TITLE: Dream a Little Dream ~ part 2
AUTHOR: Mia Skywalker, Wataruo
GENRE: Dragonball Z
CHARACTERS: Vegeta, Bulma, and an unnamed demon
WARNINGS: Angst, death, some blood, slight OOCness (due to the angst)
DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine (or Shawna's), but if they ever come up for grabs, I get first dibs! Well, except for the demon, she was completely my invention!
NOTES: I had posted this before as a snippet, originally with no intention of ever finishing it. But because we were in the mood to write, but we weren't in the mood to write for ALitD at the moment, we decided to finish this piece. I hope you enjoy.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: TwoMoons for beta'ing this. Since it had previously been just a snippet, I hadn't had it beta'd before.
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As Bulma slept, she dreamed. Memories filtered through her dreams, sparkling motes of light that drifted lazily down, fluttering past her heart, and she remembered....
~~*~~
She remembered when she first saw him. It was on the videocast, he was fighting her friends. She saw Yamcha die before her eyes, and remembered the gut-twisting agony of it. 'Yamcha! I was going to marry him!' she'd cried out at the time, before bursting into heart-broken tears. She'd watched as he killed everyone except Krillin, Gohan and Goku, and then he took Goku out so he wasn't in any condition to fight. The despair that she'd felt, seeing only Krillin and Gohan left standing.... Gohan was only a child, and Krillin was... well, Krillin had never really impressed her with his courage. And then Gohan had beaten him, and he'd left, much to their relief. But then they had to go to Namek....
She had seen him was on Namek. It was in a dream, he was chasing her with glowing red eyes, threatening her that if she didn't give him the dragonball that he'd kill her. In her dream she tried to hand him the dragonball, but he'd ignored it, and killed her anyway.... She'd screamed, a scream torn from her throat in pure terror and fright. It hadn't seemed a dream that time. She felt another scream torn from her throat even now. ::Am I dreaming?:: she wondered. ::If I am, why can't I wake up?::
Another memory, another time. It was again on Namek. He, Krillin, and Gohan were defending her from Zarbon. Defending her? He was defending her? She'd thought that Zarbon was attractive, and thought that maybe she could convince him to leave them alone. He had laughed at her, and called her a 'silly girl'. Then the memory twisted, and changed. He'd laughed at her and called her worse, then turned on her to attack her, instead of attacking Zarbon. ::No! It didn't happen that way!:: she denied. But the memory continued, and in it, he attacked her, mocking her, and tried to kill her.... She wasn't even sure why she was alive. If he'd tried to kill her, she would be dead, wouldn't she?
The memory faded, another rose, this one when they first returned to Earth. He was brought back to Earth with them when Kami had made the wish to bring them back. She'd been angry about that, they had fought... and he'd come to live with her family for a while. Eventually she'd grown to understand him and they'd developed an uneasy truce, which had grown into something more.... The memory changed, and suddenly he was threatening her, forcing her to let him live with her. ::No. That's not how it happened:: Memories of him threatening her, abusing her.... ::No! That didn't happen!:: Memories of trying to flee futilely from the pain he inflicted, and failing.... ::NO! That did NOT happen!::
The memory of their first time together came to her, but instead of remembering how beautiful and intense and wonderful it had been, her memory showed that he had been brutal, and contemptuous, and callous. Instead of tenderness and gentleness, knowing it was her first time, he'd been cruel, mocking her that no one had ever wanted her. ::Was that... was that how it happened?:: she wondered in confusion. ::Did he do that?::
She could no longer remember. Her memories were confusing her; she was beginning to doubt them. What had been the reality, what the illusion? Too many memories were twisting up around each other, conflicting, distorting, and changing. She no longer knew what was real.
Does it matter? came a small, nagging voice. Reality is what you see, what you experience, what you remember. If you experience, is it not real? If you remember it, was it not so?
::No:: she whimpered to herself. ::He never hurt me. He would never hurt me.::
Wouldn't he? How about when he killed your friends? How about when he ridiculed you?
::No, it's different now! He's changed!::
Has he? Look at him. He still answers everything with violence. He still kills, sees nothing wrong with killing.
::But he *is* changing!:: she thought in a tiny, despairing voice. Her resistance was growing weaker; she could feel herself becoming convinced by the other voice in her mind.
Is he? Or have you just been deluding yourself? Why should he change?
::He's changing because he cares about me. ...doesn't he?::
Why should he care about you? He's a Prince. What are you? A nobody, a nothing, a less than nothing.
A tiny denial echoed itself against the walls of her mind, as she started to sink back into blackness again, this time forever.
//Bulma listen to me. You need to wake up now. This is nothing but a bad dream.//
The touch of a new voice in her mind, a deeper, more masculine one, brought her back, only to sink her into despair again a moment later. ::Dream? It's not a dream. You told me that it's real. That if I remember it so, that it must be so.:: Loneliness and despair threaded her thoughts as she started to sink deeper again.
//No, it is not real// the voice insisted. //It is something that demon did. Remember? It hit us with that blast. It is a side effect of the spell. Please Bulma, you need to wake up.//
::Us?:: Bulma's thoughts were a welter of confusion. ::Who are you? Why do you torment me?::
//It's Vegeta, Bulma// Vegeta's voice spoke urgently.// Remember? Do you remember what you asked me to do for you?//
::Do for me?:: Her thoughts were filled with confusion. She remembered many things, all of them mixed together, all of them confused. But the main part she remembered, what she wanted of Vegeta.... ::I asked you to stay. You didn't stay. You didn't stay!:: She gave a mental wail, remembering those nightmares, of Vegeta leaving her, of Vegeta rejecting her. All of the rejections she'd experienced had hurt, but his rejection had hurt most of all. ::Why?:: she wondered. ::Is it because I loved him, and he never loved me back? Is it because he broke my heart?:: Despair started to fill her again. ::LEAVE ME ALONE!:: she commanded the voice, filled with anguish and despair. ::You aren't Vegeta. Vegeta hates me. Vegeta left me, all alone....::
//You're wrong, Bulma. I have never left you.// Vegeta's voice came again, not letting her slip away. //I don't want you to leave me. Come back to me, Bulma. Please, Bulma-chan. I need you. I need you so much.//
::No. Vegeta doesn't need me. He only wants to be a warrior, he doesn't want someone weak like me. He told me I was pathetic, a nothing, a nobody. He doesn't need anyone, and he doesn't need me.:: A sob escaped from her throat, giving Vegeta hope that she was finally starting to wake up.
