Sorry for the long wait! This chapter was ready two weeks ago but I got the flu and was too sick to upload it…

IMPORTANT NOTE: Next chapter will be the last chapter! So to all guest-readers and so, the story will be filed under complete next update. I'm going to try to upload the last chapter next Monday!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.


Chapter 52: We lose

Trunks managed to avoid a fatal blow from the blond woman, while Vegeta was fighting the raven-haired boy. He was quick and Vegeta hadn't been able to overcome him in any way, they seemed to be equal in both power and speed. He had taken notice however that the woman had only been playing with his son. It was an act to try and distract him while he fought her companion. Just now she had gotten more serious and it would only be a matter of minutes before their situation spiraled out of control. He took a glance at Bulma, who's blue eyes were trying desperately to follow their movements. She looked like she could break any minute.

Looking back at his son, who was now breathing heavily, trying hard to stay strong and help him, he took a sharp breath. Giving themselves a breathing pause, the two androids patiently awaited their next move. Seeing the smirks on their faces made him understand that they were just toying with the both of them. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

'What do we do?' Trunks asked, keeping his eyes on the two. Vegeta quirked up an eyebrow at his son, noting he too had noticed their ease and careless behavior. He took deep breath, trying to think of something. Though in the back of his mind, his feelings were getting the best out of him.

He had never in his life felt so torn about being who he was.

In a way, he took much pride in his title, conqueror of the universe, the immortal Saiyan King. But outside of that, he wasn't much. He had never strived for anything else. And now, without his immortality, his planet, his race, he was nothing. And yet… Bulma thought otherwise. She probably didn't even care about any of it. Neither did his son apparently. He took another glance at the purple-haired boy.

'Your friends made a fatal mistake…' Vegeta muttered.
'What do you mean!?' Trunks yelled back, a little angry that he was taunting his friends decision but at the same time a sheer of fear could be heard. He wasn't being himself probably, he was panicking and afraid.

'Those things can't be destroyed without me… Not without me being immortal at least.' He admitted in annoyance. He was never the type to rely on things, it agitated him that he had grown so accustomed to the eternal life, that had never been a part of the plan. Yet here he was, saying he was better of immortal in this battle and that he alone as warrior was no match for them.

'I…' Trunks looked away, feeling uncomfortable of saying this to him. But he was going to be honest with him, no matter what. 'They want you to die, after that they'll whish the androids to shut down again.'

'I see.' Vegeta nodded, understanding their way of thinking. The Namekians decision was brave but bold and it did not balance out the risks. It annoyed him that their fear had gotten them into trouble. They should've known better. But then again, he, himself, would never wanted to been seen as anything other than a threat. He was who he was after all and it honored his monstrous titles.

Damn it! he cursed inwardly, his thoughts were contradicting his feelings. Why did he feel anything at all? He wanted to feel nothing! Nothing at all!

'Then I guess we better hurry up the process.' Vegeta said wisely. Hearing his son gasp in response, after hearing the words and understanding what he meant by that.
'Take good care of your mother, Trunks.'

'But I—'

'I think…' he said, actually saying his thoughts out loud for once in his life while facing the annoying feeling he felt, 'I think I wouldn't mind being a father. Seeing you, makes me prouder then any of my own achievements.'

Trunks opened his mouth but then closed it again, loss for words. He wanted to say something back. Something nice and kind but he was not brave enough to call him out by his name or the name he should be using, father. This man was his father, and he was beyond anything he had expected.

'Tell Bulma…' Vegeta then dismissed the idea, it would only cause her pain. Maybe it was better left unsaid. Besides it all didn't matter. None of it did.

'I'm not just going to let you die!' Trunks manages to squeeze out, his voice was trembling and so was his body. He couldn't accept that they, this great team of father and son, were no match to simple machinery made by mankind. For the first time he felt a bond to someone besides his mother. Someone who shared his need for fighting, not in its cruelest manner but for the excitement and thrill of it. They were supposed to fight together, this was fate! He could feel it in every fiber of his body.

