Concerto Twenty-Two: Smoking Gun

A/N: Whew! It's been awhile, hasn't it? Please forgive me, I've been caught up with work, art
(I'm making my own digital pieces now!) video games (HAS ANYONE PLAYED PERSONA 5/BREATH OF THE WILD MY GOD!) and good ole' life stuff. Thank you for everyone who is still sticking around for this story, you guys are golden. A quick catch up from the last chapter: Vegeta and Bulma attended the second nuptials of Goku and Chi Chi, Raditz plays a staring contest with Vegeta, and Nappa shows up at the end and indicates that Raditz is the key to Vegeta's salvation from Frieza. Onwards to the next chapter! Also a warning for violent scenes and mentions of sexual abuse.

oooOOOooo

The minty cool breeze of the night air wafted through the small cracks of the shed where Vegeta, Raditz and Nappa hurdled together, bringing the slight smell of liquor with it. Outside the thin walls, the lazy laughs of the guests accompanied the crickets' music, surprisingly still as loud and boisterous as it had been since Kakarot and Chi Chi locked lips for the second time officially. It was reaching the nine oclock hour and wine was still overfilling cups while the last remnants of wedding cake were being scarfed down drunken throats. It was an easy distraction, Vegeta thought as he sipped from his own champagne flute. That way, no one noticed the three burly men who sauntered off to the shed less than ten minutes ago.

Raditz sat on top of a bundle of hay, his elbows resting on top of his knees as his chin hung low, a pathetic expression on his face. Nappa stood to the side of him, looking more like a bodyguard than a spectator for whatever the hell this was. Vegeta could barely stomach the tension in the air, not appreciating how these two were making him wait for this 'resolution', of sorts. His eyes swayed from Raditz, to Nappa, and back to Raditz again, silently screaming at them to stop wasting his fucking time.

Nappa cleared his throat, able to read the irritation in his nephew's eyes. He looked down to Raditz with somewhat of a father-like stare, nodding his head before returning his attention back to Vegeta. "Well," he said to Raditz, although his coal eyes never left Vegeta's, "We're all here, aren't we? No need to keep the silence running further."

Raditz opened his mouth to speak, but it was Bulma's infectious laugh that crept in from outside, letting Vegeta know she was full of spirits, the body and the ale alike. Hearing her being so jolly, especially when the mood around him was anything but, tempted him to join her and taste the sweet red concoction that danced on her lips. For a split second, the idea of being around a bunch of dolts he didn't care for didn't sound so disgusting, if it meant that she would share that laugh with him, and maybe even a little more. But the streak of lightning that birthed in Raditz eyes catapulted him back to his current reality, and the heavy anchor of anxiety in his belly pulled down again.

"I don't know where to even begin, Vegeta. I know the beginning's always a good start, but this is one of those stories where no part will leave ya feeling satisfied." Raditz sighed and leaned back against the hay, rubbing the sharp point of his chin. "I already know what I'm about to say to you is going to upset you, and it may make you want to kill me, but all I ask of you is that you keep a sort of understanding to yourself, you get me?"

Vegeta had to swallow the rough words that regurgitated in his throat, knowing that the vile that would accompany his phrase had the potential to change Raditz's mind about this conversation entirely. So instead he chugged the rest of his wine and leaned against the wall of the barn, mumbling out a quick, "What sort of understanding?"

"The kind where you remember that, in a lot of ways, I'm just like you. Just a guy trying to better than his old man, okay?"

Vegeta suddenly didn't feel so good. It could've been the reflection of himself that he saw at that very moment in Raditz eyes. Could've been the hint of sadness that shone over Raditz' features. Or it could've been the umpteenth glass of wine he drank in the past hour. Whatever it was, his face felt increasingly hot as he barked out, "What the hell does that mean?"

Raditz held his glare for a moment before resting his chin to his chest, running his fingers down his long, raven mane. He glanced up quickly at Nappa before wetting his lips and staring back down to the floorboards. "All right, Vegeta, in order to make you understand, I guess I'll just start from that day. I can't see a more fitting beginning to a story than to take you to the hell I was in."

oooOOOooo

Fresh flowing rainwater was always something Raditz envied. It was like the sky was cleansing itself of all the bad muck humans put into it on a daily basis. It cried and it threw its tantrum, and humanity was forced to deal with wet buildings and ruined plans. It was as if time stopped for Earth as it unleashed its sorrows, as if it screamed, "No more! I can't take it!" As if rain was the begging of something better, something that would help more than it hurt.

Raditz wished that he was the rain.

Droplets raced down the car window as he studied them, apprehensive to look in front of him. Instead he watched the tears from Earth's eyes taunt him, asking him what he was doing and why, reminding him of his own desires and dreams.

A voice cleared to his left and on cue he turned, looking directly into the eyes of a man whose face mirrored his own, only older and more clipped around the edges. "Raditz," he spoke softly, the corners of his mouth barely lifting into a smile, "Did you hear what Zarbon said?"

Zarbon scoffed and Raditz turned his attention to him, just in time to see the silver medallions shimmy from the bottom of his pants as he crossed one leg over the other. He folded his arms and glared at Raditz, running his tongue over his teeth. "Oh please. I didn't realize that he needed to be told twice. Are you a boy or are you a dog?"

