Well, I was just going to work on Halfbreed…but this one's been plaguing me. Damn stories demanding to be written…

Damn…enter cliché dream scene…I really don't want to write one, but it's realistic…I can certainly see it happening, considering Vegeta's past. Gah.

~

       Dark. It was so dark. He could not remember it ever being this dark. It was…suffocating. Like liquid ebony coating his unseen limbs, running slick into his open mouth, down his throat, choking. Open mouth? He was…screaming. Or would be, if it weren't for the living darkness cutting off his air, filling his lungs until his mouth only emitted a strangled, gurgling noise.

       Abruptly light pierced that invincible darkness, blinding him, freeing him. Suddenly he could breathe again, and he let die his afore-silent scream. The light converged, becoming a person…a woman. She was smiling, walking towards him with arms outstretched. He reached for her, his eyes taking in her soft azure hair, glistening blue eyes and small form. As she drew closer, he came to a dreadful realisation. Dreadful to his dream-mind, that one which thought only on the basest of levels, and yet brought forth the deepest truths.

       She was looking past him.

       Past him, towards an unknown, faceless man, who was likewise reaching towards her. He felt the darkness surround him again as she passed, bringing her light to this other man. He called to her as she continued by, pleaded with her to stop, that it wasn't right, and that she would find herself unable to be with anyone else. He prayed it was so, for his part he knew that her affair could mentally damage him permanently, no matter his feelings on the situation. He would not allow her to harm him.

       And finally, his words seemed to take effect, as she slowed to a stop just short of the man, and turned ever so slowly back towards him.

       But it wasn't her.

       The woman had morphed rapidly into a form that he held much closer to his heart. The pale blonde hair, lavender-hued skin, and soft green eyes rushed past his retina into his disbelieving mind, into his heart, which was swiftly broken again at the sight. Her soft eyes, so soft, grew wide, filling with fear and pain, calling to him for help, for salvation from her fate. The darkness rushed in again, trapping him in place although he could still clearly define her gentle form.

       Her mouth opened in a resounding scream of anguish, and his heart, he screamed along with her. She fell to the floor, at once broken and bleeding, her naked skin marred by abrasions, broken bones, and dark bruises. Her lifeless eyes stared through him from where she lay in a puddle of blood, and he screamed.

       He screamed until no sound could come from his damaged vocal cords, until all that escaped him was a keening moan.

       And he broke.

~

       Bulma leaned her head back against the chair, removing her glasses to gingerly massage the bridge of her nose, her eyes falling shut of their own accord. To say her head hurt would be an understatement…damn all the alcohol she'd had the night before. She'd worked herself to exhaustion, burying herself in projects and paper, all just to avoid…avoid going home. She refused to admit to herself that she was afraid of seeing Vegeta, or at the very least nervous.

       Why was this bothering her so much? She didn't even remember sleeping with him…She groaned as she slowly stood; her body certainly remembered. There was just something that…didn't feel quite right…something was amiss, and the feeling was growing stronger as the moments passed.

       Calling it a night, she made her way down the long outdoor path to the housing complex. Dread overwhelmed her as she neared the tan dome, and the gravity room squatting beside it. The lights were still on inside, and against her better judgement, she walked towards it to peek in the window.

       She'd been sure to sound-proof the thing, leaving it with only a sound detector. Depending on the noise level within, a light by the door would flash green, yellow, or red. Tonight the flashing red caught her eye, and her brow creased in worry. She'd never seen the sound level that high before…what on earth was Vegeta doing in there?

       Standing on tiptoe Bulma peeked through the thick window, and what she saw puzzled her. The dark feeling within her surged up with a vengeance, and she grew nauseous from it.

       Vegeta was on his stomach on the floor, both hands clawing at the floor, making ruts in the reinforced metal. His mouth was open in a soundless cry, the look on his face one of agony. In her peripheral vision Bulma noticed the sound level fall from red to green, though Vegeta's expression remained the same.

       "Oh gods, Vegeta!" She punched in the code to open the door, simultaneously shutting down the gravity. She hopped impatiently from foot to foot while the door opened all-too slowly. As soon as she was able she ducked under the door and rushed to the fallen Saiyan, who was gasping for air. She knelt beside him, reaching for the man uncertainly…what was wrong with him? Shouldn't he have sensed her coming? Was he in too much pain for such thoughts? Looking over what she could see of him, she was unable to find any horribly distressing wounds, and certainly nothing he hadn't taken before without a second thought.

       She struggled to roll him onto his back, and immediately inspected his front-side. Now wounds there either. He was still straining for air, but she assumed it to be a combination of his earlier screaming and the heavy gravity pushing him into the floor.

       "Vegeta…Vegeta, snap out of it. What's wrong? What happened?" His breathing began to calm finally, but he still didn't open his eyes. With a start Bulma realized that he was unconcious, sleeping even. Had he been…dreaming?

       She laid a cool hand on his heated skin, softly touching his cheek. She watched curiously as he leaned into the caress, his deepened scowl eased somewhat and he finally breathed normally for one sleeping.

       "Vegeta…" she crooned, and his eyes drifted open. He stared past her for a moment before focusing on the woman hovering over him. "Bulma?" He whispered, and she nodded. He glared at her and sat up, moving out of reach in one motion.

       "What do you want?" He spat, self-consciously touching his face, his expression turning to horror as he scrubbed away the gathered moisture on his cheeks. "Get out," he demanded, shakily climbing to his feet while deciding that he'd rather have her gone than find out the reason she was even here.

       She glared at him, crossed her arms beneath her breasts and widened her stance. She was between him and the door, and she wasn't leaving anytime soon. "I walked all the way over to your damn capsule, came in this sweat-stench place, with you having seizures over there from some dream, and all I get is 'Get out'?!"

       "Yes. Need I reiterate?"

       She glared death at him and stalked out the door. "See if I show you any compassion next time…not that you ever felt such a thing, damn asshole…" she muttered as she exited, and Vegeta clenched trembling fists at his sides. The door closed with a soft whoosh, parting the two.

       Inside the room the man fell to his knees, finally giving in to his lack of composure after the dream…gods, why now of all times did such things have to come back to haunt him? Why did she still haunt him…how could he still be mourning her loss, fifteen years after the fact? He pushed thoughts of her away, still unable to comprehend why he couldn't get past her death…it was only one death, one among so many he had seen or caused, and this one in particular hadn't even been his fault…He repeated that thought to himself, mercilessly beating into his mind, his pained heart…

       It wasn't your fault…it wasn't your fault…

       Outside and walking towards the house, the woman carefully hid her hurt, bitter at his rejection of her help. But then, what had she expected? Nothing, she decided. She knew to expect nothing from him, and she didn't understand why that hurt.

~

Well, it's short, but it's something. Hope you liked it, cuz I think I did…yeah…

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