Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Obsession ❯ A Proposition. ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]



~*~



Bulma had been rendered completely speechless as the beam of ki hurtled towards Yamcha's direction. She shook her head in horror and somehow managed to find her voice. "YAMCHA!" She screamed with all her might and watched in awe as Yamcha dived from his position, the beam grazing his right arm as he fell roughly to the grassy ground.



Her chest began to heave and her heart pounded wildly against her rib cage. She could not believe that Vegeta had almost tried to kill one of her best friends.



Vegeta glared coldly at Yamcha's fallen form. He raised his hand to shoot another ki beam, but a wise and quiet voice stopped him short.



"Vegeta... That's enough."



He turned and found himself staring into the mirrored glassy blue eyes of Bulma's father. He drew his lips back into a threatening snarl, but lowered his hand slowly, his eyes locked with those of the wise Doctor.



Bulma breathed a sigh of relief but saw the silent yet meaningful exchange between her father and the Saiyan Prince. She could not fathom the shock she felt at Vegeta's outburst, but deep down she knew why he had reacted so defensively.



He had seen Yamcha as a threat to his masculinity and so had acted upon the threat as he normally would have done. By blasting him to the next dimension. It was odd, but she was secretly annoyed at Yamcha's interruption. Had it not been for him, she felt that she had been making solid ground in understanding Vegeta's personality.



It seemed that Yamcha had a knack for showing up at the wrong time, although she grudgingly admitted that Vegeta should not have gone to such extremes as to shoot him. It was fortunate that her father had chanced upon them, or Yamcha would have found himself buried six-feet beneath the ground.



At the thought of her father, she inhaled sharply and looked back and forth between Vegeta and the silent Doctor. All the while, praying to Kami that Vegeta would not try
to kill her father in Yamcha's place. She was surprised to see something akin to respect flicker in Vegeta's eyes. Why did he look upon her father in such a manner? It was uncharacteristic of him and seemed rather strange.



Upon seeing the silent stalemate, she quickly wheeled herself down the ramp towards Yamcha and somehow managed to help him sit up. She watched him with a guarded expression as he winced and clutched his arm.



"Didn't I tell you to go home? What are you doing here?" She whispered, more irritated than ever before. She had never liked people to ignore her direct wishes.



Yamcha scowled and gripped his bloodied arm. "Gee, thanks for asking Bulma- chan. I'm fine, honestly, just a minor third degree burn!" He snapped back sarcastically, although his voice was still unusually quiet. He seemed to know that if he made too much noise, Vegeta may resume his previous train of thought and finish him off there and then.



She glowered at him, "Don't get smart with me Yamcha. You know perfectly well how Vegeta's temperament is." As he opened his mouth to speak in defense, she sent him a cold glare that would have frozen any hot blooded male, "Don't say another word, I'm not in the mood for your incessant comments. You know perfectly well that Vegeta would no sooner harm me than he would harm Goku."



Vegeta sent a sideways glance at the woman reprimanding her former mate. He almost smirked as the worm visibly cowered before her, even though she was rendered completely disabled in her wheelchair. It had been one of her traits that he was most amused by.



Such a weak creature, and yet she held so much power over her moronic friends.



His gaze returned back to Bulma's father, who was observing him with a critical eye, as if he were deducing him. Vegeta almost frowned at the old man, but years of service in Frieza's command had taught him to control the muscles in his face, and so it remained stony and expressionless.



Bulma shivered, sensing Vegeta's eyes boring into her back. It made her feel uncomfortable and... Naked. It were as if she had bared her soul to the man behind her and there was no way to hide it once he had caught a glimpse of her vulnerability.



She shook her head, coming back to her senses and silently regarded Yamcha as he moaned in pain. She rolled her eyes inwardly and couldn't help but think 'weakling'. But she considered him to be one of her good friends and so brushed away the cruel thoughts.



"Are you ok?" She looked up as he stood shakily.