"Come now, Zarbon," a fat creature that Raditz recently learned was named Dodoria folded his arms behind his head, playing with a toothpick between his teeth, "Don't be so hard on the boy. He just finished sucking from his mother's teet, rest her soul. Maybe we should tell Frieza he isn't ready yet, that he needs more training." A deceptive smile enhanced his ugly face, one that clearly wasn't getting enough oxygen with his pink cheeks and sagging skin.

"Eww," Zarbon threw his long ponytail over his shoulder, "That's so boring. What else can training do for a dog? He either learns his tricks or he doesn't, but I don't keep useless mutts around. If he can't handle it, perhaps we should put him down."

"There's no need for that," the man sitting next to Raditz hurriedly said, barely containing the panic in his voice. "Raditz is good and ready for a job, I made sure of it myself. He may be young, but he's still a man. A capable one, at that."

"Psssh, the boy can barely drink," Dodoria glugged a glass of scotch down greedily at his words, "How the hell can I trust him with a first class order from Frieza?"

"I'm twenty-two, I can drink just fine," Raditz was met with a small slap on the thigh from the man, discreet enough that he was sure Zarbon and Dodoria hadn't noticed. "Plus my father is right, I'm more than ready for this."

"Sure," Zarbon poured himself a glass of scotch, throwing his sunglasses over his face despite the weather and the fact they were inside of a limo, "Well if you aren't, it'll be on your daddy's head, isn't that right Bardock?" He lifted his glasses for a moment as he smirked, slowly pressing the drink to his lips.

Bardock huffed but said nothing, instead turning to his son with determined eyes. "Remember what we talked about, Raditz. In and out, no questions, no conversations. This guy owes Frieza money and we're just here to send a message. The grim reapers, remember?"

Raditz slowly nodded, although his belly brewed with uncertainty. This wasn't the life Raditz wanted, this wasn't something he'd want to be doing on his free time. Working for Frieza, the fucking scum of the earth? He wanted to vomit just from the thought of it. But… but if he didn't agree, then Frieza would've come after Goku. He would've taken his brother right out of college and tortured him and his girlfriend until Goku agreed to work for him. That was what Bardock said to him, anyways, when he sat Raditz down a few months ago and told him Frieza was interested in having him join his team. Said that he needed younger workers to push his product. Workers who had the means and popularity to make him more money. Said that he heard about Raditz wanting to open up a bar. He didn't even question his father when he gave him the money for the property, didn't ask who it came from or why. But now he wished that he did. He so desperately wished that he did.

"Good," Bardock said with barely even a smile, "This is your first mission, and if you do a good job, it won't be your last. You'll get a good cut of the check, enough to help you really get your bar up and running the way you'd like. I'm not going to put a lot of pressure on you, but you have to know how importan—"

"Oh shut the hell up with these 'daddy and me' talks." Zarbon poured his empty glass full of scotch again, swirling it around in his ice as he frowned in their direction. "If the boy doesn't understand that by now than what use does Frieza have for him? What use do we have for him?"

Raditz wanted to tell Zarbon that he fucking understood with the innuendoes already. He was replaceable, expendable, a toy that could easily be broken with no tears to dry on any of their faces. Zarbon didn't need to keep rubbing it in, but Raditz knew his kind. They needed to be smug little assholes to compensate for something, only Zarbon's bark was just as good as his bite. Raditz being 'trained' by him and Dodoria for the past month spoke highly of how dangerous they both were . His stomach hurt to think of how much stronger Frieza had to be for Zarbon and Dodoria to be his lapdogs.

"Now as I was saying boy - and you'd better pay attention this time, I refuse to repeat myself thrice -, the job today is a special one. To keep it brief, we have two targets we need to rattle. This doesn't need to be a messy mission, I'd prefer to not get dirty today because this suit is new. I strongly suggest to tie them up, maybe slap them around a bit. And really ransack the place, take any and everything of value. Frieza takes his money in all sorts of ways. When the man of the house shows up, he'll see that we aren't playing any more of his games. Frieza's patience is really running out and his money is due."

"And," Dodoria interjected, polishing off his third glass of scotch, "if the lady's present, we leave her to me. It's been awhile, you know."

Raditz felt bile rise to the back of his throat. Are these…are these the kind of men that his father worked for? Ones who asked that things don't go "messy" and talk about the gross things they want to do to a woman? Dodoria studied his face long and hard as he chuckled away at his demands, his beady eyes pressed into Raditz soul. Testing his resolve, he guessed, to see if he was worth the trouble of calling a 'coworker'. Raditz neither bit his bait nor spat it out, instead turning his attention back to the raindrops sliding down the window.

"No one cares about that shit, Dodoria," Zarbon scoffed, leaning fully back against the leather, "You're the only one that wants to take things there. I'm disgusted to know you."

"Suit yourself, though you'd be saying differently if his son was the guy we're after."

Zarbon perked up then, showing Raditz that both of these men were heartless creatures who didn't deserve the air they breathed. His lips curved upwards as he took a long sip of his drink, bathing Dodoria in his lustful, psychotic eyes. "He is devilishly handsome. And you're right, I would be saying differently."

