Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Butterflies & Hurricanes ❯ Chapter 29
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Froglady15 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Hentai / Romance / Suspense / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.26.2016 | Pages: 15 | Words: 9.2K | Visits: 287 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Hentai / Romance / Suspense / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.26.2016 | Pages: 15 | Words: 9.2K | Visits: 287 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband,
laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon
Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm
just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.
Chapter 29
The weeks following the event of Cold’s commission for Bulma and Dr. Gero to work on King Cold’s cloaking device project seemed to pass by rather quickly and before long it had turned into months, much to Bulma’s surprise.
While she missed Vegeta terribly, she didn’t have to worry about him. He was safe for all intents and purposes. He was floating in the regeneration tank and looked so peaceful that there were moments where it brought her peace when she looked at him.
Bulma had taken to talking to him nearly every day as well. She had no idea whether he could hear her or not. If he could, he was unable to respond but it made her feel better to talk to him anyway almost as though keeping him informed of everything that was happening. It kept her sane and brought her a sense of peace and comfort.
She mostly told him stories about Trunks and Tarble. Things between her and the boys had been progressing fairly well. They continued to visit her on a daily basis without fail. By this point, they were beyond playing the back and forth games of questions and a gradual relationship was beginning to be built.
They were both so different she couldn’t get over it.
Trunks was more reserved and it took more of an effort to get him to open up, much to Bulma’s disappointment. He took more after his father at times and she felt mixed feelings about that. In some ways it was like having a little mini-Vegeta around and she found it amusing in some ways. In other ways, it broke her hear that he was so standoffish towards her; not that she could really blame him considering how they had grown up and who had raised them.
Tarble was a little more open and easier going. He didn’t seem to hang onto things and let them bother him for weeks at a time like Trunks did. Rather, if he had something to say, he’d just say it and move on. If Trunks had something that was bothering him or that he wanted to ask her, it seemed to take him a few days to finally ask her. She preferred Tarble’s openness, however he was a lot less sure of himself and confident than Trunks was and that was something that bothered Bulma.
What she did like was that they weren’t competitive against each other. If anything, Trunks seemed to be more encouraging to Tarble than gloating about how much stronger than him he was. Most days anyway. There were some occasions when they came to see her and she could see that they were frustrated with each other. She wasn’t sure if it was simply normal sibling rivalry or if it was pressure from whoever they were training with now that Jeyice was gone.
Usually on days like that she distracted them with one of a few different games she had started playing with them and within an hour whatever had been bothering them seemed to disappear and things were good again.
I taught them to play chess, she told Vegeta that afternoon. We play for hours. It’s fun. They both are really good at it. I wanted to teach them to play that other game we used to play together. Do you remember, Vegeta? She smiled despite herself. I think some of my favourite memories are when we’d play all night until the sun came up. Remember that one time we started late afternoon and played all night and into the morning. We had to agree that a stalemate was the only option. I made us breakfast and then we started another game because you insisted that there had to be a winner. What was that game called?
I’d like to say Risk because it reminded me of that game from back home but I can’t remember what you called it. If I could, maybe the boys would be able to find it.
Bulma got up and placed her hand on the tank just in front of where his cheek was. She hoped so badly that he could still hear her and her stories about the boys. Even if he couldn’t reply, she hoped he could just hear her and it brought him both a sense of comfort and let him know that he hadn’t been forgotten about.
I hope that you are feeling alright. I miss you but I’m glad you’re not suffering. I still haven’t found a way to contact anyone off this place. I can’t leave the lab and the boys have no access to communication other than their scouters. I was trying to get them to leave me one to see if I can maybe reprogram it and work on finding a frequency off this planet but they have to sign them in and out. They would notice it missing.
Jeyice isn’t back, she said after a hesitant pause. He’s still alive though, unfortunately. He’s apparently out destroying whatever was left of your father’s empire. Cold is getting really paranoid as of late. It’s scary.
I haven’t made much progress on his cloaking project. I he’s getting really impatient. Gero isn’t much help either so I’m kind of on my own on it. I did have an idea though. I started sketching something and drawing up plans during my downtime in my room. I’m not sure if I will be able to accomplish it being that I have both Gero and that android keeping close tabs on me. And I don’t know of its even possible. Maybe I’m going crazy.
Bulma looked at him expectantly, as though willing him to ask her what her project was. Of course, he didn’t. He just peacefully floated there in the green liquid as always, oblivious to everything. In a way, she envied him. “I miss you,” she said quietly to herself. I miss dad too. He would know how to help me on the stupid cloaking devices and my secret project. I wish I could talk to someone about it. I don’t even have a name for it yet because I don’t know what to call it.
She heard steps coming towards the lab and turned her back on Vegeta, going back to her work station.
Dr. Gero came into the lab in a whirlwind fashion, cursing and mumbling to himself and chucking a cylindrical object across the room. Bulma started at the clang as it hit the ground and skidded across the floor, knocking over a stack of lab supplies.
“What are you staring at?” he snarled. “This is partly your fault!”
“My fault?” she snorted, turning to look at him. “I’m sorry, but last I checked, I was the only one coming up with ideas here. I don’t know what it is you do all day or even bring to the table here at this point. I work day and night here and what do you do? Nothing. Just sulk and pout and moan like a child who lost his favourite toy because Vegeta is no longer your play thing.”
“I am in no mood for your condescending tone!” he warned, pointing a finger at her. “What I do with my own time does not concern you. What should be concerning you is what Cold is going to do to you if you don’t come up with something he can use.”
Bulma sighed in annoyance. ”What he wants is impossible!” she objected. “Unless you have some magical wand buried up your old decrepit ass that will miraculously make things disappear, it’s not feasible!”
Gero glared at her. “Figure it out. I have my own work to do.”
Bulma shook her head at him. “So what was wrong with this?” she asked, leaving her work station to pick up the object Gero had thrown. It wasn’t able to render his troops or ships invisible, but it had a small generator that when activated allowed the one wearing it to jump ahead, phasing in and out. While not exactly what Cold asked for, Bulma had thought it to be quite ingenious.
It was an efficient way to cover long distances and if being pursued, the pursuer would have great difficulty keeping up and even tracking the person wearing it because it propelled the wearer forward so many feet and so quickly that there would be no footprints to follow or scent left behind. She had called it instant transmission because if you loaded the planets specs, you could instantly be taken to your point of interest. She had learned that much like Earth, there were capitals on every planet. If you set a specific point of interest into it, it would take you almost instantly to that place. So long as it was on that planet and programmed into the GPS. She hadn’t tested it out of course, but she was certain you could effectively travel from one side of the planet to the other in the matter of only a few seconds or minutes rather than hours or days in the case of large planets.
“It isn’t what he asked for!”
“Well, like I said, what he’s asking for is not realistic or even possible and this is the best I can come up with,” she sighed, looking at the broken piece of equipment. “Not sure how it can get any more discreet than that when you can get from point A to point B in mere seconds.”
“Your opinion isn’t wanted, only results. Now stop your daydreaming and get working,” he ordered her. “Dismantle and throw out that useless piece of shit you designed and start working on something useful.”
Bulma glared at him. “Might be wise to take your own advice.”
“Do not test me, Bulma,” he snarled, walking up to her. “I may have respect for your brilliance but that does not give you warrant to disrespect me. I will tell Cold that you are not cooperating. Then what will you do? I’d hate to think about what Cold would do to one of your boys because of your noncompliance.”
She shrugged nonchalantly, feigning indifference. “Go ahead, tell him. Tell him whatever you want and then I will tell him how you haven’t lifted a finger on the advancement of this project.”
“He wouldn’t believe you.”
“Maybe not, but the surveillance tapes will prove that I am telling the truth because all you do is sit there pouring over your Vegeta files.”
“You do that and you will pretty much be signing Vegeta’s death warrant.” Gero shot back. “You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
She thought about it for a moment before responding. “In any other circumstances, you would be right but in this case, it would be a relief if Cold killed him. If his existence is limited to being a lab rat or a vegetable then death would be a welcomed reprieve.”
Gero continued to glare at her. “And you?” he asked finally. “Aren’t you worried about what will happen to you if he dies?”
“Don’t know,” she answered honestly with a shrug. “I’m fine right now. It isn’t easy because our connection has been pretty much blocked so the bond is almost non-existent. It hurts, but I’m working through it. I’m assuming that if he passes, I’ll be just fine.”
Gero nodded. While he couldn’t care less about Bulma and her wellbeing, he did not want anything coming between him and his research. “I will aid you,” he finally conceded, not wanting to risk Cold getting rid of Vegeta altogether. As it was, he was not happy with having to put his research on the back burner over this project of King Cold’s. So he spent his time analysing his data that he had already collected and making due with that. “Give me your research notes. I will go through them and see if I can find something. You clean up that mess and get rid of that bucket of bolts you created.”
She nodded and slid her notes across the work station. “Everything is there.” She said.
Gero took them. “I am going to lunch. I will look through them and when I return we will commence.”
Bulma nodded in agreement and Gero left her alone again in the lab. She sighed as she picked up her discarded project. It was broken but not beyond repair. She had been really proud of it! As she picked up the broken pieces a thought struck her. Maybe Cold and Gero scrapping this idea of hers altogether was a blessing in disguise. She could salvage this and maybe make it work for her other secret project.
