Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Rebellious Hell ❯ Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: DBZ I do not own.

A/N - Okay we have some more Goku/Bulma angst in this chapter, and Bulma finally finds out what kind of person Turles really was.

Thanks to Ane S. Thesia for beat reading for me!

Chapter 14: 'Second Husband'

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~*~ O, confound the rest! ~*~

~*~ Such love must needs be treason in my breast: ~*~

~*~ In second husband let me be accurst! ~*~

~*~ None wed the second but who killed the first. ~*~

- Player Queen from 'Hamlet'

~*~

Bulma glared at Goku, then turned it to Vegeta. "How could you let him do this? I'd rather have been stuck with you than with him!"

Goku flinched as Bulma's presence in his mind took on a wrathful feel. "You would have died…"

"What made you think I wanted to live? Dying would have been heaven compared to this!" Bulma spat angrily, her blue eyes glowing with an inner anger which was all too obvious.

"Well maybe we couldn't stand to see you wasting away." Vegeta glared back at Bulma. "And what do you think Turles would think of us if we let his mate die?"

"Turles wouldn't think anything. He's dead." Bulma directed her hateful eyes back to Goku. "This is all your fault."

"I know, I'm sorry." Goku reached out to touch Bulma and she moved away, scowling at him.

"You know, Bulma, there isn't really any point in hating Goku. No matter how stubborn you are, within a few weeks your bond will strengthen and you'll become just as attached to him as you were to Turles." Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and stood up.

"Never!" Bulma breathed in outrage. "I would never come to love…" She stared at Goku and something flashed through her eyes which she quickly hid. "I'm never going to love anyone as much as I do Turles!"

"You know, I bet you said that to Turles about Yamcha, didn't you?" Goku stood up and left the room, ignoring Bulma's splutters behind him. "I'll be back later to check up on you."

Vegeta watched Goku go before turning back to Bulma. "He didn't mean to kill Turles, Bulma, he really didn't. You should have seen the state he was in when you passed out in my arms after Turles died. He was…he was really surprised at himself. I know that both Turles and Kakarot were fighting to the best of their abilities, and that meant that they both understood the risks they were taking, but even still I don't think either one of them meant to harm the other too much."

"You're wrong!" Bulma clutched the blanket to her. "Once they started fighting they couldn't stop! They both knew exactly what they were doing the entire time! They didn't lose control at all!" Bulma let go of her blanket and flopped back on the bed. "I don't…I don't want to hate Goku. I really don't." Bulma looked up at Vegeta with tears in her eyes. "He's my best friend…or at least he was."

"If you really want to find out the truth about what happened, Bulma, then I suggest you go and ask Goku if he'll share his memories with you." Vegeta walked out of the room, leaving Bulma to stare up at the ceiling.

~*~

"Goku?" Bulma tapped him on the shoulder even though she already knew that he'd sensed her through the bond.

It was amazing how much of Goku's feelings and emotions she could feel…not to mention his memories. Unlike Turles, who had bottled everything up inside and hadn't shared them with her…Was this a true bond? This sharing?

No…Turles had had his reasons for not wanting Bulma to see his past, he hadn't been trying to hide himself from her through the bond. He'd loved her too much to have done that.

"Goku?" Bulma tapped him again and he slowly turned around.

"What is it? Have you come to tell me what a horrible, murdering scum-bag I am?" Goku looked incredibly downtrodden, and now that Bulma could see his sad looking eyes, she could feel depression radiating off him in waves.

"I…" Bulma looked away from those sad, sad eyes and steeled herself. "I want to see your memories of the fight with Turles."

Goku was silent for several minutes. "I don't think you should see them."

"Well, I do." Bulma looked back into his eyes. "I…I trusted you once Turles and I wanted to trust you, but after everything you did…" Bulma trailed off as Goku stepped closer to her.

"You still don't believe that I love you, do you?" Goku shook his head and then raised a hand to Bulma's cheek.

As soon as his skin touched hers, Bulma felt his love for her…but it wasn't love like she knew it. Turles had loved her, too, but his love hadn't felt anything like this. Goku's love was thick and warm and surrounded her until she couldn't breathe. She felt how much he needed her, she felt just how far his love ran…and she suddenly realized that she was Goku's obsession.

Turles' love for her had sprouted from passion, but Goku's had grown from an obsession and it was love as Bulma had never known it.

