The much anticipated scene has arrived! Please let me know your thoughts about how everything plays out.
Vegeta was quiet for a long time. He silently lay looking over the pale lines embedded in her delicately milky skin. He had assumed that the sadistic man got a thrill out of beating his slaves. He now had a newfound respect for the woman. When he first met her he saw her as a weakling. Now he viewed a completely different individual lying next to him. Her calculating gaze always seemed to pierce through any obstacle in her way, including him. A passionate fighter such as himself, only with brains and not brawn. He just now learned that she was a warrior in her own right. Using that tricky brain of hers to try and stay ahead of her captor was valiant, at the least. She may have been unable to fight Hearken physically, but she willingly suffered through pain and torture to protect the honor of her family despite the costs. A bizarre feeling of pride for her swelled inside of him.
With the new information from Bulma, his head was whirring with questions. The more he learned about the individuals tied with Hearken the more questions seemed to beg to be unearthed. Something was going on that had his instincts on edge. The realization of something larger at play had arrived at the most inopportune time. Things were too well connected. He recognized a formulated strategy but he wasn't in a position to look into it further. Not until he came back.
Without comment or question, he got out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Her voice was shrill with panicked rejection.
"I have something that needs to be addressed." He stepped into his pants while shrugging on a shirt.
"But…" Her protest trailed off.
"There is something that needs to be figured out before I leave tonight." Tearing his eyes away from the creature starting to tear up on the bed, he turned his back on her.
At the sound of her strangled sob he found his feet falter in their forward movement. What was it about such a useless emotion that made his skin craw in disgust, yet unable to ignore it when it came to her?
"Vegeta," her voice shook behind him. "Please don't leave me. Not yet at least."
"Woman," He huffed as he turned.
Big pleading eyes and a trembling lip met him. Although she still wore his shirt and black briefs, the tossing and turning in her sleep had worked the top buttons open. The neckline of the shirt lay on the contours of her chest seductively, hinting at the succulently full flesh underneath. Arms hugged around her in an attempt to physically hold herself from falling to pieces pushed her breasts together in a way that held him captivated. Her knuckles whitened as she squeezed her arms that announced her fear of being abandoned. Her hair was a tangled, frazzled mess framing the sad face looking up at him in hope of staying.
"Aren't you going to be leaving soon enough? Can't you stay just a little longer?"
The irritation at her sadness melted from him. Shaking his head in exasperation, he walked back over to the bed. Seeing her eyes light up in delight had him shrugging off his clothes and slipping back under the covers before he realized what he was doing. He sat awkward and unable to decide what he should do next. Her vulnerability was calling to him at a level he still didn't understand. He wasn't sure if he wanted to stay quietly near her or ravage her luscious body in an awkward attempt to comfort them both.
The cunning little imp reached out and stroked his face. Amisty's admission of contact with Hearken and Frieza's change of plan to send him and his team out early had made him doubtful about leaving the woman to fend for herself. Now finding out that Bulma had been interrogated to such lengths for information compounded with Amisty's partial confession turned the doubt into dread. He needed to alert the others about this new development yet he couldn't resist how vulnerable she looked. The need to protect her pulsed in his veins with a fervor that had become as ingrained in him as her scent. Logic told him it was unwise to leave her with these new developments coming to the forefront. Something that was rooted deeper than logic urged him to find a way to stay by her side – that leaving was a mistake. He couldn't shake the foreboding feeling.
The pained look he knew he donned was evident from the concern that looked him over.
"Vegeta." She said apprehensively. "Is there something you're not telling me? Something I should know?"
He answered by rolling on top of her. He didn't know how put the turmoil inside of him into words. He never had a chance to be faced with the choice of losing something he had come to care about.
Eyes widening in confusion, she started to object. Taking her mouth in his, he silenced her muffled protest. Within moments she was panting from his attentions. He cupped the back of her neck as his other hand slipped under the black fabric she wore. Moving from her mouth to her neck, he licked the sensitive places along the crook of her neck that he knew would soon have her withering under him.
"Wait!" She gasped, trying to pull away from the man on top of her.
He answered her protest by using his knee to part her legs. There was little struggle from her once his hand began to knead her soft breasts. He hooked a finger above the top button of the shirt and yanked down. The few buttons that had held the sides of the shirt closed ripped from their flimsy threads.
"Cramp," she whisper on top of a breathy moan.
Reluctantly, he stopped his assault against the panting creature under him. His breathing matched her heaving chest. Desire, confusion and fear floated in the depths of the ocean pools looking up at him. He saw his own refection in their widening concern. The torment tearing at him from the inside was clearly visible.
"What's wrong?" She asked catching her breath.
"Nothing." He growled, still too unfamiliar with his own emotions to put into words what was going on in his own head. He didn't understand how he shifted from worry over leaving her alone to the overwhelming desire to feel her skin everywhere against his. He dipped his head to continue kissing her sensitive skin.
"Hey!" Her hands were against his face in an attempt to push him away.
"What?" He snapped in frustration. Why did she have to fill the charged air between them with useless words? "I thought you wanted me to stay here, so I did."
"I know, but –"
"I have things that I need to arrange before this evening. If you are expecting me to waste time by lying next to you then you are mistaken." Both of them cringed at the bite in his words. Uncomfortable with the hurt he had caused spreading across her face, he straightened up into a kneeling position. He hesitated before making the move to get out of bed one final time.
"Just listen before you get all huffy with me!" Her legs wrapped around his waist in an effort to keep him from getting up. Both of them knew he'd easily pluck her out of the bed with him and just as easily discard her back onto the mattress. "Something is bothering you and I know it concerns me. Is it really too much to ask to tell me what's going on? I'm getting pretty tired of everyone I come into contact with trying to control the way my life is going, you know."
