Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Obsession ❯ Many Interludes ( Chapter 17 )

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

Chapter 18


~*~

She had clutched her one year old son to her chest, tears clouding her vision as she and Gohan fled from the sanctuary of their cave.There were four Androids not two!!Mirai Trunks had been wrong, so wrong!After escaping the two ugly, maniacal Androids, they had seen two more emerge, from safety of their hiding spot in the cave.

But these, these Androids were beautiful; a blonde haired girl and a raven haired boy, both with startling blue eyes.The striking Androids had killed the other two right before their very eyes!!She had been so confused.Weren’t they on the same side?Why were the Androids fighting the other Androids?It didn’t make any sense!

Bulma hadn’t stopped to think.

She had just tugged on Gohan’s arm and motioned to the direction of Satan City as they hid behind the rocks, away from the deadly eyes of the Androids.She didn’t care, but at least now they only had two Androids to worry about and not four!

They managed to escape unnoticed, all the way to Satan City.She knew, she knew that the Android’s next target would be Satan City.It had the highest population of people.The Androids would be drawn to it like magnets.But she had to get there, had to warn them.

And so Gohan had flown them, with what little strength he had left, to Satan City.

~*~

There was chaos.

There were no other words to describe it.It was utter chaos.

People running, screaming, trying to hide…Crying.They had all heard of the crazy Androids running around, killing destroying everything and everyone that stood in their way.The tension was like a heavy burden on the shoulders of the people in the city, each one thinking; They’ll be next.It was like living in a real life nightmare.

And then, there was finally a blessed silence.

The city seemed dead… Dead.

But they would be safe.Safe under the ground.The Androids couldn’t get them down here.Bulma would make sure of that.

Panic had now settled into every single inhabitant of their city as they ran down the empty road.People were either cowering in the sky scraper buildings, or running rampant with their cars on the far away motorways.Waiting.Waiting for the Androids to come.

Luckily, Gohan had landed on an empty road.

She knew that there were different teleportation access routes into Ground Zero for all the different scientists; she just had to find one!She could feel Gohan’s energy draining.The poor kid.The Androids that had been destroyed by the boy and girl had really done a job on the little boy.He could barely stand up.She wondered how he had found the strength to fly himself as well as her and Trunks to Satan City.

She shook his shoulder, trying not to wince as Trunks screamed bloody murder in her ear.She was holding him too tight.“Come on Gohan!We have to get to a safer place!”She pulled on his arm, forcing her legs to run down the deserted road as she tried to pull Gohan along behind her.

“I--I can’t Bulma-san!I, I’m t-too tired!”He wheezed, stumbling to his knees.

A fierce anger began to tremble in the pit of her stomach.She yanked him up onto his feet, “Come on Gohan!You can do this! You can’t give up!!We’re almost there!”She screamed into his haggard face.Poor, poor little boy.

He looked at her with weary confusion in his chocolate brown eyes.Bulma groaned in frustration.If her calculations were correct, then it would take the Androids only fifteen minutes to descend upon Satan City. That wasn’t enough time to save everybody…

Her eyes focused on one of Ground Zero’s secret teleportation chambers.There it was!!A shining red door on the side of a building.Sweet, blessed mercy, they were saved!She gripped onto Trunks tightly, squeezing Gohan’s hand firmly as she started to run.She would be damned if she was going to lose him too!

They reached the red door and Bulma yanked on the handle, flinging it open with a force she didn’t know she possessed as she ran into the empty room.

They had made it…They had made it.

~*~

The month in the ship was dragging for the Saiyan Prince.A month hadn’t even passed.It had only been one week since he had been informed of the different times and rotations.He still hadn’t got his head around it all.Every time he thought of the time difference, he would reflect on how many months had passed by on Earth or, how many years…

The idea still hadn’t sunk in for him.And the very thought that Kakarott was enjoying his time on earth, without the threat of Androids was pushing him over the edge.Never before had he felt so angry, so furious.Even Bulma’s predicament seemed to be brighter than his. he was, training nearly every hour in a suffocating ship, whilst she enjoyed the luxuries of life in her mansion… With the worm.

