Author's Note: Sorry about the shortness, but it couldn't be helped. Happy reading, R&R.

Chapter 12: The Start of Something?

Vegeta sighed angrily and flipped the top of the pack open. He pulled out a cigarette, placing it in his mouth. Cupping his hands around it, he lit it and drew in the smoke. He exhaled and the smoke went out then up in a steady line, mingling with the air before disappearing. He groaned and leaned against a tree.

"My life is officially screwed and not worth living," he spoke to no one in particular. Suicide had entered his mind several times, those long years ago after he'd first moved to West Capitol. Couldn't hurt could it? No one would miss him. Well they would, but he couldn't care less. At least he'd be free of this fucked up world. He looked down the cliff, descending before him.

This was his favorite spot. He came here whenever his life got too much, just to think and clear his head. It'd hurt, but it'd be all over before he knew it. Maybe in the next dimension he could track down his murdered family? He looked across the barren landscape stretching out from the foot of the cliff. He threw his smoke on the ground, exhaling and stubbing it out with his foot. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and rolled up his sleeves, placing the point on his wrist.

"Er Lisa? Hi. Is Vegeta in?" Goku asked, as Vegeta's godmother opened the front door to him. She sighed heavily.

"No. He got angry when we tried to talk to him and stormed out." Goku bit his lip. This wasn't good. He weighed up his options. Find Vegeta, who was probably doing something stupid, or stay here and talk to Lisa and Kevin.

"Can I come in anyway?"

"Sure Goku."

"OK, you guys better sit down." Kevin and Lisa frowned at him, but sat at the kitchen table anyway. "OK. I've been Vegeta's friend, for as long as he's lived here. And I know everything about him." Kevin and Lisa looked at each other. This didn't go unnoticed by Goku, who was extremely perceptive when he wanted to be. He continued anyway. "Well today, he and Bulma had this big psyche at each other. Vegeta was forced to relive their unofficial 'break-up'. Everyone started insulting him and berating him about being arrogant and he flipped. Threw over the table, swore at the teachers and threw the doors off their hinges. Vegeta's aggro, but that's not normal, even for him. I'm guessing there's something else going on here." Goku looked at them seriously. Kevin and Lisa exchanged sideways glances.

"Goku in the last week we've had a phone call with two bits of unwanted information, both of which seriously affect Vegeta." Goku frowned uncharacteristically. "The first bit was, that when Vega went into hospital recently to have her tonsils removed, they took blood samples. It turns out," Lisa sighed heavily, "that Vega is only Vegeta's half sister. His mother had an affair."

"How'd Vegeta take it?" Lisa shook her head.

"There's more. Vegeta's mother left the man she had an affair with, to stay with Vegeta's father. She didn't know Vega wasn't her husband's child. Anyway, when this information about Vega's birth parents came through, it caught the interest of the officer that worked on the murder cases. Turns out that the man Vegeta's mother had an affair with, arranged to have his parent's killed for her betrayal. His brother simply got in the way. The guy has been charged with murder." Goku dropped his head into his hands.

"So how long ago did you tell Vegeta this?"

"Not yesterday, the day before."

'And then that thing with Bulma happened on top of it. It got too much and the only way he knew how to deal with it was-' "Lisa, where are your smokes?" Goku asked suddenly, as he noticed they were missing from their usual place on the kitchen table.

"Just- Oh my gosh! Where'd they go?" She frowned. Goku stood quickly.

"Sorry to rush but I have to go bye." He ran out the door, slamming it and jumping into his car. 'Vegeta I'm sorry,' he thought.

"So what the hell am I going to do now? I can't exactly just turn up at Vegeta's place." Bulma sighed, wiping away the last of her tears.

"I'll see what Goku says when he rings, he should be back from Vegeta's soon," 18 told her. Bulma nodded, but Chichi didn't move.

"Vegeta's going to flip if Bulma even looks at him! I hardly think she's going to be able to coax him off smokes!" Chichi reasoned.

"There is that. But Bulma, a word of advice. Don't apologize all the time. Be just as stubborn as he is and I'm sure you'll get somewhere," 18 told her. She nodded.

"I'm going downstairs to get something to eat. I'll be back soon." Chichi and 18 nodded, and Bulma disappeared out the door. 18 suddenly became very serious.

"Chichi, you have to help me."

"Do what?" Chichi was thoroughly confused.

"Get Bulma and Vegeta together again."

Vegeta looked at the knife. The end of his suffering. His only way out.

'I'm sorry Vega,' he thought as he slid the knife across his wrist. It hurt for a minute but the pain stopped after a few moments. Suddenly he felt someone grab his arm.

