Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ And We Were Angels ❯ Parting Waters ( Chapter 5 )

And We Were Angels

By: AMCM74

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Chapter 5 -Parting Waters

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Bulma was worried. Yamcha had not answered her calls in three full days. This wasn't like him at all. She was starting to feel immensely guilty for the way she had treated him the night he proposed to her. It was wrong to crush his hopes like that. Biting her lip, she opened the door to the apartment complex where he lived, and made her way to the elevator. If she hadn't been so damn secure in his love for her, she would never have pushed him away like she had. She had let loose her frustrations on him. He didn't deserve it, and she had some serious apologizing to do.

She took a deep breath as the doors opened, and she stepped into the hallway. Bulma had been here countless times before. It was almost like a second home to her. Although it lacked the splendor of the Capsule compound, she and Yamcha had found solace and warmth in their time here. It was the one place they could be assured they were alone.

Bulma looked at the golden numbers on the door. Steeling her courage, she raised a shaking hand to the wooden portal. Knocking twice, she reached down to pull her skirt straight around her hips. She waited a while before frowning and knocked again, but still no answer. A worried look overtook her features as she lifted her hand to check her watch. It was well after 7 pm, and he was usually home by now. She dug into her purse and pulled out her spare key. Pushing it into the lock, she wrestled it open.

Bulma was terrified of what she was going to find. Pushing open the door she was surprised by just how dark and quiet the apartment was. She turned on the light and walked in. A sigh of relief escaped her. The first of her fears were dispelled. Yamcha was not lying dead on the floor. She moved around the furniture and headed into his bedroom. The door was open wide. Bulma stood in the doorway and looked in. Aside from the fact that his bed was actually made, nothing seemed amiss.

Tilting her head she spun around swiftly. In fact the entire apartment was clean. Odd. She went to the answering machine and pressed the play button. None of her messages had even been listened to. She looked to the counter and lifted the huge stack of mail. Flipping through them she began to wonder just what was going on.

"Bulma?" A curious voice came from the door.

She looked over to see the short bald man standing there, with a surprised look on his face. "Krillin!" she smiled tossing the letters to the counter. "Have you seen Yamcha?"

"He's out of town." Krillin walked in, walked past her and went around to the kitchen. "After you broke his heart, I told him he needed to get away. He asked me to feed the fish, and water the plants. Don't know why, they're both fake… Well anyway he went away for the week, and will not be back for another 4 days."

"Oh." Bulma hung her head. "I am sorry about that."

"Don't tell it to me." Krillin glared over the counter. He set his hands on the edge of the sink and the bitter tone of his voice was barely containable. "Tell it to him when he gets back. I have known the two of you for a long time. The man loves you Bulma. You have to stop playing games with him."

"It's not like that!" She snapped back. "You don't understand!"

"Let me tell you what I don't understand." Krillin continued. "Yamcha spent the last few months tied up in knots over you. He took out a loan to get you that ring, and you tossed it in his face like it was a piece of rock candy. I know your family has money and your used to stuff like that, but for the working man like Yamcha… let's just say that it takes a hell of a lot of commitment and love to go that far."

"Will you at least tell him I was worried about him and that I came by?" Bulma knew this conversation was going nowhere.

"Yes, I will. I think he will be relieved. He honestly thought he had seen the last of you. It was really breaking his heart."

"I didn't mean… It's just that…" She knew that any attempt she made to explain things would just sound like an excuse. She lifted her eyes to Krillin and smiled softly. "Thank you."

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Vegeta looked over his charge. It had been a solid week of waking up early to see her father, and then off to the office without breakfast. Bulma worked all day, most of the time straight through. The food she did eat was delivered or picked up by a secretary as an afterthought. She was like a ping-pong ball between her office and meetings. She struggled to fit in her time at the lab. There really wasn't enough time. She left work to grab something from the hospital cafeteria. She stayed with her father until the end of visiting hours and went back to Capsule headquarters. There she locked herself in the lab and worked on the Marico Energy program.

Dr. Briefs had small cell lung cancer. Bulma had been informed he would have to undergo chemotherapy. This could only happen after surgery, which her father was not stable enough for. They hoped keeping him in the hospital would help to strenghthen him faster. They were battling against time. Dr. Ogata had also suggested that her father have radiation therapy to the brain, even though cancer was not found there. This would help prevent the possibility of any tumors developing in that area.

