Hey guys, me again, reminding you I'm here.

Don't shoot me.. I know, too long again.. Bad week, month, year thing's happening again.. at least I'm still trying though!!

Disclaimer: It's as BAD as you think, and they ARE out to get you.

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The Vow: Broken Promises

Chapter 4: Lower than usual.

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Ki.

To a normal person, it was merely a fairy tale told to humans to raise morale, or a tale told to children to encourage themselves to work hard, and be all that they could.

Only to a Super Hero was it any different. And of course, no one actually KNEW any super heroes. Unless you counted those fakes on TV that Hercule said used lights and such in their "fights".

Of course, we know differently, don't we? We know the real truth.

Heroes do exist, and Ki is a very real thing.

It can give you the ability to fly, to shoot energy blasts, and even make it possible to tell where nearly any given person was at any given time, and for that matter, who they were with.

Unhappy mates, for example, who were at that moment at your arch nemesis' house, preparing to take to the air with their ex lovers.

Then again, it could've been the fact that Vegeta was perched in a tree just a few feet away that gave him that idea, but whatever it was, you could be sure that Prince Vegeta was.. to put it mildly.. unhappy.

Just as the two came to rest below his hiding spot, Vegeta jumped whisper-quietly to the ground, startling them both.

"V...Vegeta..." Bulma stuttered as she attempted to put as much room as possible between herself and the angry Saiyan.

"You..." Vegeta snarled to the desert bandit, who, at that moment, looked more like a bed sheet than a warrior.

"Let's go." Vegeta demanded, before taking Bulma's arm and attempting to pull her toward him. She merely whimpered, however, before falling to her knees from the pain. He just looked at her a moment, utterly confused, before jerking her to her feet again. This time she cried out, and Vegeta's stone cold expression turned to one of sudden concern. "Bulma?" He questioned, but she ignored him and kept crying.

"Let go of her, Vegeta." A voice from behind him called, and Vegeta whirled around to face none other than Gohan.

"And just who are you to order me about?"

"Probably the only one here who could still beat your ass if I wanted to."

"Care to make a small wager on that?" The obviously unhappy Prince snarled, before yet again yanking on Bulma's arm, this time pulling her into his chest. She promptly kneed him in the groin, however, and his grip on her slipped, albeit momentarily. "Crazy Bitch!" He exclaimed before lunging at her and grabbing a fistful of her shirt. Before she could blink, she found herself suspended several inches above the ground, completely at the mercy of her alien lover.

"Vegeta.. Please.. No more..." She pleaded, but he merely stared at her as if she'd grown another head.

"What in Hell's name are you taking about woman?! You're rambling on like an idiot." He exclaimed, before shaking his head and then smirking. "Won't work.. You're not going to make me..."

And then she was gone. Before anyone could blink, Bulma was torn out of his grasp, leaving only part of her shirt behind. Vegeta merely snarled, before whirling around to see exactly who had had the audacity to take HIS mate out of HIS arms.

"Ah, Namek.. It was you, then.. I might've known. Of course, this is none of your concern."

"No, you're right, it's not.. but I don't think I'd be very high on Goku's list if I let you hurt her again." Piccolo muttered, before handing Bulma off to Gohan.

"What in Kami's name do you mean 'again'? I didn't hurt her the first time!" Vegeta exclaimed, his expression confused.

"Oh no?" Gohan questioned, before pulling the sleeve of Bulma's now torn shirt down to reveal the bruises Vegeta'd left there.

It was all Vegeta could do not to gasp when he saw her.

"Do you still say you haven't hurt her?" Yamcha asked, his anger at the man outweighing the fear.

"Stay out of it!" Piccolo snapped at him, before turning his attention back to the Saiyan Prince. "Well, you've seen the evidence, Vegeta.. And honestly, I don't see how you can deny it."

"I never.." He started, before his Pride won out, and he shut up what might have been an apology.

Bulma's head shot up to glare at him then, a confused look on her face. "I have to go..." She whispered as she made her way to her car.

Yamcha moved to follow her, but Piccolo grabbed him quickly, and pulled him off to the side. "You don't have any place in this, Yamcha.. For the sake of everyone here, stay out of it. What's happened is between her and Vegeta, not us."

"I can't just leave her alone with him! You know as well as I do what he's capable of!"

"I do, and that's why I'm telling you not to get involved. I honestly don't think he knew he'd hurt Bulma. But you, on the other hand, I don't think he'd even hesitate for a moment before he killed."

