AN: big thanks to all the reviewers!! I love ya!!

The Downfall of a Heartless Man

Chapter 6

"I am NOT wearing THAT!" I rage as I look into the full length mirror and see the reflection of a proud Saiyan warrior confined in this...what did the woman call it? Ah, a tuxedo. I detest the thing. " Oh Vegeta, you looook..." she pauses a moment and a look of sheer joy spreads across her beautiful face."...You look HANDSOME!" she bursts wildly giving a little squeal. "This is the one!" she orders the serving man. "George, I want this one! Have it bagged up and put on my card!" Once the hideous garment is off of me, the woman squeals again and says to me, " OH! I can't wait Vegeta! This is going to be SO much FUN!"

I have never seen the woman act this way. In any other circumstances, I would blast her to oblivion, but I know she does it only on my account. I suppose I can forgive her this once. "Now, it's my turn to shop!" she screams. Oh, shit.

She smiles madly and pulls me away once again. We have been on this damn "shopping trip" for almost the entire day. The woman has dragged me into every crowded, human filled room full of garments that exists! Kami, if I have to smell another revolting, sweating human I am going to...I gasp inaudibly as the woman steps out of her dressing room. She is wearing the dress! The dress from my dream!

Just as before, a thin strap crosses over only her right shoulder. It is white, but now that I am closer I see that it sparkles as well. The neckline dips low to show off her generous cleavage and is tight around her thin belly. The only difference from before is that the skirt bells at her hips and sweeps the tops of her dainty feet.

" So, what do you think?" she asks excitedly as she twirls around to give me a better view. Her back is bare, except for the small portion that attaches to the strap over her shoulder. Her luxurious aqua tresses contrast wonderfully to her smooth porcelain skin as they fall down her back.

I cannot find words to answer her. I stand agape as she continues to twirl about on one foot. " Do you like it?" the woman asks, stopping her spinning to look at me. Before I know what is going on she is giggling and running over to me. I feel her soft, moist lips on my cheek and hear her silky voice as she whispers in my ear. " I'll take that as a yes." she says, then makes her way back to the dressing room.

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That night as I lay in bed, I am tormented yet again by thoughts of her. I can still feel her plump, delicious lips grazing over my rough cheek. Why did she do that?! Why does she torture me?! And where the fuck did she find that damn dress?!

I ponder endlessly for hours on the adamant emotions forcing their way through my blood stream. DOES she care for me damnit?! If she doesn't then why did she ask me to this ball?! Why did she kiss me?! Frustration mixed with need and want make my temperate rise and my mind become clouded and confused.

If she DOES care then why doesn't she just fucking SAY so!? Why doesn't she just DO something...anything...

I clench my fists angrily and grind my teeth together in a scowl. I can feel the waves of uncontrollable ire leek through my restraint. Her eyes, her hair, her lips....KAMI! She WILL be mine! Even if I have to FORCE her!

I tear the covers from my heated body I lunge through the open window and onto the balcony outside. Her window is open as well, and her pink gauzy curtains swing back and forth with the cool breeze. Too LONG I have waited. FAR too long.

I glance up at the dark, glittering sky for a second then whip my eyes back to the woman's window. I phase quietly from my balcony to hers in one quick movement.

Anger and lust push me over the edge and I swiftly walk through the window and into her bedroom. I stop at her bed and gaze down at her beautiful body. Cover-less and nearly clothing-less, she lays atop her large bed with one arm under her head and the other resting gently in front of her. She is wearing a tight white shirt with thin straps and a pair of pink cotton panties, and her cerulean hair pools on the pillow behind her like a serene lake of cool, blue water. Her eyes are closed in peace and her raspberry lips are parted slightly. She will finally be mine!!

The light of the silver moon makes her lovely skin shimmer iridescently and my mind races with searing thoughts of kissing every last inch of it. My hands descend to her long, voluptuous legs but stop when she begins to stir.

She murmurs softly and whispers something I can barely understand. I lean in closer to her beautiful face and hear the one thing I least expect.

" Vegeta..."

I snap up quickly and reel backwards from shock. " Vegeta..." she whispers pleasantly, my cursed name flowing easily from her perfect mouth. A small smile tugs at her lips and she giggles lightly.

A sick feeling sweeps over me as I remember what I was just about to do to this innocent angel. I was going to FORCE her!! Force the only woman I ever...

I am no better than the other man who tried the very same thing. I am no better than that repulsive man I hate so much. I saved the woman that night from one man, only to put her in danger of another.

Me.

Shame and guilt snakes foreignly through my body and wraps around the most unused part of being: my heart.

Shaking my head in pure disgust of myself, I fly swiftly out of the window and into the dark, inviting sky.

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~

I fly endlessly for an entire day, pouring over every moment of the last year and a half of my life. The sun rose shortly after I began my flight and is now beginning to ebb away into the horizon. My eyes are closed in reverie and the cold wind whips my hair and numbs my face, but I barely notice.

I cannot piece together the fragmented shards of my mind; I don't even know how to anymore. Fuck, I don't even know who I anymore. I see myself changing and becoming a man I hardly recognize more and more each day, but I don't know how to stop it, or even if I want to.

Fear, doubt, guilt, regret...all these things I never once felt before. I never felt these things when innocent lives begged me for mercy or screamed out in pain as I murdered them and their families one at a time, or even when I accepted the payment for doing it. Hundreds, thousands of entire species have gone extinct in an instant at my hand, yet I never felt anything for it except accomplishment and pride.

But I feel it now. My body and mind aches from what I might have done to one woman. I cannot understand it. How can a single life do what countless others could not?

I open my eyes to see the Capsule Corps. Building coming into view and I increase my speed and land a moment later in the back yard. The sun has fully set and deep hues of black replace the previously golden-streaked sky. The extremity of my guilt settles on my shoulders as I walk into the house and see the woman sitting alone at the kitchen table. She is writing something in a large notebook and her beautiful face is drawn into a frown of concentration.

"Hey Vegeta!" she greets warmly and looks up at me to give me smile as I step into the room. " I was just working on some new designs for your sparring bots. I'm hoping this will help you train better without having to increase the G.R. anymore. You can look if you want." She picks up the notebook and offers it to me.

I don't take it, though. I just stand there starring into her bright aqua eyes. " I could really use your ideas." she says giving me a perplexed look, and thrusts the notebook into my chest. I take the notebook wearily and toss it on the table without looking at it. " What's wrong with you?" she asks, arching her eyebrow at me.

Suddenly everything I want to say is too much to put in words, too much to understand. I walk silently to her, close my eyes, cup her chin in my hand, and softly brush my wordless lips against hers. A thousand emotions explode through my head and the traitorous part of my mind urges me to go farther, to ask for more.

But I don't. Reluctantly I pull my lips away and force my hand to stop caressing her face. Her eyes are still closed when I do this, but by the time her long, dark blue lashes flutter open, I am gone.

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AN: Whoa! That was not what I planned for this chapter. I was going to make this chapter about the ball but...well I can't explain it. I just wrote and here it is. And it wasn't long like I promised but I hope you like it and MAYBE the next chapter will go as planned *snicker, snicker* ok well DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!! Thanks!!~Melissa