Yamcha's glare softened and he sighed slowly, yet his voice remained coolly detached. "I'll live," he replied in a clipped tone. He could still not believe she had taken to defending the Saiyan Prince, after he had been the one to initiate the ki blast!



Bulma was about to speak again, but her father's voice interrupted her.



"Bulma."



She slowly turned the chair and frowned uncomfortably as Vegeta continued to stare at her. She locked eyes with his raven colored orbs and quickly tore them away, focusing all of her attention on her father, her face growing hot as she could sense him staring at her out of the corner of her eye. "What is it Daddy?"



Dr. Briefs' sharp eye caught the strange interaction between his daughter and the irate prince. He raised a thick eyebrow, but chose to ignore the exchange for the moment. "Why don't you take Yamcha to the infirmary?" He commanded, rather than asked.



"Are you... Sure?" Bulma asked, perplexed by the strange tone of his voice.



"Yes, I want to have a word with our guest." he replied firmly, making sure that Vegeta's attention was focused away from Yamcha.



She stared briefly at her father's calm eyes and began to roll the wheels of her chair back towards the exit of the maze, locking her fingers through Yamcha's. "Come on Yamcha," she whispered, curious as to what her father would say to Vegeta.



The features on her face pleaded with her father to be careful, and he returned the look with a nod of reassurance. Satisfied that he would be alright, she dragged a silent and angry Yamcha behind her, out of the garden maze and back towards the mansion.



~*~



As soon as Vegeta saw the couple out of ear shot, he returned his gaze to the Doctor and frowned. "What is it old man? Don't tell me you have the same death wish as that imbecile." He snorted, referring to Yamcha.



Dr. Briefs almost chuckled, an evident sparkle was present in his eyes. "No, son." He paused as he saw the younger man's eyes narrow in suspicion.



"Well? Don't just stand there laughing like an old buffoon, tell me what you want." Vegeta snapped impatiently.



"It's about Bulma," Dr. Briefs began slowly. With his perceptive eyes, he could see the curiosity within Vegeta pique.



Dr. Briefs cleared his throat, his mustache shaking from the vibration. "I have a proposition for you."



Vegeta raised his brow and glared at the old man. He caught the mild, devilish look on the older man's face and couldn't help but allow a small smirk to spread across his face. After all, a proposition could not be all that bad, if it benefited him in the long run.





~*~





"Are you insane, you old fool?!" Vegeta exploded in horror, reeling from the proposition.



"Perhaps," the elder man replied softly, "But I believe that it can be done."



"Why do you... Trust in me, for this moronic task? Why not that fool Kakarott?" Vegeta growled in confusion.



"Because I see a lot more than you think and I know that beneath this warrior form, lies the heart of a good man. And you clearly know that Goku's intellect is far too... Slow for dealing with such situations that you will be in."



Vegeta was taken aback by the old man's confidence in him. Although he secretly allowed a small smirk to form at the old man's insult towards the low-class Saiyan. "Then you are sorely mistaken," he snorted in reprisal. "I am anything but a good man, any fool could see that."



Dr. Briefs shook his head, "Either way, I trust you enough to take care of my daughter."



Vegeta almost flinched at the mention of Bulma. Thus far, the situation between them had not been resolved and he was certain that the uncomfortable tension hanging between them was far from over. His stone heart seemed to shudder under the thoughts of the woman. It would be a cold day in hell before he allowed his lust to rule him
again! He snarled and shook his head forcefully. "No."



"Don't you want to see her healed?" Dr. Briefs asked, almost urgently.



"What happens to your daughter is no concern of mine!" He turned away from the elder man and looked at the star-filled sky. "Now leave me be, before I am forced to blast your annoying presence away."



Dr. Briefs sighed. "Vegeta... Son," a light bulb in his head switched on, shining brightly in his mind. "What if I could made it worth your while, hm?"



Vegeta snarled, "I don't want your charity!"