He had envied her lifestyle in the beginning.Blissful, without a care in the world.Damn humans.It made him want to vomit the way they went on about their living.They even had added entertainment for the ‘rich’ and ‘glamorous’, as Bulma had once put it.Everything a person’s heart could desire.It was disgusting.They had no sense of honor.

They were just a bunch of weaklings with no goals or aspirations in life.All they did was lay in the stupor of their lives, getting fatter as they aged and finally, withering away in their elderly homes, because their so called ‘family’ didn’t have time to look after them.One word came to mind when he thought of humans; pathetic.And yet, he still envied some of them.Especially the blue haired scientist.

But all of that was about to change.

Once he was reinstated as Prince, or even King, depending on his father’s condition, he would be the one to have everything.Not her.And she would be the one to come running to him; instead of the worm she had called her boyfriend.After he killed Kakarott, everything would be on track for him.

Agh.Idiot.

Thoughts of Kakarott and Bulma were even affecting his training time, for he had even despised Bulma’s relationship with the brain dead goon.

But soon enough, it would be his turn to have everything.It would be his turn to be someone other than the Saiyan failure they all thought of him as.

He would come out victorious.

~*~

It was cold.

She felt cold.

Shivering, Bulma looked at the mass of wires before her.Tugging at the sleeves of her wooly jumper, she brought them round to cover her fists.Bad idea.After all, she needed her hands to fiddle with the wires.

An angry frown brought her eyebrows down, almost touching together comically.Although there was nothing comical about her situation.Far from it.The feeling of not being there spread through her like a warm blanket.The wires were there, and yet she couldn’t focus on them.It was as though she had forgotten their purpose…Her purpose.

What was she doing?!What were the wires for?She didn’t know.She just didn’t know…

Impulsive childishness trickled into the fabric of her mind.It seemed that ‘giving up’ took priority with her at that moment.She couldn’t deal with this.Not now, not when she felt so--so dead.Like she had no feelings left within her, no life.In her mind, she just ceased to exist.It was odd, these feelings that she was experiencing.She had never felt this way before.

Maybe it was cabin fever.Staying underground for the past five years was taking its toll on her.Not that she hadn’t been above ground.She had gone, but only for brief periods of time.Only to save various people that showed up on her father’s satellite system in Ground Zero.Even then it wasn’t enough for her.She needed to breathe fresh air again; not this false supply of oxygen that she was inhaling.

It was all the Androids fault.They had reduced her life to this miserable existence.The running, the hiding, the fighting…Oh god, the fighting.

No.It was Vegeta’s fault.

For the past five years, five years, she had blamed him.If only he had been there when Goku fell sick, he could have stalled the Androids while they took Goku home to take his medicine.If only he had become a Super Saiyan, if only he had been stronger than Goku, if only--

If only, if only, if only---he had just been there…

He could have prevented this; he could have saved them all.But he chose to leave her…Her and her son.All for his glorious fucking pride.

Her breathing grew hitched, her chest heaved up and down as the various thoughts protruded in her mind.The mass of wires a colored blur in the distance.

He was probably King of his people by now, selling and buying planets as their empire had once done.She was probably a remote memory in his mind, a flea…

Could he possibly even be fucking another---?

She stood up abruptly from the desk, gulping in the recycled oxygen of Ground Zero as though she had spent an eternity under water, trying to claw to the surface.Her shoulders convulsed, shuddering at the mere image that had been burned into her mind.

She couldn’t think about him now, she wouldn’t.She couldn’t allow herself to.It would only cause her to start crying enough tears to fill the entire underground system of Ground Zero, as she had done many times before.

Whirling around, she started to stomp towards the door, only to stop short as she saw a small shadow standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the light from the corridor.Oh shit.She hoped she hadn’t displayed her weaknesses in front of--

“Momma?”The shadow whispered, fearfully.

