Life as We Know It
Phase XXIX: A Way Out
I endured it for two long months.
The shame and desolation ate at me every day, the thought of Bulma, my best friend, having to watch her husband claim me. Trunks and Goten watching their 'Auntie 'Thea' basically a sex slave to the lavender haired boys' father.
I couldn't look any of them in the eye.
I basically lived in that room, only going out when absolutely necessary. Most times at night, when no one was up.
Vegeta finally...slowly returned to his normal self.
Whatever that was.
I slowly made my way down the stairs, heading towards the kitchen. I ran into Bulma a few times, but always tried to avoid her. I didn't want any of this to happen, and I couldn't just wish it all away. A sigh left me as I passed the living room.
"Athea"
I paused at the whisper of my name, looking around in puzzlement. I didn't see anyone. Was I imagining things now?
"Athea, over here!"
I turned, finally noticing Gohan standing in one of the rooms off to the side of the living room, the door only opened a few inches. I stared in the vicinity of where the young man was, before slowly making my way over.
"What?" I asked softly, a little suspicious as to what Gohan wanted.
"Come here. I need to talk to you!" He whispered, waving his hand at me.
I bit my lip, stopping a foot away from the door. Why was he being so secretive?
"What's going on?" I asked in a normal voice, earning a "Shhhhhh" from the man.
He gently grabbed my arm, pulling me into the room.
It was one of the unused sitting rooms, dust having gathered from no one using it in so long. I wiped the cushion of a chair off before sitting, watching Goku's son warily. What did he need to talk to me about? And why was he being so...mysterious?
"What's going on Gohan? Why did you want to see me?"
"Listen," he said softly, looking behind him at the closed door. "I have to make it quick. Vegeta won't be gone long."
"Okay," I said slowly. I knew what he was talking about. Vegeta became very possessive if Goku or Gohan came near me, not wanting me anywhere near either man.
"First off," he said, wiping his glasses on his shirt before putting them back on. He met my eyes. "How have you been? Haven't really gotten to interact with you lately," Gohan whispered, studying me.
"I'm...okay," I stated softly.
Gohan raised a brow in disbelief.
"Alright," I said, swallowing. "I—I could be better."
Gohan cleared his throat, clasping his hands together before letting a low breath out.
"Okay," he said, fidgeting a little. "You remember when I told you about the kidnapping? When I showed you the photo album?"
I nodded, but he wasn't looking at me. "Yeah," I said softly, biting my lip.
"Well, I didn't tell you—or anyone for that matter—that when we rescued you, I took some of the blood samples and test results they had in the lab."
My brows furrowed a little. "And?"
Gohan sighed, lifting his gaze to mine. "They were yours," he stated softly, holding my gaze as he let that sink in.
My eyes widened as I let a small gasp out. I stared at him for several seconds before clearing my throat.
"And," I swallowed, "And what did it say? What did the results tell you?"
"Well the test results were pretty thorough and accurate enough to make sense of. You're definitely human, but..."
He paused, his mouth pinching at the sides.
"But?" I whispered, my hands clenching the arms of the chair. "What Gohan? What else did it say?"
He sighed, raising a hand and rubbing his forehead. "Like I said, you're human, but you have...saiyan blood in you as well."
"So I'm supposedly...half human/half saiyan?" I asked, disbelief running through me. There was no way!
"It's...complicated. The charts show you as human, but your blood work shows that you have saiyan DNA as well."
"That's odd."
"Tell me about it," Gohan muttered, a slight scowl appearing on his face. He looked back up at me, a small frown on his lips. "You show no characteristics of having saiyan blood. You don't have the genetic abilities that we all obtained through our fathers, you don't look saiyan, and show no desire to fight."
His gaze analyzed me as he named all my shortcomings, his brows furrowed.
"What does that mean?" I asked softly, afraid of the answer.
"I don't know," he said honestly, still studying me. "I just know that the pull you have makes a lot more sense."
"Pull? What pull?"
"You're telling me you haven't noticed how drawn we are to you? Dad, Vegeta, Trunks, Goten?" He held my gaze. "Me?"
I swallowed with difficulty, wariness washing over me as I eyed the tall young man.
"Um..."
"Don't worry," Gohan said, his lips quirking a little. "I'm drawn to you in a platonic way. Nothing like my dad and Vegeta. It's purely...asexual."