"It could improve your strength," Dr. Briefs said quietly, knowing full well it would interest the proud prince.



Vegeta looked sharply at the Bulma's father. "Speak quickly, before I change my mind."



"Well, the Navigator has a GR. I can assure you of pressures exceeding one thousand times Earth's gravity... What do you say?"



Vegeta cocked his head, it was certainly tempting. Perhaps he could get more out of this deal, "Pass," he said, smirking at the man's crestfallen face. He did enjoy to play with peoples' emotions and Bulma's father was no different.



"You didn't let me finish," Dr. Briefs continued, his voice undaunted yet his face betrayed the tone of his voice. "What is I could offer you more than that? Does holographic
sparring programs bring any interest to you? I can give you much more to boost your power Vegeta, you name it, you got it. As long as you agree to this proposition."



Vegeta almost chuckled at the old man's diplomacy.



He had hit the nail straight on the head;



The sly old dog...





~*~





"You really are an idiot," Bulma mumbled as she slowly wrapped the gauze bandage around her former lover's arm.



Yamcha sighed and rolled his eyes, "I get it Bulma!" He said peevishly, "You don't have to keep reiterating the same phrase."



Her hard stare softened as she looked into his defeated eyes. "Sorry, but you have to admit that it was pretty idiotic of you to speak out, especially when you knew Vegeta was speaking of his past." She smiled secretly as she remembered the Prince's shocked face at the notion that Vejita-sei was still visible from the planet Earth.



She narrowed her eyes at Yamcha's hunched shoulders and bowed head. "What exactly were you doing back at C.C? I thought I told you to go home," she said suspiciously.



"I was worried about you," he replied quietly.



Bulma blinked, allowing her eyes to remain shut for a few moments. She took a deep breath and opened them, only to find herself looking up into a pair of concerned dark colored eyes.



"Alright, alright. I get it," she grumbled, "You were worried and so you showed up at the wrong moment and almost got yourself killed in the process. Just don't make the same mistake of interrupting one of Vegeta's private conversations again, ok?" She looked at his arm and began to chuckle, "Or you might end up with your other arm in a sling as well... Or worse."



"Dually noted, but-" He would have spoken more, but a beeping noise cut his voice short.



The door to the infirmary slid open, only to reveal Bulma's father. He stepped in and casually strolled over to his daughter and Yamcha. "Yamcha, my boy, everything alright?" He asked, genuinely concerned for his welfare.



Yamcha nodded silently.



"Well," Dr. Briefs continued, "If you are feeling better, may I have a few words alone with Bulma?"



Bulma frowned and watched as a devastated look took charge upon Yamcha's face. What on earth did her father want to speak about?



Yamcha nodded and jumped down from the infirmary bed. He bent down and softly kissed the perplexed woman's cheek. "I'll call you later, ok?" Without waiting for any form of response, he quickly turned to leave the white, suffocating room.





~*~





Bulma turned to look at her father blankly, "What is it Daddy?"



Dr. Briefs spoke carefully, knowing full well that his daughter's temper was full of wrath, "Honey... I know you haven't felt the same since the accident," he paused squinting as he tried to gather the courage to speak.



She looked away from the pity her father's face held. She did not want to be pitied! It was not in her nature to feel someone else's grief. Bulma now understood how Vegeta felt under Goku's influence. Goku had pitied Vegeta in their very first fight, had he not? Her father's rumbling voice brought her out from the revelation.



"You know I have tried to manufacture medicine in 'Ground Zero' to help you in this state, but the research is taking too long. Don't you think?" He asked quietly.



A sharp nod from Bulma, confirmed the Doctor's thoughts.



"And, the Dragonballs will not be regenerated for another ten months... How do you feel about that?"



"What? That I'm stuck in a wheelchair and rendered incompetent?" She spat harshly. "I feel great about it Daddy," she said, obviously lying as the sarcasm dripped from her words.