It was too late, Raditz knew, to jump out of the moving limousine and call off his deal. He would have to plan for certain death if he did that, because he swam too deep with the sharks to go back to the shore. He turned to his father, anger burning through his eyes, a sort of defiance underneath the rock solid face he had been trained to sport. "I know," Bardock mouthed, before turning his attention back to the front of the limo, silently demanding that Raditz do the same.

oooOOOooo

This house was the biggest home Raditz had ever seen in his life.

He remembered coloring himself impressed when Bardock had bought a two story home in the quiet suburbs of South City. Thought it was better than the two story flat he shared with his family all of his life. But this…this was beyond a silly suburban home. It was a museum, if he had to label it correctly, one that was drawn in books he had seen as a child.

"Alright," Zarbon adjusted his glasses and blazer, reaching for the door handle, "Let's make this quick, I have dinner plans in an hour." Dodoria mumbled something under his breath while Bardock said nothing, moving about like a robot Raditz didn't recognize. He wanted to vomit.

He watched in what seemed to be slow motion as Zarbon kicked down the door and revealed a kitchen, once again displaying how brutally strong he was. Dodoria and his father marched behind him like ducks in a row, and Bardock threw him a look over telling him to get in line. Raditz did as was silently instructed, choosing to step out of his body for a moment instead of living. He hoped he'd be able to sleep afterwards. Hoped he'd still have a shred of humanity in him.

A shrill scream pierced from the room Zarbon stepped into, and by the time Raditz cleared the corner, the butt of Zarbon's gun had met a woman's temple, her middle aged body falling against the couch. Her eyes stared at him with the sort of fear that made Raditz feel dizzy, and he instantly felt bad for her. If you find yourself getting too emotionally involved, dehumanize them. They aren't people, just dolls. Dolls that you have to throw around a bit, that's all. That was the advice his father had given him when Raditz asked him how stomached it. When Bardock finally told Raditz just where he'd gotten the money, just how he'd bought the house, just why he'd firmly put Goku in college.

But looking at her eyes, her black eyes that speckled with just a hint of honey, there was no way Raditz could dehumanize her.

Blood spilled down the side of her face, along with her tears, mixing into an opaque pool of coral around her neck. Zarbon bent down low to look at her, grabbing the back of her head and yanking her close to him. "Don't scream love, or I'll have to do that again, okay? Nod if you understand, and know that I hate being lied to."

She closed her mouth shut and nodded once, fresh tears spilling out as she shook. "Perfect, there's an obedient one. Now I need you to tell me in a calm voice if there's anyone else home. And you should know that we're going to search every nook and cranny here, so there's no need to protect them."

Raditz had to turn to look elsewhere, unable to tolerate the fragile way this woman looked. Pictures upon pictures of her and what he assumed to be her family were decorated along the walls, smiling faces and expensive clothes staring back at him behind glass. It was too much, seeing the contradiction of everything around him. He turned to look at his father, but the man stared past him at the walls as if he had just seen a ghost. Raditz threw him a raised eyebrow, but Bardock was struck by whatever he'd seen and ignored him. "Zarbon," he spoke, his voice deep with…concern? "Zarbon…what the hell is going on here?"

"Don't ask me questions you fucking ape," Zarbon threw a deadly glare at Bardock, his eyes more distant and cold than Raditz remembered. He turned back to the woman, a small smile plastering in the spot where his annoyance once slept. "Now, is there anyone in this home other than you?"

She nodded slowly, trying to contain the bubble of a sob that spilled over her lips. "P-please don't hurt my boy. I'll give you whatever you want, anything you want, just please...not my baby boy."

"Oh you poor thing," Zarbon reached out and stroked the side of her face that was painted with her blood, "Where is this boy of yours? Won't you take me to him?"

"P-please? I h-have money, my husband has a vault in the basement, I c-can get the code-"

"Well, you try to be nice…" Zarbon forcefully yanked her from the seat, and if her yelp had anything to say about it, Raditz assumed that he pulled the arm loose from its socket. "Take me to your brat or I'll find him. And I can't promise you he'll be alive when I bring him back down here." She cried at his threat but choked down her sob, instead nodding and beginning to lead the way. "Dodoria, come with me. You two start gathering goods."

Raditz watched them walk away and when he could no longer see Dodoria's back, he pulled on the sleeve of his father's black coat. "Dad what the hell was that? Why did you look like that? What went wrong?"

Bardock's face fell slack with apology for a brief moment before he picked it back up again, shaking his head as he walked past his son. "I shouldn't have dragged you into this Raditz. I…I knew Frieza couldn't be trusted, but I hoped he wouldn't be this cruel." He tossed Raditz a plastic bag that sat nearby, and for reasons he couldn't understand, refused to look him directly in the face. "After this mission….I'll talk with Frieza. I'll buy your freedom, I don't care how much it costs, but you and I are done with him."

Raditz began to fill the bag with random valuables, not paying particular attention to what he was throwing in the bag exactly. "What…did I do something wrong? I-I know that I don't exactly like what's going on, but I tried to fix my face-"

"Look it's not that, all right? Just…we're not safe, Raditz. I don't suspect any of us are, save for Dodoria and Zarbon. And I don't know what kind of sick message Frieza is trying to send me, but I won't put that dagger in your back."