"So, you're telling me that I should stop trying to protect her, because I'm scared of him? How many times have you saved Gohan from something that you knew you couldn't beat?"

Piccolo faltered for a moment, before setting his stony expression back into place. "Tell me, Yamcha.. Do you honestly think it's because she's in love with you that she came to see you? Or is it because she needed a way to hurt Vegeta?"

"Regardless, she came to me.. and I don't care if she doesn't love me.. I'll take what I can get."

By this time, Bulma was being assisted into her car by Gohan, who still looked overly troubled.

"Gohan, stop worrying.. I'm fine." She whispered to the young demi- Saiyan.

"You're not fine! Do you know what my father would do if he saw you like this? He'd shoot me for letting it happen!"

"Gohan.. It doesn't have anything to do with you. Vegeta just.. I don't know.. Maybe it's my fault.. I pushed him too far this time. I pushed the one thing he was afraid of into his face. and he snapped."

"What's that?"

"Yamcha."

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~*Vegeta's POV*~

For a moment, it didn't register in my mind that I might've actually harmed her.. Until that meddlesome brat of Kakarot's proved me wrong. Inwardly, I felt as though I was about to vomit. Outwardly, however, my face never changed. I managed to remain the cool, calm, collected, heartless Saiyan Prince.

Until I saw her face.

She looked terrified of me.

Her eyes met mine for a moment before she glanced away, seemingly ashamed. Of what, I'm not sure. Maybe it was the fact that I'd hurt her. Maybe she was embarrassed to have almost the entire remaining Z team defending her. Maybe it was the way I'd looked when I'd seen her back in the arms of her little weakling warrior.. Whatever the case, she couldn't meet my eyes.

"I never..." I began, but those were the only words that were audible. The rest were meant only for her. And only she heard them, of this I'm sure. I know this, because she actually looked at me, before confusion replaced hope, and she muttered something about having to leave.

What a dramatic twist of fate that she'd gone from his arms to mine, and then to his again.. Although it was easy to see that I had hurt her worse than he ever had.. He'd only wounded her heart.

I'd wounded her body and soul.

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~*Bulma's POV*~

We locked eyes for a minute before I had to look away. I could never forgive myself if he saw me cry, which is what I'm doing right now. I know he knows I'm crying.. But that doesn't change it.. I can't let him see what he's capable of doing to me. I can't let him know that he's got the power to break my heart again.

I hear him speak to the group, but he only utters three syllables before stopping again. "So typical of him to leave it unfinished." I think, before I hear him continue.

"I never meant to hurt you. Those were never my intentions." He speaks, and I look up at him, astonished. It's then that I see that his lips aren't moving.

"Convenient way to keep your pride, Vegeta. Convenient way to not have to lower yourself. " I answer back through the bond. He winces a bit, but says nothing.

All of the hope leaves me then, and I whisper to the group that I need to leave. If he had apologized, or convinced the rest that he didn't mean it, it would have been one thing.. But he just lets me go..

I can feel Gohan following a few feet behind me as I walk to the car, and it's a good thing, because my body is exhausted, and I stumble twice on the way there.

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From the look on Vegeta's face, it was easy to see that he was wrestling with his pride, trying desperately to utter a simple I'm sorry, or forgive me. It was pointless, however, because in the end, Pride won out, and he merely smirked as he saw Yamcha climb into the car with her and watched them drive away.

"Are you happy now, Vegeta?" Piccolo asked as he walked back toward where he stood.

"Doesn't matter one way or another. All she's proving is how big of a whore she is. Nothing else."

"If that's what you want to think, Vegeta, then go right ahead. But, need I remind you that you'd have no place here if it weren't for that whore. Do you honestly think you're still around because we want you here? The answer to that, is simple. The only reason you're here is because she wanted you to be. And everyone holds too much respect for her to question her judgment, however wrong she might be." He answered, before turning and walking away. Gohan followed shortly behind, leaving the Saiyan Prince by himself. He gave a defeated sigh, before taking to the sky, and, against his better judgment, flying toward Capsule Corp.

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There now.. THAT was an action packed chappie, dontchathink? I can't help but feel sorry for both Bulma and Vegeta right now.. Bulma because she's torn between him and her pride.. Vegeta because he's torn between her and his.. Tis a toughie! Ah well.. We all know things have to work out eventually, right? *evil smirk* Or do they?

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Oh, and the new update day for this fic is Friday, so look for any new chaps on that day.. And no, it won't start this week, because I've got others to update... but next week, you'd better believe it'll be here.

Lovies!

~*VP*~