A.N.:I'm going to be completely honest, this was the hardest chapter for me to write to date. Life stuff aside, I've never really been able to get a good grasp of how I wanted to transition forward from the Namek Saga into what's to come and even after a year's worth of sitting down and trying to put it on paper, I'm not entirely satisfied with it. But, I'm hoping it's at least a start. Apologies for the wait.
Chapter Twelve - Despair
"Well, I think this is good enough."
Rosemary turned off the water taps after a lengthy, rigorous shower and stepped out of the chamber into the bright light of her bathroom. She swore she'd felt lighter now, despite being wet from head to toe - all the grease and grime for a length of time only the gods would have known was finally washed away.
For now, anyway.
The immediate future was an enigma. Was she truly safe? Everything the day had brought since she arrived on Earth just seemed too good to be true. Being on high alert for as long as she was, the very concept of peace felt like it no longer existed within her internal programming, and now she had these humans doting on her as if she were royalty. No one was out to harm her. There were no sharp tools awaiting her or soldiers to maul her over ideals that weren't shared. As if that in itself wasn't a shock, the idea of a reality where Frieza was no more - gone, forever - had her in such a daze that left her questioning just how powerful these Earthlings were, and how powerful Vegeta had to have been to hold his own against him for as long as he did. What had he been up to this whole time?
She blinked hard. On top of that, what would Vegeta do now, if not serve under the Frieza Force?
She gave her head a firm shake. Thinking about Vegeta wouldn't get her anywhere at the moment. Everything she'd grown to know about the man went out the window yet she still worried about him, how irritating.
She took a white towel from a rack on the wall and promptly wrapped herself. Even the soft, clean texture of towels had a strange unfamiliarity to them.
She sighed. Maybe it made more sense to ask herself what she had been doing this whole time. Was she living? The more she thought about the past fourteen years, the more she was beginning to realize that her life had been futile, wasted, locked up and hidden from the world, no, the universe. She hardly felt alive at all.
She took another few steps along the tile and stopped in front of a pearly white vanity to examine herself in it's mirror.
She gazed down at her shoulders. Regardless of the occasion, everything seemed to heal over and leave a seemingly clean finish on her milky skin. She slowly ran a hand over her collar area to feel for any blemishes, but found nothing, and gently sighed again - her Saiyan genes looked to cure her of bruises and scratches with ease, and she was left grateful. She'd been born a weakling among warriors, small framed yet surrounded by towering, muscular beings, an intellectual among a simple-minded race, but sure, she was still a Saiyan.
She rolled her eyes.
'Well, at least I look nice, apparently...'
Her left hand made its way up to the top of her head and slithered it's fingers through her wet, messy, black mop of hair. What was already as black as the void of space looked even darker now that her Saiyan mane was clean once more. She struggled to reach her fingers all the way to the top of her spiked peaks and frowned as they got caught - they were even longer than she thought possible now. Part of her wondered how her father had put up with it for so long.
After another few seconds of detangling fingers from hair, her chest protested with a quick, sharp jolt of pain that managed to get a wince out of her.
Her eyes reluctantly slid down to her collarbone. She'd matured, but couldn't remember the last time she actually took the proper care to ensure her body was healthy… Now that her breasts were freed from poorly fitting armour for a fair amount of time, they ached a pain she only hoped would go away over time.
She scowled. She probably had no muscular support whatsoever, even less so than the seemingly nonexistent amount that she had before.
Dangling just below where the edge of her towel would show and hazed over from a lack of maintenance remained her most prized possession. The red gemstone that hung from her neck somehow stayed with her through everything, and a small wad of soiled old bandage that held its proper gold chain sat uninterrupted at the corner of her bathroom sink. It baffled her that no one had bothered to confiscate it, even though Zarbon definitely knew it existed - she was told to guard it with her life, after all, and may have finally succeeded.
Being able to keep her promise gave her a sliver of relief. Not that Vegeta showed any kind of appreciation for it when he'd noticed, though.
"Hey!" A muffled shout through the door called to her. "You almost done in there?"
Rosemary clutched at her towel to conceal herself in case Bulma took it upon herself to barge in. She wouldn't put it past the woman, as bubbly as she was.
"Uhh, y-yes!" She quickly called back. "J-Just a moment!"
Her head drooped towards the tiled floor.
'I suppose I'll have time to think things over properly later. For now, I should entertain the idea that this woman is here to help me.'