The woman's eyes, flashing in anger, shimmered with her want to have him near. Cheeks flushed from arousal with lips reddening from his attentions had him fighting the overwhelming urge to disregard the safeword altogether and do to her what he knew they both wanted. He noted that her face had that exact same look when they were in the heat of an argument.
"Hello? Am I speaking to a wall now?"
"The days following tonight are…giving me cause for concern. For both of us." He couldn't hid the reluctance in his admission.
"We'll be alright." Her face softened. "You said it yourself, that Frieza sending you to another planet alone is par for the course."
He was distant in his own thoughts to notice the fake smile that she tried to offer him in support. A horrible feeling that had taken root in him eons ago had finally found its way through his repression. He was back in the garden with the smell of ash and burnt flesh invading his nostrils. The sky flickered with flames as the words of his mother urging him to hide was heard once again. He felt just as helpless now as he did back then. He realized why he made sure never to become attached. Because of this feeling. Because it made a person vulnerable and open to weakness. He could almost feel history on the cusp of repeating itself all over again.
Too lost in thought to realize she was kneeling in front of him, the familiar feel of her hands laid on his chest dredged him back to the present. The warmth of her skin against his reawakened the desire that had overcome him before.
"Vegeta." She breathed once his eyes recognized hers.
Nothing in his life had phased him as strongly as her presence – plaguing him whether she was with him or not. He wouldn't leave her. Not for long, anyways. He would destroy the planet in record time. He would leave his team with instructions to find a long forgotten outpost while he rushed back to the ship to grab her and escape. He couldn't risk trying to get both of them out alive right now. The amount of tension developing, already anticipating the evening's show, would put them at risk if he attempted to leave with her today. They would go through the motions. He would have to leave to allow Frieza the false satisfaction of winning. He would deal with the ramifications from Frieza after he came back to collect her. They'd leave and she'd help him formulate a plan against his massive empire as fugitives on the run.
Trapping her head in his hands, he kissed her with a violent passion. His hands fisted in her hair as he took her deeper into their exchange. She didn't try to pull away from him this time. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. There was no gentleness to his touch. The care and attention that he gave just to watch in enjoyment as she withered under his hand was absent. The need to be with her, as close to her as possible, directed his actions. He quickly had her on her back as he positioned himself to enter.
He shivered with the way her body accepted his intrusion, guiding him to her center in hot welcome. He felt her breasts press against his chest as he bent to sweep her in another kiss. Her hips lifted to meet his, one finding a rhythm to keep in time with the other.
As their bodies moved with one another, lost in time for just a fleeting moment, he heard the pants and gasps that signaled she was close to reaching her climax. His was quick on her heals as they became a withering ball of limbs tangled up in one another's ecstasy. Moans of passionate release escaped from underneath him as her body cajoled him to join in the fray. He shouted out his own surrender to the woman that drove him absolutely crazy in every definition of the word.
Both of their skin glistened as their hearts calmed from the sudden fire between them. Her lips fluttered against his face kissing him softly.
"I want you." The confession was off of his lips before he had a chance to think about the words.
"You just had me. Don't tell me you're ready to go for another round." She teased.
He responded by moving his hips to remind her of the softening connection between them. Her lips parted in a hesitant sigh, unsure if her body was ready to be aroused again so quickly.
Looking away from her, he fought down the urge to explain what he had meant.
Unfortunately his evasion did not go unnoticed.
"What do you mean 'I want you'?"
He was silent a long time before answering, "I meant nothing by it. It was just a fleeting thought brought on by the throes of passion."
"Really? You're going to feed me a line like that right now? After what we just did?"
"I just – I thought it would be something you might want to hear before I leave tonight."
"Liar."
The air between them sizzled as their argument fell into silent opposition. Her eyes searched his face for any hint of clarity. His awkward evasion could not be hidden. The want to tell her how he felt intensified.
"I want you," he finally admitted. "More than like this. More than how I have you now. I-I can't explain it."
A wry smile crossed her face. "So what you're saying is…you love me?"
The word tensed his body with anxiety.
"No." he snapped coldly. His face hardened as the delicate creature under him looked like he smacked her across the face.
"But –"
"Love is a petty emotion best fitted for weaklings."
'Love' had all his warning sirens announcing the silent danger of that word in his mind. The last one to tell him that he was loved had asked him to cower in fear in a hole. The last one to utter such a word was his whole world. That word had strings. Unspoken promises and expectations. He fathomed that he just might love the woman, but it was a carelessly dangerous emotion. Even at his mother's last stand against the tyrant set on tearing his world apart, he never told his mother he loved her. He wouldn't define his feelings towards the woman with such a loaded word. It had to be something else.
Untangling himself from her, he rose from the bed and dressed. He wasn't sure which felt worse…crushing the person he desired to be nearest to or the guilt building from the tear-filled stare he could feel boring through the back of his skull. He couldn't bring himself to speak to her. Instead he left slamming the door behind him. Slamming it on her crumpled look of hope. He had allowed himself to get too close to her. She had found a way through all of his defenses and he poured his history out to her despite the fact that he had made it a point to never talk about it with anyone, ever. He trusted her. He let her in. In some alternate universe where war and slavery were things of tales and legend he may admit to himself that he could, indeed, find his way down a winding path that ended in loving her. This universe was cold and unforgiving where things like love were used to manipulate, where love could be threatened to hold one captive and bend to another's whim without any physical bonds to break. No, admitting that he felt such an emotion to the woman would make leaving harder for both of them. It was too dangerous to indulge in such luxuries right now.