No wonder he wouldn't let me go…

The thought shifted through Bulma's mind like quicksilver and she knew by the widening of Goku's eyes that he too had heard the thought. He instantly pulled his hand away form her cheek and the intensity of the bond dropped away until all Bulma could feel was Goku's depression again.

"You finally understand." Goku nodded to himself. "But if you wish to see the memory of your first love die, then I'll show it to you." Goku held up his hand again. "Take my hand and you'll be able to see everything you wish. I won't stop you."

Bulma stared at his hand then reached forward and grabbed it, a low moan escaping her as blackness crowded her vision and she felt herself falling down…down…down…

~*~*~*~

Goku tried to punch Turles, but he dodged underneath. A flash of annoyance sped through Goku as he saw Turles preparing to hit him. Quickly he dodged under his punch and kicked him viciously. Turles' grunt of pain was music to Goku's ears.

Turles leapt at Goku and hit him twice in the face before Goku defended himself by kicking him again in the stomach.

~This isn't as easy as I thought...~

The thought was loud and clear, and Bulma started as she realized she was re-living Goku's memory of the fight with Turles…

Pain. Red, searing pain flashed across Goku's vision as Turles slipped under his punch and punched him roughly in the chest. As Goku flew backwards and hit the compound wall, he heard a sickening crack and knew his ribs were broken…It hurt…but he couldn't give up…he wouldn't lose Bulma to the same man who had stolen his family.

Goku tried to stand, but Turles appeared in front of him and kicked him back to the ground. He tasted blood and coughed some up as he tried to stand once more, only to have Turles kick him back down again. This time, Goku had to orientate himself before he could try to move again…the pain was making it hard to think…

"What's wrong, little brother? Can't take the heat?"

Bulma felt a spasm of anger shoot through Goku at the comment, and felt him growl…

"You should never have even bothered to fight me for her. Bulma is mine; she belongs to me and she always will. Someone as weak as you doesn't deserve to have her, anyway." Turles was staring down at Goku with malice…

Bulma felt something crawl through her at the sound of Turles' voice. She'd never heard him sound so…evil before.

Turles was laughing at him now. "Why, if you'd only stood up to Raditz when he came to Earth to get you, then maybe you could have stopped me before I grew this powerful and you could have saved everyone on that pathetic planet of yours."

Goku gritted his teeth and began to muster his strength…How could Bulma love this? He heard Turles speaking again and listened with growing rage.

"Why, if you'd still been on Earth, your wife would be alive. Your son would be alive, and all of your friends would be alive instead of being nothing but rotting corpses."

Bulma felt a wave of revulsion wash over her. She'd known Turles was cruel…but to say something like that…

Goku leapt to his feet and charged Turles even though he knew he wasn't strong enough. Sure enough, Turles dodged him and sent a ki blast at him. Pain ripped through Goku as he fell to the ground yet again, struggling to keep a clear head.

"Weakling." Turles' voice was distant but clear.

Through the dust billowing around him, Goku could see the shape of his brother waiting for him. "I'm not going to let you beat me, someone as evil as you doesn't deserve to have Bulma,"

"You can't stop me, Goku." Turles began to gather his ki again.

Goku swallowed and began to gather his own…He didn't want to kill Turles…but he was out of control, if he didn't stop him, Turles was going to kill him!

"Kaaaaa Meeeeeee Haaaaaaa Meeeee…" Goku began his Kamehameha attack, praying in the back of his mind that Turles' ki blast wouldn't be strong enough to counter it.

Turles' power began to glow and frazzle around him, the energy peaked and with a growl Turles leapt at him, hurling the ki ball.

"Haaaaaa!"

The world flashed a brilliant bright white around them and they both realized that they had underestimated the others attack…

~*~*~*~

With a jerk, Bulma was brought back to her own body. She was slumped in Goku's arms on the floor, tears streaming down her face.

How could she have misjudged Turles so badly? It hadn't been Goku's fault at all…it had been Turles' fault!

"He loved you, Bulma. You didn't misjudge Turles at all; he loved you just as much as I do." Goku looked sadly down at her. "I didn't want to show you that. I didn't want to ruin your memories of Turles."

Bulma sobbed louder. "I…I didn't want to believe he was a bad person, but I knew…I knew he was like that underneath it all."

Goku didn't know how to answer that, so he just held her as she sobbed her heart out.

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A/N - I know this chapter was shorter then I promised, but I've got a job now so I can't spend all day working on chapters like I used too. Anyhow, please review. I have a feeling this fic will end soon…probably not the next chapter, but soon.