Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend Of the Bond ❯ Begin or end... ( Chapter 16 )

Juunanago and Juuhachigo strode into the mess hall on Freeza’s ship. Upon noticing their arrival, most of the soldiers stopped eating and left, not wanting to be anywhere close to the two oddities that seemed overly powerful. Others just stared, eyes wide and terrified at the sight of the two. The siblings didn’t pay any attention to the others around them, continuing their way toward the food line, looking bored as usual. Everyone got out of line as they approached, some bowing, while others held their breaths. Once they both got their food and sat at their chosen favorite spot, the room was empty. Juuhachigo sighed at the weak display of inferiority and looked at her brother, who was smiling as he started his meal.

“This is what Freeza has as soldiers? I’m becoming more disappointed with Freeza everyday.”

Juunango continued on with his meal, but of course replied to his sister’s comment. “I was disappointed in Freeza the moment we found out how weak he was. He wasn’t strong enough to stop us and kill that bastard Gero.”

“We could always kill him now, Juunana. He is weaker than even Vegeta.”

“Hmm? I thought you wanted to keep Vegeta around, Juuhachi, so we don’t have to do

the work or have to deal with Freeza.”

“I am starting to change my mind.”

“Remembering old days?”

“JUU! I hate talking about that!”

“I know.”

“Then don’t.” Juuhachigo stared at her brother for a moment then looked at her food. She sighed and began eating. “I want revenge on Gero more than Vegeta.”

“Oh?”

Juuhachigo looked angrily at her brother. “Juunana, take me seriously!”

“I am, although you’re not making much sense. What do you want, Juuhachi?”

“Revenge. Pure Revenge.”

“Then wait it out. Something will come up so Gero will get what he deserves. And as soon as I can, I’ll kill him with only my left hand. Just for you, sis.”

“I want to watch, Juunana. Don’t do it without me watching.”

“Mom and Dad will be happy when we finally get to kill him. And I’ll make sure you get a front row seat.”

Juuhachigo smirked at her brother, happy that he seemed in tune with her wishes. Of course she would wait it out. She had this conversation almost everyday with Juunanago and today he actually said something to make her feel better. They both remembered watching their parents murdered by Gero, but that memory only caused them to feel a cold nothingness. It allowed them to be ruthless. But it wasn’t just that; it was the rape and torture they went through as Gero’s guinea pigs. Now, they had only each other to hold on to. Not only that, they felt their parents watching over them, waiting for them to send Gero to Hell, where he truly belonged. They missed the family that was stolen from them and the purity that once graced their hearts that had been ripped from them by Gero. Their parents’ spirits would be avenged one day; they would make sure of that.

***********

Four days had passed since Bulma had seen Vegeta, but she kept hearing a lot about him. He was always in the building, doing simple investigations and checking in on some departments, though never her own. It was like he was deliberately avoiding her at all costs, even to the point of having some of her co-workers complain as to why he never came to their lab, one of the most important labs in the whole division. Bulma continued to hope that he would stop at her lab, just so she could see him; even if he didn’t look at her, she wanted to see him, the friend she once had. Remembering his powerful declaration about fake jewelry, Bulma wore only the necklace he gave her, to show him she was still his ally. And if he would just come to her lab, he would see it and know her intentions, that she wouldn’t be fooled by false words. She wanted him as her friend, as her comrade-in-arms against Freeza. She wouldn’t let love come to her mind. Vegeta was a Prince; any desires he might have for her as a female came solely from lust, in order to dominate her. That was what she told herself. He had another woman anyway, one that would fulfill his cravings. Vegeta cared for Bulma only as a friend; any desires beyond that weren’t real, they just couldn’t be. Bulma would tell herself this over and over. His emotions were only strong enough for friendship, nothing more.

But the day went by, just like the others before it, and Vegeta had gone to inspect the next lab over, so Bulma didn’t get a chance to see him. She heard the chime that signaled her work was over for the day, at least for one employer. Now Bulma headed towards her other lab, the secret one that lay in the cold, old abandoned chambers, several floors below her division. She was again disappointed, to say the least; she really wanted to see Vegeta again and give him an update about the special devices she’d been creating to aid his rebellion. At present, she was halfway through an invention that would be for Vegeta only, a special gadget that would make him stronger. Bulma reached up and rubbed the back of her neck, tired from having so much weighing on her mind and worrying about the weeks when he’d been with Freeza and she had not heard from him. Bulma felt her skin turn moist with anxious sweat. It happened every time her thoughts began to dwell on Vegeta’s time with Freeza. Vegeta seemed to have changed slightly when he came back from his ordeal. She would give anything to have her wishes come true, that all their problems would just disappear.

