Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sapphire Flame ❯ Midnight Ride ( Chapter 3 )

Thanks for the positive feedback, and as for the asshole that left a "flame" just ignore it. I don't care much for what he thinks. I'm just happy that you guys liked it. This story is turning out to be what I wanted. Keep letting me know what you think and I hope that I can better my writing or the plot of this fic.

 

 

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the DBZ characters used in this fanfic

 

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Midnight Ride

 

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"You'll be happy to know that you are the first person to ever listen to my 'life story'," Bulma said the last two words derisively.

 

"If you do not want to talk about this, then I will not make you. You don't have to speak of this," Vegeta said as they walked to sit at the table that was there.

 

"Maybe it will help that someone else hears what I have kept bottled up inside these last ten years. It goes as far back before I ran away from what was supposed to be my home."

 

"First tell me about that scar on your stomach. It looks like the most vicious," Vegeta said darkly.

 

"That one was on the street," she started. "It had been two years from the time that I had run away and I still hadn't found a place that I could stay in. As you know, the streets are a very dangerous place for any kind of girl. I was walking through an alley when a man jumped from out of the shadows." Bulma stopped when she noticed his hands fist. She reached over and ran her fingers over his knuckles. "It happened years ago, there is no reason for you to be angry," she said softly.

 

Vegeta un-fisted his hands and gripped her hands gently. "No child should go through what you have gone through," he said as he looked into her eyes.

 

"But we do," Bulma said sadly. "As I was saying, he jumped out at me and I fought against him. He had a blade with him and he sliced me with it. He stopped when he noticed that I was bleeding quickly. He didn't rape me, but he almost succeeded in killing me. He left me there, and I thought that I was going to die, but someone found me and took me to the hospital."

 

"They didn't contact your family?" Vegeta asked.

 

Bulma shook her head. "I was far away from home and no one knew who I was. I ran off from the hospital before I was fully healed."

 

He nodded. "Why did you run in the first place?"

 

"I don't know who my real parents were. All I know is that my last name was Briefs, and that I was given to a foster family when I was three. These people, they were never good parents. The man was abusive in every sense of the word, and she was a imposing woman who was jealous of a ten year old child," she said as her eyes watered.

 

Bulma took a breath and continued. "She knew that her husband looked at me differently, but how was I to know? I was an innocent child and I didn't know any better of his intentions. One day she got into a fight with him and she took it out on me." Bulma stopped and let out a slow breath as she remembered it. "She whipped me with an electric cord." She swiveled in the chair with her back to him. Then she lowered the robe and pulled her hair away so that he could see.

 

Vegeta's eyes widened. The bathing suit left her back almost bare except for the string that was tied at her back. The scars were cruelly crossing her back from her shoulder blades to the small of her back. He ran his fingers over them gently and shook his head lightly. "Did he ever-.........?" Vegeta asked softly.

 

"That was the reason that I ran away," Bulma whispered back. She fixed her robe and then turned back to him. "Do you understand why I didn't want to talk about my past?" she asked him softly.

 

"Forgive me," he said.

 

"You have done nothing to me. Don't start feeling all guilty because of what I told you. I have lived with this for ten years and I have tried to not let it all get to me. I've survived so far," she smiled.

 

"I admire you, little one. You have been through so much, and yet you are not a mess like most people would be after going through things like that." Vegeta sighed, now he would see her with a new found respect.

 

"You promised me a trip to the stables?" she grinned happily.

 

Vegeta nodded. "Go dress and meet me at the stables," he said as they stood. "I'll tell my sister that you are leaving with me," he said as he walked over to the Jacuzzi room.

 

Bulma nodded and walked off to her room to get dressed. She took a quick shower and then dressed into some form-fitting black jeans and a stretch red turtleneck. She tied her hair in a low pony-tail and pulled on her pair of boots. Then she ran down to the stables.

 

Vegeta was already there. He had changed into relaxed clothes and was already saddling his horse, and another one for her. "Took you long enough," he said with a smirk.

 

"I showered," Bulma said. "Now that I have a chance to do so, I like to take advantage of it." She smiled widely as she walked over to him. She waved at Tien and he waved back at her with a smile.

 

"Need a boost?" he asked as he pointed to her horse. Bulma nodded and then watched as he grabbed her around the waist and literally lifted her onto the horse. She fixed herself on the horse and grabbed the reigns with her good hand. Then with practiced ease he got onto his own horse.

 

"Where are we going?" Bulma asked as he grabbed her reigns with one hand and his own with the other.

 

"I want to show you something," he said as he led them towards the large cluster of trees that was behind the stables. On the way, he showed Bulma how to control the reigns and she somewhat learned how to do it.