Bulma had taken it all standing firm and secure. She had held her father's hand and assured him that everything was going to be fine. She would smile and say that they had found the cancer in time, and that he would be returning home soon.

It was another story once she left the room though. Vegeta had felt the pity knifing thought him every time she would drop her head to her hands to hide the tears. He had sat on her bed and stroked her hair as she sobbed in the moonlight. He could easily see the slow resignation of her soul as she fought to endure her trials. The fact was she had still not reached out for help. She had not allowed herself to come so low as to allow him to act on her behalf. It was getting to the point that he doubted there would be anything he could do.

Vegeta watched her as she pushed the goggles down over her eyes and picked up a soldering iron. It didn't seem to help that her boyfriend had not called. At first she had checked her answering machine every time she left the room. She had even called the phone company to make sure the voice mail was activated, and working as it should. He remembered the look on her face when she finally accepted that Yamcha just wasn't calling.

Damn the bastard. She needed him. He should have been there for her. Vegeta wanted to make a move and force a meeting between them, and yet he hadn't acted.

"It's because you want her."

"For the love of…" Vegeta growled and turned around. "Not you again."

"Who else would it be?" Radditz emerged from the shadows as if he were a part of them. He came to stand next to Vegeta. The dark eyes drifted over Bulma's form. "You're not doing so well with her. She looks tired and over worked."

"That's because she is." Vegeta looked at Radditz out of the corner of his eyes awaiting the witty comeback.

Radditz didn't disappoint him. A bright smile flashed over his face. The white teeth with pearly fangs flashed. "I have the perfect solution to help her out. After a good hard roll she should sleep like a baby for hours. Any takers?"

"FUCK OFF!" Vegeta suppressed his deep desire to shove the fallen one. "The woman is exhausted, and not in need of marathon sex."

"Vegeta!" Radditz slapped a hand down on Vegeta's back. "You surprise me! I didn't know you had any idea what marathon sex was."

Vegeta groaned. "It was a lucky guess."

"That's a real shame." Radditz chuckled. "You could always help her patch things up with her boyfriend." Vegeta's dark eyes glared at Radditz with the fury of hell itself burning within them. Radditz averted his face to look at the blue haired wench. Yes, she was just the tool he needed to undo Vegeta completely. The angel was tempted almost beyond reason. He moved toward the woman "Since you don't overly like that idea, then perhaps you would allow me too…"

Vegeta moved so fast that even the wind of his movements never reached Radditz. He was seized and tossed to the far wall. Radditz looked up to see Vegeta stalking toward him.

"She is my charge. I will not see you putting you filthy hands on her while in my care!" Vegeta reached down and pulled Radditz up by his lapels and shook the larger being savagely. He snarling lips curled away from his bared canines. "Do not attempt to touch her again. Stay far away from my woman, FAR AWAY!" With that Vegeta dropped him.

Radditz came to his feet and brushed himself off. "I believe I have gotten the message. Very well, I will extend my protection to her as well."

Something in the tone made Vegeta turn cold. He spun to face Bulma. "What are you talking about?" Vegeta had wariness in his voice. "Your protection?"

"I shall inform the legions of hell to remain far away from your woman." Radditz tossed with a mocking smile.

When Vegeta turned to face the fallen one, and only he stared into nothingness. Radditz was gone. Vegeta cursed him, because this time he had left him much to think about. He had slipped. He had referred Bulma as his woman. That could not be. Mortal women were denied to Angels.

Vegeta trembled at his failing. He did want her. There was no doubt about it now. It had slipped form his deepest core and at the most inopportune time as well. There was only one way to handle this, and he wasn't going to like it one little bit.

He walked over to Bulma. She was putting her things way. She yawned and stretched out wearily, her long arms rising over her shoulders. Her firm breasts were being pushed forward into temping peaks.

Vegeta swallowed and reached out to wrap his arms around her. She stopped moving and blinked. They stood there for a long while. Bulma sensing the comforting warmth that enveloped her being, and Vegeta searching his being for strength.

He leaned close along her back letting his lips slipped to the delicate curve of her neck. Then in a soft whisper he said "Seek out Yamcha. It is time you set matters right between the two of you."