A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! you guys are amazing! It's definitely motivation to write faster when I know people are enjoying and invested in the story! Let me know how you like this chapter with a quick review! I really appreciate all the compliments and I love reading what you guys think will/should happen to the characters :) Hopefully I wont disappoint you!
The darkness swallowed her completely, trapping her legs and arms to her sides. She struggled, but found the efforts exhausting and gave up easily. From everything she had heard of dying from her friends – she hadn't expected this. She felt heavy, broken, and miserable. She choked on a sob and found she could take shallow breaths if she concentrated.
A blinding white light. The heat of the sun burning her. Flashes of her last moments fluttered to her mind. Vegeta.
Pain stabbed through her heart, ripping through her chest and spreading vile through her veins until every inch of her physically hurt. Vegeta. She wanted to cry. What had happened to him? The Vegeta she knew, the man she loved would never actually raise his hand to her with the intent of hurting her… sure, he joked about it… it was part of their dynamic. He would threaten to kill her and blow up the planet, she would tell him he was an arrogant asshole too stupid to do anything without her… but to actually try and kill her?
Trunks!
A new panic flew through her, as she fought against the shadow restraints. Her baby! Where was he? Would Vegeta do anything to hurt him too? Had he gotten away in time? Who would take care of him now that she was gone? Her muscles screamed as she tried harder and harder to move herself to no avail. She screamed inside her head, the anger growing as she fought harder. She needed to get up. She needed to find her son!
"Bulma?" a faint voice pricked her ears and she calmed down enough to focus on the sound. "Bulma can you hear me?"
Yes she thought. Yes I can.
"I think her eyes are fluttering." Another voice whispered. "I think she's waking up."
She struggled, using the anger to fuel her efforts to move. Her muscles burned but she pushed through until she felt one arm pop free of its hold. She barked a laugh mentally in pride and she tried to re-create the efforts for her other arm.
"Do you think it's a good idea we're all here? I mean…won't she –"
"It's fine. She needs us."
"Yeah but Trunks –"
"Look! She's moving her arm. Bulma? Bulma you need to wake up!" she felt a jostle as someone heavy sat next to her.
"What she needs is to rest. She's been through a lot."
"She needs to know what happened! She can't just – Bulma?" her eyes fluttered open briefly at the sound of Trunk's name. Settling back down, she allowed herself one more moment rest before shoving herself into a conscious state.
She squinted as she adjusted to the lights above her. She was too warm, under a thick blanket despite the hot summer air outside. She wiggled and found she could move her arms and legs freely again and sighed a breath of relief.
"Trunks…" she croaked out, her throat dry as she turned her head in search of a glass of water.
"He's not here Bulma." ChiChi's face crowded her vision, the woman's face streaked with tear marks and her eyes puffy red showing she'd only recently stopped sobbing. "He and Goten flew off together with Piccolo after Vegeta." Bulma sat up quickly, the blood rushing from her head, her eyes wild and with fear.
"Why would they do that?! Do they think they can take him on themselves? They can't be serious! They're just children!"
"They're not trying to take on Vegeta…" ChiChi sobbed. "They went after to help fight Majin Buu." And with that ChiChi lost herself to another fit of tears as she walked across the room to find a tissue. Bulma took a moment to look around the room they sat in, it wasn't anything grand and looked to be a cheap hotel with a single queen bed, outdated red carpeting and blinds that were thrown open to see the destruction taking place just outside. Yamcha stood by the window. His face in a deep scowl as he surveyed the action outside. As her senses returned she suddenly could make out the wails of sirens in the distance as ambulances, fire trucks and hundreds of police flew around the streets looking to pull people to safety.
It was as chaotic as when Cell had terrorized the cities.
"How did we get here? What happened? Who's Majin Buu?" She looked from ChiChi to Yamcha but both seemed too preoccupied to answer. ChiChi sobbed harder at the mention of Buu and Yamcha's arms flexed as he punched a wall, leaving a deep hole. She waited another moment before scowling. "Excuse me – but what the hell is going on! The last think I remember is the boys fight, a bright white light and being sure I was dead…and now there's a mad man on the loose? What the hell is happening?!"
