Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Another Life ❯ Lost and Found ( Chapter 9 )
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters seen in the show, manga, movies, etc. But I want it all, everything, even than ridiculously annoying Cha-la-Head-Cha-la theme song that gets stuck in your head for days and days until the only thing you can do is load up a pistol and try to make the pain go away…….but, man, do I love it.
A/N: Well…how long has it been? I'd say a good couple of months. I won't try and make excuses but, if you should happen to want to know why I haven't updated this fic in a very long while, check out my new one-shot lemon "Waiting" on my website www.geocities.com/auraki_dragon or on Adimra's site Forever II- www.adimra.100megs6.com . I'd have to say, it's probably my best work. But like I said, no more excuses. I hope you all haven't forgotten too much of this story, though I don't blame you; I had to read it again myself ^.^ So, without any more ado…enjoy…
Another Life
Chapter 9 -Lost and Found
"Kakarrot, wait!" Bulma yelled after the angry Saiyan, who had hastily begun throwing their recently purchased packages onto the floor of the ship. "Kakarrot, you can't do this. They didn't mean anything by it." Bulma rushed in behind him, practically dragging Shenlong behind her. Kakarrot ran swiftly out of the ship's entrance again and began bringing in the large crates that had been delivered from the various supply stores they had visited. He worked at a furious pace, and Bulma had to move out of his way a few times just to avoid being run over. After the last crate had been brought in, Bulma stood in front of him, trying to reason with him. "Fighting is not going to solve anything, Kakarrot. And it'll take too much time trying to find them in such a large city. They didn't do any harm."
"The hell they didn't! You think I'm just going to let them get away with what they did to you? Bulma, I don't let the people I care about be disrespected by some ignorant, pompous, idiotic-"
"Kakarrot, they thought I was a slave. I was supposed to be anyway. They were stupid to try and corner me, but you made a bigger scene than you realize when you confronted them." Bulma knew she had to try and soothe him before things got out of control. The two men who had harassed her while Kakarrot's back was turned hadn't seen the Saiyan until he begun storming towards them, hands aglow with undeniable power. They had run as fast their legs could carry them in the other direction, practically disappearing into over-crowded streets. Kakarrot had nearly thrown a ki blast into their backs, when Bulma stopped him, and the tiny distraction had cost him any hope tracking them. She had hastily convinced him to see to their packages first, before he went ballistic. She was surprised she'd gotten him to do even that. Seeing his aggravated countenance, she decided to try a different approach. "Do you really think a normal Saiyan slave owner would care so much about his slaves? I'm sure they thought your reaction was pretty strange." Bulma had used her most reasonable voice, but it didn't seem to affect the agitated Saiyan.
"I don't care. I'm going to take care of them right now. Just lock yourself in and wait for my return," Kakarrot replied caustically as he began marching purposefully towards the door. Bulma rushed to intercept him before he could reach it and placed both hands on the sides of his handsome face, closing the distance between them until they were mere inches apart. Kakarrot visibly relaxed under her touch and gazed back at her through dark eyes.
"Kakarrot, where is the kind, noble man who comforted me in the woods? Where is the selfless man who saved his father from condemnation? Kakarrot, you can't go all of this way and ruin it by drawing attention to yourself over something so foolish. Isn't that what you told me just yesterday? I appreciate your concern for me, I really do, but those men were idiots and they aren't worth the air you breathe. Just leave it be." Kakarrot looked at her for a long moment, and then slowly nodded his head. Bulma, happy that her words had gotten through to him, smiled at him and embraced him. When Kakarrot didn't release her right away, Bulma realized her mistake. His grip on her tightened, almost crushingly, and his face found the soft skin in the crook of her neck, nuzzling it tenderly. She felt his breathing quicken and felt his warm breath tickle the fine hairs on the back of her neck. She had been trying to calm him, but instead with one friendly hug, she had fueled the heated furnace of his desire, and now it was becoming increasingly difficult to extract herself from his passion. His hands had begun roaming over the supple plains of her body and before she knew it, he had her up against the hard, metal wall of the ship in an amorous embrace, his lips lightly brushing over the delicate skin of her neck. She was so caught up in his passionate zeal, she could barely whisper out her censure, but to her surprise, he heard it, and she nearly sighed aloud in dismay when he suddenly pulled away from her, taking his heat with him, regret emanating from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Bulma. I know…I know you didn't want this." Kakarrot backed away from her and sighed as he sat himself down in a nearby chair. "I just find it so hard to pretend that I don't want you. When you're so near to me, I feel like if I don't have you…" Kakarrot's voice trailed off as he looked away from her, obviously ashamed to share his feelings with her. He didn't even look at her as she took the seat beside him.