Walking through the corridors to find Raditz, Vegeta felt like the epitome of shit. This was not how he wanted this day to begin unfolding. He had hoped to enjoy his time left with the woman before the fates decided if Frieza would finally rub him out of existence or not.
He shook his head angrily. Why does she have the need to dissect every little thing? Why can't she just let things be?
His loud rapping on Raditz's door was not courteous despite the hour.
Opening the door, Raditz squinted into the harsh light from the hall.
"What the hell are you doing up so early?" He asked as he stepped aside for Vegeta to enter.
"Hello to you too." Vegeta's sarcasm was not lost on the sleepy saiyan.
"I don't care if you're the prince of a thousand universes. My formalities start when breakfast is served." A loud yawn boomed in the small room as Raditz stretched the few hours of sleep he was able to snag from his body. "Who should I thank to bring the honor of your presence in my room at this ungodly hour?"
Vegeta's worry pulsated from him in waves. The added irritation of Raditz's comments was not lost on the drowsy man.
"It's the woman." He said as if all of the answers rested neatly in those three words.
"What's wrong with Bulma?" Raditz was instantly awake and alert.
"Nothing's wrong with her." He snapped. The fondness Raditz had toward the imp would, at times, play on a friendship that some would find inappropriate. After the way he left the woman, Vegeta found Raditz's quick concern to dance on that invisible line. "Not yet, anyways."
"So why are you here? To wake me up to tell me nothing's wrong with her when something obviously is?" His heavy frame sunk to the mattress as his head followed the pacing prince before him.
"It's a combination. Bulma, Amisty, Hearken…the whole lot of them isn't right." His pacing quickened.
"What in the worlds does Amisty and Hearken have to do with Bulma?"
"I'm not sure, exactly. Yesterday I found out that Amisty is some kind of a spy for Hearken. The woman is in the middle of it, although I'm confident she doesn't have a clue about it."
"Why would Hearken need a spy to keep tabs on Bulma?" Raditz asked stroking his chin in thought.
"I think it stems back from when we discussed the woman's ki. I thought it was odd that a human who had a power level so low it could barely be registered by the scouters had enough energy to almost consume us both once it combined with mine. Although you had admitted that that was the first time you had heard about joining ki, you were surprised by it as well."
Raditz nodded in agreement. "I remember the conversation well. I had to go to the sim room to check it out for myself. However you both constructed your ki was impressive. I'd never seen the wall buckle under any kind of energy before then."
"I thought the same thing." Vegeta stopped pacing to face his counterpart with a grave expression. "Before I sought you out today, I learned that Hearken had tortured Bulma for information about her family's past. I believe she was placed on this ship for a specific purpose and Amisty is reporting back to Hearken."
It took a minute for Raditz to fully contemplate what Vegeta was insinuating. "You're sure Bulma has nothing to do with Hearken?"
"Beyond a reasonable doubt. Amisty seems to pop up whenever something concerns the woman's safety. I was finally able to corner her and she admitted to staying in contact with Hearken. She gave me a shit reason about Hearken's wanting to keep an eye on his past sales. After the conversation I just had with Bulma, there's something more to it than that. Apparently Hearken had questioned her repeatedly to try and force her to expose some unknown secret, but he disguised it as 'training'. She didn't know what he was trying to do, but she had enough sense to deflect his questioning into beatings to distract him. I can't believe the timing of this. This is the kind of information I needed sooner. Not at the dawn of her and my possible execution!"
Vegeta's hands were nervously combing through his stiff peaks in frustration. It had been a long time since he felt like he was backed up against a wall with impossible odds in front of him.
"So you think Bulma is not of Earth?"
"I think Hearken believes she isn't, but I can't figure out why he would release her to this hellhole if she was that important to him. She's no different from the other earthlings Frieza has acquired. The only difference is her intelligence but a gift like that would more than likely get her killed here."
"This is awfully disturbing news. The timing is horrible." Raditz agreed. He shook his head from the awful bad luck that seemed to have accumulated around them.
"We have to leave tonight. I have no other option to get both her and I out of here alive. I'm not sure what will become of her while I'm gone. Frieza seems to be separating us for his own amusement but leaving her unguarded on the ship is going to open up a plethora of outcomes I can't even begin to imagine."
"So what do you suggest?" He asked tentatively, feeling the weight of Vegeta's burden.
"I'm going to make short work of Gadolin. You, Kakarot and Nappa are going to override the pod coordinates and find some place safe to station until you receive word from me. I'll be back to secure her and meet you after we leave. We need a rendezvous point for all five of us to safely gather when all is said and done."
"I know of an off-chart trading planet we can lay low on for a while. It's a sketchy place with its own lot of colorful characters trying to hide from their own galaxy's jurisdictions. We should be able to blend in there without question." Raditz's eyes furrowed in worry. "What's your plan when we reconvene?"
"To find a way to destroy Frieza before he tracks us down to kill us for openly turning on him." A chill ran down Vegeta's spine.
"I'll alert the others to your plans. It will all be organized before we depart." Raditz stood to see the already exiting saiyan to the door. "And sir," he added, "Make sure you find time to enjoy your last hours with her tonight. There's no telling what's in store for any of us once we leave."
Bulma couldn't stop staring at her reflection in the mirror. Bright eyes looked over the woman starting back at her. Wearing only a simple black bra-like top and thankfully covering underwear, she finally had the opportunity to fully take in the mature woman she had quietly become during her capture. The fleeting glimpse of strength and maturity weeks ago had developed into something that commanded respect. Although nervous about the scene that was looming closer as the minutes ticked by, the knowledge of her inventions lying in wait had added to the confidence radiating from her.
