Chapter Four

Bulma screamed as she was nearly clotheslined by the male that pursued her.

She ducked at the last moment sliding on the wooden floor in her socks and threw a fist blindly into his gut and followed it up with a uppercut, like Ava had taught her, catching him off guard and off balance.

She slipped and wheeled her arms for balance when she realized, too late, that he had been guiding her into a corner where she had no possible way to escape. Bulma swallowed trying to get her heart to return to her chest and out of her throat. She tried to duck past him but a muscled arm blocked her. She was surrounded.... There was no escape... Her eyes widened as he finally closed in....

Ring.... Ring....

Bulma and Vegeta sagged in exasperation. His eyes narrowed. "Just when I had you cornered."

Bulma shrugged regretfully within the circle of his arms as she reached around him to answer the phone next to their bed.

"Why do we have that noisy contraption in our room anyway?" Vegeta crossed his arms and very nearly pouted.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Don't start, Vegeta, you know I need to be available in case something goes wrong with the company." Bulma picked up the phone. "Hello?"

Vegeta snorted. Her and her precious company!

"Yamcha," Vegeta heard the irritation in her voice, "Why are you calling at TWO o'clock in the MORNING!"

Vegeta grinned as he lay down. That's right, Bulma, let him have it.

"What kind of emergency?" Bulma's brow furrowed.

Vegeta sat up deciding to pay attention to Bulma's side of the conversation.

"A stalker? Yamcha, Ava can take care of herself....Yes, I know she lives by herself in the woods.... What do you mean you challenged her... A lunafair? What's that....? So, she took you out, huh.... So what if Android 17 was there..."

Vegeta lay back down and tuned out.

"No, you can't talk to Vegeta....What do you mean, why? He doesn't like you and he won't appreciate you sticking your nose in his sister's business....Yamcha.... Yamcha, listen to me... She's a Saiyan Princess, she knows how to fight.... No.... Because he already knows.... She told him...... Earlier tonight... I don't know maybe she flies faster than you... No, he's not alarmed.... Yes, he does care about his sister... No, he isn't going to destroy Android 17... Go to bed, Yamcha... Well, it doesn't sound like she's your problem anymore... Well, you said she beat you... It's not my problem you can't find a girl... FINE!"

Bulma slammed the phone down in disgust. She turned to find Vegeta laying on his stomach with his head pillowed in his arms. His eyelids were at half-mast.

"What did the weakling want? He yawned.

"Oh, he wanted to tell you that Ava is being stalked by 17," Bulma stretched out next to him and put her arm around his lean waist.

"Not anymore," Vegeta smiled as he turned toward her. "Now she will be stalking him."

"She will?" Bulma lifted a questioning brow as he drew her closer.

"Yes, now, enough about her," Vegeta stopped Bulma's questions the only way he knew how, with his mouth.

**

He's real!! Ava thought as her adrenaline pumped through her system. She accepted it with a fierce kind of joy as she ran her tongue over her canines. He's real and he will be mine!

**

17 stood on top of a cliff surveying the forest with narrowed eyes. She's out there somewhere...

His eyes widened slightly as he saw someone flying to the forest surrounded by a circle of light. At the edge of the tree the energy dissipated and the figure fell into the green and into the night.

17 clenched his fist in fury. That must be lover boy... Coming to visit, Ava... He will wish he had never seen her... He smiled a vicious kind of smile. I will see what kind of man it takes to win Ava's heart than I'll steal it... It'll be fun...

**

Ava streaked through the trees eager to get home and prepare for the morrow.

An icy finger of foreboding skimmed Ava's spine as she felt a pair of eyes on her... She skidded to a stop and turned around slowly to see a vague silhouette behind her.

**

A ninja? 17 lifted his eyebrows as he watched the warrior stop in his tracks to turn and confront his opponent. He's fast and has good instincts... but strong enough to beat me? I don't think so.

**

Ava swallowed hard as she instinctively prepared to defend herself. Who is this? She stifled a gasp as the hunter came into the moonlight. Android 17?!

**

17 studied the ninja's defensive position. "A fighter, why am I not surprised?" He looked into his rival's black eyes and saw shock.

"What's wrong? Didn't think you would ever be challenged?" His lips tilted to the left.

The ninja shrugged almost insolently as his eyes lit up with... joy?

17 looked at him perplexed. You're a weird one aren't you?

**

He's challenging me! Ava thought to herself happily. Ava shrugged in response to his question almost giddy in spite of herself. She studied him in turn. He's perfect! She noticed his confusion. He must want me to attack him! She grinned at him through her mask.

**

The battle that ensued was bloody, vicious, and fought with deadly intent. The two warriors circled each other as the night bled into the day. An unspoken agreement and been made that talent and skill not strength would win, the forest was not to be harmed. The day died and the sky darkened, though, the two fighters never noticed.

