VFC: I just wanna thank you peoples who have taken the time to read and/or review! n.n So... thanks! Yoo guys rock! n.n

Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I claim to own DBZ… at least not at the moment…

The Unforgiven

Chapter 3: Forgotten

A blinding flash of lightning accompanied by a booming thunder awakened Bulma, Earth's six-year-old princess. She immediately sat up, holding the blanket to her chin, and gazed out her window. She shivered once she saw another flash of the bright lightning. Bulma decided she should go to her parents…

Slowly and cautiously, Bulma ambled down the shadowy hallway. She jumped at nearly every noise she heard and every flash she saw. She whimpered softly to herself as her walking pace quickened a bit.

"Bulma, are you ok?" a voice asked her. Bulma jumped slightly at the voice then carefully turned around. She squinted her eyes to try to recognize the person, but the hall was just too dark to see whoever it was. She gasped as the lightning flashed again. The quick light had illuminated the corridor just long enough for her to see who the person was. Bulma ran to the person and hugged him tightly, crying into his shirt. "You're scared?" he asked, placing a hand on her trembling shoulder. Bulma nodded slowly, squeezing her eyes shut. "It's ok, it can't hurt you."

Bulma tilted her head to gaze up at him. "Are… Are you sure…?" her voice trembled along with her small body. She saw him smirk as he nodded.

"I'm sure. If it could, you wouldn't have to worry because I wouldn't let it hurt you. I won't let anything hurt you…" he said in a reassuring voice.

The young princess smiled up at him, "Promise?" she asked.

He smirked down at her, "I Promise… Now why don't you go back to your room and get some sleep?"

Bulma immediately frowned, "I don't wanna go back in there!" her eyes filled with tears. "Will…you come with me?" she asked in a small voice.

He nodded, "Of course."

Immediately, the princess's expression brightened, "Ok, let's go," she said as she released him.

"Alright."

As Bulma sat next to him on her bed, she felt her eyelids beginning to feel heavy. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes… just for a second. She smiled as she realized she was no longer afraid of the storm going on outside her bedroom window. He had promised that he wouldn't let it hurt her and she trusted him enough to believe him.

Bulma attempted to hold in a yawn, but she was just too tired to do it. "Thank you…" she said softly to him.

"Thanks for what? I haven't done anything…" he said with a smirk.

"For helping me…" she said softly. Bulma smiled up at him one last time before her eyelids became too heavy to keep open.

Bulma awoke in confusion. 'Who was he?' she asked herself. 'Why did he…seem so…familiar?' She slowly sat up. Bulma smiled as she noticed that Vegeta was still sleeping beside her. 'He must have been more tired than he let on…'

Bulma gasped as something from her dream clicked in her mind.

"Thanks for what? I haven't done anything…"

"Thanks for helping me…"

She and Vegeta had had the exact same conversation the night before… Bulma shook her head, 'It's just a major coincidence… How could three sentences from a dream mean anything?' Bulma glanced at Vegeta again. He mumbled something in his sleep then turned to lie on his back.

Bulma laboriously fought to hold in a giggle. 'He looks so peaceful when he's asleep…'

Bulma yawned, realizing she still felt a bit tired. 'But it's not my fault I haven't been getting any sleep…' She subconsciously clenched a fist. 'It's not my fault Frieza decided to make a 'sport' of hunting me down…' She drew up her knees and securely wrapped her arms around them. 'I'm just lucky he didn't kill me or… violate me once he finally caught me…but I shouldn't be thinking about that…' Bulma sighed as she laid back down next to the slumbering Saiyan prince, resting her head on his shoulder and taking in his warmth. 'I know I just met Vegeta yesterday…but why does it feel like… I've known him longer…?' She mentally shrugged in response to her own question. 'Oh well…'

Slowly, Bulma closed her eyes allowing sleep to come over her once again.

Once Bulma's eyes fluttered open, she saw she was alone. "Where…did he go?" she asked herself aloud in a groggy voice as she eyed the room, searching for a sign as to where the prince had gone.

She sighed when she found nothing.

"Vegeta?" she called out to the emptiness as she sat herself up.

"Vegeta, you didn't break her did you…" Frieza said idly as he rubbed his temple with his index finger. "And don't try to tell me you did… I know damn well that you didn't or I would smell her luscious sent on you…"

'Fuck…' Vegeta mentally cursed. 'I slept next to her… she curled up against me… shouldn't her scent have rubbed off onto me just from that?!'