With newly renewed enthusiasm, she carefully collected the pieces and set them all aside. She would still need to do some research and figure out how to calibrate the instant transmission to work a little bit differently. It would take a lot of work and she wasn’t sure her physics skills were as sharp as they used to be so it might take her a long time to work it out; that was if it was at all even possible. That was alright though, she told herself. She was up to the challenge.
She smiled as she capsulated everything and put it in her pocket. Tonight she would take a look at it and compare both sets of notes to see if it could work.
Confidently, she went back to Vegeta. I found a name for my project, Vegeta. Its name is Hope.
-0-0-0-
Bulma rushed to open her door, letting the boys in. It had been two weeks since she had regained her inspiration for her new project. She hadn’t made a ton of progress in the technical sense, but she had been more or less able to build the machine and so she was happy with that progress. She kept it secret from everyone, the boys and Dende included. The less who knew about it, the better. Until she came to the point at which she needed someone to look over her work, that was how she wanted it kept.
Today she had lost track of time, being so absorbed in her work, she had been in the middle of installing where the control panel would go when she’d heard the familiar knock at the door. She’d cursed to herself for losing track of time that much before quickly capsulizing everything and shoving it in her pocket and opening the door.
“Hey, guys!” she greeted them cheerfully as they walked into the room.
“Hi!” Tarble said, giving her a hug as Trunks walked in, not saying anything by way of greeting and she could tell that he was in one of his moods.
“How are my boys today?” she asked once Tarble let her go. “Did you guys go into that training chamber again?”
“No,” Tarble shook his head in confusion. “I think we are done with that; or at least we are until Jeyice comes back. Why?”
Her stomach dropped at the mention of Jeyice. “Oh, you both look a bit taller today for some reason, that’s all.”
“Well we’ve both been super hungry the last few days,” Tarble said, standing up straight.
“Hmm, you guys must be going through a growth spurt,” she nodded in approval and smiling at Tarble. He looked so much like Vegeta that at times it was unnerving to her. “And what about you, Trunks, let me have a look at you.”
Trunks shrugged, but walked up to her, still not saying anything.
“You look taller too,” she observed, wanting to give him a hug as well, but he seemed to be keeping his distance from her. “How is everything?”
“Fine,” he answered, looking at her carefully. “How’s dad?”
Bulma nodded, trying not to show her disappointment at his withdrawn demeanour. “He’s good, well, the same. No change.”
Trunks shook his head and took a seat.
“Do you guys want anything?” she asked, changing the subject. For some reason it really bothered Trunks that Vegeta was still in the regeneration tank. She had explained to him many times that he was in there because King Cold ordered that he remain there so there wasn’t much that could be done and that he was at least safe and sound but it just seemed to anger him and so when it came up, she usually changed the subject towards something lighter.
“No,” Trunks said.
“I’ll have whatever,” Tarble said, following her into the small kitchen. “I got snacks too!” he announced proudly, pulling out a capsule from inside his armour.
“What did you bring?” Bulma asked with interest.
“Just a bunch of stuff I scrounged up from the cafeteria at dinner so we could have something for while we play games.” he said, tossing his capsule onto the counter top. Bulma had given them both several capsules of their own to have for whatever they wanted to use them for. She didn’t need anything yet, but she was hoping later on it would be a good way for her to get supplies and other things smuggled into the lab when she was further into her project and needed things that she didn’t have access to.
Bulma looked appreciatively at the variation of food Tarble had brought. It certainly looked better than anything Gero brought back for her for her meals, she thought in dismay. She had noticed that she had lost a bit of weight since she had arrived here because all of her meals seemed to consist mostly of oatmeal, soups, stews and a piece of bread. “Looks good!” she commented, grabbing a tray she had and letting Tarble arrange it all. “You sure you don’t want anything, Trunks?”
“I’m fine,” he replied. “I ate just before we came.”
“Yea, we both did, actually,” Tarble said. “I brought most of this for you because you said last time that you never tried some of this stuff so I brought you our favourites. Plus Trunks and I noticed that you’re kind of skinny.”
“Awe, aren’t you guys sweet, thank you!” she chuckled, the thought that they’d even thought of her warming her heart. While she never complained to them about anything regarding her living circumstances, it was nice that they’d thought of her.
Tarble and Bulma brought out the snacks, tea pot and a few plates and mugs for them all and set them in the living room space. “What do you guys want to do tonight?” she asked them, looking for her home made game board and pieces. She’d made chess and checkers for them.
“What do you want to play?” Tarble asked her.
“Why do we have to play another stupid game?” Trunks huffed sourly.
“Why not?” Tarble asked him pointedly.
“Because that’s all we do?” he replied with a heavy sigh.
“Alright, Trunks,” Bulma nodded, leaving the game pieces where they were. “What do you want to do? We don’t have to play games.”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, looking at her with a strange look that she couldn’t place. “I just don’t feel like playing games.”
“Why, because I beat you the last two times?” Tarble taunted.
“No,” Trunks snorted. “I let you win the last two times.”
“Nuh-uhh!” Tarble shook his head.
“Yea-huhh,” Trunks shot back. “You have to win at something once in a while,”
Tarble scowled at Trunks, evidently hurt by that remark.
“Hey, be nice!” Bulma scolded Trunks. “It’s not his fault he may be a bit behind you in your training.”
“A bit?” Trunks laughed. “Umm, mom, he’s so far behind!”
“I am not!” Tarble sulked, crossing his arms and glared at the floor.
“Okay, okay,” Bulma interjected, sitting between them on the couch. The last time this subject had come up, it had ended up with them wrestling on the floor. “It’s alright. Just calm down, both of you, it’s not worth fighting over.”
Both boys sat there, glaring at the floor for a long moment.
“Let me tell you a story about your father and his best friend,” she said. “Vegeta was born strong and powerful and everyone had very high expectations of him; his father, his people, even Lord Frieza.
“He grew up with another Saiyan and they were so close that they were practically brothers just you two. They trained together, went on missions together, did everything together.”
“What was his name?” Tarble asked.
“Kakarott,” Bulma replied with a smile at the memory of the less serious Saiyan who had become such a good friend to her. “His name was Kakarott. He was strong, but not as strong as your father. He was considered average for a Saiyan, unlike your father who was born royalty and from elite status.
“While he was a lot taller and bigger, he was never quite at the same level as your father. But did your father make fun of him or make him feel bad? No. Never. Sure he sometimes taunted him to get a rise of him but he did so in a manner to encourage him to step up and be better. They sparred all the time, day and night, beating each other to a pulp in an effort to better each other.”
“We already do that,” Trunks deadpanned.
“I’m sure you do, but they did it to better themselves. Not to gloat or show the other who was better. If your father beat Kakarott until he was unconscious, it was because he knew that when his wounds healed, he would become stronger not out of a need to prove his superiority or make him feel bad for his weaknesses.” She explained, knowing that it wasn’t entirely true but wanting to give them a different perspective so that they would work together and not against each other. She suspected that this competitive streak was being encouraged by their teachers and she didn’t like it. Though she wasn’t sure how much of it was their environment and how much of that was natural Saiyan trait. Vegeta and Kakarott were extremely competitive with each other, but it was never like this. Neither of them ever seemed to resent the other, or not to her knowledge. It was more friendly competition they seemed to share in wanting to out best the other rather than what the boys seemed to be exhibiting here.
“They always helped and encouraged one another and one day Kakarott caught up with your father,” she continued, remembering now that Vegeta had told her that Kakarott had ascended as well. Poor guy, she thought to herself. He’d only wanted to help Vegeta and in the end that got him killed. I wonder where we’d all be if he hadn’t left with Vegeta? Maybe we’d have rescued him from this place and things would be good instead of how they are now.
“What happened when he caught up to him?” Trunks asked with interest.
“They went into a war together and it didn’t end well, but they worked together,” she answered, thinking she should have thought the story through better before starting because it wasn’t as encouraging as she had meant for it to be. “The androids killed him and they were all overwhelmed and outmatched. Your father was arrested and you know the rest. That wasn’t my point though, my point was that they helped and strengthened each other. They didn’t belittle each other, they were brothers and together were nearly unstoppable. In any other scenario, they would have been unstoppable, anyway,
“So Trunks, I want you to help your brother and Tarble, you need to listen to Trunks. You’ll catch up. It was years before Kakarott caught up to Vegeta, but he put in a lot of hard work and persistence and never gave up. You are brothers, you help each other out and you never leave the other behind. I don’t care what they teach you.” She said firmly.
Trunks nodded in agreement. “Sorry, Tarble,” he mumbled. “I didn’t let you win both those times.”
“I knew it!” he smiled.
“You need to work hard, Tarble.” Bulma said to him. “It won’t be easy, but listen to Trunks. If you don’t catch up they will begin separating the two of you and that’s not good. You need each other.”
“I will,” he nodded with a serious look of determination on his face.
“Good,” Bulma smiled, feeling satisfied with her parenting choices. Truth be told, she loved them both dearly and didn’t want anything or anyone putting a wedge between them. “Now I’m going to eat one of these delicious looking treats you brought and Trunks, you get to decide what we are going to do this evening.”