"What the-"

"Vegeta! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Goku asked angrily, as he threw the knife away looking at Vegeta's bleeding wrist.

"Get lost Kakarot. Leave me alone." Vegeta growled, reaching to pick up the knife.

"No Vegeta. I can't believe you tried to commit suicide!" Goku was angry beyond all reason. He kicked the knife away.

"What do you know Kakarot?" Vegeta spat angrily. He took off his sweatshirt and wrapped it around his heavily bleeding wrist.

"Everything, Vegeta. Everything." Goku folded his arms. Vegeta raised his eyebrow at the self-assured tone of Goku's voice.

"Oh yeah? Well what about-"

"Yes Vegeta. I just talked to Lisa and Kevin. They told me everything. I'm really sorry about Vega, but this isn't the answer. There are other ways."

"Kakarot, I'm at loggerheads with my once best friend, I'm in shit up to my neck at school, facing expulsion in my senior year, smoking, and guess what? I'm dealing as well. Marijuana. To top it all off, I just found out my mother had an affair, the only remaining family member I have isn't even my full blood, and my mother signed hers, my father's and my brother's death warrants! I have reason enough, and more to commit suicide!"

"Pot Vegeta? You're fucked. You know that. Now go home, and give me those!" he snatched the smokes angrily from Vegeta. "Even better, come with me." He grabbed Vegeta and dragged him over to the car. "You need some help, big time."

"Maybe so Kakarot," he said as they climbed into the car, "but definitely not from you."

"Exactly. That's why we're going to Bulma's. Her, 18 and Chichi are there."

"WHAT? I'll do nothing of the sort!"

"Oh yes you will."

"Hey Bulma," 18 greeted as she re-entered the room. Bulma acknowledged her with a nod.

"Has Goku rung yet?" she asked between bites. Chichi shook her head.

"No, but he should soon," 18 told her.

They sat for a moment on Bulma's bed, 18 and Chichi in silence, Bulma in silence save the crunching of her corn chips. 18 opened her mouth to say something, when Bulma's mother's voice drifted upstairs.

"Bulma honey! Goku and Vegeta are here." The three girls heard Mrs. Briefs giggle, before exchanging shocked looks.

"Oh shit. I'd say Goku's visit didn't go well," 18 sighed and all three girls bolted for the door.

They burst into the living room, in time to see a very pissed Vegeta, start yelling at a very pissed Goku. 18 was the first to speak.

"Goku what happened?" she asked, shocked. She made her way to Vegeta, screwing up her nose because he stunk of smoke. Mrs. Briefs watched thefive of them for several moments, before Bulma acknowledged her presence.

"Er mum. Could you leave us alone for a bit please?" Mrs. Briefs frowned, but tottered out of the living room back to her kitchen.

"Piss off 18. Like I said before I'm not in the mood for you're your crap."

"Well you're getting it anyway. Si' down." She pushed Vegeta onto the couch and the others sat down on the other couches.

"OK Vegeta you're going to have to start from the start," Goku looked at him seriously, "the start of the start."

"Kakarot, I'm not-"

"Oh yes you are, Vegeta. Or 18 and I will."

"I will NOT be conned into this again!"

"OK then, simple. Goku and I tell the others without your permission." Vegeta said nothing, only sat there, holding the ripped arm of Goku's shirt to his wrist to stop the bleeding, anger boiling up inside him.

Over the next fifteen minutes, 18 and Goku took turns to explain Vegeta's parents, his brother, their murders, his transfer to West Capitol, his name change, his godparents the smoking (the first time), but 18 halted as she started talking about his recent behavior.

"Don't worry 18. I talked to Lisa and Kevin. They explained." 18 raised and eyebrow.

"OK then. Inform us."

"Vega's not Vegeta's sister. She's his half sister. His mother had an affair, his father didn't know. The man she had an affair with ordered the murders." Goku sighed, running a hand threw his hair. Vegeta was staring out the screen doors of Capsule Corp into Bulma's mother's gardens. Bulma had her knees drawn into her chest.

'Holy crap Vegeta! Why didn't you tell us? We could've helped? How did he get through that on his own? How did he get through it at all? Why did I never figure it out before.' All these questions were running rampage in Bulma's head. She couldn't believe she'd known Vegeta for most of her life, and never figured it out.

18 was taking the news hard as well.

"Vegeta. I-I'm not going to say I'm sorry, I know you hate that. I'm just going to commend you for getting through it so well. I know how hard that must be on you." 18 hung her head. Goku sighed, wondering how he was going to word this.

