No Strings Attached

Rated R

Writer: Shari

Chapter 1-Blue Bonanza

Pg13

Fantasy/General/Romance

SM/DBZ/who knows

Enjoy!

There was an acid taste in her mouth, the dust from the walls was clinging to her neck like his mouth had clung not so many nights ago. The sweat seeped down her shirt, between her breasts as they walked. Reminding her of the tickle-shiver trail of his touch.

Sometime in the future, before they were separated he'd ask her "Will you miss me when I leave?" And she'd say nothing. The silence would settle between them like it settled now, and it would stain her memory.

She knew he'd leave

Her side:

Wouldn't he? She didn't doubt he'd come back, but what mattered more than anything was that he would leave. Like so many people had left her before. Like her father had left her.

Sometimes when she was thinking of him, the line that defined her relationships blurred. And she wasn't sure if she was talking about him or her father.

She had a majors in child psychology. The university she graduated from had published her thesis -"Theories of Human Interactions." She'd been offered a job as a resident lecturer. Yet, she still felt that strange hesitation when she compared of the two of them in her mind. 'All that work and I'm still as screwed up as I was in the beginning.'

"Life's a bitch like that."

He said it, looking down at her with that disgusting smirk she'd annihilated with some wit of her own a time or two.

It annoyed Her. That smug smile he plastered on, as if he were the king of the world, and every one else just existed to serve him.

And he believed it.

That really annoyed her.

"Did it seem as if I wanted you to see my thoughts just then? Was I somehow projecting an invite towards you? How many times do I have to tell you stay out of my head! "

"The truth will set you free." The stupid smirk again. She took pleasure in wiping it from his face.

She looked at him, swinging the lamp-light she'd grabbed from him minutes before full in his face.

"You first..."

She waited.

Pressing her heels into the soft dirt.

Listening to it crunch beneath her shoes, and to the sound of his breathing.

The only sound that was coming from him.

"Didn't think so. You know what- listen to your own crappy lines before you go spouting them off."

She was sick of the hypocritical lines he threw around, but never listened to. Just like every one else…

She was thinking about it now. Again. For what seemed the millionth time.

'The truth will set you free and all other slogans the 'free world' chose to sport. Throwing out lies to their lovers as if it was candy to their children, racing home in time to slip off the sexy dress and get discontented enough so their husbands wouldn't suspect a thing. To race back out together leaving the TV-babysitter and a twenty-dollar bill with the fourteen year old to complain, at some parents' meeting about the bad influences on their children.'

Her mind skipped that record again because of the tiny scratches on her memory and psyche only a good family upbringing can bring, and came back to him.

He was bending over leaning his hands down to lift her through the lope in the tunnel.

So the answer to her unspoken question was no.

His arms wrapped around her waist, pressing her slime soaked shirt against his, lifting her up.

He wasn't so like her father as she'd first thought.

In ways he filled a place her father never could. A place no one ever could. That she had pretended wasn't there. And some days, depending on her mood, still pretended. As if he weren't important. And she wouldn't miss him if he just vanished.

But that wasn't the truth. She needed him. Or else she would be alone. Far, from home, lost and alone.

Her breath was hot against his neck as she rest her head against his shoulders. Letting him hold her for a moment longer.

It was always like this. Even in the middle of the night when she'd try to roll over and land firmly against his warm body. He'd been there…to a point.

It was further than either of their families would have thought when they laughed over that first picture of them. 'Always together. Our Serenity an...' and their voices would trail into the distance, to a memory .

In the bleak of the night, when the fluid filled her lungs from walking too far in the asphi- filled air, and his rubbing hands hurt her back more that they helped. As she leaned forward tears falling off her chin, she'd remember those words. And so many more.

In the still silence, as she sat while he tried to soothe her…waiting for pain to go away.

It seemed like they were always waiting- for the words 'love' to be said, for life to begin again, to return home, for the ice-cream feasts and foot fights of the past. When they seemed happier.

She smiled at the thought of those times, slipping her hand around his waist under the shirt to reach for the cold cells. His skin was so warm that she never thought she'd reach anything cold after touching it. But the shock came from the first feel of the cells anyways, whether it was from the energy they emitted, or their temperature, she didn't know. Another enigma. Like morning. She'd gotten used to the shock.

