Disclaimer: I do NOT, under any circumstances own DBZ, but when I rule the universe it will belong to me and…what? I won't rule the Universe?…crap… Oh well… on with the story…
FROZEN IN TIME
Chapter 5
"Where am I?" the blue haired woman asked, disorientated, before she crumbled to the earth below her.
The people in front of her were now extremely lost in this situation, as most would be if they had just witnessed a ship fall from the sky and produced an aqua-haired alien. The group included a tall man with spiky black hair that stuck out in almost every possible direction and an orange gi, a small woman with raven colored hair pulled up into a high knot on the back of her head and chocolate brown eyes, a blonde woman with ice blue eyes that could pierce the soul and a nonchalant expression, a short bald man, and another man of middling height with black, spiky hair and scarred face.
"Goku, do you suppose we should do something to help her?" the scarred man asked turning his head to face the tall, spiky haired man, but keeping his eyes on the crumpled form of the woman.
"I think so, Yamcha, after all she looks like she's hurt," replied the man identified as Goku, sounding almost child-like.
"I don't know, Goku, she could be dangerous…" added the small, dark-haired woman warily. The group was so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't realize that the topic of their discussion had woken up and was quietly listening to them from a distance.
"Come on, Chi-Chi!" the small bald man exclaimed. "She is a woman! What on Earth could she do to us?"
With that comment the blonde grabbed him by the front of his orange gi, brought him up to eye level and shouted in his face, "Watch it baldy! I'm a woman too, if you haven't noticed!"
Bulma became so enraged at this, that she didn't stop to give the other woman time to finish beating up on the man; she rose from her position on the ground and slunk over to the conversing group. They didn't even notice her presence until she was two feet from them and began screaming like a banshee. " HOW DARE YOU! CUEBALL, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT I AM WEAK! JUST BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN, DOES NOT MEAN THAT I AM WEAK!" she roared at the small man who was now hiding behind the woman identified as Chi-Chi.
"Y-y-yes, Ma'am! I didn't mean it that way! Please don't kill me!" he squeaked.
"You disgust me!" she spat at the quivering human. "The men on my planet mock the women's strength too, but at least if they do it they have the power to back it up."
"And where is your planet exactly?" Chi-Chi asked.
"I…uh…" the blue haired girl seemed to be concentrating very hard on the answer to the question. Then, a look of bewilderment crossed her face, "I don't remember…"
"If you don't know where you're from how do you know that you're from another planet?" questioned Yamcha, seeming convinced of the woman's stupidity and insanity.
"You ARE a quick one, aren't you?" Bulma retorted icily. "If you didn't notice, I just landed in a space ship and I have a tail. Also, I have a few scattered, incomplete memories of a desert-covered planet, a palace, and something about a guy with flame shaped hair…"
"Y-you have a tail?" Goku asked.
"Did I not just explain this?" the Saiyan growled. "Good job for picking up on it so quickly!"
"I had a tail too!" shouted Goku excitedly. "Do you think I'm from another planet too?"
Bulma's world went black for a moment before scattered images flashed before her eyes.
#There were three children, two girls and a boy. One of the girls appeared to be a young version of herself. All three of them were standing in front of a group of lizard looking creatures, their arms crossed, tails waving and smirks on their faces as they blew them away one by one.#
That image passed and blackness came again. #The two girls were also in this one, except now they appeared to be about 15 or 16 years old. The other girl was holding a small boy by his foot as they talked to him; suddenly the boy was on the ground and Bulma blew him away.#
As soon as that image passed the world again went black and another image took its place. #The boy from the first image was there with the two girls and a short lizard-like creature. The boy's mouth dropped open in realization, and the girls burst out laughing. It appeared as if the lizard was not happy about the situation.#
This image faded away and was replaced with another one. #The boy was staring at her as she looked out the portal of a ship. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They came close to kissing before he pushed her away and left.#
Bulma shook her head to rid herself of the images. "It is possible, I guess…" she started. "Do you know where I am?"
"You are in my back yard," said an anxious Chi-Chi. "Why don't you come inside? We'll fix that cut on your head- Wait, what is your name?"
A voice sounded through Bulma's head, almost as if the memories were calling her name.
#'Woman!' a masculine voice called as the flame haired boy appeared#
#'Wench,' it was a feminine voice, but for some reason the lizard's face appeared.#
#'Brat!' an angry bald man appeared.#
#'Monkey,' again the lizard's face appeared.#
#'Onna!' the flame haired boy reappeared.#
#'Wretch!' an image of her and the boy spitting insults at each other.#
#'Bulma!' this time a new face appeared, it was a lavender haired woman with blue eyes. Her mother.#
"Bulma, my name is Bulma, at least that is the one that sounds most like a name," she explained tentatively.
