40 minutes later

Vegeta watched in disgust as Bulma threw up for the fifth time. Chichi and 18 were by her side, holding her upright and keeping her hair out of her face. Chichi grabbed hold of her wrist and held it round her shoulders, stabling her.

"Ok that's it. I've had enough of this. You're going to bed right now."

18 nodded and helped Chichi carry her to the tent where they heard be sick again. Goku turned to Krillin and 17 who were staring at the tent with blank expressions.

"Can you give us a sec?"

17 and Krillin nodded and retreated to their separate tents. Goku looked at Vegeta sympathetically.

"Why aren't you in there with her?"

"Well, why should I be?"

"Are you angry that she's drunk? Or is it something else?"

"Kami it's loads. At the lake she was acting really weird, like she was afraid of me finding something out. Then she's gets drunk and gets off with another guy and then she does the most stupid thing possibly and agrees to go home with him! I swear she's on something!"

"Vegeta…you've gotta give her the benefit of the doubt. She's been through a lot lately."

"That's no excuse! So have I, but you don't me running off, getting drunk and getting off with the first girl I see!"

"Yeah but, she's a girl."

"That's very sexist of you, and not helpful at all."

"Yeah well. Just give her some time. She'll come around eventually. She's not herself right now. Which means she'll need us more than ever. I think there's more going on in her life than she's telling any of us. Even you."

"She wouldn't keep anything from me."

"She would if she was scared to tell you."

Vegeta looked at him angrily.

"She's got no reason to be scared tot ell me anything and she knows that!"

"Are you sure?"

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I'm just saying that I can see how it would be hard for her to tell you something if she knew you would get angry about it."

"You don't know her the way I do! She's not scared ot tell me anything!"

"You're right. I don't know her the way you do. But you don't know her like I do either."

With a wise smile, Goku got up and went into his tent. Vegeta scratched his head puzzlingly.

Did Goku just say something…smart?

He turned towards his tent as Chichi and 18 exited.

"I can't believe her!"

18 stumbled backwards at Chichi's sudden outburst.

"What the hell is she trying to prove?"

18 held up her index finger and pointed to Bulma's tent, motioning for her to be quiet.

"No I will not be quiet! If I didn't know any better I'd think she was going suicidal! She's supposed one of the smartest people in the country! She's only just recovered from whatever she had and then she goes off and gets drunk! Why would she do anything so stupid?"

18 walked over to her and clamped her hand over Chichi's mouth.

"Chichi. Shut up! She can probably hear every word you're saying! She's feeling bad enough as it is, she doesn't need you being bitchy about her too! What she needs is our support. What she needs are her friends. What she needs is…"

She turned to Vegeta worriedly.

"You."

Vegeta looked at her as she sat down in front of him.

"She needs you Vegeta. You're the only one she'll listen to."

"But she's drunk now so she wont remember a word we've said tomorrow."

"Vegeta look. I know it's tough. I know you hate seeing her like this. We all do! All the more reason for you to talk to her."

"I don't feel like it now. I'll do it in the morning. At least she'll hopefully be more like herself by then."

"You promise you'll talk to her first thing in the morning?"

"I promise ok?"

Chichi walked over to them and put her hands on 18's shoulders.

"Look, he said he'll do it ok? I think that's good enough. Vegeta, you're welcome to stay in our tent tonight if you want."

"Yeah. I might just do that."

Later that night.

Vegeta quietly transferred his stuff from his tent and into Chichi and Goku's. He crawled into his sleeping abg and stared at the ceiling of the tent. Chichi and Goku looked over at him and Goku sat up while extending his arms.

"Wanna hug Vegeta?"

Vegeta scowled as Chichi and Goku fell over each other laughing. He turned over so his back was to them.

Idiots.

Morning

Vegeta was woken up roughly by Chichi shacking him hard. He turned over with a growl.

"What?"

"Get up! You said you would go and talk to Bulma this morning!"

"I said sometime this morning not as soon as it became this morning!"

"Well you're up now so you might as well go."

Vegeta sighed with frustration and stalked out of the tent. He stopped outside his tent when he heard sniffs coming from inside. He slowly opened the tent and walked inside, zipping the entrance up behind him. He looked over at Bulma who was holding a tatty bear to her chest. He went over and sat down next to her.

"Why are you crying?"

"I…dunno. I feel so…lost. I can't believe how stupid I was. You must really hate me right?"

Vegeta reached out and pulled her onto his lap,. He brushed her hair out of her face and made her look him in the eye.

"I could never hate you.

"Vegeta I…"

Her eyes closed slowly and she fell against his chest. He kissed her forehead lightly and placed her on her sleeping bag. He trailed his hand along her chin and his eyes ran down her body. They latched onto a grey/purple/yellow mark just under her shirt. He reached out and pulled her blouse up slightly higher. His eyes looked confused when he saw a big bruise on her abdomen.

How could she have gotten that bruise?

It is obvious that someone hit her.

Punched from the looks of things.

Who would punch her?

Why did she get into a situation tog et hurt so badly?

When did she get into a situation to get hurt so badly?

Is that all they did to her?

Could she be hurt somewhere else?

I don't understand.

Why didn't she tell me?

Is she really afraid of me?