Author's Note: Sorry for the delayed update I have no excuse except I was lazy. Alright so here we go with Ch 25. Wow, 25. Who would've thought that my lil' old story would get this big.

Chapter 25: Leaving

Vegeta groaned and sat up. His cell phone was ringing. Growling furiously he clambered out of Bulma's bed and picked it up.

"Fucking Kakarot," he muttered as Goku's name flashed across the screen.

"Vegeta!" Goku said happily as his friend picked up the phone.


"What do you want, idiot?" he grumbled, climbing back into bed, careful so as not to wake Bulma.

"Oh I was just ringing to tell you that soccer's been cancelled 'coz the powers out from the storm and its dark so they need lights but the lights aren't working coz the power's out and the power's out so they cant use the giant speakers." Vegeta went slightly cross-eyed listening to Goku's repetitive account of the power being out.

"Er yeah right OK." Vegeta mumbled, getting up to have a look outside.

The sky was a dark black and the rain was sleeting on the windows so hard you couldn't see properly out the window. The street below was dark and hidden in shadow, but everyone now and then thunder would rumble so loud it shook the house and lightening would follow, lighting up everything in Vegeta's line of vision.

Vegeta closed the curtain and went back to bed wondering vaguely how he had slept through it. His wrist watch told him it was 7.30 a.m. so he still had a few more hours of sleep.

*

"Bulma? Bulma?" came a questioning voice from downstairs. Bulma slowly opened her eyes and almost had a heart attack as she felt something warm round her middle, but calmed down when she recognised it as Vegeta's arm. She lifted it off gently and slipped out of bed.

"Yes daddy," she said sadly as she stepped out of her room and met her father in the hall. Last night she had dreamt about visiting her sister over and over again.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. Bulma's intended nod turned into a shake and she bowed her head. Dr. Briefs put his arms around his daughter and hugged her.

Bulma swallowed hard, trying to suppress the rising tears.

"Where's Mum?" she managed. Dr. Briefs sighed.


"She's sleeping. We got home about 8.00 this morning." Bulma nodded and looked at her watch which read 9.30.

"D-do the police have any lead on, on……………." Her voice trailed off. Bulma's father shook his head.

"Not when I last checked, but they would like your mother and I to go down to the police station later today for a more detailed questioning." Bulma nodded.

"Dad I think I'm gunna go back to bed for a while." Dr. Briefs nodded and Bulma turned back into her room.

Vegeta lay, still sleeping on one side of her bed. Bulma sighed and opened her curtain slightly, peering into the darkness that looked like night. She sighed and closed the curtain, climbing into bed and under Vegeta's arm again.

Vegeta slowly came back into the land of the conscious as he felt Bulma slip under his arm.

"Are you alright woman?" he asked with the upmost sincerity. Bulma's chest rose and fell in a sigh.

"I don't know Vegeta. I just want to know who did it." Vegeta felt guilt pull at his chest.

"Woman- Bulma- I need to tell you something," he sighed. She opened her eyes a little more and looked questioningly at him.

"Vegeta? What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up. Vegeta sighed and went over to Bulma's state of the art computer, then connected to the internet. Bulma climbed out of bed and stood behind him. "What are you doing?" she asked. Vegeta logged into his email and pulled up the email entitled something else you might want to know. "Vegeta what does that have to do with my sister?" Vegeta sighed again.

"I got that letter just before you called me. I-I-I think the note left was intended for me. H-he's trying to hurt me by hurting you and slowly moving in to people closer to me. Which means," Vegeta took a deep breath, "that he knows about you and me, and everything about both of us." Bulma sat down on Vegeta's lap and leaned back.

"Vegeta are you serious?"

"Would I lie about something like this?" She shook her head. "I want you to be extra careful, Bulma. He's crazed, he wants to kill me and everyone close to me, and he most of all wants Vega."

"So my sister and her husband are dead because this guy is trying to hurt you? That doesn't make sense, they're my family not yours." Bulma was becoming angry now. This guy had murdered Vegeta's family and now he wants to hurt him even more for something that happened 10 years ago?

"They're your family, so that hurts you and……………… it hurts me when you're hurting. He knows that, he's trying to hurt me in everyway he can, and he knows everything! About you and me, our families, our lives. I can understand if you want to break it off, it's probably in the best interest of you and your family." Bulma placed a finger on his lips.

"Vegeta," she whispered. "We'll get through this together. My sister is dead, my brother-in-law is dead and if we're not careful he'll get you and me as well. We just have to figure out how he knows, and put everyone you care about into some protection facility." Vegeta looked up at Bulma. She was acting so strong, even though her sister and brother-in-law had just been murdered because of him.