She took her final steps towards the bathroom door, opened it, and headed back to her new bedroom in a tightly secured towel.
Bulma sat on the bed and greeted her with a warm smile.
"Are you feeling a little better now that you're clean?" She harmlessly asked.
Rosemary silently nodded with a faint smile of her own in response. How bizarre - this woman was so carefree and relaxed. Did she care that an alien from a race known for killing was in her midst? Perhaps sporadically taking in people from outer space was a regular occurrence for her, being a scientist and all.
"I bet!" Bulma cheered as she made a lively leap off the mattress. "Your skin looks so much brighter now too! I bet some of these clothes are gonna look great on ya!"
Rosemary blushed. She hasn't had this sort of attention in what seemed like forever.
"Ah, you think so as well. I appreciate your kindness, really, I do… I can't express it enough."
"Hey, don't sweat it. I don't get to hang around other girls that often, well, other than my mom but that gets old. The guys just kinda leave me behind these days too since I can't fly and fight like them."
Rosemary's gaze awkwardly shifted away.
"That reminds me…" She gently prodded. Her curiosity begged to know more about the fighters she had met on Namek. She wanted to know everything that these people knew… What was Goku's purpose? How did Vegeta end up coming to Earth? Why was there a Namekian that knew everyone as if he'd grown up here as well?
"How did us Saiyans become acquainted with this planet?" Rosemary went on. The question sounded almost discriminatory as the words came out and she awkwardly looked away with rosy cheeks. "I-It seems like there's a bit of history behind it all."
Bulma held up a pointed finger and playfully wagged it in front of Rosemary's face.
"Ah ah-" Bulma teased and took out a capsule from a pocket with the other hand. "Let's get started on getting you into some Earth clothes, and then I'll explain. I've got my mom cooking up a nice big meal for us, so let's start with picking out something nice for dinner. Honestly, it's a long story, anyways."
Rosemary eyed the small pill-like object as it twiddled between Bulma's fingers with confusion, and gave a silent nod in response. It certainly didn't look like any kind of thing one could wear, nor was it large enough to feasibly contain much of anything - a consumable, maybe?
Bulma tossed the capsule leisurely onto the bed, followed up with a waft of smoke and a popping sound loud enough to make Rosemary jump and cower away with a quiet whimper.
Bulma whipped around with regret as fast as she could at the sound of the Saiyan's cry - she just set off the equivalent of an explosive around some kind of galactic victim of war without a second thought.
"Oh, shoot!" Bulma remarked. "I forgot that you have no idea what these capsules do, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" She let out a heavy sigh. "Geez, I should slow down, huh, you're still all sensitive and whatnot…"
Rosemary hesitantly took a couple steps forward once again and waved Bulma away with a heavy sigh.
"I-It's alright, as long as it's not some kind of bomb or something, I suppose…" She responded politely.
As the smoke dissipated, a few stacks of various vibrantly coloured fabrics appeared sprawled across the tidied bed.
Rosemary blinked. Those certainly weren't there a few seconds ago.
There was quite a heap of assorted clothes there now.
She blinked hard once more.
"W-Wha?!" She gasped. "But how?"
She held up a shaky finger towards the bed.
"T-Those weren't there before! What kind of magic am I seeing here?!"
Bulma's mouth curled into a proud grin.
"These," She pulled out another capsule. "Aren't magic at all! These are my dad's world-famous inventions!"
She held one in the tips of her fingers and held it up for Rosemary to see. "This little guy can hold all sorts of things! Furniture, large amounts of food rations, and even vehicles, like the ship we flew here in!"
Eyes wide with wonder, Rosemary came forward a few more steps to get a closer look with inquisitive hands at the ready. Now that the woman mentioned it, the front of the massive yellow building they were in read Capsule Corporation along the front in giant blue letters, presumably thanks to this contraption.
"That's… fascinating, and... incredibly intuitive." She murmured as she examined the button-like top of the capsule. "So, if these are famous, like you say, does this mean that everyone has access to these, um, capsules?"
"Well, we don't just give them away for free, but yeah, they're available to any and everyone for purchase!" Bulma answered with a smile. "Lots of people here on Earth use them, whether it be for work or just regular day to day stuff… Say, you didn't have something like these at home? The Saiyans seemed like a pretty advanced bunch, to be honest."
Rosemary paused for a moment to think, then gave a slow shake of her head.