Bulma sighed when she entered her secret lab and gently placed her hand on the steel wall closet to her. Scattered all around her were odds and ends: different engine parts, tubes, wires, capsules, and pieces of metal sheets in various sizes. Against the wall in the far corner was her desk, littered with paper and computer components. To her right was a large round metal ship, sitting half-completed. In a far corner of the room, droids were diligently working on another ship. This arrangement allowed Bulma space and gave her time to invent, as the robots did all the labor. After her sigh, Bulma suddenly felt that Vegeta was close by, a feeling which she would only get when he was nearby. Looking around, she saw no one and thought that perhaps she was sensing imaginary things, but the feeling kept getting stronger and she had to call out, if only to calm her nerves.

“Vegeta?”

After silence filled the air for what seemed like a long minute, Bulma heard a familiar voice reply, “What?”

Bulma’s eyes searched around frantically to find where the voice was coming from. She took a couple of steps into the room and nearly collided with the Prince. Her brows furrowed and she looked at him sternly. “Why are you here all of a sudden?”

“I thought you already knew that. I am the prince of this planet; I can do whatever I like.”

Bulma looked annoyed with his answer. “Yes, yes, I get that. But I haven’t seen you since you rescued me and…and…well, I haven’t had the chance to tell you about the things I have been working on…and such.”

Vegeta looked back at her just as sternly. With his emotions warring with each other, he was forcing himself not to just reach out and grab her. Since those nights in the garden, when he had gotten close to her, he hadn’t felt the pain he once would have upon sensing Bulma and their bond. It was something that he wished for now because the calmness and tranquility of feeling so wonderful around Bulma made it increasingly hard to keep away from her. After a couple days purposely trying to avoid her, his resolve dropped for a split-second and now here he was. He told himself that he needed to see her anyway. Bardock had been inquiring about this new associate who would be making, or who had already made, the necessary weapons for the rebellion. Yesterday, Vegeta had held a secret meeting with his fellow rebels to discuss the status of their rebellion and how close Freeza was to ruling the whole known universe. “That is my reason for being here. Tell me about your progress.”

“Okay, I will, but I want to tell you about something I made ―”

“I need only to know of matters directly related to my rebellion.”

His curt tone made Bulma fume inside, putting her in less of a good mood. “Look, Vegeta, it is vitally important that I tell you…” Bulma’s voice trailed off as she watched Vegeta walk away from her and come to a stop next to a large device sitting on the floor.

Vegeta poked at the device in front of him with his booted toe and turned to look at Bulma. “If this is all you have done while I was gone, then I have wasted my time coming here.”

“Vegeta! For gosh sake, no! I am finished with some of the smaller inventions, but that’s not the point!”

“Humph!” Vegeta exhaled then looked away again, scanning the area slowly.

Now Bulma was getting really mad. He was ignoring her, interrupting her, and then subtly insulting her! She stomped over to him and poked him in the chest with her finger, grabbing his attention. “Look, Mister High-and-Mighty, I have something to show you that will make you stronger! Do you want to see it or not?”

Vegeta stared back at her, unsure as to what to say. She had insulted him, like many times before, but at the same time she was offering him something that he didn’t want to refuse.

“Then show it to me and I will be the one to determine if it will make me stronger.”

Bulma sighed. Vegeta was finally starting to pay her some attention. “Okay, I’ll show it to you, but you must understand that it’s not complete. Once it’s done you’ll be able to train in it anywhere you go.”

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at that. Normally, if he traveled outside Vegeta-sei’s resources, he had to use other faculties in which to train. He forcibly bit back a retort about the device not being complete and nodded instead. Bulma turned and walked farther into the lab, stepping over different odd and ends of things. Vegeta followed her silently, thinking about the sway of her hips, the smell of her hair, and the taste of her lips. He was unable to think of much else whenever he was so close to her.