We were quiet for several minutes, neither saying anything.
"I see you more as a sister, as just a female friend," he stated firmly, "And the fact that you survived Vegeta claiming you, well...that was a miracle in itself, until I was able to analyze your blood more carefully and realized just how capable you really were to take that sort of...assault."
"If that is true, how did you claim Videl? Didn't Goku claim ChiChi?"
"Athea," Gohan let out a soft chuckle. "Me and dad weren't as far gone as Vegeta was. And yes, dad did claim mom, after they got back together. And we did it very carefully."
He paused, his eyes penetrating. "If Vegeta had tried to claim Bulma with the way he was, he would have snapped her neck or spine in an instant. Or both," Gohan explained, "She would never have survived."
"But why didn't he do it when he was normal?"
Gohan let out a short laugh. "You have to know Vegeta for years before you can truly understand him. He didn't want to claim Bulma. Said it would have been a mockery of our saiyan race, even though me and dad took human women for mates. Vegeta has too much pride. He wouldn't have stooped so low as to actually claim a human in the saiyan way," Gohan crossed his arms, sitting back in his chair, "His words, not mine Athea," he exclaimed, reading the look on my face.
"Is that why...why he tried to kill Trunks?"
"Yes," Gohan said firmly, "He didn't want anyone trying to claim to be his heir over any children he would have with you," he murmured, "Saiyan instinct, if you will."
I shot him a look. "Like I would know anything about that," I stated loudly, furrowing my brows.
Gohan sighed, rubbing his hands on his pants before leaning forward.
"Vegeta hasn't really been thinking, not since his instincts overtook him. I don't believe he really wanted to kill Trunks. With all his inherent saiyan instincts driving him, Vegeta was not rational about his actions."
My gaze went to the floor, swallowing hard as I processed Gohan's words.
"So what now? I mean, what am I supposed to do with that information Gohan?"
I could feel Gohan's gaze on me. "Do you want to leave?"
My head shot up, my mouth parting in surprise. "Wh—what?"
Gohan held my gaze as he covered my hands with his. "Do you want to go back home?"
My mouth opened and closed, before a small breath escaped me. "Yes," I whispered, feeling tears well up in my eyes.
Gohan's face softened somewhat, studying me as if to make sure I was sincere. "You won't be able to come back...you do know that right?" he asked gently, squeezing my hands.
I held his gaze as I slowly nodded, sucking in a long breath. My heart started pounding. Was I actually going to get to go home!?
He got up, studying me once again before moving to the closet in the corner. He pulled out a black duffel bag, softly closing the doors back. I saw him draw in a breath, slowly letting it out before turning towards me. He dropped the bag into my lap without a word, standing beside my chair as I unzipped it.
My mouth fell open.
Inside were seven shiny orange balls. They all had stars on them.
"Are these," I paused, my breath hitching. "Are these the...dragon...balls?" I whispered, still staring at them. I had heard about them over the years, but I had never actually seen them.
They were beautiful. I could feel the power coming off them as I grazed my fingertips over the marble surface.
"Yes," Gohan said softly. "Use them Athea."
I looked up at the tone of his voice. He leaned down until our faces were inches apart. "Use them to go home Athea."
Gohan straightened back up, looking at his watch after a moment.
"We don't have much time. Vegeta will be back from his spar with my dad any time now."
I zipped the bag back up, slowly standing and grabbing the handle in a death grip. I started walking towards the door.
"Athea."
I paused with my hand on the knob, looking back at the man who was a spitting image of his father.
"Don't let Vegeta know you have them."
I nodded, chewing on my lower lip before exiting the room. I raced back upstairs, throwing open the bedroom door. I searched frantically around the room for a hiding space, but there really wasn't a place that Vegeta didn't look in or use.
I sucked in a breath when I heard his voice in the hall. I let a sound out as I dove towards the bed, shoving the bag underneath and jumping onto the bed moments before Vegeta walked in. I swallowed, examining my nails and trying not to seem too suspicious.
I could feel his gaze on me, not looking up to meet his eyes. My stomach jumped when the door softly closed behind him.
"Why do I smell Gohan on you?" Vegeta asked softly, still standing in front of the door.
I lifted my head, slowly meeting the man's eyes.