Dr. Briefs shook his head sadly, "I was afraid you would give me that answer." He walked closer to his paralyzed daughter and kneeled down beside her chair. "This is eating away at you honey, don't think I can't see what sitting in this wheelchair is doing to you."



Bulma felt hot and salty tears slowly well up in her eyes. "I can wait," she whispered. "Most people don't have a chance to even rid their paralysis."



He gently placed his hand over hers. "Dear, this can't be easy for you. That is why I'm giving you an option..." He trailed off at the open suggestion.



She blinked several times, "What is it?" Bulma cried in earnest.



Dr. Briefs smiled tightly and patted his daughter's head lightly. "How would you feel if we sent you off-planet to get treatment for your paralysis?"



Bulma's eyes widened at the suggestion. Of course!! Why hadn't she thought of such a thing?! 'Ground Zero' and the government were friendly associates of fifty neighboring planet. It would be ridiculous to think that not one of them could have a higher quality of technology than Earth.



She almost laughed in relief, "I'd say... YES! Oh Gods Daddy, yes!! If they had technology to heal me faster than the Dragonballs take to regenerate, then I want to go." She paused, as if thinking. "But--Who will take me? You?" She asked in a confused manner. "You can't go, you have too much work involving 'Ground Zero' and who would run Capsule Corporation while I'm away-?"



Dr. Briefs placed his hand over his daughter's enigmatic mouth. "Dear, slow down. You're rambling." He chuckled as the angry fire he was so used to seeing, sparked in her eyes once again.



It had been a long time since he had seen that fire in her eyes. "I will sort everything out and you are right. I cannot come with you because of the duties that need to be upheld on Earth. But I do have an alternative person who can take you." He held back a smile at the thought of her reaction.



"Who? Mom? Honestly Dad, if you think I'm taking Momma with me to another planet then you are sorely mistaken. I mean, she'd sabotage the whole political system with her offerings of pies and pastries! All that we've worked for will go down the drain if you allow Momma to take me to one of our allied planets! She'll scare away the delegates and dignitaries." She stopped, huffing as she had run out of breath from her ranting.



"No honey," Dr. Briefs shook his head. "I was thinking more along the lines of... Vegeta."



It seemed as though all the color from Bulma's face had drained, leaving her ghostly pale. Her blood-red lips began to quiver unimaginably. "B-- But... That's even worse!" She blurted out.



How could she spend her time confined with Vegeta in a spaceship, going towards a planet that would undoubtedly know him by name, if not face. He would ruin Earth's chance for a solid intergalactic position as a strong leader.



He could not even face Yamcha without wanting to kill him. What would he do if he had to face any more people that despised him greater than Hell itself?! He would surely blow the planet to smithereens without a second thought.



And it was certain that the planetary delegates would have a field day in rebelling against the Saiyan Prince and even the role of Earth as a member amongst the Solar Council.



Bulma grimaced at the thought. The Solar Council was her main concern.



They were ruthless in their dealings and would never let Earth remain a member if they knew it were harboring a fugitive criminal such as Vegeta... For Kami's sake, they had even tried to put a bounty to his name, but the proposition had been dispelled because of her quick thinking.



Her thoughts wandered back to her previous meetings with the fifty different delegates and Royals she had encountered at her first Solar Council meeting. It had been one of the many reasons she had been off planet for a few weeks, earning a few eyebrow raising questions from the other Z Senshi, including Vegeta.



Her father warned her not to go off planet after that meeting, for it was becoming too dangerous. Granted that the fifty planets lived in harmony and no one on Earth seemed to know of the dealings between the other planets, the political factors were becoming rather harrowed and complicated for Bulma to deal with and so she had stepped back and allowed her father to deal with the issues of the Solar Council.



"Bulma?"



Her father's voice cut through her train of thought. "Huh? Oh yeah... Daddy, you know the difficulties in having Vegeta escort me will present!" That, and she did not think she wanted to spend any extra time locked in a space ship with him.



