In the Eyes of a Hunter
Written by Jennifer and Mandy
Chapter 3 - Close Call
Disclaimer - We do not own any of the DBZ characters. Yet, any new characters that we have made to fit the story are ours, and part of In the Eyes of a Hunter. Thank you!
Vegeta sat at the kitchen table eating a re-hearted bowl of chicken and rice he had found in the refrigerator. He was surprised that no one had taken it already. Vegeta had noticed Trunks walk by the kitchen a minute ago but didn't see the glare he had given him when he saw that he was eating the one meal he really wanted earlier. "Trunk, get in here!" Vegeta suddenly shouted.
Trunks stopped as he heard his father call for him as he started up the stairs. Great. Now what.? He walked backwards down the few steps he had taken and turned around to go back into the kitchen. "Yeah, Dad?" he asked from the kitchen doorway.
"Trunks, where's your mother?" he asked gruffly before stuffing another large bite of chicken and rice into his already full mouth.
Trunks let out a quiet sigh of relief, knowing he wasn't in trouble for anything. "Um, I think I saw her go upstairs a while ago." He hesitated cautiously. "Are you still not talking to her?"
Vegeta swallowed hard and turned his head to face him with a stern expression. "That's none of your business, boy!"
Trunks backed up a little and sighed in predicted defeat. "Just wondering, that's all." He turned around and walked back up the stairs.
Six hours later.
Vegeta let out a weary breath and walked over to the gravity machine, turning it off and muttering to himself. He listened as the hum of the gravity generator died down slowly as it shut off. He opened the door and stepped outside onto the grass. A chilling wind blew in from the east causing him to turn his back against it. Loose strands of his sweat- drenched hair flew in his face. He lifted his head and watched as the last streaks of gold along the horizon, from the sunset, faded into pale gray. He then turned his head back to the wind, staring hard at the dark clouds that rolled against the sky. He let out a quiet sigh, knowing to expect a pretty bad storm later that night. After another moment of silent thinking, Vegeta turned and headed into the house, going straight to their bedroom.
Bulma was propped up against the back of the bed reading when Vegeta came in. She looked up and took her reading glasses off with a sigh. She set her glasses down on the nightstand beside the bed and lowered her book into her lap. "Vegeta." she started.
Vegeta stopped by the foot of the bed and looked over at Bulma silently.
As she closed the book and set it aside, Bulma glanced around thoughtfully before looking back up at him. "Dear, I'm tired of the way we're avoiding each other and not speaking. It's been a week since we've done more than look in each other's direction. I'm ready for this to stop." She leaned forward a little, staring intently at him. "Don't you feel the same way, Vegeta?"
He folded his arms, shifted his weight, and turned his head a little to the side, looking up at the ceiling. "I felt that way from the start, but you just never took the time to listen." He answered and turned his back to look at her. "And if you DON'T want to listen, then I don't see any point in speaking."
"I swear, Vegeta! Can't we have ONE civilized conversation without yelling or getting into an argument??" They stared at each other in silence, both having more to say but feeling it best to leave that question where it was. Bulma sighed after a moment and spoke in a softer tone; she spoke with a voice filled with regret and sorrow. "You know, Vegeta. You haven't changed a whole lot since the last time I remembered you." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down. "And if this is the case, I don't see any reason for me to be here. I don't understand why you bothered to bring me back if I can't even tell that you love me anymore."
Vegeta stood, staring at her with shock in his eyes. "Woman" he paused and started again. "Bulma. don't talk like that."
She pulled her legs up to her, wrapping her arms around them shakily, staring at the tops of her knees. "It's not even about this matter with Bra's training anymore. I just feel that our love has. has died."
Later that night.