"What, now I can't have any friends Vegeta?" I asked, letting my hand fall into my lap.
He took a few steps towards me, coming around the bed and stopping right beside me. My gaze followed him, my head lifting as our eyes stayed connected. Vegeta gently grasped my chin, his fingers caressing my jaw.
"No one's taking you away from me," he stated in a gruff voice.
"No one's trying to Vegeta," I whispered, "They're my friends. I want to spend time with them."
My eyes closed as he bent down, feeling his breath on the side of my neck. He pressed his lips against the pulse beating there, sucking in a breath. I swallowed with difficulty as he nuzzled the underside of my jaw, the slight stubble on his face scraping my skin. I let out an unsteady breath, opening my eyes when he finally moved away.
I studied the man's disheveled appearance, noticing the scrapes and bruises over his body, the holes and rips in his clothing. Vegeta's hair was wind blown, a trail of dried blood falling from his temple. Apparently he had a good spar.
"You want to go flying woman?" he asked softly, running a thumb over my mouth.
I didn't say anything for several minutes, turning my gaze away and looking out the window. I thought about the dragonballs, sitting right up under me, just waiting to be used. I swallowed with difficulty, wandering if I would even have the chance to use them. Maybe I could get him to take me to a nearby island., Maybe...maybe while we're out, I could look for a good spot to summon the dragon and go home.
"Sure," I said softly, still not meeting the man's eye as he grunted.
"Let me shower and change, then we can go," Vegeta said.
My eyes closed at his words, feeling the man rub his forehead against mine before moving away. A moment later the bedroom door closed, silence enveloping me.
I let a shuddered breath out, burying my face in my hands.
Why does the thought of not seeing the man again after tonight hurt so much!?
XXX
Vegeta held me close as we flew over the ocean, having spent all my energy earlier flying over the city. I was able to go a certain distance, but I wasn't strong enough to travel such long distances without falling out of the sky. My hair whipped around me as he picked up speed, his arms firmly around me, one at my back and the other around my waist.
I felt him rub my back right before we landed, me spitting hair out of my mouth and smoothing it into some semblance of control as I stepped away from him. I looked around.
It was a rather large island, a large rocky cliff right behind me. I let out a breath.
An arm wrapped around my waist, Vegeta pulling me snugly against him.
"Do you want to practice more on your flying woman, or...we could," he grazed his teeth against my neck. "Practice other things."
I swallowed. I could here the smile in his voice, the slight huskiness blanketing his words as he ran a hand down my side to my hip. I bit my lip, grasping his shoulders. I cleared my throat as I moved back a little.
"Um...maybe we should practice my flying Vegeta," I licked my lips. "You know, for just in case."
He let a disappointed groan out, before finally moving away from me. He let his arm fall with a sigh, slightly scowling.
"Fine," he said, "Lets go ahead and start then."
His eyes assessed me for a few seconds, going from the top of my head to my feet, then back to my face.
"Show me what you've learned so far."
I let a breath out, closing my eyes. My arms lifted to my waist, my brows scrunching in concentration. I slowly opened my eyes as I lifted up, Vegeta following my ascent into the sky. I went further up, staring down at the ground miles away before a breath whooshed out of me. I looked up, meeting Vegeta's eyes.
He nodded, giving me the go ahead to continue. I took off, a moment later seeing Vegeta right beside me. I kept my gaze forward, squinting my eyes a little at the sharp wind blowing into them. I went a little ways, before feeling myself tire, my energy waning as I slowed down a little. I soon just landed, gasping for breath as my feet touched the ground. I coughed a little, vaguely hearing the man land in front of me.
"You've got more than that," Vegeta stated, his shoes crunching over the ground as he walked up to me. He stopped right in front of me, waiting as I coughed again to continue.
"Come on," he said firmly, "Let's keep going."
I silently shook my head, plopping on my butt. "I'm tired, Vegeta." I let another deep sigh out, finally feeling my heart rate slow back to normal as I closed my eyes.
I was suddenly jerked to my feet, my eyes flying open. Vegeta was studying me with a serious expression, a muscle jumping in his jaw.
"I thought you wanted to work on your long distance longitude," he stated, "You think someone who wants to kill you is going to sit and wait for you to catch your breath for you to keep going?"
