Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Darkness ❯ Pictures from the Past ( Chapter 47 )

A Light in the Darkness - Part 47: Pictures from the Past
by Mia Skywalker & Wataruo

 

PAIRING: Yamcha/Hakusai, Bulma/Vegeta
RATING: NC-17
WARNINGS: Angst and... LEMON!
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. And yes, we're including Yamcha in that, now you know. 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: Yamcha learns more about his past, and Goku and Yamcha learn something about Vegeta.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thanks to saiyengerl and Two Moons for beta'ing!

 

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The five of them finished eating and then Bulma led Yamcha to the lab. Vegeta and Goku followed for lack of anything else to do, but Gohan decided to go upstairs to his room and play another Playtendo game. Bulma made Yamcha remove his shirt, and then put all sorts of sensors and gadgets on him, studying monitors along the walls as she did so. She made him do several things that he thought were strange, like bend over and twist at the waist, and various other things that made no sense to him. As he did, she kept studying the monitors, and he watched as an image of his skeleton and muscle structure moved with his movements each time.

 

After quite a while, Bulma told him to get dressed, and she studied several computer screens for several minutes. Eventually she sighed and looked up.

 

"Well," she said agreeably. "It looks like there's nothing wrong with you - you're not sick or dying or anything like that - but you are going to continue to grow a little while longer at least. I saw signs in some of your chemical levels that indicated as much. I don't know when this will end, though, or how tall you might get."

 

Bulma looked worriedly over at Vegeta. "Does this make any sense to you? Why would he be growing?"

 

Vegeta scowled. "Most Saiyans are much taller than humans. If other things were suppressed like his mother said, then his size might have been part of it. His ki was stronger today, too."

 

Bulma blinked at that. Most Saiyans were taller? Admittedly, Goku was taller than most people, but Vegeta was shorter than anyone she knew except for Krillin. And Yamcha was already taller than Goku, who was six foot six.

 

"I hope he doesn't grow too much more! He won't be able to fit through doors!" At Yamcha's stricken expression, Bulma felt contrite. "I'm sorry, Yamcha. I know you'll be fine." But she wondered. She remembered now that Radditz and Nappa had been incredibly huge men, and wondered if that had been more the norm on Vegeta-sei than males like Vegeta and Goku.

 

Goku shook his head. "I guess I am really going have to start looking up to you."

 

Vegeta snorted. "Hmmph! I doubt that." Vegeta noticed that all this attention to Yamcha's increased body mass had him at least somewhat diverted. The more he did not focus on the fact that his mate was gone, the better off he would be.

 

"You said you have a picture of Yamcha's mother? I would be curious to see who she is."

 

"Well.... it's not a 'picture', exactly...." She smiled mysteriously at them, and Yamcha looked at her with a worried expression. She chuckled. "Come on, boys. I'll show you."

 

They went out to the new laboratory that Bulma had constructed for the Saiyan computer equipment. There was still a lot of empty room in this building. They still needed space for the remaining equipment, plus Bulma felt she might need room for other things later, so she had made sure it was built very large. She sat down at one of the consoles and opened a file.

 

"I found this when I was going through the files that had already been translated. I thought you might be interested." She picked up what appeared to be a small camera, which was wired in to the console, and aimed it at an empty space in the lab. To the surprise of the others, the camera projected a holographic image that looked so real that at first they almost thought the beings it projected were really there.

 

The woman was extremely tall, much taller than Hakusai. She was holding a tiny baby in her arms, a proud and imperious yet somehow irritable look on her face. She was looking directly at them. "Is this thing working?" she snarled at them. She peered towards them. "I guess so. Well, this is my son." She held the infant up, who was squirming slightly. It was obvious he was a newborn and he was quite naked. "He is mine, I claim him. His father has no claim on him." She shrugged and continued a little less belligerently, "He wouldn't have had a claim on him even if I hadn't killed him, but since he's not alive it doesn't even matter. The boy is mine." She glared at them a moment longer. "I just wanted to record this, so no one can dispute it later."

