Author: Thanks to all who reviewed, I really appreciate you taking the time to post your thoughts on my work! Sorry for not updating sooner. Christmas rush has got me a bit caught up. I hope everyone enjoys their New Years celebrations!

Disclaimer. I don't own Dragonball Z. I do own Sapphire.

Vegeta, Bulma and Sapphire all jumped in unison when a loud cracking resounded from the laboratory. All three pairs of eyes glanced at one another before all three rose to action. Vegeta called to the Z fighters upstairs while Bulma and Sapphire rushed down the hall to the lab door. And that's when it dawned on Sapphire.

"Oh my gosh, Bulma! I forgot to tell you this morning!" Bulma turned a skeptical eye on her, and so she continued. "When I checked the stability this morning there looked to be holes in the power level stabilizers." Bulma's expression was livid and fearful at the same time. It seemed a part of her couldn't conjure an assumption as to why Sapphire had been down in the chamber that morning, and the other was dreading the result.

Pulling the door back, Bulma led the way into the lab, which was filled with a hot, sticky, and foul smelling smoke. Coughing and waving her hand afore her face, Sapphired attempted to peer through the steam but couldn't see very far past her own nose. She could hear the guys behind her, and could feel Trunks push past her. Perhaps the boys' eyesight would prove to be better.

It did, and Trunks must have seen it coming before it hit him. It was a good thing the half-Saiyan had pushed past her, for the door to the chamber came flying towards him. He caught it deftly, but Sapphire wouldn't have been able to boast the same. Before the smoke could clear, both Goku and Vegeta jumped into the lab. They must have seen something none of them could. She could hear their voices yell, but the smoke was dizzying her senses. The floor was rushing up to her, and the last thing she could hear was bodies colliding and the wall stabilizer locking into place.

Smart move.

"Sapphire... hey Saffie... wake up, girl." Bulma's voice drifted into Sapphire's groggy mind. When she realized she wasn't dreaming, she fought to wake herself up. Opening her eyes, she found herself to be in the living room. 'How did I get here?' she asked herself as she struggled to rise.

"Well... good thing we were awake..." Trunks mumbled as he replaced the ice pack to his bruised eye. Sapphire blanched, but the purpled haired teen only gave her a loppy grin. Apparantly he was proud for taking the hit. And then it dawned on her.

"Where is he?" Bulma blinked stupidly a moment before she realized who Sapphire was talking about.

"Oh.. well.." Her hesitance gave Sapphire's heart a jolt, and she was about to question arguementatively, but Trunks jumped in and explained. "We knocked him with some sleepy juice straight to the vein." His voice was jovial, as though it'd been his brilliant idea.

"And then strapped him to the stabilizer on the wall." Bulma finished glumly before narrowing her eyes. There was something else she wanted to ask Sapphire, but it didn't look as though she were about to while everyone else was there.

"Well, it appears that you're the only one who can go near him. So I'm assuming you're the one who's going down there and talking some sense into him." Vegeta grumbled. At the thought of "talking sense" into the legendary super Saiyan, a snort of derision from both Trunks and Goten was emitted, who looked at one another knowingly and shook their heads. Sapphire sat speechless, blanching at Vegeta as though he'd grown a third eye. He was serious though. And as only one could expect from the former prince, there was no shaking him from the decision he'd made.

And it seemed everyone else had agreed. She could feel her skin crawl and her heart thud against her ribcage. Looking to Goku for escape, she only saw a face that kindly agreed with Vegeta wholeheartedly. Looking down to her own shaking fists, which held her blanket in a vice grip, she slowly nodded. Who could she kid? There was no running from it now.

"We'll be on stand-by right out here. If you need us we'll be able to help, but I'm afraid that if he woke up and found us there you'd lose any chance of getting through to him." Gohan sagely explained, his tone attempting to be light but dipping threateningly into a reserved growl. It was apparant that he didn't like this idea of sending her in without at least one of them there. Again, Sapphire nodded, but she felt entirely numb. Even though she was there, her mind was running far from the scene entirely. Bulma gave her a hand and she stood shakily, casting one more glance around her before silently sidling towards the hall that would lead to the lab, and perhaps to her death.

Taking a deep breath with one hand on the door, she turned back and looked to find Goku put his hand lightly on her shoulder. He nodded once to her, but it didn't make her stomach feel any better. Turning back towards the door, she stepped inside and flicked the lights on. There were none. The door shut quietly as a lab door could behind her, and she jumped at the clausterphobic feeling the room suddenly gave her. It was dark save for the small emergency lights along the walls. They didn't provide much light. Apparantly, the electricity to the lab had been cut during the scuffle. Taking a deep and shaky breath, she stumbled deeper into the lab where she saw a limp Saiyan strapped tight by powerful metal bracers against the wall. He was out like a light, alright. Squinting in the dimness, she shuffled a little closer. Her fear began to hide behind her curiosity as she watched him peacefully rest. Granted, he didn't look at all comfortable, but he did look quiet. There was a bit of blood seeping past a tiny cut on his forehead, and Sapphire reached to touch it in disbelief. They'd actually cut him...