Bulma rolled over once again in the twisted sheets and finally sat up. She brushed the hair out of her face from her sleepless night and looked down at Vegeta, who slept soundly with his back to her. She watched his side rise and fall with each long breath he took. She untangled her legs from the covers and got up. As she crossed the room to the balcony doors she heard him shift around and mumble quietly "I.will." She stared at the floor ahead of her and reached out for the handles on the doors. She opened them, a cold wind chilling her and walked out onto the balcony with tears blurring her vision. She stood still for a moment as harsh rain hammered all around her. Fragments of her and Vegeta's conversation ran though her mind. Thunder clapped loudly somewhere close behind her. Her bare feet splashed against the concrete surface of the balcony as she walked over to the railing and looked down with water streaming down the sides of her face. She straightened up but continued looking down at the top of the railing in thought. She whispered, "I don't. even know anymore. Does he even still love me at all?" She trailed off as lightning flashed brightly around her, lighting up the whole surrounding area, and throwing shadows around for a brief moment. Seconds later, thunder roared above her as she gripped the railing limply. She shook her head. "No. If he did, then he would be more understanding of how I feel." She sobbed quietly at the thought and glanced back over the railing. She blinked out the remaining tears in her eyes, letting them join the continuous streams of water running down her face. In a trance-like state, she climbed up onto the railing and balanced herself, staring straight ahead as the wind rushed around her. Flashes of her life with Vegeta skipped through her mind. All the times when he should had been there for her but wasn't. Did he care if she lived or died anymore? Everything seemed to slow down as another enormous bolt of lightning struck close by, illuminating her face and the sudden panic in her eyes as she fell forward. All her breath rushed from her lungs, preventing the scream she heard in her mind to escape from her mouth. The ground rushed closer and she closed her eyes tight. She managed a short, shrill scream as she came to an abrupt stop. The rain slapped her face. She opened her eyes and looked up into Vegeta's face. He had his arms safely under her. He was staring down at her with deep concern and worry in his eyes. She sucked in a breath and curled into his chest, crying as hard as her tired eyes would allow. She clutched his shirt and buried her face into his chest, breathing in short gasps between sobs.
Vegeta murmured softly, "Why Bulma.?" He held her closer in a protective manner and flew back up into their room, lying her back down on the bed.
Bulma continued crying quietly with eyes closed tight. "Oh, Vegeta."
Vegeta stroked her wet hair out of her face and waited until she had fallen asleep. It didn't take long. Her body was exhausted from the enormous shock it had just gone through. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her breathing settled into long, occasionally jerky breaths as her quiet sobs finished themselves off in her sleep. He walked back around the bed and slowly got back under the covers. He scooted over closer to her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, holding her closely as his mind raced. That was too close. He looked down at the sleeping Bulma. I'm sorry, Bulma. for not keeping my promise.
Written by Jennifer and Mandy
Chapter 3 - Close Call
Disclaimer - We do not own any of the DBZ characters. Yet, any new characters that we have made to fit the story are ours, and part of In the Eyes of a Hunter. Thank you!
Vegeta sat at the kitchen table eating a re-hearted bowl of chicken and rice he had found in the refrigerator. He was surprised that no one had taken it already. Vegeta had noticed Trunks walk by the kitchen a minute ago but didn't see the glare he had given him when he saw that he was eating the one meal he really wanted earlier. "Trunk, get in here!" Vegeta suddenly shouted.
Trunks stopped as he heard his father call for him as he started up the stairs. Great. Now what.? He walked backwards down the few steps he had taken and turned around to go back into the kitchen. "Yeah, Dad?" he asked from the kitchen doorway.
"Trunks, where's your mother?" he asked gruffly before stuffing another large bite of chicken and rice into his already full mouth.
Trunks let out a quiet sigh of relief, knowing he wasn't in trouble for anything. "Um, I think I saw her go upstairs a while ago." He hesitated cautiously. "Are you still not talking to her?"
Vegeta swallowed hard and turned his head to face him with a stern expression. "That's none of your business, boy!"
Trunks backed up a little and sighed in predicted defeat. "Just wondering, that's all." He turned around and walked back up the stairs.
Six hours later.
Vegeta let out a weary breath and walked over to the gravity machine, turning it off and muttering to himself. He listened as the hum of the gravity generator died down slowly as it shut off. He opened the door and stepped outside onto the grass. A chilling wind blew in from the east causing him to turn his back against it. Loose strands of his sweat- drenched hair flew in his face. He lifted his head and watched as the last streaks of gold along the horizon, from the sunset, faded into pale gray. He then turned his head back to the wind, staring hard at the dark clouds that rolled against the sky. He let out a quiet sigh, knowing to expect a pretty bad storm later that night. After another moment of silent thinking, Vegeta turned and headed into the house, going straight to their bedroom.
Bulma was propped up against the back of the bed reading when Vegeta came in. She looked up and took her reading glasses off with a sigh. She set her glasses down on the nightstand beside the bed and lowered her book into her lap. "Vegeta." she started.
