Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

So…I wasn't planning on posting this story yet. I actually have part of this and another story written and planned. However, I've been so caught up with work lately that I haven't been able to work on too many of my current stories. Considering we're all pretty much trapped in our homes for the time being, I figured I'd post a chapter to give you a taste of this story I'm working on behind the scenes. Let me know what you think!

Everyone, stay well!

Rain hit the pavement in a steady cadence; a strike of lightning flashed in front of a man revealing the cold gleam of his eyes. He looked down at his victim, a man murdered in the middle of the alley, his assigned target of the day. As the man turned, he found that he was not alone. There was a woman, one with blue hair, and it was someone the killer knew well.

The man with flame-sharped hair black as the night smirked at the woman, a look of fear in her eyes. He would have been angry for her fear if it hadn't been for the fact that she was witness to his task. Immediately, he walked towards her, and recognition flashed in the woman's eyes. She knew she was in for it, and her whimsical mind, most likely at its limit, chanted 'oh shit' over and over as she made the move to escape.

She didn't get very far. The man's speed was unrivaled, and the woman wouldn't have gotten very far on high heels anyway. "Vegeta," she murmured softly. Her body shook from terror and the cold rain. "Please…"

Being merciful, Vegeta knocked her out. He couldn't just let her walk away.

The woman awoke a while later, imprisoned. She was cuffed to a bed, and her first reaction was to fight and struggle until she remembered who her captor was and calmed only slightly. Her heart raced with nerves. What she witnessed was frightening. And Vegeta…she knew him really well, but it had been so long since she last saw him. Where she never used to fear him, she didn't know what he would do to her now. Had he changed?

"Bulma."

The woman, Bulma, looked to her jailor with nervous eyes. He smirked down at her in a way that was all but too familiar. Vegeta seemed to be in a good mood. She hoped that meant he was happy to see her. Bulma didn't want to end up like the man in the ally.

She used sarcasm and wit to mask her fear.

"Vegeta," she greeted, her eyes narrowed. "I never took you for the sadistic type. Mind telling me what this is about?" She moved her hands to gesture to the cuffs.

Snickering, Vegeta circled the bed. He gently ran his hand through Bulma's aqua tresses. "Come now, Bulma. You always did like the wild side of things. I figured this was right up your alley." His hand caressed her, travelled lower but stopped right above her chest. She shivered and closed her eyes. The contact did crazy things to her mind. Vegeta was highly amused. "We have some business to discuss. Try to focus on me."

"Vegeta," Bulma whined, and he chuckled again.

"Already moaning my name, woman?" Vegeta teased. "Aren't you the one who said I always need to take you to dinner first before all this?"

"Seriously, stop," Bulma said. Finally, the blue-haired woman had enough of the taunting. She looked genuinely frightened and hurt, and Vegeta's expression sobered. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she looked like she was about to cry. "What are you going to do to me?"

The question dug at Vegeta in ways he hadn't expected. He assumed Bulma would know him well enough to know that she was in no danger. Keeping her tied to the bed was nothing more than a ploy to him, something to keep her there after not seeing her for so long. Had she awoken before he returned, Vegeta knew she would have run. He wanted to talk to her. He didn't care what she witnessed.

"How could you ask me that?" he snapped harshly before he turned away. "Don't you know me well enough?"

Bulma sighed and shook her head, ignoring the fact that she was still helpless. "Vegeta, I haven't seen you in years. I don't know what's happened since…"

Yes, since…

It had been years since Vegeta was forced by his father to perform his family duties. His father, whom he was named after, was a part of one of the rivaling West City Mafia families. Vegeta always detested his father's 'business'. He was trained to be an enforcer, one who performed tasks such as dealing with the trash who betrayed his father or got in the boss's way. The man Vegeta took out that night was someone who was a double agent for the rivaling Cold family.

Realization dawned on him that Bulma actually had a very valid reason to fear him, and, finally, he uncuffed her and let her go. Bulma pushed herself up to a seated position, rubbed her wrists, and stared at them, dazed. She looked to Vegeta; blue eyes searched coal with distrust. "Why?"

"Because I know you won't tell anyone," he indicated, and then he walked away towards his bedroom door.

Always one to challenge him, Bulma spoke up and asked, "How can you be so sure?"

Vegeta's eyes met hers, and in that moment Bulma saw her old friend. "The same way I know you won't go to the cops to tell them what you know of my father. You've known for years the business he's in, and you never once betrayed my trust. Why would you now?"

Bulma sighed again and rubbed her face on instinct before she crossed her arms. Her sad expression did Vegeta in. "Vegeta, why?" she questioned hesitantly. "Why did you get involved with his gang when you hated it so much and swore up and down you'd never join?"