"I took us here." Yamcha said, still refusing to turn his attention away from the streets. "I saw the attack… there wasn't any time. Vegeta just…I grabbed you and Gohan managed to grab Videl and ChiChi but the others…" Bulma covered her mouth in horror. So she hadn't imagine it…they had been attacked.
"But… there were thousands of people…" she shook her head, unable to accept that Vegeta had purposefully killed thousands of people in an attempt to get her. "The boys? What happened to the boys?"
"They all went after him. After the blast…Vegeta just flew off. As if nothing had happened. He was laughing Bulma. Like a fucking monster. Laughing at the death he just caused. He was happy! Goku took off after him. I've never seen him look so outraged… the rest of the guys were going to fly off after them but then…"
"He killed the rest of the Bulma! They just…all disappeared at once and he was eating… I think he was eating them." ChiChi nearly screamed, horrified. "We were too far away for him to get us but… it was awful."
"Who?!"
"Majin Buu."
Bulma's head spun from all the information. She felt like she had been asleep for a week to miss all of this instead of a few hours. Thousands of people dead…from Vegeta's hand and this Majin Buu character… the boys were gone…and she was sitting uselessly on the bed.
"We have to help them." She said with more conviction than she felt. "We have to do something."
"What can we do?" ChiChi laughed sarcastically. "We're a bunch of useless humans stuck in the middle of yet another alien battle." She threw her hands up and went to sit on the bed next to Bulma.
"That's not fair… we have Goku, Vege-" she stopped herself, her voice catching in her throat. She saw Yamcha flex his arms again before crossing them over his chest. His knuckles were white on his biceps.
"Yeah, great plan. My dead husband who's only on earth for one day and the psychopath you're shacked up with that just murdered half the city!"
"Hey! That's NOT the Vegeta I know. He would never –"
"How often is he bragging about how many lives he took while working for Freiza hmm? How many times has he threatened to do this EXACT thing Bulma?" Yamchas voice was furiously low as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Wake up and realize that he is no less a monster than when he first came to this planet!"
"No. I don't believe it… something's wrong with him…he's not himself!"
"Enough! What will it take to make you realize that he's not who you thought he was! He is the bad guy Bulma! He always has been! Jesus… I have been fighting to protect you from him for too long and even still, even after he tries to MURDER you, does murder half a stadium – you STILL try to take his defense. He is EVIL." Yamcha yelled before turning to face her. ChiChi glanced from the woman besides her to the man in front of them. Quietly she went to the bathroom and shut the door. A moment later the sound of the shower running signaled to Yamcha that she was trying to give them a little privacy.
Bulma pulled her knees to her chest and bit her lip hard to prevent it from trembling. Yamcha sat in front of her, grabbing her hand and holding it firmly.
"Bulma… if he'd been a second faster… if I'd been a second slower…I couldn't live with the idea of your death. I love you for Christ's sake… why cant you just accept it?" Bulma looked away and shook her head, not wanting to have this conversation. "I don't get it… you want me? You don't want me? You come to me when we're together… I know you feel the fire between us. I know you crave me just as much as I crave you. Why then…why do you stay with him?"
"Yamcha…"
"No. I don't need another dance around. I want you. I need an answer from you. You need to open your eyes and see that it's over between the two of you. I think trying to kill the other person is a pretty clear sign the relationship is over. Let me protect you. Let me love you." He pulled her head gently towards him and kissed her chastely on the lips. "I love you Bulma Briefs."
Bulma sat there for a moment completely shocked. It was too much… the fight, her son disappearing, the deaths, a new monster…she couldn't handle it. The tears began spilling faster than she could wipe them away with the back of her hand.
"Yamcha. I love Vegeta." She managed between sobs. "I've been so selfish with the two of you… I let – I let myself get wrapped up in the attention… I…I know Vegeta didn't mean to do this… he…he loves me too…I need to find him." Yamcha dropped her hand and without a word stood up and left the room. Slamming the door behind him Bulma heard the tell-tale whoosh of air as he took off. Another moment passed by before the bathroom door creaked open and ChiChi popped out.
"Is everything ok?" Bulma wiped at her face, smearing any makeup she had been wearing noticing the other womans face looked just the same. Without warning she felt a chuckle bubble up in her throat and escape. ChiChi looked at her in bewilderment as the single chuckle turned into a collection before she was full on laughing. ChiChi smirked despite her best efforts.
