Symphonic Artistry

Chapter 12: Some Time Away


"So tell me about him."

Bulma looked up from her laptop where she was notating. Tights, her older sister, had taken a seat across from her on a plushy couch. If there was one thing Bulma liked about her sister's place, it was the furniture. "Tell you about whom?" she asked.

"Certainly not that bastard you finally left. I have to gather the strength every morning not to drive back to West City and castrate him for what he did to you." She shook her head free of thoughts of maiming Frieza. "But I'm talking about the one you were having the sexy illicit affair with."

"I told you about him already," Bulma said. She went back to looking at her laptop screen.

Tights shook her head. "No, you didn't. You vaguely mentioned Frieza not liking the man you were working with and that he allowed you to use his loft as refuge." She started to stir the red drink she had with a stick of celery. "You also never said you'd had an affair with him."

The pianist raised her head. Tights was right. She had only mentioned Vegeta in passing, yet she'd just unknowingly admitted to having an affair with him. She glared over at her older sister. The blonde was giving her the most annoying of shit-eating grins. Sighing, Bulma knew there was no way she would be able to talk her way out of this. She closed her laptop and set it to the side. She sniffed, noticing the drink Tights was holding.

"That smells awful," she said suddenly.

"Don't try to change the subject. Let's hear about the man who stole you away from the icicle."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Maybe you've heard of him. Vegeta Ouji?" She watched Tights' face light up in recognition. "Yes, the artist. That's who I was working with. Turns out he moved into the empty brownstone next door. It's a small world."

Tights nodded. "It certainly is. I've never seen him. Is he hot?"

"Very. Sharp features and quite an interesting hairstyle. Lean, but still well-built. Gorgeous eyes that seem to stare right..." Bulma noticed Tights looking bored with her description. She rolled her eyes, knowing what her sister really meant by asking if Vegeta was hot. "He's not too shabby in the dick department, either," she mumbled quickly.

Tights shook her head. "Considering you only have the icicle to measure up against, I'm skeptical about your idea of not too shabby."

Bulma stared blankly at her sister for a moment. "I think he's glorious and even if he's what you would consider average, he certainly knows how to use it."

"Oh?" Tights got up and went to sit next to Bulma. "Details, sis," she said, bouncing eagerly.

Bulma's nose crinkled up again. "That drink really, really smells." She watched Tights polish it off in three huge gulps. She sat the glass down on the end table behind her and faced Bulma again. Bulma took deep breath. "What exactly do you want to know? How an entire encounter went down?"

"You know exactly what I want to know."

The pianist rolled her eyes. "Aside from being tremendously... effective with his... little Vegeta, he's also rather gifted with his tongue."

"How gifted?"

"I would've been happy if he'd stopped there," came the quick answer. "And I kinda... reciprocated." Bulma chanced a glance at Tights. The blonde's mouth had dropped in shock. "Why are you looking at me like that? Surprised?"

"To be honest?" Tights shrugged. "Yeah."

"Tights!"

"Sorry, Bulma. You've always struck me as the strictly vanilla type. In fact, that's actually something I hoped deep down. I already have trouble imagining you actually in the act." She laughed at the look on Bulma's face. "Well, did you like it?"

Bulma shrugged. "It was different. I'd never done it before. I assume I was doing it right by his reaction to it. I guess I was just happy that I was making him happy."

"Men don't need much to be happy. They'll get theirs regardless. It's nice to hear that he's such a generous lover, though. I already like him more. I am curious to know how you two even got to that point, though. You were so disgustingly loyal to the icicle. It's out of character for you."

"If you knew Vegeta, you'd understand. He's standoffish, rude, and downright mean sometimes. But, he's also thoughtful and he listens. After so many years of not really having anyone to just talk to, it was nice to have someone actually listen to me ramble. He was a great friend before he was an amazing lover," Bulma said. She continued describing her time with Vegeta in more detail than Tights probably needed to know. Then she looked back at her sister. The blonde was smiling at her again. "What?"

"You're in love with him," she said. Bulma said nothing and looked away. "I'll take your silence and red face as affirmation. I don't necessarily condone how you went about it, but I'm glad you found someone to love. And don't you dare say you loved Frieza. I don't know what that man did to convince you he'd be husband material, but he wasn't. He wanted you as an accessory, not a wife."