 

She reached forward with a forefinger as she tucked the infant under one arm, and the image changed. This time she was leaning heavily on a counter, not standing proudly erect as before. Her shoulders were slumped, and there was a haunted look in her eyes. There was a small boy behind her in the background, playing quietly with what appeared to be two small model spaceships. With a start, Yamcha recognized them; he still had them back at his old hideout. He had vaguely noticed them when he had stopped by there the other day. The boy in the image was him... as he had been the very day his mother had abandoned him.

 

"Vegeta-sei is gone. Vegeta is dead, which means that I am free, but..." His mother looked away from them, obviously upset. She hadn't changed much, not physically, but there was something different in her stance. She was less tense, less military in her bearing. There was almost a gentleness about her. She glanced towards the little boy and they saw her gaze soften. "Maybe I can make a home here?" she mused softly, and then shook her head, as though clearing it. She looked back at the camera, her face troubled. "Do I even want to have a home here? I am not entirely certain. I am not sure if I deserve one. My people are dead; perhaps I should be dead with them." She sighed, looked back at the boy, and when he smiled at her, she smiled back. She walked over to him and crouched down next to him. For the next several minutes they sat there, mother and son, talking about the sorts of things that very young boys liked to talk about. For a Saiyan woman she was very patient, and every so often they would see her brush his hair from his face, looking at him as though memorizing him. As Yamcha watched, his throat felt thick, and he had to swallow a number of times. This was the mother that he remembered, the one whom he thought had loved him, and the one he had never understood.

 

The scene changed again. The background was still the same, but Yamcha's mother looked different. She seemed sadder, even more haunted than she had in the last recording. "I have given away both of the boys that I had this last time. I do not know if their father was fully human; there was something odd about their DNA that makes me wonder. No matter; I've modified them to dampen almost all non-ningen parts of their DNA. They won't be as strong as their brother, they'll be as human as I could make them. It was all I could give them, since I must leave them here. I gave them as good of homes as I could find for them.... Their parents will, I expect, raise them to be strong. That was my only demand before giving them my boys. They must be raised strong, and as warriors. But I cannot raise them myself.

 

"I am a Saiyan warrior. My people were destroyed by that monster Frieza and I must avenge them. No matter how long it takes, nor if I die in the process, I must do this. There is preparation I must make... but I must have revenge, since there are none left of our race that may do this." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "I don't know if I will survive this. I will gather as many Saiyans as are still living and try to defeat this monster. I know there are others like me out there. Frieza sent us to do his dirty work, to conquer other worlds for him, and I know there must have been Saiyans still on other planets when Frieza destroyed our world. All those I can find, we will go against him. And if we're lucky and strong enough, maybe we'll even manage to kill him before we all die. And my sons will be left here, to carry on what is left of our race.

 

"My son, you will be unable to read my journal, since I keep my records in Saiyan. That is why I recorded this, so that, if you ever remembered me you might someday find this. I know it won't be easy for you to understand why I do what I do, since I didn't raise you in our ways. You never knew our world, our people, you can't understand why I must do this. I'm sorry that I had to leave you and your brothers this way. I know you will likely hate me for it...." Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them back. "But I do what I must. Even if Vegeta exiled me, he *was* my lover once, and I will avenge his death. He did not deserve to be killed by that loathsome reptile. You have never known of Frieza, my son, so you will never know true Evil, but Frieza was the reason for my fight with Vegeta. I told Vegeta he should never have sold us into slavery to him...." She sighed. "You are lucky, my son, to be free. And I will fight to keep it that way. I hope, if you ever by some small quirk of fate come across this recording, that you think kindly of me." Her face softened again. "I love you, my son. Be well." She reached towards the camera again, and the figure vanished.

 

Yamcha stared at the spot where the hologram had disappeared, unable to form even a coherent thought. Bulma put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, but he didn't move. "I'm sorry, Yamcha. I thought you might have wanted to see that."

 

Vegeta frowned at the spot where the hologram had vanished. He did not know this woman, who claimed to be his father's former lover. She must have been banished long before he was ever born. "If she went against Frieza, she is dead now," he said quietly. "I experienced what kind of power he had. She, and any troops she might have found, are dead as well."

