Disclaimer: I don't own dragonball Z. Ciara is mine. Adrian is mine (altho' I do give Shin the permission to swat him like a bug). Lissette is mine. She centered in "Blessed", another fic that is supposed to be before this one, but I'm writting this frist so . . . *shruggs*

Summery: After everything is over with, buu being defeated, the world back to norms, Yamcha begins to think of his life and his friends. And just how lonely he really is . . .

*Smirk* A Yamcha Romance. Blame it on one of my friends, they gave me the idea. Although I have added onto that idea since then. It was just supposed to be a simple little guy-meets-girl type thing, but I wanted it to be about more. I happen to like Yamcha do I wanted it to have depth. *glares at everyone who doesn't like him*

So I present a tale about the choices we make and the hero that lies within . . .

Serendipity

Serendipity ~ The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
(This seems to be Yamcha's curse)

1: Despondency & Demons

"So Scream you, out from behind the bitter ache
Heavy on the memory, you need most
still want love, ugly, smooth and delicate
not without affection, not alone

And instead of wishing that it would get better
man you're seeing that you just get angrier...."

Angry - Matchbox 20 (Mad Season)

- - -

The apartment door swung closed behind him. He sighed and stood staring into the darkness of his living room before leaning back against the door and slidding down it. He closed his eyes. Resting his head in his hands he began to think.

He thought of his youth. His life before meeting the people whom would later become his closest friends and comrades. When he was younger he didn't ever imagine that he would one day become part of a group whose super-strength (which mainly laid in Goku and Vegeta and now it looked like their children) and bonds would lead them into protecting the earth from evil tyrants and villans. He had been just a desert bandit, one who happened to be scared of girls.

He met Goku, Bulma, and Oolong. Through a twist of fate they were brought together to save the earth for the first time from Emperor Pilaf. An overconfident brat whom was sure he would take over the world and become supreme ruler. Of course they had won since Yamcha was sitting here today.

. . maybe it woulda been better if we hadn't . . .

They all grew older, even Goku. He was surprised when Goku, of all people, got married first. Then again he hadn't really known what he was getting himself into now did he?

. . . marriage, a food? Goku really

Yamcha smiled with amuesment. That was Goku for you though. How could a brilliant figther be so naive? Be Goku. His simpleness and love made him the warrior he was. Goku was so selfless, so willing to die for what he believed in. Sometimes Yamcha wondered if he was strong enough to do the same. It worried him sometimes.Yamcha would always look up to him even though Goku was the younger.

Bulma. Bulma Briefs was a different story. He and Bulma had began their off and on spiral of dating almost immediately after their defeat of Pilaf. A never ending fight of love and hate that never seemed to stay the same. He really didn't like to fight with her, but knew most of it was really his fault.

He was always saying things he shouldn't. Most of the time they were just plain stupid and he wondered how he ever came up with them. No one with any sort of commom sense would have really said those things.

He also seemed to have the "other girl" syndrome, too, back then. Occasionally he would "forget" about Bulma and make a date with some other chick. They didn't really mean anything to him, but it made Bulma so angry. In reality she was the only one he trully cared for.

. . . Bulma . . .

He sighed dejectadly as he thougth about her. He had really thought he was going to marry her. His hope hadn't been dashed even when he had died. He knew the others would bring him back. But Vegeta ruined all that.

Somehow Bulma had fallen for Vegeta and given Yamcha the shaft. See ya Yamcha, you were kinda cute for a while, but goodbye I found someone better. Then, to make matters even worse, they had a son. Trunks. The worst part of the whole situation though was the fact they were all still friends and did see each other frequently. He had to watch the life he could have had. Had it not been for Vegeta.

. . . Vegeta . . .

He nearly snarled at the thought of the saiyan prince. He had no idea how everything had come to the point it was. How the hell did their once advesary become their friend? Vegeta had wanted to destroy this world once. He really didn't see how everyone else could forget that so easily. How they could just forgive him for what he had done to them.