As she walked, Bulma could only think of Vegeta’s strong arms, the beating of his heart, and the warm breath that would escape his lips when he was near. Without a doubt, he was a man that could enthrall any woman, but Bulma had to hold firm and not let that deter her. He was a man and she was a woman so it was only natural to feel some sort of an attraction, even towards a friend. Bulma didn’t have much experience with either friends or men, since her time as a slave only allowed her to see certain sides of each. Once they came to a half-made rounded ship, she stopped and turned around to face Vegeta, who had been right behind her. Again, he was close to her. Swallowing hard, she raised her hand and pointed behind her, indicating that the ship was what she had been previously talking about. She smiled as encouragingly as she could.

“This particular spaceship has a gravity modifier in it. It’s only the prototype, so it’s nothing special now, but the final version will be capsulated.” Bulma looked to Vegeta for approval, but his expression didn’t seem to have changed. “I didn’t know your exact power level, so I guessed, and made it so the inner chamber’s gravity can be increased up to four hundred times that of Vegeta-sei’s own.”

Vegeta was impressed. She had taken the time to create something for him that would not only be transportable, but would increase his power level simply by applying gravity. This device would be perfect for when he left to begin his rebellion. “Complete this as soon as possible. Until the final version is completed, have the prototype be able to increase the gravity by three hundred percent and I will begin training in it.”

Bulma smiled a little wider then nodded. “I will concentrate on this project until it’s finished.”

“When will it be finished?”

“The prototype? Hmm...” Bulma looked deep in thought for a moment. “I believe I could finish it within the week.”

Vegeta smirked. “Good.”

“Does the rebellion need anything else?”

Vegeta’s mind wasn’t on the rebellion at the moment, but instead on the woman in front of him. The bond they had drew him in whenever he was near her. He didn’t want to control his thoughts now, even though he knew he had to. He reached up and trailed a caressing finger over her cheek. She froze, keeping her gaze locked with Vegeta’s own.

“Your usefulness is proving to be more and more effective.”

Bulma could only whisper, “I try.” After looking into his gaze for a second more, Bulma found her self-confidence swell within her. “I am, of course, the smartest woman in the universe! I doubt anyone could be more useful.”

“I know. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here.”

“I am a genius! It was only a matter of time until someone noticed.”

“Be glad that someone is the strongest Saiya-jin in the universe, the only one who could protect you and your genius.”

“Of course,” Bulma said with a grin, “the ‘brains’ must always be protected by the ‘brawns’!”

Bulma was genuinely smiling by then, while Vegeta was smirking as well. Their pride in their own abilities allowed them to see into each other, a shared kindred feeling which was amplified by their bond. The fleeting moment was lost as soon as Vegeta’s own thoughts reminded him of his decision. He stepped away from her and his smirk disappeared beneath his static face. He made to leave, as it was unnecessary for him to be there any longer. His need to be with her had outweighed his resolve to stay away from her, if only for a short time, and if it hadn’t been for Bardock’s request to check upon the inventions, he might have never come. He would come again, though next time it would be for training. Bulma’s voice then stopped him when he was at the door.

“Vegeta, wait!” Bulma half-dashed to the door where Vegeta had stopped.

Vegeta stood with his back to Bulma. He remained quiet, allowing her to speak, just this once.

“Vegeta, you don’t have to go yet! I have other things I could show you, plus I have ideas for new equipment for the rebellion. Perhaps we could work on them together?”

“What rubbish! I employed you to do those things!” His voice matched the stern look that appeared on his face.

“I just thought it might be best…that we spent some time together. Perhaps you could even train me some more.”

“Humph!” The request was hard to turn down and the voice making it was equally hard to block out, so he knew what he had to do. He left without turning around or saying any more than he already had. As she watched him walk away from her, Bulma didn’t move. She knew that she couldn’t force Vegeta into doing anything he didn’t want to, no matter how strongly she felt about it. But he couldn’t control her either, and she would find a way to rekindle the friendship they once had. One day, she would be the one to stand with him, side-by-side, to defeat their enemy in mutual friendship.