 

"At least she loved you, Yamcha," Goku said quietly from his corner of the room. "You could see that at the end. You were responsible for changing her. Take comfort in that."

 

Yamcha looked up at Goku then, his face pale. "Comfort? She's dead, Goku. She went up against Frieza and she's dead. I never had a chance to know her. I don't even know her name!" He stood up, a look of frustration on his face. "She never said her name, and I never knew it! The only family that I have and I don't know her name!"

 

"That's not true," Bulma interrupted quietly. "You have two brothers, who we still have to find. And we will find them, Yamcha. If not at the Budokai, then at next year's Budokai. Or some other time. But we will find them. I promise."

 

Yamcha looked over at her, hardly daring to hope. Then his gaze drifted to Vegeta, and he suddenly had a questioning look. "I suppose that makes you my prince then, doesn't it, Vegeta?" he asked, sounding puzzled. "But why aren't you the king if your father is dead?"

 

Vegeta snorted. "It makes no difference now. Vegeta-sei is gone. The old ways are dead."

 

Goku shook his head. "That isn't much of an answer, Vegeta," the younger man said. "He is right, though. You should be king."

 

"Of what?" the shorter man asked bitterly. "It's gone. Everything I knew." He turned his eyes to Yamcha. "What your mother knew and mourned is gone. There is no point to it."

 

Bulma's eyes narrowed at Vegeta's evasiveness, and then she remembered something Vegeta had told her, several days ago when they were still unsure of each other. He had said he couldn't become king because.... "No, that's not the reason, Vegeta." His gaze snapped to her and he glared at her sharply, but she continued relentlessly.

 

"The reason he can't become king is that on Vegeta-sei one becomes king by killing the king, if you're of the royal line. When Frieza killed his father that removed Vegeta's chance. He could only redeem himself by killing Frieza, once he became strong enough. But he wasn't strong enough when he thought he was, and then you killed Frieza, Goku. Now he has to kill you in order to become the king. And he won't, because he knows that if he does, although I would still love him, I would also hate him."

 

Goku blinked. "Really?" Goku turned his head to look over at Vegeta who was still glaring at Bulma. "Well, if you think it helps, I guess I could let you kill me."

 

"Kakarotto, are you completely insane?" Vegeta snapped. "The woman is right. I won't kill you now."

 

"But it is important to you and..." Goku started to protest.

 

"The woman is more important to me than becoming king." When he realized what he had said, Vegeta glared at everyone in the room as if challenging them to say something about his slip.

 

Goku smiled. "We will figure out something, Vegeta. I know someone will."

 

Vegeta snorted, ignoring Goku's last comment but sent privately to Bulma. ::You did not have to tell them that, woman,:: he complained to her. ::They did not need to know that.::

 

::Yes, as a matter of fact, they did. They needed to understand. And I'm sure we can come up with something.:: Bulma smiled at him. "You know, you could kill Goku, and we can wish him back with the dragonballs." She frowned. "No, I guess not. He's already been wished back once, hasn't he?"

 

::I want you to understand me, woman,:: he groused. ::I don't give a damn what they think.::

 

"What about the Namek dragonballs? Those don't have that limitation, do they?" Goku asked scratching his head.

 

::You care what they think or you wouldn't have cared that I told them. And it's important to me that they understand, so I told them. You'll see. They'll help us think of something. Wouldn't you rather have the chance to fulfill your duty as prince?::

 

"I don't know. I think Gohan told me something about that. He would know more about it. Or Krillin. But I think they did say something about that." She considered for a moment. "We'd have to travel to New Namek. And I don't know if the dragonballs are even active yet. I don't think it's been four months since the last time, so they probably aren't. Anyway, we should wait until after the Budokai, shouldn't we?" She smiled at Vegeta. "Do you mind waiting a few months in order to become king?"

 

Yamcha scratched his head, gazing curiously at Vegeta. "You should do it," he urged. "You should be the king anyway. And Goku wouldn't mind, really."

 

"Not at all," Goku said, smiling at Vegeta, who just glared in return. "Then you can relax."