Crippling blows were deflected or barely dodged, Ava was in ecstasy, she had never felt so alive. 17 was fast, shrewd, and merciless... what more could a girl want? Ava gasped softly as pain sliced through her, though she managed to arch her back giving her foot more momentum into his face as she back flipped out of the way, despite the blow to her face. You may win, 17, but I'm not going to make it easy for you...

17 stumbled back a step checking his mouth for blood. Bastard...! 17 thought with respect as the ninja flipped out of his range. This Trunks is good... 17 narrowed his eyes at his opponent. He couldn't really tell if he was doing any real damage, he needed to get rid of that damn mask.

17 launched toward is rival ready to stop playing around and end it. He gasped in surprise as the ninja took advantage of it, snagging his shirt, rolling backwards, catapulting him over his rival's head, and slamming him against a tree. Damn, he's fast... 17 thudded to the ground and stayed there.

Ava smiled, sensing her victory, she stepped lightly up to his prone form. He wasn't moving. I hope I didn't over do it... She frowned as she nudged him with her foot.

17 let his brow lower over his eyes as he felt his rival nudge him. The absolute nerve! I am not defeated so easily! 17 gathered his limbs beneath him as he heard his rival crotch beside him.

Ava hissed in pain as 17 popped up like a jack-in-the-box and punched her in the face. She had barely managed to avoid a broken nose.

17 quickly got to his feet and sat on his rival's stomach. He leaned over the ninja triumphantly. "Well, it's been fun but now's the time to reveal whom I'm up against." He took off the mask.

Ava panted up at him. Her cheek had the beginnings of an ugly bruise, a gash above her brow, and she was smiling through a bloody lip.

17's mouth dropped open in shock.

Ava chuckled as she snagged his head with her arm and brought his face to hers.

"You're stronger... than... you look." She panted.

She licked his cheek lovingly, deliberately smearing blood on his cheek, marking him.

**

At a quiet yellow dome Vegeta frowned in his sleep. He blindly reached for Bulma, finding her, he pulled her into his embrace. When she snuggled into him, he smiled and slept deeply for the rest of the night.

**

18 sat straight up in bed, gasping, with her hand on her heart.

"18? What's wrong?" Krillin sat up sleepily.

18 swallowed hard. The feeling of loss flooded every fiber of her being. I am alone... 17? Where are you?

"18?" Krillin put his hand on hers.

18 snapped out of her trance. She looked at Krillin and was filled with warmth, love, and the knowledge that she would never be alone again. She smiled.

"Go to sleep, little man," 18 said softly as she lay back down and allowed herself to curl around her beloved.

"Right, babe," Krillin yawned.

**

17 jumped ten feet away from the panting female. He looked at her horrified, I could have killed her. Then he felt something snap and reconnect somewhere else.

He swallowed hard as he felt an acute feeling of loss... 18!

17 looked at Ava in alarm as he realized that the almost psychic connection to his twin was gone. He couldn't FEEL her! He swallowed again trying to regain some level of composure when he sensed Ava standing up. He didn't see her... or hear her... he sensed her... but that couldn't be! The only person he could sense was...

17 looked at Ava with wide eyes as it dawned on him what exactly had reconnected in his mind. He looked into her eyes and saw the mixture of joy and loss. She felt it too.

Ava got to her feet lazily wincing a bit as she pulled some sore muscles into action. She shrugged it off, pain meant life. She looked at her chosen male more than ready for the next challenge. She frowned, he seemed... lost.

"Android?" She reached out to him.

He jerked away from her as if she was something vile. He had a wild look in his blue eyes that almost scared her.

"Hunter?" She said almost pleadingly.

17 didn't answer her, he spun and took a running start before blasting off into the night to somewhere, where she wasn't.

Ava crossed her arms to keep herself from breaking into a million pieces. She was shaking from repressed emotion. She wanted to cry and wail at the gods for this injustice. She hated herself for this weakness. Besides she had already broken down once and once was enough for a life time.

She blinked back the unwanted liquid that was building behind her eyes, it would have to find another outlet if it killed her. But why?! Why would he reject me! She started toward her cave as she felt anger build within her. She welcomed it, it chased away the sadness. Why did he challenge me in the first place if he didn't want me?! She actually smiled at the hot surge of fury in her blood as she entered her sanctuary. That bastard of a whore monger on Splavish! I'll teach him to mess with the Princess of planet Vegeta! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, indeed! Hell shall pale in comparison to this female! She screamed a primal roar of rage that made all the animals in the forest quiver in fear.

She curled up in an angry ball of pain on her luxurious furs. He shall either claim what's his or die a slow death at my hands while I reclaim what I might have given him freely!

Ava's shield of anger slowly dissipated and she reached for her keepsake.

"No," she gasped softly s she desperately searched her furs and rechecked her boot.

She lay down drawing her knees to her chin sensing the fruitlessness of it all and for the first time in her life, she felt alone.