**********

Zarbon stepped out of his personal space pod, relieved to be standing on a flat surface again. No one had known of his arrival until just a moment ago when he informed the landing crew he was docking. Of course, everyone was slightly panicked. Zarbon was the right-hand man of Freeza, who was still known to everyone as the strongest being in the universe. Both Freeza and his closest men made a great effort to hide the events that included those odd Chikyuu-jins and even the Chikyuu-jins themselves. Zarbon hated the Chikyuu-jins, and though he was loyal to Freeza, he hated his superior as well. In his mind, Freeza had lost and was now just second best, and Zarbon hated to think that he was now working for someone who was anything less than the best. And he hated being around Saiya-jins. Individually, they didn’t seem harmful, but in a group, they were dangerous. Freeza and he had seen their potential danger, but were unable to get rid of them. The Saiya-jins had been lucky these last few years, but luck eventually runs out. All Zarbon wanted to do was complete his mission here as soon as possible and then leave. He felt soiled just breathing the same air as those filthy Saiya-jin monkeys.

*********

Bulma sat at her workstation, feeling better then she had in some time, although Vegeta still had not come to inspect the lab she worked at during the day. She felt confident that she would see him soon and he would give her another chance to make peace with him. She had messed up before and though he might never truly forgive her for it, perhaps over time he would look past her mistakes, one day, when things finally calmed down and Freeza was no more. As she continued to muse about Vegeta, Bulma let her hands do all the work, typing blindingly fast as her eyes followed.

Suddenly, a chill passed through the lab. Bulma shivered briefly then paid no further attention to it, returning her concentration to the work in front of her. As she worked during the course of the day, she heard smatterings of whispers coming from the workers of which she was in charge. The soft mutterings began to get louder and louder until almost everyone was talking about something. Those outward voices were then cut off by a clearly echoed whisper in her mind, which made her immediately stop what she was doing. ...“Shit…Zarbon!”... This time, the mental whisper didn’t cause her pain like it had before, but rather an intense emotion. She leaned forward a bit and gently placed her fingertips on her temple, wondering again what that voice could mean. She placed her other hand on her fluttering stomach, feeling a sudden nervousness coming upon her.

Lost in deep thought, Bulma hadn’t noticed that her co-workers had ceased in their whisperings and chatter, nor had she noticed the arrival of a certain man. Bulma stared blankly at her flickering computer screen, trying to solve the puzzle of those inner voices that had haunted her mind for over six years. While she continued to sit at her station, the man positioned himself right behind her, unnoticed for several minutes.

“Is something the matter?” asked the man in a gentile tone, too soft and sweet to be Vegeta’s. Dazed, Bulma spun around in her chair to look up at the man who seemed concerned for her. Her curious gaze fell upon a light blue-skinned man with golden eyes. He was tall with long, dark green hair that was braided and wore pieces of simple jewelry on his head and ears. He was unquestionably handsome and Bulma could only gasp. It had been a while since Bulma had seen a man with such beauty. Oddly, she found herself with her mouth open as she stared at him. “You are not hurt anywhere, are you?”

It took Bulma a minute to snap out of her stupor. Once she did, she shook her head and replied, “No…I’m…I’m fine. You surprised me; that’s all.”

Zarbon bowed to her, with a charming smile on his lips. “I do apologize, my lady, I didn’t mean to startle you so.”

Bulma was little shocked by his civil manner and nervously smiled back at him. “It’s okay, really. I think I might have a small headache, though.”

“Then it would be hard for you to work, no? Please, allow me to escort you to the medical bay.”

This man before her seemed so dashing and concerned for her welfare that she felt as if she was in a blurry-eyed daze. No one had spoken to her or treated her that kindly in many years. Certainly Vegeta was different, treating her in such a way that was unique to only him, but it still seemed so special to her. Perhaps it was time that she sought out another companion, someone that would help her clear her heart. “Please, I would be honored. Of course, you can take me anywhere.”

