A/N: I do not own Frieza, Vegeta, Zarbon, etc. etc. Sorry it's taken me so long to get on with this story. Life's crazy, what can I say? Thank you for your reviews…they keep me writing.

            Laylyn's head was throbbing. She felt as if she'd rammed her head into a brick wall. Her eyes were having trouble focusing, but she could make out strange designs on the ceiling of a room. She tried to sit up, but her vision swam, and the silk sheets made a soft rustling sound as she collapsed back onto the pillow. The pain in her head continued to increase, becoming almost unbearable, but her sight began to grow clearer.

She was in a bedroom of some kind, but it was not her own. The walls seemed to be made of steel rather then stone or wood. The bed she was lying on was enormous, piled high with lush pillows and surrounded by a thin gauze curtain. The bed spoke of decadent sensuality. Laylyn struggled to remember how she'd gotten there.

She had been pacing in her rooms when an astonishingly handsome man had barged in, unannounced. He had rather imperiously told her to come with him, and of course Laylyn had refused. She didn't make it a habit of running off with men she didn't know. He hadn't taken her refusal nicely, he'd tried to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder.

Still not certain how much of a threat he was, she'd cast a minor spell meant to frighten him off. The knife storm had only caused slight scratches to appear on his face and body, but the man hadn't fled as she'd expected. Instead, he'd fallen into a rage and attacked her, striking her in the head and knocking her unconscious, obviously.

So she could only assume this was his room. And since he'd placed her in his bed, she doubted all he wanted to do was talk. She thought it odd so lovely a man would have to kidnap a woman to gain her company, but she wasn't waiting around for him to come back.

She quickly made a small gesture with her fingers and the pain receded from her body, leaving her feeling completely revitalized. She quickly rose, relieved to see that her gown remained in place. That was one thing in her favor. She made her way to the large, oval door in the wall, but nothing happened. There was a panel of buttons to one side, and she knew the door was locked. She was trapped, because she had no idea what the code was to open it.

She sighed in frustration and began to pace around the room, trying to think of a way to escape.

Frieza was being consumed by his rage. He could feel it, shifting beneath his skin like a living entity, gnawing at his insides, hissing in the back of his mind with maddening insistence. Laylyn had betrayed him. Left him to the tender mercies of her vicious fiancé. She had used his love, his blind faith in her, to lower his defenses so he could be taken by surprise. He would never make such a mistake again.

            He had no idea what he was going to do with her. As much as he hated her, he knew he couldn't bear to be without her. Part of him wanted to beat her, to inflict pain upon her as she had done to him, but he knew he could never strike her. He was afraid to touch her, afraid that once he did he would be so enthralled by the feel of her that he would lose all will to make her atone for her sins against him. He gritted his teeth in frustration and self loathing, his hands clenching into fists.

            Vegeta and Dodoria exchanged wary glances but remained silent as their lord restlessly paced around the main bridge of the ship. Vegeta had given Dodoria a brief description of what he'd seen while on Nayr, and both men were worried Frieza might have lost his mind. Zarbon had not yet gotten up the courage to show himself, and it was just as well, because Frieza's current mood was so dangerous he might actually kill his foolish second in command.

            "Set a course for the Zyrine Galaxy," Frieza suddenly snapped, the sound of his voice causing Dodoria and Vegeta to jump to attention. "My brother was last seen there."

            Vegeta frowned but Dodoria simply nodded and moved away to see that Frieza's command was followed. Vegeta didn't like his lord's comment at all. Frieza never went to see Coola unless it was at the command of their father, King Cold. It was a well known fact the two men couldn't abide one another's company for long.

            "What about Nayr?" Vegeta demanded, not nearly so subservient as the rest of Frieza's men. "It's obvious these Sivare got the better of you. Are you planning on simply running away?"

            Frieza lowered his head a moment, torn between wanting to kill the insolent Saiyan, and seeing the truth in his words. When he looked up again, his eyes were burning with malicious satisfaction. "No, dear boy, I am not. I have something special in mind for that lovely little planet, but I want my guests to witness it. What kind of host would I be if I deprived them of entertainment?"

            Vegeta said nothing to this odd ranting, he simply waited in silence.

"Go fetch the man I had you capture. Bring him here."

            "And the girl?" Vegeta asked, his voice soft, seeing the madness running through his lord's eyes.

            "She is none of your concern! I will see to her. Stay away from her, Vegeta, or you will regret it," Frieza snarled, his voice rising and his eyes blazing with fury as he stepped closer to the Saiyan.

            Vegeta held a hand up, his expression thunderous. "I was only asking because I thought you might want me to bring her here as well."

            Frieza stilled and closed his eyes, his breathing labored. He struggled to regain control of himself for several moments, and Vegeta was stunned that such a harmless creature as the woman they'd brought on board could have such an effect on Frieza, who was famed for his icy demeanor.

            Frieza's eyes were much more calm when they opened, but Vegeta could still see the signs of insanity dancing in their depths, leashed but barely restrained. "No. I don't want them to be together. Not now, not ever."

            Vegeta made no reply, not trusting his lord's current crazed state. He simply nodded and then left the bridge.