He was still scared of him. Of course he was. No one in their right mind would not fear him. However he also held a deep-seated hate for him. Bulma wasn't the only reason, but she was the main one, and to Yamcha that was enough.

It had hurt him so deeply when Bulma had chosen the arrogant prince over him. Yes, Yamcha knew he had his flaws. He had been trying though. Trying damned hard, too. He felt a slight pain in his head and realized he was clutching his hair tightly. He forced his hands away from his head and placed them, palms down, on the floor beside him.

He didn't show it, or tell anyone else about his pain. There was no real reason to. Not like they could help anyway. They couldn't turn back time and make things better, make things right.

If only I hadn't been an idiot.

"You weren't an idiot Yamcha." A voice spoke. At first the Z-Warrior thought that maybe he had been talking aloud to himself, maybe had started answering himself. He realized though this wasn't the case. "It was really that saiyan brat's fault." There was a cautious pause. "If you think about it."

He raised his head and looked across the room. Floating in the air, sitting coss-legged, was a man. He was possibly about Yamcha's age, or perhaps a little older. He wore strange clothing. baggy navy blue pants, a matching navy blue shirt with a glittering material sowed inside the threads. A dark silver sash was cinced at his waist and the extra material fell about a foot down at his side.

The figure was barefoot, but it was apparent he didn't go like this often. He had no callouses. He looked well-groomed and had an intelligent hint to his tenor voice when he spoke. He watched Yamcha a moment in silent contemplation. Maybe waiting for an answer, maybe just considering.

Yamcha began to ask who this stranger was and why he was here. Before he could even open his mouth the man smirked slightly amuesment and spoke again.

"I am named Adrian Ambrose. You may call me Adrian. Most do." The man seemed to smile dangerously at the comment to himself, almost like he was reminescing on some secret joke. Yamcha tilted his head to the side, watching the man closely, suspisciously.

"I am here to help you." He said plaintively, straight out. "You are angry, no?"

Yamcha waited a moment before speaking. Slowly he answered. "Yes. Yes I am angry. But how do you know about any of this. \i What are you?\i0 "

Adrian threw back his head, golden hair flying, and cackled as if some hillarious joke had been told. "Oh...." He said, shaking a finger at Yamcha. "You're good." He was sitll laughing mildly. "What, indeed. Yes, yes. That is the question. But one that is not of importance at the moment. What is important is the matter at hand. This . . . Vegeta."

He leaned forward slightly, holding Yamcha's eyes with his own. They seemed to be hypnotic. They were dark and hazardous, but at the time Yamcha didn't see that. All he seemed to see was that there was an answer to his problems. There was a solution.

"You want revenge, yes?" Adrian said, almost a whisper. He said it in a tone that implied this was a terrible secret and had to be spoken of lowly. "I can give you this and more. I can make your deepest desires come true."

"R-really?" Yamcha stammered. He was now leaning forward on his hands, listening intently. He knew he shouldn't. Deep inside he knew that this was wrong, but he couldn't help himself. He felt sucked in. Trapped. He didn't care. He wanted to care, but couldn't.

"Well," Adrian drawled, flipping his hair with a jerk of the head and making a gesture with his hand. "There's only one thing I need in return, but you needn't worry of it. You really don't need to give it to me. It'll weed itself out as I do my job. All you have to do is sit back.... sit back and enjoy the complete destruction of your enemy's life and everything he holds dear."

"What's this one thing?" Yamcha asked, curious.

"Trust me, Yamcha. Don't fret over it." Suddenly Adrian's eyes seemed to flash and they flickered upward a brief moment. So brief Yamcha almost didn't catch it. Then he smiled his dangerous smile again. He bowed his head respectfully. "I must leave you now. So, do we have a deal?"

Without thinking about it Yamcha murmured, "D-deal."

Adrian smiled wider. "Done." With that he disappeared.

- - -

Other World . . .

It was supposed to be solitary confinement. More like an amuesment. It was only a physical prison. He had long rid himself of the astral bindings. That did have it's boring parts, not being able to physically inflict pain on others. Good thing he had always been good at manipulation.