"What do you mean?" Yamcha asked.
"I heard voices in my head. I think they were calling me by the names they referred to me as," Bulma told him.
"Riiight…" said the bald man, and he added in a whisper, "I think she's a little crazy…"
"I heard that Cueball! I have amazingly good hearing, and you will not get ANYTHING passed me. Is that clear?" she asked in a low growl.
"Yes ma'am!" he said as he saluted her. He stopped to walk next to Yamcha as Chi-Chi and Goku led her into the house.
"She sure is something, huh Krillen?" Yamcha said in an amazed voice. He had a wistful look on his face as he thought of her.
"Oh yeah, she's something alright, something scary! She's more of a wench than Chi-Chi and 18 put together!" Krillen replied.
"She can't be that bad! You just offended her. I'm sure she'll warm up to everyone in due time…"
"Whatever you say, Yamcha…"
"Oh, Krillen?" 18's voice called sweetly from behind him.
--Crap! This can't be good… Her voice never takes that tone unless she's REALLY mad…--
"Y-yes 18?" Krillen swallowed hard.
"Know what? Just like her, I have amazing hearing…and I think I just heard you call me a wench… You don't really mean that do you?" 18 asked mellifluously.
"N-no! Of course not! I was just making a comparison between you and her, that's all," he replied nervously.
"Ok, sure, I guess I'll let you off easy on that one…" She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she winked at him before she sauntered off.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Two months later Bulma was still living in Chi-Chi's house with her family. Everyday, more and more memories came back to her, and now she was looking for a job because for some reason she didn't like staying in someone else's house. It made her feel like less of a person. Yamcha decided to help her like the good guy that he was.
"So, babe, where did you wanna check today?" Yamcha asked.
"I was thinking about trying for a job at Capsule Corp. I saw that they were giving interviews today. Oh, and Yamcha," Bulma said kindly before screaming, "DON'T CALL ME BABE!"
"Geez, Bulma, I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" he cried as he ducked away from her.
Bulma's eyes rolled back into her head and closed; her eyelids fluttered before opening again. "I'm sorry, Yamcha, I don't know where that came from!" she explained, bewildered. "I don't know why that happens every once in awhile. It's like I can't control my anger and it just explodes…"
"Every once in awhile? Bulma this is fifth time this week! Just yesterday when we were at the zoo you attacked Krillen like he had offended you or something. All he said was 'Look at the three little monkeys!' and you broke his jaw!"
She shook her head, "I said I was sorry! Kami! Now lets go get me a job!" She grabbed his arm and began pulling him down the street.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Bulma pulled her 'boyfriend' into the large dome-shaped building and dragged him up to the front desk, where a blonde woman was sitting at the desk snapping her gum and fixing her nails. The woman didn't seem to be paying any attention of the two of them, so Bulma cleared her throat, in hopes to get the girl's attention. The woman behind the desk just looked up at them and went back to doing her nails.
"Um…excuse me Miss, could I speak to you?" Bulma tried.
The girl looked up and spoke this time. "Hi, ma name's Mandy, whatta ya want?" she asked through her gum.
"I heard there were interviews going on today for the job of head scientist, and I was wondering where I should go for those," replied Bulma, not quite sure if the lower life-form would understand what she had said.
"Through that door there," Mandy replied as she pointed to a door off to her right and snapped her gum loudly, "but Muscles here, will have to stay wit me." She pointed to Yamcha who was visibly drooling.
"Thanks." Bulma walked through the door and just after her retreating back disappeared, Yamcha was openly flirting with the receptionist, trying every pick-up line he knew.
~::~::~::~::~::~
Less than a half an hour later Bulma was shaking hands with Dr. Briefs, the owner of Capsule Corp.
"Congratulations, Miss, you got the job. You start on Monday. I'll see you then, Miss…um…what IS your last name?" the owner of the company asked, hoping he wasn't offending his new employee. He had insisted on interviewing the applicants himself because he didn't want anyone incompetent working at his company.
"I-uh… really don't know. I hit my head a few months ago, and I really don't remember anything," Bulma confessed.
"Oh, I see. Well we'll think of some thing for you," Dr. Briefs replied warmly.
Bulma walked out of his office thanking him for giving her the job. After she shut the door quickly and ran to find Yamcha and tell him her great news. But instead of finding a bored Yamcha, sitting in the waiting area, fast asleep, she found him making out with the receptionist on her desk. "Yamcha?" she asked with what seemed like no emotion at all.
