Instinct
Elizabeth Knight
KB7
Bra and Bulma sat nervously in the living room, and both women jumped when they heard someone pounding on the front door. Bulma put a hand on Bra's shoulder, indicating she should stay put. Bra listened to ChiChi's frantic voice in the hallway before Bulma drug her into the livingroom.
"Vegeta showed up at our door this morning to speak to Trunks, and the next thing I knew Goten was carting Deirdre out of the house. He said she was one of the natives, but I couldn't see anything strange with her. You should have seen her face Bulma. She was crying and she looked miserable, like someone had ripped out her poor heart."
"Oh no. Not Deirdre too."
"I swear not a second later and Trunks came storming down the hallway racing after them. It was horrible. He said he was going to the prison. Bulma, we've gotta find a way to help them. I know they don't want us to know, but I know they torture those prisoners for the answers they want. I can't imagine that Trunks will be able to stop them, but Goku and Vegeta.......surely they can do something to help."
"My son may not be able to stop them, but I know him well enough to know that he'll try. We had probably better get down there."
"Goku and the boys are there with Vegeta and Trunks. I think they'll be able to keep him out of trouble. He really look terrible, Bulma. I feel so sorry for them."
Bra felt so numb it wasn't funny. Torture? The tortured the prisoners? "Oh Kyle." she whispered quietly. It must be all her fault. What was he doing so near her house? What had he been thinking to come back?
Two and a half hours later Bra and Bulma looked up, as the door came crashing open, and Trunks went storming up the stairs. "Trunks?" Bulma called from the bottom of the stairs, Bra on her heals. Trunks turned around on the landing facing them.
"She hates me now." his raw voice sounded choked, and he looked like he'd been up for days. He'd spent so much energy it reflected in his face. Bulma didn't ask who or anything else, just turned to go back into the livingroom. Trunks watched her leave then turned to go to his room as well. Bra looked into the livingroom at her mother, then followed Trunks.
She knocked quietly, but there was no answer. Opening the door, she stepped in anyway. Trunks was thrown across his bed like a small boy. "Trunks?"
"Go away." he groaned.
"What are you doing here?"
"What?"
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be there?"
Trunks turned to look at her, a confused look on his face. "You mean at the prison?"
"Why aren't you with her?"
"I....I don't have to say anything to you. You don't know what's going on. You have no idea what......how much.....go away."
"I don't understand you at all, Trunks."
"What don't you understand." he sighed in exasperation.
"I can't understand what your waiting for. If you've made your decision then stand by it. Go to her and work it out."
"It's not that simple, Bra."
"It would be for me."
"It's impossible, Bra. Let it rest."
"Nothings impossible, Trunks, unless you give up. Then you don't deserve her if you do." Trunks gave her a hurt look. "It's true. Someone once told me to trust my instincts because they'd lead me to where I wanted to be. I think it's advice perhaps you should follow. So?"
"So what?"
"So where do you want to be, Trunks?" Bra looked at him with no pity on her face. They both turned to look at his bedroom door as they heard the front door open and close down stairs. "That's my cue to get going. Think about it." Bra dashed across the hall to her room and grabbed her cloak. She shimmied out her window and around to the porch to climb down the trellis. She broke out into a dead run in the direction of the prison.
She arrived out of breath and stopped at the door. It was locked. Glancing around she saw a guard coming and waited for him to go in before she slipped in behind him. She didn't get far before she ran into a woman coming down a narrow hallway. The woman gave her a strange look. "Are you Trunks sister?"
"Yes. How can you tell?"
She snorted. "Something about the eyes. What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for a prisoner."
She looked astounded. "Who would that be?"
"I doubt he would have given his name."
"Do you know his name?"
"No. I'm simply looking for......someone one of my students drew."
"Oh?" she ask raising her brow.
"Do you know who my father is? I don't think you do, or you wouldn't be giving me so much grief. Now I want to know where the interrogation center is, now!" Bra prayed her act of bravado would get her there. The woman looked at her slightly stunned and then smiled.
"Come with me. I think I know exactly who you're looking for. Like brother, like sister right?" she answered, smiling. She lead her strait to Kyle's cell. Bra reached out and touched the glass, gasping at the sight of Kyle's face. His lip was busted open and bleeding in several places. If it would have been possible to see his skin under his fur, she was sure she'd find several bruises.
"Open this door." she demanded of the woman.
"So this is who you wanted to see? I'm not surprised. Here, he needs this." She handed Bra a trey of food then opened the door shooing her inside. "Tell him to give you his necklace."
Bra looked at Kyle, knowing he wasn't sure who had just come in. He didn't look like he was wearing a necklace. She had never noticed one. Stepping into the light, she brought the trey forward and sat it on a table in the room. "The guard ask for your necklace." Bra whispered.
"Bra?" Kyle ask looking up at her from his perch in the floor. She watched him stand up and come over to her. "Is that you?"