Vegeta sighed and leaned his head forward onto Bulma's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry woman."

*


Vegeta woke up to his alarm clock, growling in frustration.

"Friggin' school," he grumbled. It was Monday morning, without a doubt, the worst day of the week. He sat up and yawned, looking over at his digital alarm clock. 7.15. He sighed and got out of bed, fumbling for his bed light. It was still dark outside and he could hear the huge rain drops beating incessantly against the roof. There was a loud crack of lightening and then a rumbling of thunder so loud Vegeta felt the house shake.

"Woah, dude," he mumbled, shaking his head. Vegeta flicked the light switch. Nothing. He flicked it again. Still no light. Looking back at his alarm clock he noticed the numbers had disappeared. "That last lightening crack must've put the power out," he sighed. He then walked over and dug around in his drawer, quickly finding the torch.

Vegeta stumbled over various items on his floor and made his way to his sister's room, checking she was awake.

"Vega?" he asked. In the torchlight he saw her frown and sit up.

"Vegeta? What the hell is the time?"

"Nearly 7.30." Her eyes widened.

"Why's it so dark? And why do you have a torch?"

"Its dark coz there's a storm and I have a torch because the power's out."

"Oh. Right I'll be downstairs soon." Vegeta nodded and headed downstairs.

Rick was seated at the table eating Fruit Loops by candlelight.


"Morning Vegeta," Rick smiled. Vegeta merely frowned and grabbed a bowl of 15 wheet-bix out of the pantry.

He'd fallen asleep in his clothes last night after talking to Bulma on the phone for several hours. The police still had no idea who was behind the attacks so he and Bulma had decided to go to the police station after school that day. Vegeta sighed, wondering how Bulma was.

*

Bulma groaned as the loud lightening crack awoke her. She pressed the light on her wristwatch and realised with a shock that it was 8.30.

"Woah! Why didn't my alarm go off?" she wondered out loud. Looking over at her alarm clock and on noticing it wasn't there came to the conclusion that the power was out. She grumbled about having no hot water and mentioned something vaguely about inventing a battery powered hot water cylinder.

When she was dressed and make-uped, Bulma went downstairs, and without having something for breakfast, left for school.

*

Vegeta droved down the ride, straining his eyes for traces of other cars. Even the headlights were not visible through the dense rain. If he didn't drive the course twice daily, he would've been lost about where to go. When he reached school, he opened the huge golf umbrella before he was out of the car and, awkwardly, climbed out and locked it, then sprinted for the cover of school, nearly getting run over twice on the way.

Shaking his mane of spiky hair when he reached the Admin Block. Vegeta put his umbrella down and made for his locker.

*

Bulma walked into form class, fifteen minutes late and without bothering to explain herself to the teacher, sat down next to Vegeta.

"Miss Briefs you are fifteen minutes late," Mr. S told her, Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

"And you are supposed to be punctual to formtime."

Bulma's face contorted into one of anger.

"DO I LOOK LIKE A GIVE A FUCK? I SLEPT IN BECAUSE THE POWER'S OUT, OR PERHAPS YOU DIDN'T NOTICE BUT THE FUCKING CLASSROOM IS LIT BY FUCKING CANDLES AND TORCHLIGHTS!" she yelled. Mr. S's eyes went wide and he glared at her.


"You watch your mouth you dirty little slut. You're as disrespectful as that bitch sister of yours that came through here," he snarled. Bulma's face drooped, her anger disappeared and her eyes became glassy.

"You watch your FUCKING mouth," Vegeta yelled, standing up, rage coursing through him.

Mr. S might have the guts to stand up to Bulma but there was no way he dared to oppose Vegeta.

"Mr. Ouji please stay out of this," Mr. S mumbled. Vegeta glared at him and walked over to Bulma, and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the class.

"Bulma? Are you OK?" Vegeta asked as they stepped into the corridor. Bulma looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes.


"Y-y-yeah I'm fine." She took a deep breath and gathered herself. "I-I don't think I';; go back to class right now. It's nearly first period anyway. And thanks for yelling at him for me, Vegeta." Vegeta inwardly smiled. She was trying to brave, because she didn't want to look like a wuss in front of him. He could understand that.


"Alright come on. Let's go to the café for a while." Bulma nodded and grabbed Vegeta's hand as they made their way to the café.

"Shouldn't you kids be in class?" the woman behind the counter asked. Vegeta glared at her.


"So?" he snarled. The woman gulped.

