Chapter 2- Wounded

Dr. Kitsu had been working for the Briefs long before Bulma had been born, in fact, she had been on staff when the heiress had been delivered into this world. She remembered everyone's gasp of shock and surprise when they saw the tuff of blue hair make its appearance between Bunny's legs. They coos and babble over the sweet babe who had the hair of a sea goddess. Sweet, yet very loud, she had cried so loudly and for so long the mother was sure the child was defective, they had spent half an hour trying to convince Bunny to breastfeed and the child would stop her sobs for nourishment. But Bunny had just had breast surgery much to the family's gynecologist's shock and uproar so finally the mystery of why the babe hadn't fed from the mother was solved and some formula was brought in.

Now here that same blue haired babe sat, though not much of a babe anymore, no she was a full grown woman infant adorableness replaced with mature beauty. She had lost a bit of weight according to her chart but Bulma had reassured her that she wasn't suffering an eating disorder and after consulting with Bulmas therapist Dr. Manko she was assured it was more from depressive lack of appetite. Now she sat in front of the older woman, her multi-colored scrubs sticking out in the white room, with the heiress seated on the observation table. A plain blue sundress a lighter shade then her hair alone with white heels seemed almost too plain for a woman known to set the fashion trends, but that was to be expected with what all the young woman had just confessed to her.

The information that she was pregnant had been confirmed with a blood test, there was no mistaking that Bulma Briefs was carrying Yamcha's child. "Bulma, I know this is very hard for you but you have options. You are not very far along in the pregnancy a month and some odd weeks. " Dr. Kitsu was an older woman, and over time she had learned that it was best to set out all the options for a woman with an unexpected pregnancy because you would hate for her to go looking in the wrong places for answers for fear of being judged. She had seen too many young girls die from a coat hanger shoved up to far to be afraid to mention abortion to a woman who seemed like she was on the fence about a pregnancy. "I don't know your stance on some things, but there is always adoption or abortion. Now I know there is a lot of ugly stigma around that option, but I can promise you this, you will have the utmost support, the utmost privacy in whatever you choose you to do. I am your doctor my job is to take care of you and your needs…" The newly to be mother heard little of what the doctor said, her mind was inflamed with so many emotions that she was unable to focus on anything around her. Instead, she was locked in the misery of her own thoughts, and what ifs. What if this had happened months ago before she had found Yamacha balls deep in some baseball fangirl? Her hands curled at the dirty memory as it replayed itself, the image of their intertwined legs taunting her, bile rose on in the back of her throat as she forced herself to calm down. No, he wouldn't get the best of her with his memory. He had already gotten her youthful years, her bleeding heart, and now he got to claim a bastard flame in her womb. Pale hands fluttered to her stomach where they rested uneasily, there was life there in the cradle of her body, not a raging fire of a soon to be a person but the smoldering happenings of one.

There was her future to look to, not only her future but Yamchas, a growing baseball star. She grit her teeth, she may hate him but this decision needed to be looked at through both eyes of those who had helped create the little smolder inside of her. They both were young, full of dreams. She was just now gaining ground with the Capsule Corp investors, she was to become Vice President within the coming year, she was going to change the world like her father had done. Pale fingers dug into her stomach slightly her eyes never leaving the crack in the otherwise spotless tiled floor, a crack that began a small shiver and blossomed to a large gash in the white flooring. Perhaps

that's how her soul looked now, all those little hurts had put too much strain on it and now it was bursting beneath the pressures.

What would his soul look like? What would Yamcha's soul look like, would it be cracked and fragile? No, she didn't think it would, she pictured it to be bright and vibrant because Yamcha cared for no one but himself in the end. She remembered painfully all the times he had come to her for money, to help him get connections within the Major Leagues for his baseball career through her families well-known name and fortune. Suddenly while studying that crack in the flooring she realized just how much Yamcha had used her, had taken advantage of her, used her forgiving, soft soul as a stepping stone to where he wanted to be in life, not caring how much the weight of holding him up cracked and destroyed her own.

Now, just as always he left her carrying a burden, and left to make a choice that would crack her soul a little more. Because in these memories another resurfaced one that seemed almost destine now. They had been laying out in the garden, soaking in the sunshine to tan their bodies. Yamcha had always tanned very well and rather easily but Bulma on the other hand, she only stayed creamy white or burned so badly she would be in a peeling whimpering mass of pain for days. Teasingly they had gotten on the subject of their future, the usual young couple fantasies, the big house, the white picket fence, the well-behaved dog.

"We will have like five kids! I want all girls! Squee! Imagine all the shopping I would get to do!" She had yelled out excitedly kicking her long creamy legs at the idea.