 

They entered the small forest and Bulma noticed a sound like running water. She looked around and then noticed that they were walking towards a small spring. The water fell down many rocks and fell into a small pool of crystal clear water, then it continued and turned into a small river. "Does this water end up at the lake?" Bulma asked.

 

"No, but I suspect that the lake and this spring have something on common. I think that they are the same, but they end up going different places," Vegeta said. He jumped off his horse and helped Bulma, then they led the big animals to the fresh water and tied their reigns to a tree.

 

"Wow, this is so pretty," Bulma said as she kneeled and ran her fingers into the cool fresh water. "How did you find it?"

 

"I did a lot of exploring when I bought this place."

 

Bulma nodded and walked over to sit on a large rock. "Why haven't you told me about you? I spoke about things I have kept bottled up inside for so long, now it's your turn."

 

Vegeta sighed. "There's really not much to say. I had a very boring childhood. I went to school like a good little boy and did everything my father wanted until I knew better. When I turned eighteen my father gave me the means to begin my own company and I have been since making an empire for myself. I bought this house a year ago."

 

"What about Tamara?" Bulma said the name in distaste.

 

He chuckled. "I've known her since high school. She comes from a good family, known throughout the country. My father wants me to marry her for publicity, but like I told you, I stopped listening to my father once I knew I didn't need to."

 

"What if he forces you?" Bulma asked with a frown.

 

"He can't force me, and I'm not afraid of my father," Vegeta said. "When he comes back from his trip, my mother and my siblings will move back to their own home."

 

"You live alone in this big house?"

 

"I don't spend much time here. I have an penthouse located in my building. But since my family is staying here, and now I have brought you, I come over to spend more time here. I don't think I can leave you here alone with my mother or Tamara," he said in amusement.

 

"She does it on purpose, and next time she starts to call me names I wont be held responsible for my actions," Bulma said with a small shrug.

 

"What are you going to do? Beat the crap out of her?"

 

"Possibly," she said slowly. "Would you get mad at me if I did?"

 

"You're learning to be a better person, remember? If you attack her like some wild beast, what will that say about you? That you are learning nothing. It is up to you to show if you really want to change, or if you want to continue to be an uncivilized girl that has enjoyed her time on the street."

 

At his last words, her anger flared and she stood and walked away from him. "I have NEVER enjoyed living on the street. But I had to do it because it was better than living with abusive foster parents. Don't ever insinuate that again, do you hear me?" she asked in a deathly soft voice.

 

Vegeta noticed the look on her face and the rigid posture of her back. He suddenly felt guilty for his words. "I didn't mean that," he said as he walked over to stand in front of her. "It was out of place for me to say it."

 

"After what I have told you, do you honestly think that living on the street is pleasant? Starving to death, sleeping in the cold, wearing rags, not showering, the danger?......... But anything is better than having to live every day with a man after you and with his woman backhanding you for every little thing." Bulma looked up at him and stared at his face.

 

Vegeta sighed and reached up to run his fingertips over the side of her face. "I would never treat a woman the way that you have been treated," he whispered as he stared back into her wide blue eyes.

 

"I thought you said I was a child," Bulma murmured back.

 

"You have made it painfully clear that you are not," Vegeta said as he continued to run his fingers over her skin. She blinked and reached up with her hands to place them over his. He smirked and before he could stop himself, he was leaning towards her.

 

Bulma watched him almost in slow motion as he leaned against her. She had never been kissed before, and that was the last thought that went through her mind before his lips pressed against hers. His lips were gentle against hers, and it felt so wonderfully........ nice.

 

Her hands were now traveling up his chest, and maybe that movement snapped him out of his daze for he pushed her away a second later. He looked at her with wide eyes and Bulma just stood there immobile.

 

"Gods, I'm sorry," he choked out.

 

Bulma touched her lips with her fingers and looked at him in confusion. "W-why?"

 

"Because to my eyes you are a child," Vegeta said seriously. "I ask that we not speak of this again," he said as he turned his back to her. He waited for her reply, but he received none. When he turned back, he noticed that she was galloping away on her horse. He cursed himself for being so stupid and then ran to his horse.

 

There was no way that she would outrun him. He had and had always been a pro when it came to horses. The trick now was to get her to listen to him. He jumped onto his horse and then sped off to catch up to her.

 

Meanwhile, Bulma was running as fast as she could without feeling as if she was going to fall off. Tien had showed her the basics of riding a horse, but she had allowed Vegeta to show her all over again. She didn't know why, but she loved it when he wanted to take care of her.