Her fingers were very cold and shaking, but not because of the chill. His skin burned to the touch, and she vaguely wondered if it were normal for Saiyans to run at a higher temperature. His face scrunched a bit, but she noticed just as she had the first time he'd awoken. Sapphire waited for him to lash out with bated breath, but this time he didn't awaken right away. Feeling a bit more brave, she gently pushed his dark bangs away from his face. He really wasn't at all ugly. In fact, he could even be considered quite handsome.

Sapphire blinked in surprise at herself. 'Oh brother...' Sapphire muttered to herself as she moved to back away. Suddenly something wrapped tight around her rib cage and knocked the breath out of her. Losing her balance, she found herself face to face with an angry and bloodthirsty Saiyan. Sapphire threw her hands against his bare chest to push herself away, but found that she was quite stuck.

"Let me go!" She screamed.

"You let ME go!" He spat back in her face. Sapphire's eyes stared widely at him as she realized just how close she was to him. And how?! Looking down, she saw he had a furred tail wrapped tight around her ribcage. Looking back up at him, she blanched. Freak! Squirming, she felt him tighten his tail before yelling, "did you hear me?!"

"Yes, I DID!" She yelled back when she realized he had no intention of letting her go. "Quite loud and clear, actually!" Her mouth was running away with her again. She felt her heart fail a few beats when he only glared down at her with those black eyes. In the dark, with his bangs falling into his face that way, he looked truly more menacing than she could ever imagine. Both seemed to be taking deep breaths to calm themselves, and that's when she once again became conscience of their closeness. She could feel her cheeks start to burn.

"I can't do anything unless you let me go." Sapphire mumbled as she attempted to evade how embarrassed she felt. She could feel every muscle twitch as he realized she was right. Slowly, he loosened his grip on her. Her legs felt like jelly and they gave out beneath her, settling her right on her bum afore him. His face twitched as he fought not to laugh at her. Sapphire stood, glaring at him as she put distance between herself and certain danger. To his apparant irritation, she only sat on the table behind her and looked obstinantly at him. When she didn't move, he started to catch on.

"You... are all... the same..." He growled between clenched teeth. Sapphire blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She finally asked when she realized he wasn't going to elaborate. She watched a flash of rage pass his face... and pain?

"You can't stand someone more powerful than you! You're pathetic and you let fear consume you!" His voice lashed out with every syllable. It was a throaty yell from the gut, an attack when none could be unleashed with physical force. Each word hit Sapphire like a bullet and rendered her silent. "This is why I have to get rid of all of you! You're all sick and twisted!" Sapphire blanched as she began to follow. The Legendary Saiyan, the one born to destroy the universe and all its inhabitants. The birth of this being meant the apocalypse; the absolute end. So was it fate that made him this way? Or had it been his experiences as a child? Or was it just the Saiyan blood coursing through his veins? One thing was sure... if it was fate, which she found hard to believe in as it was, then there was nothing all of them could do. If fate did exist, there was no twisting it; or so she'd always been told.

"I hate it! I hate all of you! You see power greater than yours and you have to cage it, control it, and twist it so you can use it! You're no different!" There was no joking in his voice as each word pounded Sapphire.

"I'm not controlling anything!" Sapphire defended. She couldn't stand anymore of his verbal tirade. "I just don't want you to kill me!"

"You deserve to die!" He retorted.

"What did I ever do to you?!" She flippantly asked, swinging her arms out wide to emphasize her weaknesses in comparison to his power. He looked at her as though it were obvious. "Look, all we want..." she began slowly, her voice shakey.

"No!" He screamed before she could continue. "I'm not doing anything for you slobs!" Sapphire could sense that there was a deeper reason behind his obstinance.

"It's you!" She yelled when he wouldn't stop. "We don't want anything but for you to CALM DOWN!" She was almost hysterical, but at least it made him stop. She could see she hadn't gotten anything through to him. Across his face she could clearly read he was only attempting to summon a retort. He didn't want to listen to anything she was going to say. Crossing her arms, she sat back onto the table, resting there and making it clear she wasn't yet done 'talking'.

"You're only brave because I'm stuck to this wall, you pathetic weakling." Brolly growled.

"That's right. I am weak. It wouldn't take much for you to kill me. I know that." Sapphire spoke matter-of-factly. Brolly seemed to be waiting for her to continue, and when she didn't he appeared thoroughly confused. She'd stolen his insults and used them on herself, showing that there was no way to hurt her with them.

"Where are they?" He changed the subject when he couldn't get to her. Sapphire just shrugged.

"Why do you care?" Sapphire snapped quietly, and this brought another gutteral growl of irritation from the Saiyan. Sapphire knew they weren't getting anywhere fast this way, but he'd struck a chord in her.

"Come here." Sapphire felt a chill race down her spine. Did he really just say that? Sapphire stared at his glaring face in disbelief. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked when she didn't move.

