Disclaimer: This story is in no way intended to infringe on any copyrights, It is a strictly a fan fiction. Dragon Ball, Dragonball Z, and Dragon Ball GT are owned/produced/merchandised by the following: TOEI Animation, Bird Studios, Akira Toriyama, Shonen Jump, Funimation, and others possibly not listed.

Warrior of Heart2
By The Fan Fiction Nymph

xxxxChapter 16xxxx
Nothing To Lose

xxx

Questions stole her `night's sleep. Questions like "Doesn't he want to be with me?", "Doesn't – Didn't he love me?", and "Did he ever care for me?" Feelings of doubt and inadequacy pricked at her like a pin cousin until she felt numb inside.

Red eyes stared off at the rising sun. Today was the day. The Cell games.

Today the men would fight Cell in the tournament he was holding to decide the fate of the world. She felt nauseous thinking about it.

Drum would be waking soon and she knew he shouldn't see her like this. What does one wear on the day that may be your last or the first day without fear? It took her a great effort to get ready to face the day, but by 8 when Drum awoke she smiled at him and they began the morning routine.

Xxx

Rei smiled halfheartedly when she saw Bulma. "How was your 'date' last night?" she teased. Bulma looked like she had devoured the entire metaphoric cookie jar. A satisfied sigh escaped her.

"Um. It was wonderful… Thank you for watching Trunks at such short notice. You would think by now He would know I need notice so I can have a sitter." Bulma shrugged her shoulders.

Children did not so much change who you were but rather how you live. It was a wordless agreement that they take turns watching the kids between them because one thing that having kids did make difficult was spontaneity. – Something Vegeta and Piccolo were famous for. They ran by their own schedules, not by when the babes were sleeping.

"No problem! I'm surprised he didn't show up sooner, he must have been training really hard." Rei sipped her coffee – a Earth ritual she had come to adopt. Bulma tilted her head and looked over at her friend.

"He never?-"

"-No." Rei looked down at her feet though her mug. It hurt to admit part of her reason for her insomnia. "no." the whisper stole what little hope she had left inside her.

Xx

"I can't believe you aren't going to watch! Our fate is riding entirely on this and you would just rather not know? How can you stand it? Don't you CARE anymore!?" Bulma yelled at her from across the room. The TV blared behind her showing a news announcer introducing the Earths only hope for the Cell Games. Trunks and Drum were with Bulma's mother playing in the yard – pretending it was a normal every day kinda day.

Rei shrugged. "Weren't you the one who said that insisted Kakorot would find a way to save us? I thought you 'Just Knew It'."

"Why are you being such a bitch? You get dumped and you don't even care what happens to the world – I get it. But you know what? I CARE. And the Rei I know that loves her little boy also cares. So I suggest you get your ass in gear and remember what is really important to you!" There was some truth to her statement and what she said about Drum rung true to her, but as her anger began to climb there was little stopping it.

"Dumped? Do you have any idea what it means to a Sayian to have found their mate?" Rei yelled back, matching her for volume, growing bitter with each word.

Bulma watched her scrutinizing her. The part of her that asked bitterly late at night why Vegeta always scoffed when she spoke of marriage, longed to know the answer.

"It is like meeting your destiny! Finding that one person across the universe is so rare and so unlikely that most never find their true mate. Your mate is the one that – that makes your blood boil! Your breaths come easier when they are near and the shear THOUGHT of them being touched by another can throw you into the most violent rage! Being mated is supposed to be the ultimate. A primal instinctual secret that your body gives up to you when you first sleep with them. An ancient way of finding the best match for your blood. IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU JUST BREAK UP!" Rei threw her fists down on the counter shattering the table. Anger spilled from her and pain built in her. Bulma stared at her in a sort of mixed daze and awe.

"Why can't you damn Sayians just SAY THAT!?" Bulma wailed. "If Vegeta had said that to me- Did you ever TELL Piccolo that?"

Rei stiffened. "I shouldn't have to. Besides if he didn't feel it then it doesn't mean anything anyways!"

"REI. Maybe you Should Tell Him."

"What good would that do? It is obvious that my feelings do not factor in to his desire to be rid of me. Besides I don't even know how this whole – merging thing affects it. What if he IS a totally different person?"

"What would it hurt? It's not like you have anything to lose." A soft smile spread across her face as she held her arms out to her friend. Rei accepted her hug and did not let go for some time.

xxxEnd Chapterxxx

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