She had him there. Vegeta turned away from her and thought back to their teenaged years. He and Bulma were friends since childhood. She was always a light in his dark world. The mafia heir was advised by his father not to make friends, but Bulma and some other kids had been the exception.

Vegeta grew up with a loving mother. She didn't know before marrying his father that her husband's father was involved with a gang. Vegeta Sr. kept it from Kalina in hopes that she'd never find out. When his father was murdered, however, Vegeta Sr. took the reins of his old man's territory. He came clean to Kalina, and the woman was devastated. She already had a son with the man and was pregnant with their second child. There was no way to escape, and Vegeta Sr. informed her that their eldest son would take over for him one day.

Her son detested being a 'mobster'. His father got it in his head an early age that he had no choice and could never get away from his destiny. Vegeta was guarded almost all the time, when he wasn't sneaking away with Bulma or Kakarot, the brother of one of Vegeta's father's men. The three of them would end up doing the craziest and most childish things. Both Bulma and Kakarot knew Vegeta's lot in life, and they had the utmost faith that he would escape the tyranny of his father one day.

Eventually, Vegeta fell in love with Bulma, and she gave him her heart in return. She was never afraid of him being the son of a mafia boss. Her parents didn't know the full truth, but they knew that Vegeta's father was a criminal. Still, they always welcomed Vegeta into their home. He was an honest, standup young man with a bright future ahead of him. Vegeta and Bulma always planned to run away together, escape Vegeta's father, and make a world of their own. One of peace and joy and love.

And then Vegeta's mother was killed.

Vegeta grew despondent during that time, avoided his friends, his soul completely shattered. It was some underling of the Cold family, a tragedy, and it left Vegeta's heart scarred. Bulma was there for him, but Vegeta went to a dark, faraway place. There was no going back for him.

"There were reasons, Bulma," Vegeta dictated. He couldn't bring himself to discuss that joyless time.

Bulma's expression dimmed, her eyes full of sorrow. "Is…is that why you stopped responding to my letters?"

She continued to reach out, even when she went away to college. Vegeta could never find the words to answer. He loved her desperately, but the path he took would put her in danger. She couldn't know, not then. Eventually, she figured it out, and it destroyed their relationship. Vegeta was practically alone.

To change the subject, Vegeta invited Bulma to catch up a bit. "How has everything been?" he inquired about her life. Honestly, he really wanted to know what she had become. This woman, this bright star, she never left his mind or heart. It was only natural he'd want to hear about the wonderful life she led. If anything, it would keep him from thinking of the cleanup crew and if they'd succeed in covering up for him.

"Everything is fine," Bulma responded in a clipped tone, giving him very little incite.

When she said nothing more, Vegeta was irritated. "Bulma, I'm not asking for a novel," he told her, his voice irritated. "I just want to know how you've been."

Fire filled the woman's eyes as she brought up the reason for their separation. "We made a promise, Vegeta," she reminded him. "You and me, we were going to leave together. You weren't going to get sucked into your father's business." Her expression softened, eyes as gloomy as the outside weather. "I…I can't be with you if you're involved. I told you that I'd leave you if you ever joined the mob. You remember that, don't you?"

He did. Vegeta swore he would never drag her into that life, a life where she'd be in constant danger, especially being the heiress of her father's prestigious company. His mother was taken before her time because of this farce of a livelihood. Vegeta never wanted to put Bulma in that position. If anything ever happened to her, Vegeta knew he could never live with himself.

And so, his heart heavy with despair, Vegeta allowed her to walk away from him and out of his apartment, out of his life once again. He felt a twinge of something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Running into Vegeta had been an unexpected coincidence that led to another crazy occurrence for Bulma. The day after she found her ex-boyfriend standing over a dead body, Bulma ran into Vegeta's younger brother, Tarble, a friendly face she hadn't seen in so long. Tarble spotted her in the grocery store, and his face lit up with joy as he raced over to her. Bulma always adored Tarble. She became sort of a maternal figure after the boy's mother was murdered.

Tarble called out her name happily, and when he reached her his first reaction was to bombard her with questions about her life. It reminded her of Vegeta the previous night, but she knew she couldn't disappoint the innocent boy even if he was no longer little.

The two decided to go out for lunch, and Bulma learned that Tarble was off living on his own. He was so young at the time his father was in a mob war with the Cold gang, and Vegeta kept the child's existence under wraps. Tarble, as Bulma learned, took his and Vegeta's mother's last name. He had no ties to the Ouji family. His only connection was Vegeta. Tarble told Bulma he kept in touch with his brother, meeting out at times.

Bulma finally bit the bullet and told Tarble about her life, college, her family, and then she reluctantly admitted that she was dating someone. She could tell that Tarble was disappointed, able to see it in his eyes. That's when he asked her the question she dreaded. "I apologize if I'm out of line," he started, "but can I ask if you still have feelings for my brother?"