'Tell them to go make the whish while I distract them.' Vegeta sternly said.

'I'm going to try and change their minds! That's what I'll do!' Trunks argued back, with a fierce nod, he flew to his mother, who was in a fight with Dende. Vegeta stared at him for brief second, smirking. It seemed his son was a lot like his mother, arguing against him and publicly disagreeing with him, without showing any type of fear.

'Hey!' Trunks screamed at him, stopping in mid-air, 'Just in case…' he muttered and then gave a confident smirk. 'Porunga!'

Vegeta only quirked up a confused eyebrow at him but gave him a nod of understanding, though he had no idea what he meant by that. Perhaps it was a Namekians saying of some sorts...

'Why, Dende!? You are putting everyone's life on the line! We could've made that wish after the fight! What if it all is for nothing? As far as I can see, Vegeta isn't dead yet and in the meantime this planet is getting destroyed!' Bulma yelled at her friend, she was panicking and afraid. She wanted him to come to his senses. There must be another way to solve this all!

'I'm not taking the risk! I'm not letting you decide!' Dende screamed back. 'I won't let the universe suffer!'

'Now you are making your people suffer! They will stop at nothing!' Bulma screamed back at him.

'Mom!' Trunks yelled, 'We need to do something! He's going to sacrifice his life, so we can make the second whish!'

Bulma first gave him a confused look but then gasped at hearing what her son was telling them and gave Dende a pleading look, 'We need to do something! We can't just wait around!'

'What if he doesn't die? What if he's just feeding is son lies?' Dende argued back. Giving her a glare, 'Like you did?' he spat.

It ached her heart to hear him say that, 'I didn't lie to my son!'

'You lied to yourself! Vegeta isn't the man you make him out to be! He has no pride, no glory! Nothing! He a greedy monster just like that other bastard that came here!' He screamed. 'They are all the same, Bulma! He isn't going to sacrifice his life for us! It's all a lie!'

Their screaming could be heard loud and clearly, and as a Saiyan he heard it quite well, even when he was high up in the air. Vegeta looked down at the two arguing. He let out a hollow snicker at what the Namekian was saying.

Maybe I am like Frieza. I have been accused of it before… He let out sigh of defeat. When have I become so weak?

'He's not! He's so much more then that!' Bulma yelled back angry at what he was saying. Trunks gaped at the two, trying to make one of them arise the Dragon and make the whish.

Vegeta smirked at him and his mother.

If I die, then let it to be a meaningful death…

He looked at the blue-haired woman one more time. She was always a lot more beautiful when she was angry, perhaps that's was the true reason he chased her around and had threated her like a prey of some sort. Because she wasn't easily captivated or tamed, she always fought back. Fought further, beyond reason and logic.

Yes, he was Frieza in a way. Greedy, cold and selfish. But he was going to fight further then him. Beyond his own logic and reasons. One could call him weak for letting himself get caught by it, by his very own prey but it takes guts to let yourself fall into the unknown. Or at least those were the thoughts he went by to ease his own soul.

Thanks, Bulma.

Realizing he hadn't fallen alone in the process of it all.

'Are you ready?' the blonde asked, while her companion flew up next to her, readying himself for the fight. Vegeta only realized now he had managed to escape his attention. He shook his head in disappointment of his weak behavior. I'm reminiscing too much… These damn feelings, he cursed at himself and his distractive thoughts again.

With a growl, he flew at a lighting speed towards them, gathering all his power into a huge ki-ball. It surprised them and they hardly had the time to react. Both simply gasped when they saw it fly to them and instantly blinding them. As it hit them, Vegeta too was blinded by the light of the explosion. Feeling the blazing heat touch his skin and suck him into the ravage of his attack.

Immortality was mine once but in the end…. it wasn't worth it... I don't want to fade away in obscurity again! I'd rather truly die and face the depths of hell!

Bulma screamed out in agony, falling down on the ground, looking at the scene with wide eyes. The power of a Super Saiyan, was beyond anything she had imagined. She realized too late that Vegeta had already made his decision and there was no room for argument. Two more huge explosions followed, she assumed it was the androids last attack to make sure Vegeta was taken to the grave with them. Some sort of self-destruct system.