"Ok…" Bulma gasped. "Of all the words in the dictionary… why not. 'Ok' seems just as good to describe todays shit show as any other." She calmed down, taking a deep breath before swinging her feet over and standing up.
"We need to find the boys." She told her friend. "We need to do what we can to help."
"But Vegeta…" ChiChi asked cautiously.
"Is with your husband. Do you really think Goku would let him hurt anyone else? Something's wrong with Vegeta and I need to find out what so we can fix it."
"What do we do?"
"We fly around and look for the biggest shit storm we can see. They won't be far away."
Vegeta sucked in another ragged breath that tore through his lungs painfully. To put it mildly, he hurt. He could feel a broken rib jabbing into him and could taste the blood in his mouth as it filled his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to collapse right where he was and just let the creature finish him off. He glared at the giant pink gumball in front of him, laughing and dancing as if he wasn't phased in the slightest.
Vegeta growled in annoyance and guilt. He'd once again been foolish and vain and now where did he stand? It was all for nothing. The training, the struggles, accepting the Majin power... he still fell short. He was broken, a failure...he deserved his fate.
He lowered himself to the ground with strained effort and he fought to stay on his own two feet. Bulma... he'd lost sight of her in the haze of power. Convinced he was better without her, better without Trunks. That they were holding him back. But he'd been wrong...about everything.
He would never be stronger than Kakarott.
He would never achieve greatness on his own.
He did need his family by his side. They weren't a weakness, they were the source of his strength.
He had been a fool for months, letting Bulma start to slip away from him and into the arms of another man. He should have fought for her, shown her every single day why she was a Prince and not a pathetic human.
Vegeta spit on the ground cursing Yamcha in every language he knew. No doubt they would be together right now. He had tried to kill her, and almost succeeded. There was no possible chance she would still be with him. He raised his gaze to stare at the blob floating above him, oblivious to the turmoil below. The monster would destroy his home. He couldn't let that happen... he may not be strong enough, but he was the only hope Earth had. Goku lay unconcious under a pile of rocks he himself had put there and even if he was strong enough to fight - he had less than a day remaining on earth. Gohan was gone and the rest? No. This was what he had waited for his entire life...to be the strongest warrior. The irony struck him hard that it was also the first time in his life he hoped for someone to come to his aid.
"Dad!" Vegeta craned his neck around to see Trunks flying at him to land a few feet away. He looked scared, hurt, and weary. Vegeta didn't blame him.
"Trunks you need to leave."
"No! We came to help! We can fight with you Dad!"
"We?" Vegeta looked over his sons head in the distance and saw Goten hanging back by a few thousand feet. Vegeta shook his head, realizing that he hadn't even felt their powers approaching. He was in worse shape than originally thought. "No. You both need to leave. It isn't safe here for you."
"It isn't safe anywehere right now...at least here we can be helpful." Vegeta smiled. His boy. A true Saiyan warrior and Prince. He had raised him well, taught him well. "We're not leaving." Trunks frowned, a stubborn look on his face that mirrored his mothers. Vegeta felt his heart constrict knowing he would never see Bulma again besides in his sons expression.
He looked to the sky again and knew he was running out of time and nerve. Soon his energy would be gone and he wouldn't have enough strength to do what needed to be done.
"Trunks... son. Have I ever held you?" Trunks took a step back and looked at his dad skeptically.
"uh...no...why?"
"Come here." his legs felt heavier, his vision blurring as the blood dripped on the ground and his lungs began to fill with the heavy fluid. Reaching out an arm he pulled Trunks in to him and hugged him tight. The boy was unsure what to do and stood awkwardly, embraced by his father for the first time. "Trunks... i'm proud of you and the man you're becoming. Never change, and never forget that...protect your mother." His head throbbed, his knees shook. He had moments left before he collapsed on the spot but he kept his face strong and blank for his son. He would not let Trunks see him weak. He allowed himself one more look at his son, the boys bright eyes shining just as Bulmas did and it was a comfort.
With a swift motion Vegeta hit the pressure point in Trunk's neck and knocked him out cold. A yell in the distance grew louder as Goten flew at him screaming. Vegeta swayed and felt out for the nearest strength.
