Past, Present, and Future
Chapter 1
-present-

Housecleaning was not Bulma's idea of a good time. In fact she could think of thousands of other things that would be marginally better than cleaning house. But now was the only time she could actually clean the mess her house had become. Trunks had finally fallen asleep for his nap. After promises of food and anything else that came to mind he started snoring, loudly.

He was much like his father in that respect. He sucked all of your attention up and then just rolled over, snoring. Her table wiping slowed considerably as she thought of the child's father. A horrible person to spend days with but a great person to spend the nights with. And damn, the man had a body on him. Her head suddenly filled with visions of a naked Vegeta. Then she heard a door slamming and ducked her head to hide her flushed cheeks as she resumed wiping.

Vegeta stomped his way into the kitchen and was greeted with a fine view of Bulma's posterior. If that wasn't a sight to stop a grown man in his tracks then he didn't know what was. He had to admit, the woman had a nice ass...among other things. Even though he could spend an entire day staring at it he had other things on his mind. "Woman." Bulma started, looking over her shoulder at him with an almost guilty expression on her face. "Yes?"

Vegeta sat at the table, giving her an expectant look. "I believe it is time for a meal."

Bulma was confused. Had time really moved that fast when she was laying down Trunks? "It is?" A glance at the ticking clock confirmed Vegeta's statement. "Oh, it is! Sorry." She set about making him lunch as he stared once again at her posterior, but in shock.

Had she just...apologized to him? "Something wrong, woman?"

Bulma sighed and stretched her tired neck muscles. "No, nothing's wrong. Why do you...Mmm."

Vegeta's hands worked at the knots in her muscles. Her soft moan had sent the blood rushing to his groin. He hoped she didn't back into him or turn around. Not that she didn't know already what she did to him. But he was hungry and if she found out that he was aroused now she'd do something to help him out. His hands stopped. "Better now, woman?"

Vegeta had the habit of tacking a woman on the end of all of his thoughtful questions. Perhaps it was to make them seem harsher than they really were. However, it wasn't really needed to convince her that he didn't care about her, she already knew he cared about her. "Yes, thank you." Pressing an airy kiss to his cheek, she walked past him to begin making his lunch again.

"Are you going to tell me what's really wrong, woman?"

"What do you mean? I'm fine." She flashed him her most convincing smile. "See? Fine."

"Bulma..." He obviously wasn't very convinced.

"Vegeta." There was a hint of annoyance in her tone of voice. "Can you go train or something until I finish lunch? I can't very well cook and talk with you at the same time."

"Hmph, whatever." Vegeta left her standing there, facing him with a finger pointing at him in reprimand. He moved fast enough that according to her eyesight he merely disappeared.

"Oh, Vegeta." She let out a mournful sigh.

-----

Vegeta awoke from his peaceful sleep with a start. Small tendrils of fear coursed over his body and he glanced over at his mate. She was absolutely still as one who was dreaming should be. There was sweat dampening her brow and tiny tears at the corners over her eyes. There was no doubt that the woman was having a nightmare. But about what?

His arms wrapped around her body and noticed the tenseness there. One hand reached up and began to stroke her hair; the other gently ran across her thighs. Almost immediately her body relaxed. He wiped her eyes and mopped her brow with the sheet. No more perspiration gathered there, he noted with a twinge of satisfaction. He had comforted her, as he couldn't do earlier that day. Perhaps when she roused from her sleep he would ask her what had terrified her so much that holding her was like holding stone. That frightened her so much that even in his sleep he felt her fear.

-----

Bulma was in a forest. She was cold. And she was afraid. It was the most fear she had ever felt in her life. She feared the one she was running from. Icy fingers grabbed at the backs of her ankles, knocking her over and leaving her prone to whatever was chasing her.