While going through her morning chores for the last time, she used the cleaning cart as a shield to hide her meddling from anyone walking around in the hallways. After she began loosening the first cover of the air vent on the wall, she had shaken her head in amazement at the painfully lacking security on the ship. She expected some type of wiring or alarm system that would trigger an alert if such things were tampered with. She set her personal digital clock to go off in twenty-four hours. It would go off half an hour before the first explosion was set to detonate. That should give her enough time to get dressed and ready. The arrogant confidence that anyone in the crew would never try to calculate an uprising of some sort was blatantly apparent as she meticulously hid her explosives.
The trail of bombs she had positioned were strategically scattered around the ship. Unable to fall into a restful sleep after Vegeta's painful exit from the room she ended up staying awake, frustrated and lonely. She got up and started her task early…again. Fetching her cleaning cart to bring with her to the lab, she carefully transferred her cargo onto the bottom shelf. Using one of the scouters that she had stashed away after rewiring the men's, she turned it on and immediately disconnected it from the network.
She brought up the blueprint and scrolled through the different levels of the ship to look over her route one last time. She made notes of room numbers and floor locations on a note pad to carry with her so she knew exactly where to place the tanks.
Since she was up and about a bit earlier than her normal start time, she had decided to wheel her cart to the spots that were the farthest from her duties. Making sure each bomb was carefully set and placed, she methodically worked in between cleaning. Within a few hours, she was pushing her cart to her final location. Punching in her code, the door opened easily. She went to the bed first. Moving the mattress and box spring out of the way, she carefully set her last bomb in the center of the support rails. The smile on her face was large as she set a timer one final time. Heaving the mattress back into place, she proceeded to quickly clean Zarbon's room. When she was finished she couldn't help but walk out with smug satisfaction radiating from her. She secretly hoped Zarbon would be in the room to get a face full of shrapnel when it went off. He was a casualty she was willing to sacrifice in her escape.
When she was finished, she entered the arena's dressing room to get ready for the night. For the first time in over a year, a healthy and distantly familiar curvy body was reflected in the mirror. Her skin seemed to have mysteriously regained its youthful elasticity shrouded in a healthy glow. Beginning lines of wisdom sculpted through her experiences had molded her features in a way that made her appear much older than her mid-twenties.
Not older, she corrected, more like dignified.
She wrinkled her nose at the pink and white lines following along the contours of her body. Although she wore the scars as one would wear a badge of honor, she couldn't help but long for a different existence than what she was currently suffering through. The young hope that had never batted an eye at any ill will befalling her was masterfully disguised by her exterior. Even on the eve of one of the riskiest decisions she was about to embark on, she exuded the naïve arrogance of her escape going exactly as planned. Her mind wouldn't allow her the chance to imagine it any other way. All of the different ways tomorrow morning could unfold would have her cowering in fear if she entertained them long enough. Her focus was on the only outcome she would hedge all of her bets on. She vowed to herself that after tonight she would no longer bow down to anyone's will unless it was her decision to do so. If she were to be captured again…she shuddered at the thought of ending her own life. She promised the person in the mirror that she would do everything in her power to never allow things to happen in a way to be forced to come through with that promise.
Weaving her hair into a neat braid, a shadow in the doorway caught her eye. Vegeta leaned his usual casual lean, looking more like he held the door frame up then the reverse. The way he took her in with his eyes had her questioning its familiar gaze. One that was reminiscent of their first meeting. Contemplative, calculating and confused. His posture, the way his shoulders sagged and curve of his spine, was one that held the weight of the entire universe on his shoulders. As badly as she wanted to comfort whatever worries were plaguing him, those she could easily guess at while others she couldn't even fathom, his harsh dismissal of her earlier kept her rooted in place.
A full drawn out of minute of silence hung heavily between them before he finally made the first move. Walking to her, he stood behind her to take in both of the reflections staring at one another.
"I'm not like your Earthlings," his tone almost sounded apologetic. "This – love – that you suggested, that I believe at some level you have towards me, is something that I cannot reciprocate."
"Why?" Her twin's stare bore into the man behind her. She didn't understand why he found it appropriate to break her down further minutes before they had to put on the greatest show of their lives.
A gentle hand spun her around to face him. It was much more difficult to ignore the internal battle fighting behind his composure when his face was this close.
"Right now, for both of us, it's too much of a liability." He looked at her in earnest. "It's something that can be weaponized against us both. Do you have any idea what Frieza is capable of forcing me into if I allowed myself to have such selfish feelings towards you? In this universe love is only useful to those that can turn it against you, to hold its effects over one's head as another means to enslave and control. That is why I cannot allow it. Although I cannot control your feelings towards me, despite how much I may wish to try, it is not something I can return."
"You can't control love." She countered. "You can't just cut it from your soul like a disease from your body."
"Can you imagine what Hearken might have been capable of if he had taken your parents alive?"
His question held a truth that she didn't have the foresight to realize until now. She had taken Hearken's beatings in stride. She only had herself to worry about. But if she was forced to watch her mother or father take a beating because she refused to cooperate…she paled at the knowledge that she would have given Hearken anything she was capable of to stop their suffering.
"That is why I cannot allow myself the luxury to love you."
She leaned into the hand caressing her cheek
She knew this was the closest thing to an apology she would ever get from the hardened man standing before her. Pushing down the tears threatening to surface in frustration for having one more thing being stolen from her, she nodded her head in understanding.
He cradled her chin in his hands tenderly kissing her forehead.
"In another universe I could love you. In another time I could feel moved enough to command heaven and hell for you. Maybe the fates will grant us such a chance in our lifetimes. But on this day we need to stay focused. I cannot be distracted by the 'what might have beens' if you wish for me to return to you." He murmured softly.