Zarbon almost smirked. The small female in front of him had made a feeble attempt at flirting, but no matter. She was not only beautiful, but very desirable as well. And if the information he picked up earlier today was accurate, she was also a genius and the real reason behind Vegeta-sei’s sudden technological advancements. He took her by the hand as she stood and guided her out of the lab, while others looked on, still and fearful. But neither of them paid any attention to that. Zarbon was surprised that such a beautiful female was being wasted working in a lab. Her beauty was fit for only the best harem in the whole galaxy, even though Zarbon knew someone with her genius belonged in a lab. Halfway to the medical bay, Zarbon stopped and turned to look at this woman girl beside him. “Let me introduce myself. I am Zarbon. You may have heard of me.”

Bulma stood facing him with her back resting against the wall. She was becoming more uncertain and nervous about this man who called himself Zarbon. She had heard that name mentioned once before, but she couldn’t place where. “I’m Bulma Briefs.”

Zarbon stepped a little closer to her. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Bulma.”

“No…it’s all mine,” she replied in kind, still nervous. Strange, she had never felt this uncomfortable being around Vegeta. All of a sudden, she regretted her earlier attempt at flirting and didn’t want this Zarbon guy to be anywhere near her.

Unfortunately, Zarbon mistook her words as more flirting, and edged closer towards her. “So, is it true what I hear about you?”

“Me? You heard things about me?" asked Bulma, just slightly surprised at Zarbon’s words. “Is that why you were in my lab?”

“Partly, I wasn’t sure if you were indeed whom I heard so much about.” Zarbon’s voice was still soft but sounded quieter than before.

“What did you hear?”

“That you are the new brains behind Vegeta-sei.”

Bulma couldn’t help but brag. “Of course I’m the brains here; I’m a genius!”

“Is that so?” In one motion, Zarbon pressed Bulma further into the wall with his body, blocking her escape by bending his arms and placing his forearms on either side of her. She cowered back, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes. He took one hand and slowly trailed it down to touch her hair and her skin. Bulma was frozen. “You did say that I could take you anywhere, am I correct?”

“That’s what I said,” Bulma quickly answered, then bit her lip, instantly regretting her hasty reply. She didn’t want go anywhere with him anymore and she didn’t want to leave Vegeta. “But, now that I think of it…”

“Then you shall go to Freeza’s ship with me…” Zarbon slowly caressed her lips with his index finger, lowering his head to hers. “I promise to keep you warm and safe.”

Then it suddenly hit Bulma: Zarbon was Freeza’s right-hand man! “Freeza?”

“Yes, Freeza.” He then tired to kiss Bulma, but she squirmed away, hitting right into his arm.

“Um, thanks…but no thanks! I like it here!” she said as she tried to duck under Zarbon’s arm, but she was too late.

His face furrowed and enraged, Zarbon wrapped his arm around her before pushing her against the wall. Just as her back slammed into the wall, he stepped away from her and lightly back-slapped her across her face. Her cheek turned red and a trickle of blood began to drip from the corner of her lip. Bulma just stared at him, a look of loathing slowly coming into her eyes. For a few moments, Bulma and Zarbon just stood face-to-face. “You will come with me, either willingly or in chains.”

“No, I won’t!” Bulma said defiantly as she stood unmoving, knowing well that she couldn’t escape him. He didn’t seem so dashing anymore. She could try to fight him, but if she remembered correctly from what she heard about him, he was stronger than any Saiya-jin. Tears almost came to her eyes when she realized that she didn’t stand a chance.

Zarbon relaxed his angry countenance a bit. Even though she rejected him, it didn’t mean anything. He would still have her and he would still take her to Freeza. “No, Miss Bulma, you will come and I will break you…you can be sure of that.”

Before Bulma could react, Zarbon flashed before her and now was less than an inch away from her. He grabbed her by the arms and pressed into her, kissing her roughly and dispassionately while she gasped, trapped between him and the wall. Then he tightly held her by one arm while using the other to grope her behind. Despite being in a hallway that could be occupied by anyone, he might as well have her here and now. He would enjoy raping her, then drag her body to his chambers and finish with the rest of his bothersome investigation of Vegeta-sei's science division, enjoying her again afterwards. And the blue-haired female couldn’t do a thing about it. Although he could feel a salty wetness on his chin, Zarbon almost wanted to laugh aloud.

“You two should get a room,” commented a familiar voice.