-0-0-0-
Jeyice stepped off the ship and made his way eagerly towards King Cold’s throne room to debrief him on his successful mission. It had been a total of six months he had been gone, trying to complete King Cold’s request. It had been a lot more difficult than he had originally thought.
While there weren’t any Saiyans left remaining on the surrounding planets, there were many other races that had been beginning to set up shop on the abandoned Saiyan ruins. Some left at Jeyice’s command, and others stood their ground to fight over the left over spoils. In vain, in the end. Jeyice and his soldiers were easily able to wipe most of them out. It had been nothing more than a waste of his time, in his opinion.
Once eradicating anyone residing on these planets, Jeyice had petitioned Cold to leave a handful of them standing. King Vegeta may have been an arrogant king who pissed King Cold off, but the bastard had been very wise in the way he had set up these bases. Each one was able to hold enough infantry to defend itself until further assistance had arrived and the distance between the major bases were all spaced out equally so that if one was in trouble, it would not take long for help to arrive.
Jeyice destroyed the smaller planets in between; some seemed to be nothing more than storage planets for weapons and other things. Others were major bases. Those were the ones he had advised Cold not to destroy.
He advised him that it could be beneficial to leave these standing and occupy them for himself as a mid way base; a place to store soldiers and keep order. Isotope could be his main base, but it was at such a far corner of the galaxy, it would take far too long to dispatch soldiers and get anywhere if he needed to. If he had a second base, full of infantry, this would be a huge help.
To his credit, Cold agreed with him and left it to his discretion which bases to keep and which ones to destroy. Jeyice chose four in total; each one at the four furthest corners of the former Saiyan Empire’s quadrant. Each one was about a week or less travel in between, they were that wide spread, but Jeyice did not see that as a problem, especially if King Cold planned on populating these planets with these new Android soldiers. No one in the right mind would be able to destroy them all within a one week time span, he thought with an arrogant smirk.
Anything else in between, he destroyed. Content with his work, he headed back to King Cold’s base and now here he was.
“Very well done, Jeyice,” King Cold nodded appreciatively to him.
“Thank you, my lord,” Jeyice replied, bowing in respect.
“I am very impressed with your work and the decisions you made, you are becoming quite the officer.”
“Well, I do try, my Lord,”
“You have been nothing short of exemplary and I feel a promotion is in order,” he said proudly. “You are hereby promoted to General as of immediately. You will receive an upgrade to your salary and your living quarters. You will reside in the wing with the other generals and not the barracks which means you will have your own living space with all upgraded amenities.”
“You are too generous, my Lord!” Jeyice exclaimed. Years of busting his ass in Lord Frieza’s court had gone unnoticed thanks to brownnosers like Zarbon, Dodoria and Captain Ginyu. Now, after all these years, he was glad to have finally gotten some recognition that all his hard work and following orders had been worth it.
“You deserve it,” Cold said. “I already set the order in motion and it shall be available to you by weeks end. I must add that you will still be responsible to training the two Saiyan brats, however.”
“Right,” Jeyice nodded. “How has their progress been going?”
“Alright,” Cold shrugged. “Trunks is still the stronger of the two but I have heard that the other one has been exerting a better effort as of late. I will require you to give me a full assessment within the next few days of their progress. If they are ready, it is my wish for them to begin earning their keep around here. They will need to start going on missions and so will begin accompanying you. You are to train them on how to handle protocol.”
“Yes, my Lord,” Jeyice nodded. “I will see them tomorrow and give you my assessment and full impression.”
“Very good, you are dismissed.” King Cold said, waving his hand. “Go out and celebrate tonight. You have certainly earned it.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” Jeyice bowed respectfully before leaving Cold’s throne room. He knew exactly where he would be spending his evening celebrating his new promotion and status.
Jeyice turned down the hall towards the barracks. A shower and decent meal was his first order of business and then he would pay Bulma a visit.
-0-0-0-
“Why hello, kitten,” Jeyice drawled as he strode casually into the lab a few hours later. “How are you?”
Bulma felt the blood from her face drain and her stomach drop instantly at the mere sight of him.
“I can see Vegeta here is the same,” he commented casually, walking up to the regeneration tank and looking at him. “Has he been out at all, or is he still in?”
“Still in,” she replied quietly, trying to calm her nerves. She had been so sure that if Jeyice came back that she wouldn’t turn into a mess at the sight of him. She had been wrong. Seeing him brought her right back to the dread and anxiety she had felt that night after he had left her.
“Ah, pity,” he shrugged in false sympathy, leaning up against the tank and knocking on it obnoxiously. “However it is for the best I suppose, since you were so concerned about him the last time we saw each other.”
“Cold wants him kept in there indefinitely.”
“Perfect!” He nodded walking up to her. “So I can expect no objections now as we resume our little arrangement? I thought about you a lot while I was gone, you know.”
“You did, did you?” she sighed, trying to keep a calm composure.
“Oh yes,” he nodded, walking closer to her. “I thought of you an awful lot.”
Bulma took a few steps back but he continued to close in on her, not taking the hint that she was trying to keep ample distance between them.
“You got to see your boys I assume?” he asked with a sly grin.
“Yes,” she nodded.
“There were no issues with that?”
“None, thank you.”
Jeyice smirked at her. “There, see? I told you that I would make good on that,” he reached for her, pulling her close to him. “And I will continue to make good on that if you continue to put out like a good little woman.”
Bulma put her hands out and pushed against his chest in protest. “No, I can’t Jeyice, there must be some other way you, we can agree-”
“No, the deal is the same, hun,” he interrupted her, ignoring her attempt to push him away. “I could not help but think while I was gone that I definitely got the shit end of the stick last time. I expect you to attempt to at least pretend that you're having a good time an’ not just lay there while I do all the work. You do that and we can continue to have a very prosperous arrangement here for the both of us.”
“If you need someone to pretend to like you, then why not go find a hooker or something,” she objected. “That’s not what I am.”
Jeyice snorted in amusement as he took her hand and began urgently dragging her out of the lab. Bulma couldn't help but feel nothing but despair and anxiety closing in on her, making her feel so helpless and trapped, almost claustrophobic that it was difficult for her to breathe, never mind protest as he dragged her to her room. “I expect you to be into it this time.”
He opened the door to her room and shut it and immediately his hands were roaming all over her, touching her and groping her greedily, without care. “You never know, you may actually like it if you were to give me an honest chance, love.”
Bulma grimaced to herself at the thought of possibly enjoying herself with him when the very thought of even touching him made her skin crawl. Once again, she knew she was faced with little choice here and she decided, she would close her eyes and try to pretend he was Vegeta. That was the only way she would manage to pull this off and even pretend to enjoy him. “Turn the lights off,” she demanded quietly, resigned that this nightmare was going to happen again. At least if she couldn’t see him, maybe it would be somewhat bearable.
As he did that, she removed her clothes, put two of her fingers in her mouth and touched herself just in case she wasn't ready for him this time, which she was absolutely certain she wouldn’t be.
She heard a rustle of clothing and assumed that he was doing the same and she sat on the side of her bed. Within seconds he was on her, encouraging her to lay down.
Bulma winced as he began to roughly feel up her body and once again she was reminded that he wasn't Vegeta, she thought in dismay. Unfortunately thinking and wishing he was wouldn't make that happen and because he was so rough with her, she couldn’t even pretend that he was Vegeta; even when Vegeta was rough with her in such times that there was a sense of urgency, he had always still managed to not cause her any real discomfort.It had been exciting, not unpleasant.
“Watch it,” she complained finally.
He suddenly stopped what he was doing. “What?”
“Have you ever had a woman that actually wanted to be with you?” she asked irritably, trying to push him away from her and sit up.
“Yea, lots,” he snorted, not budging.
“Lots, huh,” she repeated in disbelief, covering her eyes with her hand as she gave up trying to sit because he was pinned on top of her. “Like women who willingly came to you or because you paid them?”
“Most of them I paid for and some were fortunate enough to have me before their lives were ended during a purge,” he replied proudly, tracing a finger along the top of her chest absent mindedly.
“Figures,” Bulma sighed.
“What does?”
“That paying for sex and raping women is all you know,” she said bitterly.
“What difference does it make?” He asked. “It's all the same.”
“No, it isn't and it's disgusting!”
“How's that?” he asked in offense, finally getting off of her to turn a light on at her bedside. “I've had many women and none have ever complained; none but you! I'm starting to wonder if Vegeta used you at all.”
“They didn't complain because either you paid them or killed them after you raped them,” Bulma said, not caring about her nasty tone at all. “And no, you're right; Vegeta didn't use me. He-”
“Well, I'm going to remedy that,” he cut her off, coming back to the bed, grabbing her legs, roughly pulling her towards him and standing between her thighs as he stood at the side of her bed, ready to take her.
“No! No, no, no, no!” she pleaded at him frantically, locking her knees together trying to stop him from going any further. “Wait! Please!”
“Now listen, you've put me off long enough!” he objected angrily. “Now shut up and take it or you will not be seeing your brats again ever!” He threatened, prying her knees apart.
“Don't you think it would be better if we both enjoyed this?” She asked quickly, pushing on him with her foot. “I'm not ready.”