"I'd like to think that we were as well, to tell you the truth." Rosemary followed with a frown, intrigued. "But technology like this didn't even come close to existing… Gods, if we had these, we could have saved so much space... Every Saiyan could travel at free will without clearance from the Royal Army with a personal ship of their own! We could have stored resources to sustain ourselves for ages to come, and we wouldn't have had to rely on anyone for any kind of assistance." She carefully took the tiny capsule from Bulma's hands into her own and held it closer to her face.
"It could have been revolutionary for the future of our people… More of us could have been off-planet during the destruction of our planet, or more of us could have escaped at the first thought of danger-"
Bulma's smile slumped into a frown.
"Alright, alright, that took a turn I wasn't expecting, let's put that away for now." Bulma rushed in before the mood got any worse. "I know there's a ton for you to unpack up there in the brain, we'll work at it slowly, I promise."
With a silent but gloomy nod, Rosemary obediently handed the device back to her and lowered her head towards the floor to ponder further.
Bulma shoved the capsule back into her pocket and began to fumble with the piles of clothes on the bed, to pull out a long measuring tape.
"First things first, I just wanna check a few measurements before I start pulling stuff out to try on," She gently took a step towards Rosemary with outstretched arms. "May I?"
Rosemary took a hold of her towel once again and blushed.
"S-Sure…"
Wrapping the tape around Rosemary's bust, she gave a small tug and pinched the tape tight.
"We're gonna get these ladies under control, and you'll be a lot more comfortable, I promise." Bulma assured the nervous Saiyan. "Hmm, thirty-one, no, thirty-two…"
"Um, wouldn't the fabrics just fit around them?" Rosemary looked down at herself, clutching her towel for dear life. "W-We didn't bother measuring things because our armour had such fitting and elasticity…"
Bulma let out a giggle.
"Yeah, we don't really have armour here." She answered back and moved the tape to Rosemary's waist. "We wear all sorts of things, like pretty dresses or just some shirts and pants, and there's all sorts of styles and colours... It depends on the occasion, y'know? But, for ladies in particular,"
She skipped back over to the bed and pulled out a plain, grey bra. "We wear these underneath, so our stuff doesn't, uh, flop around. It's kinda uncomfortable when they do." She looked Rosemary in the eye with a grin. "Your armour from back home must not be too protective if it's that flexible."
Rosemary's cheeks grew warm at the thought of talking about her more intimate parts.
"W-Well," She awkwardly stammered. "For the average woman, it wasn't really an issue, b-but," She looked away from Bulma's stare in humiliation. "For those with l-larger, um, y-you know… We would wrap them with bandages to sort of pin them down under our suits…"
"Yeah, that sounds like a lot of hassle," Bulma added with a wink. "I think you'll grow to appreciate these. I've got a few basic ones in this size here, but you're on your own if you want fancier ones with pretty designs on them to impress the boys."
Rosemary's nose crinkled in displeasure. She had no particular interest in showing off anything to anyone at the moment.
"I don't think that will be an issue." She shot back dryly.
Bulma chuckled.
"Haha, alright, if you say so." She teased. "Moving on… I think it was mentioned that you were in a bit of a higher class back home… Yeah, you lived at a palace, right, with Vegeta? What sorts of stuff did you wear? Was there like a theme, or a uniform? I can't imagine Vegeta's armour is his full garb either if he was a prince, kinda boring if it is."
Rosemary gave a light nod.
"Oh yes, he had other regalia, but anyways…The palace folk referred to me as 'Lady Rosemary', but I was no noble." She explained as-a-matter-of-factly. "As you know, I had... quite an esteemed role."
She looked down at her towel. The way it hung over her held some similarities to her old clothes, she supposed. "For the most part, I wore plain, light coloured gowns that fell to my feet. Robes, if you will. It was similar to what the nurses wore, but I was the only one that had my particular uniform."
Bulma rummaged through the piles some more.
"Yeah, yeah, I see." She acknowledged as she put aside some dresses. "High class stuff, I bet, I got just the thing. I'll grab some of these and-"
She took a stack of clothes and tossed them over the changing wall beside Rosemary.
"Alright, Rosie, let's give these a go-"
Rosie.
The name made every strand of her hair stand on edge. Her skin crawled with a shiver - it was arguably the last thing she wanted to hear come out of someone's mouth, regardless of who it was.