It was that false sense of security that he projected that had gotten her- taken her hostage and kept her until reality slowly chipped away at it. It seemed the more she got to know him the less there was to trust.

His side:

So this was it- no strings attached.

'We cut them one by one.' Kar'd, the old woman who'd befriending Master Roshi in his dying days, had said to him. As she was bending over with her crooked back and scarred face.

When he was younger he'd though she was inspecting their shoe laces to make sure they didn't run ragged- all in their neat white rows. Later he'd thought she was inspecting them, which hadn't seemed so strange because order had always been the most important thing then. Cause an unplanned mess never got you anywhere.

He looked beside him, at her blond head against the gray dreary paneling, that had begun to feel so much like home.

That was what she was.

An unplanned mess.

Her side:

Some nights were so warm and honest she'd believed that in the morning, it would be like that. He'd be like that. But nighttime lover and daytime partner had never agreed.

She grimaced.

That had been one of the problems.

No middle ground. She didn't think the mornings would be so cold. So, to her they became an enigma. And the more she tried to figure them out, the less she truly wanted to know. The less she accepted the change.

These same thoughts seemed to run through her mind week after week for months, and she was getting tired. Her body showed it- slowly drooping. Fingers shaking when she held the morning coffee, when she tried to run, when she tried to do anything. She supposed she could blame it on the asphi- air and her illness, but it seemed such a simple connection to make in her mind- The more he rejected her, the more tired she became. Of everything. Of him.

He didn't notice anymore. He wasn't there.

There was always someplace better for him to go. And someone who needed him. Maybe some one else who he needed. Her eyes narrowed now. Searching his face.

"Kinda familiar isn't it?" he joked. Referring to the walk. One of the many walks they'd made- down unfamiliar tunnels and gullies. Across skypaths and even through the sands of time.

But his statement seemed ironic to her.

'Yeah.' She agreed. Her thoughts were too familiar.

There it was. He was always good for a joke, a laugh, a giggle, a murmur, a moan. But he never knew when to shut up and just be. When to just listen…She smiled ruefully at herself inside.

'Was she talking about herself or him?'

His side:

She didn't even crack a glimpse of a smile. Her eyes kept dead ahead. "Through there." A tiny blue hole was the only thing to be seen.

He remembered something, vaguely -about blue holes and worms and strings dangling but it was all so confusing he didn't want to think about it now. The sleepy fuzzy feeling washed over him again. The familiar pounding was beginning. This was how it always was when they reached the end of a journey. Almost as if something were trying to prod him from that place.

It seemed there was always something pushing him too far.

She shivered beside him, the cobweb brushing the nape of her neck.

"Are you sure you want to go back?" She looked at him with the red rings beneath her eyes. He wondered when was the last time she'd slept- across their white sheets. He remembered the red spots they'd made on those white sheets and the morning after. The first morning after. He remembered the beginning.

The beginning...

He was here at the end wasn't he?

It wasn't so much of a question she'd ask, as a statement she made. Home was the only dream they had to hold onto. So the answer was always what it should be;

"Yes."

"Let's go then."

In the distance:

Her head rolled back. She heard 'Let's go then' from some place far away. But the acid was flowing through her veins and all the pretty lights were thrashing around her. From someplace deep inside of herself she heard a death call, a creeping desperation that leaked out of that one short sentence. Their need to be saved, and felt her own need to save whoever had made it. And chose to ignore it.

Their side:

'That's our portal?' she asked eyebrows raised, questioning his judgment. His authority.

"Trust me okay."

"Like that's gotten me so far" she muttered beneath her breathe turning her head aside waiting for him to complete the call, on the small silver disc he held in his hands.

"Your phone? A mind link with her hasn't helped but a cell phone is a sure fire way. O tell me cowboy what's next. Maybe if we can lasso up to some phone posts and swing ourselves sending the smoke signals and hoots into the air- she'll get the message. Or is this some contest to see how primitive we can go?"

She was bitching. He was getting frustrated. And somewhere far way, their way out- this girl- the portal so to speak, was getting too high to receive any message they might send.

"Just shut-up and be quiet!"

"Ooh Mr. Genius now."

He bit his lip and turned counting ten down slowly in his head.