 

He saw her as a child. That thought echoed through her head and made her eyes leak, but they fell away with the air that raced past her as she came up to the stables. Tien was already there waiting for them to return.

 

When she got there, she jumped off with his help and then ran off without a word. She looked back and could see that Vegeta was coming up not so far behind. She ran with all her might, and was thankful for all the running she had been doing in the past years when she stole food. The years of practice were coming in handy.

 

She made it into the house with him on her heels and then ran all the way to her room without stopping or looking behind. Had she been paying attention, she would have seen that Tamara and Lana were approaching the stairs. She ran into her room and locked the door.

 

Vegeta was on his way up the stairs but his mother stopped him. "Vegeta, what are you doing?" she asked.

 

"Not now mother," he said as he started up the stairs.

 

"Vegeta!" Tamara called in a high voice.

 

"Not now!" he growled as he finished the flight of steps and walked over to Bulma's door. He knew for a fact that she probably locked it, so he didn't even try to open it. "I know you are listening to me. Now, open the door."

 

"What is there to talk about? You thought of it as a mistake. Can't bear the thought of kissing a girl that has lived on the streets, right?"

 

"Gods, you are so fucking insecure! Have you stopped to notice the difference in our ages? I'm five years older than you. I could be put in jail if I tried anything with you before you turn eighteen. Stop being so damn childish!"

 

"Bite me." Came the muffled reply.

 

"Look, you are a little too old to be playing these games," he snapped.

 

"Apparently I'm not. So go away! I don't want to talk to you right now."

 

"Guess what little girl? I have a key to the lock on this door and I can get it right now so that we can talk," Vegeta threatened.

 

"If you try that, I swear that I will jump out the damn window even if I break my leg in the process, and you will never see me again. Leave me alone!"

 

"Fine!" he yelled as he pounded his fist on the door and then walked away.

 

Bulma waited for a moment and then let out a sad sigh, and with that sigh came tears. Why was it that his words had felt like a knife driven through her heart? He had just told her that she was too young for him, and it had made her feel like crap. Silly but true. Being on the streets could make anyone insecure. Well, she didn't need him. Did she? Yes, she did need him, but she felt so freakin' confused! Bulma changed into her pj's and then slipped into bed. She'd have to talk to him tomorrow. Unless........

 

If he saw her as a child, then she would start acting like one.

 

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"Something's wrong," Kakarot said when he stepped into the office and looked at his long time friend.

 

"Nothing is wrong, Kakarot," Vegeta snapped, not looking up from the papers he was reviewing.

 

"Then why is it that every time you are upset you throw yourself into your work? Because everyday, for the past five years I come into this office and find you staring out into the city. EVERYDAY. But today you are doing your work, trying really hard to take your mind off of something."

 

Vegeta slammed the letter opener he was holding into his desk, point first. "I kissed her, Kakarot."

 

"The girl that you hit with the car? The pick-pocket?"

 

His short friend nodded. "I wasn't thinking, and then I told her that I couldn't do anything with her because she was a child to my eyes. She ran off and then told me that I was probably regretting it because I couldn't deal with having kissed a girl that had been on the streets," Vegeta growled softly.

 

"Why did you run away?" Kakarot asked as he went over to sit in front of him.

 

Vegeta glared at him. "Did you forget that I told you that she's not even eighteen yet? They could put me in prison for trying anything. And if the press got a hold of this, I don't even want to think about it."

 

"Do you like her?"

 

Vegeta didn't reply. Instead he leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling. "You haven't seen her yet, have you? She is a far cry from what she was before, at least in the physical sense. She's still wild and disobedient."

 

"That really doesn't answer my question," Kakarot said with a knowing grin.

 

"There's nothing to smile about. I can't fall for someone like her. I don't care about who she was and where she has been living for the past six years, but my mother and father would never allow me to be with someone like her."

 

Kakarot grinned. "Since when have you listened to anything your parents say?"

 

Vegeta cocked his head to the side and nodded. "You have a point. But she has still so much to learn, and she hasn't fully grown up yet. She can be mature about some things, but in others, she's even more immature than Sacoda."

 

"What about Tamara? Are you going to dump her without a warning? I mean, this is a woman that goes after what she wants, but she's vengeful as hell."

 

"I know," Vegeta said. "But I have never wanted to be involved with her. We go out to dinner, and sometimes to the movies, but it hasn't gone beyond that, and I have no obligation pending with her."

 

"Then why don't you wait for this girl to turn eighteen?"

 

"I don't want to give her wings to anything. I have no place for a woman in my life right now. I wouldn't take her, even if I wanted to. I just can't," Vegeta said.