Bulma’s bland expression grew warm at the sight of her son.He was here.He was her anchor, her one reason for staying grounded.Her one reason to keep living.As though he were a beacon of life, as soon as she set her eyes upon him, her heavy breathing gradually returned to normal.And she clung to that thought.Her anchor.

As casually as she could, she strolled over to her little boy, now six years old.She forced herself to smile brightly, forced herself to create a sparkle in her eye, just for him.“Is everything ok, sweetie?”She knelt down in front of him, placing her hands on his strong shoulders.Only six and he was already showing signs of his Saiyan heritage.

“Yeah,” he replied softly.“But I couldn’t sleep.”

She looked at the electronic clock on her laboratory wall.That’s right.It was past midnight.How funny.She hadn’t even noticed the time.

Bulma returned her attention to the pale chubby face of her son, “Why, what’s wrong?” found herself asking with concern, although she already knew what his answer would be.

He shrugged carelessly, “Nuthing,” he paused seeing his mother’s expression harden as she gazed at him.He fidgeted uncomfortably under her intent look before adding, “Nightmare.”

She allowed her gaze to soften as he admitted the truth.Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his brow to kiss him softly.As she rose from her knelt position, she took his hand into her own and slowly stepped out of the laboratory, pulling him alongside her as they strolled slowly down the sterile halls of Ground Zero.

After ten minutes of walking, they finally reached their room.She still insisted on sharing a room with her son.It was only plausible after the threat of the Androids appeared.She didn’t want him away from her when she slept.There was no telling what might happen in the cold hours of the night.Even if they were more than a hundred feet underground.

She keyed in the security code, and watched with a critical eye as the door slid open.Slowly.She would have to get that fixed.But it seemed that she didn’t have time to do anything anymore, which wasn’t exactly true…She had the rest of her life down here if the Androids weren’t defeated.

As they stepped in, she noticed that this room was also cold.In fact, the entire underground realm of Ground Zero seemed cold.Why hadn’t she noticed this before?Another fucking problem to fix.

The room was supposed to be like every other room sleeping in Ground Zero.Bland.Boring.Empty--with only a bed and a dresser.The rooms like this were only supposed to be for the workers of Ground Zero that had decided to do some overtime into the night.They were not for permanent residence.Which of course changed when the Androids decided to practically decimate the entire city.

But their room, hers and Trunks’, was different.It was decorated with hundreds of pictures of Bulma and her friends.Trunks had made her put them up.He had also made her tell him stories of her friends, of their adventures.

He loved those the most.

Even though it had pained her at first, she too grew to love their nightly activities, lying snuggled up in bed, whispering and laughing secretly at the silly stories she told.If it made him happy, then it made her happy.

The room didn’t look that bad now.She had even painted the plain white walls a nice shade of blue, after searching for some paint in one of the labs on Ground Zero.It looked pretty good, to her and her son, this was their home.

This one tiny room held her entire life in it.And so, they had made it their own, with anything they could salvage from the broken mansion of C.C that lay above Ground Zero.Gods, she missed her home, her room, her kitchen…

The Androids knew that the people of Satan City were hiding.They just didn’t know where.And that was one victory she rejoiced in.Ground Zero had come in useful to the entire city, not just for scientific reasons.She felt a deep satisfaction in knowing that nearly over two hundred thousand people had survived because of her.Well, not solely because of her.Ground Zero had a great part to play in the number of survivors.And the numbers were still growing.

With her initiative, she had formed a rescue group.Well, it wasn’t an actual ‘group’, as it was only her and Gohan; perhaps it was more of a duo.

She felt a little silly at that moment, taking pride in her ingenuity, but it couldn’t be helped.The people they had saved were shocked to learn of Ground Zero’s existence, but they didn’t complain as they were thankful to have a safe haven in which they could escape to.A safe haven in which they could survive.