"No." Sapphire lied. Brolly 'hmphed' in response. Both knew it to be a pathetic lie. She was trembling where she sat, the color drained from her face.

"Are you cold?"

"No! Why do you care anyways?!" A small smile tugged at the corner of Brolly's lips as he exposed her and her lie. Sapphire could only glare pathetically at him. She could feel that same exposure to fear she always had when she was little, when her father would tear into her with his words till there was little of her left. She was about to fight further, but was halted when his smile faded.

"Why won't you let me go?" He asked again, more softly.

"I already told you!" Sapphire spat. "I don't want you to kill me."

"I won't," he said, and Sapphire blinked in surprise. 'What a liar', she thought bitterly to herself, but she couldn't see any hint of a lie in his face.

"What about Goku and his sons, and Vegeta and his family, and their friends? What about Earth?!" Sapphire summoned her anger back as she retorted. She watched his face darken, and knew that any arguement he spoke would be a lie. He had full intentions of killing them, and destroying Earth. "What's your problem with them anyways?" Sapphire asked quietly.

"I already told you!" Brolly retorted, mimicking her earlier snapping. "They deserve to die! This whole world deserves to go to hell!" Sapphire blanched. He coudn't be serious. She couldn't find any reason why he'd deserve a second chance at all, and she couldn't see how she'd ever be able to change anything. He wasn't just insane and angry, he was determined to destroy everything whether it was in his way or not. Not only that, she couldn't seem to identify a weak spot or point where he genuinely had a reason to destroy everything.

"There's no way..." she whispered hopelessly.

"No way, what?" He growled in frustration when she didn't emphasize.

"You're not going to change... you never will... you'll always be this way, won't you?"

"You don't know me! So don't act like you do!" Brolly's voice was raising again, but Sapphire was beginning to feel numb to his yelling.

"And there's no way I ever will... is there?" This halted him a moment, only a moment, before she watched that same repeat of rage and pain rush across his face. He couldn't see past it, and so he let it consume him. "Are you afraid of me?" She asked quietly before he could respond to her previous question. This question caught him off guard, but only because of how ridiculous it must have sounded.

"Oh yes, positively frightened." He growled sarcastically. Something about it felt like a lie, though. Sapphire stood.

"Why do you want me to come over there?" She asked.

"Come here and you'll find out." The mysterious danger hidden in his gutteral voice bounced Sapphire's heart through a few beats, but she took two steps closer.

"Will you make me a promise?" Sapphire asked.

"Sure... I'll humor you." He whispered through a smirk.

"Will you promise not to... to do what you did earlier?" Sapphire's voice was quiet, and a blush rose to her cheeks. She couldn't believe how ridiculously embarrassed she'd been by him constricting her with his tail. It's not like she'd asked him to. Brolly blinked at the simple request before rolling his eyes and nodding. It made her wonder if he'd known the effect it had on her. Taking a deep breath, Sapphire stood before him. He seemed so much bigger this close; so much more imposing. Sapphire flinched when his tail brushed her cheek, and she glared at him.

"Do I scare you?" He whispered. Sapphire's face darkened at his question.

"No." She lied shakily.

"Then come closer." Sapphire couldn't see how she could get any closer without stepping into his personal space. That was too close. But his challenge rang in her ears. If she didn't come closer, she was showing her fear. If she did, she was stepping way into an uncomfortable zone.

Sapphire took one step closer. He didn't respond, only glared down at her. He hadn't been expecting that, and Sapphire chuckled victoriously and inwardly to herself. Suddenly feeling a bit more brave, she laid her palm on his chest, and looked up at him. Facing his eyes was the hardest to do, but when she found open confusion and pain there, she couldn't help but stare. He drew a sharp breath, but neither could look away from this game of fear. Sapphire dove deep into her well of fading bravery and found the strength to speak.

"None of us want to hurt you, Brolly." His name sounded so terribly foreign and intriguing on her tongue, and she hated it. "None of us want to take anything. We just want to help." She could feel his skin tremble before the storm.

"I don't need your help!" She could feel his tail wrap tightly around her wrist and pull her hand away, but Sapphire was determined to stand her ground. With her other hand, she grasped his tail and tugged it off her wrist. He let loose a howl and writhed against his constraints.

"Please, don't do this Brolly." Sapphire whispered as she stood a few steps away from him. He glared down at her, but made no move to respond. "Why won't you believe me? What's the use in destroying everything, anyways?"

"You disgust me." He spat. "That's why."

"And what will you do when all's been said and done?! Have you thought about that?!" Sapphire's voice cracked as she yelled, but she refused to acknowledge the display of weakness.

"How do you plan to help me then, little weakling." He argued. He wasn't yelling, but his voice was filled with an acid texture. Sapphire flinched from it and looked to the floor. She didn't have an answer for that. "Because you can't." He said with a finality to it as though it'd been a proven fact. And perhaps it had been.