"Please, d-don't," Rosemary abruptly interrupted in a sharp tone. "S-Sorry, but please don't call me that."
Bulma blinked hard. That was probably the first time that Rosemary had bothered to talk even the slightest bit out of line. "Oh, uh, sure."
Rosemary let out a guilty sigh, and took to behind the wall to start putting things on. 'That was rather rude of me…'
"Ugh, I know that it probably seems odd, but it's just… complicated." She gloomily added as she grabbed a yellow heap off the top. Talking about herself as much as she had been was beginning to leave her feeling exposed and vulnerable. "My father used to call me that, and I haven't seen nor heard of him in a very long time. And then one of Frieza's men took up the name and taunted me with it constantly in terrible taste. I have very mixed emotions about it is all."
She slipped on some undergarments and looked at herself through a standing mirror that leaned against the wall in front of her. It was hard to believe that the bare skin that stood before her was her own.
"Hey, that's totally understandable." Bulma carefully reassured her. "Your name is kinda formal, though… What about Rose, then? Yeah, like the flower, that's a pretty name!"
Rosemary froze with wide eyes at the sound.
'Rose, you're free. Stop worrying.'
She couldn't deny that that particular moniker held a special place in her heart.
She shamefully bowed her head. Prince Vegeta was fighting for headspace no matter how hard she tried, it seemed.
"W-Well, that one's been exclusive to the prince… You're right, my name is a bit of a mouthful, that's precisely why he called me that. He was less frustrated that way."
Bulma snickered to herself. The poor girl was hopeless for that jerk, but maybe she just wasn't aware of to what extent as of yet.
"Ahh," Bulma purred. Little did the Saiyan know that a cheeky smirk was brimming across her face. "So, that one's even more special to you."
There was a moment of silence behind the wall. 'Aha! Checkmate.'
"M-Maybe…" A response finally came. "B-But enough about me for now! You have some explaining to do of your own!"
Bulma's chuckling evolved into hearty laughter.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you, but I want to know the details! You're not getting away that easily, you hear?"
She could hear a heavy huff from the other side, and Rosemary peeked her head out.
"S-So be it." She muttered with rosy cheeks, and stepped out in a flowy yellow summer dress with fitted short sleeves. Even with clothes on, it felt like she was wearing none at all. "Is this supposed to be so loose fitting?"
Bulma squealed with excitement. The dress couldn't have looked better on the little lady - her tiny frame allowed for the bodice to curve in just enough to hug her sides and give the skirt a generous lift, and the playfully bright golden yellow tone brought out her soft, pale skin. To top it off, her bust had the exact amount of support to prove just how much of a woman she was without too much cleavage.
"Oh my gosh you look so cute!" Bulma giddily shrieked and scurried up to her. "Yeah, dresses are light and airy for comfort, silly! That one's a definite yes from me, next!"
Rosemary furrowed her brows. She wasn't going to be off the hook so easily herself.
"Hey!" She retorted with balled fists. "I'm not some dress-up doll! I was serious before, I want to know how I ended up here!"
"Okay, okay!" Bulma countered. This girl was so damn sensitive. "Geez, you could lighten up a little, too… Alright, Keep going and I'll babble away, I guess."
. . .
After a thoughtless flight to the grasslands in the east, Piccolo finally decided on a quiet spot to sit in the grass by a small body of water, and took to the ground with legs crossed and eyes shut.
'It's about time I finally returned to meditating.'
He took a deep breath to immerse himself in the life around him. The air was fresh and clean, and the water had just the slightest saltiness that gently tickled his nose as he sniffed. In the distance he could hear a family of wild deer free roaming the open valleys, along with the chirps and squawks of various birds and heavy stomps of larger creatures he couldn't put names to.
He could get used to this. He typically wasn't one to enjoy the state of peace, but after the hectic chapter of experiences on Namek, he preferred Earth's natural wonders.
He took long, rhythmic breaths to ease his body into equilibrium. In and out were the various scents of the area, and with it came an abundance of natural ki flowing around him. He gently channeled the energies through his limbs and back into the atmosphere and became one with the stillness of the land.
Before he knew it, a couple more hours had passed without a fuss. Time was an anomaly while meditating - it tended to fly by as fast as the wind that blew from time to time. The sun had begun to set, and the darkened grass around him suggested that it might be time to seek shelter for the night.