"Er, alright erm what would you like?" she asked nervously. Vegeta smirked. He loved having that effect on people.

"Just 2 hot chocolates," Bulma told the woman, before Vegeta put the café out of business. He sighed but said no more.

*

"BULMA! VEGETA!" came a voice across the senior common room. The pair, Bulma sitting between Vegeta's legs on the floor and him leaning against a couch, looked up to see Chichi, Goku, 18 and Krillin heading over towards them.

"Hey, Chi, 18," Bulma said quietly.

"Geez, B what's up with you?" Chichi asked. Bulma smiled sadly but said nothing, only leant back against Vegeta, sighing.

18 waited for Vegeta to throw her off, as he usually would for her outward display of emotion but he didn't.


"What's wrong?" she said, immediately sensing something wasn't right. Vegeta lifted up an arm and brushed Bulma's hair behind her ears.

"OK will someone tell me what is up please? Why is Vegeta being so…." Chichi paused, "nice?" Vegeta growled at her but ignored it. 18 took a seat on the couch opposite them, followed by Krillin, and then Goku and Chichi pulled up wooden chairs from the table.

"It's Bulma's sister," Vegeta sighed.

"What about Cami?" Chichi asked. Vegeta swallowed.


"She's dead," he said quietly. "And her husband. They were killed in a home invasion that was my fault." Bulma sat up as 18's and the others' faces dropped.

"No Vegeta, it wasn't your fault," she told him, gripping his hand tightly.

"Yes it was. If he wasn't after me, they'd still be alive."

"But Vegeta you couldn't have guessed what was going to happen, no one could've," she told him sadly. He turned his head away from her hand.

"It's still my fault. Like I said on Saturday maybe it's better if you stay away from me. You're only going to get hurt." Vegeta moved Bulma off him and stood. He looked at his gob-smacked friends sitting on the couch. "That goes for all of you," he said, looking each one in the eye. They frowned in question.

"Vegeta what are you on about?" Goku asked. Vegeta said nothing, but his gaze lingered on Bulma a bit longer. "I'm sorry, but it's for the good of you and your family." Bulma looked desperately at him. 18 frowned in confusion, Chichi looked hesitantly between Bulma and Vegeta, and Krillin and Goku simply were at a loss.

Vegeta turned, and walked out of the senior common room, and out of Bulma's life for she didn't know how long.

*

"Chi why isn't he back yet?" Bulma cried, swallowing a sob. Chichi patted her friend on the back. Vegeta had been gone for countless weeks now. They were into the fifth week of Term 4 and still no one had seen hide nor hair of him. Bulma had been distraught. Ever since he'd left the common room that long ago Monday morning, she'd been trying to find him. By the time she'd got to his house, he was gone. Kevin and Lisa hadn't heard anything from him, neither had Vega. Lisa had the police looking for him but he seemed simply to have vanished from the face of the earth

Bulma was now sitting on her bed with Chichi having yet another wallowing session.

"I just wish he'd call and let me know he's ok," she sobbed. Chichi sssshed her and rubbed her hand.

"I'm sure he's just fine honey," Chichi soothed.

'Vegeta if I ever get my hands on you I'll ring your neck!' she thought.

"Come on, Bulma. We have school tomorrow, you have to try and pick yourself up. Vegeta wouldn't want you to be like this." Bulma wiped her eyes and nodded.

"Yeah I know Chi. Th-thanks for coming over. You can go now if you want. I think I'll go to bed." Chichi nodded, gave Bulma a quick kiss on the cheek, a few more reassurances and left.

"Vegeta you better come back soon," Bulma sighed, looking at the stars.

*

Vegeta walked into the iCafé and took a seat at one of the computers.

There was one new email in his box. He clicked it open and read.

Hows your little sister Vegeta? No, I'm sure she's safe. I won't hurt my own daughter. But what about that pretty little girlfriend of yours? Her sister, her brother in law, maybe her ditzy mother's next, or her brainiac father? How but I just knock her off and save us both a little bit of trouble. I know everything about you, Vegeta. 10 years in prison is a long time to study. I'm going to ring you now, on your cellphone, your Nokia 3315 that you carry, with a Ford faceplate on it.

Vegeta's eyes went wide and he clapped a hand to his mouth. How the fuck did this guy know all this? And then one word slammed its way to the front of his mind.

Bulma

Next Chapter: No spoilers ~_^ but I'll be quick to update.

Author's Note: How'd you guys like that? Any ideas because I feel some constructive criticism is needed about now.

Thanks,


Kaibun