//You are a warrior, despite what you think// he informed her. //When we got back to earth you never showed me any fear. You invited me to stay with you, remember?// There was a hint of amusement to the voice now. //You told me not to seduce you because you were beautiful. Do you remember that? And after a while you started to argue with me even though you knew I could snap you like a twig. But you knew - you KNEW, Bulma - that I would never hurt you.// Strong arms slipped around her waist. //Never...//
::But then why did you leave me?:: she wondered, a tiny confused thought. ::You left me, you told me I was pathetic and ugly. You told me that I was a weak old woman, and I died alone.:: She shuddered, sobs starting to wrack her body. ::You laughed when I died, you and the others. You said you only stayed because I could fix the gravity room. You called me a...:: Her thoughts broke off. ::You said you were just using me!:: she wailed.
//It never happened// Vegeta explained. //I know it's hard to believe, but Bulma, I wouldn't let you die. Not without a fight. Think, Bulma... Why do you think I stay? Do you want to know why I stay? Do you want me to tell you the truth?//
::Truth? But you didn't stay.:: Her memories were clouded, they were confusing her. What was truth, what was reality? She remembered so many different things, none of them made sense together. ::If you stayed... why would you have stayed? I don't understand.::
//I stayed because I married you// came the quiet thought. //I was going to tell you but I was afraid...//
::Married?:: Bulma was confused. She touched her memories, turning each one over like leaves on a field, but couldn't find any of a wedding, not even amongst all the conflicting memories that she had, true or false. ::No, you didn't:: she said accusingly, subconsciously finally accepting the voice as Vegeta's. There was a note of peevishness to her thoughts. ::You never married me. You're lying! Stupid lying Saiyan....::
//According to Saiyan law we are married. Do you remember that day I took you to see that waterfall? We bathed in it together, we hunted together, we shared a meal, we slept out in the open that night. Do you remember?//
::Married?:: She was dumbfounded. ::That's stupid, Vegeta:: she scoffed, completely rational. ::Then a lot of humans would be married that never intended to be. So where's the ceremony? Where's the priest making you take vows? Where are your family, your friends, the witnesses? What makes it a marriage?:: He could hear her thoughts growing stronger, and sounding slightly irritated.
//Saiyan weddings are private// he replied. //The hunt makes it a marriage. You remember the hunt?// Vegeta insisted. //Vows mean nothing, words mean nothing, what we expressed that night for each other needed no words. I know you felt it. You feel it still. Just like I do.// Vegeta pressed a kiss against her temple. //You don't need me to tell you how much I love you. You just know.//
As his words sank into her mind, warmth spread outward from her heart. Her eyes slowly opened, blearily focusing on Vegeta's face hovering so close to hers, an anxious expression on it that she'd never seen before. ::You do?:: she asked in surprise, still speaking telepathically, her thoughts colored with a vague, gentle curiosity. ::You love me?:: Then her brows furrowed, and she was suddenly angry. ::No, I *didn't* know! You idiot! Why didn't you ever say anything? Did you expect me to just miraculously *know*, when you've never given me any indication? Do you have any idea what I just went through? If I had known, I could have fought it. I didn't know!:: She started to cry. ::Because you were too proud to say those words, I almost died. I almost died! Because you were too proud....:: Great, wrenching sobs wracked through her body as she wept against his chest. ::Why couldn't you just say something to me, even once?::
Vegeta sighed in relief when Bulma awoke and he held her close as she cried. //I was afraid, Bulma. I couldn't accept it if you rejected me. So I kept our relationship the way it was. But our relationship is going to change. It has to.// His arms tightened around her.
::Afraid? You've never been afraid. Of anything. You're not even afraid of death. Why would you be afraid?:: She clung more tightly to him. ::I could never have rejected you. How could I?::
//You would be surprised at what frightens me// came the quiet reply. //It seems that I have quite a few fears that the demon's spell showed me. But I fear losing you the most.// Vegeta was silent for a moment before he continued. //I need you more than anything. Please stay with me Bulma. I couldn't handle it if you left.//
::Left? How could I have ever left you? I couldn't have left you, Vegeta. Even if it meant my death.:: She laughed briefly, a mirthless sound. She was simply too weary, too raw with emotional pain, to be anything other than absolutely truthful. ::It would break my heart to leave you. Haven't you figured that out yet? Look.:: She opened her mind to him, showing him what she'd experienced in the moments - and years - that she'd been caught in her nightmares. If she had been less exhausted, she might have held back, not shown him everything, but in the state she was in, her emotional wounds open and exposed, she was unable to hide anything that her pride might otherwise have preferred to remain hidden. ::If you ever left me, Vegeta - if you ever rejected me - it would break my heart.:: She curled up tighter, and her thoughts came at him, frightened and tentative. ::I know I'm not good enough for you but... please stay with me!::
Vegeta's arms tightened around her and he pressed his face into her hair. //I will never leave you// he stated fiercely. //I will protect you with my life. I swear to you.//
She pulled back from him to give him a kiss, and then noticed the change in him for the first time. Her eyes widened in shock. "Vegeta? What did you do to your hair? And your *eyes*?!?"
Vegeta blinked. "What are you talking about?" he asked speaking aloud for the first time since she woke.
"Well, your hair is blond. And your eyes are green. How did you DO that?"
"Blond?" Vegeta found himself wondering if the demon's spell had affected Bulma's vision. He put his hand against her forehead wondering if she was sick. "You don't feel warm. Are you all right woman?"
Bulma gave him an irritated look. "I'm perfectly fine, radish head." She reached up and took a long strand of his hair, pulling it down to where he could see it. "Maybe you should take a look in the mirror. There's one in the hallway. Do you want to see?"
Vegeta was startled to discover that Bulma was right. The strand of his hair that was curled around her finger was indeed blond. Vegeta stood, pulling Bulma up with him. "Maybe I will have a look after all." He strolled in the hallway, after releasing Bulma and stopped to glance in the mirror. He frowned at his reflection for several long minutes before he realized what it was he was seeing. Then he started laughing.
Bulma stared at him for several minutes, dumbfounded by his behaviour. "You've gone mad!" she spat at him. "Your hair mysteriously changes color, and you're *laughing*?!? For all you know, it might be some horrible disease that's going to kill you or something, and all you can do is *laugh*?" She continued to glare at him. "Or if you know what's going on, please, enlighten me!"
"No, woman, this is no disease." He continued to chuckle while she glared at him. "I have done it. I am a Super Saiyan."
Bulma blinked at that revelation. "You are?" She studied him curiously for a moment, her anger having evaporated instantly. "I've never seen Goku actually go Super Saiyan, I was just told that he'd done it. How do you know that's what happened?"
Vegeta snorted. "This is exactly what I saw and felt when I saw Kakarotto do it." He grinned at her rather smugly. The warrior was actually beginning to feel like himself again. "Now we will see who is the strongest, won't we?"