As he got up from the ground, there was a quick jolt to his senses. Something was coming, and it wasn't any of the local wildlife. Whatever it was, it didn't bother hiding its obnoxious energy in the slightest, and it was coming right for him.
He'd heard a loud rustle in the trees behind him, and immediately whipped around.
Then, he'd clued in. The only fighters out at this hour were the ones that didn't have a home to return to.
And that list, aside from him, had been non-existent, until very recently.
"So, you've learned to sense energy but can't hide it yet, huh, Vegeta?" He called out to the air presumptuously in his deepest of tones. "With all the running around you've been doing, I figured you'd have adapted by now."
Piccolo winced - the way the ki spiked just then indicated that he wasn't in a good mood, either, yet it wavered periodically. The Saiyan was growing tired.
There was a crash followed by the rustling of agitated trees, and Vegeta stomped forward.
"I don't exactly care who detects me here." He belligerently snarled. "I'm the most powerful person to walk this planet at the moment, I wager that's worth broadcasting, if anything." He turned his back to the Namekian and crossed his arms. "What a shame. I thought I'd finally be in for a good meal, but instead I found you."
Piccolo grinned. He doubted that he'd have much meat on him, anyway, what with his diet being exclusively water.
"You better get used to it if you plan on sticking around." He taunted back. Was he planning on sticking around? He didn't care enough to find out. "A smart person would have taken any opportunity he got if he had nowhere to go, yet you turned it away like a spoiled kid. Sounds to me like you're regretting it if you're this sour."
There was an irritable growl among the darkened air. Piccolo could only briefly distinguish Vegeta's obnoxiously black hair from everything else at that moment.
"Shut up." Vegeta angrily countered. He didn't need to be reminded of his questionable decisions again. "Don't pretend like you know me after a fight or two, I'm no simpleton. I live life my way. I refuse to be domesticated by the likes of these weak Earthlings."
Piccolo chuckled and took to the air. 'Guess he'll learn the hard way, though I doubt he hasn't been in this situation before.'
"Fine. Have fun going hungry, then."
Without any kind of reaction or rebuttal, Piccolo took off into the night sky, and left Vegeta alone to his thoughts once again.
. . .
"And Goku was like, 'I thought that bride meant something to eat!'"
There was laughter around the dinner table as Mrs. Briefs cleared everyone's stacks of plates from their feast.
Rosemary's mouth dropped open in disbelief. The stories being told about the mysterious Saiyan did nothing short of fascinate her. He may not have been brought up like a traditional Saiyan, by the sound of things, but some of the man's core values remained the same nonetheless, despite losing all recollection of his heritage as a child. At the very least, Goku had maintained his lust for fighting and getting stronger, and his appetite remained insatiable just like the typical Saiyan warrior.
"Good grief, is Goku really that dense?" Rosemary moaned with a shake of her head and a hopeless grin, bewildered. "At least the Saiyans I was surrounded with were well educated."
"Well, see," Bulma went on from the seat beside her, a finger pointed indicatively. "We were all thinking that same thing at that point, too. But then he actually asked Chi-Chi to marry him right then and there anyways!"
Rosemary's eyes widened after rapid blinks. She wasn't sure what to say. He was strange, simple as that.
"Oh, that Goku is a silly one, but he has such a big heart!" Bulma's mother cheerily joined in from the kitchen. She took a steel kettle of water off the stove and set aside some tea cups. "Now then, would anyone like some coffee or tea with dessert?"
Something deep from within Rosemary's body had awoken just then.
Tea? Did she hear that right? Was tea enjoyed here on Earth as it was among the Saiyans after a long day of work at the palace?
Oh, how she longed to relive the warm, relaxing flavours of her downtime, her peace. Her body was giving off signals she couldn't interpret!
She vibrated with excitement and finally let out a joyful gasp.
"I-I would lovesome tea!" She clumsily blurted out, and immediately shifted her gaze away from the table in humiliation. She took her yellow dress into tightened fists under the table and mentally scolded herself for being impolite. Gods, she was being such a fool.
Bulma took note of Rosemary's enthusiasm for later - she may have just picked up on one of the woman's sweet spots.
"I'll have some coffee, Mom." Bulma called over as well.
Rosemary sighed.
"Goodness, please forgive me for that…" She attempted to laugh it off with an awkward smile. "It's been ages since I've had the pleasure of a cup of tea. I thought I'd never have it again, I love and miss it so much. I guess I got excited at the very thought."
Bulma gave her a cheeky wink.