Unhappy with the interruption, Zarbon removed his lips from the thing he would fuck soon and turned his head slightly to face the commenter. He continued to grope Bulma, but this time he held her against his body, in a position that half-hid her from the eyes of the intruder. Down the hall, somewhat close to them, stood a furious Saiya-jin with his arms crossed and his tail angrily thrashing behind him. “Ah, Vegeta! The last time I saw you, you were half-dead. You certainly look well enough.”

“Save your pleasantries for someone else! Let the girl go!”

“Vegeta, you know better then to interfere with my entertainment.”

“Hmm? I thought your entertainment was Freeza?”

“You go too far, Vegeta, and why would you bother to speak up for this creature?”

Vegeta didn’t move, but the anger in his heart was growing. “I wouldn’t if I had the choice. But that bitch is something I believe is important to Freeza and he can’t afford to have her damaged.”

“I don’t think you should stick your nose in my affairs, Vegeta. Freeza sent me to make sure you weren’t sneaking around behind us. So far, your reports have yet to include this blue-haired girl.”

“I don’t need to make excuses to you, Zarbon, but I am doing my job. Plus, the girl is under the protection my Royal House.”

“Is that so? And for what reason?”

“She exposed a traitor.”

“Ah…I think I remember now ― your fiancé, correct?”

“Yes, I was quite happy that Bulma took care of that little problem of mine.” By this time, Vegeta had moved a few steps closer to them, as his anxiousness to have Bulma safely with him began to overwhelm him.

“So, you call this girl by her name? I wonder if you had taken her before. I would hate to have leftovers from a monkey.”

“That is none of your business!”

As soon as she heard Vegeta’s voice, Bulma struggled to break free from Zarbon, but his embrace was half-suffocating her and she couldn’t cry out. Vegeta watched her struggles and tried to keep his face emotionless, but his heart was furious at Zarbon. Vegeta had also noticed her tears, and this time he wasn‘t so displeased by them, instead he felt a dire hatred for the person who caused them. And yet he had seen Zarbon kiss her and nearly turned and walked walk away. For a fleeting moment, he felt betrayed once again, but at the same time, he couldn’t allow her to be with anyone else. He also realized that the kiss was forced, that Bulma didn’t want the blue boy. Bulma wanted him, if only she would see it and if only he would allow himself to embrace his feelings for her once more.

However, their situation had become even more dangerous. Zarbon was close to taking Bulma away to Freeza because of her abilities, which was something Vegeta didn’t want to happen. And their bond could be exposed, leaving her in serious danger. Regardless, he would protect her as he promised he would.

When Zarbon pushed Bulma away, Vegeta paused to evaluate her. Her bruised cheek and bloody lip almost caused Vegeta to lunge at Zarbon, just for having damaged a part of him: Bulma. She caught sight of Vegeta and she tried to escape Zarbon to run to him. “Vegeta!” she called, but it was useless to try to free herself from Zarbon, his steely grip kept her from escaping to the safety of Vegeta‘s arms.

Zarbon looked surprised at her outburst. “So, she is used meat. I think I’ll let you take her from here, Vegeta, and I’ll take this new information I’ve gathered to Freeza instead.” Zarbon shoved Bulma towards Vegeta and she stumbled ungracefully to the floor at his feet. She looked back up at Zarbon, who was looking at Vegeta. She opened her mouth to yell at the detestable blue man, but Vegeta quickly kneeled down and put his hand over her mouth, muffling her words. He didn’t want her hasty anger to enrage Zarbon any further and get them both killed. She winced from the pain as his hand touched her wounded cheek.

“Inform Freeza of what?” Vegeta asked almost too coolly.

“That this Bulma Briefs is most likely why your previously inferior, shitty little red planet has been surpassing even Freeza’s science division.”

Bulma almost wanted to accept his compliment, but her thorough hatred of him kept her from doing so. “This girl likes to mess with wires and chips, that’s all,” Vegeta immediately countered. “And I happened to place her where she is only because she helped kill Yasai. Otherwise, she is useless. If you hand her over to Freeza, he will most likely kill you for bringing him nothing but a little something to warm his bed.” Bulma wanted to slap Vegeta for saying something so horrible about her.

Zarbon laughed. “I suppose I will also have to tell Freeza about your little preference for this girl.”

“She is merely useful; there is nothing else to tell.”