Bulma swallowed, a lump forming suddenly in her throat. He'd just finished telling her that he loved her, that he needed her, and yet... it was obvious he really didn't understand what that meant. ::If he loves me, he wouldn't want to hurt me, but if he kills Goku, he knows that will hurt me. I've told him before how that would hurt me, and he always scoffed.:: Goku was her oldest friend, the only one she ever felt she could rely on, and Vegeta would take that away from her for some sort of 'contest', for the glory of being the 'strongest'. She knew she could never truly understand that. She turned away from him, not wanting him to see her pain. "Do what you will, Radish head. You always do."
Vegeta looked over his shoulder at Bulma's remark. ::Now where did that come from?:: he wondered, frowning at her when her expression betrayed what she was feeling. But what is was that was bothering her he didn't know. "What is it?" he asked, a little more hesitantly than he intended, and frowned when he realized that his emotions were not completely under control. //Must've been that spell the demon cast.// At the thought he glanced quickly around the room. "Bulma!" he snapped. "Come here. There is no telling where that demon went."
"What are you talking about?" Bulma snapped irritably. "That demon is long gone, I'm sure! Why would it have stayed around?" Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How long were we unconscious?" She looked over at a clock, realizing that Vegeta didn't know how to read Chikyuu time, but what she saw made no sense. She was certain that they'd been out cold for longer than just a few minutes. Maybe days had passed, and they didn't know it. She strode over to her electronic calendar and pressed the button. When it happily chirped out the date to her, she blinked in surprise. They'd been out for less time than she'd realized. She turned and faced the Saiyan Prince, her hands on her hips. "Well?" She looked at him in annoyance. "Then why don't you find it or something, if it's still around? Or would you rather it snuck up on us again?"
"Don't boss me woman!" he snapped, his eyes flashing. "What do you think I was going to do? Stay here." He turned on his heel and expected his command to be obeyed as he stepped out into the hallway. He reached out with his senses to see if he could detect the demon. //Soon to be deceased// he thought to himself with some satisfaction.
"Oooh! That obnoxious Saiyan!" Bulma fumed, wanting to slap him for ordering her around that way. "What does he think I am? His servant or something? I'll teach him!" With that, she completely ignored all caution, including the tiny voice in her head warning her that she was being foolishly reckless, and strode in fury outside towards her lab. "I'm going to get some work done, and I don't care *what* he thinks of me!"
Bulma slammed open the door to her laboratory, her wrath ruffled by how she felt used by Vegeta. She stormed over to her workbench, her eyes snapping with the anger that she felt for Vegeta's cavalier treatment of her. Suddenly alarm bells went off in her head, as she realized that the door hadn't been locked, a state it should never have been in. The lights also hadn't kicked in automatically as they should have, but the room was still dark. "What...?"
"Well, well!" came a softly rasping voice. A beautiful woman slowly moved from the shadows, the light catching her face and upper torso. Bulma might have assumed that she was simply a beautiful woman, until more of her came into view, and Bulma saw the large, thick, serpentine tail that wrapped under her and seemed to be serving her for legs. And that by itself was bad enough, but as she flowed further into the light, Bulma saw that the end of the tail parted into octopus tentacles, which waved gently in the air around her, as though stirred by an unfelt breeze.
Bulma froze in horror, unable to move. "Who... are you?" she whimpered in sudden fear.
The woman smiled, her overly wide mouth filled with sharp teeth that were unnervingly too long for her face. "Oh, my name isn't important," she purred. "What is important is that you're such a *luscious* morsel!"
Bulma's breath came out in tiny pants, and she suddenly discovered that she didn't have the strength to even cry out. Terror filled her limbs, freezing her in place, her heart-rate increasing wildly as the creature in front of her reached out with one hand, running a cold finger down Bulma's face. ::VEGETA!:: Bulma called out mentally, hoping that somehow he could hear her thoughts. ::HELP ME!::
Vegeta was still trying to pinpoint the demon's location when he heard Bulma's mental cry for help. Without questioning what he was doing, he headed instinctively for the lab. There was something incredibly powerful in there with his lifemate, and from the panicked sound of her mental voice, he did not have to be a genius to figure out what it was that was frightening Bulma.
He pulled open the door, eyes widening slightly when he saw the demon woman. "So there you are," he said conversationally as he positioned himself in between Bulma and the demoness. "I have been waiting for you to show yourself." He settled into a battle stance, powering up into Super Saiyan as he did so. "Nice of you to drop by."
The demon's eyes narrowed as Vegeta spoiled her game. She had been enjoying tormenting her prey, and his presence interrupted it. "You!" she hissed in irritation, her eyes narrowing. "I thought you were dead!" Her voice was laced with contempt. "How did you manage to get out of that? I suppose your mind must have been stronger than I'd thought!"
"And you are dumber than I thought." He smirked, some deep part of him satisfied that he had in one way beaten the demon. "It takes much more than a mind game to kill a Saiyan. And I am the strongest. Prepare to meet your doom, fish face! For I am Prince Vegeta, Heir to the House of Vegeta-sei, and I do not take kindly to those that threaten my mate."
"Hmph!" she snorted scornfully, not at all impressed. "You think you're so tough, mortal? I wonder." She waved a hand, and a blinding pain went through Vegeta's head. When he blinked his eyes open, he saw Bulma standing in front of him instead of behind him. She was smiling at him in an odd manner, and she pointed behind him. "She's right there," Bulma purred at him, an odd sound in her voice. "Why don't you kill her?"
Vegeta looked behind him and saw the demoness frozen behind him, trembling with fear. It looked at him in terror, shivering helplessly, and he knew he could blast it easily before it could react.
He looked at the demoness, eyes narrowing. //How in the hell did it get back there?// he wondered. //Wasn't Bulma behind me?// He raised a hand and prepared to blast the pitiful shaking creature out of existence. But something was nagging his subconscious, something that he should know, and it made him hesitate. "Well now, I have no idea how you did that, but be prepared, for I am going to send you to hell." //At least it is smart enough to be afraid.// But something about that thought sent off a warning bell. Though he was pleased that the demoness was frightened, it had seemed so cocky earlier. //Now what is this? An act?//
Bulma's eyes widened as she saw Vegeta building a ki blast, preparing to blast her out of existence. "Vegeta?" she whimpered in sudden fear, her heart shattering with the realization that he was going to kill her. "What are you...? Do you hate me that much?" She hated the way her voice clogged with her tears, but she didn't know how to make her pride stay intact when she was about to die at the hands of the man she loved. She closed her eyes, feeling that she'd rather die than continue to live, knowing he hated her enough to kill her.
