normal man who would love her back? But she knew that could never have happened. She would have trampled all over a 'nice normal man', and only someone like Vegeta - who could give as good as she could - would have been able to truly attract her.

 

She went back inside her room and slipped into the bed, to enhance the illusion that she had actually slept a little. Once again the memories of Vegeta covering her, touching her intimately, kissing her so tenderly, rose up inside her and made her begin to cry. After a while the soft sobs became great, wracking shakes, tearing her already weakened frame apart.

 

Bulma's mother ran into the room, having heard the crying from the intercom channel she had left open. She was well aware that Bulma hadn't slept, despite all of her deceptions. She knew there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't understand why Bulma and Vegeta felt this need to be so self-destructive. Why couldn't they just talk to each other?. Why were they so stubborn?

 

She said nothing, though, as she allowed her daughter to cry on her shoulder.

 

~~~*~~~

 

When Vegeta awoke he was both disoriented and ravenous. Where was he? His surroundings didn't look familiar to him.

 

He sat up and was surprised to see that his hands were shaking from hunger. He frowned down at them, willing them to be still. What had happened yesterday? Vegeta was still trying to remember when he heard Goku's voice. Kakarotto? Why was he here?

 

It took the warrior a few moments to realize he wasn't at Capsule Corporation at all; he was at his enemy's home. Vegeta felt inexplicably depressed when he remembered the events of the day before, and he cursed himself for giving in to the bonding. It wasn't the end of the universe that Bulma had thrown him out, even if it would seem like it for a while. He would survive; he always did.

 

He threw the covers back and stood on wobbly legs. He was worse off than he had thought. He sat back down, feeling as weak as a newborn, and he knew that his ki was still very low. He also felt as if someone was watching him. His head snapped up and he looked into the curious brown eyes of the Saiyan female who had bullied him the day before.

 

"Feeling better?" she inquired.

 

"Not that it is any of your business, but yes." Vegeta reached up to rub his temple.

 

She nodded. "Good. Chi-Chi is making breakfast. I'll bring you some." Without giving him a chance to reply, she turned and left the room, returning several minutes later with a heaping plate. She didn't wait for him to say anything, but set the plate down and left immediately.

 

Vegeta stared at the door for a few minutes before he picked up the plate and began to eat. He realized that even though it didn't taste like anything to him, he needed to eat something, and he forced himself to finish it.

 

~~~*~~~

 

"Well, he is eating," Hakusai announced as she came back into the kitchen. "And he is grouchy. I think he is recovering."

 

"That's a relief." Goku sighed. "I was really worried about him yesterday. I have never seen him look like that."

 

Hakusai nodded. "Whatever it is, I can still sense the edges of it. So he has a ways to go. But I think he should be ok."

 

"I think I should check on Bulma today," Goku said, finishing up his breakfast. "She has me worried too."

 

"I'll come along," Hakusai said. "If you don't mind."

 

"Not at all."

 

"All right. Let me check on Vegeta again before we go." Hakusai disappeared into the spare bedroom and reappeared some moments later. "He is asleep again. But...." She held up the empty plate. "He ate."

 

"That's a relief." Goku sighed and stood up. He walked around to the other side of the table to kiss his wife good-bye. "I'll be back in a little bit, Chi," he told her. "I can see how Gohan is doing while I am there."

 

The two Saiyan warriors reached Capsule Corporation in record time. Mrs. Briefs heard the doorbell ring, but didn't want to move from where she was comforting her daughter. She allowed one of the servants to answer it, and sighed in resignation when she recognized Goku's voice.

 

"I'll be right back, Bulma-chan," she said softly to her daughter, pulling away from her gently. She went downstairs, carefully re-affixing the vacuous smile on her face. "Oh, Goku-san! How nice to see you! Would you like something to eat?"

 

Goku beamed. "Sure. I would love something."

 

Hakusai rolled her eyes. "Goku, you just ate."

 

"Well, I am still hungry!" Goku protested.

 

Hakusai sighed. "Saiyan males, all they ever want to do is eat and fight."

 

Goku grinned apologetically. "Actually we dropped by to see Bulma."