Spared by the returning waiter, Bulma immediately asked for the check and excused herself. She flashed Tarble a remorseful glance. The reality of the question was like a jab to the gut that she just couldn't face. It wasn't that she didn't know the truth or that she was in denial. She just knew what she wanted could never be. The woman needed to suffer alone with her secret.

Bulma was still deeply in love with Vegeta.

Vegeta couldn't get Bulma out of his head. He thought about her all night and all morning, and he just couldn't contain himself any longer. That's why he contacted Kakarot. His best friend met him at the gym. He needed to know, needed to find out what Bulma wasn't telling him. The only one who would know was Kakarot who was just as much Bulma's best friend as he was Vegeta's.

"I saw her," Vegeta stated, and Kakarot immediately sobered after their spar. He refused to meet Vegeta's gaze. "Why didn't you tell me she was back in the city?"

"Vegeta…" Kakarot hesitated. "I'm sorry. She didn't want you to know, and I didn't want to push her before she was ready. She's…been through a lot."

"What happened?"

Reluctantly, Kakarot began Bulma's tale for her, and Vegeta hung on every word, shocked that his woman had experienced so much. "After you stopped responding to her letters, Bulma was very overwhelmed," Kakarot explained. "It started affecting her work at school, and she was stressed knowing what it meant. She would call me every night asking me if you made it home alive. Eventually, she had to stop asking because it devastated her. Any time I mentioned you, she'd get quiet, so I just stopped.

"Her mother passed shortly before she graduated," Vegeta was told, and his heart broke for Bulma. He knew how much she loved her mother. They were always so close, and the maternal woman was always so kind and accepting of Vegeta as well. "She was so distraught, wasn't eating much, and she nearly dropped out of school. Her sister, Tights, went to keep her going so that she could graduate. Then, afterwards…Vegeta, Bulma's father changed a lot after Panchy died. Bulma was forced by him to take over Capsule."

Astonishment was plastered all over the enforcer's face as the information sunk in. Like he hated his father's business, Bulma hated her father's company. In fact, when she went off to school, she pursued writing, following in Tights's footsteps. At that moment, Vegeta noticed Kakarot shift uncomfortably. "What?" he bit out.

"Bulma and Tights no longer talk."

Normally, Vegeta was not one to feel distress, but, in that moment, he started to panic. He swallowed down his nerves before he asked, "Does Bulma talk to anyone?" She had to, Vegeta hoped. After all, she had been his rock when his mother died, tried to keep him from making foolish mistakes. As much as he resisted and let her down, she still made his life easier, and at her direst of circumstances he had not reciprocated. Was she really enduring this all alone?

Kakarot revealed to Vegeta what the normally stoic man was terrified to hear. As he shook his head, Kakarot answered, "Not really. Bulma talks to Chi-Chi only a little bit. All I really know about what's going on with her now is that Bulma is engaged to Yamcha. You remember him? The baseball captain who was interested in her in high school?"

Vegeta recalled the idiot who always vied for Bulma's affections. The woman was always oblivious and just thought Yamcha to be a nice guy who only liked her as a friend. Her focus was Vegeta, and Yamcha backed off because of it. Still, Vegeta knew the baseball player wanted Bulma. Only an idiot wouldn't. All Vegeta kept thinking, though, was why Yamcha and why now? What did Bulma see in that guy?

"He picked up the pieces of her broken heart after you 'abandoned' her." Vegeta glared at Kakarot, and his friend held up his hands in defense. "Chi-Chi's words, not mine."

It was very rare for Vegeta to feel guilt, but after he heard what Bulma suffered alone, he couldn't avoid it. There was so much he could have done for her that he didn't do, and he never even gave her an explanation. As much as he wanted to contradict Kakarot's harpy's words, he couldn't. He really did abandon Bulma, and all for the sake of revenge. There was no way he could feel lower than he did in that moment. There had to be something he could do to make up for everything he had done.

In attempts to distract herself from the past couple of days, Bulma decided to work late that night. Even if punching numbers and managing meetings and such were not her favorite parts of the day, it still proved a welcome distraction from her thoughts of Vegeta. She was in the middle of reading a project proposal from the research wing when her secretary called in to tell her to stop working and go home. It was already eight at night. "I'm fine, Lime. You can head out. I still have some stuff to do here."

A sigh escaped Lime. "Alright, Miss Brief. One other thing, though. There is a gentleman waiting here to meet you. He says he doesn't have an appointment."

Bulma thought nothing of it, probably because her mind unconsciously assumed it was Yamcha. "Send him in," Bulma replied before she cut off the speaker. Her attention went back to her document until she heard the door open and close. No one spoke to her, and usually Yamcha was overly affectionate and excited in his greeting. When silence met her, Bulma peeked out from around the side of her computer. She was shocked to see the man whom she was trying to distract herself from. "V…Vegeta?"