 

"Then I really don't understand what it is that you are going to do."

 

Vegeta sighed. "I don't either."

 

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Bulma was walking around the mansion, giving herself her own tour and hoping that she wouldn't get lost. It was huge, she realized now. She had counted twelve bedrooms on the second floor, ten on the first, already counting where Jena and Emma slept, and she had no idea of how many bathrooms. Hmmm, she wondered where Tien slept.

 

Vegeta had a library, an office with an adjacent room that had computer screens everywhere, and they were connected to one main computer with a digital camera. There was a room with a big screen TV and literally hundreds of movies. The living room had a big fireplace, and the dinning room had that huge table, and the breakfast room was surrounded by glass sliding doors.

 

She was passing the front door when the bell rang. "I'll get it Jena!" she yelled. She was closer anyway, Jena didn't need to run from the second floor bedrooms to get the door.

 

Bulma walked over and opened it and stared up at the tall, dark, and handsome man that was standing there in a sharp suit that made him look even more good looking. "Can I help you?"

 

The man looked down at her and smiled, looking her over slowly. "Who are you?"

 

"She is a guest of Vegeta's," Jena interrupted before Bulma could reply. "Why don't you go finish your work?" she asked her.

 

Bulma nodded and looked at the guy once more before she walked away.

 

"Mr. Yamcha, it is a pleasure to have you here once again," Jena said. "To what do we owe your visit?"

 

"I came over to see Vegeta's horses. He told me that he was going to be here early from the office. Is he here?" Yamcha asked.

 

Jean shook her head. "I'm afraid he's not. He called about five minutes ago and said that he was on his way. I don't think he'll take too long. Can I offer you something to drink?" she asked as they walked towards the living room.

 

"Sure. Lemonade?" Yamcha said with a big smile. Jena nodded and excused herself before she walked to the kitchen. Yamcha was still intrigued by the girl that had opened the door. Vegeta's guest? Yeah right. He walked out of the living room and looked around for her. He had seen her go into the dinning room. He walked over and spotted her sitting at the table, reading from a book and writing on the notebook next to it.

 

"What are you studying?" Yamcha asked, and Bulma jumped, breaking the lead on her pencil. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

 

"I'm reading about the Dalton's Law," she said flatly.

 

"And I take it that you find it boring and unnecessary?" Yamcha asked as he walked over and sat next to her.

 

"Is that a bad thing?" Bulma replied.

 

"No, but it's something everyone has to learn about in high school...... How old are you?"

 

"I'm going to be eighteen in two months," she said. "Who are you?"

 

"I'm a friend of Vegeta's. I'm here to see his horses."

 

"Why? Are you gonna sell him new horses?"

 

Yamcha half-nodded. "I'm here to see if we can make a trade. I have horses of my own. Jena told me that you are a guest here. Are you really?" Yamcha asked as he flashed her a rugged smile, changing the subject quickly. He looked her over again and noticed how pretty she was, but there was something wild about her and he didn't know what it was.

 

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, Vegeta invited me to live here and he's paying for my home-school teacher. He's been really nice with me."

 

Yamcha thought about it for a moment and smirked. If Vegeta had nothing to do with her, then maybe he wouldn't mind passing her down. She had a delectable little body that he would greatly enjoy. "Where did you come from?"

 

"Why do you want to know?" she asked suspiciously.

 

"Because you are very beautiful," he said slowly.

 

Bulma blushed and looked away from him. This was the second man that said that to her. Not even Vegeta had called her beautiful. He probably didn't even think that of her. She looked back at him and smiled. "Thank you."

 

Yamcha grinned, but then he turned to look towards the door. Bulma followed his line of vision and found that Vegeta was standing there. Her eyes narrowed and she began to put her things together as she stood to go.

 

"Wait, aren't you coming with us to the stables?" Yamcha asked as he looked from one to the other.

 

"I'd love to, but I have to finish my work," Bulma said with a forced smile.

 

"If you'd like you can get a head start to the stables," Vegeta told Yamcha as Bulma passed him. He caught and gripped her arm. Yamcha nodded and understood, Vegeta wanted to speak to her in private.

 

"I have to get to my room," Bulma said through her teeth.

 

Vegeta waited for the other man to leave and then turned to glare at Bulma, who was chewing gum and deliberately rolling her eyes at him. "You're going to make this hard on me, aren't you?" he asked.

 

"I'm just acting my age, you know?" Bulma asked him cynically.