The demon smiled. But now, now he might have finally found the fool who could help him fully escape. And a fool he was. Very, very easily molded to his own needs. Well, anger could do that to a man. Especially this long-term kind. The type he had been feeling for years, maybe even nearly a decade.

All he knew was that this man would be his key to getting out of this hell-hole. Oh, well, maybe I should call this a 'heaven-hole.' He had nearly laughed for half an hour when he had first though that one up. There was nothing much else to do up here. Torturing the people below had soon become boring now that he couldn't kill anyone, and making them commit suicide by messing with their minds had been a temporary trend he had soon tired of. He would much rather kill them himself.

He had been on his new mission, close to striking the deal, when he felt a familiar prescence making his way to his private chamber. Adrian smiled. Ah...a guest how wonderful. And one with such great power, too. He finalized his deal and returned his astral body back to his physical body. He opened his eyes just in time to see a very angry god come storming in.

"Adrian." He growled. "What are you doing?"

"Me?" Adrian smiled. He loved to see the Supreme Kai riled so. He almost never got angry. Slightly frustrated at people yes, but he had never seen him ever get angry at any one else. At least not like this. He hated Adrian. Adrian loved it.

"Supreme Kai, how nice to see you. It really does touch me that you, of all people, would take time out of your busy schedule to come visit little ol' me."

"Cut it, Adrian. I have no time for your insolence. I demand to know what you are up to."

"Oh, I am not doing anything." He rolled his eyes with a sigh. It was reminiscint of a young child trying to convince an adult of their innocene in a matter of 'I didn't do it.' Only this child wasn't innocent. "You are so paranoid. You really ought to relax sometimes. Maybe you could talk one of those cute-sie guards into letting you come visit for tea."

"I don't need to 'relax ' and you're the last person I would want to have tea with." Kaioshin hissed. He really did hate Adrian. He place Adrian right under Majin Buu on the "most evil" list. His own of course.

Adrian was such a smart aleck, trying to pretend this was some game. Maybe it was, to him. Adrian was always playing a game. His favorite opponent, always, was Shin. Sometimes he wanted to break the bonds on Adrian's physical prison just so he could pass through and throttle him, but he knew better. It was hard enough to trap him the first time, it would almost be impossible to do so a second time. It just wasn't worth it.

"Considering another version of my untimely death?" Adrian smirked, his voice cheerful. "Oh well. one of these days you just might do it. Just think. My death because of you. Maybe a knife. Maybe just a blast. Poison perhaps. Disfixiation? Oh dear, you look pale, are you feeling well?" He put on a fake façade of worry.

"Get out of my head, Adrian." Shin's voice shook slightly. His hands became tight fists at his sides. He didn't care that the abomination could see. He already knew, why try to hide it? As much as he would like to kill Adrian (and the other Gods probably wouldn't blame him either) no one as of yet had really found a weakness. There was a way, but he kept coming back dammit!

"So very sorry. I just haven't had any casual conversation for a while. It's just so lonely up here though. How're you? Got a girlfriend yet?" Usually there was just an empty annoyed click in the Kai's mind when Adrian asked this question. This time... there was a growl. He set his chin on his hand. "You do? Is she pretty? Yes?"

"Leave her out of this."

"Oh, you're no fun. How are we supposed to \i communicate\i0 when you won't tell me things."

"Goodbye, Adrian." Shin turned and left amidst Adrian's calls. It was one thing to personally attack him, but to bring someone he cared for into this situation, that was it. He would come back later.

When maybe he would feel like blasting him into oblivion as opposed to long, drawn-out drowning.....

- - -

Adrian clapped his hands together with glee. He had made his deal and managed to piss the Supreme Kai off all in the same day. He crossed his legs and began to float dreaming of his new made plans.

And not even you, Kaioshin, can stop me! He cackled maniacally. A laugh that sent shivers up the guards and other inmate's spines alike, even though they couldn't hear it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Let me know what you think. Yours, Seru/Rave.

Bows out.