“Like I bloody care!”
“Well, if you hold off and wait a little instead of plunging yourself into me like a mindless brute, I promise you'd enjoy yourself a lot more and I won't complain nearly as much,” she said frantically. “If you want me to at least pretend to enjoy myself with you, then stop acting like an asshole!”
Jeyice snarled at her in frustration, his erection throbbing by this point.
“Let me give you a little show, it will blow your mind; I can promise you that,” she said to him, placing her toes on his chest and successfully pushing him away from her this time. And it will make this a little bit easier for me to endure, she added silently to herself.
“Pssh, fine,” he snorted in frustration, gripping himself in front of her to relieve himself somewhat. “Get on with it then.”
Silently thanking her lucky stars, she crawled back up to the middle of her bed, tossing her top onto the lamp beside her bed to dim the room somewhat so that she felt a bit less exposed but he could still see her well enough.
“Let me teach you something,” she said coyly, running a hand down between her legs and touching herself as she caressed a breast with her other hand. “There's a big difference between a woman screaming out in pleasure and said woman screaming out because of pain or terror. I think you'll find it much more satisfying for yourself to make a woman scream in the throes of passion rather than because you’re brutalizing her. Vegeta was an expert in that department.”She told him, wanting to hopefully play on his competitive male ego side.
“Like Vegeta had a clue,” he snorted in doubt.
“Oh, he did,” she sighed wistfully, stroking herself lightly and spreading her legs just enough so he could finally see that she was actually touching herself. “Vegeta always made me scream; and it was never in pain, but always in ecstasy. He could make me scream with just the most subtle touch of his fingers before he would put himself inside me. Sometimes even twice before seeking out his own pleasure by claiming me fully. He would make sure I was more than satisfied and only then would he fuck me senseless until I screamed his name out loud,” she explained, though she hated referring to her and Vegeta’s intimate details in such a vulgar fashion. However beginning to understand the mentality of the person in front of her, she figured that was the only language he would be able to comprehend.
“Bullshit!” he scoffed in disbelief, watching her hands intently as he slowly stroked himself.
“I bullshit you not,” she insisted, squeezing her breast and sighing as she spread her legs just a bit more so he had a full, unimpeded view of her stroking herself slowly. “You were partially right when you said Vegeta never used my body; he didn't. He played it like a fine instrument. He knew every inch of my body and how use it to his advantage and increase his own pleasure.”
By this time Jeyice was completely fixated on what her hands were doing to herself. She brought the hand that had been on her breast up to her mouth and sucked on two of her fingers before touching herself and inserting one of them inside herself and brought the other hand that had been previously between her legs up to her breast and gently caressed it, moaning quietly, biting her bottom lip.
Pervert, she thought to herself, refraining from rolling her eyes at him as she heard him inhale sharply as he continued to almost absent mindedly jerk himself off slowly as he watched her, almost fascinated. While she felt dirty having him watch her as she touched herself, it was better than him taking her dry like he had the last time.
She closed her eyes and threw her head back as she panted and let out an over exaggerated, breathy moan for Jeyice's benefit as she inserted a second finger into herself and bucked her hips against her hand. She still wasn't ready and she knew she had to do something to make herself even a little bit aroused soon before he lost his patience and decided to plow into her.
Bulma thought of one time when she'd tormented Vegeta this way. He hadn't let her fly solo for long before he had to touch her himself. He hadn't been able to refrain even though it had been his idea.
It had been soon after they'd been reunited on Callisto after him thinking her dead all that time. It had been such an amazing time the first few weeks they were together again as a newly married couple free of the stresses and troubles that had surrounded them previously. They had experimented with each other’s bodies almost endlessly in those few weeks of bliss before things had taken a turn for the worse again and Yamcha had abducted her. Before that they had both been nearly insatiable in their need for one another and she felt a flush of heat run through her now at the memory of it.
She couldn't remember now how it had come about but she remembered Vegeta had asked her to touch herself for him. At first she had thought he had been joking and then she had been mortified at the thought of doing such a thing. He had given her his trademark smirk that she loved so much and told her again to touch herself the way she did when he wasn't around. She remembered that he had been floored when she confessed to him that she never did that before they'd been together nor after even when they had been separated for those eight, long months.
In any case, she of course indulged him and shyly touched herself as he watched her with hungry eyes.
She'd actually began enjoying herself, the knowledge that he was watching her heatedly giving her that extra oomph of confidence, she'd closed her eyes and focused her efforts on pleasuring herself when suddenly she'd felt an extra finger join hers, slowly penetrating her…
Bulma gasped as she felt him slide a finger into her along with her one finger.
“Show me how you like to be touched,” he said, his voice only an octave above a whisper.
“You already know,” she answered playfully.
“I still want you to show me,” he said, lying beside her, his hand still between her legs. “Guide me,”
She nodded, lying beside him on her side, her back against his chest so they were spooning. She pulled his left arm under her so that now both his arms were around her.
She took his left hand in hers and caressed her left breast gently and guided his right hand towards her nether regions, stroking herself slowly with his hand.
As they went, she soon lost herself in the touch of his hands on her, pleasuring herself with his hands until she came…
It had been the most erotic moment between them, up until that moment, and she treasured it.
Even now, at the absolute lowest point in her life, she at least had these memories to look back on and while she hated to cheapen those cherished moments by using them now to help her, they made her appreciate Vegeta even more than she already had. She'd known for a long time how lucky she was to have been found by him. He could have been brutal like his father or he could have been selfish and clueless like Jeyice.
She eventually lost herself, completely forgetting about Jeyice now. Her mind was miles away from there. All she thought of was Vegeta. His hands, his arms, his lips; his tail even when it would randomly brush up against her, inadvertently discovering some new erogenous zone. She felt another wave of pleasure washed through her as she thought about it.
Jeyice watched in fascination as she continued to pleasure herself shamelessly now in front of him. While he didn't care if she got anything out of their little arrangement, he couldn’t help but stroke himself off with real purpose now as he watched her. He grunted as he felt his release approaching prematurely.
Bulma was brought out of her inner thoughts of a much simpler and pleasurable time between Vegeta and herself as she heard Jeyice moan. She looked at him and by the look on his face knew that it wouldn’t be long before he brought himself to climax.
Rejoicing inwardly at the thought that she may be able to get by without him touching her at all this time, she began to cry out as though she were reaching her own completion. She thrashed and moaned and panted and mewled as though she was having the best climax of her life all with the hopes that the visual of her doing so would push him over the edge.
It had the desired effect she had hoped for.
“Shit!” Jeyice cursed as his release happened. He bolted towards her as he erupted, his seed landing on her stomach as she kept up her little show for him. Inwardly, she was appalled that he had spilled himself all over her. It made her feel cheap and dirty but it was better than the alternative and having to let him fuck her.
Jeyice gasped as he pumped his member and leaned over her, not touching her, but making eye contact with her as he finished. He remained there a moment in recovery before backing away from her.
Bulma laid there a moment, clenching her teeth and covering her eyes with her hand in shame that she had just done that in front of this person. When she opened her eyes, she couldn’t see him and wondered briefly where he’d gone.
He appeared a moment later from her washroom and carelessly tossed her a towel to wipe herself off, which she did immediately, trying to keep a straight face about it.
Jeyice stood there a moment watching her with a cool expression on his face. “I suppose you think you’re quite clever, don’t you?”
Bulma shrugged at the question, concentrating on wiping his mess off of her and avoiding eye contact with him altogether.
“You were right though,” he nodded.
“About what?”
“That little show you put on,” he clarified. “It was bloody brilliant, I must admit.”
Bulma just nodded as she finished wiping herself off and sat up, immediately reaching for her blanket to cover herself up and praying to god that he wouldn’t want to continue things. She was more than aroused now and the last thing she wanted was for him to take her now and possibly enjoy herself. She couldn’t win here, she felt! She didn’t want to be raped, but she didn’t want to receive any pleasure or fulfillment from him either. To have that happen would most definitely be betraying Vegeta, she felt.
Jeyice stood there a moment looking at her as though deliberating over what he wanted to do next. “Alright,” he said quietly to himself and nodded. “I’m going to go, but only because that was one of the hottest displays I have ever witnessed, and that is saying something. I am satisfied, however,” he went on, beginning to dress himself. “But I will be seeing you soon and our agreement still stands; you will continue to see your boys.”
Bulma just nodded silently, wishing he would hurry up and leave.
He didn’t say anything more as he finished dressing himself and gathering his things before exiting her room and closing the door.
Bulma bolted up out of her bed the moment he left and raced to the shower, once again, not waiting for the water to warm up in her need to shower any remnants of him off of her completely. She washed and scrubbed herself clean, not bothering to finish herself off even though her nether regions were throbbing and practically begging for her to finish what she had started.
She briefly considered it before she committed completely to against doing any such thing and washed herself and any evidence of her own arousal away. She felt that to bring herself fulfilment at a time like this would be disrespectful to Vegeta. She was here against her will, only complying with Jeyice so that she was able to have a relationship with her boys, nothing more.
She almost couldn’t believe she had managed to nearly avoid sexual contact with Jeyice almost entirely tonight with her quick thinking and began to think of other possible ways she may be able to avoid or manipulate him.