It had every provision they could ask for; food, clothing, and any other supplies they were desperate for.Hell, they even had an endless supply of toilet roll.Ground Zero had been transformed into an underground city; a very advanced underground city.

It seemed that her father had been preparing for the worst…It was a good thing that he did, or else they all would have perished in the first attack of the Androids.They all would have died like her friends…

“Momma?”

She shook her head, coming out of her thoughts with a blush.She couldn’t think like that when she was with him.It wasn’t right.Trunks had already climbed into bed.He was now staring at her fixed position in the doorway to their room, with a fearful expression glistening in his metallic blue eyes.

“Sorry sweetie,” she muttered under her breath, padding softly towards the slightly large bed that took up almost the entire room.In five years she had grown so much, as a person, as a friend, as a daughter…As a mother.She missed her carefree days of lounging by the pool or shopping, not that she didn’t have her comical moments in Ground Zero.

She almost chuckled to herself as she remembered how she had come about the bed.She actually had to argue with her father for a bigger bed.It was an all out brawl, fists and everything...Well, maybe she was exaggerating a bit.But still, it had been pretty funny.After all, how would she and Trunks be able to fit on a single bed?

She sighed as she slid under the sub-zero, crisp covers next to her son.

Trunks shifted slightly so that his mother was comfortable as she lay next to him.The fear and anxiety still showed on his face.He was worried about his mother.One minute she was there, and the next she was in her own world.He was scared.Terrified that he would lose her like she had lost her friends.There was one thing bothering him though.

His father.

He had wanted to ask her about him on several occasions, but his Sensei Gohan always told him to wait.Wait for what?The other kids he had spoken to in Ground Zero had fathers too, even though some of them were dead because of the Androids.But at least they had known what their fathers had looked like…He didn’t even know.

Six years old, and he was more of a grown up than the other kids he knew.His worry for his mother only heightened his senses for trouble or danger.It was too much for a little boy to take.He didn’t even think she noticed that he thought about things… Awful things.Things that he didn’t have the heart to speak of when he was with her.But that didn’t stop him from talking to his Sensei Gohan about it.

“Is everything alright Momma?Are we safe?”He forced himself to ask, his voice quiet.

A small smile lightened his face as he felt his mother’s warm arms encircle his waist.

“Everything’s fine Trunks-kun, we’re safe.I love you, my little prince.”She said softly as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, blowing a raspberry against the column of his neck as she gently tickled his sides.

It was their nightly ritual.She always did that when he had nightmares.It constantly made him feel better when she did that, and it always gave him cheerful dreams.That simple loving gesture took away the bitter reality they lived in, far away into a dream land of happiness where no harm could come to him or his mother.

A dream land where he had a father.

“Tell me one of your stories, Momma?”He opened his mouth in a gaping yawn as he warmed his cold body against his mother’s.

She was warm and squishy.And she smelled nice.Like lilies…Or, that’s what his Sensei Gohan had said once.He personally had no clue what a lily was, but whatever it was, he was certain it was pretty.After all, something that smelled so good like his mother, was bound to be pretty like her too.

Her laugh was like the sound of ringing bells to his sensitive ears.It tickled.“Ok, well, which one do you want to hear?”

“The one about Uncle Goku,” he mumbled sleepily, “The one where he beat the ugly lizard…”His voice trailed off, already falling into a deep sleep.In the distance, he could hear his mother’s muffled voice lull him to sleep as she told him their favorite story.He had heard this story a thousand times, but he still loved it.

Still loved it…And with that last thought, he fell into a deep slumber.

~*~

A sob threatened to choke her as she watched her little boy fall into a deep sleep.She couldn’t take it anymore.Just couldn’t take it anymore…She wanted her son to have freedom, to see the world above; not be trapped in this prison, where he had nightmares about Kami knows what!She was going to have to find a way out of this hell hole.Even if it meant destroying the Androids herself.

