Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Rebellious Hell ❯ Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ.

A/N - I am sorry that this chapter took me so long to get out but my computer crashed about a week ago and I lost half of this chapter and ended up having to rewrite it. On top of that I also had a lot of exams lately at school.

Big thanks to Ane S. Thesia for beta reading for me! ^_^

Chapter 4: 'Understanding'

~*~

~*~ If you have hitherto concealed this sight, ~*~

~*~ Let it be tenable in your silence still, ~*~

~*~ And whatsoever else shall hap to-night, ~*~

~*~ Give it understanding, but no tongue: ~*~

~*~ I will requite your loves. ~*~

- Hamlet from 'Hamlet'

~*~

"Bulma?" Turles hesitantly placed a hand on Bulma's taut shoulder and held his breath as he waited for her to shrug it off.

Ever since he had been stupid enough to let slip that he loved her, she hadn't said a word. She had let him hold her that night after his little confession, but hadn't spoken at all. She had been as silent as a mouse, even her breathing seemed muted and for Turles it was the worst kind of torture.

He felt on edge as if he was waiting; and the sad part is that he was waiting. He was waiting for Bulma to acknowledge what he said in some way. He was waiting for her to burst into tears an tell him she hated him for what he did, but, saddest of all, a part of him was still waiting for Bulma to tell him that she loved him too.

Her shoulder muscles were tense under his hand and her entire body seemed to be humming with suppressed energy.

"Bulma, you have to say something." Turles cursed himself for that mushy tone in his voice.

Bulma abruptly turned around and stared into his eyes, searching for something in them, some sign.

"I…" She lowered her eyes, sighed, and it was as if she were letting go of a great weight. She looked up at him again and the ghost of a smile seemed to haunt the corners of her mouth. "I'm confused, Turles."

"About what? I think what I said was pretty clear." Once again Turles cursed himself, this time for the tone of rejection, which to him, was obvious in his voice.

"How can you love me? I always knew you were attracted to me…but I never dreamt, even in my wildest dreams, that you loved me. I didn't even know if it was possible for someone like you to love." Bulma looked away again.

"Someone like me?" Turles gently turned her face back to his, steeling himself for the blow which Bulma was surely going to deliver.

"A monster like you."

There was no shame in Bulma's tone, and with a sinking heart, Turles realized that no matter how attracted Bulma was to him, she would always view him as the monster who had killed her family and destroyed her home. She was never going to see him as anything different because it was all Bulma had seen Turles do.

Bulma continued to speak, aware of Turles' inner turmoil, but determined to get out what she felt she had to say.

"Back on Earth we had this mental condition called the 'Stockholm Syndrome.' Now, this syndrome was something that happened quite often to kidnap victims. Occasionally they would fall in love with their captors. It's sick, it's twisted, and when you first took me with you I swore it was never going to happen to me." Bulma stared squarely into Turles' eyes. "Because, let's face it, whether or not either of us wants to admit the fact, I started my life with you as a slave and I'm probably going to die as your slave. I have feelings for you, Turles, I openly admit that to you, Turles, but I can't let myself fall in love with…I just can't."

~*~

"Hey, our little planet pirate brother's ship is docking." Raditz almost playfully punched Goku in the shoulder.

"What? Planet pirate?"

"That's his job, remember? Brain-dead moron." Raditz snarled at him and walked back over to Nappa and Vegeta, who were standing near the door.

In a movement of contained emotion, Goku rose to his feet and followed the others as they left the room and started down to the docking bay, talking in hushed whispers.

"Ah! My little pets!" Frieza's voice was incredibly irritating at such an early hour and all of the Saiyan's cringed, bar Vegeta, who somehow held himself in check.

"Frieza." Vegeta nodded his head at the scaly monstrosity as he entered the docking bay and moved to stand close, but not too close, to the lizard lord.

"I heard that poor Dodoria met his end at the hands of one of your soldiers?" Frieza's eyes swept over the others. "I heard it was the big tailless one who did it."

Vegeta grunted a response to the affirmative.

"How interesting," Frieza mused, as the ship containing Turles and his crew pulled into it's allotted bay. His red eyes swept back to Goku and a smirk danced on Frieza's features. "Tell me. You were on planet Earth when Vegeta picked you up, correct?"

"Yes, why?" Goku kept his distance from Frieza.

"Oh…nothing." Frieza smirked. How he would like to be a fly on the wall when he found out that his brother had destroyed planet Earth…

The door to the air lock opened and the Saiyans and Frieza got their first glimpse of Turles.

"My God! He looks like you…" Vegeta's jaw dropped, followed closely by the jaws of Goku, Raditz and Nappa.

Turles paused outside of the air lock and regarded them warily. He caught site of Goku and instantly tensed up, a point which none of the other Saiyans missed.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" Nappa whispered to Raditz, who shrugged and replied.