The demoness smiled from her position behind Vegeta. With his own hand he would destroy the woman that he sought to protect, and in his grief he would be destroyed. He might even kill himself, if his shame and grief was enough. But whether he killed himself, or his soul was simply shattered, the demoness didn't care. Either way, the emotions released would be delicious, and she would feast on them in delight.
Something was definitely not right. Vegeta could not figure out what it was that was bothering him. He lowered his hand, eyes narrowing, eyebrows pulling together in a frown. What was the beast taking about? "What?" he asked the creature as it trembled before him. "Are you playing helpless for what you did to me and Bulma?" he asked it, trying to figure out what was nagging at him. //What is it? Is it stalling? Did it cast another spell on me?//
"What?" Bulma stared at him in confusion. "What I did to you? Vegeta, I'm not... Vegeta, I'm not the demon! The demon is still behind you! Why are you going to attack me?"
Vegeta glanced back at the woman behind him that appeared to be Bulma. The demon put as innocent of an expression on her face as she could manage. "Vegeta!" she said, picking up on what Bulma was calling him. "Can't you see that it's trying to fool you? Kill it! Kill it before it has a chance to kill me!"
He frowned again, now he was certain something was going on. //It did cast some sort of spell on me// he thought, looking between the two of them, the demoness and Bulma. //But which is the demon?// He folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "You are right. I should kill the demon before it can do you harm." Vegeta spoke slowly, watching the demon's expression. "Bulma you should leave.." He looked over behind him, noting his mate's expression. //Which one? How do I choose?//
The demon's eyes narrowed. He seemed to be resisting her spell somewhat. Not entirely - he still couldn't tell which one of them was his lover - but enough that he didn't obey her commands instantly. "I'll leave, Vegeta, but first you have to kill the demon for me. I want you to kill it for me!" the false Bulma insisted.
Bulma closed her eyes, and lowered her head. ::She's done something to him. I don't know what. Oh, Vegeta!:: Suddenly her head shot up, and she glared at her Saiyan Prince in determination. "Vegeta, I won't let her hurt you. You have to come back to me, Vegeta! I love you! I won't let her hurt you, even if it kills me!"
Vegeta, his expression blank, looked at the demoness in front of him, and glanced behind him at Bulma. She was looking frustrated that he wasn't doing what she commanded. //When did Bulma become so bloodthirsty?// A smirk slowly spread its way across his face as he looked back at the demon and addressed it. "Thank you for letting me know which was you, demon." He raised his hand, still smirking, a ball of blue light appearing in his hand. But as he released it, he spun on his heel and fired the blast at Bulma behind him. "My Bulma," he smiled in satisfaction as the blast hit her in the center of the chest, "is not nearly as bloodthirsty nor as ugly as you."
"NOOOOO!" the demon wailed, as the energy blast struck her square in the chest. Sparks flew over her body, and he could see a strange fading around the edges of her. Then with a great cry of despair, she suddenly exploded into tiny black particles, which dispersed into the air and vanished.
The real Bulma had stared at him in frozen shock, as he'd smirked evilly at her, preparing the ki blast to fire on her. When he abruptly turned and fired it at the demoness behind him, she sagged against the wall behind her in the surge of relief that washed through her, the energy draining from her limbs as the shock and terror wore off. She'd been so afraid... not only for herself, although she was certain that Vegeta was going to kill her - but for Vegeta, because she was equally certain that the creature would kill Vegeta the second that Bulma was dead. Tears slipped from her eyes as she slid against the wall to the floor, her head dropping to her knees in exhaustion.
Vegeta smirked, powering down as the demoness vanished before him. "Never underestimate a Saiyan, demon," he said to its disappearing form. "For us, nothing is impossible." He turned then, sure that the creature was gone, to see Bulma slumped against the wall, head on her knees. The Saiyan Prince went to her quickly, sinking down on his knees in front of her, and gathered her in his arms. His fingers stroked her hair as he held her and whispered to her soothingly. "It's alright. It's gone."
"You were going to kill me," she murmured in confusion, allowing his fingers in her hair and his arms around her to soothe and calm her. "You hated me so much, you were going to kill me." Tears gathered in her eyes, even as she rested her cheek against his chest, allowing him to comfort her. It occurred to her that she should find it strange that the man who'd been about to kill her moments before was now reassuring her, but she was too tired to question it.
"It cast another spell," he whispered, his tone subdued. "It made me think that it was you. But it didn't for long. It gave too much away."
"Vegeta, I... Vegeta, would you have killed me?" Bulma didn't know why she asked that question, why she was tormenting herself that way. She suspected that if he'd killed her and she hadn't turned out to be the demon, that he'd just have turned around and killed the demon, and not really cared. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she began to tremble again. After everything she'd been through, everything they'd been through, she still wasn't entirely sure of him. It was still difficult for her to remember what had been the dream and what had been reality, and confusion still reigned in her thoughts.
"No I would never hurt you." Vegeta tried to pull her closer to him, tried to reassure her fears. "It was rather easy to tell which one was you." He chuckled, the sound rumbling beneath her ear. "You would never want another's death. You would've asked me to stop her, not commanded me to kill her. It was a fatal mistake for the demon."
That hadn't really been Bulma's question. She hadn't been afraid that he couldn't tell them apart, she'd just been afraid that he wouldn't have *cared* if he couldn't tell them apart. "But if you hadn't been able to tell us apart," she insisted, "would you have killed me? If you couldn't tell which one was me, and which one was her, would you have killed one of us anyway? Or both of us?" Bulma relaxed slightly, his hands working their usual magic on her, and easing away her tension. She was still upset about everything that had happened, but her body was finally realizing that the danger was past.
"No. I wouldn't have killed either of you then," he stated flatly. "I would not harm you."
"But you..." She swallowed, sounding slightly afraid. "You were... you were ready to...."
"No, never." He cupped her face between his hands and forced her to look into his eyes "I swear I would never hurt you. I will protect you always."
Somehow Bulma found herself believing him, as she looked up into his obsidian gaze. The normally cold and aloof depths of them were suddenly burning with something intense, something she had seen in his eyes only a few times before. She lifted a hand and touched him gently on the cheek, before she wrapped both arms around him and pulled him more tightly against her. Exhaustion then found its way through her, threading through her limbs and making her feel limp.
Vegeta rose to his feet, cradling Bulma against him, and he almost smiled as he looked down at her. "Time for bed woman, it has been a long day." As he made his way into the house and up the stairs, a mischievious glint could be seen in his gaze. "Perhaps," he said, as he opened their bedroom door, "I should spend more of my time making you believe that I care for you. It will be a enjoyable experience for the both of us."
Bulma smiled drowsily in his arms, looking forward to his proof, knowing she was going to enjoy it more than anything. She sighed as she snuggled against him, and as the door closed behind them, she knew that Vegeta would never stay away from her for long.