 

Mrs. Briefs gave an air-headed smile and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, you know, she'll get better soon!" she said perkily. "Why don't you come up and see her?"

 

Goku cheerfully followed Mrs. Briefs up the stairs chatting away, oblivious to the fact that Hakusai was frowning at the two of them. Hakusai wondered if the mother knew about her daughter's pregnancy. Was Bulma not happy with it? It was possible that Bulma did not want the father to know. Or perhaps she and the father were fighting.

 

"Hakusai?" She snapped her head up at the sound of Goku's voice. "Is something wrong?" he inquired. "You're not usually this quiet."

 

"Just thinking, Goku. Just thinking," Hakusai said as they knocked on the door and went in.

 

"Hi, Bulma," Goku said as her approached her. "Are you feeling better?"

 

Bulma was still sitting on her bed, her arms wrapped around her legs, still dressed in just a nightgown. She glanced up briefly at Goku, and then looked back down at the sheet in front of her, shrugging. Both of them could see obvious signs that she had been crying, although the cause wasn't apparent.

 

Why had they come back again today? Bulma thought with a mental sigh. Couldn't they leave her alone? She just wanted to be left alone. She knew that Goku wasn't perceptive enough to realize that, though, and she didn't know his friend well enough to know why she had come as well.

 

::I just wish they would leave.::

 

Goku scratched his head. "This isn't like you, Bulma," he said sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. "Can I help with something?"

 

Hakusai narrowed her eyes. "You are going to hurt the baby if you don't eat."

 

Goku's head snapped over to Hakusai. "What baby?"

 

"The one she is carrying." Hakusai folded her arms across her chest and gave Bulma a faint smile. "I don't know why you are upset, it is not my business. But Goku is worried. You should try to eat something. It may make you feel better."

 

"Bulma's pregnant?" Goku looked back over to his oldest friend. "Really?"

 

Bulma stared at Hakusai, first in shock, and then in anger. "What the hell are you talking about?" she shouted furiously at the woman. "I'm not pregnant! There's no WAY I could be pregnant! That's impossible!"

 

But it wasn't, she thought to herself. There had only been the one day, but they had made love so many times.... It was possible that she was.

 

A part of her secretly rejoiced at the news, even as a part of her denied it and was furious about it. ::Damn him!:: she thought to herself. ::He did this to me on PURPOSE, didn't he?:: Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she wasn't being rational, but that wasn't important to her at the moment.

 

"I beg to differ. I know what pregnancy smells like. You aren't far along, a few days at the most." She paused, frowning. "You mean you can't tell when you are pregnant?" she asked.

 

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Bulma shouted at her, and then her outburst seemed to exhaust her completely. Her face went completely white, and it looked like she was about to pass out.

 

"Go away," she whispered. "I'm not pregnant. I can't be pregnant. There's just no way!" She shuddered, and tears began to form in her eyes. "Just go away and leave me alone...."

 

"Bulma..." Goku began, but Hakusai held up her hand.

 

"Let's go, Goku. We are only making this worse."

 

"Okay." Goku stood up and squeezed Bulma's shoulder gently to reassure her. "We'll stop by tomorrow," he assured her and went out the door.

 

Hakusai studied Bulma thoughtfully, and then spoke softly. "I am sorry you had to learn this from me. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was merely concerned for you and your unborn child. If you continue on this way, you will hurt yourself and the child you are carrying." She offered Bulma a smile.

 

Bulma didn't respond by either gesture or word until the two had left the room. She began crying again once she heard them leave the house. She continued to cry for a long time afterward, her shoulders shaking and her body weak. She didn't want to be pregnant. She didn't want to have a baby. Why did he have to do this to her? Had he just been using her to get himself a child?

 

::I hate him! I wish I'd never met him! I wish he had never been wished back to life, but that he had stayed dead on Namek!::

 

But she knew deep in her heart that wasn't true; that despite everything, even though she knew he didn't feel anything for her, she couldn't help but be glad that he was still alive, still out there somewhere.

 

"Ai shiteru, Vegeta," she whispered softly to herself.