Softly rising from the bed, she leaned down and gently pecked her son’s chubby cheek, stroking his soft lavender hair before she stood up straight and walked quietly to the door of their room.As the door slid shut behind her, she pressed on the security lock to make sure no one could get in without Trunks’ permission.These days, she didn’t trust anyone.

As if she were on auto pilot, she slowly made her way to the training area of Ground Zero.She knew that she wouldn’t be able to sleep that night, she might as well do something.

She also knew of another person who would not be asleep.

~*~

The blinding light of the training room caused her to squint.

She almost smiled.

She knew he wouldn’t be sleeping.It had become a recent pattern of his, that reminded her of a certain Saiyan Prince…

As she entered the room, the gravity returned to zero.From the corner of her eye, she spotted him.His taut back rippled with new found muscles that had developed over five years of solid training.It was hard to believe he was a sixteen year old boy.

“Gohan?”

He turned around wordlessly.

He had sensed her coming towards the training room before she had even entered.Still holding the three hundred pound weights in his hands, he watched her silently cross the room with observant chocolate brown eyes.

A spasm in his cheek was the only indication of the small twinge in his heart as she walked across the bare training room towards him, wrapped in a wooly blue jumper and black tracksuit bottoms.It was almost as if she had changed her persona by changing her dress sense.What happened to the beautiful dresses and skirts she used to wear?He wished she would act like her old self, but then again, he wasn’t the same boy as before.

He never would be…

“You’re not sleeping,” he pointed out monotonously.

His voice had broken when he had turned thirteen, three years ago.Bulma was still amazed at his transformation.But it still brought a shudder of fear into her heart at the idea that he mimicked Vegeta’s attitude to a tee.It was more than scary, it was creepy.

Bulma stood awkwardly before him and looked up, yes, looked up at him; a large manly sixteen year old boy.His training had done a wonderful job in causing him to grow twice the size of her.All thanks to his Saiyan genes.“You’re not either,” she pointed out lightly.She was worried about him, although he wouldn’t let her worry about him.He always tried to bat away her anxiety with a shrug of silent indifference.

He shrugged wordlessly.

Big surprise there...

“You’ve been training non-stop since this morning.I really think you should get some rest,” she reprimanded, her motherly side coming out.

Behind the tough exterior, he was still the same little boy she had held in the cave five years ago.The same little boy that had cried into her shoulder.She hadn’t seen him shed a single tear since that day.Not even when he had learned that his mother had been killed in the Android attacks.They had been too late to save her…

Too late.

It was another blow to him.Bulma knew this, and yet she tried in every way possible to be a motherly figure by his side, but he just didn’t seem to see her that way.She was always and will always be, his Dad’s best friend.

He didn’t reply to her voiced concern, merely turned away to resume lifting the heavy weight in his hands.She finally had enough of tip toeing around him.Walking to his side, she placed a firm hand over his.

He froze; almost glaring at her.Although he knew better not to, if he knew what was good for him.

She glared back, unflinching.She was the adult, he was the child.“Gohan,” she said, her voice coming out in a surprising whisper, “It’s ok to let it out once in a while.I miss them too.”

There was only silence as the two gazed at each other, looking into one another’s eyes.The deathly quiet of the room was interrupted as the heavy dumbbell fell from his hands, thudding loudly to the ground.

Bulma watched with sad eyes as he fell to his knees weakly, showing his lack of strength from the day’s exertion.He was badly malnourished.Why hadn’t she seen this before?Still holding his hand, she knelt down beside him and placed her other hand against his cheek.

“I love you Gohan, what would your mother say if she knew I wasn’t taking care of you, hm?”She muttered softly, “I know what you’re doing.You think that if you train hard enough, you’ll be able to beat the Androids, am I right?”

When he didn’t answer; she continued, “You will beat them Gohan, you will.But not today, tomorrow or in the next year.It’s going to take time.And don’t even think about trying to get above ground to test your strength, because you know you’ll be killed.I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to you.Will you really let me mourn another death?Because only Kami knows how much more sorrow I can take…”She trailed off, her voice becoming thick with emotion.