 

Vegeta muttered a few choice words under his breath. "Fine. I will wait," he said. "I don't see what the big deal is." This earned him several odd looks from the others in the room. Becoming king, they knew, was extremely important to him, he was just too proud to admit it.

 

Bulma walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You worry too much, Vegeta. We'll work things out. You'll see!" She smiled at him impishly, a twinkle in her eye. "I'll think of something. I am a genius, you know!"

 

Yamcha blinked at that comment and then smiled. Suddenly the repartee between Bulma and Vegeta reminded him rather forcibly of Hakusai and how much he missed her. He had somehow managed to keep his mind off of her most of the day, between sparring and listening to the personal message from his mother, but she had always been there, holding on to his subconscious. He sighed despondently, wishing he could see her again.

 

"So you keep telling me," Vegeta muttered, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. He leaned towards her to run his nose against hers before kissing her briefly. "It's late. We should head to bed."

 

Goku yawned. "Yeah we should. I'll have to call Chi-Chi and give her an update about what is going on. I think I will stay here tonight. Is that ok with you, Bulma?"

 

"Hmm...? Oh, of course you can, Goku. You know where your room is." She looked over at him curiously. "But I think you should go home. You need to spend some time with your wife." She looked at him pointedly.

 

Goku gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, you are right. I haven't seen her all day. And I guess she will be a little annoyed with me."

 

Vegeta snorted. ::I would never hear the end of it if I did something like that. Would I, woman?:: He smirked at her.

 

"I'll see you tomorrow," Goku told the others. He waved briefly before he went out the door and took off in the night sky.

 

"He is an idiot," Vegeta said to no one in particular.

 

"Idiot or not, he's willing to let you kill him," Bulma pointed out. "And if he hands you his loyalty or friendship, it's forever. I think, Vegeta, that he would be willing to give you both if you'd allow it." She looked over at Yamcha. "You should stay the night, though. I'll call Pu'ar for you if you'd like. But I think it might be best if you stayed here."

 

Yamcha nodded, looking relieved. He didn't want to go home and try to explain things to Pu'ar. He knew she was likely to ask him a lot of questions. She would probably ask Bulma, but Bulma could handle it. He hoped.

 

"Thanks, Bulma," he said, smiling a little depreciatingly. "I won't be any trouble. I promise."

 

Bulma studied his frame, and realized that if he was any larger on the morrow, none of his clothes were going to fit. "I'll have to have one of the tailor droids measure you tonight before you go to bed," she commented to his dismay. "You may grow more overnight, but the clothes you're wearing are already too tight and might not fit at all tomorrow."

 

He remembered what had happened a couple of days ago when he had put on the clothes he had worn as a teen, and the way they had ripped in an embarrassing place, and he grinned sheepishly. "Yeah... you might want to make them out of something that stretches, too. Just in case."

 

Bulma considered. "It won't be the sturdiest material in the world, but it'll stretch as you grow. All right. I'll have some things made up for you by morning." She smiled at him. "Go take one of the guest rooms in the west wing."

 

When Yamcha left, Bulma leaned against Vegeta for a moment, and then kissed him on the lips. "Shall we go to bed, Veggie-chan?" She smiled at him archly, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "I'm feeling very tired all of a sudden!"

 

"Not too tired I hope," Vegeta said, his tail looping its way around Bulma's waist. "You owe me for earlier, woman," he told her before bending his head to taste her lips. It was nothing but the barest touch, but he could already feel his heart pounding with anticipation.

 

"Not tired at all," she whispered against his mouth, smiling. Then she pulled back, suddenly. "Wait. I forgot that I promised to call Pu'ar. And send those 'droids to Yamcha." Before Vegeta could object, she put her finger to his lips. "It'll only take a minute to call the 'droids, Veggie-chan."

 

She pulled out her remote, and programmed several 'droids to go to Yamcha's room to size him for clothing. She also programmed them to use some of the spandex she had been saving for a gown. Oh well, that could wait. She could always order more of the material.

 

After she had programmed them remotely, she slipped the control back in her pocket, and then slipped her arms around his waist again. "Now, where were we?" she whispered against his mouth again.