 

~~*~~

 

Goku looked at Hakusai as the two headed back towards Goku's home. "I am worried about Bulma," he confessed. "She looked really pale to me."

 

"She will be ok, Goku," Hakusai said, and turned her head to look at him. "She needs her friends right now."

 

"I hope you are right," Goku whispered softly.

 

The two Saiyans landed in front of Goku's home and by mutual agreement, went to spar to blow off some steam. Hakusai knew Goku was worried by how he was fighting. He wasn't attacking as strongly as he usually did and by late afternoon Hakusai called it quits in disgust. She used the excuse that she was hungry as she dragged Goku back to his home. She knew the thought of food would cheer him up.

 

"Hi Chi!" Goku shouted as he walked in the front door and found her in the kitchen stirring lunch. "Smells good!" he told her as he wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "Can you do me a favor and call Bulma later?" he asked. "She doesn't feel too good and you are her best friend."

 

Chi-Chi leaned happily against Goku when he held her against him. She was once again surprised at how different he was acting from before; he was acting positively affectionate, making her wonder if he really did love her after all. He said he did, but not until now had he ever shown it.

 

"She'll be all right, Goku," Hakusai said sitting down at the table. "Being pregnant is nothing to be worried about."

 

At Hakusai's words Chi-Chi stiffened in surprise and dropped the spoon she was holding with a clatter. "Bulma's WHAT?!?" she shouted in shock. Her mind raced as she came to the obvious conclusion. "Yamcha got Bulma PREGNANT?" She stood there in shock. "Does Yamcha know?"

 

"Who's Yamcha?" Hakusai asked.

 

"Bulma's boyfriend," Goku explained. "They have been dating forever."

 

"Ah. Yes, Bulma is pregnant," Hakusai said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think she is taking it well."

 

"Maybe you should call her, Chi? It might make her feel better."

 

No one in the kitchen noticed that Vegeta was leaning against the doorframe and frowning. Pregnant? His thoughts were numb. His mate was pregnant? He stood there quietly, not attracting attention to himself, wondering if both Kakarot and Hakusai had suffered brain damage from birth.

 

She couldn't be, could she? he questioned himself, thinking back. No, it was impossible, he reasoned. Saiyan males control when their mates get pregnant. He had not lost control. He reached a hand up to rub his temple. Had he?

 

Chi-Chi frowned at them. "I think I should call Yamcha first. If Bulma's pregnant, he needs to know." She left the room, not noticing Vegeta in the other doorway, as she headed to another room to make the call.

 

Out of earshot of the others, she called Yamcha quickly. He was surprised to hear from her again, and more than a little intimidated. "Hi, Chi-Chi. What did you want?"

 

He didn't exactly sound enthusiastic. He was afraid she was going to yell at him for something he might have said the other day to Bulma, but her next words stunned him completely.

 

Chi-Chi got straight to the point, too shaken to do much else. "Yamcha, Bulma is pregnant. Weren't you careful?" Yamcha was shocked speechless, unable to reply for several minutes, irritating Chi-Chi. "Hello, Yamcha! You haven't hung up on me, have you?"

 

He shook his head, then remembering that he was on the phone, cleared his throat and spoke. "No, Chi-Chi. What do you mean she's pregnant? She can't be pregnant!"

 

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes in exasperation. That was men for you. If they didn't want to believe something, they said it was impossible. And of course, they never wanted to take responsibility for their actions.

 

"Yamcha, she's pregnant! And if you're not going to own up to it and take responsibility for your actions, then you'll answer to ME! You are going to take responsibility for this child, if Bulma decides to keep it. And you will NOT abandon her or run away, but you'll be there for her if she needs you! Do you hear me?"

 

"Perfectly," Yamcha replied.

 

His thoughts were churning at a rapid rate, trying to figure out what had happened. He knew she wasn't dating anyone else; she wasn't the sort to cheat on him, and although she had 'broken up' with him a couple of nights ago - something they did on a frequent enough basis that he hadn't really taken it all that seriously - there hadn't been any time for her to meet anyone else.