'NO!' Dende suddenly screamed, looking in the other direction of the fight. Bulma's head turned around and she could only catch a blink of what had happened. Before she knew it, she saw Trunks fly several meters back. She let out a gasp of surprise and fear, not completely comprehending what has just occurred.

The orange-haired man, taller and bigger than the other two androids, stood tall in the distance. His eyes landed on Bulma and he gave her somewhat of an apologetic look. Bulma still didn't understand it at first. Realizing he was after Trunks, she forgot all her sorrow and fear made its way through her body. Not being able to utter word at first, Bulma simply stood up in panic and stared at the man.

'Don't! What are you doing!?' she then screamed.

'It's for the sake of the Earth and all the Earthlings.' He monotonously answered. His eyes were so cold and hollow it made her shudder, realizing his apologetic look from before was more of a false expression placed in his program by his creator. It was no form or way real, it was an illusion used as a decoy for the enemy. Gero was talented she give him that. Aiming his hand to the tiny body on the ground, 'All dangers to Earth must be destroyed.' He continued.

Trunks, still half out of it, looked up and let out a cry of terror when seeing the man aim at him. He felt as if his entire body was defeated. It felt as if every bone in his body was broken. The single blow made him realize the tremendous power they held and how the woman from before had only been playing with him. He was no match compared to these guys! He cursed at himself, feeling useless and stupid.

'Leave my son alone! He is not dangerous!' Bulma screamed, running to stand before him. With her arms open and a fierce look, she screamed at the man to stop. To stay away from them. 'Leave!'

'I can't.' he simply answered coldly. 'Move out of the way.'

'No!' She yelled back, fierce and determined to not move.

'Then you leave me no choice.' He softly answered, though his eyes held no emotion whatsoever when he said the words.

'I'm sorry, honey,' Bulma whispered, turning her head to look at him. She was trembling like a leaf and her eyes were full of tears, giving her son an apologetic look before looking back at the man that was about to end her life.

Trunks gaped at her while trying to get back up. Desperately looking around for help, noting that the air was now clearing up above them, revealing an exhausted Vegeta, who was gasping for air and heavily injured. It looked like he could collapse any moment.

'I told you he would survive!' Dende screamed at them, not moving to aid Bulma and her son. He gave them a harsh look. Trunks pleadingly look at him but it was obvious their friend was ignoring them for the moment.

The android halted his movement looking up at the man with mild interest. He searched the sky for his two companions, wondering if they had gotten destroyed by their mutual attack. 'It doesn't matter.' He then muttered, aiming again at Bulma.

It was then that Dende finally decided to move, getting surprised by the android who had already seen him coming. Redirecting his shot to him, he ended up fatally wounded.

'Dende!' Bulma screamed in horror, seeing him fall on the ground, his eyes wide open and staring at her in horror.

'I'll repeat one more time, move.' The android suddenly spoke up again, unimpressed by the Namekians attack and ignoring the sad scene displayed before him. Or perhaps the cold creature simply did not pick up on such heavy emotions.

'Never!'

She would never let them take her son. Even if all her dead did was to just to stall them a little while he fled. 'Run, Trunks!' She yelled, not looking back to see if he was obeying her or not.

Trunks got up, trembling on his knees. Feeling anxiety creep up on him and take him over, for a moment he found it hard to think. Seeing that the android would not spare her life, he screamed to the one person he knew could save her.

'Father! Save her!' He screamed in a begging tone. It immediately caught Vegeta's attention, who got startled by what he had just been called. However he didn't get much time to think it through when he saw in how much trouble Bulma was in.

At a blazing speed he flew at her. The ki-beam barely missed and she let out a scream when his arms wrapped themselves around her body. Flying in a loop he managed to grab his son but clumsily lost his balance making the three of them roll on to the ground. He had hurt himself even more by spraining his body to save them. He let out a hiss of pain. For the moment he couldn't move, so he lay still on the ground.