"Dad, I really don't understand—"

Raditz was cut off by Dodoria's heavy footsteps, his arm dragging a teenage boy on the ground behind him. He was a defiant boy, Raditz had to admit, kicking and wailing about as Dodoria drug him to the living room. He tossed the boy up as if he were a sack of flour, slamming him into the couch before punching him in the center of his face. Blood poured from where his fist withdrew, and the boy cradled his broken nose in pained screams.

"Shut your wailing boy or I'll punch you again!" Dodoria hit him anyways, his fist connecting to the side of the boy's jaw and causing him to topple over on the couch. Be a man, take it like a man, Raditz wanted to say, but the hypocrisy of his words made his tongue go limp.

"Please don't hurt him!" His mother cried, trying to free herself of Zarbon's grip to get to him, but Zarbon held her back with ease. "Please! What do you want from us!?"

"Ding, ding, ding!" Zarbon smirked, tossing her to the floor as if she were a stuffed animal. "There's the million dollar question: what do we want? For being an obedient little lass, I suppose I'll tell you! Your husband owes my boss a lot of money. And quite frankly, he's getting really impatient with all of his excuses. Next week, next month…it's growing old. So now we do things our way, by harboring collateral. "

"Take our money! Take it! I don't care about it, I just want my boy safe! Take the house, take the cars, take whatever you'd like!"

"Puh, you think this chump change is enough to pay your silly little spouse's debts? This is only a fraction of what he owes Frieza." Dodoria threw his head back and laughed, scooping the boy up by the collar and throwing him on the floor next to his mother. The boy coughed from hitting the floor so roughly, picking his head up to look at his mother with widened eyes.

"I have more money in my bank! I can ask around, I'll do whatever it takes!" She backed away from Zarbon defensively, trying to fold her arms across her chest. "I'm begging you for my life!"

"Beg, don't beg, it really makes no difference to me. The price has already been put on your head, darling. Frieza tried to be nice to your husband, offered to take his debts away if your eldest worked for him. But he's taking too long with that answer as well. How polite do we have to be before we stop asking?"

Raditz watched her face fall, her eyes understanding just what they were there for. It wasn't about the money, it wasn't about the debt. Frieza wanted to send this man a message that he'd do whatever it took to get his debts squared, even if that meant harming those closest to you. Is that…is that what Bardock meant?

"I say we wait for daddy to show up," Dodoria stepped over the boy, unbuckling the belt of his pants, "What good is a party if the guest of honor isn't here, hmm? Besides, I can think of some fun things to do in the meantime, wouldn't you say, Mrs. N'Ouija?"

N'Ouija. The clarity of the situation hit Raditz like a freight train, and he whipped his head around to look at his father. N'Ouija. He'd heard that name before. Had read it in the papers, had heard his brother talk about some great up and coming musician. Had heard Bardock say the name belonged to his coworker. Said his coworker used to be as good musically wise as his prodigy son. His coworker that also worked for Frieza.

Bardock couldn't meet his stare. He kept his eyes focused on the scene in front of them, but the way he clenched his jaw confirmed Raditz's suspicions. That's what he meant. None of them were safe. Frieza's own men weren't safe from his ire.

Raditz felt his body go entirely cold.

"Hey, new boy, Raditz was it?" He snapped back into reality, the loud cries from the boy on the ground rattling his ears. Zarbon snapped his fingers to get his attention, his fingers rubbing against his temple with irritation. Dodoria hovered over Mrs. N'Ouija, beginning to turn her over on her back. "Get rid of that annoying brat, would you? I don't want to get my suit dirty and he refuses to listen to me."

The boy looked up at Raditz, his eyes wide with fear and mouth unable to stop crying out for his mother. He watched as Zarbon walked over to him, placing a gun in his fingers, a sneaky smile on his face. "Time to prove your worth," he sang before heading back to the couch and sitting down, propping his leg up for a show. He waved at Raditz to hurry it up, and Raditz felt the sickness brewing in his belly and rising in his throat.

No…No…

"Raditz." Bardock whispered.

"Shut up Bardock! If you interfere again, I'll tell Frieza the gun slipped in my fingers when I blow your son's head off! Now then, Raditz, if you wouldn't mind to hurry the fuck up."

He couldn't think anymore. Just screaming. Screaming from the boy, from his mother. Screaming from whoever just entered the house. Mr. N'Ouija? Screaming from the mother as Zarbon punched Mr. N'Ouija to the ground. Screaming from the boy as Dodoria ripped her dress. Screaming from Zarbon to hurry up. Raditz wanted them all to be quiet.

Just.

Shut.

Up.

He looked at the gun. Looked at the boy. Mind was spinning. Heart was racing. A decision that needed to be made.

So in a frenzied mind, he aimed.

oooOOOooo

There was nothing around him but red.

No matter what he tried to focus on, no matter what his mind said, he only saw the crimson shade. It stained his skin, it stained Raditz's face. And it stained his hands as he gripped them around his neck.

