CHAPTER 21:

Meanwhile, Back on Earth...

It had been so long since they all had left. It pained her every day she walked by her son's room. He had never left her before. All his life, he had lived at home, even when in college. It was still so hard getting used to him being gone. Bulma found herself missing him more every single day, releasing her depression through having long talks with Chi Chi, who had been such a great friend to her, helping her get over her Trunks' absence by talking about her own trials of having to cope without Goku.

It wasn't just her Trunks who was getting her down, though. Everyone around her had been acting strange lately, as if some bug were going around and messing with their minds. It was a little surreal watching all the Z fighters come down with this illness. At first, she had been panicked that it was some strain of the viral heart disease or something similar to that. None of her friends were answering her calls anymore, and her own husband had been taking to ignoring her. At first, she assumed that she must have done something wrong. It wouldn't have been the first time she had accidentally let some comment slip that managed to upset people, but still, something just wasn't right. Although Chi Chi and Bra were acting the same, the world around them was growing darker. Bulma just assumed it had to do with everyone's stress regarding the black star dragonballs. Goku and Trunks should have returned by now. There was only a month to go before everyone would die.

Even if the world were to explode, though, it made her happy to know that her son was safe. That glimmer of happiness is what had been holding her together lately, with everyone beginning to act so strange. She wasn't quite sure how it all started, or when. She remembered when Goten came home one day from a date two weeks back, he had been angry about something. He had even punched Gohan for no reason. Bulma had assumed it was because his date had gone badly. When she was younger, before she met Goku, she had often come home with those same angry spells. It was enough for her to actually go out of her way to create a dragon radar, or a "bleeper" as she used to call it back in the day, to actually wish for the perfect boyfriend, so she'd never have to go through all that rejection again.

Bulma's eyes rolled up as she sat back on the sofa, thinking about her childhood adventures with Goku. She never did end up finding that perfect boyfriend. She ended up with Yamucha, of all people...

Her eyes narrowed as she thought of how Yamucha ended up becoming a real asshole for a while, completely leaving her in the dirt while he went to go flirt with other women. It made her realize how much she wanted a man who would be faithful no matter what, even if he treated her like dirt. And, she found Vegeta. He most definitely would never sleep with any other woman, and at first it had hurt her that he was too proud to show her love, but when she found out she was pregnant with her Trunks, everything else in the world didn't matter anymore. She finally had someone whom she could love more than anyone else in the world, and would return her love just as much. And she wouldn't have to worry about him running to other women and forgetting her.

Trunks had always been there for her, ever since then. He had always respected her, showed her his love in his own way, by doing things for her without question, anything that would make her happy. She loved Trunks so much, and it was so hard for her to get used to him being away. He had always lived with her. She loved Bra, too... but there was something about her Trunks, perhaps being her first-born, or just being a good friend in addition to being her son, that really completed her family.

He would be turning twenty-nine tomorrow, and he was not back yet. She had been looking forward to throwing him a welcome-home party and a birthday party all in one, but when she heard no word from him, she figured she'd just throw an extra large bash for his big 30th birthday. Wow... more than twenty nine and a half years had passed since she found out she was pregnant with her son. Her life had come such a long way since then. She was over 30, herself, when she had Trunks, and she had been beginning to feel like an old maid, seeing how Goku and Chi Chi had a son ten years before her, even though she was so much older than Goku at the time (then again, she was older than ever compared to Goku, because of Pilaf's stupid wish to make him a child again...).

She wondered if Trunks could possibly have children any time soon. Although she had been amusing herself by inventing some things in her spare time from being retired, she still longed for tiny footsteps to run along the carpet, hugging her leg and calling her 'Grandma.' Well, maybe not 'Grandma'... that would make her feel old. She'd think of something they could call her, later.

She sighed and leaned forward in the sofa, running her fingers through her short hair, wondering if she should grow her hair out again. It had been a long time since she had long hair, and she still had all her old headbands from when she was younger. Her hair was one of her most distinctive features all her life. The only other girl that had hair remotely similar to hers was Krillin's first girlfriend, Marron.