Bulma sighed. "I actually really liked Frieza at first. He was sweet and driven. I guess I just liked the stability. Plus, I've never been good at dating. It's only been in the last few years that he's gotten... rough with me. He gave me some pretty awful threats whenever I thought about just kicking him out. At first, I thought they were just idle things he'd say while he was drunk. Then he proved to me that they weren't. And that was while he was sober."

Tights stared at her sister in silence for a few minutes. In the last two weeks that Bulma had been there, she'd had to stop herself from driving back to West City in the middle of the night and giving Frieza a piece of her mind. The subsequent prison sentence would be worth it, in her opinion. However, Bulma begged that she not and to stay with her. Being the awesome sister that she was, Tights begrudgingly agreed. Still, Bulma never said she could not fantasize about the horrible things she would do to Frieza if she could.

"You know he loves you too, right?" she said suddenly. Bulma turned her back towards her, a look of shock on her face. "According to you, the man went out of his way to make you happy. In fact, he sounds like an asshole but he wasn't an asshole to you. Plus, I don't know many people who would place themselves between you and a violent man. He protected you."

Bulma nodded. Then her face scrunched up yet again. "God, what was in that drink?"

"Huh? Oh it was just a bloody mary. Tabasco sauce, that steak sauce with the weird name, vodka, and some other stuff. I can't smell anything, Bulma." Tights noticed how pale her sister had gotten. "Are you okay?" The question was barely out of her mouth before Bulma ran out of the room.


Despite telling himself that he wouldn't, Vegeta dwelled on Bulma's disappearance more than he should have. He reasoned that it was not exactly a disappearance to begin with. She had told him that she was leaving. She had not told him when or where she was going. It came as a surprise when he went to the loft (Bulma had not returned to her brownstone yet) to find all her belongings gone. She did leave him a simple note.

I'll be back.

That was all that was written on the sticky note stuck on his refrigerator. Vegeta had called Juu to verify that Bulma had left of her own volition and the blonde confirmed it. She had received a similar message and Bulma had left her the keys to her brownstone. Juu must have sensed his concern and told him that she was sure to be back in April for the opening of the ballet they produced together. Vegeta had completely forgotten about that.

"I'm impressed. This is the best work you've done in years," Hasky said as she walked around Vegeta's studio. "This use of colors and mix of styles... I don't think I've ever seen anything like it." She continued looking over Vegeta's newest work.

He stood off to the side just watching her. Vegeta had been feeling inspired lately and had thrown himself into his work. Now that Hasky mentioned it, he had not even noticed he'd been mixing styles. That was definitely something he'd never done before. Then again, he'd been painting off of emotion. That was also something he rarely did.

"I doubt you called me here just to gush over your work. You want to use my gallery for an exhibit," Hasky said, not looking away from the paintings. "To be honest, I'm seconds away from buying these all myself."

Vegeta scoffed. "I hardly think you could afford them. But yes. I want to use your gallery. My agent will take care of everything."

Hasky nodded. "Understood. I assume you want this done after the ballet opening? That would be optimal for people who saw your work in the ballet to see more." Hasky paused when she got to the end. "I didn't know you'd taken up ink wash paintings..." The painting Hasky was looking at was of a woman. She was turned so her back was facing the viewer. Hasky squinted, wondering what the markings on the woman were supposed to be. She jumped when Vegeta came up beside her.

"I just started. That one isn't done."

The blonde watched Vegeta while he glanced over his new work. He already seemed fond of it. Hasky knew from experience that when Vegeta was fond of one of his pieces that he would never put it up for sale. She would probably never even see the finished product. It would go into some mysterious vault where he kept all the masterpieces that he could not bear to part with. That reminded her...

"So how are things with you and Miss Briefs? There are whispers that she has left the city," she said airily. She waited for Vegeta's reaction to the mention of Bulma. "I also heard that her wedding was called off. You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?"

Vegeta remained quiet for a few more moments and looked over his unfinished painting. Then he faced Hasky. "Why would I know anything? And how did you find out about that?"

"So it is true," Hasky said. "How did you know?"

"I was invited. Why wouldn't I be told that it was canceled? She's better off for it, anyway," he said. He turned away from his paintings and began walking away.