 

"You're so childish," he snapped. He looked at her and noticed that she was staring into space, ignoring him. "Look, I didn't want to hurt your feelings, you have to believe me. But understand that you are too young for me. Even if you were twenty I'm not the type of man that you would want in your life."

 

"How would you know what kind of man I want? You don't know me," she whispered.

 

"I know that you have been hurt all your life. I don't want to be added to that list. It has nothing to do with you living on the street and having no money and position in this society. I just can't get involved with anyone right now," he said as he tried to reason with her.

 

"So I guess Tamara doesn't count, huh?" Bulma asked as she snatched her arm from his grip and began to walk towards the stairs.

 

"I'm not involved with her the way you think," Vegeta called.

 

"I don't care Vegeta," she said with a tired sigh. "I hope you're happy with her." Her voice sounded distant.

 

Vegeta rubbed his face and felt the immense need to yell out in frustration. He wished he could knock some sense into that stubborn girl. He would speak with her tonight. Meanwhile, he would put a stop to any kind of attention that Yamcha was thinking of bestowing upon the child about to be a woman that was living in his home.

 

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Bulma was brushing her hair before getting into bed when there was a tap on the window that led to the balcony. She tried to ignore it, but then it sounded again, and then again until she walked over to open the window to see what it was.

 

Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Vegeta on his horse, throwing stones at her window. "What do you want?" she hissed, not wanting to wake up anyone.

 

"I need you to come with me. Hurry up and bring a sweater," he called back. "Don't argue with me," he warned when he saw her mouth open. Bulma closed her mouth and went back into her room.

 

Luckily she was wearing sweat-pants and a large shirt. She grabbed a sweater and put it on before creeping out of her room and down towards the backyard. "What do you want?" she asked him.

 

"Take a ride with me," Vegeta said as he extended his hand. Bulma hesitated and then walked over. He helped her on in front of him and then he pulled the reigns and they galloped down towards the lake. Then he walked the horse at a steady pace around the lake.

 

"The moon looks beautiful," she murmured. He muttered a noise of agreement. "Look," she started, struggling for the right words. "I know I'm overreacting about all of this. You're being nice with me, letting me live here and eat your food for free, buying me things, too. And I'm acting like a total ungrateful bit-.........."

 

He cut her off. "There is no apology needed. I was the one that was out of hand, and the one that hurt your feelings. But from this moment I have to be brutally honest with you. I can't get involved with you in any way. It is for your own good."

 

Bulma nodded and was thankful that he couldn't see her face because her eyes had watered. Why was it that with so simple words he could make her heart break? This was the first guy in her life and she was confused as to what she was feeling. He was handsome, and he wasn't interested in her in the least.

 

Vegeta probably saw her as an ugly scrawny kid, because she was still skinny and still immature in so many things. Well, if he gave her the chance, then she would show him that she could grow into a woman good enough for a man like him.

 

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly as they continued their walk around the lake.

 

"Nothing in particular. But I miss my friends. I can't help but feel guilty that I'm here, enjoying myself while they are out there in the cold and without food," Bulma said.

 

"Do you have any particular friend that you miss?"

 

She nodded. "Yeah, there's this girl my age, she basically went through all that I have. But it was worse for her because her stepfather was the one that took advantage of her. She didn't run away for some time because her mother was dying, and when she died, my friend left. She took five years of his abuse."

 

"Tomorrow, take Jena with you. Buy your friends food and find that particular friend of yours. Ask her if she wants to come with you and bring her here. You need a friend and someone to spend time with once my parents and brothers leave."

 

"Are you for real?" Bulma asked as she turned to look at him. "You're gonna let me bring my friend here?"

 

He nodded. "But she will follow the same rules you do. She will study to become an educated person, and she will respect my home and everyone who comes to it. If she accepts, bring her, if not, then you know."

 

"Thank you so much for everything that you're doing for me. I promise that I will find some way to repay all that you are doing for me," she whispered as she leaned back against his chest and lay the back of her head on his shoulder.

 

"We will begin our project for the shelter in a month or two," Vegeta said as he tried to ignore to sweet scent of her hair so close to his nose. She nodded and grinned up to the dark sky.

 

"I'll never forget everything that you have done for me," she murmured, her voice thick with sleep. Maybe it was her imagination, or the delirious moments before sleep, but she heard him say that he would never forget her either. And then he kissed her cheek. Maybe she did imagine it.

 

 

 

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Gotta wonder what is that she's been hiding from Vegeta, right? Well she's ready to tell him and you guys will have to wait until the next chapter. I'll try to update next week but there are no guarantees. Thanks for hanging with me and I'll 'see' you guys later. Have a great weekend!

 

 

Byebye

 

 

~!Joey!~