He looked up to see her starring at the two of them with an expression that he couldn't quite read. "Babe! It's not what you think, I swear!" Yamcha spit out the receptionist's gum into her wastebasket.
"Really? Tell me, Oh Wise One, what do I think?" Bulma asked with an air of sarcasm.
"Babe, I've never seen you like this! What's wrong?" Yamcha asked with fake concern to change the subject.
"What were you doing Yamcha?" she asked again, uncaring.
"Wewerejust…Iwasjust…ImsorryBulmaididntmeantogothatfarbuticouldntstopmyself," he replied, saying it really fast so that she wouldn't understand what he said.
"I'm sorry. What was that? I have superior hearing and I know quite a few languages, but I don't speak moron," Bulma said with a mocking tone of voice.
"I-I just…" he faltered.
She shook her head at his weakness and said, "I don't give a crap what you were just. Lets go!" Bulma grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the blonde who was still sitting on her desk.
"Call me," Mandy yelled as she took out another piece of gum.
"Yamcha, seriously, could you at least keep it in your pants while I'm in the next room?" Bulma yelled at him, gaining the attention of several people on the street. "What the hell are you looking at?" All of the people who were once staring at the two, simultaneously looked at the ground and hurried away.
"Bulma!" Yamcha whispered frantically, "don't you have any modesty? You can't just talk about that stuff in public!"
"Modesty? Kami save me for not having modesty! I believe it was you, who was trying to have sex with the receptionist during my interview!" she yelled back. Suddenly her head snapped to the side. "What the heck was that? It feels really familiar… almost like someone I know, but…who is it?
"Come on, let's go check it out!" Bulma yelled, all anger forgotten, as she grabbed Yamcha by the arm and began dragging him down the street, yet again.
"Bulma? Where are we going?" he asked while trying to regain control of his arm.
"Bakamono! Weren't you listening to me? I said we were going to check out that power source! Can't you feel it?" she yelled back to him, growing impatient with his slowness.
"Well, yeah, but why do we have to go check it out? It feels pretty strong… maybe we should just let Goku take care of it…" Yamcha said, worriedly.
Bulma shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Yamcha, I swear, you are the most cowardly jerk I know. You have to take charge of your own life. Besides, I told you, it feels familiar; I want to see who it is. Maybe its someone from my past…"
"Bulma, Babe, listen, why don't we go get Goku, he is more capable to handle something like this," her captive pleaded.
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of my self! And what did I tell you about calling me Babe? Come on! You're moving too slow! We're flying!" Yamcha grabbed her around the waist and started to take off from the ground.
"What the heck do you think you're doing? I am capable of flying, as well as taking care of myself. Now, let me go!" she screamed in his confused face.
He immediately dropped her and she took off ahead of him. Yamcha knew very well that it wasn't a good idea to mess with her when she was in one of her explosive moods. There had been more and more of those lately. It seemed part of her was almost human, but the other half was this horrible, alien creature that blew up in anger at the smallest things.
"Hurry up bakamono! I want to get there before they leave," Bulma called back to him, cutting off his train of thought.
"Sorry, Babe, but I was thinking about stuff," Yamcha explained.
"No, forgive me! If I had realized that it was such a momentous occasion I wouldn't have interrupted you! Yamcha thinking, go figure! That must not happen very often because you seem to have forgotten what I told five minutes ago! Remember the whole discussion about calling me Babe?" Suddenly her head popped up, and she added, all anger forgotten, "Down there!"
The two landed, Yamcha several feet behind her. In front of them there was a small pod, almost exactly like the one that Bulma had come out of. Next to it there was a short, teenage male with his arms crossed, glaring at them.
"And here comes the welcoming committee…" he muttered. Something was off. There wasn't any recognition in Bulma's eyes. ::What is wrong with her? And who is that?::
Bulma stared at the man before her. He looked familiar, but she didn't know where she had seen him before.
"Well, Onna, nothing to say? That's a change," he said, hoping to get her to recognize him.
"Do I know you?" she asked, answering his question with another question.
"Very nice, Onna. Play stupid then, but who is this weakling?" the teen asked, jerking his head towards Yamcha.
"Hey!" Yamcha interjected. "I'm not a weakling! Bulma, tell him!"
"No, that's ok, you are a weakling, and a coward," she replied.
::Heh, heh, heh, now that's the Onna I know…::
"Now, really, tell me who you are. Maybe your name will trigger some more memories…" Bulma said.
"Onna, you know very well who I am, but I will play your little game. My name is Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans."
::Why on Vegeta-sei is she doing this? This is wasting time…::
Bulma's eyes rolled back into her head, and everything went black.