Bulma growled at the memory. She absolutely detested that Marron. She was such an idiot, and all she ever did was insult Bulma and Chi Chi by calling her a grandma long before Trunks was born. In fact, that was even before she met the other Trunks... the one from the future. That was a long time ago.

She never understood how Krillin could name his own daughter after that airhead, or how Android Eighteen actually let him name Marron after his ex-girlfriend. When Trunks was born, she had absolutely no intention of ever naming her son "Yamucha." What a scary thought...

That brought her mind back to her friends who had been acting strange lately. She was supposed to have met with Yamucha today before his baseball game. He had been coaching the Titans for a long time, now, and a few days ago, he told he'd treat her to a night out with the team to get her mind off of the fact that her husband was acting so strange, lately. She needed a night out, but when she tried to call Yamucha earlier, he hung up on her, without any reason why. It was as if he, too, were angry with her for something she did. It hurt her to have to call off her night out with Yamucha, but then again, it wasn't the first time he had disappointed her. She should have just expected that.

She was so confused, why everyone suddenly started acting so mean. If it were some kind of flu, she should have been hit with it too. If the Saiyans were susceptible to falling ill, she should have been dead by now. Gohan was the next to become sick, after Goten. He was so under the weather, he had completely forgotten to bring Goten back home after they went sparring the day when Goten came home and punched him. Piccolo had showed up, carrying Goten as if taking out the trash, not looking too good himself, and left before Gohan found out that he stopped by.

And Goten had been very sick when Piccolo brought him back. It was the first time Bulma had ever seen a Saiyan in a fever. He had had a seizure that Gohan had completely ignored, but it drove Chi Chi crazy, not knowing what had happened to her son. It had been happening to everyone now. All those who were close to her were dropping like flies.

Perhaps she could convince Vegeta and Bra to go on a vacation with her somewhere, to get away from the plague that was going around. She'd have invited Trunks, too... but he wasn't here. He was up in space, having a vacation of his own with Goku and Gohan's daughter.

She wondered how that trip was going, other than getting the dragonballs. Trunks and Gohan's daughter had never been close before. They barely knew each other when they left. Bulma herself had not seen Pan since she was little. Trunks had babysitted Pan a few times when she was still a baby, but he only really went to accompany Goten, who would beg her Trunks to come and relieve him of some of the babysitting stress. It wasn't as if Trunks had been personally close to her. It must have been such a shock to him to find out she was a stowaway and Goten never came along on the trip. If his attitude were anything remotely close to Goten's view, she wouldn't be surprised if Trunks disliked her a great deal. However, with Goku on the trip, everything would work out. He was so fun to travel with. There were times when she was younger, she wondered what her life would have been like if she had actually given Goku and herself a shot. Especially when she was single, when Yamucha was in the Other World and before she really got to know Vegeta, she found herself daydreaming of Goku, being married to the strongest man in the universe, and perhaps the silliest guy she'd ever know.

After a long time of pondering it, though, she had realized it was better that she never liked him more than a friend. She needed someone who could not just tolerate her violent temper, but who could mentally challenge her as well (and, of course, never cheat on her like that baka, Yamucha). She loved Vegeta, even though he could be so obstinate sometimes. With Vegeta, she not only got her Saiyan prince and intelligent companion, but through him, she got her Trunks. And, she missed Trunks so much, it pained her that he was gone so long...

"Woman."

Bulma turned around in the sofa to look at her husband, who she had not seen very much of lately. "Oh hi, Vegeta, what's up?"

"Come here." He stood in the center of the room with his arms crossed, looking intimidating. Bulma had gotten used to that look a long time ago, and no amount of glares could ever shake her nowadays.

"No, you come here if you want to talk. I don't want to get up."

"Come here right now, woman, or else I will make you regret it."

"What's up with you, Vegeta?" Bulma frowned at his attitude. He hadn't acted this rude in a long time. Within the past few years especially, after Goku had left to train Uub, Vegeta had softened a lot, and had opened up to her. She assumed that it was because of their daughter. Ever since Bra was born, Vegeta had a hard time keeping his emotions bottled up. He really loved his daughter, and was willing to do anything for her, even shave that ridiculous mustache he had been so proud of for some time.