'Vegeta!' Bulma, who lay closest to him, whispered in surprise. She was obviously startled by his sudden move but didn't ask about it as she crawled towards Trunks, who was a little disoriented but still conscious. 'Thanks.' Trunks muttered to him, giving him a smile. Vegeta didn't respond, closing his eyes in defeat.

'Are you alright!?' Bulma asked him, trying to see beyond the dirt if her son hadn't caught any major injuries. 'I'm fine, mom.'

'Make the second wish, Trunks.' Vegeta instructed, his eyes were still closed and it was obvious that just talking was a huge effort.

'Yes,' Bulma nodded.

'No!' Trunks protested, 'I don't want to! I want us to be together…'

'We… We have to, honey.' Bulma answered, gasping when she saw the android walking towards them.

'Yeah but—'

'We can wish your father back alive later.' Bulma resolutely answered. It startled both of Trunks and Vegeta when she said that. The latter opened his eyes and stared in awe at her. Without words they nodded understandingly to each other. She gave him a small loving smile, which was foreign to Vegeta. She had never looked at him like that before.

'We have to be quick!' Bulma said, getting up. Trunks nodded, getting up himself but feeling that his legs were still a bit wobbly. His mother wasn't taking notice of his state. It was the blow from the big android coming to them that had gotten him rid of all energy. He just needed to hold on, just a little more, he told himself.

'We'll make the wish immediately after that!' Bulma explained, after she had said they had to make run for it and be quick since they would probably not have much time doing all this without the android attacking them. Trunks felt a stab of guilt at the sight of Dende, who was still breathing but heavily injured lying next to the Dragonballs. 'But what about Dende?'

'We'll save everyone, Trunks.' His mother promised, she held the same look in his eyes as him. Only much more intense and much deeper. It was remorse and sadness at how things had turned out. He was convinced his mother never wanted this to happen.

Bulma didn't say goodbye to Vegeta and neither did Trunks. Though Trunks did take another glance at him but saw how the man's coal black eyes were on his mother following her every move. With a small nod, he gathered all the energy he had and grabbed her hand. Seeing the android near them, they flew off. Not half as fast as Vegeta had been but fast enough to escape him.

Barely making it, Bulma fell on the ground when Trunks could no longer hold her. Trunks himself clumsily landed behind her, huffing and warily looking at the android who was for some reason staying behind. It was until he took off further into Vegeta's direction, he realized he was first going to finish him before coming after them. Though that was supposed to make him feel relieved, he felt guilty. He felt like a coward.

'Dende! Hold on!' Bulma yelled, looking at her struggling friend who was holding on to life solely so she could make another wish. He managed to open his one eye and gave her a tired look. But was obviously glad to see her as the corner of his mouth went up.

Bulma ran to the seven dragonballs but then something suddenly stopped her movement. Feeling the air blow out of her, she flew back meeting the hard solid ground. The incredible pain she felt was unbearable. Immobilized by the pain for a moment, her body started reacting by making her cough. Feeling something warm enter her mouth and pass her lips. Choking on it, she turned her head. Catching her breath, she slowly turned around, unable to stop coughing up blood.

She felt so sick and the pain was unlike anything she had felt. Taking a deep breath hurt her lungs and she tried to scream in pain but couldn't. Everything was stuck, the blow had completely knocked her out. And it had all happened so fast, even her mind was having a hard time understanding it.

'Mom!'

'Trunks!' Bulma gasped, looking up. Everything that followed all happened so quick she could hardly comprehend what her eyes were seeing. The two other androids had not been taken out by Vegeta's attack. The jet-black boy attacked Trunks and with a devastating blow to his chest, he flew back. It was as if time slowed down and she could see life move out of her son and with deadly thud he landed back on the floor.

Lifelessly staying put on the ground, a shrill scream was followed and it wasn't' until Bulma gasped for air and felt the pain go through her body she realized it was she who actually had screamed. In shock she stared at the her son, who remained unmoved on the ground and gave no indication of life. Nothing that could make her think that this was just a nightmare.