"Oh?" Hasky followed him back towards the front of the loft. "In any case, I thought her fiancé was creepy. A girl like that deserves so much better. You should shoot your shot, Vegeta." Hasky giggled when she saw the glare Vegeta sent her way. She wiggled her eyebrows at him. He rolled his eyes and went into the kitchenette in search of food. "Go put some real clothes on, Vegeta."

The artist looked up from the refrigerator and at Hasky. "Why?"

"Since you're using my gallery for your exhibit, I need a few particulars that Krillyn can't give me. So, let's go talk about it over lunch."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me out on a date?" He nearly laughed at the aghast expression that spread across Hasky's face. She looked downright scandalized. "You're paying."

"Whatever you say, cheapskate. I'll call for a taxi and meet you outside." Hasky watched him go upstairs and then headed towards the elevator. When she was outside, she pulled out her phone to send for a taxi. While she was waiting, she noticed a car parked at the corner. It seemed oddly out of place since there was rarely ever anyone parked on this particular street. Vegeta's neighbors did not have cars either.

A few moments later, a man with blonde hair and skin so pale he almost seemed blue came around the corner. Hasky found herself wondering how much gel he had put in his hair to get it to hold in that peculiar cut. He was almost... pretty. Maybe he was a new neighbor. He raised his eyes and leered at her before turning to face the luxury sedan he seemed to be the owner of. Hasky continued to watch him until he peeled off. His fancy car passed the taxi that pulled up in front of Hasky.

Vegeta was coming outside when he caught sight of the lavish violet car that was driving away. "Who was that?" he asked. He saw Hasky shrug and approach the taxi as the driver got out to open the door for her. Vegeta locked the door to his loft. He followed Hasky into the taxi but not before seeing the violet car making a U-turn on the street. He briefly caught sight of the blonde driver whose eyes also caught his.

What was that about?


Bulma was taken by surprise when a magazine dropped right into her lap. It fell onto the laptop. The sound it made in the headphones she wore caused her to curse under her breath. She glanced up and saw Tights walking past her to sit down. Her sister motioned to what she had dropped in Bulma's lap. Bulma looked back down and saw it was a gossip magazine.

She was plastered on the front cover with Frieza standing by her side. It was a picture taken from the Christmas concert red carpet. There was a sort of lightning bolt between them. Bulma read the headline: IT'S OVER. Sighing, she took off her headphones.

"It was only a matter of time before they got wind of it. To be honest, I'm surprised it took them so long," Bulma said. She flipped to the cover story and saw more paparazzi pictures of her and Frieza together. "Where do they hide to take these? I never see them."

Tights laughed. "That's because with these lenses, they could be blocks away perched on some balcony and taking clear pictures of you eating at a restaurant. No longer do they have to be directly in your face." She turned on the TV and started flipping through channels. She noticed Bulma had not responded to her after a few minutes and looked over at her. The pianist was reading the article. "What's it say that has you so entranced?"

Bulma closed the magazine and tossed it on the coffee table across from her. "Somehow they found out about the restraining order. It says I'm the one who took it out on Frieza but it doesn't say why. Also, that my people could not be reached for comment. Juu would never entertain these people. I just hope I don't have to field questions about this when I go back for the premiere."

"About that," Tights put the TV on mute, "don't you think you should give her a call? I'm sure she's worried sick about you. Not to mention that she'll need to start getting things ready for your return," she said.

Bulma nodded. "I should call both her and Vegeta." Her voice was near a whisper. She gazed down at the laptop's screen. She was surprising herself with how much work she was getting done. It was the first time since being with Vegeta that she felt like herself. It helped that her bruises and sprained wrist had healed in the 8 weeks of her absence. Her stomach growled, ending the silence between them. "I could really go for some tortilla chips and cream cheese."

Tights slowly turned her head to look at her baby sister. "You've got to be kidding me. That stuff together sounds horrible. Are you trying to clog your arteries?"

"I just really want some. I don't usually like it but for some reason that's what I want. Tortilla chips and that horribly thick spread. Ooh… do you have any sea salt? I think that would taste really good with it." Bulma tapped her finger on her chin and licked her lips. Tights could not quite conceive what her sister was asking for. She shook her head and went back to watching TV. Bulma continued to ponder what she was going to snack on.


