Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ And We Were Angels ❯ Forbidden Things ( Chapter 12 )

And We Were Angels

By: AMCM74

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Chapter 12 - Forbidden Things

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"So you see, with your red blood cell count back up and your strength returning, this is as good as you are going to get Dr. Briefs." Dr. Ogata put the chart down. "I would like to get you into surgery as soon as possible."

"How soon?" Bulma sat by her father's bed looking apprehensive, as nervous tension coursed through her body.

"Within the next two or three days. I have contacted an associate of mine to come in and perform the operation. She is an expert in the field, and is willing to fly in from Eastern Capital the day before so that you can meet her."

Dr. Briefs looked over to his daughter. "Don't worry dearest. Dr. Ogata has taken care of everything. I will be fine in no time."

"Yes, Miss Briefs. I know its traumatic and often frightening, but I am very hopeful for your father's prognosis. Now, Briefs, I do have to warn you of the risks that are involved and the follow up care that you will need. This isn't a simple fix, and you can have a relapse. I am going to need you to be behind this treatment one hundred percent." Dr. Ogata patted the older man on the arm. "However, that can wait until after you have had your breakfast. I will be back to check on you shortly."

As soon as the door closed Dr Briefs looked over to his pale daughter. "You worry too much Bulma."

Snapping out of her trance Bulma looked at her father. "I am sorry. I just don't want to lose you too."

"And you won't." Dr. Briefs took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "I don't intend to go anywhere just yet. I still have a lot to do on this earth. One of those things is being here for my little girl when she needs me."

"Thanks Poppa, but I am doing just fine."

Dr. Briefs leaned in and whispered softly. "And that's why you didn't tell me about Yamcha."

Bulma gasped and pulled her hand away. She wanted to lie, to convince him that whatever he had heard was an idle rumor. Looking into his topaz eyes, Bulma knew she would never get away with it. Her father knew about the break up with Yamcha, and it was clear that he trusted his source. Hanging her head, she sighed deeply. "Who told you?"

"That doesn't matter, baby." Dr. Briefs ran one hand down her face and lifted her chin. "What matters is that I know. Why didn't you want to tell me?"

Tears started to form immediately. "I was afraid that you would get angry with me for losing him. I thought that you would worry and get worse." She tried to hold back her sobs and hiccupped a bit. "I am sorry for not telling you Poppa."

"There, there." Dr. Briefs chuckled. "This is nothing to cry about. Have you replaced him already? I heard something about a surly dark haired gentleman."

"DAMN, Poppa!" Bulma wiped her tears. "Do you have a private investigator following me or something?"

Loud laughter echoed throughout the room. "I should hire one. That way I will know what you're up to, but no. To be honest Yamcha dropped by with his lady friend, Tea. He wanted to check up on me. I, of course, pressed him for every last detail I could get."

"I should have known. He snuck in didn't he?" At her father's slight nod she added, "Well, I don't know what he thinks of Vegeta, but you have nothing to worry about. I can tell you that he only has my best interests at heart."

"I am glad to hear that, but you're going through a rough time. I don't want anyone taking advantage of my beautiful daughter."

"I should be so lucky." Bulma smiled brightly at the thought.

"BULMA BRIEFS!" Her father's eyes narrowed with disapproval. "I thought I raised you to be better than that."

She reached behind her and gathered her things. "Don't worry, Poppa. Vegeta is practically an," she giggled a bit, "an angel." He won't be trying to seduce me at all."

"He's a moron. You're a lovely, rich, and intelligent woman. He should be doing everything in his power to hold on to you." Dr Briefs ranted.

"Face it Poppa, no man will ever be Yamcha to you." Bulma looked to her watch and kissed his forehead. "A second ago you were angry that you thought he was taking advantage of me, and now you're disappointed that he is not. You are going to have to cut the next guy I bring home a little slack."

"I will try." Dr. Briefs scowled. "I just had my heart set on Yamcha."

"I know, but in the end I don't think my heart was." She moved to the door. "I have to go to work now."

"That's my girl, go and show them what you're made of."

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Vegeta followed Bulma out of the room. He was glaring at her while her words danced in his head. "Vegeta is practically an angel. He won't be trying to seduce me at all."

How he would love to prove the woman wrong. Something about her statement rattled him to the core. Perhaps it was the fact that she had been throwing herself so openly at him, and now she had dismissed him as nothing more than a loyal lap dog. It was like she had been playing a game with him. That, he didn't like. He stood back and watched her hail a cab. As it drove off he brooded.

"The greatest discovery of this age is that a man can alter his life simply by altering his way of thinking."