She didn't care if he realized his admission or not. The well of sorrow she was fighting against spilled over at his words. The warm embrace surrounding her only made the tears fall harder. Guilt swelled and billowed, taking sail under the power of his words. Not able to withstand the crushing shame surrounding her, she sunk to the floor from its weight. Vegeta followed suit, pulling her onto his lap. He cradled her until hiccupping snivels replaced the woeful sobs she released into the crook of his neck. He murmured soft words of comfort into her hair as he held her, his patience allowing her to grieve for the things that had come to pass and for which had yet to unfold.
She wept for her home that was in ruin and for the lives that were taken well before their time. Her tears shed the sorrows of her pain, both physical and mental, at the hands of Hearken only to be turned over to Zarbon in the attempt to finish the destruction of her soul. She cried for the man holding her that was forced to grow up too fast and robbed of the freedom to become his own entity void of Frieza's oppression and enslavement. Most of all, her sorrow was strongest towards the cruel, invisible gods she had once believed in. The ones that continued to turn a blind eye to the hell and destruction underfoot. She wanted to be here so, so badly when Vegeta returned. To welcome him back with open arms and a beaming smile.
She loved him…gods how it hurt to love him…only to leave him. He was being sent off to fight for his life, for her life, only to return to face the reality of another person abandoning him when he needed them the most. Although her tears were for her worldly losses, her soul wailed to stay with the man who had just thrown his pride to the side to sit on the floor and hold her the same way one would hold a crying toddler.
As her crying subsided she looked up at the anchor that kept her from drifting away with the river of sorrow pouring from her. Eyes swimming in unshed tears looked distantly away as he peered into a reality only he could see. She wasn't sure if it was the thought of leaving her alone or the uncertainty in both of their futures that caused his eyes to water and, quite frankly, she didn't care. Seeing him teetering on the edge of being almost human made her burrow further into his already suffocating embrace. After her dealings with the other three saiyans that had appeared in her life, she had enough sense to know that this one would be better off not knowing that his grief had been noticed. Instead she buried her face into his chest and relaxed into the comfort of being held.
They sat like that until a soft rapping on the doorframe interrupted the awkward tranquility that had settled around them. At the sound of someone's throat being cleared, Bulma dredged herself out of her hiding place. Face fixed in a blank stare, Raditz waited for the two of them to untangle out of each other's arms. A light blush was the only show of discomfort from interrupting such a rare moment between the two.
"I'm sorry but," Raditz said, "It is time."
Vegeta heard the hard swallow from the lovely softness that had been wrapped in his arms. He had tried to prepare himself for this moment all day but now it seemed that nothing would have made him ready. The ball of lead in his stomach did not lighten from the inevitable coming to pass as expected. He had the gnawing need to explain his actions in the bedroom to her before he was sent off to whatever horrors Frieza had planned for him. In the off chance that he wouldn't be coming back, it felt wrong to leave on such bad terms. Unsure of how the aftermath of their performance was going to unfold, he decided the hour before the show was set to begin would be best.
He couldn't allow himself to love her. His heart was still a chilled extension of fear from losing the things closest to him. But it was not as cold as it once was. Her endless curiosity and boundless hope had thawed the soul that had hardened itself from the universe's unfathomable realities. No, he couldn't give her his love but he could give her an explanation. A warning of how matters of the heart can make things more complicated, more prone to terrible consequences. He had witnessed kingdoms and governments fall, some by his own hand, by manipulating those in power with the ones they had loved.
The air between them grew heavy with dutiful uncertainty as they walked down the long corridor with Raditz leading the way. Vegeta had watched members of the fleet enter the arena never to return to the flanks again. A lucky few proved their worth and were granted the chance to fight another day. The woman's experience had not been so lucky. Sensing the fear rolling from her in waves, he could only imagine the gore repeating in her head in what she must be sure would be her untimely death. They reached the end of the corridor, Raditz turning to them both.
"Vegeta," Raditz stuck his hand out. Vegeta griped it in a firm handshake. "Good luck my friend. Myself, Nappa and Kakarot will be sitting close by incase our support is needed in the chance of an unforeseen development."
"Thank you, although I do not believe I will need to call on you to risk your life for me or her on this day." He replied with a confident smile. It was good to know that if Frieza chose to show his dissatisfaction, he could face his inevitable death with the knowledge that they would not fall victim to Frieza's hand to receive the consequence for his actions.
"Little one," Raditz knelt before Bulma so they were the same height. "Remember to trust your instincts in there. Frieza is looking for any hint that your and Vegeta's trust is a lie. Despite what my boneheaded prince may tell you, trust in what you already know to be true. That is how you will walk away from this unharmed. Understand?"
She nodded, nerves gripping her too tightly to say the words. He kissed the back of her hand, then straightened to his full height. Vegeta allowed his comment to pass without a response. She could believe what she needed to get through this, despite Raditz's irritating choice of wording.
They were left alone to have a moment more before walking through the gate where the entire ship waited. They both could hear the pulse of the massive crew impatiently waiting for their arrival.
"Bulma," his voice was soft as he clipped her cuffs together in front of her. "Remember to focus on me and nothing else that might distract you. My words might be harsh towards you from this moment on, however know that it is for show and show only. I will continue to check on you and make sure that you're okay. If, for any reason, you need a moment to gather yourself what is your safeword?"
"Cramp." She whispered.
Taking her head in his hands as he had grown accustom to doing he rested his forehead against hers.
He hesitated before closing his eyes and asking, "Do you trust me?"
