Disclaimer: I DO NOT own DBZ.  Hah.  I wish!

"DANGER! DANGER!"

"Huh?  Oh.  That's just my dad. He's pretty scary.  Probably the scariest person in the Universe…Actually, Mom is.  But don't tell anyone that."

Trunks Briefs-  Dragonball GT

"Un-Important"

Chapter Two: The Last Straw

            A while later, after Krillin and the other injured fighters regained conciousness, the rest of the Z seishi congregated in the infirmary of the Capsule Corporation mansion.  Bulma had fallen back into a hard chair, trying to relieve the pain in her feet; Trunks bounded up to his mother in euphoria. 

            "WOW Mom!  You shoulda seen them!  The were all tall and gangly and stuff!  They really knew how to fight!  Goku was knocked out because one of 'em ripped into his neck like a vampire!  But then Dad was all 'I'm going to kill you with one hand behind my back' and Krillin was all 'Vegeta your gonna need our help' and Dad was all 'Nuh uh.' And Piccolo glared at them both.  IT WAS SOOO COOL!" 

            Bulma smiled weakly at her sons obvious adoration for his father.  If only he knew… Trunks leaned in conspiratorially with his eyes cast shrewdly towards his father.

            "I heard the bat things talking and one of 'em mentioned attacking C.C. and losing one of their fighters to a human earth woman.  With blue hair.  They were talking about hunting her down and stuff.  I knew that they were talking about you.  I told Dad about them hunting for you, and he went like, berserk!  He was all shootin' stuff and screamin' and killin' things left and right."

            Bulma eyed her son in awe.  Where'd he get THAT sneaky look from?  And Vegeta?  Oh please.  Whatever.  He probably had his superior race insulted.  She turned her head towards Vegeta's bed in the corner.  Vegeta was staring at the ceiling ignoring the simple banter between the other Z fighters.  She rested her elbow on the armrest and propped her head up on her hand.  Her eyes narrowed though, as she heard a particularly short bald man complain, "Man oh man, this hurts.  It woulda been easier to use weapons."  The rest of the Z fighters laughed, even the possibility of using anything but their fighting skills was ridiculous. 

            Bulma glared at her follically challenged friend.  "You wouldn't be hurt if you had just listened to me." She muttered to herself angrily.  Vegeta turned his head and glared at his woman, "Don't start that again, woman."

            Bulma frowned, "Start what exactly, saiyan?"

            Vegeta rolled his eyes, "You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about, wench.  Your persistence at attempting to save what little place in this group you have left, is pathetic.  We have strength.  Mostly in myself and Kakkarot.  We DON"T need you!  Nothing you could've done would've helped.  Now, shut up and quit your RIDICULOUS babble !"

            The Z fighters hushed up as a clatter resounded through the room.  Bulma had jumped up out of her seat, her anger washing away all pain and any other feeling.  Her eyes were scrunched up and her face was tight with fury.  Her finely manicured nails were now biting into the palms of her hands.  Vegeta laughed. 

            "Grown a backbone now, onna?  How well timed.  Even when you are at your lowest, you manage to surprise me.  Look, you are ugly, loud mouthed, and self absorbed.  What pathetic amount of  your brain that ACTUALLY functions, is hardly needed.  Your time of use has ended.  Now, LEAVE!"

            At each of Vegeta's insults the Z fighters flinched, knowing that Bulma could erupt at any moment.  All fearing the wrath of one blue haired genius.  When only silence reigned, Yamcha, "You know, Bulma.  As much as I hate to admit it…Vegeta has a point.  We did  need you when we were younger, but now?  We don't really need you anymore…"  Krillin jumped in, trying to make it easier.

            "I mean, It's not like we hate you or anything.  It's just, since Goku's gotten so strong, as have the rest of us…Your inventions haven't been needed as much, if hardly ever."

            Bulma flinched as each of her friends delivered a harsh blow against her.  I'm well aware of my FAULTS!  Nosy, Overbearing…but you'd think they could fucking overlook that!  NO!  I'm the expendable one!  I'm the one who needs to get their act together!  It's okay for Goku to be an IDIOT, because he's strong.  It's okay for Vegeta to be an ASS, because he's strong!  Yamcha's cheesy, Krillin is just plain ODD, Gohan's the world's biggest GIT…all overlooked because they are a bunch of testosterone pumped, steroid enhanced, alien, frelling FIGHTERS!  Intelligence counts for NOTHING!