"Kakarrot, it's not that I don't want you, believe me," she emphasized, "it's not that at all. I'm just afraid of the consequences. I don't know how it is on Vegeta-sei, but where I'm from, things of this nature can be dangerous to play with. Back at home, I was never…close with any of the men of my planet. I mean, we were intimate, but it was strictly physical, no feelings attached. I'm not a good candidate for the long haul, Kakarrot. I've never had an intimate relationship that lasted more than a few weeks. And that's not how I want our relationship to go. I think you are one of the noblest men I've ever met. You're kind and gentle, despite the traits of your race, and you're intelligent, charming, and handsome as a devil. But we're going to be traveling together, and something regretful happened, I don't want any animosity between us. Can you understand that?" Bulma watched as he absorbed her words and sat back in the chair, regarding her dolefully.
"I understand. But I want you also to understand that I will never intentionally hurt you. I don't want you to ever think that I will do anything you don't want me too. I will respect your decision, but I want you to know that if you ever change you mind, I will be here for you."
"Thank you, Kakarrot." Bulma smiled warmly at him and stood up to leave. She was turning towards the door when Kakarrot's hand reached out suddenly and grabbed her arm. She looked warily at him, until he raised a finger to his lips and stood up slowly, eyeing a nearby crate suspiciously, while pulling her protectively behind him. Cautiously, Kakarrot inched forward towards the crate, stopping directly in front of it before yanking off the lid and peering down into it.
"What is it, Kakarrot?" Bulma whispered as she moved closer.
"Not what. Who," he said flatly as he reached down and pulled out a pale, slender arm. Bulma gasped. Was it a dead body? Kakarrot pulled harder and the slim, beautifully clothed body attached to the delicate appendage became visible, dangling from Kakarrot's grasp. Bulma couldn't see her face at first because the girl's dark, raven hair hid it from view, but when she angrily wrenched her arm free of Kakarrot's hold, her chocolate brown eyes and smooth, flushed cheeks caught Bulma's full attention. She was human?
"Hey!" the girl yelled at her discoverer, rubbing the flesh he had gripped none-to-gently. Kakarrot face hardened slightly and he crossed his arms in front of him, looming over the tiny girl.
"'Hey' is right," he said stonily. "What are you doing on our ship?" Bulma could tell Kakarrot wasn't really angry, but only trying to intimidate the girl into answering him, and although she didn't exactly agree with his methods, she decided to stay quiet and let the girl answer.
"I was…trying to get away. But please don't take me back." The defiance the girl had just shown, seem to die a sorrowful death as she said those words. She was obviously terrified of something or someone. Bulma could see Kakarrot's face soften a bit and decided that now was the time to get her own answers.
"You're human? Are you from Chikyuu?" Bulma's voice was taking on an excited tone as she thought of the possible luck she'd have finding another survivor from their ruined planet. The girl seem to catch her enthusiasm as she vigorously shook her head `yes.'
"Yes! I'm Chi-Chi. I lived in West Capital before it was destroyed." Bulma nearly jumped up and down, she was so happy for this encounter.
"West Capital!? I lived in West Capital! My name's Bulma. Bulma Briefs."
Chi-Chi's eyes went wide. "Bulma Briefs of Capsule Corp.? You're the billion-dollar heiress whose company invented almost every electronic gizmo in West Capital? You're a celebrity! I can't believe it. I knew I recognized you from somewhere." Bulma blushed but Chi-Chi reached out and gave her a firm hug. "I'm so glad I found you. I thought I would have to stay with that horrible man forever. But wait. Do you…belong to this man?" Chi-Chi hesitantly glanced over in Kakarrot's direction. When Bulma shook her head negatively, Chi-Chi tilted her head questioningly. "How did you escape slavery?"