 

He didn't think she would have an affair with any of their friends, either. Goku was married to her best friend, and she wasn't at all attracted to Krillin, Piccolo or Tenshinhan. If Piccolo could even manage something like that, about which Yamcha had his doubts.

 

"Chi-Chi," Yamcha said, a determined ring to his voice, as the only conclusion available came to his mind, "I'm going over to see her. You can let her know if you want, but... I'm going to go see her. I need to talk to her."

 

Yamcha hung up the phone, and knew what must have happened. There was only one possible conclusion. He knew his friends would never hurt Bulma, so that left... Vegeta. Somehow, when she had been vulnerable, Vegeta had forced her. He had had his way with her, hurt her, even... raped her.

 

The thought made Yamcha shake with rage. He had never been so angry in his entire life. All his fear of Vegeta vanished in an instant, as he rather single-mindedly headed towards Bulma's.

 

Yamcha headed straight to Bulma's, not stopping anywhere, not even thinking of anything else. All he could think of was that Vegeta had raped Bulma. That she had been hurt, and he hadn't been there to protect her. The thought of it made him physically ill. He knew he hadn't been the best boyfriend in the world, but he had always thought he could protect his friends, particularly Bulma.

 

::Please let her be all right,:: he thought to himself, over and over. A cold fury came over him, leaving him calm yet angry. He felt that he could rip apart steel in his bare hands at the moment, and thought he might even be able to take on the Saiyan Prince himself.