But the girl, whoever she was, did manage to hear the countdown. If nothing else…

In the distance:

10....9....8.....Was it New Years already? Had she been high that long. Cool....

Their side:

"And she's not answering the call. Can anyone say 'Surprise'?" she sat on the steps of the house, at the front door, her head resting against someone's meticulously angled plant pot. It was pointed exactly 35* North.

She knew. She'd been here before. This was his home. Her fingers traced the patterns on the marble. His home when he was seven or eight. Eh didn't like to talk about it. But they'd been there before. She'd seen him. He was different then.

But she could tell him that. He would scowl at her and tell her she was different now too. And that would hurt her. It was always the simple things that did.

So instead she said "She's coming in ten minutes. We can't be hear then." Her eyes looking tiredly at him.

"Is that anxiety I hear Miss Cool and Easy? It's 'my' mom. I know we can't be here."

"I don't do everything cool and easy if. you. recall." she muttered again. He glared at her.

"I remember."

Well at least it wasn't a smirk. He picked up the disc again.

In the distance:

With cockleshells and... Did the cockleshells ring in Mary's garden? It was puzzling. She reached for the ringing cockleshells but Mary wrapped her knuckles again. "How many times do I have to say-'Don't touch anything!'" Whoa...Mary had a loud voice for a twenty-pound rat. And a bad attitude. She'd had some crazy illusions before but this was the craziest of all. Cause now Mary looked like some biker dude with a really large paddle…And she'd obviously done something pretty bad…

Their side:

"This isn't my fault."

He was still silent when she said it. He just stared straight ahead. He wasn't even looking at her.

"I didn't see any other way out besides the blue hole."

Still not looking at her

"Where else would we have gone? This is the right place."

Time for the big guns. Well as big as she could pull in public, in a decent neighbourhood like this.

"Don't be mad." she said in the little voice that sometimes got him. He looked at her and rolled his eyes.

It was her way of apologizing. For this mess. For a lot of things

"We don't even know how to get it- her- the portal…whatever she is to work anyway. So who cares if we get in touch with her? What's she really going to do? Beam us wherever she is? They'll move us in two minutes anyway." he said glancing at the watch.

It was his way of forgiving her

'We wait.'

'We wait.'

Beep...Beep...Beep...

The transfer was starting again. They worked fast. Like clockwork. Never a second too soon, or too late.

She fidgeted.

Rubbed the cells together in her hands.

They were sweaty, cause she was nervous. Maybe she should be holding them this closely.

The two of them still hadn't figured out what triggered the cells or how they triggered a movement.

30 seconds

Deep calm breathes. Her heart started to go a mile a minute. They didn't even have a minute.

And the cells were just dead metallic pieces.

But they felt hot.

And they were getting hotter.

Beep - Beep- Beep-

15 seconds

"Let's use the cells." Her palm unfolded to show the tiny blue shiny rectangles.

"How?"

"I don't know!"

She squeezed her palm shut.

Hoping.

It was like holding fire.

"Maybe-"

Squeezed tighter.

It burnt.

And tingled.

Beep.beep.

Tighter -

…Silence…

Consuming heat spread through her. And…

"There's-"

"Aaahhh!"

Beep

Darkness

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Hi-

Thank you for reading

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

I re-edited thanks to the last reviewer's comments. They hurt. But yeah chapter one was messing with my head too, but I think I've made it easier to follow, and therefore and lot better. It's 1:47. I have an unstudied for exam in the morning. Well, later.

I'm 16 this is my first posted fic ever- be as harsh as you want- e-mail's

Send me ideas- comments etc. Thanks to all my reviewers, and I hope everyone can understand it so much better now. See ya.

About story n me

Oh right- don't own it SM/ DBZ- couldn't afford to buy it, but the talent's mine.

It is a crossover- sm and dbz. Other animes may come into play.

Everyone pretty much knows who the couple is by chapter 3 right. Cause no one's said it yet. Also- well I can't ask that until someone says who the couple is.

Last reviewer- thank you. I prefer the edit of this version. Hope you will too.

That's all for now

Ja ne and God bless you.

Ooh- Crystal Heart- thanx for the inspiration- I used a variation of her he/she said thing. Plus I love her lineation.

Read Princess Kitten- No Destiny Attached - story's good. Much easier to follow than this. Thanx for listening though I talk too much about this story. And in general.