"With every breath that I take." She answered.
When he looked into her eyes, nothing but complete surrender stared back at him. Impulsively he kissed her. He whispered against her lips, "I swear that I will do everything within my power to keep you safe."
When they parted, she was breathless with eyes sparkling from his vow. Without another word, he turned and gripped the tethered cuffs with his tail. He wanted to keep the connection between the two of them just as badly as he knew she needed. He could feel her fingers lightly brushing against the fur.
The lively activity surrounding the arena hushed to curious whispers as they entered. The lights shining down on them helped to black out the sea of faces watching them cross to the giant polls erected in its center. Bulma's feet shuffled quietly behind him, breath coming out in quick shallow rasps. He sensed the three other saiyans, noting their position to his left in case their help was needed.
"Ah, Vegeta." Frieza's amplified voice hushed the remaining whispers to complete silence. "I see that you have, indeed, followed through on your agreement to offer us a rare delight this evening."
Let the charade begin, he thought darkly as he turned to face to voice hovering high above the arena's entrance.
"My Lord," He forced himself not to sneer at using the title. "I understand that it is your will that brings me before you today. I have a debt that I am offering to repay to you and all who you lord over in witness as my gratitude for allowing me the personal use of one of your slaves this past month. It is my hope that by showing you how this slave bows to my will not only repay my debt, but will allow me the opportunity to claim her as my own until my or her untimely death."
"I'll allow you to repay your debt this evening. What do you choose as a means for us to bear witness to your will overcoming the slave's?"
"The bullwhip, your Lordship." Vegeta ignored the sharp inhalation behind him. "The slave will not only submit to me, she will also accept the lash of the whip willingly and without hesitation to show that my wants take precedence over consideration for her own self-preservation. This will prove to you, as well as all that serve you, that the slave puts her owner's needs before her own. It is my hope that there will be no doubt, from this day forward, who this slave's mind and body belongs to."
"Proceed," was the reply.
When he turned to face the woman he was greeted with eyes burning with fury. He had been careful not to mention that he would be using a bullwhip to end the show for this reason. The look on her face screamed hatred and death, making it obvious that a bullwhip was an instrument that she was familiar with from her world. He kept this tidbit of information close to the chest knowing that she would never agree to go along with this if she had any knowledge of what such a device was capable of.
"Slave," he addressed her coldly, "Present your bindings."
She stood motionless, staring at him as the knowledge of what she was agreeing to kept her glued to the spot.
Not now, he pleaded to her silently. You told me you trusted me. Now it's time to put your words into action.
He didn't reach out to try and force her to present her wrists. He refused to raise his hand in a wordless threat to strike. Instead he waited as calmly as possible for her to get over whatever fit was going on in her head. For this to work she had to give herself willingly to him. He couldn't force her trust. The tension from the audience waiting for him to fail seemed to sizzle into something tangible.
Her arms stretched out towards him, wrists finally offered in her silent decision. Letting go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding, he unclasped them.
"Stand between the polls." He snapped loudly to show impatience with her hesitation.
She followed his direction with downcast eyes. He saw her shoulders visibly tremble from holding back the panic and tears he knew he was causing.
Just hold in there one more minute, he thought as he followed her. I can make it better in one more minute if you can hang on.
He grabbed her wrists roughly and attached them to the chains hanging from each of the polls. On the ground laid two ankle cuffs attached to chains from the poll. He snapped them around each leg. He adjusted the chains so that she looked like a living, breathing 'X' between the wooden posts. When he stood in front of her, he kept his reaction blank to the misery looking past him and into the surrounding faceless crowd.
"I'm here with you." He kept his voice low as he ran a finger between each cuff and her skin to make sure they were snug but comfortable. "You're not alone in this. I'm sorry this is hard for you, but I need you to hold it together a little longer for me."
Her face warmed a few degrees as she focused on his voice. She gave him a weak smile in response.
"Do you feel any cramps?" He kept his voice gentle and soothing.
"No." Was her shaky whisper. "I'm fine. I'll be okay."
Vegeta pulled a thin black scarf from his pocket and let it dangle from his hand. "I brought this hoping it will help you keep focus. You don't have to be blindfolded for this, but I thought blocking out as much distraction as possible might help us get to the end. Do you want to wear it?"
There were no words to describe the gratitude and relief looking up at him. "Please. The less I have to face this reality the better."
As he tied it around her, he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I want you to focus on me and me alone. I will continue to hold to my word that I will not push you any farther then you're able to go. I will not break your skin with lashes. I will not have your blood on my hands, bullwhip or not."
Her small nod was her permission to continue.
After grabbing the cat o'nine whip off of the table, he rested the leathery tendrils against her arm. Waiting for her heart to calm after jumping from the contact, he dragged it down her arm and across her chest and stomach. He stood close, raising his ki slightly so that she could feel his warmth. Her head cocked in his direction at the slight increase of energy. Glad to see that she was indeed putting her focus solely on him, he began brushing her with gentle caressing strokes to warm her up.
The distance between the poles was large enough for him to walk around her without breaking contact or rhythm. He slowly circled her like one would stalk their prey. Eyes studying every twitch, ears listening for any hesitation. At first, she would hold her breath in anticipation of the leather. She tried to feel it out, calculate when to expect its touch against her. By his second pass around her, he was adding a more intense flick of the wrist at random to get that tricky, analytical part of her brain to let go. He was asking to command all of her – mind, body and soul. He would not rush her to accept anything harsh or painful until her body gave its permission to do so.
When he completed the second pass he took in the panting beauty before him. Chest heaving in anticipation, head tilted to listen for any indication of his movement and a light sheen of sweat was starting to break out across her skin.