"You…you bastard!" Vegeta was seething, he could barely think straight. The fire that brewed in his belly spilled from every inch of his skin until he could only breathe flames. He was surprised that the skin on Raditz's neck didn't combust into flames, with the way his fingers burned. He would set him on fire, he would claim his vengeance. Even if he couldn't get ahold of Frieza, Raditz would do. Gods be damned if there were witnesses, there's no way in hell Vegeta would pass up on this opportunity for revenge-

"Vegeta, stop!" Nappa's calloused hands doused Vegeta's inferno grip, forcing his strength to dissolve. Raditz sucked in a precious gasp of air, and it was only then that Vegeta realized he didn't know how long his hands had been around his neck. Had it been when he confirmed that Dodoria had defiled his mother? That his father had come much too late? That Raditz, the son of a bitch, had fired the gun on Tarb-

"Vegeta, let go of him. Let him finish the story, please!"

"Let me go, Nappa!" He could feel the spit that cornered his mouth begin to droop from his lip. He didn't want to listen to anything. For what? To hear in more detail how this coward watched his family die? Had participated in it? "You dare bring this scum in my presence knowing what he did?! He killed my brother!"

"I-I didn't pull the trigger." Raditz had managed to find the oxygen to speak, but for Vegeta it didn't matter. In his mind, Raditz had already been tried and convicted, and he elected himself the executioner. There was no redemption from that. "I swear to y-you, Vegeta! I didn't kill him."

"Liar!"

"No, Vegeta, he isn't lying. Just…just let him go. Listen to the man; put some trust in me and listen to him." Vegeta managed to be led on by Nappa's persuasion, releasing the grip on Raditz slightly enough for the man to swallow heaps of air. He turned to Nappa slightly, his mind still foggy mix of confusion and rage. "It's alright, Vegeta. I wouldn't compromise you like this. You know that I wouldn't or else you wouldn't be here."

Nappa had a point, he quickly thought, although a strong part of him wanted to negate it. Nappa had always done right by him, including the fact of getting Raditz to come here in the first place. But he was just so angry. He wanted to kill him, didn't want to listen. Didn't want to hear Nappa out, didn't want to sit here and-

What would Bulma think of you if she saw you like this?

His hands loosened like jelly then, a sheer panic running through his chest. Bulma. He hadn't even considered her. She was a pebble-stone throw away, her laughter still coating the night air with radiance. She could've walked into the barn at that moment and see the monster of the man she thinks she loves.

He quickly stepped backwards, giving himself ample room from Raditz. He still didn't trust the man, still couldn't blink away the red hue around the edges of his vision, although the color had been infiltrated by a bright shade of blue. He couldn't break the hardening glare he was giving Raditz, but….but perhaps he would hear some sort of answer Nappa insisted he had.

Raditz grabbed his throat and coughed violently, looking Vegeta in the eyes directly. He was a man of substance, Vegeta would give him that, but the longer they stared at each other, the more Vegeta had to quiet the bubbling rage that grew in his belly.

"I…I didn't kill him, Vegeta. I couldn't do it." Raditz still clung to the tender meat of his neck, now decorated with angry red lines from Vegeta's thick fingers. He gathered himself back on top of the bundle of hay, massaging his neck in the process. "I'm not a killer, I can't be. My father might have been able to do it, and maybe I convinced myself that I could too, but in all actuality that's not who I am."

"If you didn't kill Tarble," Vegeta decided he would play this game, "then explain how I saw his body on the stretcher. Tell me why he wasn't moving under that white sheet."

"The kid had spirit, lots of spunk if I've ever seen it," Raditz looked away then, as if the memory was like a ghost gnawing at his skin, "He hopped up despite being flung around like a rag doll and knocked Dodoria off of your mother. At first, I thought maybe this kid could at least take him out. I aimed my gun, I won't lie to you, but I don't think I could have ever fired that thing. I called it good luck on my behalf, that maybe the boy would win against Dodoria. But…but Dodoria acted as if he was just a bug. He punched the kid, harder than he did before. Except this time…he didn't stop."

That was a tough pill for Vegeta to swallow. He…he had hoped that his family was taken out quickly. A gunshot, something from behind. He didn't want to see their faces, didn't want to know exactly the details of their deaths. He had heard whispers, had heard rumors, but never confirmed anything. To know that Tarble, the boy who swallowed stars for a living, was beaten so savagely until he died….

Vegeta felt like his knees were going to buckle.

"After that…I couldn't work for Frieza anymore. Turns out, my old man felt the same. He couldn't shake what Frieza had done, how he had put the hit out on your dad so easily after he worked with him for years. I couldn't wrap my head around it, that sort of crime for money? For a drug lord like Frieza? It didn't make sense. I felt like there was…something more." He licked his lips as he brought his gaze to Vegeta, his eyes despondent.

"So why aren't you dead, Raditz? If you had refused to work for Frieza like you claim, how are you here talking to me?"

Raditz was mum for a second, as if he was trying to gather his thoughts. It was coming, Vegeta deduced, the real reason Raditz had for being here. Truly Nappa had a better solution than to bring a man here to talk about the dead, right?

"About a month or so goes by. Frieza hadn't requested me or my dad for any hits, and I was growing pretty worried. Every day I felt like I had a target on my back, like Zarbon or Dodoria spun some wild tale to him that made him plot our deaths. My old man disappeared for a bit, told me he had something to take care of. Goku was still away at college, so I had nothing to distract me from my anxiety except maintaining my bar. I thought…maybe that it was all behind us. That Frieza, I don't know, magically forgot that we even existed. Pretty stupid, huh?" Raditz laughed like nothing was funny, rubbing his hands together. Vegeta recognized that, the concealing of emotion. Something internally was about to attack Raditz like a wild animal, and it finally made Vegeta feel like there was some truth to his words.

