Disclaimer: I don't own any characters, they belong to Akira Toriyama.

Note: The characters might be a bit OOC, but really just a bit! So, enough of me and I wish you the geatest fun while reading the third chapter! :)

Towards Tomorrow

Chapter 3 – Sleeping Beauty

Death always smiles at us.
The only option we have is to smile back.

-Marcus Aurelius

Bulma froze in her movement when her eyes met his. Cerulean meeting onyx. It took her breath away. His eyes were furious, full of hatred and anger and he locked them on her face, not saying a word. They were dark as the night but also incredibly beautiful. Never in her life she had seen such eyes. She could only imagine what caused this darkness, not sure if she really wanted to know.

For a moment the normally chatty Bulma was speechless, but quickly came back to sanity.

''My name is Bulma. I'm calling an ambulance for you'', she informed him in a calm voice.

He swallowed slowly and tried to sit up, never looking away from her. Soon he felt that he was not able to sit and fell back on the ground, growling over his condition.

''No, no! Lie down! I bet you have internal bleeding! I'll call a doctor, just wait!'', Bulma said, trying to calm him down. But it had a contrary effect, he even looked angrier than before, trying again to sit up, this time he was successful.

''Shut up, woman! I do not need any help! I will blast you into thousand pieces if you won't leave me alone!'', he grunted, his voice cracky.

Bulma frowned in disbelief. ''Euh... Sure. So you don't want me to call an ambulance?''

The man tried to get up but failed miserably only causing his wounds to bleed again.

''What are you talking about, woman? I do not want you to do anything but leave or you will regret it!'' he threatened her again. With his awful condition, the threat didn't really had the intended effect on Bulma who chuckled quietly. She stood up offering him a helping hand that he refused or ignored, she wasn't quite sure.

''How dare you to laugh at me, you little nothing!'', he growled slowly regaining the full power of his voice. The man raised his right hand pointing his palm in her direction. At first Bulma thought she was still dizzy and now halucinating but after she blinked a few times she was sure that she was completely sane. In the man's hand slowly appeared a little ball of light growing bigger and causing her to shiver.

This is bad, this is really, really bad, she thought. Her senses alarmed her and her insticts told her to run away as fast as she could. This is how I die.

It took him longer than ever to form the little energy ball. Normally it took him less than a second and he could eliminate a whole city with it. So this was the annoying Bulma Briefs who had warned him. He had to admit that he had imagined her differently. Less attractive. Her bright blue hair matched the color of her eyes, like an ocean or a summer sky. He lacked a fitting comparison. He pointed his attack exactly at her heart, at least she was smart enough not to run, for it wouldn't make any difference. Her face was petrified in terror and he wondered if she knew what was coming.

Right before he was about to kill her, she surprised him with her actions. She slowly sat down next to him, very careful not to touch any wound, causing him to hesitate. The woman looked him deep in the eyes when she raised her own slim arm and placed her small hands on his wrist. She calmly lowered his arm until it rested beside him. Vegeta was stunned at her courage, totally forgetting about his energy blast. When the ball had completely vanished, she took his gloved hand in her's.

''Please. I haven't done anything to you. I just want to help. Let me help you'', she begged. And she smiled. She smiled. Vegeta didn't know how to react, he felt how the energy ball had used up the last bits of strength inside of his body. Maybe he spared her because of her extraordinary stupid behavior, maybe because he was absolutely exhausted, but all he knew was that he would lose his conciousness at any moment and the woman seemed to be trustworthy.

''Fi-fine'', he stottered, finally breaking down and falling into a deep, dark nothingness.

Bulma exhaled and felt like she hadn't breathed in ages. What she had done had been reckless, completely insane but it saved her god damned life. Her muscles relaxed when the big bad man passed out, feeling relieved that he finally closed his black eyes, releasing her from his firm gaze.

That had been a very risky action, but she had been lucky. Now she had to act fast before he regained his conciousness and possibly changed his opinion on sparing her life. She let go of his big hand, placing it gently on his muscular chest.

It is necessary to get him into the car, she thought, that is going to be a difficult thing to do. She tried again her earlier technic pulling his arm around her slim shoulders but after a few meters she fell to the ground, powerless. He was way to heavy for her to carry. So she changed plans and lay him down again, returning alone to her car. She didn't see another option, started the car and pulled over, driving over the field to where she had left the man. Then she placed the big body on her rear back seat, making sure to secure him properly.