“Then do take her to the medical bay. I believe your ‘merely useful’ female has a headache that is interfering with her work.” With that Zarbon left them and walked gracefully down the hall. He had spent enough time being around all of these disgusting Saiya-jins, anyway. He had been doing a great deal of investigating all day and had found out many intriguing things. Tomorrow he would finish and return to Freeza.

Once he was sure that Zarbon was gone, Vegeta stood up, picking up Bulma as he did. He uncovered her mouth and immediately she began to rant at him.

“How could you just let him walk away? That asshole insulted both of us! And how could you say those things about me? I think I know why, but you didn’t ―” She was cut of by

Vegeta’s hand covering her mouth once again.

“Be quiet! Anyone could over hear you! Follow me.”

Bulma’s eyebrows furrowed together as she nodded. She was angry with the Saiya-jin prince but followed his orders. When he released her mouth for the second time, she winced again. Her cheek really hurt, too; she could feel it start to swell. Vegeta noticed her injury, but did nothing except walk briskly down the corridor to the medical bay. Bulma followed quietly behind, unsure of how to act. Vegeta had surely seen what had happened. Her shaking knees caused her to stagger a bit as she walked, but she made herself keep her eyes trained on Vegeta’s back, allowing her to keep pace and not falter. To her, he was like a beacon from a lighthouse, helping her from crashing into the shore, or wall or floor.

Vegeta led the way, his heart unsure of what to feel. He loved her, but part of him felt like she betrayed him, though she hadn’t done a thing. But he had to keep her safe, as he’d sworn to do. So it was best that she stay away from him and turn her talents down a notch, to keep suspicious eyes away from her. He would take her to the medical bay and have her stay away from work for a couple of days. Vegeta walked right into the medical bay, dismissing the staff before Bulma rounded the corner and entered the medical area. She stopped cold when she saw no one present except Vegeta. He still had his back to her.

“Where did everyone go?”

“I sent them away.”

“But who will take care of my cheek? If it doesn’t heal properly it could affect my

beautiful face!”

Vegeta then scowled. “I can take care of it.”

“Oh…”

After neither moved, an eerie silence fell between them. Bulma had no idea what to do next besides stare at Vegeta’s seemingly tense back. Vegeta felt nothing but turmoil rage in his heart. He vowed he would not pursue her, for both their sakes, but after seeing Zarbon on her, kissing her, it felt almost as bad as that night when she had discovered who he truly was, when they had shared a mutual kiss. It was hard to suppress his feelings for Bulma; she was his bonded, they were supposed to be together, fate had decreed it, and his heart confirmed it. Even if he continued to keep his distance from her, he would always want her and he could never be completely rid of her and his love for her. In the meanwhile, he would have to continue to play the part he told himself to play. He couldn’t stand it if she was taken to Freeza’s! He would be damned if that happened! He had to find a way to…

His racing thoughts were suddenly brought to a halt by her touch. Bulma had placed her hand on his back, gingerly. She had sensed his growing stress and was concerned for him. Not knowing what to do to help, she simply touched him, hoping to ease his hardship. Instead it made it worse, her soft touch made so much harder to keep the burning desire he had for her down. He stepped forward to stop the contact between them. He then turned around quickly, almost knocking Bulma down, anger flooding his features.

“Why were you with him?” Vegeta demanded through gritted teeth, trying to keep the obvious anger from his voice.

“I…I just meet him. He offered to take me to the medical bay because he thought I had a headache…well, he thought I had one ‘cause I said I did, but I really didn’t ―”

“Then why didn’t you leave with him? With Zarbon, Freeza’s pet?”

Something made Bulma realize that it was jealousy that was pouring out of him and she grew furious. “Because I thought I could make another friend or perhaps something more! You said I’m just useful, that I was not your ally anymore! Can’t you even allow me a tiny reprieve from my loneliness?”

“You do not need a reprieve from loneliness! You have plenty of work on which to focus, not on lingering lust and relationship problems!”

“Relationship problems? To you, we don’t have a relationship! I’m not even allowed to believe you’re my friend, and I still hope one day we may be! Without you, I don’t have the only relationship that ever mattered to me…” After staring madly at Vegeta while she ranted, she moved back from him. All the emotions she was feeling were almost drowning her. “And I…and I can lust after anyone I choose to! You don’t have claim over me! In fact, you should be the one to talk! Here you are with me, when you have another lover somewhere else! A Chikyuu-jin, no doubt, waiting for you!”