 

"Right about here," he whispered as kissed her passionately for a few minutes then pulled back, smirking at her. Vegeta scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their room. When he got there he put her on her feet and gestured her to follow him into the bathroom. "I need a shower, woman. Come and join me." He held a hand to her and waited for her to take it.

 

Bulma blinked and then smiled at him. "Actually, I still need to call Pu'ar. Why don't you take a shower and get all the stink off of yourself, and I'll make a quick call." When he scowled, she reached forward and kissed him. "I'll join you in a minute. After you've gotten unstinky!"

 

Vegeta grumbled under his breath as he watched Bulma walk away to make her phone call, then marched into the bathroom and stripped. He used one hand to turn the shower on and adjust the water, and then sighed when the warm water soothed his tired muscles. Yamcha had indeed gotten better. He just hoped the man would survive until Hakusai got back.

 

Bulma called Pu'ar to let her know Yamcha would be staying the night. She had expected it to be a relatively quick call - just to let her know where the warrior was - but hadn't anticipated the absolute panic in the little cat. Pu'ar hadn't considered the possibility that Yamcha might be at Bulma's. She had known about the fight they'd had, and besides which, he had rarely ever stayed there even when he and Bulma had been dating. When Bulma realized she was going to get barraged with questions regarding how Yamcha had managed to acquire a tail, she sighed irritably.

 

"He's a Saiyan," she said bluntly.

 

There was silence on the other end for several seconds, before Pu'ar let out a screech of disbelief. Bulma held the telephone away from her ear, surprised that the gentle cat would ever make such a sound. She waited until Pu'ar had calmed down before she put the phone to her ear again.

 

"Calm down, Pu'ar. We've found out a lot of things about Yamcha these past few days. ... No, I don't know if it would be necessary for you to come here or not. ... Of course you're welcome, but I'd want you to not harass Yamcha about it. Please don't make him feel any worse about this than he already does. .... What, you think he wanted to be a Saiyan? .... No, no one 'turned him into one', apparently he was one all along. .... His mother. She did something to him before he was born to make him seem as human as she could make him. Apparently she failed; we have some of her notes and records from it.... .... Yamcha led us to them, of course. He remembered a place that he had gone with his mother, right before she abandoned him and everything was there. .... Look, if you really want to know more about it you can come here tomorrow, after the boys go out to do their training. They're training for the Budokai next week. .... Pu'ar," Bulma sighed, "maybe it's best if you don't come. Look, Yamcha really is under a lot of stress right now. .... I know you're his best friend, but it sounds to me like you can't handle this. And right now, more stress is the last thing he needs. Unless you think you'll be able to handle it calmly and rationally and without getting upset or kicking up a fuss, I think it's best if you don't come over. .... All right." Bulma sighed again. "Come over tomorrow, and I'll explain what I can to you. Look, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

 

Without waiting for another hysterical reply, Bulma hung up the phone and rubbed her temples. As an afterthought, she pressed some buttons that would put a block on the phone system from any incoming calls from Yamcha and Pu'ar's home number.

 

Bulma stood up, rubbing her temples, and then removed her clothing when she realized that Vegeta, who wasn't known for his patience, was probably getting irritated that she hadn't come in. She entered the bathroom with a sigh, and smiled when she saw him standing in the hot water, his back to her. She gazed appreciatively at the smooth line of his back, at the clean musculature of his body, as she stepped into the shower behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed, then nibbled gently at the back of his neck.

 

He shivered when Bulma's teeth grazed his skin but he couldn't help a smile that spread its way across his face when he turned to face her. "Took you long enough," he grumbled before leaning towards her and claiming her mouth with his. Vegeta's fingers found their way into Bulma's hair, tugging her head back gently, so he could kiss the skin on her throat, shoulder, and collarbone. He used his free hand to pull her in tight, so that their pelvises were pressed together intimately and she could feel his growing hardness.

 

Bulma drew a sharp breath at the contact. "Pu'ar noticed Yamcha's tail this morning, but he left before she had a chance to ask him about it. She's been panicking all day, wondering where he was. She didn't think to call here because she knew we had been fighting." Bulma rubbed her hips against his, feeling his member grow. "Hm.... Don't you think he's had enough for a little while?" she commented huskily, even as she felt her own desire for him increase.