Why couldn’t the pain just go away?!Why did everything hurt so much?!Every breath she took, every movement she made, it just hurt…Hurt until she wanted it to stop, wanted it to end, wanted to stop being filled with such heartache and pain.She just wanted to be empty and--

“Bulma-san?”

Gohan’s voice brought her back to reality.Just as he had done at the fight with the Androids.He had been the one to bring herself back from the voices in her head.Only it wasn’t voices, not really, it was her own voice.

She blinked a few times before focusing on his face once more.She was doing it again, she was fading into herself, and she couldn’t help it.Her panicked gaze fell upon Gohan’s concerned face, “Don’t let me slip Gohan,” she whispered fearfully, “Don’t leave me like your father did…Like Vegeta did.”Out of everyone she knew, she could only ever utter his name when she was with Gohan.

His troubled glance hardened as he heard his name.That’s right, he had left them all to their own fate after being reunited with his people.When she had told him that, only a year ago, he had been disgusted.He wished he could confront the bastard at that moment, scream at him for his lack of caring.Kill him.

He had left her pregnant and alone.Pregnant. first he thought the baby boy in her arms was Yamcha’s, but he soon learned the truth.Poor Yamcha…He would have been a better father than him.Perhaps he was just too much of a coward to stay and love her, to protect her; so he abandoned them.

He looked away from her large cerulean eyes.They were filled with too much grief for him to bare.Yet he was so mature for a sixteen year old, that he understood the root of her pain…Forgetting the mention of him, he brushed his large calloused knuckles over her cheek, wiping away the thin, glimmering line of saline water that ran down her cheek.

“I won’t let you slip Bulma-san.I won’t let you slip.”He whispered thickly.

With a rush of movement, he took her into his arms and gently rocked her against his firm chest as she clung to him with trembling hands, for dear life.As she clung to him for her sanity.

His mother had held him this way; Once…When he was just a little boy.It had helped back then.He could only hope it was helping her at that moment.He couldn’t see her filled with such heartache, such pain.He just wanted her to be happy.She deserved that, she had earned it after all the years of misery in their underground prison.She deserved it.Yet why hadn’t she been given that one tiny gift?

Was ittoo much to ask for?

~*~
Hands on the mirror,
Can’t get much clearer.
Can’t make this all go away.

Now that you’re bleeding,
You stare at the ceiling,
Watch as it all fades away…

~*~

Their bodies moved together in the ancient rhythm of love.For them however, there was no love involved in their endeavor.

With sweat slicked skin, they rubbed against one another, bringing about the utterance of unfaithful promises to their ears as they voiced their bodily bliss.He trailed his rough hands along the contours of her pale, milky curves; touching and teasing her secret hidden treasures for his own pleasure, as well as hers.She was so small against him, so tiny…And yet she held such incredible strength in her mind as to battle a thousand warriors to their death.Including him.

This thought only brought about more anxiety as she caressed his tanned shoulders.He could feel himself losing…Losing this battle of wits.If he wasn’t careful, she would ensnare him.

A pair of haunted cerulean eyes locked with his obsidian orbs as he moved against her with an animalistic force, their eyes clashing outside of space and time; outside of reality.

He didn’t once look away from her burning, accusing gaze.Instead, he relished in the heightened sensation of passion that was ignited in his veins as he moved with her in a perfect, unspoiled rhythm. A far cry from their flawed relationship.

“Promise---Promise me you’ll come back…”He heard her whisper, gasping as each new kiss and touch brought her to an island of ecstasy.

He found himself growling, although he didn’t knew why.She always had the power to do that to him.Nipping at the crook of her shoulder, he heard himself grumble out the forsaken promise, “Very well…”

As the desire and lust finally reached its peak, their primal cries rang out through the tranquil night, rising above the seas that shrouded them in a tepid mantle.Hiding them…Hiding them from the world.