            Frieza watched him leave, but his eyes were filled with pictures of Laylyn. Laylyn teaching him to dance, Laylyn laughing at something he'd said, Laylyn writhing beneath him as he made love to her. He snarled and slammed his hand into the wall, punching a hole through the steel but oblivious to the pain as he stormed out of the bridge.

            He made his way to his rooms, driven by the urge to see her, fueled by his pain to make her suffer as he was suffering. He wasn't surprised to see her up and moving about when he entered his quarters, but he was torn nonetheless. Part of him had been hoping to find her sleeping, so that he could look upon her without having to deal with her treachery. Another part of him was overwhelmingly relieved to see she was unhurt. If that lout Zarbon had seriously injured her, Frieza would have killed him. But the vast majority of him wanted to see her on her knees, begging his forgiveness.

            Laylyn looked up when Frieza entered the room, prepared to do battle with the handsome brute that had kidnapped her. She was caught off guard when she saw Frieza instead, and threw herself into his arms with a shout of joy.

            Frieza was stunned when she launched herself into his arms. Didn't she realize he knew of her treachery? Though he hated himself for his weakness, he couldn't resist holding her for a moment. She felt so wonderful in his arms, so very right, and his heart ached as he placed his cheek against the top of her head. He allowed himself to embrace her for the briefest of moments, and then he pushed her away from him.

            "Do not touch me in such a manner, I will not tolerate any more of your dissembling," he growled, his eyes dark with anger and pain.

            Laylyn blinked at him in surprise, not understanding his hostility. "Frieza? What do you mean? I have always been honest with you."

            "Of course you have, my dear," he purred, his voice cold and distant. "You have always been perfectly wonderful to me. So generous, and so very…accommodating. You are superb at what you do, lady."

            Laylyn frowned, not liking the implication in his words. She sensed he was referring to their lovemaking, and she didn't care for the way he was making it sound. "Frieza, I don't-"

            "Shh," he crooned, placing a fingertip over her lips. "Accept the compliment, my dear. You've certainly earned it. And because you have always been such an unfailingly considerate hostess, I can be no less of a host. I've arranged for a bit of entertainment for us. Come."

            Laylyn stared at him in uncertainty, but he held his hand out to her and she stared at it, wondering if he was suffering from a side effect of a truth spell the Counsel might have used upon him. She'd heard such spells tended to make people behave strangely. She hesitantly placed her hand in his, and he led her from the room without saying another word.

            He escorted her to the bridge in silence, and each moment her anxiety grew. Frieza was a natural conversationalist, quick witted and clever, he always had something to say. She was not used to him being quiet. She dared to glance at him as they walked, and his brow was furrowed in thought. For an instant, she was certain she saw the fires of madness blazing in his eyes, but the look was gone so quickly she was sure she'd imagined it.

            The bridge was bustling with activity when they arrived. She'd surmised they were on his ship, the one Thage had told her about. Three men were waiting for them. One was a gigantic pink blob, grotesque in appearance. The other was a handsome man, not much taller then Frieza, with wild black hair and ice blue eyes. The third man was Thage.

            Laylyn skidded to a halt upon seeing the Sivare Prince, her eyes going round in astonishment. "What's going on here? Why's he here?"

            "He's my guest, of course," Frieza smoothly replied, but the grip he had on her arm tightened until she gasped with pain. "Do calm yourself, dear, or you won't be able to appreciate the show."

            "Let her go, Frieza," Thage snarled, his eyes narrowing. "She's done nothing to you."

            "Yes, well, I'm afraid I don't agree with you," Frieza pleasantly replied, but his tail lashed out, catching Thage in the stomach and knocking the Sivare to his knees. "Now be still, or you will regret it."

            Laylyn gaped at him, Frieza's voice had turned to ice, but his eyes seemed to burn with fire. He waved at the pink blob. "Dodoria, you may proceed."

            The giant nodded and turned to a panel on the arm of his seat. He punched in a series of numbers, and as he finished doing so, Frieza leaned down until his lips touched her ear and whispered, "Now pay close attention, my love."

            A screen in the center of the bridge blinked on, showing a view of Nayr. The planet looked lovely, even from space, but as Laylyn watched, a great beam of energy shot forth from Frieza's ship, hurtling into the planet faster then the eye could follow. Almost immediately a brilliant array of explosions rippled across the planet's surface, and then Nyr exploded in a blinding flash of light.

            Laylyn could only stare in horror at the halo of light that radiated out from the force of the explosion. All that remained of her beautiful world were a few meteors already beginning to hurtle through the void of space as she stared on in horrified silence.

            That quickly, her world was destroyed. Everything she'd loved had been on that planet. Her family, her friends, everything. As she turned to stare at the man beside her, she dimly realized even the one she'd loved had died on that planet, for he was surely not with her now.

            Freiza returned her accusatory look with a distant one of his own. How dare she try to make him feel guilty for avenging himself? He was the one who had been betrayed. Every moment he'd spent on that planet had been a lie.