As she thought about it, she couldn’t help but smirk to herself and add up a mental tally:
Bulma-1 Jeyice-1.
Chapter 29
The weeks following the event of Cold’s commission for Bulma and Dr. Gero to work on King Cold’s cloaking device project seemed to pass by rather quickly and before long it had turned into months, much to Bulma’s surprise.
While she missed Vegeta terribly, she didn’t have to worry about him. He was safe for all intents and purposes. He was floating in the regeneration tank and looked so peaceful that there were moments where it brought her peace when she looked at him.
Bulma had taken to talking to him nearly every day as well. She had no idea whether he could hear her or not. If he could, he was unable to respond but it made her feel better to talk to him anyway almost as though keeping him informed of everything that was happening. It kept her sane and brought her a sense of peace and comfort.
She mostly told him stories about Trunks and Tarble. Things between her and the boys had been progressing fairly well. They continued to visit her on a daily basis without fail. By this point, they were beyond playing the back and forth games of questions and a gradual relationship was beginning to be built.
They were both so different she couldn’t get over it.
Trunks was more reserved and it took more of an effort to get him to open up, much to Bulma’s disappointment. He took more after his father at times and she felt mixed feelings about that. In some ways it was like having a little mini-Vegeta around and she found it amusing in some ways. In other ways, it broke her hear that he was so standoffish towards her; not that she could really blame him considering how they had grown up and who had raised them.
Tarble was a little more open and easier going. He didn’t seem to hang onto things and let them bother him for weeks at a time like Trunks did. Rather, if he had something to say, he’d just say it and move on. If Trunks had something that was bothering him or that he wanted to ask her, it seemed to take him a few days to finally ask her. She preferred Tarble’s openness, however he was a lot less sure of himself and confident than Trunks was and that was something that bothered Bulma.
What she did like was that they weren’t competitive against each other. If anything, Trunks seemed to be more encouraging to Tarble than gloating about how much stronger than him he was. Most days anyway. There were some occasions when they came to see her and she could see that they were frustrated with each other. She wasn’t sure if it was simply normal sibling rivalry or if it was pressure from whoever they were training with now that Jeyice was gone.
Usually on days like that she distracted them with one of a few different games she had started playing with them and within an hour whatever had been bothering them seemed to disappear and things were good again.
I taught them to play chess, she told Vegeta that afternoon. We play for hours. It’s fun. They both are really good at it. I wanted to teach them to play that other game we used to play together. Do you remember, Vegeta? She smiled despite herself. I think some of my favourite memories are when we’d play all night until the sun came up. Remember that one time we started late afternoon and played all night and into the morning. We had to agree that a stalemate was the only option. I made us breakfast and then we started another game because you insisted that there had to be a winner. What was that game called?
I’d like to say Risk because it reminded me of that game from back home but I can’t remember what you called it. If I could, maybe the boys would be able to find it.
Bulma got up and placed her hand on the tank just in front of where his cheek was. She hoped so badly that he could still hear her and her stories about the boys. Even if he couldn’t reply, she hoped he could just hear her and it brought him both a sense of comfort and let him know that he hadn’t been forgotten about.
I hope that you are feeling alright. I miss you but I’m glad you’re not suffering. I still haven’t found a way to contact anyone off this place. I can’t leave the lab and the boys have no access to communication other than their scouters. I was trying to get them to leave me one to see if I can maybe reprogram it and work on finding a frequency off this planet but they have to sign them in and out. They would notice it missing.
Jeyice isn’t back, she said after a hesitant pause. He’s still alive though, unfortunately. He’s apparently out destroying whatever was left of your father’s empire. Cold is getting really paranoid as of late. It’s scary.
I haven’t made much progress on his cloaking project. I he’s getting really impatient. Gero isn’t much help either so I’m kind of on my own on it. I did have an idea though. I started sketching something and drawing up plans during my downtime in my room. I’m not sure if I will be able to accomplish it being that I have both Gero and that android keeping close tabs on me. And I don’t know of its even possible. Maybe I’m going crazy.
Bulma looked at him expectantly, as though willing him to ask her what her project was. Of course, he didn’t. He just peacefully floated there in the green liquid as always, oblivious to everything. In a way, she envied him. “I miss you,” she said quietly to herself. I miss dad too. He would know how to help me on the stupid cloaking devices and my secret project. I wish I could talk to someone about it. I don’t even have a name for it yet because I don’t know what to call it.
She heard steps coming towards the lab and turned her back on Vegeta, going back to her work station.
Dr. Gero came into the lab in a whirlwind fashion, cursing and mumbling to himself and chucking a cylindrical object across the room. Bulma started at the clang as it hit the ground and skidded across the floor, knocking over a stack of lab supplies.
“What are you staring at?” he snarled. “This is partly your fault!”
“My fault?” she snorted, turning to look at him. “I’m sorry, but last I checked, I was the only one coming up with ideas here. I don’t know what it is you do all day or even bring to the table here at this point. I work day and night here and what do you do? Nothing. Just sulk and pout and moan like a child who lost his favourite toy because Vegeta is no longer your play thing.”
“I am in no mood for your condescending tone!” he warned, pointing a finger at her. “What I do with my own time does not concern you. What should be concerning you is what Cold is going to do to you if you don’t come up with something he can use.”
Bulma sighed in annoyance. ”What he wants is impossible!” she objected. “Unless you have some magical wand buried up your old decrepit ass that will miraculously make things disappear, it’s not feasible!”
Gero glared at her. “Figure it out. I have my own work to do.”
Bulma shook her head at him. “So what was wrong with this?” she asked, leaving her work station to pick up the object Gero had thrown. It wasn’t able to render his troops or ships invisible, but it had a small generator that when activated allowed the one wearing it to jump ahead, phasing in and out. While not exactly what Cold asked for, Bulma had thought it to be quite ingenious.
It was an efficient way to cover long distances and if being pursued, the pursuer would have great difficulty keeping up and even tracking the person wearing it because it propelled the wearer forward so many feet and so quickly that there would be no footprints to follow or scent left behind. She had called it instant transmission because if you loaded the planets specs, you could instantly be taken to your point of interest. She had learned that much like Earth, there were capitals on every planet. If you set a specific point of interest into it, it would take you almost instantly to that place. So long as it was on that planet and programmed into the GPS. She hadn’t tested it out of course, but she was certain you could effectively travel from one side of the planet to the other in the matter of only a few seconds or minutes rather than hours or days in the case of large planets.
“It isn’t what he asked for!”
“Well, like I said, what he’s asking for is not realistic or even possible and this is the best I can come up with,” she sighed, looking at the broken piece of equipment. “Not sure how it can get any more discreet than that when you can get from point A to point B in mere seconds.”
“Your opinion isn’t wanted, only results. Now stop your daydreaming and get working,” he ordered her. “Dismantle and throw out that useless piece of shit you designed and start working on something useful.”
Bulma glared at him. “Might be wise to take your own advice.”
“Do not test me, Bulma,” he snarled, walking up to her. “I may have respect for your brilliance but that does not give you warrant to disrespect me. I will tell Cold that you are not cooperating. Then what will you do? I’d hate to think about what Cold would do to one of your boys because of your noncompliance.”
She shrugged nonchalantly, feigning indifference. “Go ahead, tell him. Tell him whatever you want and then I will tell him how you haven’t lifted a finger on the advancement of this project.”
“He wouldn’t believe you.”
“Maybe not, but the surveillance tapes will prove that I am telling the truth because all you do is sit there pouring over your Vegeta files.”
“You do that and you will pretty much be signing Vegeta’s death warrant.” Gero shot back. “You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
She thought about it for a moment before responding. “In any other circumstances, you would be right but in this case, it would be a relief if Cold killed him. If his existence is limited to being a lab rat or a vegetable then death would be a welcomed reprieve.”
Gero continued to glare at her. “And you?” he asked finally. “Aren’t you worried about what will happen to you if he dies?”
“Don’t know,” she answered honestly with a shrug. “I’m fine right now. It isn’t easy because our connection has been pretty much blocked so the bond is almost non-existent. It hurts, but I’m working through it. I’m assuming that if he passes, I’ll be just fine.”
Gero nodded. While he couldn’t care less about Bulma and her wellbeing, he did not want anything coming between him and his research. “I will aid you,” he finally conceded, not wanting to risk Cold getting rid of Vegeta altogether. As it was, he was not happy with having to put his research on the back burner over this project of King Cold’s. So he spent his time analysing his data that he had already collected and making due with that. “Give me your research notes. I will go through them and see if I can find something. You clean up that mess and get rid of that bucket of bolts you created.”
She nodded and slid her notes across the work station. “Everything is there.” She said.
Gero took them. “I am going to lunch. I will look through them and when I return we will commence.”
Bulma nodded in agreement and Gero left her alone again in the lab. She sighed as she picked up her discarded project. It was broken but not beyond repair. She had been really proud of it! As she picked up the broken pieces a thought struck her. Maybe Cold and Gero scrapping this idea of hers altogether was a blessing in disguise. She could salvage this and maybe make it work for her other secret project.