"Well, I didn't exactly. I was sent to this Kami-awful planet, and forced to work for these dreadful people for about six or seven months. But then I stole this supply ship and got off that horrible planet. He," Bulma gestured to Kakarrot, "crash-landed there before I escaped, and helped me get off-planet. His name is Kakarrot. He's not human but…he's very close to it." Bulma didn't think Chi-Chi would be ready to hear that Kakarrot was part of the race that destroyed Chikyuu. Kakarrot smiled slightly at the mention of his name, and Chi-Chi seemed to calm at his small, friendly gesture. She stared at him for a moment and then nodded respectfully in his direction. He nodded back. Bulma noticed that Chi-Chi was so caught up in staring into Kakarrot's eyes, she didn't even realize that he had said something to her until he repeated it.
"Whom did you belong to? Do you think he's looking for you now?"
"Possibly. Well, actually, I'm sure he is. He's a bit…overprotective of his property, the frugal bastard."
"What type of man is he? I mean, what were your duties?" Bulma asked gently. She could see the anger building in Chi-Chi as she spoke of her previous master.
"He was a horrible man. My duties were to serve him, like every other slave must serve their master," Chi-Chi said bitterly, her eyes downcast. Bulma could tell she was hiding something, but she decided not to press her. They would have plenty of time to get to know each other later.
"Well, you are certainly welcome to come with us. We're all fugitives, one way or another."
"Now wait a second, Bulma," Kakarrot cut in. "Do you think that would be wise? I told you the danger we would be facing, but I don't think Chi-Chi has any clue of it. After she hears about it, she might not want to join us."
"It couldn't be any worse than what I was involved in," Chi-Chi piped up. "My master smuggled expensive goods, among his many other criminal exploits. We were always running for some reason or another. Not that I got to see any action most of the time, but I've been in some pretty close situations. I think I could handle whatever's coming." Kakarrot didn't seem satisfied by her comments so Bulma decided to add her own persuasion.
"Kakarrot, she said as much herself that she doesn't have anywhere else to go. She's a fugitive, like us, and if you think I'm going to send a fellow Chikyuuian back into the deplorable, irreprehensible jaws of slavery then-"
"Alright," Kakarrot said quickly before she could go any further. He was clearly exasperated by her dramatic description. "She can come with us. But," he said turning to Chi-Chi, "I think you should hear the whole story from Bulma before you make any final decisions. I would tell you myself, but I've got to go and get food supplies. You two stay here and don't leave the ship until I return, okay? It was nice to make your acquaintance, Chi-Chi." Bulma nodded and Chi-Chi merely blushed when his gaze fell on her. He turned and left the ship, leaving the two girls to talk amongst themselves.
"So, Chi-Chi, tell me a little about yourself. I know Kakarrot wants us to talk about the whole danger issue, but we will certainly have time for that later."
"Well, there isn't much to tell really. I lived in West Capital with my father and lived a pretty peaceful life. I was interested in martial arts, and I competed in a few tournaments here and there, but it was more of a hobby than anything else. Then the attack happened, and I was carted off in some strange ship with a couple hundred other women. We were taken to planet and sold off to the highest bidder. I can't say I was too…cooperative when they sold me, after I figured out what was going on. The guy who originally bought me must have disliked my temper, because he started arguing with the Saiyan-jin bastard who sold me to him and told him that he had changed his mind. They both looked pretty pissed and I think the guard was ready to hit me, maybe even kill me for being so much trouble. But then this slimy pig stepped up and told the first bidder that he would take me off of his hands. They struck a deal within minutes, and then I was being dragged onto his ship. And he has been my master ever since."
"Your story is probably similar to every other Chikyuuian woman taken by the Saiyan-jin. But I have to say, it took guts to stand up to them like that. The Saiyans were so big and intimidating, I didn't know what to do when they first arrived."