"You are mine." He announced loudly, recalling the words he used in their first attempt to get ready for this moment. "Mine to touch. Mine to enjoy. Mine to hurt. Do you agree?"
Her body shuddered from his words.
"Yes." She answered hoarsely. Voice thick with desire, her mouth parted seductively as her breathing deepened.
The verbal reminder was the last nudge she needed to throw caution to the wind and give her trust over willingly. She radiated want and need, every fiber in his being rose up to her call. His focus centered on her and only her as the distractions of the arena faded into nothingness.
He circled her again, flicking his wrist to hear the heady snap of leather against skin. She did not dance away from the harsh flame ignited under her skin. Instead she exhaled in pleasure from the fire dancing across her body. He watched the pink stripes bloom across her skin. Judged when a strike was too harsh when she hissed through her teeth hesitantly, unsure if she should feel pleasure or pain. When she skirted away from the whip's bite, he would meet her escape with a gentle pass to lull her back into ecstasy. He made sure to keep on the thin line of pleasure and pain, never giving her too much of either to prepare her for a much more intense, concentrated feeling. She held his entire focus. Every contour, whimper, sigh and twitch.
As he circled, paused, judged and calculated, his own breathing calmed. The tension he had felt earlier melted with each pant coming from her. Every time she leaned towards him in anticipation he felt himself letting go of his own reserve a bit more. As the arena continued to fade from his consciousness, the only thing to fill his world was her. As she rose with the waves of endorphins surging through her, she swept him up and drove him higher. Soon they were so attuned to one another's movements, to the other's reactions, that they moved, breathed and pulsed as one being. He was careful to never lay a hand on her. His skin never brushed against hers. Knowing the electricity between them would surge to a breaking point for her, he would not allow her to be forced into become undone in the throes of pleasure in front of the ship. His own desire for her running hot in his veins, he knew that once touch between the two of them would cause her to hate him forever if he pushed her over the edge in such a public forum.
After circling her a few more times, he could tell she was ready for more pain. He could sense that her body wouldn't register it as anything but pleasurable at this point. He stood in front of her one last time as he untied the blindfold. A dreamy, far off gaze drank him in as a gentle, childlike smile crossed her face.
"Vegeta." She breathed. Her eyes were dilated, their glazed look trying to focus on him. She relaxed into the clouds floating around her.
"I'm here." He couldn't help reaching out, thumb stroking her cheek. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his touch.
"Vegeta," she repeated. "I love you. I can't help but love you."
"I know." Was his reply as he kissed her gently. He didn't know it was possible for his heart to soar to such heights while the sad tendrils of dread pulled at his feet. He never intended to make her love him. He wished he could find a way to return the feeling. "We're almost finished."
She smiled at him through the haze.
Taking the cat o'nine, he walked behind her. Her breathing was relaxed and even, body standing without any hint of reservation. He flicked the leather gently, then pulled it down harshly. The crack resonated in his ears and an angry red stripe raised her skin in response. This was Frieza's torture for him. To force Vegeta to purposefully harm something that he had grown to care for. His past was the death and destruction of unknown faces. This felt far worse. She did not flinch, nor did she cry out in pain. Instead she stood still and accepting despite the uncomfortable twisting of his stomach.
Trading in the cat o'nine for the bullwhip, he steadied his shaking hand. He would not back down from this as long as she was still accepting of it. He channeled the times this past month that he snuck away in the early morning hours to practice without the risk of her accidentally walking in on him. It was a skill that was hard to master and easy to forget. He had practiced to make sure his aim was true and power was kept in check. He could easily rip her to shreds if he wasn't careful.
He shook the thick braded leather out as he focused on to milky target before him. Four strikes should be enough. Any more and the fire across her back would ignite into an intensity that would have her screaming and withering in pain with all trust broken. Any less and it would not be convincing enough for the sadistic bastard hovering above them.
Holding his breath, he raised his hand. On the exhale he let the whip fly. The loud snap reverberated in his head as a dark red line appeared almost instantly across her back. He paused to judge the damage. There was no blood. No indication of broken skin. He sighed thankfully, his head spinning in disgust.
Three more. Just get through three more.
Again he raised his arm. Again he laid another hot stripe. This time it was across the meat of her shoulders in an attempt to land as far from the thin skin covering bone as possible. This one was felt as it sent her upwards on her toes. Her head hung limply in front of her, body beginning to tense from the sensation registering as something other than pleasure. He repeated the motion quickly to try and finish the scene as fast as possible. This time he watched as she held her breath, his stomach clenching in revulsion. He was beginning to hurt her beyond the ability she was able to take. With one final motion, he let the leather fly one last time as it brushed against her back. The resounding crack echoed in the great hall.
Wiping the sweat off of his brow, he walked in front of the woman starting to squirm in discomfort. She smiled at him in an attempt to mask the pain she had felt.
"Well done so far, my boy." Frieza's gleeful voice sent a shiver through both of them. "However I believe three more strikes will settle your debt."
Her eyes widened in horror, now fully aware of her surroundings.
"Sir," Vegeta looked up at the hovering figure behind the woman. "You did not specify how many licks she was to take from the whip."
A smooth, evil smile slid across the lizard's face.
"If you are truly lord and master over her, then she will take the lashes in stride and with grace. If you cannot do what is demanded, I am sure another on the ship would be more than happy to take her under his wing." Frieza's gaze drifted to the emerald haired man that looked at Vegeta with hatred and the promise of death.
"Give him what he wants." Bulma's voice was strong and steady.
He regarded her silently.