An energy suddenly lifted her up in the air. The energy felt like thousands of icy fingers caressing her body. Suddenly she felt the fingers at her scalp, pulling the elastic band from her hair. Her hair billowed around her as she tried to focus on the owner of the energy. "Please leave me alone." She pleaded with whoever was touching her.

A rough yet feminine voice broke the energy's silence. "But, Laura, why would I do something like that?" The fingers moved to stroke her lips and then to the sensitive areas of her shoulders. "Remember, you're my little pleasure toy."

"This is some misunderstanding. My name is-" A sharp pinch on her arm cut her off.

"Nonsense. You're Laura. My sister. Don't tell me you've forgotten your dear old sister." Another pinch lower on her arm brought a small gasp from Bulma. "Now, I don't like this outfit you're wearing."

Bulma looked down at the dress she was wearing. It resembled a nightgown but from its design it was obviously a dress. "This isn't mine."

Harsh laughter filled her ears. "You were always the funny one, Laura. Of course, I gave it to you. But I'm about to take it away." Little pieces of the white material flew around her as the dress was ripped off piece by piece and soon Bulma was suspended in air without a shred of clothing on her body.

The fingers began caressing her again. Slow and sensually. Then they began to hurt. Like thousands upon thousands of tiny needles. She could feel the pain that resulted from them. Her fear grew as her body became a mass of agonizing touches. "Stop...please..." She moaned painfully.

The owner of the fingers began laughing again. Without warning a bright light blinded Bulma making her squint against the intense light. "Damn you, Laura!" The voice was angry. "Damn you!"

"But I haven't done anything. And I'm not Laura." The energy released Bulma and she fell in a pile on the ground.

"Not you! Laura! Every time I find her, you have to come along!"

A glowing figure stepped out of the bushes, obviously the source of the bright light. "She means me, dear." The figure owned a soft voice and instantaneously Bulma felt the fear leave her body. "Leave her be, Nora. Take this up with me, not our lineage."

"No! They are always so weak. They never put up a fight. They are easier to break. And they look so much like you..."

Laura walked over to the pile of Bulma and helped her up. "This one is not weak. She won't be easy to break." Laura flashed a medallion. The energy around them weakened and took the form of a woman.

"Why do you torture me so?"

Bulma squinted in order to see the woman's, Nora's, face but found she could not.

The light surrounding Laura dimmed so Bulma could see her face. Bulma gasped as she stared at the mirror image of herself. "Because you are evil, Nora. And I am good." Laura's face hardened. "Be gone!"

Nora disappeared. "I will get you, girl. And you also, Laura." Laura turned to the naked woman next to her. Her face was sad. "Do not break like-" She looked up toward the sky, as if a voice were speaking to her. She nodded solemnly and turned her attention to Bulma. "It is time for you to leave. You must go. We will see each other again, Bulma Briefs."

-----

Vegeta stepped out of bed the next morning to the distinct smell of bacon frying. He sniffed the air. And pancakes. Maybe eggs, too. But it wasn't the pancakes and the eggs he looked forward to. It was the bacon. Bulma wasn't the greatest cook but the way she fried bacon was close to heavenly.

He followed his nose down to the kitchen to find his son in his high chair and his woman looking exhausted. "You look tired." He plopped down at the table. "And unhappy."

Bulma mumbled something that sounded a lot like 'Rough night.'

"I know. A nightmare. Right?"

She faced him, alarmed by the accuracy of his observation. "Yes. How'd you..."

"You woke me up." He shoveled food from the plate she sat in front of him to his mouth.

"Sorry." Mumbling was starting to become a bad habit of hers.

Vegeta answered her with an indifferent shrug. "Good bacon."

Bulma smiled secretly to herself. "Thank you."

-----

I almost had this one. I was so close. Damn Laura! She's always trying to get in my way.

Something's different about this one. She's stronger than the others were. And Laura actually got through to my nightmare. I'm close to finding her identity. Once I find that out she can kiss sanity goodbye.

I almost heard her screaming this time...