Vegeta spun around to see Radditz leaning on a lamppost not far from him. "YOU!" Shortening the gap in a few steps Vegeta threw one powerful punch, only to come in contact with nothing.

"You, my friend, have found yourself in a very precarious position." The words were whispered in his ear as he was shoved forward. "Your rage and jealousy are blinding you."

"Why?" Vegeta turned, clenched his fists and snarled at Radditz. "Why did you touch her?"

"Because I wanted to." Radditz opened his arms in a dismissing shrug. "I am already one of the fallen. Nothing is denied to me."

"She is because I say she is!" Vegeta lashed back. "You said you would leave her alone! That you would keep your minions away from her, and then you turn around and take advantage the first chance you get!"

"Isn't being evil grand?" Radditz smiled, his white teeth flashing. Vegeta growled and Radditz became serious. "Face it Vegeta, you are weakening by the hour. The more time you spend with your precious charge, the more desirable she becomes to you."

"None of that matters! My feelings do not matter!"

"Oh but I think they do. I think you should stop fighting your emotions and run with it. Just turn your back on all that angelic protocol of yours and take the woman. Choose, as I have, never to return to the boring monotony of heaven."

Vegeta straightened. "I am nothing like you Radditz. I could never do that and live with myself."

The Fallen One approached the angel. "It's a shame, really. I thought I had you there." Reaching out he seized Vegeta's face in his hand. Radditz frowned as Vegeta tried to pull away. He pressed his fingers in harder. "If you will not weaken the easy way, servant of the light," Radditz' eyes flared and his dark pupils widened, until his eyes were completely black. "Then let us do it the hard way."

The visions passed into Vegeta's mind as if they were his own. He could see Bulma lying on her bed that night. He stiffened in an instant as every movement, every sensation that Radditz had experience flowed into him. Weakened and shaken he fell onto the concrete sidewalk the minute Radditz loosened his hold.

"Bask in the gift I have given you, Vegeta." Radditz turned. "Now you won't have to wonder what it would be like to make love to her. Now you know."

Vegeta knew he was gone. He didn't need to look up to make sure. Panting, he tried to control his aching passions. A simple taste of her body would never be enough for him. If he had her, and truly experience what Radditz had, Vegeta knew he would never leave her. No matter how evil and corrupted it would make him.

"Damn you Radditz!" Vegeta choked. Not knowing was bliss compared to what he was suffering now.

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The door to Bulma's office flew open. Johanna Marley stormed across the room and slapped a paper down in front of her. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Excuse me?" The Capsule Corp heiress looked up from the files in her hands to study the enraged woman.

"Have you seen the front page of the West City Chronicle?" The woman slapped her hand down on the newspaper and picked it up. She then shoved the crinkled mass in Bulma's face.

"I don't know what you're... Dear God!" Bulma felt the breath being sucked from her chest as she read the cover story. In big letters it said, DR. BRIEFS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. Bulma reached out and snatched the page from the woman's hands and scanned the article in horror.

"Is it true? Is your father in the hospital with cancer?"

Bulma dropped the paper down and faced Johanna's hardened and unforgiving features. "Yes." Her reply was barely audible. She knew that what was about to happen was going to get very ugly.

Mrs. Marley did not disappoint her. "YOU BITCH!!" The older woman yanked the paper from Bulma's hands, ripping it in the process. Then the other hand arched out and with a sharp crack landed across Bulma's cheek. "Why didn't you say something sooner? We could have sold our shares! Do you have any idea how many people you have ruined?"

Bulma grabbed her throbbing cheek and backed up. "That is precisely WHY I didn't say anything."

"What you wanted was to take us down with you. Devious scheming slut! I will see you scrubbing toilets if I lose the bulk of my fortune over this. You got that?"

Bulma just about had enough. "Listen to me you shriveled old prune! I have everything well in hand with the Marico project. No one is going to lose anything here. So why don't you stop harassing me and go back to haunting your crusty old manor, or sweeping your husband's headstone." Bulma thought bitterly about the bruise she was going to have, that no amount of make up was going to cover up. This isn't the way she wanted to look when the press got to her about the story. "That poor man must have begged God for death just to get the hell away from you. You nasty old crone!"

Johanna paled and the angry flush returned to her features. "You are going to regret those words."

"Just try and make me." Bulma spat back. "Anything is better then dealing with the likes of you."

"Then you have forgotten that I can simply sell my shares to Mr. Hikari." Turning, she tossed back cattily, "Enjoy yourself while you can Miss Briefs. Hikari will be the owner of my shares and this company before the day is out. Believe me, there is nothing he would like more than having you right where he wants you."

The door slammed and Bulma sank into her chair. What had she done? Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

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