With newly renewed enthusiasm, she carefully collected the pieces and set them all aside. She would still need to do some research and figure out how to calibrate the instant transmission to work a little bit differently. It would take a lot of work and she wasn’t sure her physics skills were as sharp as they used to be so it might take her a long time to work it out; that was if it was at all even possible. That was alright though, she told herself. She was up to the challenge.
She smiled as she capsulated everything and put it in her pocket. Tonight she would take a look at it and compare both sets of notes to see if it could work.
Confidently, she went back to Vegeta. I found a name for my project, Vegeta. Its name is Hope.
-0-0-0-
Bulma rushed to open her door, letting the boys in. It had been two weeks since she had regained her inspiration for her new project. She hadn’t made a ton of progress in the technical sense, but she had been more or less able to build the machine and so she was happy with that progress. She kept it secret from everyone, the boys and Dende included. The less who knew about it, the better. Until she came to the point at which she needed someone to look over her work, that was how she wanted it kept.
Today she had lost track of time, being so absorbed in her work, she had been in the middle of installing where the control panel would go when she’d heard the familiar knock at the door. She’d cursed to herself for losing track of time that much before quickly capsulizing everything and shoving it in her pocket and opening the door.
“Hey, guys!” she greeted them cheerfully as they walked into the room.
“Hi!” Tarble said, giving her a hug as Trunks walked in, not saying anything by way of greeting and she could tell that he was in one of his moods.
“How are my boys today?” she asked once Tarble let her go. “Did you guys go into that training chamber again?”
“No,” Tarble shook his head in confusion. “I think we are done with that; or at least we are until Jeyice comes back. Why?”
Her stomach dropped at the mention of Jeyice. “Oh, you both look a bit taller today for some reason, that’s all.”
“Well we’ve both been super hungry the last few days,” Tarble said, standing up straight.
“Hmm, you guys must be going through a growth spurt,” she nodded in approval and smiling at Tarble. He looked so much like Vegeta that at times it was unnerving to her. “And what about you, Trunks, let me have a look at you.”
Trunks shrugged, but walked up to her, still not saying anything.
“You look taller too,” she observed, wanting to give him a hug as well, but he seemed to be keeping his distance from her. “How is everything?”
“Fine,” he answered, looking at her carefully. “How’s dad?”
Bulma nodded, trying not to show her disappointment at his withdrawn demeanour. “He’s good, well, the same. No change.”
Trunks shook his head and took a seat.
“Do you guys want anything?” she asked, changing the subject. For some reason it really bothered Trunks that Vegeta was still in the regeneration tank. She had explained to him many times that he was in there because King Cold ordered that he remain there so there wasn’t much that could be done and that he was at least safe and sound but it just seemed to anger him and so when it came up, she usually changed the subject towards something lighter.
“No,” Trunks said.
“I’ll have whatever,” Tarble said, following her into the small kitchen. “I got snacks too!” he announced proudly, pulling out a capsule from inside his armour.
“What did you bring?” Bulma asked with interest.
“Just a bunch of stuff I scrounged up from the cafeteria at dinner so we could have something for while we play games.” he said, tossing his capsule onto the counter top. Bulma had given them both several capsules of their own to have for whatever they wanted to use them for. She didn’t need anything yet, but she was hoping later on it would be a good way for her to get supplies and other things smuggled into the lab when she was further into her project and needed things that she didn’t have access to.
Bulma looked appreciatively at the variation of food Tarble had brought. It certainly looked better than anything Gero brought back for her for her meals, she thought in dismay. She had noticed that she had lost a bit of weight since she had arrived here because all of her meals seemed to consist mostly of oatmeal, soups, stews and a piece of bread. “Looks good!” she commented, grabbing a tray she had and letting Tarble arrange it all. “You sure you don’t want anything, Trunks?”
“I’m fine,” he replied. “I ate just before we came.”
“Yea, we both did, actually,” Tarble said. “I brought most of this for you because you said last time that you never tried some of this stuff so I brought you our favourites. Plus Trunks and I noticed that you’re kind of skinny.”
“Awe, aren’t you guys sweet, thank you!” she chuckled, the thought that they’d even thought of her warming her heart. While she never complained to them about anything regarding her living circumstances, it was nice that they’d thought of her.
Tarble and Bulma brought out the snacks, tea pot and a few plates and mugs for them all and set them in the living room space. “What do you guys want to do tonight?” she asked them, looking for her home made game board and pieces. She’d made chess and checkers for them.
“What do you want to play?” Tarble asked her.
“Why do we have to play another stupid game?” Trunks huffed sourly.
“Why not?” Tarble asked him pointedly.
“Because that’s all we do?” he replied with a heavy sigh.
“Alright, Trunks,” Bulma nodded, leaving the game pieces where they were. “What do you want to do? We don’t have to play games.”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, looking at her with a strange look that she couldn’t place. “I just don’t feel like playing games.”
“Why, because I beat you the last two times?” Tarble taunted.
“No,” Trunks snorted. “I let you win the last two times.”
“Nuh-uhh!” Tarble shook his head.
“Yea-huhh,” Trunks shot back. “You have to win at something once in a while,”
Tarble scowled at Trunks, evidently hurt by that remark.
“Hey, be nice!” Bulma scolded Trunks. “It’s not his fault he may be a bit behind you in your training.”
“A bit?” Trunks laughed. “Umm, mom, he’s so far behind!”
“I am not!” Tarble sulked, crossing his arms and glared at the floor.
“Okay, okay,” Bulma interjected, sitting between them on the couch. The last time this subject had come up, it had ended up with them wrestling on the floor. “It’s alright. Just calm down, both of you, it’s not worth fighting over.”
Both boys sat there, glaring at the floor for a long moment.
“Let me tell you a story about your father and his best friend,” she said. “Vegeta was born strong and powerful and everyone had very high expectations of him; his father, his people, even Lord Frieza.
“He grew up with another Saiyan and they were so close that they were practically brothers just you two. They trained together, went on missions together, did everything together.”
“What was his name?” Tarble asked.
“Kakarott,” Bulma replied with a smile at the memory of the less serious Saiyan who had become such a good friend to her. “His name was Kakarott. He was strong, but not as strong as your father. He was considered average for a Saiyan, unlike your father who was born royalty and from elite status.
“While he was a lot taller and bigger, he was never quite at the same level as your father. But did your father make fun of him or make him feel bad? No. Never. Sure he sometimes taunted him to get a rise of him but he did so in a manner to encourage him to step up and be better. They sparred all the time, day and night, beating each other to a pulp in an effort to better each other.”
“We already do that,” Trunks deadpanned.
“I’m sure you do, but they did it to better themselves. Not to gloat or show the other who was better. If your father beat Kakarott until he was unconscious, it was because he knew that when his wounds healed, he would become stronger not out of a need to prove his superiority or make him feel bad for his weaknesses.” She explained, knowing that it wasn’t entirely true but wanting to give them a different perspective so that they would work together and not against each other. She suspected that this competitive streak was being encouraged by their teachers and she didn’t like it. Though she wasn’t sure how much of it was their environment and how much of that was natural Saiyan trait. Vegeta and Kakarott were extremely competitive with each other, but it was never like this. Neither of them ever seemed to resent the other, or not to her knowledge. It was more friendly competition they seemed to share in wanting to out best the other rather than what the boys seemed to be exhibiting here.
“They always helped and encouraged one another and one day Kakarott caught up with your father,” she continued, remembering now that Vegeta had told her that Kakarott had ascended as well. Poor guy, she thought to herself. He’d only wanted to help Vegeta and in the end that got him killed. I wonder where we’d all be if he hadn’t left with Vegeta? Maybe we’d have rescued him from this place and things would be good instead of how they are now.
“What happened when he caught up to him?” Trunks asked with interest.
“They went into a war together and it didn’t end well, but they worked together,” she answered, thinking she should have thought the story through better before starting because it wasn’t as encouraging as she had meant for it to be. “The androids killed him and they were all overwhelmed and outmatched. Your father was arrested and you know the rest. That wasn’t my point though, my point was that they helped and strengthened each other. They didn’t belittle each other, they were brothers and together were nearly unstoppable. In any other scenario, they would have been unstoppable, anyway,
“So Trunks, I want you to help your brother and Tarble, you need to listen to Trunks. You’ll catch up. It was years before Kakarott caught up to Vegeta, but he put in a lot of hard work and persistence and never gave up. You are brothers, you help each other out and you never leave the other behind. I don’t care what they teach you.” She said firmly.
Trunks nodded in agreement. “Sorry, Tarble,” he mumbled. “I didn’t let you win both those times.”
“I knew it!” he smiled.
“You need to work hard, Tarble.” Bulma said to him. “It won’t be easy, but listen to Trunks. If you don’t catch up they will begin separating the two of you and that’s not good. You need each other.”
“I will,” he nodded with a serious look of determination on his face.
“Good,” Bulma smiled, feeling satisfied with her parenting choices. Truth be told, she loved them both dearly and didn’t want anything or anyone putting a wedge between them. “Now I’m going to eat one of these delicious looking treats you brought and Trunks, you get to decide what we are going to do this evening.”
-0-0-0-
Jeyice stepped off the ship and made his way eagerly towards King Cold’s throne room to debrief him on his successful mission. It had been a total of six months he had been gone, trying to complete King Cold’s request. It had been a lot more difficult than he had originally thought.