His voice was harsh, his grip on my arm getting a little tighter as I stayed silent. I slowly extracted myself from him, taking a step back.
"Vegeta," I said softly, absently rubbing my arm. "No one is trying to kill me, so there's really no sense in getting so worked up-"
"Dammit Woman!" He said loudly, cutting me off. "Don't you remember what Kakkarot's brat told you!? About your kidnapping? Do you want that to happen again!?"
I swallowed at his words, looking away from the man.
"It could still happen Vegeta," I stated softly, "Despite me knowing how to fly."
I heard his boots crunch over the ground, a moment later a knuckle gently lifting my chin. I met his eyes, swallowing with difficulty at the look on his face.
"It would give you more of a chance," he whispered, his brows furrowed, a slight frown on his face.
Vegeta studied me for several minutes, before finally letting his hand fall. He took a step back, studying me with troubled eyes.
"Let's continue," he said, turning away from me.
I felt a shift in the air a few seconds before Goku appeared beside me. Vegeta whirled around, his upper lip slightly curling.
"What do you want Kakkarot?" he snapped, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He took a step towards me.
Goku studied Vegeta, his brows slightly furrowed before looking over at me.
"I was just going to ask Athea if she wanted to visit ChiChi," he said softly, his tone wary.
"We're busy!" Vegeta snapped, wrapping his hand around my arm.
"ChiChi hasn't seen her in a few weeks Vegeta. She was worried-"
"Tell that harpy of yours to mind her own damn business!" The shorter saiyan growled, glaring at the taller man.
I looked from one to the other, swallowing with difficulty. Why the hell is Vegeta so possessive of me!?
"Vegeta," Goku said carefully, "I don't know what's wrong with you-"
"You're what's wrong with me Kakkarot!" Vegeta snarled, suddenly letting go of my arm and going toe to toe with Goku.
"You're always trying to steal what's rightfully mine!" he continued, his fists raising to his waist.
I watched a muscle start twitching in Goku's jaw, his eyes narrowing. I backed away from them as Goku tensed, Vegeta invading his personal space. Is all this anger just over a rivalry between the two!?
"I'm not trying to steal anything Vegeta," Goku stated, his tone still carefully controlled. "Besides," he said after a moment, "Athea is not a possession. She can make her own decisions. I made the mistake of thinking that she would be better off with you as her mate, but I guess I was wrong-"
Vegeta swung as a snarl ripped from his throat, bashing Goku in the jaw. My mouth fell open as they tackled each other, grunts and growls coming from the billow of dust kicked up by the fight. My eyes widened even further when I saw both men ascend at the same time, not stopping until my back hit a wall of dirt. I stared mutely up at them as both saiyans shot into the air, bursts of light shooting from their hands as the fight got more intense.
"Fuck you Kakkarot!" Vegeta yelled, throwing a ki blast. "She's mine! I'll decide if you're good enough to be around her!"
He threw another blast, smacking Goku in the chest. The man went flying into a mountain several miles away.
"Which you are not," the shorter saiyan muttered, his brows narrowed as a severe frown etched across his face.
A yell pierced the air, the mountain top blowing up moments later. Goku came flying back at top speed, the look on his face mirroring Vegeta's.
"What the hell is wrong with you Vegeta," Goku asked, his voice clipped. "You act like you own Athea."
"I claimed her," Vegeta stated, his lip curling back. "And there's not a fucking thing you can do about it."
"She can make her own decisions dammit!" Goku suddenly snapped, "You are not her keeper! Stop acting like you control what she does!"
Vegeta growled. "I'll do what I damn well please Kakkarot!" He lifted his hand, a ball of energy slowly forming. "You try to take her from me again, I'll kill you!" Vegeta suddenly shouted, his arm rearing back before shooting forward, the ball of energy rushing towards Goku at top speed.
I watched as Goku's eyes widened a little, before he lifted his hand, deflecting it.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
My mouth opened as a silent scream tried to came out, watching the blinding light of the blast hurdling right at me. I stood frozen as it came towards me, my muscles twitching with the need to move. But my body stayed still, too in shock to do anything. The white light blinded me as it filled my vision.
The last thing I heard was someone scream out my name, another voice howling in agony before the only thing filling my ears was the horrendous sound of rushing power surrounding me.
A/N: I'm not too sure about this chapter...please let me know what you guys think!