"My father was a big man, so I'm used to size. But a Saiyan's size has nothing to do with it. They just give off this dangerous vibe. It was like, I couldn't be sure if they'd kill me as soon as look at me. But I guess that didn't matter to me once my temper was sparked." Chi-Chi flashed a mischievous grin. "I did put up a good fight, though."
Bulma smiled briefly before she asked her next question. "So what about your new master? What was he like?" Bulma noticed the uneasy look in her eyes, and was about to tell her she didn't have to answer when a deafening explosion knocked her and Chi-Chi violently to the ground. Debris and shards of metal flew all around them and Bulma had to put her arms up to shield her face. When the force of the explosion diminished, she and Chi-Chi were laid out on the floor of the ship, covered in dust and fragments of metal, and Bulma's head hurt considerably from the impact of her head with the hard metal floor. Bulma slowly lifted her throbbing head and struggled to see through the dense cloud of smoke that had filled the room. A hole had been blasted through the ship's door, and as the smoke quickly tried to escape through the jagged opening, she noticed a figure standing in the threshold. Her eyes focused on the dark figure as the smoke cleared and she had to hold back her gasp of surprise when she noticed a furry appendage swaying to and fro behind him. She knew it couldn't be Kakarrot because the man was much shorter than he was, but judging by the man's tail and muscular build, he had to be Saiyan. And that meant trouble.
Bulma quickly put her head back down on the floor, trying to feign unconsciousness while still keeping a watchful eye on the man in the doorway. He was looking around now, and the smoke had cleared enough for her to see his face. He was scowling, obviously annoyed about something, and Bulma was beginning to feel more and more apprehensive about staying on the floor and waiting to be found. She couldn't see Chi-Chi from where she was, but she hoped the girl had the wisdom to stay down and not cause trouble.
All of a sudden, a loud piercing wail sounded, and she saw the man's head snap over in its direction, his muscles tensing. Then, out of the smoke, appeared Shenlong in all his crimson glory, charging at the intruder with all his might, and growling as fiercely as he could manage before aiming for man's legs. But just as he reached the man's foot, Shenlong was suddenly flying across the room, letting out a small yelp as a gold-tipped boot connected with his soft belly. Bulma's head jerked up as she watched her poor, noble Shenlong try to drag itself out of the rubble to charge again. She also saw the man raise a glowing hand in Shenlong's direction, and without thinking of what she was getting herself into, she shouted out angrily, "Leave him alone!"
The stranger's eyes quickly landed on her, and the intensity of his gaze was enough to make her shiver. She wasn't sure what else she should say, but the man had stopped his intended attack on Shenlong for the moment. He lowered his hand and began walking quickly in her direction. She couldn't move back fast enough and it seemed like mere seconds before he was in front of her, snatching her chin up between his gloved fingers and angling her face so he could see it better. He stared down at her for long moments and it took all of Bulma's effort to keep her body from trembling too much. When he finally released her, she let out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding, and tried to back herself away from him further. The dark-haired man in front of her crossed his arms across his chest and frowned down at her as he spoke. "Where is Kakarrot?"
Bulma realized immediately who he must be, and now watching his arrogant stance and prideful manner, she was sure she was right. This was the prince who had been chasing Kakarrot, the one that Kakarrot was sure wanted him dead. She knew she couldn't just tell him where to find Kakarrot but she also knew that if she didn't say anything, things could get a whole lot worse than they were already.
"Kakarrot?" Bulma said as she tried desperately to keep the nervous tremor from her voice. "I don't know who you're talking about. I've never heard that name before." The prince's scowl deepened and Bulma realized suddenly under that dark, piercing glare that she would have to come up with a better plan than just denying she ever knew Kakarrot. The prince looked as though he wouldn't tolerate runaround answers.
"Kakarrot was on this ship," he growled menacingly, "and I intend to find him. He will not hide from me any longer."
"There is no one on this ship except me and my sister. Any passengers we did have, we let off a few planets ago. If this Kakarrot was one of them, then I don't know what to tell you." It was as good a lie as any, and probably the best she could come up with under such pressure. If at any moment, Kakarrot decided to come back before the prince left, then her ruse would be up.
