A/N:                Hey! I'm back from my vacation on the Canary Islands and I must say it was great! It was sunny all the time, no cloud could be seen at the sky and we always had about 30°C! I even got a tan and just a small sunburn!

                        So, anyways, now that I'm back I didn't want to let you wait any longer with the next chapter, so I decided to post what I already had written, as I've left. Because, when I now start again where I left in this chapter, it might take even longer to get this chapter out. This one is awfully short but I hope you don't mind! And now, enjoy!

Chapter 17: „Bulma"

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How much time had passed? Three weeks? One month? Maybe even more? Bulma asked herself, as she was lying on the bed in the cabin, which had been her cell for the last weeks. After about the second week she had stopped counting the daybreaks and nightfalls she could see through the small porthole in the wall. But now she wished that she had never done this. All sense of time was gone. What would she do for knowing the exact date or maybe even just what day they had? Was it Thursday, the day that just belonged to her and ChiChi to do something? Or Sunday, when the mess was being held. Or Monday, when she had to accompany her father to different conferences? Not that she really missed those last two days. Bulma always dreaded them, since they were nothing but boring. But she just wanted to know. She wanted to know what her parents were doing at home. Hell, she even wanted to know what Vegeta was doing right now.

Bulma buried her head between her hands and let out a suffering groan. Yes, this was the truth. She longed to know what the royal-pain-in-the-ass was doing! During her first few days on that ship, at the time where everything, okay, not really everything, was still all right, she had noticed a certain routine in the Prince's behavior. If it was from getting up in the morning, training on deck, or just eating with her… Knowing what he was doing had somehow comforted her …in a strange way.

The walls on the ship were pretty thin, so she could also mostly hear, what her captor was doing. She could even hear him snoring lightly at night and she silently wondered, if he was also drooling while sleeping. Then there were the times, where she could hear the scratching of his pen, when he was writing something. But about three or four days after they had left Namek, she had lost it. Either her hearing had become extremely bad over night or Vegeta hadn't been in his cabin since then. At least not as long as she was awake.

And she was missing it. No more imagining how the sweat was running down the tense muscles of his perfectly built body, how he was lying in his bed, his mouth slightly open and drool trickling out of it, or how he wrote a letter, moving the pen with his strong and yet gentle fingers… Bulma, stop it! she scolded herself. He's your enemy! He has kidnapped you and imprisoned you in this cabin on his ship! You simply can't and are not allowed to feel an attraction of any kind towards him! But who wouldn't feel attracted by him? He was strong, dark, mysterious and extremely handsome… "Oh god," she mumbled, "This solitude is driving me insane."

She wistfully looked at the door. Oh, how much did she want to go out and see other faces than the one of the old cook that was bringing her something to eat twice a day and brought out the bucket she had to use as replacement for a toilet, even if it just were the ones of the two other Saiyajins. That and she absolutely needed some fresh air, more than that small porthole could provide. She smelled awfully herself, let alone the clothes she wore.

But she had to learn to live with it. She was a prisoner on that ship and not on some first class vacation. She had already learned to live without to cry in the last weeks, since she'd realized that tears wouldn't help her at all. People had always adored her to be strong, not physically but emotionally. Never had anyone seen her cry, for she really did it rarely. And yet, in the last few weeks she had cried more than in the last years combined. Bulma had already learned at a young age that in her position, especially as a woman, she had to be strong, so she developed certain traits for which she's famous. Her attitude was thoroughly feared in the palace and no one dared to contradict her, sometimes not even her own father. In some ways this attitude resembled a lot the behavior of a certain Saiyajin Prince. Well, Bulma mused, A relationship with him would certainly never be boring.

ARGH! That was the second time within the last few minutes or so that her thoughts had wandered into those sections of her mind. But when she had to think about stuff like that, couldn't she think about other men? Well, there had never been any men she had thought of like this and she had chased most of them away with her stubbornness. Wait, there was one man she had ever been interested in …next to Vegeta…

No! She wasn't interesting in him! Her mind was just playing tricks on her because of her situation.

So, now back to thinking happy thoughts, happy thoughts about Yamcha… Bulma sighed. Right from the moment she had met him she had liked him. He had been extremely shy at the beginning, but with her charm, Bulma had managed to loosen him up and in the end they had shared a kiss. A wonderful one at that. But those stupid guards had caught them and kicked Yamcha out of the palace. Just because he wasn't of her rank. Bulma snorted at that memory. Maybe, when this is over and she was safe home, she could ask her father for permission to get to know Yamcha better. He was then one of those who had rescued her after all and maybe that would change the way her father looked at him.

But as long as she was still on that ship she had to hold her head high. No more crying, no more whining. She would show those Saiyajins that she was strong, in a special way. No matter how bad her situation got, she wouldn't give up, not now that she knew that Goku was on his way to rescue her. He was her only hope and she put all of her trust in him.

Bulma again threw a look at the door. Goku, please come soon.

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I told you it was short, but I hope you like it nonetheless! Next time more, I promise!

Please be so nice and review!

Eternally yours

ChibiChibi