While there weren’t any Saiyans left remaining on the surrounding planets, there were many other races that had been beginning to set up shop on the abandoned Saiyan ruins. Some left at Jeyice’s command, and others stood their ground to fight over the left over spoils. In vain, in the end. Jeyice and his soldiers were easily able to wipe most of them out. It had been nothing more than a waste of his time, in his opinion.
Once eradicating anyone residing on these planets, Jeyice had petitioned Cold to leave a handful of them standing. King Vegeta may have been an arrogant king who pissed King Cold off, but the bastard had been very wise in the way he had set up these bases. Each one was able to hold enough infantry to defend itself until further assistance had arrived and the distance between the major bases were all spaced out equally so that if one was in trouble, it would not take long for help to arrive.
Jeyice destroyed the smaller planets in between; some seemed to be nothing more than storage planets for weapons and other things. Others were major bases. Those were the ones he had advised Cold not to destroy.
He advised him that it could be beneficial to leave these standing and occupy them for himself as a mid way base; a place to store soldiers and keep order. Isotope could be his main base, but it was at such a far corner of the galaxy, it would take far too long to dispatch soldiers and get anywhere if he needed to. If he had a second base, full of infantry, this would be a huge help.
To his credit, Cold agreed with him and left it to his discretion which bases to keep and which ones to destroy. Jeyice chose four in total; each one at the four furthest corners of the former Saiyan Empire’s quadrant. Each one was about a week or less travel in between, they were that wide spread, but Jeyice did not see that as a problem, especially if King Cold planned on populating these planets with these new Android soldiers. No one in the right mind would be able to destroy them all within a one week time span, he thought with an arrogant smirk.
Anything else in between, he destroyed. Content with his work, he headed back to King Cold’s base and now here he was.
“Very well done, Jeyice,” King Cold nodded appreciatively to him.
“Thank you, my lord,” Jeyice replied, bowing in respect.
“I am very impressed with your work and the decisions you made, you are becoming quite the officer.”
“Well, I do try, my Lord,”
“You have been nothing short of exemplary and I feel a promotion is in order,” he said proudly. “You are hereby promoted to General as of immediately. You will receive an upgrade to your salary and your living quarters. You will reside in the wing with the other generals and not the barracks which means you will have your own living space with all upgraded amenities.”
“You are too generous, my Lord!” Jeyice exclaimed. Years of busting his ass in Lord Frieza’s court had gone unnoticed thanks to brownnosers like Zarbon, Dodoria and Captain Ginyu. Now, after all these years, he was glad to have finally gotten some recognition that all his hard work and following orders had been worth it.
“You deserve it,” Cold said. “I already set the order in motion and it shall be available to you by weeks end. I must add that you will still be responsible to training the two Saiyan brats, however.”
“Right,” Jeyice nodded. “How has their progress been going?”
“Alright,” Cold shrugged. “Trunks is still the stronger of the two but I have heard that the other one has been exerting a better effort as of late. I will require you to give me a full assessment within the next few days of their progress. If they are ready, it is my wish for them to begin earning their keep around here. They will need to start going on missions and so will begin accompanying you. You are to train them on how to handle protocol.”
“Yes, my Lord,” Jeyice nodded. “I will see them tomorrow and give you my assessment and full impression.”
“Very good, you are dismissed.” King Cold said, waving his hand. “Go out and celebrate tonight. You have certainly earned it.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” Jeyice bowed respectfully before leaving Cold’s throne room. He knew exactly where he would be spending his evening celebrating his new promotion and status.
Jeyice turned down the hall towards the barracks. A shower and decent meal was his first order of business and then he would pay Bulma a visit.
-0-0-0-
“Why hello, kitten,” Jeyice drawled as he strode casually into the lab a few hours later. “How are you?”
Bulma felt the blood from her face drain and her stomach drop instantly at the mere sight of him.
“I can see Vegeta here is the same,” he commented casually, walking up to the regeneration tank and looking at him. “Has he been out at all, or is he still in?”
“Still in,” she replied quietly, trying to calm her nerves. She had been so sure that if Jeyice came back that she wouldn’t turn into a mess at the sight of him. She had been wrong. Seeing him brought her right back to the dread and anxiety she had felt that night after he had left her.
“Ah, pity,” he shrugged in false sympathy, leaning up against the tank and knocking on it obnoxiously. “However it is for the best I suppose, since you were so concerned about him the last time we saw each other.”
“Cold wants him kept in there indefinitely.”
“Perfect!” He nodded walking up to her. “So I can expect no objections now as we resume our little arrangement? I thought about you a lot while I was gone, you know.”
“You did, did you?” she sighed, trying to keep a calm composure.
“Oh yes,” he nodded, walking closer to her. “I thought of you an awful lot.”
Bulma took a few steps back but he continued to close in on her, not taking the hint that she was trying to keep ample distance between them.
“You got to see your boys I assume?” he asked with a sly grin.
“Yes,” she nodded.
“There were no issues with that?”
“None, thank you.”
Jeyice smirked at her. “There, see? I told you that I would make good on that,” he reached for her, pulling her close to him. “And I will continue to make good on that if you continue to put out like a good little woman.”
Bulma put her hands out and pushed against his chest in protest. “No, I can’t Jeyice, there must be some other way you, we can agree-”
“No, the deal is the same, hun,” he interrupted her, ignoring her attempt to push him away. “I could not help but think while I was gone that I definitely got the shit end of the stick last time. I expect you to attempt to at least pretend that you're having a good time an’ not just lay there while I do all the work. You do that and we can continue to have a very prosperous arrangement here for the both of us.”
“If you need someone to pretend to like you, then why not go find a hooker or something,” she objected. “That’s not what I am.”
Jeyice snorted in amusement as he took her hand and began urgently dragging her out of the lab. Bulma couldn't help but feel nothing but despair and anxiety closing in on her, making her feel so helpless and trapped, almost claustrophobic that it was difficult for her to breathe, never mind protest as he dragged her to her room. “I expect you to be into it this time.”
He opened the door to her room and shut it and immediately his hands were roaming all over her, touching her and groping her greedily, without care. “You never know, you may actually like it if you were to give me an honest chance, love.”
Bulma grimaced to herself at the thought of possibly enjoying herself with him when the very thought of even touching him made her skin crawl. Once again, she knew she was faced with little choice here and she decided, she would close her eyes and try to pretend he was Vegeta. That was the only way she would manage to pull this off and even pretend to enjoy him. “Turn the lights off,” she demanded quietly, resigned that this nightmare was going to happen again. At least if she couldn’t see him, maybe it would be somewhat bearable.
As he did that, she removed her clothes, put two of her fingers in her mouth and touched herself just in case she wasn't ready for him this time, which she was absolutely certain she wouldn’t be.
She heard a rustle of clothing and assumed that he was doing the same and she sat on the side of her bed. Within seconds he was on her, encouraging her to lay down.
Bulma winced as he began to roughly feel up her body and once again she was reminded that he wasn't Vegeta, she thought in dismay. Unfortunately thinking and wishing he was wouldn't make that happen and because he was so rough with her, she couldn’t even pretend that he was Vegeta; even when Vegeta was rough with her in such times that there was a sense of urgency, he had always still managed to not cause her any real discomfort.It had been exciting, not unpleasant.
“Watch it,” she complained finally.
He suddenly stopped what he was doing. “What?”
“Have you ever had a woman that actually wanted to be with you?” she asked irritably, trying to push him away from her and sit up.
“Yea, lots,” he snorted, not budging.
“Lots, huh,” she repeated in disbelief, covering her eyes with her hand as she gave up trying to sit because he was pinned on top of her. “Like women who willingly came to you or because you paid them?”
“Most of them I paid for and some were fortunate enough to have me before their lives were ended during a purge,” he replied proudly, tracing a finger along the top of her chest absent mindedly.
“Figures,” Bulma sighed.
“What does?”
“That paying for sex and raping women is all you know,” she said bitterly.
“What difference does it make?” He asked. “It's all the same.”
“No, it isn't and it's disgusting!”
“How's that?” he asked in offense, finally getting off of her to turn a light on at her bedside. “I've had many women and none have ever complained; none but you! I'm starting to wonder if Vegeta used you at all.”
“They didn't complain because either you paid them or killed them after you raped them,” Bulma said, not caring about her nasty tone at all. “And no, you're right; Vegeta didn't use me. He-”
“Well, I'm going to remedy that,” he cut her off, coming back to the bed, grabbing her legs, roughly pulling her towards him and standing between her thighs as he stood at the side of her bed, ready to take her.
“No! No, no, no, no!” she pleaded at him frantically, locking her knees together trying to stop him from going any further. “Wait! Please!”
“Now listen, you've put me off long enough!” he objected angrily. “Now shut up and take it or you will not be seeing your brats again ever!” He threatened, prying her knees apart.
“Don't you think it would be better if we both enjoyed this?” She asked quickly, pushing on him with her foot. “I'm not ready.”
“Like I bloody care!”