"You say this ship is yours?" Bulma nodded, and nearly cringed when a smug smirk curled one corner of his lips. "I think you're lying. You are wearing the garments of a Dais slave. It seems more likely that you stole this ship and are trying to escape." The panic rising up in her was almost too much to handle. She had forgotten that she still had the same clothing on. If this prince could see through her ploy, then what did that mean? Was she going to be sent back to Dais? "So, slave, tell me where Kakarrot is and maybe I'll let you live."
"I already told you. I don't know who Kakarrot is, but maybe he got off with the other passengers back on…Terol. Yeah, that was it. On the planet Terol, in the Kali galaxy." Bulma thanked Kami that Kakarrot had told her a little about Terol on their way to Dorsay. It was a small trading planet much like Dorsay, but had not been sufficient for their renovating needs, so they hadn't stopped there. She just hoped that the prince would be satisfied with the information. He looked at her warily before he spoke again.
"Fine. We will see if you are telling the truth. Nappa!" he bellowed suddenly. Bulma looked around in confusion until she noticed a large, dark shadow blocking the light from outside and had to suppress a gasp. There, standing before her, was probably the largest man she had ever laid eyes on walking slowly towards them with a swagger that conveyed arrogant ruthlessness. As he approached them, the giant flashed her a malicious grin and Bulma tried to back herself even further against the flat metal surface behind her.
"You roared, my prince?" The condescending smirk on the man's face faded as the shorter, more dangerous-looking man took a threatening step towards the giant.
"Your insolence will be remembered in our next sparring match, baka. Search this vessel and see if you can find any traces of Kakarrot here. If not, take a ship and fly to Terol. The little one here says that's where she thinks he is."
"We're going to take this female's word? It's possible that she'd do anything to save her own hide. Besides, my orders were to accompany you, Ouji-sama--" Nappa's derisive words were suddenly cut short as a white-gloved hand closed around his windpipe.
"Do you dare defy me, Nappa? You will do as I say, or I will choose to forget my father's silly decree about sparing your life. Is that understood?" Nappa's eyes bulged for an answer and he was just as suddenly released and down on one knee, trying to catch his breath. After a moment of heavy breathing, he left to go search the rest of the ship. Bulma simply stared up at the prince, still too frightened to stand up. She wasn't even certain if she was injured. Her head throbbed fiercely and a sharp, insistent pain in her ankle demanded her immediate attention, but she was even more concerned about the angry Saiyan standing before her. She was glad that she had rid Kakarrot of his old, battered armor and disposed of it in the refuge hatch. There was no other evidence that they could clearly accredit to Kakarrot. Her plan might just work, if she could only get them to leave. Then, they would never know Kakarrot was traveling with her, and they would be thrown well off of the trail.
Bulma shrewdly kept her eyes cast downwards as she asked what she hoped was a very polite request. "Excuse me, um, your highness, but what do you plan to do with me? This guy Kakarrot isn't here, so does that mean my sister and I are free to go?" Bulma winced when the prince's eyes narrowed and an evil smirk, much more malignant than his first one, materialized on his lips.
"Well, little one, like my underling Nappa said, I would be a fool to follow a woman's advice. I think it would be in my best interest to keep you handy just in case Nappa is unsuccessful in his mission."
"W-what do you mean `handy'? You mean take me with you?"
"That's precisely what I mean. If you are not useful in finding Kakarrot, then I'm sure we can find other uses for you." He punctuated his remark with a deep, purposeful chuckle and Bulma felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Things were beginning to look less and less hopeful. Before she could respond, Nappa came lumbering out from the back of the ship.
"There's not a damn thing back there. Just a bunch of supplies." Nappa's eyes traveled over the rubble-strewn floor until they settled on Chi-Chi's inert form. Panic filled Bulma as he began to slowly walk towards her. "Now what do we have here?" He leered appreciatively at Chi-Chi's slender legs and soft curves. "I think I just found something to make my trip to Terol a little more interesting." He bent to pick her up, but before his greedy fingers even touched Chi-Chi, he suddenly pulled back and howled in pain.
