Chapter 8 "Revenge"

"Bulma, you're all I've been able to think about since I left. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't train. I feel so bad about what happened, baby. Please forgive me."

"I might understand if you hadn't been gone so long. Why come crawling back now? How do you know I havent found someone else?"

"Since the end of the world might be tomorrow, I'll need you to think about if something.... bad happens to me. Whoever the other guy is, he can't be more important than me. We were meant to be together, Bulma." He lifted her hand and kissed it gently. Don't fall for this bullshit Bulma!

::You've got competition::

I'm very aware of that!!

::Help her::

How??

::Do what you do best::

What? Beat the crap out of people?

::Bingo::

I like how you think... Aren't you supposed to "keep me in line"?

::Sometimes rules are meant to be broken::

Works for me...

From Vegeta's view at the stairs, he could see through the living room window out to Yamcha's beat up motorcycle, parked inconspicuously enough to be just out of Bulma's sight. Perched atop the beat up Harley sat a full busted, thin waisted blonde looking at her watch. Veeta knew what Yamcha was up to, and it made his Saiyan blood boil. He looked back to Bulma and Yamcha and found they'd begin making out on the couch.

Disgusting! He's only going to hurt her more!

::More reason to help::

I hate him...

::So does she::

What do I do?

::You'll get your cue::

Vegeta looked outside again and the blonde was gone. At that exact moment, the door swung open and Yamcha froze. Even though Bulma's back was to Vegeta, he could feel the fire growing in her eyes. Nothing could be heard for miles around. The girl, hands on her hips, began to pout.

"Yamcha," she cooed, "when are you going to be done with...her... so we can have some fun?" Bulma leaped off the couch and faced Yamcha with fury. Her expression mirrored her emotions. She was hurt, surprised, and especially enraged.

Vegeta could read it all. It angered him more to see her weakened. He wanted to charge at Yamcha and tear him to shreds with his teeth. He had to hold back a little longer. As Yamcha tried to stand up from the couch, her foot flew forward, nailing Yamcha in the face. He fell behind the couch as Bulma charged at the blonde.

Vegeta took that as his cue and seized Yamcha, flying him through the door and onto the front lawn for a subtle ass whooping. As Yamcha and the blonde crawled away barely alive, Vegeta chuckled to himself, proud that he finally showed up that weakling fink.

He strut inside like a king, but lost his spirit seeing Bulma sitting on the floor, knees inward with her head in her hands. He kneeled down in front of her, not wanting to fight his feelings, not knowing exactly what he was doing, and lifted her chin. Her eyes were red and fuzzy from the tears that rolled down her cheeks. The light of the setting sun twinkled on a tear that tore at Vegeta's heart. He thought she was beautiful like this; then again, she was always beautiful to him. She lifted herself up to a kneeling position and faced him.

"Thanks Vegeta," she whispered as she hugged him gently. Before she pulled away, she pecked him lightly on the cheek and walked up the stairs towards her room. Vegeta remained motionless in his kneeling position, gazing up the stairs.

What just happened?

::That's Mr. Hyde::

What??

::You don't get into much Earth literature do you?::

Why would a fighter need to read?

::This particular story is for you Vegeta::

Which one?

::Read it.... "Dr. Jekyll, Mr Hyde,". You'll understand::

I can't believe the Prince of all Saiyans is getting book references of all things from his conscience! This is bizarre.... I think I am losing it.

He found a bookcase and began to read through the titles. It's only a bunch of old dusty books.

::Never judge a book by it's cover::

What?!

::Well it seemed like the right thing to say:: Vegeta rolled his eyes.

Okay now, Moby Dick, Franke-- what??, whatever... Huckle whatever, stupid Earth names... Here we go... Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde... He flipped the book over and read the back, which is about as far as he'd ever gotten in a book.

"An American classic about the twisted scientist who mutliates a formula to create another person inside himself. Read on to see how people are going to unfold around his twisted fate of two lives." He replaced the book to it's shelf barely below his eye level. Am I really two people?

He thought about this as he walked past her door towards his room. Everyone saw him as the 'Badman', the sinister one, the evil almighty one with a black heart or none at all. If he showed even a little compassion, it shocked everyone. The pressure forced him to stay who he was made out to be. He expected people to see it that way because it was how he was brought up. It was his culture, his entire planet. Being raised by Freiza, anyone would end up the same.

Only around her could the other person, his own "Mr Hyde", be set free. He had a heart, but it was rusty from staying in storage so long. All his upbringing, his stern father who showed no feelings, the tyrant Freeza who ruined his life, told him that he had no heart and only weaklings had one. When Freeza was destroyed, he wanted to dance and celebrate like everyone else. But he was Vegeta. And Vegeta wouldn't do that.