Eventually, she drove back the same way she had come from. From time to time she looked into the driving mirror to check if he was still breathing or if he had awakened. For sure she had to clean the seats where he lay, she wouldn't like blood stains all other the soft material.

What would her parents say, when she brought back an almost dead alien with a tail like a monkey? Her mom would find him cute, she thought, and her dad... Wait! Her dad! Oh no, she had all but forgotten that he would return today. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too mad about her absence. Then again, it would please him that she had found an alien man he could study. She chuckled about the fact that she had a really handsome, half naked man with a monkey tail on her back seats. This would make a great story to tell her children one day, or for now, to tell her best friend ChiChi later on the phone. Maybe she should bring him to a hospital, she considered. But what would they do if they noticed his tail, and they clearly would notice it, would they experiment on him? Bulma didn't want that. No, it was best to bring him to her father. He could help him. At least she hoped that he could.

Pulling into her gateway she faced the big building with the words ''Capsule Corp.'' written on it. Someday she would take over her father's company and then she would be the most powerful woman in Satan City. Maybe in the whole world, she dared thinking.

As soon as she entered the garage, the door opened and her parents made their way to her car. Quickly she thought of the best way to explain the situation. But it was already too late.

''Bulma, darling! Where have you- OH MY! What is THAT?'', her mother shrieked.

Bulma herself picked nervously on her dress while turning to her father.

''Dad, I'm really sorry I wasn't there when you arrived. But you can see that I had a good explanation, huh?'', she asked him shyly.

Her father looked shocked on the sight of the bleeding man in his daughter's car. It took him a few moments to gather his thoughts and to give her a response.''Yeah, sure sweety. I can see. But... What does it mean? Who is he?'' His eyes switched from the man to his daughter and back to the man.

''I'll explain everything later. Please, help him! He's almost dead, I think. Can you help him?'' Bulma looked desperate. That didn't fit to his daughter. She was always so brave and strong and now she looked rather tired and at the end of her strengths.

Doctor Briefs hesitated a moment but than acted swiftly. They brought him to the laboratory where he cut off the rest of his clothes. Bulma turned away, too ashamed to take a look. Her mother didn't care and giggled in excitement at the sight of his naked body. Bulma couldn't understand what she would find attractive or worth giggeling on a deeply injured half dead monkey man. Sometimes her mother was a mystery to her.

Doctor Briefs started the analysis after covering him up. Bulma looked him over the shoulder, curious what the computer would say.

After a few minutes the results were ready. During the wait, she told her dad everything that had happened. She had finished with telling her story when the computer printed the diagnosis. Doctor Briefs looked through the list, an unreadible expression on his face.

''So? What's wrong with him?'', Bulma asked stressed out.

''Seems like he is in a coma. But the strange thing is, that he is healing up all by himself, as if he already had medicine inside of him. Guess, we just have to wait for him to wake up again'', Doctor Briefs explained.

''If that is so, I'll bake an extra big cake for him that he can eat when he awakes'', Mrs. Biefs stated, leaving the lab with a big smile on her face.

''So, we can't do anything?'', Bulma asked disbelieving.

''Nope. I'll check on him again tomorow, for now I am going to rest, the journey was quite exhausting. You should do the same, honey'', Doctor Briefs told her. He gave his daughter a kiss on the hair before leaving after his wife.

Bulma remained alone in the lab with the wounded but now soundly asleep man. She took a chair and put it beside his bed. Sitting down felt great, she was really tired herself. But she couldn't just leave him here alone, he was way to interesting. Where would he might come from? What is his species called? Or what is his name? Even asleep he looked serious and bad-tempered. Could he never just rest? Bulma felt sorry for him, not even knowing what for.

I should really go to sleep, she thought. But she didn't want to leave him just there. Without further ado she took another foldaway bed and put it a few feet apart next to his bed. So when he would wake up, he wasn't alone and wouldn't panic, maybe even destroying the house in the act.

One last time she took a good look at his face. He was really beautiful. At least that's what she thought. Wondering what she was doing, he kissed him on the forehead, just like her father kissed her on the head a few moments ago. That was Bulma, always overprotective and affectionate.

But she couldn't help but worry for the beautiful man, who had almost killed her this afternoon.

Author's Note: Cheesy, I know... But sooooo romantic, don't you think? I have so much fun writing this story! :D I'd be so happy if you'd tell me how you liked it yourself! Another chapter comes tomorrow or the day after tomorrow! -Have a nice day, Jefferson :)