"Vegeta, I'll be fine. I'll eventually heal. We both need to live to fight another day." Her eyes pleaded for him to continue, giving her permission to do what was necessary for both of them to get out of this as unscathed as possible. Her eyes were clear indicating that the endorphins coursing through her before had finally subsided. A lucid, thinking woman was asking him to hurt her for both of their sakes.
Nodding solemnly, he disappeared behind her. He couldn't hide his troubled expression before he receded back to position. He knew this was the exposure he was apprehensive about. There was no way he could mask the protective emotions she had stirred up inside of him. He was exposed for the entire ship to witness.
He stared at the four angry lines mocking him. He watched the woman take in a shuddering breath as she wound the chains suspending her around her wrists, gripping them for added support. She was willingly offering herself to save them both. He couldn't let her down.
With a swift flick, a new welt blossomed across her back. Her head snapped towards the ceiling with a grunt. He hauled in a shaky breath as the room spun. Hesitantly, he raised his arm. He closed his eyes to take in a slow breath to calm his nerves. When he opened them, he focused in on his target and repeated the motion. A strained yell unable to be held back escaping the body in front of him. Trembling legs giving out, she hung from the chains for a moment before moving unsteady feet back under her. She stood visibly shaking, a clammy sweat glistening along her skin. The areas where the lashes crossed were already starting to blister.
He tried to calm his racing heart, hatred and anger seething from his every pore. His hand was no longer steady, his composure starting to falter.
One more, then you're done. She's willing to take one more for you. She's standing to give you permission to continue. You're stronger than this…you can do this.
Feeling as though his mind had separated from his body, he watched as the braided tendril reached out one last time. Her high-pitched cry could not be muted over the sickening crack of the whip. The sound of her screaming out in pain by his hand had him by her side instantly. Shaking from the agony she was fighting against, she kept her eyes squeezed shut as tears escaped down her cheeks. He was almost frantically unhooking her from the poles when a hand rested on his shoulder. Whipping around expecting an enemy, Kakarot stood next to him with a blanket. Nodding, Vegeta took it and wrapped it around her shivering body while Kakarot finished releasing her from her bindings.
Once she was free, he cradled her in his arms as he turned to face the gleaming look of evil now grounded and standing before him.
"I have done all that you ask." He stated angrily over the hiccupping cargo of agony he was holding.
"Indeed," Frieza looked at them with a calm smile. A chill of warning raced down Vegeta's spine. "You have thirty minutes before you and your team are to depart. You have earned your ownership of the slave and I relinquish her to you."
"Thank you." Was Vegeta's reply as he bowed and quickly stalked out of the arena.
He was silent as he carried her back to the room. He heard three sets of footsteps following behind.
Once he reached her door, he turned to his makeshift entourage. "Give me a moment with her alone. I'll open the door when I'm ready for you to see her before we leave."
Nappa silently handed him the cooling skin cream before Vegeta stepped into her room.
He sat her carefully on the bed. Kneeling before her, he rested his hands on top of the blanket covering her lap. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, the cry of agony caused by his hand repeating in his head.
"I'm okay." She smiled down at him and shrugged off the blanket. She ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it in a way that made him shiver in remembrance and heartbreak. The sensation too familiar.
"You told me you loved me." He whispered. "Why?"
"Because I can't help but love you, Vegeta. I wanted you to know before you leave. So that no matter what happens, you know exactly how I feel about you."
He continued to kneel on the floor, head resting in her lap as she caressed his face. The look Frieza had was filled with cold malice. He knew something awful was waiting for them both after he left.
Grabbing the cream, he shifted to settle down next to her. Careful to spread the ointment on as gently as possible, he tried to ignore the way she flinched from his touch. One more way for Frieza to torture him before he left.
Laying her head against his shoulder, she took his hand in his. "If something happens to me when you leave…would you follow me?"
"I do not believe that my soul would find rest in the same place where yours belongs after death." He sighed. "But if something should happen to you in my absence, I would do everything in my power l to be with you if you asked it of me."
The knowing look she gave him made his brows knit together in worry. A storm gathered behind those knowledgeable eyes…the familiar look of her working through a tricky equation that he had come to know after spending time with her in her lab.
"I won't ask you to follow me, Vegeta." Her hand stroked the side of his face as she kissed his cheek. "If you want to follow me…if that's what's in your heart…I want you to know that I would welcome you no matter where our roads may lead us. I love you. All I ask is that you never forget that."
Her words hallowed the sin of marking her by his hand. He returned her kiss, drinking in the endless abyss of warmth and forgiving that he never knew could exist in a single being. He held her for a few minutes longer before opening the door to allow the others to say their last goodbyes. The room was filled with heavy hearts from Bulma and the saiyans alike. Men that refused to bow down to any obstacle in their way had found their weakness in the bright, warm beam of her smile. Not an eye was dry as they all parted one last time.
Despite his best efforts not to, Vegeta turned to look over his shoulder one last time before following his comrades out the door. Bulma sat tall and strong despite the swirling sadness threatening to break through her resolve. Her trembling lip was the only sign showing that she was barely holding it together.
"To the end of time and back, I will follow you." Were his final words as he turned his back to leave on last time. As the door shut behind him, he did his best to ignore the muffled crying as he walked down the hall head on to face Frieza's next trap.
A/N: My original plan was to break this story into a three-part series, however thanks to my cat destroying my computer and my pre-written epilogue being lost to the eternal coding of zeros and ones, I am having a terrible time rewriting it. So, for those of you that I have already said that this story is coming to an end, I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me because I'm going to continue writing this lengthy story until I reach its end.
*Please Note* - I am currently in full swing of wedding season so finding time to write is extremely challenging. Please know that updates will be slow coming, but coming none the less!