"Have you ever felt like you're being watched?"

Krillyn looked up from his plate of food and at Juu. They were on a date. Juu still had trouble referring to them as such. She said that she did consider him her boyfriend, though. The dating part was still new to her. But for some reason, it never felt awkward. Krillyn noticed she was mainly moving the same piece of shrimp back and forth in the last bit of buttery sauce on her plate.

"Only when Vegeta is around. That's his way of getting my attention because god forbid he actually say my name. He prefers to stare at me for a while until I finally look at him. I try to ignore him but it's just so unnerving. It's like he's burning holes into my skull." Krillyn sat his fork down and took a long swig of his wine. "But why do you ask? Do feel as that way?"

Juu nodded a little bit. She was still playing around with the last piece of shrimp. "I feel like someone is always watching me."

"I'm watching you."

The cold blonde finally met Krillyn's eyes. He was giving her a lopsided smile. That look always had her fighting a blush. No one ever looked at her like that before him. "You don't count. You're always staring. Seriously, I do think I'm either being followed or watched."

"But why?"

Juu sighed. "I think Frieza may be trying to find out if I know where Bulma is." She held up a hand when Krillyn started to speak. "I know he has an order against him, but that doesn't mean he can't send people to find out. You have no idea how connected that brat is. I should've gone for a gag order too."

"A gag order? Why?" Krillyn asked. Juu pulled out her phone and messed with it for a moment. Then she handed it to Krillyn. Krillyn looked over the article she had just pulled up. "Oh. Seems a little juvenile for him to go to gossip mags about this."

"He wants to rally public support. He's lucky the reason for the restraining order wasn't given in that little article." Juu finally popped the last shrimp into her mouth. She chewed angrily and then drank the rest of her wine. "I'm going to the bathroom." Without waiting for a response, she stood and walked away from the table.

Krillyn sighed. "I guess I'll just ask for the check then..."

They were waiting for the valet to return to with Krillyn's car when Juu got that same funny feeling again. She looked all around her, trying to see if anyone had their eyes on her. She knew someone did. She just could not figure out where. Then again, maybe she was just being more paranoid than usual. Krillyn's car pulled up just as her phone went off. Juu pulled it out and checked it. There was a new text message.

I'm being watched.

If Juu needed any more confirmation that her feelings were not unfounded, then that text from Vegeta gave it to her. She passed it over to Krillyn.

"Well, that's not good," he whispered.


"So how many is that?" Tights asked. She was looking at the on the white stick Bulma had just handed her.

"Seven," Bulma sighed out. She sat on the closed lid of the toilet. "Seven different pregnancy tests."

Tights shrugged. "Well, if you look at your symptoms, it makes perfect sense. Everything stinks to you. You can't keep anything down unless it's saltier than the Dead Sea. You're lazy..."

"Hey!"

"I'm just saying. You've been sleeping a lot. So it makes perfect sense." She pulled Bulma forward and raised her shirt. They looked in the mirror together. Bulma's body did not seem any different to Tights. She looked at Bulma's face. The other woman was frowning at her reflection. She turned to the side. Sure enough, there was a small, barely noticeable slope to her midsection. Anyone else would not have noticed it but Bulma knew her body. "Well, when was the last time you got laid?"

Bulma lowered her shirt. "New Year's. I can't be more than ten weeks."

"And you're not on birth control or anything? You just rawed it?" Tights asked. Bulma nodded slowly and the blonde rolled her eyes. "I'm guessing Vegeta was the lucky man that night," she said. She watched Bulma's face contort. Then she burst out into tears. It had come so suddenly that Tights could only watch for a moment. Then she engulfed her younger sister in a hug. "Are you afraid Vegeta might not go for it?"

The pianist shook her head. "That's not it." A fresh wave of tears overcame her. She clung to her sister as she cried. "I don't... know! I don't know who the father is!"

Tights pulled back slightly. "You and Frieza... That same night?"

Bulma sniffled and shook her head. "I was with Vegeta on New Year's Eve. Frieza and I... That happened New Year's night when I got home." Bulma's lip quivered. She turned and abruptly left the room, leaving a confused Tights. She went to her bedroom and sat down on the bed. A few moments later, Tights followed her.