"Then my old man comes back. He comes in my bar with this tape and USB drive. He looks like a crazed man, like a man who went to search for the meaning of life itself. And that's when he tells me that he's found a way to take Frieza out for good. Get him off the streets so that way he'll never do this again. My dad had spent several weeks looking for holes in Frieza's 'loyal' army. Ones who'd be willing to talk to him, spill on secrets that could get him locked up for years. He found a few, ones that held onto photos and evidence and went into hiding, afraid that their plan wouldn't work and Frieza would kill them. My dad managed to earn their trust and took it off of their hands. He had everything he needed, he said, to get Frieza to let us go. He was going to blackmail him, scare him into forgiving our debts. But," Raditz squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out whatever memory that swam into his mind.

"But it didn't work. Frieza killed him, right there in his office. Destroyed the evidence, spat on my father's hard work. I…I didn't even have the heart to tell Goku that our father was killed. I told him he died in an auto accident."

Vegeta watched as Raditz tried to gather himself, and realized that Nappa indeed did not lead him astray. Raditz had something taken from him too, and also had a reason for vengeance. "So what exactly is Frieza's game plan?" He asked curiously, one of many of his burning questions.

"Well, our favorite guy Frieza has been pulling this stint with his army for years. He searches the streets like some creep for men to work for him, and he tricks them into owing him a large debt. For my father, it was the money to get us a house after my mother died. We were going to be homeless, and here comes Frieza with this gracious gift. And bam! My father has to work off his debts, part gratitude and part obligation.

He tricked me by 'loaning' my father the money to start my bar. I just took it like a fucking fool, like a kid in a goddamned candy store. So when my father finally told me that I had to work it off, I realized the old bastard tricked me too. I wondered why my dad would set me up like that, and then I figured out he had no choice. Frieza always wants better, better, better. He wants to make sure that he stays at the top by creating an empire beneath him. I had already made a name for myself with my bar, I'm the perfect worker to get his product out there more."

"So what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, that's how he got me and my father involved. Your father is a different story. From what I've heard, Vegeta N'Ouija Sr. and Frieza had always been in cohorts. I'm not sure if you knew, but apparently your dad started to gamble his money away, and good ole Frieza stepped in. Your dad quit his musical career to follow Frieza around, convinced he could be a Zarbon or a Dodoria. But that was where Frieza lost his interest. Without his celebrity, he was just another ego around. So Frieza set his eyes on you, the second coming of the musical scene himself." Raditz held his arms out towards him graciously, emphasizing the god stature Vegeta had created for himself.

"Do you realize what that meant for someone like Frieza? A man who's appeal can stretch across the world? You're a walking money bag in his eyes, and opportunity to make him an international success. But you apparently refused, and Frieza grew bored with asking you and arranged this hit on your family to send you a message. Now you owe him the money, and he'll take everything away from you until you agree to work for him. And one day you'll bore him, and he'll take your children too. I'm not free from Frieza. He doesn't ask me to do jobs other than to sell his drugs inside my bar. I hate doing it, but it's the only way to keep me and brother safe. His family too. I never asked about my father's death and that's what keeps me alive, from what I believe, feigning my own ignorance."

The acidity rose in Vegeta's stomach, making him nauseous with anger. "Your father was killed and the evidence destroyed. So why does this information even matter? How the hell can you help me other than tell me stories?"

Raditz said nothing, bearing his eyes into Vegeta's as he fiddled around in his pocket. He stood and walked to him, his fists concealing something. He grabbed Vegeta's hand and placed two items inside: a USB drive and a small cassette tape. "Frieza didn't destroy the only evidence. I made a copy it, just on a whim. I'm glad I did, because clearly my dad's idea didn't work. I won't lie to you, Vegeta, I've been a coward about this. I could've saved you this entire headache and taken him down myself…but truth was I was scared. I kept thinking about Goku and Chi Chi and Gohan…there were too many risks. Hopefully you can be the bigger man here and do what's right. What's necessary. I can't atone for my sins to you or your family, but maybe in this small way, I can ease a bit of your burdens

Vegeta opened his palm to what seemed to be like the world in his hands. A smoking gun that pointed at him as equally as it did Frieza. He couldn't entirely blame Raditz for not following through with this, besides, Vegeta himself didn't exactly know who Frieza had in his army. The police commissioner himself could be a pawn, and it was such a big risk to take. And more importantly, he now had other targets to consider outside of himself.

Bulma.

"That woman you're seeing," Nappa interjected, almost with clairvoyance, "is someone Frieza will toy with if you're not careful. If you don't strike while the pan's hot, she could easily be another head on his spike. I know you care for her, I can just tell the way your eyes soften whenever we talk about her. Consider her in all of this, okay?"

Vegeta looked up from his palm and out of the barnyard to the table Bulma was sitting at. She was laughing with Chi Chi, her arms dancing through the wind, her smile bright. She looked so free, so alive, so beautiful. His heart broke, thinking of her not always looking so happy. Of her not being alive. He liked to think he had a part in that, in the way her skin glowed even under the blanket of night, in the way her eyes lit up as if fireflies existed in her irises. He liked to think that she reserved he places in her smile for him.