Vegeta just looked at Bulma blankly, almost as if she said something in another language.

“What ‘other’ woman?”

“The Chikyuu-jin you love, unlike me, whom you only lust after, that Goku told me about long before we ever meet. And of course you probably have many more!” Bulma said as she folded her arms to her chest and half-turned away from him.

An equally furious Vegeta strode over to her, lightly gripping her arm and half-pulling her to again face him directly. He looked at her with such a mixture of fury and desire in his eyes that it was hard for her to separate the two. “Woman! I swear you can be the most difficult creature I have ever known! There are no other women in my life and there has never been any other…only you!”

“Me? Don’t lust after me because of your pride!” Bulma just couldn't accept his words, it was too much for her to bare.

“Who said anything about lust?”

After another dreadful silence, Bulma’s heart skipped a beat, she couldn’t allow her heart to be turned; not now, not at this moment. She wouldn’t love Vegeta now, she couldn’t! Not now, when she was sure she would be damned for it! Vegeta was still the man she once admitted she loved, though she tried to delude herself about it. She knew for certain that she cared for Vegeta. She loved him, but she couldn’t let go of the hate that had been with her so long and the anger she felt at Vegeta for destroying her planet. That hate she carried inside was so small, but it stood between them now, even though she knew Freeza was the one to blame. And if Vegeta did love her, he was still a prince; their love would be short-lived. Bulma was no queen; she wasn’t even Saiya-jin. She still wouldn’t openly love him. No, she needed him as a friend, an ally…it couldn’t go beyond that. “I can’t…I can’t love you.”

Hearing that, all of his angry reasoning went out the door. “Do you really mean that?” If she said she wanted him, he wouldn’t stop himself from having her. Vegeta pulled her closer to him, brushing the hair away from her battered cheek.

Bulma held her breath. “I…we…not now…I’m not…I can’t…you…” With him holding her like that, Bulma couldn’t think straight, let alone put a proper sentence together. Her head was spinning and she began to feel as if was going to faint.

Vegeta released her and walked towards a device sitting on an examination table. He picked it up and returned to Bulma, who was now shaking with raw emotion. With one hand, he gently held her chin and tilted her head to the side to examine the damage on her face. Then he took his other hand and placed the device up to her bruised cheek. Almost immediately her physical pain melted away. After a minute or two, the bruising faded a little and the bleeding stopped. When he was done, Vegeta tossed the device back onto the table, then allowed himself to feel his composure once again. “I agree. Not only because I have decided your sole usefulness is to my rebellion, but there is too much between us, now and probably forever.”

“Am I only that, ‘useful’?” His harsh words made Bulma shake even more.

“Now you are, before…”

“Before?” She shook, still nervous and fearful that she was about to lose the one thing that ever really mattered to her.

“Don’t concern yourself with ‘before.’ Once your work for me is finalized, I want you off this planet.” Both felt physical pain at his words. Vegeta knew they were untrue, but Bulma was too distraught to pick up on the contradicting emotions that were coming off of him. He wanted her off this planet, not for himself, but for her. Vegeta was only thinking of Bulma; he wanted her safe and happy, and it seemed she would be without him. She might never truly accept him, though she might understand a part of him. If she wouldn’t allow herself to love him, and if she would never forgive him, then their fate was to part. Inwardly, he would give anything for her happiness if she would just stay here with him.

Bulma felt her hopes crumple. She had truly destroyed everything. She couldn’t believe that this might be the end. She had felt a part of him. Perhaps she did want to love him, but he didn’t love her and she was sure of it now. He may have loved her once, but she was right, that love was only skin-deep. He protected her out of concern for his rebellion, not because of what they once shared. What they shared was probably only meaningful to her. Vegeta had played her as the fool all along, and now she felt ashamed to have ever thought their relationship was special. They would never be anything now.

Yet their bond could not be destroyed like this; if it was, it would be their doom. But the bond was still there. Each loved the other; they only had to find it.

In that sad moment, Vegeta finally noticed the necklace he had given Bulma around her neck.