When He Hits You

"Mama, I Love You"

Bulma's eyes opened slowly, almost cautiously as if she didn't know what to expect. This is how she had been waking up for the past six days. She didn't know if Vegeta would be there looking down on her or if she would be in a cold, empty room. She welcomed the latter. Bulma stretched and got slowly out of bed. Her muscles were sore and she could barely walk. Vegeta was hard on her last night. That night seemed like a blur. Her arms were sore and she didn't have to look to know that there was the impression of Vegeta's fingers on both of her upper arms and her wrists. She lifted her nightgown and saw more purple fingerprints on the insides of her thighs.

Bulma walked to the mirror and took off her nightgown. There were bruises on her stomach where he had grabbed her sides and pinched her. There were ugly bite marks on her breasts some looked like they might be getting infected. Bulma sighed and winced as she touched her neck. The bite mark there had a nasty blue tint that circled it and it was all red inside. Vegeta had really messed her up this time. All because she had wanted to go feed her little boy. "Oh my God Trunks!" Bulma exclaimed wincing as she slipped her bathrobe on and ran from the room and down the hall to her son's room.

Bulma was surprised to see her mother in the nursery with Trunks in her arms feeding him from a bottle. Bulma breathed a sigh of relief and put the back of her hand to her head and rested against the doorframe. "Hey mom," she said a little out of breath.

"Oh hello dear," Bulma's mother said turning around. "How did you sle-" Bulma's mother stopped when she saw the large purple bruise that covered most of her daughter's cheek and the bite mark on her neck.

Bulma was confused by the look on her mother's face but then she realized why she looked so appalled and she turned to face the wall, hiding her swollen face. "Bulma what-"

"Don't worry about it mom. It's nothing." Bulma told her still looking at the wall.

"It IS something, Bulma. Did Vegeta do that to you?" her mother asked setting the bottle that Trunks had just finished on the changing table.

"Mom I said not to worry about it. Okay? I'm fine. I can handle it."

"Well apparently you aren't handling it very well. Are you hurt any where else?" she asked putting Trunks in his crib and walking over to her daughter. Bulma backed up a little bit and put her hands up. But before she could say anything her mother had undone her robe and all her injuries except for the ones on her back for in full view.

Mrs. Briefs was so shocked that she couldn't speak. "Bulma how? Why?"

Tears formed in Bulma's eyes as she closed her robe. "Mom, just don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

"No Bulma I am sending you away where he can't hurt you."

"No, Mom, don't. I am not going anywhere. I am fine," She assured her mother. Trunks began to cry so Bulma moved to get him but Mrs. Brief stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Mom what are you doing? Move!" Bulma said.

"No, if you won't help yourself then I won't let you near Trunks. I will not see that child hurt."

"Mom nothing is going to happen to him. I will protect him now move."

"If you can't protect yourself then how can you protect your son?" she asked.

"Please mom, just move out of the way," Bulma said frantically trying to get to her son. Her mother refused to allow her passage.

"No, I will not let you draw this child into what you are dealing with. You either go somewhere safe or I am taking Trunks with me and your father and I will take care of him."

Bulma started crying and then the crying turned into wailing. "MOM JUST MOVE! Please. I am his mother. You can't take him away!" she screamed.

"Then you have to help yourself."

"If I leave he will find me. How will I have enough time to get away? I don't even know where to go. I have nowhere but here," Bulma said failing to her knees, tears running down her face.

"Go to Goku's house you know that they would protect you." Mrs. Briefs said kneeling down to calm her daughter.

"No mom he will automatically go there. I'll have to go somewhere else." Bulma had calmed down and had stopped crying but she was still sniffling a little. Her mom began rubbing her shoulders being careful not to press to hard.

"What about Yamcha?" Mrs. Brief's suggested.

"NO!" Bulma said a little too quickly but Mrs. Briefs didn't pay any attention.

"Well you don't really have any other choice. Goku can protect you, you know he can. Just let him help you." She said.

"Maybe you're right mom. Maybe I just need to ask for his protection one more time. I know he would take care of me. But what about Vegeta? How will I get away without him noticing?"

"Actually Bulma I think that he left the property all together for the day. I haven't seen him and the gravity room is not on. He must be off somewhere so we must hurry."

"Okay," Bulma said getting up. Trunks was still crying but her mother had already picked him up and was rocking him back and forth. Bulma got up and turned to go out but stopped. She turned to her mother and said, "Thanks Mom."

"Your welcome sweetheart, you know I love you," she said.

"I know. I love you too." Bulma said and left to get dressed and packed. When she got to her room she called Goku.

Chi Chi answered the phone. "Moshi moshi," she said when she picked up.

"Hey Chi its Bulma," Bulma said biting her thumbnail.

"Oh hey Bulma, what's up?" Chi Chi asked.

"I was wondering if Goku was home. Oh yeah. He and -"

"Great can I talk to him for a minute?" she asked quickly not wanting to waste time.

"Sure Bulma just a minute," Chi Chi said a little surprised at being cut off. She put the phone down and went outside and called out to her husband. "Hey Goku! Phone!"

"Okay thanks Chi," then he turned to Vegeta, "I'll be just a second then we can finish sparring." Vegeta nodded crossing his arms.

Goku headed inside and picked up the phone. "Hello?" he said.

"Hey Goku, its Bulma. Do you think that I could spend a few nights at your house," she asked him.

"Well sure Bulma you can come anytime but do you mind if I ask why?" Goku said confused.

"I just need to get away, that's all. And I need your help with something. So it's all right for me to come stay a couple nights?" She asked again to be sure.

"Yeah of course," Goku said smiling.

"Okay I will be over there soon. Bye," Bulma said and hung up the phone before Goku got to tell her something that would have been key in her plans for escape.

Goku just hung up the phone and went back outside. Being Goku he didn't think there was anything wrong with Bulma coming over to stay when Vegeta was back. He decided to forget all about it and not meddle in Bulma's life again.

Bulma got dressed and packed her clothes and then got Trunks ready to go. She loaded everything into the car and kissed her mom goodbye. Then she and her baby got on the road to Goku's house oblivious to what awaited them there.

Bulma finally pulled up to the house. She parked and got out. She picked up her son and walked up to the house. She rang the doorbell and waited. Finally Chi Chi opened the door and invited her in.

"Come on in Bulma Goku is out back," she greeted her good friend.

"Thanks I think I will go out there and talk to him." Bulma said smiling, she finally felt safe, safer than she had felt in the last week. Bulma carried Trunks to the back. When she opened the door she was shocked at what she saw. There was Goku and Vegeta sparring in the back yard. Bulma was too stunned to move. Goku saw her first and he stopped, Vegeta followed. Vegeta turned around to see why they had stopped and he looked just as stunned as Bulma did for just a split second and then his eyes and face grew cold. He crossed his arms and just stared at her. Bulma had no idea what was going to happen next but she knew that it wasn't going to be good whatever it was. All three just stood there for a moment not daring to speak. The first person to speak was Vegeta. "What are you doing here, Woman?"

Bulma couldn't answer she just stood there. The words were uttered so coldly that she was afraid to open her mouth to reply for fear of being pummeled to the ground.

"Well," Vegeta continued, "we're waiting."

Okay that's that chapter. Please review. Love you guys!

Lily.