~~~OWARI~~~
AUTHOR: Mia Skywalker, Wataruo
GENRE: Dragonball Z
CHARACTERS: Vegeta, Bulma, and an unnamed demon
WARNINGS: Angst, death, some blood, slight OOCness (due to the angst)
DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine (or Shawna's), but if they ever come up for grabs, I get first dibs! Well, except for the demon, she was completely my invention!
NOTES: I had posted this before as a snippet, originally with no intention of ever finishing it. But because we were in the mood to write, but we weren't in the mood to write for ALitD at the moment, we decided to finish this piece. I hope you enjoy.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: TwoMoons for beta'ing this. Since it had previously been just a snippet, I hadn't had it beta'd before.
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As Bulma slept, she dreamed. Memories filtered through her dreams, sparkling motes of light that drifted lazily down, fluttering past her heart, and she remembered....
~~*~~
She remembered when she first saw him. It was on the videocast, he was fighting her friends. She saw Yamcha die before her eyes, and remembered the gut-twisting agony of it. 'Yamcha! I was going to marry him!' she'd cried out at the time, before bursting into heart-broken tears. She'd watched as he killed everyone except Krillin, Gohan and Goku, and then he took Goku out so he wasn't in any condition to fight. The despair that she'd felt, seeing only Krillin and Gohan left standing.... Gohan was only a child, and Krillin was... well, Krillin had never really impressed her with his courage. And then Gohan had beaten him, and he'd left, much to their relief. But then they had to go to Namek....
She had seen him was on Namek. It was in a dream, he was chasing her with glowing red eyes, threatening her that if she didn't give him the dragonball that he'd kill her. In her dream she tried to hand him the dragonball, but he'd ignored it, and killed her anyway.... She'd screamed, a scream torn from her throat in pure terror and fright. It hadn't seemed a dream that time. She felt another scream torn from her throat even now. ::Am I dreaming?:: she wondered. ::If I am, why can't I wake up?::
Another memory, another time. It was again on Namek. He, Krillin, and Gohan were defending her from Zarbon. Defending her? He was defending her? She'd thought that Zarbon was attractive, and thought that maybe she could convince him to leave them alone. He had laughed at her, and called her a 'silly girl'. Then the memory twisted, and changed. He'd laughed at her and called her worse, then turned on her to attack her, instead of attacking Zarbon. ::No! It didn't happen that way!:: she denied. But the memory continued, and in it, he attacked her, mocking her, and tried to kill her.... She wasn't even sure why she was alive. If he'd tried to kill her, she would be dead, wouldn't she?
The memory faded, another rose, this one when they first returned to Earth. He was brought back to Earth with them when Kami had made the wish to bring them back. She'd been angry about that, they had fought... and he'd come to live with her family for a while. Eventually she'd grown to understand him and they'd developed an uneasy truce, which had grown into something more.... The memory changed, and suddenly he was threatening her, forcing her to let him live with her. ::No. That's not how it happened:: Memories of him threatening her, abusing her.... ::No! That didn't happen!:: Memories of trying to flee futilely from the pain he inflicted, and failing.... ::NO! That did NOT happen!::
The memory of their first time together came to her, but instead of remembering how beautiful and intense and wonderful it had been, her memory showed that he had been brutal, and contemptuous, and callous. Instead of tenderness and gentleness, knowing it was her first time, he'd been cruel, mocking her that no one had ever wanted her. ::Was that... was that how it happened?:: she wondered in confusion. ::Did he do that?::
She could no longer remember. Her memories were confusing her; she was beginning to doubt them. What had been the reality, what the illusion? Too many memories were twisting up around each other, conflicting, distorting, and changing. She no longer knew what was real.
Does it matter? came a small, nagging voice. Reality is what you see, what you experience, what you remember. If you experience, is it not real? If you remember it, was it not so?
::No:: she whimpered to herself. ::He never hurt me. He would never hurt me.::
Wouldn't he? How about when he killed your friends? How about when he ridiculed you?
::No, it's different now! He's changed!::
Has he? Look at him. He still answers everything with violence. He still kills, sees nothing wrong with killing.
::But he *is* changing!:: she thought in a tiny, despairing voice. Her resistance was growing weaker; she could feel herself becoming convinced by the other voice in her mind.
Is he? Or have you just been deluding yourself? Why should he change?
::He's changing because he cares about me. ...doesn't he?::
Why should he care about you? He's a Prince. What are you? A nobody, a nothing, a less than nothing.
A tiny denial echoed itself against the walls of her mind, as she started to sink back into blackness again, this time forever.
//Bulma listen to me. You need to wake up now. This is nothing but a bad dream.//
The touch of a new voice in her mind, a deeper, more masculine one, brought her back, only to sink her into despair again a moment later. ::Dream? It's not a dream. You told me that it's real. That if I remember it so, that it must be so.:: Loneliness and despair threaded her thoughts as she started to sink deeper again.
//No, it is not real// the voice insisted. //It is something that demon did. Remember? It hit us with that blast. It is a side effect of the spell. Please Bulma, you need to wake up.//
::Us?:: Bulma's thoughts were a welter of confusion. ::Who are you? Why do you torment me?::
//It's Vegeta, Bulma// Vegeta's voice spoke urgently.// Remember? Do you remember what you asked me to do for you?//
::Do for me?:: Her thoughts were filled with confusion. She remembered many things, all of them mixed together, all of them confused. But the main part she remembered, what she wanted of Vegeta.... ::I asked you to stay. You didn't stay. You didn't stay!:: She gave a mental wail, remembering those nightmares, of Vegeta leaving her, of Vegeta rejecting her. All of the rejections she'd experienced had hurt, but his rejection had hurt most of all. ::Why?:: she wondered. ::Is it because I loved him, and he never loved me back? Is it because he broke my heart?:: Despair started to fill her again. ::LEAVE ME ALONE!:: she commanded the voice, filled with anguish and despair. ::You aren't Vegeta. Vegeta hates me. Vegeta left me, all alone....::
//You're wrong, Bulma. I have never left you.// Vegeta's voice came again, not letting her slip away. //I don't want you to leave me. Come back to me, Bulma. Please, Bulma-chan. I need you. I need you so much.//
::No. Vegeta doesn't need me. He only wants to be a warrior, he doesn't want someone weak like me. He told me I was pathetic, a nothing, a nobody. He doesn't need anyone, and he doesn't need me.:: A sob escaped from her throat, giving Vegeta hope that she was finally starting to wake up.