What if the lighthouse situation repeated itself? She didn't think she could bare the thought of being tossed aside like a wasted doll. It would be too uncomfortable to
spend her time with Vegeta in such a confined space... Even if the spaceship was large enough for a hundred people.



Then, a thought occurred to her. "What makes you think that Vegeta will even agree to taking me to another planet?" She asked smugly, knowing that he would be even more hesitant to join her in space than she was.



"I have spoken with him, he has complied to my request." Dr. Briefs replied, equally smug at having caught his daughter out.



Bulma's face fell. "I don't want to go with him!"



"Stop being so stubborn, honey!" The old Doctor pleaded with his only child. "Look, I can sense that there has been some tension between the two of you lately, but that is no excuse to delay your healing. You do want to walk again as soon as possible, don't you?" His voice was shaking slightly.



Bulma saw the desperation in her father's eyes and relented. She never liked to see him beg, for he never begged for anything in his life, except from her. And it was safe to say that she despised it. She always crumbled at the deflated look in her father's eyes.



She exhaled slowly and glowered at her father. "Don't kneel Daddy, you know its bad for your arthritis," she berated softly.



Dr. Briefs took this as an acceptance of his proposal and he grinned as he stood from beside his daughter.



"I'm so glad you agree with my idea honey!" He crowed, "I've prepared everything for your launch tonight. You know it has to be done when there is no one in sight, at the launch pad in the desert outside of Satan City."




"The ship has already been set on auto pilot to the planet Dran. You remember the planet Dran don't you? It's one of our closest allies and they should be delighted to have you and Vegeta as guests, I've made sure of that. Although I did leave out the little details of Vegeta's true past and origin." He was bumbling again, like he always did when he was very excited.



"Daddy?" Bulma said quietly, storing away the information her father had just relayed.



"Yes dear?"



"How did you get Vegeta to agree into coming with me to Dran-sei?"



The Doctor chuckled. "That was simple, I offered him something he couldn't refuse."



"Like what?"



He tapped his nose conspicuously, "That's between me and the boy."



Bulma glared at her father, but choked on her words. "Did you say we were leaving TONIGHT?!" She shrieked, reeling from the delayed reaction to the news.



All Bulma received was a light pat on the head as she was wheeled out of the room by her father. There was nothing she could do, he was pushing her and she was
helpless to stop him.



She was leaving Earth that very evening, with a man's personality she could not fathom, who drives her utterly insane! "M--My things!" She sputtered as she was wheeled out of the infirmary to the front exit of the mansion.



"Don't worry about that, your mother encapsulated your belongings and already has them waiting in the air car. The C.C. Navigator 09 is already at the launch pad and ready for take off."



"You guys sound like you're only sending me to another country, not planet! What is it? Can't wait to get rid of me?" She snapped angrily.



"You know that's not true," he said softly from behind her as he wheeled her out of the mansion. "We just want you to get better quickly and the medicinal technology on Dran is far more advanced than any we have on Earth."



He rolled her through the large doors of the mansion, towards the awaiting air craft. "You know that things haven't been going well with the Solar Council, otherwise I would gladly come with you, but I have to stay and take charge of the dealings here."



Bulma could only remain silent at that point. She had exhausted herself far too much at present and was in no mood to converse with her father any longer. She knew she would have to get on the Navigator and accept her fate at being left alone on a space ship with Vegeta... Kami help her soul!



She took one final glance at the constellation of Vejita-sei, before she was rolled into the waiting air craft that would take her to the launch pad in the desert.



A strange thought occurred to her.


How will her father notify the Z Senshi of her whereabouts? And even more importantly, how will the next few weeks be in Vegeta's company?



She knew that it would certainly be a traumatic experience for both of them, and wouldn't be surprised if one of them had gone insane by the end of the trip. Her cheeks flamed as she remembered the night in the lighthouse...



Kami, she felt she truly would go insane if a repeat of that night occurred.



~*~
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