"There's more guys." Everyone's heads shot up and looked in Goku's direction. Vegeta growled. Goku ignored him and shifted uneasily in his seat.

"Vegeta's not just smoking. He's doing dope." Bulma gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth, Chichi's eyes widened in horror. 18 sat there numbly, before turning her head away in disappointment.

"I can't believe you Vegeta. I'm going upstairs, I suddenly feel extremely sick." She stood and departed the room, before heading upstairs to call Krillin and explain everything.

Chichi shook her head.

"Goku, come here." He looked at her sideways. Her eyes widened, as though she was trying to tell him something, but he had no clue whatsoever. Chichi sighed in frustration. "Just follow me Goku." She stood and headed outside, Goku right behind her. He looked back at Bulma and Vegeta, before hurrying after Chichi.

Bulma looked at Vegeta. He hadn't moved during the whole thing.

'Oh well. This is what 18 and Chichi said. I can always blame them!' Bulma sighed and stood off her couch opposite Vegeta's then sat down next to him. He snarled and moved closer to the edge, away from Bulma.

"Why Vegeta?" she asked him simply. He stared at her.

"Did you not hear a word Kakarot just said?" he asked her dumbly.

"Yes I did Vegeta. But why do you think the drugs are the solution?"

"Have you ever tried drugs woman?" Bulma shook her head. "No, you're too pussy. You can't understand their effects or the frame of mind it puts you in!"

"Dammit Vegeta! I don't care what 'frame of mind' it puts you in! I can't believe you do drugs! How do you think you're going to be any help to Vega, when you're arrested! Marijuana's illegal, how long do you think it'll be before you're caught?" Vegeta looked at her, shocked by how right she was. Not that he was going to admit it.

"I won't get caught!" he scoffed. Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Vegeta, you have so much going for you! You're doing well in school, save the behavioral side; you're about to finish your senior year. Why do you want to throw it all away? And where are you getting the money? Unless I'm mistaken, Marijuana's expensive. And what about your godparents? Vegeta. Think about this. What would your parents think?" Bulma stood angrily, leaving Vegeta alone to brood in his thoughts.

"Chichi what are we doing out here?" Goku asked as they sat down on the park bench, in the Briefs' back lawn.

"Because Goku. I think Bulma's the only one who can get through to him. As much as he says he hates her, and vice versa, she's really his only way out of this shit hole."

"I dunno Chi. I mean, I know he misses Bulma as a friend but-"

"He what?"

"He misses Bulma as his friend. He's never admitted it, but I've known him long enough to be able to tell."

"Well, Bulma misses him too! She even admits it!" Goku raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Well if we could just get them to admit that to each other….."

"Exactly."

"Do you think it'll work?"

"I don't know. Let's see what 18 thinks. I'm guessing she's upstairs on the phone to Krillin."

"OK let's go see her. But first, I have to get something to eat before I pass out." Chichi rolled her eyes as Goku's stomach provided supporting evidence with a loud rumble. The two headed inside, and Goku started raiding the kitchen fridge.

'What the hell am I thinking? The woman's right. It's stupid. I shouldn't be doing drugs. But what the hell can I do about it? The only person really capable of helping me is her, and hell'll freeze over before I admit that.' Vegeta was thoroughly confused. He had two options. One, ignore her, get caught and then have to find someone to bail his ass out of prison, of two, screw his pride and ask for her help. 'There's no way I can ask for her help. But what about Vega? What if she finds out?' Vegeta's stomach dropped. 'I wonder if she knows she's only my half sister yet?'

In the end, Vegeta decided his pride was worth more than him having to find someone to bail him out. Upon making his decision, he stood from the couch ad made his way out the front door of Capsule Corp.

Krillin scuffed around his room, cursing and chucking another piece of washing onto his ever-growing pile in the corner of his room. He collapsed onto his bed, with his washing pile at his waist when the phone rang.

"Go away," he mumbled but slid off his bed and picked up the phone.

"Speak to me."

"Krillin. It's 18. You'll never guess what Goku just told us………."

Next Chapter: Vegeta gets himself in the shit, Bulma tries to help hence getting herself in the shit, and 18, Krillin, Goku and Chichi get thinking about how they can get Bulma and Vegeta together.

Author's Note: OK, I have no idea how long this story is going to be, it's kind of got away on me and I didn't realize it's this long already ! I'm sorry it's so short but I couldn't think of anything else. I'm not sure, but I'd say this will be about 20 chappys, no more than 25 though. But I've crafted it so THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! Don't worry.

Kaibun