"Hey, no worries, Rosemary, chill out!" She brushed it off and put a hand on Rosemary's shoulder. "Stuff is gonna be weird for you for a bit, but try not to sweat the small things, alright?"
Rosemary gave a silent, skeptical nod in return.
Mrs. Briefs came bouncing over with a tray of fixings, along with the kettle of water in the other hand.
"Oh, you're such a sweet little lady," She chimed in. "We're here for you, 'kay?"
Rosemary couldn't help but give another nod for good measure.
Bulma gently nudged Rosemary's leg with her knee while she took a giant swig out of her cup.
"Hey." She whispered.
Caught by surprise, Rosemary silently turned her head to acknowledge her and listened further.
"I'm not trying to put anything off, before you get the wrong idea." Bulma quietly went on, helping herself to a steaming glass pot of coffee and some sugar. "There's some stuff my parents don't know, so it's better if I talk about some stuff when it's just the two of us."
Rosemary gave an inconspicuous nod in return and looked back to the pots and cups on the table. She could only imagine that what was to come wasn't nearly as pleasant as the tale of Goku and Chi-Chi. She took a tea bag into her hand and gave it a good whiff - there was definitely some herbs and spices in there as she received a blast of sweet yet smokey smells. Much like other things she'd observed as of late, the idea of a mesh vessel to contain the mysterious dried wonders was intuitive. Back home, the herbs loosely sat in the pot and were strained before serving. It was one way to save a step, she supposed.
Bulma gave her a perturbed look. She knew what tea was, right?
Rosemary felt the glare and shyly slid her gaze over to Bulma. She drooped the tea bag into her cup, took up the pot of hot water and gently poured over the pouch.
…
Vegeta savagely chomped away at a large heap of meat, starving and bitter atop a small mountain. The wildlife here was quick and nimble, unlike the lazed over beasts from other planets - hunting his dinner had no right being a challenge when he was this hungry. He was impressed, however, for it had been a while since his prey gave him a good go, let alone the need to sit down and cook for himself and the meat on Earth animals was exceptionally lean yet tasty.
He gloomily slumped over the decaying tree log he was perched on. While the Namekian had some truth to his words, there was a part of him that absolutely demanded that he remained a lone soldier for the time being to figure things out for himself.
But what did that mean? He needed to start picking his brain about the bigger questions.
He took another bite of his deer leg. What would he do now? Frieza was no more - which meant that he was under no one's command but his own. Continuing to destroy planets, while it entertained him, no longer had purpose or personal gain aside from the odd challenge. Eventually, he'd have no one left to fight and ultimately become the greatest fighter in the universe, but even that seemed like empty merit now.
And, Kakarot was gone, too. The only real rival he'd really had disappeared as fast as he'd been discovered.
'It was better than losing my life, at least.'
Was it? He had lost his life in the process, and aside from the pitiful monologue he'd given, it didn't seem half bad.
Far off in the distance, he saw the faintest glimmering of city lights, and other topics swam to the forefront of his thoughts.
Rosemary.
What was he going to do about her?
Where was he supposed to even begin with it all? She'd been ripped from him so abruptly, and so long ago. What did she remember of it, if anything at all? No, she likely clung to her memories of home if it meant giving up her life, just like the stone he'd given her all those years ago.
"Whatever you do, guard that with your life!"
And she did, but he wasn't expecting her to be alive.
He wondered if she'd harboured a grudge, or any kind of hatred against him.
His chest suddenly got intensely heavy with guilt. He never saved her. In all the years he told himself that he would - that it was all a part of his master plan - in the end, it wasn't by his hands that her life was saved. He'd spent years alongside Nappa and Raditz tracking her down, trying to sneak her away under Frieza's nose, and then attempting to convince Frieza that she was a benefit to their cause if they were found out. In the end, he wasn't able to spare her from the unknown amount of ridiculous and inhumane treatment, and he wasn't able to bring her home. But, above all, what he would likely never live down was that he would never be able to live the life that he'd longed for and thought he had all planned out for them both.
Frieza took that all away from them.
And even worse, he wasn't able to avenge any of it through Frieza's death.
And now, how was he supposed to approach Rosemary, after all was said and done? How was he supposed to convince the woman, as intelligent and deserving as she was, that everything wasn't for naught?
He just couldn't.
His eyes fell shut with fatigue.
'It's better than losing my life, at least.'