~*~

Vegeta’s eyes snapped open.He stared at the dark ceiling of his chambers.The short, raspy breaths slowed as he gained his bearing once more.He was here on his ship, not with her.Damn dreams…Only, it wasn’t a dream.It was a memory of his final night on Dran with her; with Bulma.

Now his sleep was even being tainted with thoughts of her.Of how warm she was, how soft she had felt against him…

Growling, he rose from the bed.He would get no sleep this night, and that was fine by him.It just meant more time for him to train so that he could beat his rival.That was the only reason he was going back, not because of an empty promise he had made a few months ago.

I’m coming Kakarott…I’m coming for you.

~*~

A slow, but true smile spread across Bulma’s face as she stared at the brightly lit screen of her computer.

That’s it!

She had found the missing key.With eager anticipation, she waited for the formula to start printing from her computer on to paper.It had been one year since her ‘episode’ in Gohan’s training room, and she was happy to know that things were looking up.

Starting with the formula that was being printed.

For the past year, she had been working on a machine, or more like a room, rather than a machine.After Gohan had soothed away her fears, she had done a lot of thinking.A lot of thinking.Which wasn’t unusual for her, but the subject she was mulling over was.She had been thinking of the ‘time machine’ Mirai Trunks had used to cross dimensions.

A ‘time machine’ was an extremely complicated, and highly technological piece of equipment.Yet, her future-self had managed to build it, somehow, and it seemed to work without any problems.

And so, the thought soon began to nag her.If she could create a time machine in the future, what was to say that her genius couldn’t allow her to create something absolutely impossible to fabricate in the present time?She had all the equipment she needed to create her ‘special project’, it had been on her mind for a long time.So why couldn’t she do it?

Well, she could; and she did.

She had created something that would change their entire situation.

With her ingenuity, she had fashioned her own replica of Kami’s ‘Room of Spirit and Time’.The schematics were difficult to work out at first, and although the room had been already been set up by her, there was a key element that had been missing;

The formula she was currently printing out.

But she had finally found it, after almost a year of tearing her hair out, she had finally fabricated a vacuum large enough in the room next to Gohan’s training chamber, to create her own ‘Room of Spirit and Time’.And the one she had produced, was ten times greater in its design than Kami’s.After all, hers was scientifically created, his was created mystically by the ancient Guardians of Earth.

It was the perfect tool in aiding Gohan’s training and it would speed up the process of their success in winning their fight against the Androids.She had learned that at Kami’s lookout, no one could train for more that two days at a time in the room; and then after that, they could only enter it once more, otherwise the occupant would get trapped inside.

Well, her room didn’t have any of those bullshit rules.She had fabricated the room to have different periods of times within a day, which could be controlled from the outside.If her calculations were correct, and they always were, then Gohan would be able to spend a maximum of twelve years in the chamber, whilst only a day passed out in the real world.

She knew it was selfish to allow Gohan to endure the torment of being alone for such a long period of time, but she was helping out everyone by doing this.Not only would Gohan grow more powerful than he ever could in the time span of a day, but they would also not have to wait years for his strength to increase to the Androids proportion.And then, she could finally live above ground with her son…In peace.

It was a solid plan.

Bulma could see no flaw in it.

She snatched the piece of paper from the printer and marched to the ‘Chamber of Time’as she had aptly named it.After all, no spirits were involved in the creation of this magnificent room.

It was her best invention to date.And she was damn proud of it.

~*~

Gohan stared at the plain white door skeptically.“You’re telling me that this room is an exact replica of Kami’s ‘Room of Spirit and Time’?”He turned to the excited woman at his side as she marveled at her own work.

Bulma glanced at the seventeen year old sharply, “Of course it is!”She noted his amused expression and whacked his arm lightly.“Hey!I worked really hard on it!”She hadn’t told anyone of her project, not even her father.For a year she had secretly been working on it, and now that she had unveiled it to the one person that was going to use it, he wouldn’t believe her!