What could he do? What if by saving his own soul, he jeopardizes hers?

He could never live though that, in any plane of existence he lived on.

oooOOOooo

"Oh man this air conditioning feels so good!" Bulma kicked off her heels as she entered the living room of the loft, sighing in satisfaction as her feet touched the cold tile. It still felt surreal to be living in a place that she once called home, but having her around made it easier to adjust. She fit here, just as equally as he. "It's still pretty humid out for it to be late at night; they certainly picked a good day to get married."

Vegeta removed his tie and placed it on a nearby table, studying the back of Bulma's head as she stretched. His fingers roamed his pockets for the drive and tape, his stomach twisting into knots as he felt them.

"Hey, Vegeta? You've been really quiet since the reception. Did everything go okay? Did Nappa and Goku's brother help you out?" Bulma turned to face him, her sapphire eyes sparkling with concern. It bothered him, to see her looking so dismal for his sake. It was a stark contradiction to her mega-watt smile back at the barn.

He hadn't said anything to her yet because he didn't know what to do. He barely knew how to process what Raditz had told him, had barely begun to digest the intimate details of what happened. Had barely begun to stop blaming himself for not being able to be there for them. To protect them.

How are you going to protect Bulma?

She walked towards him, those pouty lips of hers turned downwards, ready to hear the obvious bad news that she was sure he had to give. But what could he tell her? He promised her the truth, but he wasn't prepared for the burn the words would leave on his tongue.

"It's okay," she coddled, smiling softly for his sake, her tone patient, "You can tell me. We can talk about these things."

He nodded, knowing that secrets only existed to destroy them, not sustain them. "Raditz does have something to help me out. Evidence, he says, on Frieza that could get him off the streets for good."

"Okay," she blew a breath of air, suddenly sounding optimistic, "That's good news, right? Why…why do you look troubled then?"

That was the part Vegeta couldn't get out.

It was hard, after all, looking into her perfect face, full of emotion for him that he didn't understand, and burden her delicate features with his fragile emotions. She would call him a fool, call him a coward for not doing the right thing and ridding the problem that was Frieza immediately. She would think less of him for being so on the fence about it. She would mock him for not taking vengeance for his family at the witching hour.

Of course she would….and who could blame her?

Vegeta slept on his pain for many nights for so many years. He tasted the bitter aroma of hurt and anger until it bled from his gums, until it captivated his speech. His entire view of the world began the day he had to tell his family goodbye, the day he realized his father was a no good ingrate who didn't care about the betterment of his family. He and Raditz shared that in common, except Bardock had tried to do good in the end. All Vegeta's father did in the end was…die.

And here he stood like a broken man, torn over what to do with the final lock on Frieza's freedom.

"Vegeta…"

"I don't know what to do." He whispered, feeling like a bird of truth flew from his lips. It was an admittance that broke the dam on his denial, and he couldn't stop himself. "I…I can't figure out what to do. I'm a coward."

"Hey, you're not a coward. What do you need help deciding what to do? I can help you, Vegeta."

"And then what?" Vegeta couldn't focus on her words, couldn't focus on the hands that lay upon his cheeks, at the way her thumbs massaged his skin. He could only focus on the deep shade of blue of her eyes and his rattled brain. "What happens if it's not enough? What if I can't protect you? I couldn't protect my own family. I-I…I wasn't there to save them."

There it was.

Bulma was looking at him strangely, her eyes wider than before. What…what was wrong with his face? Why did she wipe something away under his eye? What was on her finger? Vegeta put his own hand on his cheek, and it came away wet.

He…he was crying?

Because he was guilty. Because he was to blame.

How dare he shed years for a storm he helped brew.

His knees buckled as the weight of his words washed over him, the veil over his eyes lifting. That's what he couldn't shake. His anger at Raditz wasn't what plagued him, nor was it the threat Frieza currently held over his life. More than anything, Vegeta felt guilty. His mother, his brother…even his father…they were killed because of his own shortcomings. They were killed because he didn't want to work for Frieza, Raditz said so himself. If only he wasn't such a coward, if only his damned pride hadn't gotten in the way.

His family might still be here.

"No matter what it comes back to, it's my fault." He slid to his knees, desperately grabbing onto the fabric of Bulma's dress, wanting to find solace in her. He clung to her waist, wrapping an arm about her middle and pressing his forehead into her stomach. Her hands found home in his hair, trying to soothe him, trying to make him calm. But it didn't work, not when his hot tears made his vision too blurry and his head too foggy. "I wasn't there! I was too busy arguing with my own father and not listening to him about working with that asshole in the first place! And what Raditz told me…What Raditz told me confirmed that it's my fault! What kind of man am I? How can I protect you, Bulma? How can you trust your life into the hand of an inferior?"

He could feel the fabric from her dress wet with his own tears, and despite how foolish he felt, he couldn't stop. She was warm, like a blanket to soothe a whiny infant, and it made him feel like he could cry and cry and cry until he ran dry. Her fingers left his hair and moved down to his shoulders, her body dropping to the floor until they were face to face. She too, was crying, her black eyeliner smudged and her lashes sticking together. How…how could he bring such sadness to her? How could such a tenderness still exist in her eyes as she stared into the soul of the convicted?