//You are a warrior, despite what you think// he informed her. //When we got back to earth you never showed me any fear. You invited me to stay with you, remember?// There was a hint of amusement to the voice now. //You told me not to seduce you because you were beautiful. Do you remember that? And after a while you started to argue with me even though you knew I could snap you like a twig. But you knew - you KNEW, Bulma - that I would never hurt you.// Strong arms slipped around her waist. //Never...//
::But then why did you leave me?:: she wondered, a tiny confused thought. ::You left me, you told me I was pathetic and ugly. You told me that I was a weak old woman, and I died alone.:: She shuddered, sobs starting to wrack her body. ::You laughed when I died, you and the others. You said you only stayed because I could fix the gravity room. You called me a...:: Her thoughts broke off. ::You said you were just using me!:: she wailed.
//It never happened// Vegeta explained. //I know it's hard to believe, but Bulma, I wouldn't let you die. Not without a fight. Think, Bulma... Why do you think I stay? Do you want to know why I stay? Do you want me to tell you the truth?//
::Truth? But you didn't stay.:: Her memories were clouded, they were confusing her. What was truth, what was reality? She remembered so many different things, none of them made sense together. ::If you stayed... why would you have stayed? I don't understand.::
//I stayed because I married you// came the quiet thought. //I was going to tell you but I was afraid...//
::Married?:: Bulma was confused. She touched her memories, turning each one over like leaves on a field, but couldn't find any of a wedding, not even amongst all the conflicting memories that she had, true or false. ::No, you didn't:: she said accusingly, subconsciously finally accepting the voice as Vegeta's. There was a note of peevishness to her thoughts. ::You never married me. You're lying! Stupid lying Saiyan....::
//According to Saiyan law we are married. Do you remember that day I took you to see that waterfall? We bathed in it together, we hunted together, we shared a meal, we slept out in the open that night. Do you remember?//
::Married?:: She was dumbfounded. ::That's stupid, Vegeta:: she scoffed, completely rational. ::Then a lot of humans would be married that never intended to be. So where's the ceremony? Where's the priest making you take vows? Where are your family, your friends, the witnesses? What makes it a marriage?:: He could hear her thoughts growing stronger, and sounding slightly irritated.
//Saiyan weddings are private// he replied. //The hunt makes it a marriage. You remember the hunt?// Vegeta insisted. //Vows mean nothing, words mean nothing, what we expressed that night for each other needed no words. I know you felt it. You feel it still. Just like I do.// Vegeta pressed a kiss against her temple. //You don't need me to tell you how much I love you. You just know.//
As his words sank into her mind, warmth spread outward from her heart. Her eyes slowly opened, blearily focusing on Vegeta's face hovering so close to hers, an anxious expression on it that she'd never seen before. ::You do?:: she asked in surprise, still speaking telepathically, her thoughts colored with a vague, gentle curiosity. ::You love me?:: Then her brows furrowed, and she was suddenly angry. ::No, I *didn't* know! You idiot! Why didn't you ever say anything? Did you expect me to just miraculously *know*, when you've never given me any indication? Do you have any idea what I just went through? If I had known, I could have fought it. I didn't know!:: She started to cry. ::Because you were too proud to say those words, I almost died. I almost died! Because you were too proud....:: Great, wrenching sobs wracked through her body as she wept against his chest. ::Why couldn't you just say something to me, even once?::
Vegeta sighed in relief when Bulma awoke and he held her close as she cried. //I was afraid, Bulma. I couldn't accept it if you rejected me. So I kept our relationship the way it was. But our relationship is going to change. It has to.// His arms tightened around her.
::Afraid? You've never been afraid. Of anything. You're not even afraid of death. Why would you be afraid?:: She clung more tightly to him. ::I could never have rejected you. How could I?::
//You would be surprised at what frightens me// came the quiet reply. //It seems that I have quite a few fears that the demon's spell showed me. But I fear losing you the most.// Vegeta was silent for a moment before he continued. //I need you more than anything. Please stay with me Bulma. I couldn't handle it if you left.//
::Left? How could I have ever left you? I couldn't have left you, Vegeta. Even if it meant my death.:: She laughed briefly, a mirthless sound. She was simply too weary, too raw with emotional pain, to be anything other than absolutely truthful. ::It would break my heart to leave you. Haven't you figured that out yet? Look.:: She opened her mind to him, showing him what she'd experienced in the moments - and years - that she'd been caught in her nightmares. If she had been less exhausted, she might have held back, not shown him everything, but in the state she was in, her emotional wounds open and exposed, she was unable to hide anything that her pride might otherwise have preferred to remain hidden. ::If you ever left me, Vegeta - if you ever rejected me - it would break my heart.:: She curled up tighter, and her thoughts came at him, frightened and tentative. ::I know I'm not good enough for you but... please stay with me!::
Vegeta's arms tightened around her and he pressed his face into her hair. //I will never leave you// he stated fiercely. //I will protect you with my life. I swear to you.//
She pulled back from him to give him a kiss, and then noticed the change in him for the first time. Her eyes widened in shock. "Vegeta? What did you do to your hair? And your *eyes*?!?"
Vegeta blinked. "What are you talking about?" he asked speaking aloud for the first time since she woke.
"Well, your hair is blond. And your eyes are green. How did you DO that?"
"Blond?" Vegeta found himself wondering if the demon's spell had affected Bulma's vision. He put his hand against her forehead wondering if she was sick. "You don't feel warm. Are you all right woman?"
Bulma gave him an irritated look. "I'm perfectly fine, radish head." She reached up and took a long strand of his hair, pulling it down to where he could see it. "Maybe you should take a look in the mirror. There's one in the hallway. Do you want to see?"
Vegeta was startled to discover that Bulma was right. The strand of his hair that was curled around her finger was indeed blond. Vegeta stood, pulling Bulma up with him. "Maybe I will have a look after all." He strolled in the hallway, after releasing Bulma and stopped to glance in the mirror. He frowned at his reflection for several long minutes before he realized what it was he was seeing. Then he started laughing.
Bulma stared at him for several minutes, dumbfounded by his behaviour. "You've gone mad!" she spat at him. "Your hair mysteriously changes color, and you're *laughing*?!? For all you know, it might be some horrible disease that's going to kill you or something, and all you can do is *laugh*?" She continued to glare at him. "Or if you know what's going on, please, enlighten me!"
"No, woman, this is no disease." He continued to chuckle while she glared at him. "I have done it. I am a Super Saiyan."
Bulma blinked at that revelation. "You are?" She studied him curiously for a moment, her anger having evaporated instantly. "I've never seen Goku actually go Super Saiyan, I was just told that he'd done it. How do you know that's what happened?"
Vegeta snorted. "This is exactly what I saw and felt when I saw Kakarotto do it." He grinned at her rather smugly. The warrior was actually beginning to feel like himself again. "Now we will see who is the strongest, won't we?"