            Trunks saw his mom start to tremble, something familiar quirked in his head but he ignored it, and figured it was due to her about to burst into tears.  He really didn't understand, but some of the stuff they were saying was really hurting his mom.  And No One hurt his mom.  He jumped in front of her and crossed his arms in an imitation of his father.  

            "STOP IT!  Leave her alone!  Can't you guys see you're hurting her?"  he glared at all the fighters, save Piccolo, who had remained silent the whole time.  He turned to his father who was now leaning against the headboard his arms crossed, and a frown on his face.  Trunks gathered up his courage and yelled at his father.

            "YOU"RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER!  Not just Physically!  But Emotionally too!  You haven't done that…. Not EVER."  Trunks jumped when he felt a cool hand against his head.  He looked up into the eyes of his mother, love beyond anything else shined through her eyes.  Trunks looked down and shuffled his feet, embarrassed.  "Just thought they should know, mama." 

            Bulma leaned down and whispered something in her son's ear, he blushed but then walked out of the room, grabbing Goten on the way.  He grinned as the door shut behind him.  He whispered to Goten in a whisper that foretold doomish things. 

            "Those guys are gonna get it."

***

            Bulma turned from the door and her fury returned in full force.  Red hot anger flowed through her veins, making her body erupt in molten heat.  Her head tilted back up to face all of the fighters.  Her eyes were red.  Not swollen like from crying, but like one possessed by a vengeful spirit. 

            Her hands unclenched and she advanced upon the fighters, who unsurprisingly, backed away from the enraged human. 

            "Unimportant."  The one word carried so much contempt and hatred, some of the fighters involuntarily shuddered.  Her voice was so different.  The rage within her had made her voice deeper, ragged.  "You deem me unimportant.  I'm only a place to stay, a mechanic…and a whore."  Her eyes seared through Vegeta's skin, hurt and crazed anger radiated off of her in violent waves.  It battered against his senses, numbing him.   She continued her advance on the fighters, paying no heed to chairs or trays, anything that got in her way, she lodged at the fighters.  "You tell me that I' worthless, more than once, every single day.  Today I get told by my best friends that I'm worthless as well.  Do you know how that feels?  Do YOU?  The one person I thought I could count on, was not in fact the man I …" She faltered for a moment, "…The person I could count on to count me as a someone turned out to be an eight year old boy." 

            "I've been with you for almost your entire lives.  And I'm worthless."  She turned away, un-noticing of the mass destruction around her.  "We'll see."

***

The fighters were pale and shaking.  No force was stronger than a woman's wrath.  Krillin decided that he would rather face Frieza for an eternity than one day of Bulma's wrath.  Piccolo, the only one unaffected by this, glared at the Z fighters.

"I will regret the day I ever underestimate the power of a man…or woman.  Even the smallest part of a machine has it's use.  What will you do when she's gone, and you have no one to back you up?"

***

            Bulma drove down the road, heedless to the wind and rain now battering against her car.  Her capsules were safely tucked in her belt.  Trunks knew.  That was enough.  He wouldn't tell.  The rain made the road hard to see, but Bulma knew the way by heart.  It was an abandoned field, one where she could stay for a while, to release some of the anger and rage that still bubbled inside her. 

            Get over it girl.  It's over.  Just accept it. 

            No.  I won't.  I may not be the strongest fighter in the world.  But I still have my pride.  I want….

            What do you want?  Recognition?  A parade? 

            I want a thank you.

            Bulma's car traveled further down the road until she reached the abandoned field. She encapsulated her car and trudged out to the middle of the field.  The rain drenched her in seconds and the lightning behind her illuminated her silhouette against the black sky. 

            For almost an hour she sat out there in the wet freezing rain and just stared into the sky.  She thought about her life, her love, her friends.  She thought about the fact that:  she had started this entire fiasco of Dragonball hunting.  Without her…. None of her friends would have died.  It was her fault.  It was her fault that Frieza killed her friends.  It was Her fault….her fault….her…..fault.

            The intensity of her emotions swelled up within her and she couldn't hold it in any longer.  She had to let it out.  Let out almost forty years of pain and loss that no one , not Vegeta, not her family, not her son, not even her friends knew about.  It was the real Bulma Briefs baring her soul to the heavens.

She opened her mouth….and screamed.