She couldn't wake up from reality.

The black haired boy, who she assumed was the one who gave her the blow to stop her from making that wish, slowly turned around. His once handsome face was deformed and his eyes held the same coldness from before. He stared at her for a while, as if her tears intrigued him. He then ignored her and looked up. Bulma followed his gaze and saw the blond woman fire off a huge ki-ball into the planet.

The planet began to tremble and when it collapsed a blinded light followed. Bulma understood that the past was repeating itself. It seemed planet Namek was doomed to get destroyed. Crawling to her son, passing his murderer, who simply kept staring at her with fascination. She ignored him, she didn't have the strength to do anything else but to crawl to him. Staring at her son, she pushed his hair out of his face and gently closed his eyes. Crying her despair out on his heart.

Feeling planet Namek tremble more, she could hear a ruckus occur around her but she kept her eyes closed. Whatever was happening, it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. She was never going to hold his little hand again, never going to hear his sweet voice.

Maybe… Maybe if Kami forgives me for my mistakes, Trunks, we'll soon be together…

The planet, the Dragonballs everything was getting destroyed. It was all ending. Two more explosions followed. They were caused by something unnatural, by a certain power. By a man.

Vegeta fell to the ground, landing on his knees. When Bulma looked up for the first time, she noted the androids were no longer around. She didn't care what happened to them. In the end, he was too late.

'They took him…' She sobbed, looking at him. Noticing Vegeta's gaze was on the ground and because of the dark state of the planet, she couldn't see his expression. She did caught a glistering of something on his face. It could've been sweat from avenge, it could've been a tear from remorse. She didn't know.

'Woman…. Bulma.' His voice sounded broken. 'Come here.'
'No!' She screamed back angry. Giving him a hateful glare, while her eyes kept drowning in sorrow. The hot tears couldn't be felt on her skin. She felt numb, she couldn't feel anything. She was empty and useless now.

Slowly getting up himself, he took a breath before managing to stand back up. Stumbling to her, his hand placed on his shoulder-wound, that had worsened. At this rate, he was slowly going to bleed to dead. Letting himself fall back on to his knees once more, he sat before his son and Bulma. He felt the most painful stab in heart when seeing the young boy in her arms.

'It's over.' Bulma whispered to him, now looking up. 'It's all over!'

Vegeta didn't say anything back, for once his expression wasn't cold. He couldn't hide the pain. He couldn't hide his own despair. He realized that he couldn't either, even if he wanted to. It just wasn't possible, not around Bulma. Because in all honestly, what would be the point of that? He didn't feel like hiding anymore. It didn't have any use to hide his emotions now.

She was right. It was all over.

'I'm sorry.' He managed get out. Bending over his son and placing his head on hers, holding them both in a strange embrace. It hurt even more knowing that their first time all together was when everything was falling apart.
'You're late!' she screamed into his chest. 'You are always late, Vegeta!'

'Sorry.' He repeated, knowing it was now just meaningless word. That it was said too late, that it had lost all meaning. That it couldn't undo anything. Not the pain, not the loss.

He could feel himself slowly dying, as if the devastating sight of his son wasn't enough to kill him. Even the planet they stood on was getting destroyed. Only a little more and then everything would end.

'Bulma,' He started, knowing whatever he said wouldn't matter. Wouldn't change anything. He had failed to protect them, he had failed her. The one person he… 'I…'

'I love you.' She whispered, looking up. He didn't know if she had been listening before at all. 'I love with all my heart but all you do is bring me hurt… and pain... All you do is pain yourself! ...What have we done, Vegeta?'

He didn't say anything back, placing his forehead on hers. Leaning on to her while holding on to Trunks together. He took shallow breath, 'I guess in the end… we both lose.'

Bulma touched his cheek, looking in to his eyes with a certain fierceness. 'In any other life, I would be with you… I just wish then you'd be the man I made you out to be...' Bulma said, voicing her chaotic thoughts in this chaotic environment bound to cease. When her blue eyes met his, he stopped breathing for a moment. After all that had happened…

'I would be, Bulma.' He answered, if he could he would be that man. If he could start over, he would choose differently.