His chuckle had been a bit dry as he rolled over between her legs looking down at her, "Oh, come on Bulma, you really want to have to look after a bunch of brats?" His large hands rubbing her outer thighs as he hovered over her navel with his lips.

"What do you mean brats? Don't you want kids?" She asked wiggling her hips at the pleasant filling of his hands, the hot panting of his breath against her.

He lowered his head to her bikini bottoms, nuzzling her inner thigh with his nose, "Hell no B, I don't want kids. I didn't even like being a kid! I mean did you really enjoy having to look after Goku when he was a kid! No way, I don't want a brat."

She didn't remember her response to that, she remembered he had pulled her bottoms to the side after that, and they had spent the rest of the afternoon making love in the sun. She bit her lip, that seemed to happen a lot, whenever she mentioned their future he would change the subject, whether with sex or changing the topic of conversation. Smother out the words with kisses, once or twice he would bring up an argument and then it hit her as if she had been smashed with a Ki blast.

He had never wanted a future with her, he never intended to stay.

The crack in the tile seemed to go a little deeper then.

He stalked the grounds of the extensive compound like a beast on the hunt, sure steps falling silent on the green grass beneath, each step seeming to fall harder than the last as he sought out her Ki. Two days, and not a single sign-on her, not her Ki, not her scent, not her sounding screams in aggravation at one of his insults. Just nothingness, as if she had simply up and vanished. Vegeta sneered at some gardener attending to some shrubbery, sending the man stumbling a few steps back and sputtering out apologies. "You man! Where is the old Woman?!" He barked out, stopping his stride as he glared at the grown man, gripping a pair of sheers as if they would somehow spare him Vegeta's wrath. "I don't have all day! Tell me what I want to know or I will give you something to actually snivel about!" His voice left no room for the threat to be thought empty.

"M-Mrs. Briefs? Sh-She was in the flower beds by the back patio!" He yelped out trying to contain the stammer in his voice, but he knew his fear was evident. Vegeta gave him a scowl and rolled his eyes at the inferior man as he made his way in that direction without another word. Stalking across the ground he grit his teeth, balling his fist in agitation. Why was he seeking her out? Why did he feel that uncomfortable tightness in his chest whenever he thought of her. He found himself seeking out her Ki throughout the day now and again, trying to sense it and every time he couldn't locate it that ball in his stomach would grow a bit tighter. He told himself again and again that it was for the upgrades he had been promised but had yet to be delivered upon. But

he knew that wasn't the reason. So he focused on the rage and not the reason behind it.

Seeing the blonde mindless woman bobbing about on her knees, tending to some yellow daisies that grew among some petunias he stopped his footfalls and barked out in a rough voice. "Old Woman where is the banshee!" He yelled, with more volume and force than was necessary seeing as he was right behind her. The older lady jerked up her hand going to the large sunhat on her head, the other holding a spade, and both clad in pink, dirt smeared gardening gloves.

"Oh, Vegeta! You gave me a start!" She smiled at him none the less her expression lacking any real surprise just that smile that seemed to be tattooed on her lips at every moment of the day. "Oh well, I don't think we have any Banshees! But if you put them on the list I will be sure to pick some up at the store!" She gave him a little nod and went to turn back to her flowers.

Vegeta felt his temper flaring and grit his teeth cursing Kami for making this woman his only source of the information he wanted. "No, you daft human! I mean the Woman, the loud one!" If her next answer didn't soothe his agitation he was sure he would blast this old hag into pieces and she could feed her plants that way for a few months.

Bunny stared at the Sayian Prince for a moment before raising her brow for a moment and then smiling widely. "Ah! You mean Bulma. Well, Bulma is at the hospital for a couple days they were going to keep her in the compound but she for some reason didn't want to stay here. She said she was getting some kidney stones removed or some nonsense." Bunny waved a hand in a dismissive gesture and smiled, "Oh I know! I have gotten the most delicious strawberry tarts from the bakery! I'm sure you would just love them."

Was the woman in the hospital? So that's why her pathetic Ki hadn't been fluttering about the compound, or her shrieks interrupted his training sessions and meals. The old woman prattling drowned out as Vegeta began to process what she had just told him. The woman had kidney stones? He hadn't heard her complain about anything bothering her lately and he was sure he would have heard her vocalizing her discomfort at least once before she wasn't exactly silent. Not only that, but why would they need to go off compound for such a simple procedure, when the gravity chamber had exploded they hadn't needed to take him off the compound and that had been much more serious than kidney stones. Vegeta felt his fist tighten, he felt like he was being lied too, but the person lying to him wasn't in on the lie. No one lied to the Prince of Saiyans.