The purple lizard sighed nonchalantly, "I will give you one last chance… If you fail to complete this simple task again, I will just have Zarbon do it and I will hand you over to Dodoria for your punishment… Do I make myself clear, Vegeta?" he said with a slightly menacing tone.

Vegeta nodded curtly, "Yes…Sire…" he mumbled. "But she is just a girl… She's not old enough to–"

"Do I look like I care, Vegeta?" Frieza spat, cutting him off. Vegeta glared up at him, he hated being interrupted and he was now in disbelief that Frieza didn't care about the girl's young age. Frieza sighed in exasperation, "Fine Vegeta… You have two days to break her before I send Zarbon to do it… Two days, and that is all…" he paused and looked upon the Saiyan with much disgust. "You are the last person I would expect to get so sentimental over something like this…" Vegeta cringed at the accusation. He was definitely not getting sentimental over this… A twisted smile appeared on Frieza's face, "So much anger in those eyes, Vegeta… Do I truly make you that angry?" Vegeta said nothing in response, but unconsciously clenched his fists. The lizard sniggered, "Very well, you are dismissed…"

'I really wish I did not have to fuck this girl… Why does Frieza care if I do or not anyway?!' Vegeta growled as he opened the door to his room. He sighed as he glimpsed the girl eagerly awaiting his return sitting on his bed. She looked very bored…

Bulma's face brightened at the sight of him. "Vegeta, you're back!" she hopped off the bed then positioned herself in front of him. "Where were you?" she asked.

Vegeta "hmph"ed as he shut the door then leaned back against it. "I went to see Frieza…" he stated indifferently.

Bulma's smile instantly became a scowl, "Why would you want to see him?!" she spat.

Vegeta crossed his arms, "Because Zarbon told me Frieza wanted to see me…" he said just as indifferently as before.

Bulma placed her hands on her hips, "Why? What did he want?" she asked.

Vegeta was quickly growing tired of her questioning and he expressed his displeasure with a low growl, "He wanted to ask me about you… Now stop pestering me!"

The girl waved her hand at him, "Geez…fine…sorry…" she said almost sardonically.

Vegeta gazed at her for a moment. He took in every curve of her body in an attempt to build up nerve… He regretted what he was about to do…to her of all people… It wouldn't be such a dilemma if it was someone else…Well, it would, but it wouldn't be this hard, as much as it pains Vegeta to admit… He definitely did not want to do this… but he sure as hell didn't want Zarbon to either…

Vegeta closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He grudgingly pushed himself off the door then circled the girl a few times.

"Vegeta… What… What are you doing…?" Bulma asked somewhat apprehensively. She flinched when he placed his hand against her shoulder. "Veget–Ah!" She winced as he shoved her against the wall, pressing his body against hers. Bulma gazed up into his face, "Vegeta, what are you doing?!" she tried to remain calm, but it was exceedingly difficult when she noticed that intimidating gleam in his ebony eyes.

She nearly panicked when she felt his tail wrap tightly around her waist. The only defense she could think of was trying to push him away. She pressed her hands against his muscular chest and pushed as hard as she could, but his strength was too great for her. However, this didn't stop her. She began to panic, and desperately continued to push against him.

He roughly took hold of her wrists and held her arms above her. Her eyes widened as he leaned in, his nose nearly touched hers. Bulma gazed fearfully into his cold, menacing jet-black eyes, feeling a tear slide down her cheek. "Vegeta…" she whimpered. He took hold of her shirt collar and pulled on it slightly. Vegeta mentally chastised himself for delaying… He has to do this…unless he wants Zarbon to have the girl… He knew what Zarbon would do to her… She does not deserve to be bound and shackled to the wall, bloody and nearly unconscious, while Zarbon had his way with her… Vegeta would be damned if he allowed that blue-skinned bastard to even put a finger on her…

Vegeta gathered his nerves for a second time as he released her shirt, his eyes never leaving her petrified cerulean orbs. He slowly lowered her arms only to pin them against the wall at her sides. He leaned in, pressing his lips against her neck causing her to shiver. She struggled and tried to squirm away from him. She knew that since he had her pinned against the wall it would be nearly impossible to escape…but that didn't mean she wouldn't try.

Gently, he whispered into her skin in Saiya-go, his native tongue. Bulma found something oddly soothing about his words, but still she tried unsuccessfully to escape his grasp; she had no idea what his words meant, meaning she did not know he was whispering his apologies and remorse to her…

The only thing Bulma could do to try to escape was thrash her head since he had a hold on her wrists pinning her arms to the wall, and he had restrained her legs with his own. She felt his lips against her neck again. She calmed for an instant, but shortly resumed with her actions as she was one who refused to give up…

Vegeta pulled back and stared into her terror filled sapphire eyes. He respected her for not wanting to give in and not planning to… Mentally, he smirked at her.