 

"I don't think he will ever be satisfied where you are concerned," he murmured to her. Vegeta bent his head and captured a nipple in his mouth. He licked at it until he felt it harden and pucker between his lips. Smiling at her low moan, he slid his free hand down her belly and over her mound. One finger slipped inside and began to stroke her.

 

Bulma trembled against him. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was holding her up with his other arm, she probably would have collapsed. She parted her legs automatically, and the pressure of his fingers increased as he played with that most intimate part of her. Her head fell back and she clutched his shoulders, trying to stay upright.

 

He continued to suckle at her breast, and then moved his mouth to her other one, twirling his tongue around the nipple until it stood upright for him, then sucking the nub lightly. She shuddered in his arms, and he could feel her reach a fevered pitch so he drew back. She clutched at him more firmly, not wanting him to stop, and he positioned her so that he slid easily inside of her.

 

She moaned, feeling his strength and hardness fill her, and she pressed against him tightly. Without a word he began to stroke her, feeling both of their passions rise. He felt the tentative touch of her mind on his, and he instinctively opened up his own, and with a sense of wonder felt their passions merge and mingle into each other's. He had never heard of any other Saiyans sharing anything quite like this, but he didn't question it. Bulma was unique, and always would be.

 

He stroked her, thrusting into her, and when he felt her squeeze him as her body began to quake in his arms, he allowed himself his own release, once he was sure she had achieved her own.

 

::I am never going to get enough of you, woman,:: he told her. ::Never.::

 

He lifted his head after holding her to him for a few moments, then reached over and turned off the water. In one smooth motion he picked her up, dried her off in his aura, and carried her to bed.

 

::Ai shiteru, woman,:: he told her as he slid into bed next to her and gathered her in his arms.

 

::Ai shiteru, Vegeta,:: she replied. ::Never?:: She smiled at him.

 

::Never,:: he answered fiercely. He bent his head down and began to lick at her breast again, kneading the other breast with his hand. ::Never.::

 

She moaned as he suckled at her breast, and squirmed under him. He held her down with his free hand, as he played with the softness of her belly. He moved his mouth down her breast, down her stomach, following a trail to her womanhood. He paused briefly, and then positioned himself so that they were reversed of each other. He parted her legs, and licked lightly at her, causing her to jump. He thrust his tongue inside of her and she squirmed.

 

Seeing the position they were in, she reached up and gathered his manhood in her own hands, rolling it around in her palms. He stiffened slightly, and when she tentatively touched the tip of him with her tongue, he closed his eyes, and let out a faint growl. Encouraged, she circled his tip with her tongue and then drew it slightly inside her mouth. She felt him shudder, and then the pressure of his tongue on her womanhood increased.

 

He sucked at her, drawing her tender part into his mouth and nibbling it gently, which made her shiver with need. She decided to do the same to him, and drew him into her mouth, sucking lightly. His groan told her she was doing something right, and she felt him jerk against her abruptly. He licked at her a few more times, and then with a roar and a move so fast she didn't even realize he had made it, he was inside of her again, thrusting almost violently.

 

"Woman!" he growled at her, and then both of them soared upward to the heavens again, shattering against the sky.

 

Vegeta rolled onto his back taking his lover with him so that Bulma ended up on his chest looking down into his eyes. "One of us learns fast," he murmured as he closed his eyes contentedly. "Too fast maybe." There was a hint of pride in his voice that he was sure Bulma heard; he hoped she heard it. He took pride in the fact that his mate was extremely intelligent. The warrior could only hope their child would have her brains.

 

Bulma blinked blue eyes at him, staring down into the severe lines of his face. She kissed his chin lightly and smiled down at him happily. "Ai shiteru, Vegeta," she whispered huskily, then snuggled against him, resting her cheek against his firmly muscled chest. "I love you." She drifted off, feeling sated, and very, very happy.

 

To be continued.....

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

And in the next exciting episode of DragonBall Z: A Light in the Darkness... Hakusai's homecoming