"We need to talk," he told her simply. His voice held no room for argument.

The woman's eyes narrowed. "There's nothing to talk about."

She was about to tell him to leave, and, as if Vegeta sensed it, he made a small request, and said a word he never though he'd say. "Please, Bulma, just an hour of your time. That's all I'm asking for."

A sigh escaped the woman. Bulma shook her head at herself for what she was about to do. "Fine. One hour, but that's it. After that, I'm done."

"Fair enough," Vegeta settled. He then held out his hand for her to take. Bulma didn't know what to make of his tender actions.

Bulma was surprised when Vegeta brought her to an old burger joint, one they frequented back when they were teenagers. It seemed Vegeta was doing everything to force nostalgia to take root in her heart. Regrettably, it was working. She mentally cursed herself for being unable to overcome the manipulation. Well, she hadn't been there in years, and she was hungry. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to indulge this once. She had promised Vegeta an hour, after all.

Of course, Vegeta just stared at her which was a bit unsettling. "So," Bulma huffed. She took a sip of her strawberry milkshake. "You got me here. What did you want to talk about?"

His hesitance reflected in his eyes, a glint that only Bulma could see. "I talked to Kakarot."

Right there, Bulma almost left him right there. Hurt and anger bubbled up in her instantly, and she was on her feet, ready to walk away for good. Vegeta's desperate voice stopped her, his confession rang in the air between them. "I did it because I learned who was responsible for my mother's death." Bulma froze in her spot, and the words sunk into her mind. She turned to face Vegeta, his stoic mask gone. Sad and hopeless eyes stared back at her.

Her heart pulled her back towards her former love, and the two sat back down at the table. Bulma eyed Vegeta in a way that silently said 'go on'. It seemed she was ready to listen, and Vegeta found he was ready to talk about it, but only with her.

"I found out which one of his men did it," Vegeta said in a hushed tone. He leaned in towards Bulma so only she could hear. The conversation was covered up by oldies music that played overhead. "My father refused to do anything about it. I was so angry, Bulma, that I couldn't think straight. I'd get into fights with my father's guys when you weren't around, not caring if they'd obey father's orders or not, to leave me alive.

"I ended up asking Nappa to train me once I learned who it was, and I killed that son of a bitch," Vegeta hissed. He refused to meet Bulma's eyes. He refused to look at her, afraid he'd see judgement. Had he looked, though, he would have seen twin pools filled with understanding. "I didn't plan it out that well. My father told me he wouldn't clean up my mess unless I swore loyalty. Out of two choices, it was either that or prison. Regrettably, I went with the former."

"Why?" Bulma pressed, though this time it was more out of curiosity. She wanted to know. The fear of prison wouldn't have led Vegeta to join. He wasn't fearful of prison. There had to be something more that caused his decision. "I know you would never be afraid of being arrested."

Vegeta mentally cursed the woman for how well she knew him. There was another reason, but Vegeta didn't know what she'd think. It was possible she wouldn't believe him, even if it was the truth. If she did believe him, though, it would most likely change nothing between them, and Vegeta didn't think he could handle or accept that. Still, she deserved an answer.

"That bastard threatened your life," Vegeta admitted, his eyes full of hatred. Bulma seemed surprised by the information. "He knew I was in a relationship with you, and he didn't like it, so he demanded I cut all communication with you if I wanted you to live. It was blackmail. But Bulma, I had to protect you."

Shock was all that registered for Bulma, and she needed to wait for it to pass to make her own admission to her former lover. "Vegeta…" she started, her voice as soft and as gentle as it used to be with him. "I still feel for you, but I can't. I can't be with you. I could never be involved with that life, and that means I can't be anywhere near you. I have responsibilities to my family, too. I'm sorry, but…where I understand… Vegeta, I never want to see you again."

Her statement did not surprise Vegeta. He knew how adamant Bulma was about being kept away from that type of danger. After what happened to Vegeta's mother, he wouldn't even want the woman there by his side. His heart said otherwise, but his heart was oblivious to the danger his world posed to the love of his life. No, he would not be like his father. He would not trap Bulma in a life where she'd mostly likely face the same fate as Kalina.

"Fine," he answered curtly. "I just figured you deserved an answer. If that's it, then you can leave."

Bulma nodded and stood up from her seat. She looked back towards Vegeta, his dark eyes still on her. Once again, she walked away, and she planned to never look back. That wretched thought left the both of them feeling horrible pain in their hearts and an emptiness with which they were all too familiar.

A/N: Well, that's it for Chapter 1, a little forlorn of an ending, but it is just the start. ;) Feel free to leave a review. I hope you enjoyed getting some content during this quarantine! ^_^