He continued to gaze into her eyes, then images of the last woman Frieza had forced him to rape immediately came crashing into his thoughts.

"Please… stop…" she had whispered, her voice was becoming hoarse from pleading with him. He cringed upon hearing her voice in his head; he could still remember exactly what she sounded like…

"Vegeta… please…" Bulma's pleading voice turned his attention back to her eyes. Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at him, her eyes filled with fear.

He could not go through with this… Especially since she is who she is. Vegeta would kill himself before he raped this girl…

Vegeta sighed as he pressed his head against her shoulder, nuzzling it in apology before releasing the trembling girl and stepping away from her. Bulma's knees buckled and she slid down the wall and onto the floor. She gazed up at Vegeta, still in shock and filled with fear. He crossed his arms and turned away from her; he couldn't stand seeing what he had done to her…

"Vegeta…" she whispered, "What… Why—"

He cut her off, "If I don't do it… Zarbon will…" he said before glancing at her over his shoulder. "And he won't be gentle…" he finished somberly.

Bulma continued to stare up at him; her heart was beating fast in her chest. "But… I'm only fifteen…" Her vision blurred with tears again, "Vegeta…" she whimpered. Images of that boy from her dream flooded into her mind. "I won't let anything hurt you…" he had said. She didn't know who he was, she didn't even know if he was real, but she desperately wished he was here now to protect her… She wanted him to protect her from whatever was going to happen to her… She didn't know if Vegeta was really going to do to her what Frieza had told him to do…she hoped he wouldn't…but she doesn't want that Zarbon guy to touch her either…

She was completely oblivious to the fact the very person she wanted to protect her was the same person who had filled her with so much dread only seconds ago…

Bulma drew her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and then buried her face in them as tears streamed down her face. 'I don't want to be here! I want to go home…'

Vegeta turned to face the girl. He sighed as he saw the state she was in. Bulma glanced up at him, taking a sharp breath as he stepped toward her. She quickly buried her face in her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. "I hate you Frieza…" she whimpered weakly.

Vegeta seated himself beside the terrified girl on the floor and placed his hand against her shoulder. She tensed at his touch. "You can't possibly hate him as much as I do…" he said quietly. He noticed the girl had not looked up at him, but he knew that she was listening. "Look, do you think I want to do that to you?! I don't…because you are…" he trailed off and clenched his fist. Bulma cautiously raised her head to look at him. He sighed then returned his gaze to her, but he didn't look her in the eyes. "I just don't want to see another dead because of me…" he admitted almost inaudibly. Bulma nodded slowly, trying to understand. Vegeta smirked at her and for a slight second… she saw that boy from her dream. She mentally gasped then smiled back without hesitation.

…Then her heart sank…

"But you said if you didn't do it… then Zarbon will…" she hugged her knees tighter. "I don't want—"

"Frieza gave me two days… I will think of something…" Vegeta said promptly, removing his hand from her shoulder. His gaze shifted toward the floor, his eyes narrowed slightly as he decided this would be an acceptable time to get some answers from the girl. "Why don't you remember me?" he asked quietly.

"Huh?" Bulma wasn't certain she had heard him right. How could she remember someone she had only known since yesterday?

Vegeta turned his head to look her in the eyes. "Why don't you remember me?" he repeated.

Bulma hesitated. "But…I… I just met you yesterday…" she paused and tried to blink away her confusion.

Vegeta's gaze immediately turned to a scowl. "That's a lie… Now tell me what I did to make you despise me so much that you chose not to remember me…" His words sounded harsh, a little harsher than he had intended… but that didn't matter to him right now… He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

Bulma slowly shook her head, her racing heart still had not calmed. "I… I honestly don't know what you're talking about Vegeta…" she said in a small voice. She truly did not know.

Vegeta growled and tore his gaze away from the girl. He sensed that she was telling the truth… She seriously did not remember him… He felt relieved that he hadn't done anything to make her hate him… but… why couldn't she remember? The reason for that was definitely a mystery… He would just have to get her to remember him…somehow…

VFC: Well that was kinda scary… Sorry again for the shortness… (Sweat drop) Anywho… please review. n.n BTW, I've already started the next two chappies so there is no need to fear! I hope… O.o;