"Stop that, Vegeta. It isn't your fault. What could you have possibly done, except gone with them?"

That wasn't true, his brain said. There was plenty he could have done. He could have…he could tackled Dodoria, or punched Zarbon. Raditz was too scared to do anything, which didn't make him a threat, so he could have overpowered them, right? His father was just too weak, Vegeta was certainly stronger…right?

"You did the right thing, Vegeta. And if you're asking me how I can trust a man who does the right thing, then the answer is why wouldn't I?" Bulma stroked the sides of his face, searching his eyes to let him know that she was sincere, that she was being transparent. But he couldn't hear it. Refused to hear it. "If you had been there with them, then you wouldn't be here. Here with me. Call me selfish, but I don't want to think of a world where I never met you."

How can she say that to him? Doesn't she know that his hands are bloodied too? That he had a choice to make and he made the wrong one?

"I don't know what to do Bulma," he spat through gritted teeth, feeling more and more foolish with every passing second. "I could turn him in and risk that it won't work, putting you in danger. Or I could refuse to work for him and put you in danger. Or I could work for him and put you in danger! Everything comes back to your safety. And I've…I've already failed once. I… I can't jeopardize that. If something happened to you…" He trailed off, unable to speak such monstrosities aloud. "I already don't have a family."

"Vegeta..." she pressed her forehead to his, kissing him lightly on the side of his face. "Listen to me. You're a liar, you know that? You've lied to yourself by telling yourself it's your fault. You've lied to yourself by telling yourself that you're inadequate. You are the most brilliant star in all of the galaxy, Vegeta N'Ouija. And I'm lucky to be burned by you every time I reach out for a touch." She pulled back, tears racing down her pink cheeks. He couldn't stop looking at her, like she was his salvation during a sea of crisis. A prayer in a physical form.

"And most importantly, you've lied about not having any family. I'm…I'm your family, Vegeta. I know you've been alone and hurting for so long, but I promise I'll always try to make it hurt a little less. I'm here, for as long as you want me to be, I'm here. You're my family too."

It was what broke him.

He went numb, having been struck be her words, by her honesty. He could see the truth in the spaces of her teeth, in the plumpness of her lips. Life…life had gotten to be less chaotic since she entered his life in that alleyway. She was a quiet calm in an ocean of madness, a drink of water in the desert. She was his family. Looking at her, hearing her words, he could vividly remember every symphony that was written in her likeness, every note that was played to the sound of her name. A new melody entered his brain, except instead of wanting to play it at the piano, he desperately urged to sing it for her. Here. Now.

"I love you," he said, no hesitation about being so emotionally open, no regards to how fragile he may seem. It wasn't the first time he said he loved her, and he probably should've said it more times, but never before had Vegeta meant it as much as he did now. Every syllable in those three words had her name tightly bound inside, so that no one dare asked who he could be referring to. The way her face lit up showed him that she had never heard it so earnestly before either. As if him saying it through the thickness of his tears had birthed her anew.

If she ever had doubts, he would clear them.

"I love you Bulma, probably more than anyone I've ever loved," he reached up and grabbed her, pulling him closely in his embrace, as if he could be her shield to the doom around them. "I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being weak, but I won't let that happen anymore. You are the most important thing in my life, even more than the music I write. I will protect you with everything I have in me, even if I die."

"Don't say that," she squealed beneath him, hugging tightly against his body. Her shoulders shook and he gripped her tighter, wanting to calm her just as she did with him. "I love you too, Vegeta. I hope you understand one day just how much I do. We'll figure this out, okay? You don't have to do this alone. Let me protect you just as much as you want to protect me!"

It felt good, hearing those words, far more good than he would admit. He would concoct a plan, figure out something. He and Nappa and Raditz…and Bulma too. They would figure something out. Everyone would be safe, Kakarot as well. None of them would relive the hell that his family endured, he swore it. Bulma was right, he wasn't alone anymore. He had the resources, he had the final key, he had the smoking gun. And most importantly, he had her.

He might deny one day about being so emotional, about breaking down in the heat of his sorrows, clutching on to the woman who gave him a renewed sense of purpose. He would never speak it out loud, this private intimate moment they shared. But in that moment, in the midnight hour, Vegeta let all of that go as he held Bulma, his chin resting on top of her soft curls, his hand stroking her back. He meant it, he loved Bulma so much that he himself didn't understand it, and his heart hurt every time he tried to decipher how deep it ran for her. He could avenge his family in numerous ways, and keeping the most important person to him safe was one of them.

So with no hesitation, with no concern about pros and cons or this and that, Vegeta lowered his cheek to hers and whispered in her ear:

"Okay."

oooOOOooo

A/N

I really hope you liked this chapter guys! It was slightly hard to write after the long hiatus, so I hope it isn't terrible. I hope you'll leave a nice review letting me know your thoughts!

In the hiatus I've been away, I haven't been very active on Tumblr. Mainly because I've found Twitter a little easier to use. So if you're on there, please give me a follow so we can all chit chat! I'm bitchii_usa on there.

Anyways, I hope not to take too long with the next chapter, we're wrapping it up here folks. Only three more chapters and an epilogue away from the ending. Thank you to everyone who is still sticking around with me, I genuinely love you guys.

Talk to you soon!