            His eyes were devoid of emotion, and that more then anything else infuriated her. That easily he killed the innocent. Whatever he thought she'd done to him, her family and friends had been innocent. But he didn't care. Oh, no. He killed when and where he felt like it, just as Thage had said.

            "You bastard," she hissed, pulling free of his grasp, her anger making her strong.

            He smiled at her without humor. "Now, love, no name calling. Especially from a heartless bitch such as yourself."

            "I have no idea what you mean by that, nor do I care! You murderer! My family was on that planet, my friends, my…" she stopped, her grief overwhelming her.

            The Magic rose around her, called by her rage and sorrow, and she lashed out at Frieza, her hand striking him with such force that he fell to his knees. Not waiting to see his reaction, Laylyn turned and fled, her eyes flooding with tears.

            "Stop her!" Frieza snarled, struggling to regain his breath, angry with himself for forgetting how potent Magic could be when properly summoned. That one hit had left him breathless.

            The men around him hurried to do his bidding, but since he had failed to mention her importance to him, they used all methods available. Two men tried to tackle her to the ground, but she waved them aside and the Magic tossed them through the air as if they weighed nothing. She was almost to the doors, and another guard, desperate to stop her as his lord had commanded, opened fire on her.

            Laylyn's back was turned, and she had no time to defend herself. The energy blast caught her in the back, followed by several more. She dropped to the ground, gasping in pain, her world growing dark as heat seared through her. Dimly, she heard an inhuman scream. She looked back in surprise.  

            Frieza came up off of his knees and roared, throwing himself at the man who'd shot her. His hand punched into the guard's chest and came out his back. With his free hand, Frieza slashed the man's throat and then tossed his body to the ground.

            Then he turned to stare at Laylyn. For a moment he was frozen, as if his mind didn't understand what he was seeing. But then he was running to her side. He dropped to his knees and gently lifted her head, his eyes quickly taking in her wounds as her blood spilled onto the floor around them. 

            Laylyn stared at him in shock, not understanding the agony in his eyes. One moment he hated her, the next it almost seemed as if…

            "Love, can you hear me?" Frieza demanded, leaning down to her, his voice shaking with urgency and fear.

            Laylyn winced at his mocking endearment, now knowing he'd never meant it. He'd come to Nayr to purge the planet, as he'd told her he'd done in the past, and she had just been a diversion for him while he carried out his task.

            "Please, don't call me that," she gasped, finding it difficult to speak when it felt as if her lungs were on fire.

            Frieza frowned at her, understanding she was angry with him. Now was not the time to argue over such a minor thing, though. "Listen to me. You have been shot in the back and you are bleeding profusely. You need to heal yourself."

            Laylyn considered his words for a moment. She knew she was dying. With every breath her strength faded. But strangely enough, she didn't care. Her family was gone, her friends as well, murdered by a man who had taken her love and turned it against her. She had nothing to live for anymore. If she healed herself, she'd only be putting herself at his mercy. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to.

            She gently shook her head. "No."

            "What do you mean, no?" Frieza snapped, his worry overriding his normally gentle treatment of her. "You're going to die unless you heal yourself. Do it. Now."

            "No," Laylyn whispered, her voice coming out raspier then normal as her throat began to close. "I have nothing left."

            Frieza went cold inside, realizing she meant what she said. Her grief was driving her mad, defeating her will to live. And he knew he'd die without her. Even though she'd betrayed him, even though she'd lied to him, he couldn't lose her. And he couldn't let her die like this because of his pride.

            "You have me," he answered her, setting his pride aside, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.

            Laylyn kissed him back for one instant, unable to help herself despite his treachery. And then she pulled back. "No, I don't. The man I loved died on that planet."

            "Please, you don't have much time, don't do this," he begged, his voice rising, but at the moment he didn't care if the entire universe heard him while he begged for this woman to save her life. "Don't leave me."

            "I already have," she replied, her eyes growing dim. "I did the moment you killed my family."

            "I'm sorry," Frieza yelled, his eyes turning misty. He was sorry, if only because of the consequences.

            "So am I," Laylyn said, smiling sadly. "I loved you so once…"

            Her voice drifted away, and Frieza bowed his head, tears streaming down his face. "I love you still," he whispered.

            "And you will forever," Laylyn answered, drawing his gaze to hers. There was love in her eyes, and grief, and something darker as she reached up and placed a hand to his cheek. "I damn you forever, my love. Forever will you love me, forever will you see me, forever will you remember me. And never will you have me."

            Too late he sensed the presence of the Magic around him, felt it pulsing within her. Even as she leaned up to kiss him, he knew he could push her away, perhaps avoid this final spell altogether. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, knowing this would be the last time he touched her, held her, kissed her. His lips met hers willingly, and this time Laylyn kissed him without reserve, pouring all of her love into that final desperate meeting of lips and hearts. The Magic flooded from her dying body into his own, roaring through his blood, mingling with the sweet bitterness of that final embrace as their tongues danced together, and their bodies strained against each other in an eloquent declaration of a love so intense it had driven them both to madness.

            And then Layln's lips went to still, and Frieza's tears drifted over her face as her beautiful eyes fell closed for the last time.