"I guess you can't blame him for being a little shocked at seeing a guy who looks just like him…Say, isn't that a human being?" Raditz's voice took on a pleasant querying sound as Bulma appeared next to Turles.

"Bulma?" Goku tore his gaze from Turles and looked at Bulma, his eyes widened and he stepped forward. "Bulma, is it you?"

"G…Goku?" Bulma put a hand over her mouth and made like she was going to step forward, but Turles put a restraining hand on her shoulder and jerked her behind him, growling at Goku, who looked perplexed.

"Bulma, what are you doing here…with him?" He took a step forward, appearing to ignore Turles as his growling raised another notch and his tail began to flick back and forth in agitation.

"What do you think she's doing here with him?" Frieza moved closer to Goku. "You're brother, Turles, destroyed the planet Earth not long after you left. Bulma is the only human left…Unless there are any more hiding on the ship."

Satisfied that he would now see a fantastic fight, Frieza stepped back and waited for the fireworks.

Goku tensed up as Turles had done earlier and shook his head as if trying to shake out what Frieza had just told him.

"No…it can't be true…They can't be dead."

"Goku…it is true, everyone is dead." Bulma stepped out from behind Turles again, this time sidestepping him as he tried to grab her again.

She walked up to Goku, who looked as if he was about to either burst into tears or attack Turles, a mixture of grief and anger sweeping through his black eyes. She placed a small hand on his arm and drew his attention down to her.

"Oh, Goku…I've missed you so much." Bulma hugged Goku tightly, relaxing only minimally when Goku hugged her back, aware that he was still in shock.

"When…How?" He looked down into Bulma's face, looking for any sign that this might be nothing more then an incredibly cruel joke. Finding none, he swallowed rapidly and waited for Bulma to answer his question.

"I…I think we should talk about this later, Goku." Bulma jerked her head in Turles' direction.

Goku looked at the man who was his exact mirror image and suddenly realized that his scent was all over Bulma. On some deeper Saiyan level, Goku was dimly aware that Bulma was Turles' woman. That she was his mate and that Turles was not happy to have him hugging her right now.

Goku snarled at Turles, anger at him for destroying his home and his family building in himself already over his stressed mind. He pushed Bulma from him and took a step towards Turles…

"Kakarot!"

Goku's head jerked around to face Vegeta at his prince's sharp call. "Don't start anything here or now."

Obediently, Goku stepped back and a rather disappointed Frieza stepped forward.

"Well, Turles, I'll be debriefing you now if you don't mind. Vegeta and the others can show your men to their rooms…The woman will be staying in your room, I take it?"

Turles nodded, a tense jerk of his head as he glared at Goku. Animosity emitted from his every pore as he followed Frieza away, and he paused near Goku to hiss at him, "Stay away from my mate."

Frieza, his men, and Turles disappeared and the Saiyans were left with Turles' crew and a frightened looking Bulma.

Bulma's eyes swept across the Saiyans. She recognized Raditz and Goku of course, but the others were a mystery to her. The tall, bald one looked spiteful and mean and he was giving her a very disconcerting look.

The short one however, who had halted Goku in his tracks, Bulma knew must be the prince, Vegeta. He was different to the other Saiyans. While the others all had a fire burning in them, his eyes were cold and distant. He was shorter by far then any of the others and his body was less bulky.

Under other circumstances Bulma was aware that she would have been attracted to him with his flawless face, perfect features, and deep rough voice, but as it was she was finding herself attracted to a certain spiky haired space pirate…Even though she was doing her best to fight the attraction every inch of the way.

Vegeta stepped forward and Bulma swallowed hard, unsure of how he would treat her.

"You're Turles' mate?"

"Y…yes, I supposed so." Bulma fought the urge to bow her head in respect as Vegeta spoke to her, his aura of power affecting her more then even Turles'…She felt that Vegeta demanded respect.

"Then I am your prince." Vegeta smirked. "I am Prince Vegeta. This is Nappa, Raditz, and Goku whom I have been led to believe you were acquainted with on Earth."

"Yes…We were best friends." Bulma looked at Goku, who was almost drooping with depression.

Vegeta followed her gaze and looked worried. "I must have a private word with you about Goku and Turles, there are certain things about Saiyans which Turles has most likely not told you. You must know now that he and Goku have all but declared a war over you."

"A war over me?" Bulma coughed. "But, Goku's my friend…not my lover."

"True, and most likely Goku also sees it that way, but he challenged Turles by ignoring his warning not to touch you. To a Saiyan that's as good as telling a man you're out for his wife."

"Oh…" Bulma swallowed again and looked away.

Vegeta looked at Bulma through the corner of his eyes, he knew very well that he'd have to watch out for the little human or she'd get caught in the crossfire between the two Saiyans.

A/N - Okay, it's finally done! Once again sorry for the wait, please Review!