 

~~~*~~~

 

Chi-Chi got off the phone, feeling satisfied. It sounded to her like Yamcha was going to take responsibility for everything. She had never heard him sound so determined, so mature. She was glad, for Bulma's sake, that Yamcha wasn't just going to run out on her again. She had always felt Bulma deserved better than that.

 

Chi-Chi entered the kitchen again with a smug smile on her face. "Yamcha is going over there right now. He's taking responsibility for the child and for Bulma. I don't think he's going to run away this time."

 

Chi-Chi's eyes sparkled as she looked at Goku. "Oh, Goku!" she said happily. "I'm so glad Bulma is going to be happy finally! I know she's always loved Yamcha, and it sounds like they're going to work things out!"

 

"That's great!" Goku said embracing his wife in a bear-like hug. "See? I knew things would work out."

 

"I am glad," Hakusai said. "I love it when things work out."

 

"Glad?" Vegeta spat getting everyone's attention. "I am not glad," he ground out and spun around heading for the door. The others heard the door slam as it literally shook the house on its foundations.

 

"That was not a happy man," Goku said, stating the obvious.

 

"Goku, we had better go after him," Hakusai said bolting up from her chair.

 

"Why?" he asked confused.

 

"I didn't like that expression. That is too commonly seen among troops who are about to fight to the death." She strode to the doorway. "And he is no condition to fight."

 

"I'll be back, Chi." He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her mouth. "I don't know what is going on but," he shrugged, "she is worried."

 

The two warriors felt his ki heading in the direction of Capsule Corp, and followed it quickly.

 

Vegeta left Goku's home with surprising speed for someone who hadn't eaten right in the past day and half. The Saiyan Prince was too furious to think of anything but getting to Bulma. He had only one thing on his mind; he was going to kill Yamcha.

 

That bastard! he thought. How dare he touch my mate? Wait until I get there, you bastard! You'll be spitting blood! Vegeta was unaware that his fingers were digging into his palms and drawing blood. His only goal was to get to Capsule Corp to confront the other man. Yamcha had touched his mate and gotten her pregnant, and that was something that the other man was going to pay for with his life. It was an insult to him; he couldn't accept the fact that she was carrying another man's brat. He would never raise a hand to Bulma, so Vegeta's only choice was to kill the other man.

 

Had Vegeta been thinking rationally, and not suffering from the effects of the bond, he would have remembered that Bulma had been a virgin. He would have realized the child was his because he had lost control. The bond had been so new that Vegeta had not noticed it until it was too late. By the time he had realized he was bonded to the human female that he had been unconsciously lusting after for a year, he had already begun to suffer her rejection.

 

The Saiyan warrior dropped out of the sky at almost the same moment Yamcha arrived. He folded his arms in front of his chest and glared at the human warrior.

 

"So you thought you could get away with it, did you?" he asked the other man. His voice was deceptively calm, but his demeanor was tense and antagonistic. "I think not, human," he growled as he began to power up.

 

Yamcha's eyes narrowed, and he began powering up as well. "You... you BASTARD!" he snarled at Vegeta. "She was a virgin, and you... you... you...! I'm going to KILL you for hurting her that way! You're going to DIE!"

 

Upstairs Bulma stirred. She thought she heard Vegeta's voice outside. No, he wasn't there. He was never coming back. She had kicked him out, and he was never coming back, and she deserved it. Then she heard Yamcha's voice and groaned. ::What is he doing here?:: she thought miserably. She wished he hadn't come back!

 

"I will never hurt Bulma," Vegeta growled at Yamcha. "You are the one who is going to die."

 

He launched himself at the human, intent on maiming Yamcha before killing him, not noticing he was slower than usual. He aimed a kick at Yamcha's abdomen and connected. The force of the blow sent Yamcha backwards several feet before he collided into a tree.

 

"Take this and die!" Vegeta gathered his energy and yelled. "Gallic Gun Fire!" The ki blast aimed directly for the prone Yamcha.

 

Yamcha dodged the blast easily, flying out of the way. It surprised him how easy it had been for him to dodge it; he had seen Vegeta use that particular attack before, and it was both quick and devastating. He and Vegeta were both in for a surprise when the tree merely splintered under the impact; the Gallic Gun should have disintegrated it completely.

 

Yamcha's mouth quirked up in a smug smile. "So, is that all you're able to do?" he taunted the Saiyan. "Has Chikyuu made you soft, you need to blow up planets to stay strong? You don't know how to train when you're not killing people? Well, it looks like you're not so tough after all!"

 

This time Bulma was certain that she heard Vegeta's voice. Vegeta? What was he doing here? Oh no! They were fighting! Vegeta was going to kill Yamcha! She had to stop him! Chikyuu needed Yamcha, they needed all of the Zed warriors! Was Vegeta tired of living on Chikyuu? Was he going to kill Goku and Gohan next?

 

She got out of her bed as quickly as she could and pulled on her robe.

 

"Bastard!" Vegeta ground out. That blast should have been more effective than it had been. ::What's wrong with me?::

 

It did not occur to him that it was willpower alone that was keeping him upright, and that his ki was barely enough to sustain him.

 

"You are going to die, warrior," he declared as he charged towards Yamcha.

 

The two exchanged blows, Vegeta so furious he didn't realize he was not hitting Yamcha with the force he should have had. He soon began tiring; his breathing was ragged and he gasped for breath as he dodged Yamcha's punches.

 