"Take the boys someplace safe." he said outloud, hoping someone would hear him before just as quickly knocking Goten out and laying him next to Trunks. Carefully, making sure to only as much energy as he needed to rise to the height of the monster he flew into the clouds. Glancing below he saw the Namekian scoop both children up before flying off and away. He sighed in relief, at least he could protect his son if only just this once.
Focusing on his remaining strength on the energy in his body he pulled everything into his core. He could feel his body swell, expanding to it's breaking point as he willed for more. The pain was extinguished by the fact that it was too immense for his brain to comprehend.
Majin Buu stopped dancing to turn and stare at the glowing Saiyan warrior, confused as to what was happening. Vegeta let it consume him and granted himself one final moment to remember Bulma's smile before the world exploded around him.
Bulma jerked the plane as they hovered over the water. Her heart throbbed, a pain she had never felt before as it rocked her to the core.
"Bulma? What's wrong?" ChiChi asked in concern as she reached over and put her hand on her friends shoulder.
"I...I don't know..." she glanced out the window in time to see a brilliant white light flash hundreds of miles to the west of them. "But it doesn't feel good..."
"We'll have Dende look you over at Kami's lookout."
"Yeah... of course." she said, settling back into her seat, watching the light from the corner of her eye. A single tear escaped, rolling down her cheek.
It only took them several more minutes before the reached their destination which spilled over with loved ones searching for each other. ChiChi nearly lept off the moving craft as Bulma tried to land it when she saw Goten standing off to the side looking miserable. ChiChi swooped up her son and immediately scoured his body for bumps and bruises, asking him dozens of questions in soft soothing voices. Bulma glanced around the area herself, spotting Krillin standing very close to 18, Videl stood awkwardly amongst the Son family, Piccilo remained in the shadows, mysterious as ever...but Bulma didn't see either of the faces she was hoping to.
"He's over here Bulma!" ChiChi yelled over her shoulder before scooping her youngest in another hug.
Bulma ran to where ChiChi sat and saw sitting on the ground with his back to everyone Trunks. He was dirty, a little roughed up and very upset - but otherwise he was safe and uninjured. She let out a heavy breath she didn't know she'd been holding as she slowed to a walk and slowly sat next to her son.
Trunks looked up at his mom, unspilled tears brimming at his eyes while he silently laid his head on her shoulder. Bulma laughed in relief and wrapped her arms around the boy holding him tight against her before kissing his head.
"Trunks... i'm so sorry..." she whispered into his hair as she gave him another kiss on his head. "I'm so, so, sorry."
"I'm sorry too Mom... I should have been there for protect you... I...Dad...Dad told me to protect you." Bulma hugged her son tighter.
"You haven't done anything to apologize for. I should be protecting you from this, not the other way around. I love you so much sweetheart."
They sat together in silence for twenty minutes, taking comfort in the strength of one another. When the familiar pop of an arrival hit them they both jumped in excitement.
"Vegeta?" Bulma whispered hopefully as she held Trunks hand and they firmly pushed their way to the front of the group. ChiChi was already there, her arms wrapped around Goku's neck as she cried hysterically into his shoulder.
"I thought I'd never see you again!" she wailed. Bulma glanced around hoping to spot Vegeta...her Vegeta... standing behind him and frowned when she saw Goku was alone.
"Gohan...Vegeta..." Goku choked out while pulling ChiChi off of him long enough to address the crowd. "They're gone."
"Gone?" someone in the crowd asked.
"Yes." Goku said, the pain apparent in his voice. "They're both dead."
The silence stretched for what felt like hours. Time stopped as the words sunk into Bulma's head. Dead...Vegeta...he was dead. She held Trunk's hand tightly at looked at her son, openly weeping though unable to make any noise. Bulma wanted to cry but she was too spent...to tired from the horrific day.
She fell to her knees and did the only thing she could. She screamed until the world went black.
A/N: So Bulma finally chose between the two men! Do you think she should forgive Vegeta? Do you think Vegeta should forgive Bulma? I'm going to be skipping ahead a bit in the next chapter mostly because... Vegeta's dead so...not much to write for him! lol Let me know what you think! More reviews = happy author = faster updates!
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