Bulma swallowed, a lump forming suddenly in her throat. He'd just finished telling her that he loved her, that he needed her, and yet... it was obvious he really didn't understand what that meant. ::If he loves me, he wouldn't want to hurt me, but if he kills Goku, he knows that will hurt me. I've told him before how that would hurt me, and he always scoffed.:: Goku was her oldest friend, the only one she ever felt she could rely on, and Vegeta would take that away from her for some sort of 'contest', for the glory of being the 'strongest'. She knew she could never truly understand that. She turned away from him, not wanting him to see her pain. "Do what you will, Radish head. You always do."
Vegeta looked over his shoulder at Bulma's remark. ::Now where did that come from?:: he wondered, frowning at her when her expression betrayed what she was feeling. But what is was that was bothering her he didn't know. "What is it?" he asked, a little more hesitantly than he intended, and frowned when he realized that his emotions were not completely under control. //Must've been that spell the demon cast.// At the thought he glanced quickly around the room. "Bulma!" he snapped. "Come here. There is no telling where that demon went."
"What are you talking about?" Bulma snapped irritably. "That demon is long gone, I'm sure! Why would it have stayed around?" Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How long were we unconscious?" She looked over at a clock, realizing that Vegeta didn't know how to read Chikyuu time, but what she saw made no sense. She was certain that they'd been out cold for longer than just a few minutes. Maybe days had passed, and they didn't know it. She strode over to her electronic calendar and pressed the button. When it happily chirped out the date to her, she blinked in surprise. They'd been out for less time than she'd realized. She turned and faced the Saiyan Prince, her hands on her hips. "Well?" She looked at him in annoyance. "Then why don't you find it or something, if it's still around? Or would you rather it snuck up on us again?"
"Don't boss me woman!" he snapped, his eyes flashing. "What do you think I was going to do? Stay here." He turned on his heel and expected his command to be obeyed as he stepped out into the hallway. He reached out with his senses to see if he could detect the demon. //Soon to be deceased// he thought to himself with some satisfaction.
"Oooh! That obnoxious Saiyan!" Bulma fumed, wanting to slap him for ordering her around that way. "What does he think I am? His servant or something? I'll teach him!" With that, she completely ignored all caution, including the tiny voice in her head warning her that she was being foolishly reckless, and strode in fury outside towards her lab. "I'm going to get some work done, and I don't care *what* he thinks of me!"
Bulma slammed open the door to her laboratory, her wrath ruffled by how she felt used by Vegeta. She stormed over to her workbench, her eyes snapping with the anger that she felt for Vegeta's cavalier treatment of her. Suddenly alarm bells went off in her head, as she realized that the door hadn't been locked, a state it should never have been in. The lights also hadn't kicked in automatically as they should have, but the room was still dark. "What...?"
"Well, well!" came a softly rasping voice. A beautiful woman slowly moved from the shadows, the light catching her face and upper torso. Bulma might have assumed that she was simply a beautiful woman, until more of her came into view, and Bulma saw the large, thick, serpentine tail that wrapped under her and seemed to be serving her for legs. And that by itself was bad enough, but as she flowed further into the light, Bulma saw that the end of the tail parted into octopus tentacles, which waved gently in the air around her, as though stirred by an unfelt breeze.
Bulma froze in horror, unable to move. "Who... are you?" she whimpered in sudden fear.
The woman smiled, her overly wide mouth filled with sharp teeth that were unnervingly too long for her face. "Oh, my name isn't important," she purred. "What is important is that you're such a *luscious* morsel!"
Bulma's breath came out in tiny pants, and she suddenly discovered that she didn't have the strength to even cry out. Terror filled her limbs, freezing her in place, her heart-rate increasing wildly as the creature in front of her reached out with one hand, running a cold finger down Bulma's face. ::VEGETA!:: Bulma called out mentally, hoping that somehow he could hear her thoughts. ::HELP ME!::
Vegeta was still trying to pinpoint the demon's location when he heard Bulma's mental cry for help. Without questioning what he was doing, he headed instinctively for the lab. There was something incredibly powerful in there with his lifemate, and from the panicked sound of her mental voice, he did not have to be a genius to figure out what it was that was frightening Bulma.
He pulled open the door, eyes widening slightly when he saw the demon woman. "So there you are," he said conversationally as he positioned himself in between Bulma and the demoness. "I have been waiting for you to show yourself." He settled into a battle stance, powering up into Super Saiyan as he did so. "Nice of you to drop by."
The demon's eyes narrowed as Vegeta spoiled her game. She had been enjoying tormenting her prey, and his presence interrupted it. "You!" she hissed in irritation, her eyes narrowing. "I thought you were dead!" Her voice was laced with contempt. "How did you manage to get out of that? I suppose your mind must have been stronger than I'd thought!"
"And you are dumber than I thought." He smirked, some deep part of him satisfied that he had in one way beaten the demon. "It takes much more than a mind game to kill a Saiyan. And I am the strongest. Prepare to meet your doom, fish face! For I am Prince Vegeta, Heir to the House of Vegeta-sei, and I do not take kindly to those that threaten my mate."
"Hmph!" she snorted scornfully, not at all impressed. "You think you're so tough, mortal? I wonder." She waved a hand, and a blinding pain went through Vegeta's head. When he blinked his eyes open, he saw Bulma standing in front of him instead of behind him. She was smiling at him in an odd manner, and she pointed behind him. "She's right there," Bulma purred at him, an odd sound in her voice. "Why don't you kill her?"
Vegeta looked behind him and saw the demoness frozen behind him, trembling with fear. It looked at him in terror, shivering helplessly, and he knew he could blast it easily before it could react.
He looked at the demoness, eyes narrowing. //How in the hell did it get back there?// he wondered. //Wasn't Bulma behind me?// He raised a hand and prepared to blast the pitiful shaking creature out of existence. But something was nagging his subconscious, something that he should know, and it made him hesitate. "Well now, I have no idea how you did that, but be prepared, for I am going to send you to hell." //At least it is smart enough to be afraid.// But something about that thought sent off a warning bell. Though he was pleased that the demoness was frightened, it had seemed so cocky earlier. //Now what is this? An act?//
Bulma's eyes widened as she saw Vegeta building a ki blast, preparing to blast her out of existence. "Vegeta?" she whimpered in sudden fear, her heart shattering with the realization that he was going to kill her. "What are you...? Do you hate me that much?" She hated the way her voice clogged with her tears, but she didn't know how to make her pride stay intact when she was about to die at the hands of the man she loved. She closed her eyes, feeling that she'd rather die than continue to live, knowing he hated her enough to kill her.
The demoness smiled from her position behind Vegeta. With his own hand he would destroy the woman that he sought to protect, and in his grief he would be destroyed. He might even kill himself, if his shame and grief was enough. But whether he killed himself, or his soul was simply shattered, the demoness didn't care. Either way, the emotions released would be delicious, and she would feast on them in delight.