"Bulma, what happened with Frieza?" Tights' voice was calm and low. Bulma shook her head and mumbled something. Tights heard her just fine, though. "It does matter, Bulma. What. Happened?"

With a sigh, Bulma ran a hand through her hair. "We got into a fight. Like an actual fight. It was the fight that left me looking like I'd lost a boxing match. After the fight, Frieza took me upstairs and... we had sex. I don't really remember it because he hit me so hard that I lost consciousness at some point."

Tights stared blankly at Bulma for a moment. "He raped you." It was a statement. Bulma nodded slowly. "Bulma..."

"I left the next day. He found me at Vegeta's and I that's when I called you. You're the only person I've told."

"Why didn't you go to the police?" Tights went and sat down next to Bulma.

Bulma chuckled deprecatingly. "First, all I wanted to do was get the hell away from him. Anything other than that wasn't on my mind. Second, who would believe me? The very first time he hit me I went to the police. That's when I found out what Frieza's father did for a living."

"He's an officer?"

Bulma nodded. "Chief of the fucking police. All the bastard told Frieza was to avoid my face next time. Oh and that he was looking forward to dinner on Saturday." She leaned against her sister. Tights wrapped her arm around her. "I wish Mom was here. She'd know what to do."

"If Mom was still here we'd be bailing her out of jail. Beneath that sweet and sometimes ditzy exterior was a mama bear the likes of which this world has never seen," Tights said. She earned a small chuckle from Bulma. "What are you gonna do?"

The pianist inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Regardless of who the father is, it seems cruel to not to at least tell them before I do anything. Is there a way to do a paternity test before birth?"

"I'm sure there is. But are you sure you want to even have a kid?" Tights watched Bulma shrug. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Listen. I'm behind you with whatever you choose to do, but remember it's your choice." She rubbed Bulma's arm for reassurance. She felt the younger woman relax against her. Tights stroked her hair and thought of all the ways she would maim Frieza if he ever came within a mile of her sister again.


Hasky walked outside of her gallery. She glanced up at the moving truck that had just pulled up in the front: Son Movers. They had come recommended by Vegeta. Well, he had not recommended them. He'd more or less told Hasky that's who he wanted handling his precious items. She smiled at the thought. Vegeta had always been quite particular about these things. A man with long, wild black hair got out of the driver's side. He was the one who came up to her.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," he said.

Hasky grinned at him. "Good afternoon. You've brought me Vegeta's work?"

The man grinned back at her. "That I have. Any particular place you want us to unload this stuff?"

The blonde nodded. "Take them upstairs. Vegeta should have them all marked with numbers. Just make sure they stay in order. You can leave them covered. I have others who will prepare them for the exhibit," she answered.

"Raditz, stop flirting and get over here!" came a voice from behind the truck. They both looked in that direction. Goku was standing there, looking impatient. Raditz mouthed something derogatory towards him. "I'm telling Mom! Now hurry up!"

Hasky giggled. "I would have never guessed you two were brothers. Anything else you need from me before you get started?"

"Your name would be nice," Raditz said. Hasky smirked and pointed up to the sign above the door. "Hasky. Pretty."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Hasky looked him over again, "but I could pretend for someone like you. You better get started before your brother throws something at you." She winked and turned away to go back inside. She knew he was watching her walk away and smirked to herself.

The brothers finished rather quickly and Raditz happily left with Hasky's number secured in his pocket. He had spent half his time flirting with her and the other half arguing with his brother. Hasky thought he was cute. Rough around the edges, but cute enough. She was standing behind the counter at the front of the gallery when she heard the door open. Frowning in confusion, she turned towards the door where a large man with long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail was strolling through. He seemed familiar but Hasky could not place where she had seen him before.

"We're closed," Hasky said. The man appeared to ignore her and continued looking around at the paintings that still adorned the walls. He disappeared down one of the aisles. Sighing, Hasky walked from around the counter and towards where the man had gone. "Excuse me, sir, but we're..."

He whirled on her. "The Ouji exhibit will be here?" he asked suddenly.

