(Note to reviewers: Thank you so much for your criticism, I hope that doesn't sound sarcastic because it's not! I really do appreciate it when you tell me what you like/what you don't like about the story. Regarding anything you are confused about, I most likely confused you on purpose, and it will be explained later on in the story. I always tie up my loose ends. In regards to Bulma being drunk and begging for sex from Vegeta, she was extremely emotional due to the fact that she just saw another boyfriend of hers cheat on her. I'm sorry if you don't like the way I handled that, but it's the way I interpret the character and it is my story. That's all, hope you guys keep reading, and please keep reviewing/thank you for the reviews!

P.S. Vegeta and Bulma are both Sophomores in the flashback so about 16 years old)

Bulma opened her eyes and looked confusedly at an unknown ceiling. She knew her ceiling was purple, where the hell was she? She stretched her arms out in a bed that wasn't hers and realized suddenly that she had a pounding headache. As she ran her fingers through her hair, all the memories from the previous night came flooding back in. She remembered Yamcha and Maron and winced. Then, she remembered hitting on Vegeta and her saying no. The last thing she remembered was running away from him, into the night. She rolled over in the bed that wasn't hers and, to her astonishment, saw Vegeta sitting across from her with his usual smirk playing on his lips.

"Kami! What are you doing here?" She screeched, pulling the sheets up in an attempt to cover herself once she found she was wearing the same racy dress from her party.

"Taking care of you, woman," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

Bulma looked around again, more carefully, and realized she was in one of the guest rooms of the Ryuu household. "Oh...Thanks." She looked at him and smiled, and he shifted uncomfortable.

"I just didn't want some injury of yours to be on my hands, woman. Don't read into it too much."

Bulma ignored his comment and went over to kiss him on the cheek. He didn't react on the façade, but his insides exploded like an atomic bomb. She went back and sat on the edge of the bed and looked him over. He looked very tired, as though he had been up all night, and she could see a tinge of worry glistening in his eyes. Could it be? Vegeta Ryuu had been worried about her? She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"So, please, tell me about your heroic acts. What happened last night?" She crossed her legs conversationally and motioned for him to go on.

"What do you want me to say, woman? You threw yourself at me, I said no because I wasn't about to take advantage of your drunken state, you ran away all angrily, as you always are, ten feet away from my house, you tripped on the pavement and fell flat on your face, I brought you in the house and put you in that bed. What else do you want me to say?"

"Nothing..." she said, smiling slightly. "Just, thank you. You didn't have to do that, thanks."

"Yes I did, woman. If I had just let you run wild and get hurt, all your friends would blame me, and I certainly do not need that stress. So yes, I had to do that." He glared at her. Why was she being so nice to him as usual? He had done everything in his power to get her to hate him, yet she was looking at him with her loving eyes. All he wanted to do was pick her up in his arms and kiss her till the sun went down.

"I guess so. I'm still thanking you, though. Wait, why didn't you take me home?"

"Maybe I like your company occasionally, woman. As I said, don't read into it too much."

She chuckled.

"Bulma, what happened last night? Why did you come to me?" Vegeta got up from his chair to come and sit next to her.

Bulma looked at the floor. She knew what happened, but she didn't really want to think about it. How could Yamcha do that to her? She didn't even understand. She realized that the cheating in general, especially with Maron, hurt more than the fact that Yamcha cheated on her. She wasn't all that mad at him but more at the fact that he betrayed her trust, and that she let herself get hurt again.

"Yamcha cheated on me...with Maron. I walked in on them, ran out of there...I grabbed the first bottle of alcohol I saw, downed half of it. Came running here because I wanted to forget, and I thought you'd help me with that. But, you didn't," she scowled at him with her last words.

"When did you start drinking like that? You should stop, I don't want to have to keep saving you," he attempted to snap at her, but she could see right through his tough façade.

"Ooo, did I just hear you correctly? Do you care about me, Vegeta?" She snickered and kissed his cheek again, fondly. He rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek back. He then looked away and wondered why he was being so loving towards her. He had gotten over her at this point, hadn't he?

"Vegeta...does this make us friends?"

"Not yet...you know what your prerequisite to our friendship is. I'm willing to agree to that, woman. I'm tired of fighting you. You're too stubborn with me, I want you in my life again. I need you in my life again. I give up." Vegeta didn't know if he was telling the truth or not, at this point. He thought he had just been lying to get her to help him this entire time, but as he spoke, the words came out so easily. They seemed so right and easy to say. He did want her in his life again. "We can talk about what happened."

FLASHBACK

Vegeta threw the "Every Breath You Take" vinyl against the wall and it shattered. He picked up Bulma's purse and ripped off the handle.

"Vegeta! Stop, please!" Bulma cried, grabbing onto his arm. She didn't know what to do anymore. She was honoring her promise, not giving up on him. But, it had taken everything out of her to do so. She hadn't seen her friends in weeks, hadn't been passing her classes at all lately, and her face was becoming sunken and sallow due to lack of sleep and incessant crying. She didn't care, though. She owed this to him. She would do anything for him, to make him feel better, to make him feel anything, other than pain. She couldn't bear seeing him in this state anymore. He had begun cutting himself; she had caught him with heroin the day before, stopping him just before he injected the needle into his skin. He hadn't eaten anything substantial in about a week and was almost always ripping things off the walls or getting into fights with strangers.

She had tried talking him into therapy, but he wouldn't hear it. He began drinking profusely, almost everyday now. When he was drunk, he'd sneak into Bulma's somehow and fall asleep next to her. These were his most peaceful moments, and Bulma cherished them, even though she knew they were only due to the power of alcohol.