"Nappa, why do you persist in disobeying me?" the prince said with a smug smirk. Bulma looked back at Nappa and saw that his shoulder was smoldering. "I told you to go to Terol, and I wouldn't think of leaving you with any distractions. Go now while you still have the use of the rest of your limbs." The contemptuous scowl never left the big man's face as he exited the ship. Bulma breathed a sigh of relief for the exodus of that obvious danger, but sucked in another breath as she realized the prince's dark gaze was now focused on her again.
"Well, I guess we should be getting back to my ship. I think I'll leave your sister here. I have a feeling I'll have my hands full with you." Bulma didn't even have time to protest before he reached down and hefted her over his shoulder. She was preparing to let out an ear-piercing scream when logic and common sense held her tongue. The prince obviously didn't believe that Kakarrot was on Dorsay, which meant her plan was working. Of course she hadn't anticipated that she would be taken prisoner, but hopefully when Kakarrot returned, he would recognize what happened and come save her when he was able. It seemed plausible enough, except for the fact that she had no idea how she was going to survive until then.
"I think this little development will have merit," she heard the dark prince murmured from her perch on his shoulder. She couldn't contain the shiver that rushed through her when his hand caressed the back of her thigh suggestively. Kakarrot, she thought fretfully, you better come save me whenever you get the chance. But there was nothing else to think of except fear when the prince rocketed into the sky and she watched the beloved ground dropping away from under them.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"Chi-Chi! Wake up! Where's Bulma?!" Chi-Chi clutched her aching head carefully, trying feel for any broken skin. Kakarrot didn't even seem to care that she might be injured or that she had been in any danger, instead steadily screaming into her ear as though she had gone deaf. "Chi-Chi! Where__is__Bulma?"
"I__don't__know," she said tersely. She drew back her probing hand and inhaled sharply at the sight of dark red blood smearing her fingertips. Kakarrot stopped his questioning for a second to inspect her head. When he had lifted her hair and examined the wound thoroughly, he finally pulled back and told her gruffly, "You'll live," before piercing her with an intrusive gaze, signaling her to continue.
Chi-Chi ignored his inconsiderateness and continued. "The only thing I saw when I came to was somebody leaving the ship. I couldn't really see much because of all the smoke, but it might have been Bulma. Though I think I remember something else," she paused, trying to recall the significant detail that had stood out in her mind before she'd collapsed back into unconsciousness. Kakarrot gripped her arms tightly, waiting with baited breath for her to answer. "I thought I saw something swinging behind the person, like a tail or something, but since it was probably Bulma, I must be wrong." Kakarrot suddenly released her arms and with a low moan, lowered his head in his hands. "Kakarrot?" Chi-Chi asked worriedly, wondering what in the name of Kami could distress so strong a man.
"He has her….that arrogant son of a bitch has her!" Chi-Chi jumped back at the force of his words. "I'll kill him if he harms her, I swear it!"
"Who Kakarrot? Who has Bulma?"
Kakarrot looked up at Chi-Chi, his eyes burning with apparent hatred for Bulma's possible kidnapper. "The damnable Prince of All Saiyans, Vegeta. The one man who has been chasing me all this time."
"Why?"
"Because I've defeated him. Because I'm stronger than he'll ever be and it eats him up inside. I'm the strongest man of our race, and he thinks that if I'm allowed to live, it'll be the end of Saiyan-jin hierarchy as we know it. And he's right, it will be."
Chi-Chi felt a panic rise up into her throat. Surely this man was not telling her that he was part of the contemptible race that destroyed Chikyuu. Bulma wouldn't associated herself with one of Chikyuu's murders….would she? "You're not….you can't be…..." Her eyes suddenly lighted on the tail that had inexplicably unraveled itself before her. "You're……Saiyan….." She only had time to stumble backwards from the man who's race had made her life the living hell that it had been before dark, heavy unconsciousness claimed her.
Next Up: Bulma's in the clutches of our favorite prince; Chi-Chi's reaction to Kakarrot's heritage; and whatever happened to Bardock and Radditz? Please read and review…..my life depends on it…(help me!)