Hasky raised an eyebrow. To her knowledge, not many people knew about the exhibit. It was not set to open until July. Not to mention that was only the private opening. Vegeta did not want it opened to the public until August. She crossed her arms. "It will not be open to the public until late summer. Sorry, but you'll have to wait til then. Now, if you..."

"There is a private opening?"

"There is, but it is by invitation only. No, I do not have the list and I am not liberty to say who will be invited. Now, sir..." He cut her off by taking out a card and shoving it in her face. She took it from him and looked down at it. Apparently, this man's name was Dore.

"I work for the District Attorney. He's a fan of this Ouji person and would like to come. Perhaps you could put in a word to Ouji for an invite." The way he said it made Hasky believe it was not a request.

"I'll pass along the word, Mr. Dore. Whether your boss gets an invite is not up to me."

Dore simply smiled. He leaned down to her face. "I'm sure you can put in a good word for him. Just tell him the Colds request it." He stepped away from her and gave her a small nod. "Have a nice night, ma'am."

Hasky watched him until she could not even see him on the street any longer. She took another look at the card. West City District Attorney Cooler Cold, she read. I'll put in a good word, alright.


It was March 28th and Juu was officially worried. Bulma had still not made any contact with her. The opening to the ballet was in few days. Of course, she had dresses lined up for whenever Bulma did decide to get in touch with her. But would there be enough time for everything to be prepared? Hair, makeup... Even alterations for the dress if needed. Not to mention shoes!The blonde was pondering this while looking for a dress for herself. She typically did these things at the last minute, but she could afford to. Not much thought went into what she wore because her mind was always on Bulma. Besides, Juu knew she looked good in anything.

She walked by the window of the dress shop she was in. The gleam of the sun caught her eye and she took aa haphazard look out of it. She turned away just as quickly, but then turned back around. There was that same dark car she had seen before. When Vegeta had described the car that had been tailing him lately, she had not had trouble connecting the dots at all. The same car had been tailing her as well.

"Son of a bitch," she whispered. She pulled her phone out to make a call. Just as she did, it started to ring. Without even looking at the number, she answered it. "What?" It came out sharper than she wanted it to.

"Bad time?"

It was Bulma. "Where the fuck have you been? Why haven't you called? It's been three damn months. I didn't even get a text saying you had arrived to wherever you skulked off to. Just a simple I'll be back. What the hell, Bulma? And we only have a few days to get you ready..." She heard Bulma giggling. "I find nothing funny about this," she hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

"I'm sorry, Juu. You just sound so... Never mind. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm back."

Juu blinked a few times. "You're back? Here? In West City? Where are you?"

"I'm at the Hotel Dragon. You know? Where that New Year's Eve party was. Can you come..."

"I'll be there in thirty." She hung up and yanked a random black dress off the rack. She glanced back out of the window. The car was still there. She knew she could not take a taxi. They would probably just follow her. And if they were following her for the reason she assumed, it was best if she lost them completely. That meant she would have to do one thing.

28 minutes and 11 seconds later, Juu was stepping onto the steps that led to the subway. She inhaled the fresher air deeply. She hated the subway with a deep passion but desperate times called for desperate measures. She glanced around. The Hotel Dragon was about a block down.


Tights opened the door to the suite she and Bulma were staying in. She recognized Juu immediately. "Long time, no see, Blondie," she said.

Juu stared at her in shock for a moment. Why had it never dawned on her that Bulma would go stay with her sister? She so often forgot Tights even existed. "I can't believe she went all the way to Omori Island," she mumbled with a shake of her head. Tights laughed and stepped to the side to let her in.

"Well, I did say I wanted to get away." Bulma came into Juu's line of sight when they turned the corner. Juu opened her mouth to give a snarky retort but choked on the words at Bulma's appearance. "Surprise," she said with a grin.

Juu blinked a few times. There was a lot she wanted to say but the look on Bulma's face kept her from it. Instead, she smirked. "You really should've called me sooner. Now I have to get a whole new rack for you."

"Trust me. I didn't think she'd be that big at sixteen weeks either," Tights said from behind her.

"Sixteen weeks?" Juu looked between the sisters. "So that means..."

"It's a long story," the sisters said together.

Juu walked over to the couch in the sitting area of the suite. She sat down and crossed her legs. "I have nothing to do for the rest of the day."