He chuckled, shaking his head.“No need to get violent, Bulma.”

She raised her eyebrow at him suspiciously.What happened to ‘Bulma-san’?She had noticed that his behavior around her in the past year had changed quite subtly.Little nuances that held deeply embedded feelings were starting to show in the unusually quiet boy.That’s right; he was still a boy…

Her voice grew serious and quiet as she returned her gaze to the door of the room, “Look, I’m giving you an opportunity to change all of our fortunes, Gohan,” she sighed, continuing, “You can have the chance to train for twelve years, uninterrupted, in the span of one day, grow stronger than you’ve ever been.It’s your choice.”

Gohan observed the door for a few moments before casting a lingering glance at the beautiful profile of her face.He had a opportunity to grow stronger, a chance to grow older.

And maybe then…

He snapped his eyes away from the curve of her pouted cherry lips.The frustration on his face was evident, but as she turned to cast another glance at him, it dissolved leaving nothing in its wake.

Bulma watched his eyes dance across the frame of the large door, his warm brown eyes considering her proposal.

“What about the food?”He found himself asking quietly as he focused on the door, rather than her entrancing face.

Her lips twitched in delight at the question.There was no doubt that he was a Saiyan.“There’s a forty year supply of food capsules in there.I don’t think you’ll have to worry about staying in there for that long, sweetie.”

His jaw moved in an abrupt spasm, at the endearment she had used.His fists began to clench unconsciously.

“Besides, if you do run out, I can teleport more into you.Just press the green button by the door inside, and it will alert me of anything you need or want,” she continued, not noticing the tiny inclination of movement in his cheek.“It’s got everything you need, every luxury you could ever wish for.Although it’s not an endless vortex like Kami’s room, this room has an end, so you have to be careful when you train.”

Gohan nodded slowly.“When do I go in?”

“Is now a good time?”She whispered softly.She just wanted to get this over with.She just wanted him to get stronger and defeat the Androids…

Her eyes filled with tears from an unknown sorrow, threatening to spill. “I don’t want you to spend your life away in that room, but I can’t think of anything else that will aid you in your training.I’m so tired of living down here, and I won’t live in peace until I know that the threat of the Androids has been permanently dealt with.I’m so sorry for making you do this Gohan.I must sound so selfish…”She swallowed a sob that rose in her throat.She was right.She was being selfish, incredibly, stupidly selfish for even considering the idea that he train in that god-awful room.

As Gohan stood by her side, unmoving, he could hear the tears in her voice.

He couldn’t stand for her to cry.

Without so much as glancing at her, he took her frail petite hand into his large one, and gently squeezed it.“You’re not making me do anything, Bulma-chan, nor are you selfish.You want this freedom for everyone.”He brought her hand to his lips, brushing them across her knuckles lightly, “I’ll go, and I will come out stronger… Stronger than my father and the rest of the Z Senshi.”

She blinked back the tears as he held her hand gently to his lips. moved her hand to his cheek and caressed it in a motherly gesture, smiling softly as he placed his own one over hers.With this contact, she keyed in the code to the door and it hissed open, tiny puffs of mist rolling out onto the sterile floor of Ground Zero.

Gohan withdrew his hand as quickly as he could, without being too suspicious.He watched as her hand fell from his cheek so that she could step aside from the doorway, waiting for him to enter.Taking one enduring glance at her beautiful blood-shot cerulean eyes, he entered the room; never to see them again for twelve years.

Bulma exhaled slowly as the door closed behind him.She looked at the digital clock she had mounted on the wall by the door, its reading;
10:02:49. this time in the morning, he would be out; stronger than ever, ready to fight the Androids.

And perhaps then she could begin a new life in peace; with just her and her son.

“See you in twelve years Gohan,” she mumbled softly to herself, before turning around and walking away from the door; treading on the broken pieces of Vegeta’s fallacious promise, as it lay scattered at her feet.

~*~