"Come here. I'm not going to ask again."

That's not really asking... Bulma sighed and stood up from the sofa. She walked over to her husband, putting her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes. "Yes, your majesty?"

Before she could blink, his fist swung around and landed her in the cheek, sending her flying into a wall, cracking several of her ribs and loosening several of her teeth in the process. Her eyes opened wide as she tried to stand up, her legs shaking in surprise and fear. "Vegeta!? Why?!"

"Don't play me as a fool, woman! I know that you and Yamucha were supposed to meet today. That's the last time you'll ever get a chance to betray me!"

"But... but Vegeta, I told you about it. It was just supposed to be..." Bulma closed her eyes and tried to stop her tears of pain from flowing, "It was just..."

What happened to him? Why was he doing this? There was no reason for him to get upset. She went out with Yamucha every other few months for lunch, and he never had a problem with it. He knew that he could trust her. He had never cared before, he had never been jealous. Vegeta had never been the jealous type. What was wrong with him? Not just him... what was happening to everybody? Why was everybody beginning to act so violent and strange?

As she watched him with wide eyes, his hair grew light and a fire blazed in his eyes. Was he transforming? Why was he going Super Saiyan? He never did this to her! "Don't.... don't kill me, Vegeta, please. I didn't do anything, I swear it!"

Vegeta leaned his head back and cackled in a strange high-pitched voice. "I know that, woman, but I would have much preferred it if you did do something to hurt this worthless Saiyan trash."

"Vegeta...?"

"I'm tired of you sitting around and scheming things behind my back!"

His laugh was maniacal, his skin a shade lighter, with red veins pulsating from his face to look like lines running across his skin. His hair was not blonde... it was white. What was this? Some new version of Saiyan transformation? What was going on? Who could save her from this monster? She felt tears forming in her eyes... Where was Trunks, to defend her?

"Vegeta... please..."

He threw his right hand to her neck, pinning her against the wall, and began to squeeze effortlessly. Bulma had never felt this fear as she felt now. Not even on Namek, when she had repeated dreams about him coming to kill her, did she feel this afraid.

"Vegeta..." She gasped, tears flowing freely, "I..." She struggled to breathe, her hands trying so hard to pry his fingers from her throat. "I... I love you..."

His fingers released their hold on her, and instead she found him pinning her to the wall with his body. She tried to gasp for air, but found his mouth covering hers as he forced a painful kiss on her. She tried to push him off of her, but he pushed his body even closer to hers, his raised ki burning into her as she sobbed against his face. He was hurting her; he was scaring her.

Her eyes opened as wide as they could go as she felt something extremely cold shoot into her mouth and down her throat, thick and suffocating, as if she were swallowing liquid metal. What... what was happening?!

She felt her body jerk and begin to spasm. He was killing her... He was killing her from the inside and the outside, making her body tremble and not giving her air to breathe. She closed her eyes tightly. Something was wrong, not just his face pressed against hers, his hands on her waist, pinning her helpless. She was losing feeling, her head becoming cloudy. It all seemed to happen at once. She opened her eyes and saw that her vision had completely blacked. Her voice was becoming distant as she choked in air, clutching her stomach. She felt herself fall to the floor, a presence standing over her.

Who was that? Who was there? Why was she here? What was going on?!

It was as if a thousand ice needles drove their way into her flesh and then heated up to boil inside her skin, causing her to seizure from pain. She could feel herself scream, but no sound came out. Everything had gone silent. Everything was dark.

And then, as suddenly as the sensations appeared, they left.

She felt nothing - no worries, no pressures, no cares.

She sensed her vision coming back, her feeling returning to her body. She sensed herself stand and look Vegeta in the eyes. No, not Vegeta. Her master.

She felt her voice start, cool and emotionless, "How may I serve you... Lord Baby?"

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-11/2/04-