"Yes."
"What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious? Now do you have a necklace or not?"
"Who ask you for it?"
"The guard."
"What else did she ask you?" He pushed the hood of her cloak back just a little bit to look at her face.
"She wanted to know your name." she told him honestly.
"Did you tell her?"
"No." Kyle pulled her back into a darker corner and used his body to shield her from the glass mirror facing the hallway. Bra looked up at him, pulling the hood completely off.
"How did you get here then?"
"She said she knew just who I was looking for."
Kyle leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. "Yes."
"What is it?" Bra ask him, looking at him as if he'd gone daft.
Kyle dug in the hidden pocket in his soft hide pants. He pulled out a long piece of leather string with a dark colored rock on it and handed it to her saying, "Take good care of this and give it to her. Don't let anyone see you do it either. Can I trust you, Bra? This is important."
"If I was going to give you away in any way I would have done it a long time ago, Kyle. Have I failed you yet?"
"Never. I trust you, Bra."
There was a sharp wrapping on the door, and Kyle tugged Bra over to the table. Stuffing her under it, he pulled the tray of food over to him. Bra swiped her hair out of her face and slapped the thy closest to her.
"Bra, behave." Kyle warned looking under the table, as Bra looked up at him from between his legs. She scowled up at him, Kyle smiled down at her. "Actually, since you're down there...." Bra's eyes narrowed at him. "Would you mind handing me my spoon next to your foot?" That wasn't what she'd been expecting. Bra looked down and spied the spoon sitting next to her foot and retrieved it for him. "Thanks." he whispered, dropping the table cloth.
Trunks threw open the cell door and came storming in. Bra couldn't see anything, but she heard Trunks angered voice. He stormed forward and Bra could see the tips of his boots from under the table cloth. She flinched as she heard Kyle's food trey crash against the wall to the side of them.
"I'm about to go stark raving crazy if that woman of yours doesn't quit taunting me. I don't care if you are her past lover, you're not her present or future one, so if you value you're life you'd best find a way to make it clear to her that the two of you won't ever be together again." Bra's face was flaming under the table and she was just about to jump out and tell her brother what she thought of his methods when Kyle's hand snuck under and entangled in her hair to keep her in place.
"I wish I could do this a more honorable way and fight you for the spoils," he continued, "but I'm not allowed to give you a fair fight, and I wouldn't do it any other way."
Uh? What was wrong with this picture? Zantha was Kyle's lover? Zantha was Kyle's lover!! Ohhhh. He was in for it now. Glancing up, Bra grabbed a pinch full of Kyle's leg and squeezed. Kyle's hand tightened in her hair as a warning. She didn't care. She was angry and she was leaving now!! She moved, but Kyle's hold on her hair hadn't loosened any. He pulled her back hard, and she gave in for the moment.
"Which woman of mine would you be referring too?" she heard Kyle ask. All was silent for a few seconds then she heard the door slam shut. The table cover went flying up, and Kyle used the hold he had on her hair to drag her out from under the table. She glared at him and he smiled. "It's not what you think."
"What do you mean it's not what I think?"
"It's obvious you're jealous, and although I like it that you're so possessive of me...."
"Possessive? I'm not possessive. She can have you." Bra spat.
Kyle shook her hard and pulled her up against him. "Really. What is it that you're so willing to let her have? This!!" His mouth came down hard upon her own, but her lips parted for him against her will. His kiss instantly softened and deepened. She tried to struggle, really she did. She wanted to get away, but somehow she stayed right where she was. Her breaths were coming in short pants, and she was shamelessly clinging to him. "I don't call that the reaction of a woman who wants to give up what she already has, Bra."
Bra opened her eyes and noticed that he wasn't even holding her to him anymore. More like she had him molded to herself. Every inch of their bodies touched, from torso to toes, and his inviting lips were still a hairs breath away. "Are you going to ravish me now, my sweet?" he taunted her.
Bra released him and stepped back. Her cheeks were flaming, and her heart pounding. All she could rationally think to say was that, "I'm not your sweet heart."
"Oh but you are, Bra. Zantha's my little sister, not my lover." Kyle came up behind her, and she closed her eyes as she felt his arms snaking about her waist. "You have nothing to fear, Bra. There could never......" he let the sentence trail off. "I think it's time for you to go. You took a great risk coming here today. Don't do it again." He released her, and turned away. She was puzzled, but more than that she was relieved. She started to go.
"Bra!"
She stopped, but didn't turn around. She was afraid of what she might see on his face. She was afraid she wouldn't leave. His silence stretched on untill she finally gave in and turned to face him. "What?"
"Don't forget the necklace." It dangled off one finger as he held it out to her. She crossed back over to him and took the thing. Glancing down at it for a moment, she about to ask him what it was, but decided against it. She turned and left quickly, almost running.