Giving into his thought and feelings, his mouth met hers halfway and their last kiss felt so intense and so deep, he had hardly taken notice of the ground splitting around them. Letting go of each other, Bulma started talking again. Perhaps it was her anxiety that made her talk so much. 'It's all over… There is no wish that can undo all this. The planet is destroyed, Dende is dead… Everything is gone.'

He didn't say anything back, simply embracing her and their son. Until something caught his eye.

The seven dragonballs still lay together, though their position was ominously dangerous. In just a few minutes they would fall into the depths of lava, into the burning heat of the core of the planet.

'Bulma?'

Hearing her sob softly, she only gave him a confused look. As if to make it clear that she had given up on life and everything else, she lay her head back down on to Trunks. He softly caressed her hair, before looking around, seeing Dende lay a several meters away from them. He seemed to be unconscious but still breathing.

'Thank you.' He whispered to his son. And to Bulma, who hadn't heard and had let herself fall into her own darkness and sorrow. Slowly getting up to his feet again, he stumbled forward to the seven dragonballs. He told himself if he didn't make it, if he couldn't make the wish, then it was time to accept fate for what it was.

It was time to accept that this was the end, inevitable and destructive as it always was.

And that perhaps, this was all just meant to be. For them to cease existence together, though they would not be reunited on the other side. He had lived the life he always wanted and for some reason the universe had shown how his life could've been, should he have chosen a different path.

To have a family. To have someone love you.

He snickered to himself as he stood before the seven Dragonballs, how sentimental he was being. Death didn't scare him, he had been through worse. Yet the idea of never seeing them again, ached him more than any pain he had ever felt.

He took a deep breath, rethinking the words he was going to say when making the wish.

He hoped Bulma would forgive him.

'Porunga!'

Bulma's head snapped up, looking around in search of Vegeta. He was here a minute ago, she thought. She didn't want to die alone. She wanted him to be by her side. Her eyes caught Dende, slowly falling down. She shut her eyes before his body met the fire underneath, not being able to see more the torture of death, though it was just around bend even for her. She had seen plenty during her lifetime but that didn't make it more bearable.

Seeing a familiar shadow struck above her, she turned her head. Finding Vegeta stand before the Eternal Dragon. She gasped at the sight, 'Vegeta!'

He slowly turned his head around and gave her a smirk, not devious or mean. More as in victorious and proud. She saw the Dragon glow like he always did when granting ones wish.

She held on tighter to Trunks, wondering if he had brought him back to life. But his body remained cold and unmoving. Making her heart sink in despair. She gave him a pleading look for explanation but Vegeta had turned around again, making her eyes meet his back. Vegeta let himself fall on the ground, exhausted by his trip to the dragon.

After the wish was granted, the Dragon disappeared again. And just like he disappeared, the Dragonballs themselves gave one last glow before turning into empty hollow rocks. Whatever he had just asked for, it was the last wish in this universe that had been granted by the great Eternal Dragon.

Seeing Vegeta give up, made her hang her head in defeat. Giving Trunks' body a tight embrace and kissing his forehead again, she rocked him back and forth.
Suddenly all movement around them stopped and Bulma looked up in surprise finding that everything had ceased it actions. As if time had just frozen. Until the planet suddenly gave off a white blinding light, coming from its core. It was so bright, Bulma had to close her eyes. She didn't know what had happened but suddenly she felt herself move. As if the ground underneath her had disappeared. She felt the weight in her arms, lighten and suddenly her son disappeared from her hands. Gasping, she opened her eyes again and noted the sight of Namek was gone. Everything was gone.

It was just all white surrounding her. Or were her eyes simply not able to see anymore? It felt as if she was floating. Was this what Vegeta had meant? Was this how it felt to exist between life and dead?

…Was she dead?

What did you wish for, Vegeta?



The end is near… I'm going to miss all of you… Thanks for all the support! (can we reach 700 reviews? That would be awesome!)

Comment/review!