“Well, if you hold off and wait a little instead of plunging yourself into me like a mindless brute, I promise you'd enjoy yourself a lot more and I won't complain nearly as much,” she said frantically. “If you want me to at least pretend to enjoy myself with you, then stop acting like an asshole!”
Jeyice snarled at her in frustration, his erection throbbing by this point.
“Let me give you a little show, it will blow your mind; I can promise you that,” she said to him, placing her toes on his chest and successfully pushing him away from her this time. And it will make this a little bit easier for me to endure, she added silently to herself.
“Pssh, fine,” he snorted in frustration, gripping himself in front of her to relieve himself somewhat. “Get on with it then.”
Silently thanking her lucky stars, she crawled back up to the middle of her bed, tossing her top onto the lamp beside her bed to dim the room somewhat so that she felt a bit less exposed but he could still see her well enough.
“Let me teach you something,” she said coyly, running a hand down between her legs and touching herself as she caressed a breast with her other hand. “There's a big difference between a woman screaming out in pleasure and said woman screaming out because of pain or terror. I think you'll find it much more satisfying for yourself to make a woman scream in the throes of passion rather than because you’re brutalizing her. Vegeta was an expert in that department.”She told him, wanting to hopefully play on his competitive male ego side.
“Like Vegeta had a clue,” he snorted in doubt.
“Oh, he did,” she sighed wistfully, stroking herself lightly and spreading her legs just enough so he could finally see that she was actually touching herself. “Vegeta always made me scream; and it was never in pain, but always in ecstasy. He could make me scream with just the most subtle touch of his fingers before he would put himself inside me. Sometimes even twice before seeking out his own pleasure by claiming me fully. He would make sure I was more than satisfied and only then would he fuck me senseless until I screamed his name out loud,” she explained, though she hated referring to her and Vegeta’s intimate details in such a vulgar fashion. However beginning to understand the mentality of the person in front of her, she figured that was the only language he would be able to comprehend.
“Bullshit!” he scoffed in disbelief, watching her hands intently as he slowly stroked himself.
“I bullshit you not,” she insisted, squeezing her breast and sighing as she spread her legs just a bit more so he had a full, unimpeded view of her stroking herself slowly. “You were partially right when you said Vegeta never used my body; he didn't. He played it like a fine instrument. He knew every inch of my body and how use it to his advantage and increase his own pleasure.”
By this time Jeyice was completely fixated on what her hands were doing to herself. She brought the hand that had been on her breast up to her mouth and sucked on two of her fingers before touching herself and inserting one of them inside herself and brought the other hand that had been previously between her legs up to her breast and gently caressed it, moaning quietly, biting her bottom lip.
Pervert, she thought to herself, refraining from rolling her eyes at him as she heard him inhale sharply as he continued to almost absent mindedly jerk himself off slowly as he watched her, almost fascinated. While she felt dirty having him watch her as she touched herself, it was better than him taking her dry like he had the last time.
She closed her eyes and threw her head back as she panted and let out an over exaggerated, breathy moan for Jeyice's benefit as she inserted a second finger into herself and bucked her hips against her hand. She still wasn't ready and she knew she had to do something to make herself even a little bit aroused soon before he lost his patience and decided to plow into her.
Bulma thought of one time when she'd tormented Vegeta this way. He hadn't let her fly solo for long before he had to touch her himself. He hadn't been able to refrain even though it had been his idea.
It had been soon after they'd been reunited on Callisto after him thinking her dead all that time. It had been such an amazing time the first few weeks they were together again as a newly married couple free of the stresses and troubles that had surrounded them previously. They had experimented with each other’s bodies almost endlessly in those few weeks of bliss before things had taken a turn for the worse again and Yamcha had abducted her. Before that they had both been nearly insatiable in their need for one another and she felt a flush of heat run through her now at the memory of it.
She couldn't remember now how it had come about but she remembered Vegeta had asked her to touch herself for him. At first she had thought he had been joking and then she had been mortified at the thought of doing such a thing. He had given her his trademark smirk that she loved so much and told her again to touch herself the way she did when he wasn't around. She remembered that he had been floored when she confessed to him that she never did that before they'd been together nor after even when they had been separated for those eight, long months.
In any case, she of course indulged him and shyly touched herself as he watched her with hungry eyes.
She'd actually began enjoying herself, the knowledge that he was watching her heatedly giving her that extra oomph of confidence, she'd closed her eyes and focused her efforts on pleasuring herself when suddenly she'd felt an extra finger join hers, slowly penetrating her…
Bulma gasped as she felt him slide a finger into her along with her one finger.
“Show me how you like to be touched,” he said, his voice only an octave above a whisper.
“You already know,” she answered playfully.
“I still want you to show me,” he said, lying beside her, his hand still between her legs. “Guide me,”
She nodded, lying beside him on her side, her back against his chest so they were spooning. She pulled his left arm under her so that now both his arms were around her.
She took his left hand in hers and caressed her left breast gently and guided his right hand towards her nether regions, stroking herself slowly with his hand.
As they went, she soon lost herself in the touch of his hands on her, pleasuring herself with his hands until she came…
It had been the most erotic moment between them, up until that moment, and she treasured it.
Even now, at the absolute lowest point in her life, she at least had these memories to look back on and while she hated to cheapen those cherished moments by using them now to help her, they made her appreciate Vegeta even more than she already had. She'd known for a long time how lucky she was to have been found by him. He could have been brutal like his father or he could have been selfish and clueless like Jeyice.
She eventually lost herself, completely forgetting about Jeyice now. Her mind was miles away from there. All she thought of was Vegeta. His hands, his arms, his lips; his tail even when it would randomly brush up against her, inadvertently discovering some new erogenous zone. She felt another wave of pleasure washed through her as she thought about it.
Jeyice watched in fascination as she continued to pleasure herself shamelessly now in front of him. While he didn't care if she got anything out of their little arrangement, he couldn’t help but stroke himself off with real purpose now as he watched her. He grunted as he felt his release approaching prematurely.
Bulma was brought out of her inner thoughts of a much simpler and pleasurable time between Vegeta and herself as she heard Jeyice moan. She looked at him and by the look on his face knew that it wouldn’t be long before he brought himself to climax.
Rejoicing inwardly at the thought that she may be able to get by without him touching her at all this time, she began to cry out as though she were reaching her own completion. She thrashed and moaned and panted and mewled as though she was having the best climax of her life all with the hopes that the visual of her doing so would push him over the edge.
It had the desired effect she had hoped for.
“Shit!” Jeyice cursed as his release happened. He bolted towards her as he erupted, his seed landing on her stomach as she kept up her little show for him. Inwardly, she was appalled that he had spilled himself all over her. It made her feel cheap and dirty but it was better than the alternative and having to let him fuck her.
Jeyice gasped as he pumped his member and leaned over her, not touching her, but making eye contact with her as he finished. He remained there a moment in recovery before backing away from her.
Bulma laid there a moment, clenching her teeth and covering her eyes with her hand in shame that she had just done that in front of this person. When she opened her eyes, she couldn’t see him and wondered briefly where he’d gone.
He appeared a moment later from her washroom and carelessly tossed her a towel to wipe herself off, which she did immediately, trying to keep a straight face about it.
Jeyice stood there a moment watching her with a cool expression on his face. “I suppose you think you’re quite clever, don’t you?”
Bulma shrugged at the question, concentrating on wiping his mess off of her and avoiding eye contact with him altogether.
“You were right though,” he nodded.
“About what?”
“That little show you put on,” he clarified. “It was bloody brilliant, I must admit.”
Bulma just nodded as she finished wiping herself off and sat up, immediately reaching for her blanket to cover herself up and praying to god that he wouldn’t want to continue things. She was more than aroused now and the last thing she wanted was for him to take her now and possibly enjoy herself. She couldn’t win here, she felt! She didn’t want to be raped, but she didn’t want to receive any pleasure or fulfillment from him either. To have that happen would most definitely be betraying Vegeta, she felt.
Jeyice stood there a moment looking at her as though deliberating over what he wanted to do next. “Alright,” he said quietly to himself and nodded. “I’m going to go, but only because that was one of the hottest displays I have ever witnessed, and that is saying something. I am satisfied, however,” he went on, beginning to dress himself. “But I will be seeing you soon and our agreement still stands; you will continue to see your boys.”
Bulma just nodded silently, wishing he would hurry up and leave.
He didn’t say anything more as he finished dressing himself and gathering his things before exiting her room and closing the door.
Bulma bolted up out of her bed the moment he left and raced to the shower, once again, not waiting for the water to warm up in her need to shower any remnants of him off of her completely. She washed and scrubbed herself clean, not bothering to finish herself off even though her nether regions were throbbing and practically begging for her to finish what she had started.
She briefly considered it before she committed completely to against doing any such thing and washed herself and any evidence of her own arousal away. She felt that to bring herself fulfilment at a time like this would be disrespectful to Vegeta. She was here against her will, only complying with Jeyice so that she was able to have a relationship with her boys, nothing more.
She almost couldn’t believe she had managed to nearly avoid sexual contact with Jeyice almost entirely tonight with her quick thinking and began to think of other possible ways she may be able to avoid or manipulate him.
As she thought about it, she couldn’t help but smirk to herself and add up a mental tally:
Bulma-1 Jeyice-1.