#It was him, the one that called himself Vegeta. He stood before her smirking, arms crossed, and tail waving lazily behind him.#
"You have a tail…" Bulma muttered.
"Good job, Onna! All Saiyans do!" Vegeta replied.
"Then, I'm Saiyan?" she asked, still confused.
"This is really getting annoying, Onna! Yes you're a Saiyan! Now is this planet suitable for our people or not? You've been here, with out communication, for almost four Vegeta-sei months."
"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about…. I hit my head on the way here and I forgot most of my past. I could tell you basically everything about the culture and the history, but I don't remember who I was or what I did," she explained.
::That isn't possible! No, that means she doesn't remember me, or what we had…:: After brief consideration of this mental comment he added to himself, ::Well, it's not as if we ever had much to begin with anyway… Wretched woman… What does it matter to me?:: "Well, I guess we'll have to make you remember then, won't we? Now, take me to where I'll be staying. I assume that it will be with you…"
Yamcha piped up, "Bulma, I don't like this… from what it sounds, he wants to take over Earth… Besides, he can't stay with you!"
"And who are you to tell her who can and cannot stay with her? Her mate?" Vegeta asked.
::Even if he is her mate, I'll just blast him into oblivion…::
"Yes I am her-mate, or whatever! We're dating so I CAN tell her who stays with her!" he shouted back.
::She wouldn't, would she? Grrrr… Wait, what do I care if they are?::
::You're jealous…::
::Am not!::
::Are so!::
::Am not!::
::Are-::
But Vegeta wasn't allowed to finish his mental argument because Bulma's voice rang through the air. "Now wait just one minute Yamcha! How the heck do you get off telling people that I'm your mate? I can't stand you! Besides, from what I remember, and I think Vegeta will back me up on this, mates are for life. Am I right?"
"Yes, Onna, Saiyans mate for life. But what does this have to do with anything?" Vegeta replied, confused.
"If I remember right Yamcha, you were just trying to nail that receptionist at Capsule Corp. You also have chased after basically everything with a skirt in the past two months! I would be ashamed to call myself your mate!" Bulma told him.
::Go Onna!::
~Go Me!~
'Well that was embarrassing… Oh well, I'll just have to show that guy that Bulma and I really are together… Even if she won't admit it, we are…'
"Lets go Vegeta, I'll take you to Capsule Corp. They promised me that I would get an apartment in the employee housing building." Bulma started to walk away when Yamcha grabbed her around the waist and turned her around to face him.
This triggered another memory from Bulma's past.
#Space really was beautiful, but she missed home… She felt a pair of strong arms around her waist turn her around. She looked up into smirking, onyx eyes that held concern that she had never seen before… Beyond the concern there were other emotions, anger, hatred, and pain.#
::What is she doing? She said that he wasn't her mate… The onna seems to have passed out! She can't stop him! I will protect her!::
Bulma looked up to see a pair of concerned eyes, but they weren't the ones from the memory. These eyes conveyed little except one emotion. When she had looked into those other eyes, it had been as if she were looking into that person's soul.
::She's awake…..why isn't she moving? That is my Onna! He cannot touch her!::
It took a few moments to realize that it was Yamcha that was holding her, and not that person from the memory. She was about to slap him, but someone else had reacted faster. Yamcha's arms were viciously ripped from her waist.
Bulma stood, eyes wide, in total shock, at who she saw holding Yamcha up by the hair.
Vegeta was too short to hold him off the ground by standing, so he had flown several feet off the ground and was looking Yamcha right in the eyes. "You are not her mate, therefore you have no right to touch her! She is a female Saiyan warrior, they are a rarity, and she is the last free one. Only she has the power to decide whom she mates with, and she didn't look too happy about you touching her. Keep your hands off my Onna!" Vegeta whispered.
::Did I just say 'my Onna'?::
~Did he just say that I was his Onna?~
"Lets go, Vegeta, I want to hear more about my past…" Bulma said. So the Saiyan duo flew off, leaving Yamcha confused as to what had just happened. "You do realize that he will probably come after me, right?" she asked Vegeta when they had gotten away from the clearing.
"No he won't. I think I got my point across about touching you. Let's go Onna, there is a lot that I need to tell you," he replied.
Back at the clearing where Yamcha was supposedly thinking about going after Bulma, he had finally realized what was going on and took off after the two.
'I wonder when that receptionist gets off work?'
~**~**~**~**~**~
A/n: Well? Was it any good? Please review! It means so much to me. I don't care if you hate it, love it, or think it should be thrown into the fires of Hell, just tell me what you think and how it can be improved! Does it deserve to be destroyed? Please let me know!
With God,
~*~The Rogue Raven~*~