In surprise, Yamcha dodged Vegeta's blows easily, moving faster than the Saiyan. It almost felt like he was toying with the Prince. He thought for a moment that Vegeta was simply toying with him, but he saw how flushed Vegeta was, and how he was gasping, and realized he was in better shape than Vegeta was. He hadn't even broken a sweat, and Vegeta was about to drop.

 

"I think not, Vegetable head," he said in a derisive tone, then shot above Vegeta and pounded him toward the ground.

 

Bulma tore down the stairs as fast as she could go, and gasped for breath when she reached the lower landing. She stood there, shaking, unable to move for several seconds, realizing that she was much weaker than she had been aware.

 

::I have to get out there!:: she thought decisively. ::I can't let Vegeta kill one of my friends!::

 

It was more important to her, she realized, than just protecting her friends. She knew that if Vegeta were to kill one of them now, it would devastate her far more than it would have a year ago. The idea that someone she cared about would hurt someone else she cared about.... Her mind shied away from the thought, but she had to force herself to admit that no matter what, she still loved Vegeta, even if he hated her.

 

Decisively she moved towards the door, determined to stop this at all costs.

 

Vegeta knew he was not in good shape as he hit the ground with a loud thud. He managed to get his feet and wipe the blood dripping from his mouth. As he stood there, panting for breath, he wondered if unconsciously he was permitting the other man to beat him. He wondered if he wanted Yamcha to kill him. If he could not have Bulma, what was the point of living?

 

Overwhelming despair hit the Saiyan Prince. He decided he did not want to win any longer. He looked up and grinned at Yamcha. Vegeta knew at that moment that he was going to lose. First Kakarotto and now Yamcha, he thought unemotionally. What a way for a great Saiyan warrior to die.

 

Vegeta gathered his ki once more, even though he knew he was almost at his limit, and shot a tremendous blast at Yamcha. It struck the other warrior, and as he waited for the haze to clear, Vegeta could still sense the other man's ki and knew that it hadn't harmed him at all.

 

Yamcha stood there, surprised to still be standing after that blast, surprised that he was still relatively unscathed. He sensed that Vegeta had thrown everything he had left into that one last blast, that he had nothing left. In fact, that last blast Vegeta had thrown at him had knocked the other warrior back onto the ground, on his back again. Yamcha smiled, a slow grin that didn't fit on his handsome face, an evil smirk that spoke of death about to be received as he started to power up. He was determined that this time he would destroy Vegeta once and for all, and end the fear that they all had of him.

 

Bulma managed to burst out of the house at that moment, and saw Yamcha powering up for what appeared to be a final blow. It took her less than a second to absorb everything; she didn't know how or why, but she could tell Vegeta was on his last legs. Yamcha was hardly scratched, and he was about to kill the Saiyan Prince, who looked like he had been beaten by an entire army.

 

With a hoarse scream, a shout of longing and pain and yearning all rolled into a single wail, Bulma launched herself at Vegeta, who hadn't had the energy to lift himself from the ground, and threw herself over his prone form.

 

"NOOOO!" she cried out, sobbing brokenly. "Don't kill him! You can't kill him!"

 

"Let him kill me, woman," Vegeta said hoarsely. "I won't live like this."

 

He closed his eyes, his mind going blank, silently willing Bulma to get off of him. He knew that his injuries were serious, most likely fatal if he didn't get medical treatment. "Didn't you hear me woman?" he whispered so softly that Bulma had to strain to hear him. "Leave. I want to die."

 

"I'm not going to let you die," Bulma insisted. "I can't let you die!"

 

Stunned motionless, Yamcha stared down at her, his ki powering down immediately. He had no idea what had just happened. Bulma was... protecting Vegeta? She was protecting the man who had defiled her, who had assaulted her?

 

"Bulma," he said quietly, "I'm not about to let him get away with it. He hurt you, and he's going to pay." He started to lower himself to the ground.

 

"Hurt me?" Bulma looked up at Yamcha with a stricken face, tears flowing freely down her face. "He didn't hurt me! Not more than I did to myself! It was all my fault, not his!"

 

"He raped you!" Yamcha protested. "He took your innocence!"

 

"He took nothing I didn't give freely!" she shouted up at Yamcha angrily. She lowered her face to Vegeta's chest, tears still streaming from her eyes. "I can't let you die," she explained to Vegeta in a whisper. "I would die as well."

 

"I don't understand...." Yamcha landed on the ground, staring in bewilderment at the woman he had loved for so long.

 

"No, you don't," she stated flatly, not taking her eyes off Vegeta. "I can't let him die, and I can't let you kill him because I love him. He might not love me, but I love him, and I can't let him go."

 

Yamcha stared at her in shock, unable to speak for several minutes. "If I don't kill him now," he said slowly, "you know he'll come after me later, for revenge. Will your love be enough to keep him from killing me, even though it's enough to keep me from killing him?"

 

Bulma looked up at him with a stricken expression. "I don't know," she whispered. "I love him, but he doesn't love me, he's never loved me. I don't know what he will or won't do. I only know that if he dies, then I'll die. I can't let him die."

 

Her expression firmed, and she stood up. "Help me take him to the regeneration tanks," she ordered Yamcha, and the warrior, accustomed to obedience at that voice, picked up the fallen warrior and followed Bulma to the infirmaries.

 

To be continued.....

~~~*~~~

And in the next exciting episode of Dragonball Z: A Light in the Darkness... Yamcha Learns the Truth