Something was definitely not right. Vegeta could not figure out what it was that was bothering him. He lowered his hand, eyes narrowing, eyebrows pulling together in a frown. What was the beast taking about? "What?" he asked the creature as it trembled before him. "Are you playing helpless for what you did to me and Bulma?" he asked it, trying to figure out what was nagging at him. //What is it? Is it stalling? Did it cast another spell on me?//
"What?" Bulma stared at him in confusion. "What I did to you? Vegeta, I'm not... Vegeta, I'm not the demon! The demon is still behind you! Why are you going to attack me?"
Vegeta glanced back at the woman behind him that appeared to be Bulma. The demon put as innocent of an expression on her face as she could manage. "Vegeta!" she said, picking up on what Bulma was calling him. "Can't you see that it's trying to fool you? Kill it! Kill it before it has a chance to kill me!"
He frowned again, now he was certain something was going on. //It did cast some sort of spell on me// he thought, looking between the two of them, the demoness and Bulma. //But which is the demon?// He folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "You are right. I should kill the demon before it can do you harm." Vegeta spoke slowly, watching the demon's expression. "Bulma you should leave.." He looked over behind him, noting his mate's expression. //Which one? How do I choose?//
The demon's eyes narrowed. He seemed to be resisting her spell somewhat. Not entirely - he still couldn't tell which one of them was his lover - but enough that he didn't obey her commands instantly. "I'll leave, Vegeta, but first you have to kill the demon for me. I want you to kill it for me!" the false Bulma insisted.
Bulma closed her eyes, and lowered her head. ::She's done something to him. I don't know what. Oh, Vegeta!:: Suddenly her head shot up, and she glared at her Saiyan Prince in determination. "Vegeta, I won't let her hurt you. You have to come back to me, Vegeta! I love you! I won't let her hurt you, even if it kills me!"
Vegeta, his expression blank, looked at the demoness in front of him, and glanced behind him at Bulma. She was looking frustrated that he wasn't doing what she commanded. //When did Bulma become so bloodthirsty?// A smirk slowly spread its way across his face as he looked back at the demon and addressed it. "Thank you for letting me know which was you, demon." He raised his hand, still smirking, a ball of blue light appearing in his hand. But as he released it, he spun on his heel and fired the blast at Bulma behind him. "My Bulma," he smiled in satisfaction as the blast hit her in the center of the chest, "is not nearly as bloodthirsty nor as ugly as you."
"NOOOOO!" the demon wailed, as the energy blast struck her square in the chest. Sparks flew over her body, and he could see a strange fading around the edges of her. Then with a great cry of despair, she suddenly exploded into tiny black particles, which dispersed into the air and vanished.
The real Bulma had stared at him in frozen shock, as he'd smirked evilly at her, preparing the ki blast to fire on her. When he abruptly turned and fired it at the demoness behind him, she sagged against the wall behind her in the surge of relief that washed through her, the energy draining from her limbs as the shock and terror wore off. She'd been so afraid... not only for herself, although she was certain that Vegeta was going to kill her - but for Vegeta, because she was equally certain that the creature would kill Vegeta the second that Bulma was dead. Tears slipped from her eyes as she slid against the wall to the floor, her head dropping to her knees in exhaustion.
Vegeta smirked, powering down as the demoness vanished before him. "Never underestimate a Saiyan, demon," he said to its disappearing form. "For us, nothing is impossible." He turned then, sure that the creature was gone, to see Bulma slumped against the wall, head on her knees. The Saiyan Prince went to her quickly, sinking down on his knees in front of her, and gathered her in his arms. His fingers stroked her hair as he held her and whispered to her soothingly. "It's alright. It's gone."
"You were going to kill me," she murmured in confusion, allowing his fingers in her hair and his arms around her to soothe and calm her. "You hated me so much, you were going to kill me." Tears gathered in her eyes, even as she rested her cheek against his chest, allowing him to comfort her. It occurred to her that she should find it strange that the man who'd been about to kill her moments before was now reassuring her, but she was too tired to question it.
"It cast another spell," he whispered, his tone subdued. "It made me think that it was you. But it didn't for long. It gave too much away."
"Vegeta, I... Vegeta, would you have killed me?" Bulma didn't know why she asked that question, why she was tormenting herself that way. She suspected that if he'd killed her and she hadn't turned out to be the demon, that he'd just have turned around and killed the demon, and not really cared. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she began to tremble again. After everything she'd been through, everything they'd been through, she still wasn't entirely sure of him. It was still difficult for her to remember what had been the dream and what had been reality, and confusion still reigned in her thoughts.
"No I would never hurt you." Vegeta tried to pull her closer to him, tried to reassure her fears. "It was rather easy to tell which one was you." He chuckled, the sound rumbling beneath her ear. "You would never want another's death. You would've asked me to stop her, not commanded me to kill her. It was a fatal mistake for the demon."
That hadn't really been Bulma's question. She hadn't been afraid that he couldn't tell them apart, she'd just been afraid that he wouldn't have *cared* if he couldn't tell them apart. "But if you hadn't been able to tell us apart," she insisted, "would you have killed me? If you couldn't tell which one was me, and which one was her, would you have killed one of us anyway? Or both of us?" Bulma relaxed slightly, his hands working their usual magic on her, and easing away her tension. She was still upset about everything that had happened, but her body was finally realizing that the danger was past.
"No. I wouldn't have killed either of you then," he stated flatly. "I would not harm you."
"But you..." She swallowed, sounding slightly afraid. "You were... you were ready to...."
"No, never." He cupped her face between his hands and forced her to look into his eyes "I swear I would never hurt you. I will protect you always."
Somehow Bulma found herself believing him, as she looked up into his obsidian gaze. The normally cold and aloof depths of them were suddenly burning with something intense, something she had seen in his eyes only a few times before. She lifted a hand and touched him gently on the cheek, before she wrapped both arms around him and pulled him more tightly against her. Exhaustion then found its way through her, threading through her limbs and making her feel limp.
Vegeta rose to his feet, cradling Bulma against him, and he almost smiled as he looked down at her. "Time for bed woman, it has been a long day." As he made his way into the house and up the stairs, a mischievious glint could be seen in his gaze. "Perhaps," he said, as he opened their bedroom door, "I should spend more of my time making you believe that I care for you. It will be a enjoyable experience for the both of us."
Bulma smiled drowsily in his arms, looking forward to his proof, knowing she was going to enjoy it more than anything. She sighed as she snuggled against him, and as the door closed behind them, she knew that Vegeta would never stay away from her for long.
~~~OWARI~~~