Vegeta stopped by the foot of the bed and looked over at Bulma silently.
As she closed the book and set it aside, Bulma glanced around thoughtfully before looking back up at him. "Dear, I'm tired of the way we're avoiding each other and not speaking. It's been a week since we've done more than look in each other's direction. I'm ready for this to stop." She leaned forward a little, staring intently at him. "Don't you feel the same way, Vegeta?"
He folded his arms, shifted his weight, and turned his head a little to the side, looking up at the ceiling. "I felt that way from the start, but you just never took the time to listen." He answered and turned his back to look at her. "And if you DON'T want to listen, then I don't see any point in speaking."
"I swear, Vegeta! Can't we have ONE civilized conversation without yelling or getting into an argument??" They stared at each other in silence, both having more to say but feeling it best to leave that question where it was. Bulma sighed after a moment and spoke in a softer tone; she spoke with a voice filled with regret and sorrow. "You know, Vegeta. You haven't changed a whole lot since the last time I remembered you." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down. "And if this is the case, I don't see any reason for me to be here. I don't understand why you bothered to bring me back if I can't even tell that you love me anymore."
Vegeta stood, staring at her with shock in his eyes. "Woman" he paused and started again. "Bulma. don't talk like that."
She pulled her legs up to her, wrapping her arms around them shakily, staring at the tops of her knees. "It's not even about this matter with Bra's training anymore. I just feel that our love has. has died."
Later that night.
Bulma rolled over once again in the twisted sheets and finally sat up. She brushed the hair out of her face from her sleepless night and looked down at Vegeta, who slept soundly with his back to her. She watched his side rise and fall with each long breath he took. She untangled her legs from the covers and got up. As she crossed the room to the balcony doors she heard him shift around and mumble quietly "I.will." She stared at the floor ahead of her and reached out for the handles on the doors. She opened them, a cold wind chilling her and walked out onto the balcony with tears blurring her vision. She stood still for a moment as harsh rain hammered all around her. Fragments of her and Vegeta's conversation ran though her mind. Thunder clapped loudly somewhere close behind her. Her bare feet splashed against the concrete surface of the balcony as she walked over to the railing and looked down with water streaming down the sides of her face. She straightened up but continued looking down at the top of the railing in thought. She whispered, "I don't. even know anymore. Does he even still love me at all?" She trailed off as lightning flashed brightly around her, lighting up the whole surrounding area, and throwing shadows around for a brief moment. Seconds later, thunder roared above her as she gripped the railing limply. She shook her head. "No. If he did, then he would be more understanding of how I feel." She sobbed quietly at the thought and glanced back over the railing. She blinked out the remaining tears in her eyes, letting them join the continuous streams of water running down her face. In a trance-like state, she climbed up onto the railing and balanced herself, staring straight ahead as the wind rushed around her. Flashes of her life with Vegeta skipped through her mind. All the times when he should had been there for her but wasn't. Did he care if she lived or died anymore? Everything seemed to slow down as another enormous bolt of lightning struck close by, illuminating her face and the sudden panic in her eyes as she fell forward. All her breath rushed from her lungs, preventing the scream she heard in her mind to escape from her mouth. The ground rushed closer and she closed her eyes tight. She managed a short, shrill scream as she came to an abrupt stop. The rain slapped her face. She opened her eyes and looked up into Vegeta's face. He had his arms safely under her. He was staring down at her with deep concern and worry in his eyes. She sucked in a breath and curled into his chest, crying as hard as her tired eyes would allow. She clutched his shirt and buried her face into his chest, breathing in short gasps between sobs.
Vegeta murmured softly, "Why Bulma.?" He held her closer in a protective manner and flew back up into their room, lying her back down on the bed.
Bulma continued crying quietly with eyes closed tight. "Oh, Vegeta."
Vegeta stroked her wet hair out of her face and waited until she had fallen asleep. It didn't take long. Her body was exhausted from the enormous shock it had just gone through. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her breathing settled into long, occasionally jerky breaths as her quiet sobs finished themselves off in her sleep. He walked back around the bed and slowly got back under the covers. He scooted over closer to her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, holding her closely as his mind raced. That was too close. He looked down at the sleeping Bulma. I'm sorry, Bulma. for not keeping my promise.