He kept trying to go to the jail where the man who had killed his mother, Frieza, was being held. He wanted to go there and rip his head off, as he told her every single day. She understood how he felt; she felt the same way. But, she knew the only way he was going to start feeling better was to accept the truth and try to make peace with it. She tried so desperately to make him see that Kami would honor his mother and take her exactly where she deserved to be in the Other World. Only the most peaceful and happy place for Mrs. Ryuu. She was the most good hearted woman Bulma had ever met.

"I CAN'T, BULMA! SHE'S GONE. I want to be gone..." he said slowly, and he snatched a box cutter knife that lay on his desk. He brought it up to his neck, near his jugular vein and slid it over his skin, menacingly.

"VEGETA, PLEASE!" Bulma exclaimed, running towards him, but she stopped when she saw him pull the knife deeper into his neck. A small drop of blood trickled down his skin, and she felt something die inside of her. "Vegeta, I need you here. With me. Please...please just stop. I need you. I need you." She repeated herself over and over, hoping it would strike something within him.

The anger and rage in his eyes slowly died down to a more mournful and concerned level, and he lowered the knife. He walked over to Bulma and pulled the crying girl into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. He couldn't believe what he had just done, and what he had done to her. He kissed her with all his might, and she melted into his arms, their tears mixing together.

"I'm sorry..." he said softly, into her hair. "I just...I don't know what to do with myself anymore..."

She looked up at him and cupped his face. "I'm gonna be here for you for as long as you want me, alright? And longer. I really don't want you to think that I'm gonna get tired of you or something. We're gonna get through this together."

He weakly smiled down at his woman. He could never understand how she could be this way with him, even after all his rage and everything. She had the biggest heart he'd ever encountered. He really looked at her for the first time in weeks and noticed her sunken and dead eyes. He noticed her unkept hair and cracked lips.

"Woman, when was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

"Uh...Well, you keep coming into my room at night and then fall asleep, and you kinda toss and turn a lot, so not for a while, I guess. But, please keep coming...It gives me a chance to spend time with you, even if you're not awake for him," she added hurriedly. She really did not want to lose that quality time with him.

"I won't, I guess. It's the only time I get any actual sleep. I can't seem to sleep in my room or anywhere in my house for that matter...It's just so empty...without her," he muttered and a tear trickled down his cheek. Bulma caught it with her finger and wiped it on the side of her jeans. "But maybe," he continued, "you could go spend a couple of nights at Chi-Chi's or 18's and get some rest."

"I haven't really spoken to them in a while..."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, no reason really. I've been busy with other things, you know."

"Me?"

"No, I mean, well, yes, but it's not like I don't want to be busy with you. I told you I'm here for you."

"Bulma, have I changed you?" Vegeta asked her, now becoming more serious. They sat down on his bed together and he held her hands in his. "I mean, I haven't really asked, I'm sorry, but has my behavior, I guess, changed you or your life in some way? I can see it in your eyes. They don't have their usual spark."

"No, Vegeta."

"Yes, it has changed you. I can see it right in front of me, woman, don't try to hide it. Tell me. Now."

"There's nothing to tell you!" She exclaimed, yanking her hands away from him and fiddling with a loose thread on her pocket.

"Woman, you will tell me now."

Bulma rolled her eyes. At least he was being somewhat like the old Vegeta, what with his obnoxiousness and need for control. "Fine. But, first, this isn't going to change anything. You're not going to worry about me because the only one who should be doing the worrying is me. You're not going to try to help me or anything, you got that?"

He nodded his head but didn't really plan on honoring her words. If she needed his help, she was going to get it, whether she liked it or not.

"Well," she began, "I just really am focused on you right now. Don't take that the wrong way, I mean, I want to be focused on you. You're...the most important thing in my life, and you need me right now, I think more than you care to admit, and all I want to do is be there for you. So, yeah I guess that's affected the rest of my life a little bit, but it's not a big deal." She smiled at him in a completely non-convincing way.

"Tell me how it has affected the rest of your life." He grabbed onto her hand again and held it more firmly, so that she would not escape his grasp.

"It doesn't matter, Vegeta."

"You will tell me now! Bulma, I must know!"

"Fine," she hissed. "I guess, I don't know, I haven't seen my friends since...since the funeral. I haven't really passed a test since either. Yeah, I haven't really eaten much or slept well in a while either. But, please, please, I am not complaining. I told you I want to be here for you, no matter what, and I wasn't lying when I said that. I'm doing all of that by choice, I promise you that."

Vegeta looked into her sad, beautiful eyes and cringed inwardly. He could see very clearly what he was doing to her, and he didn't know how to stop it. He brought her palm up to his lips to kiss and noticed a thin scar on her wrist and couldn't take it anymore. He had to do something to fix the way he had damaged her, during these past few months.

"I see," he said awkwardly. "I know you're doing it by choice. But, now you say you want to be there for me, right?"

She nodded.

"I want you to go home and get some sleep, okay? So you can be there for me tomorrow. I'm fine right now. I promise."

She finally agreed, and they kissed so passionately for a few moments that it was as if all the worries in the world had fluttered away. She gathered her things and walked out of his room, leaving him sprawled across his bed, not knowing what to do. He knew he had to do something to help her, for he couldn't bear seeing her like this, all broken. Especially because it was his fault she was like that. Before he could get into any real thinking, his brother, Haruki, knocked at his door.

"Come in," Vegeta grunted.

"Hey...I brought you a sandwich in case you were hungry..." Haruki said tentatively, leaving the plate on Vegeta's desk and turning to leave the room.

"What do I do about Bulma?" Vegeta asked abruptly, turning to look his only brother in the eyes.

"What do you mean? She's been so good with you lately...I think...Is there something wrong?"

"I just...She doesn't deserve the mess I'm in. She deserves to be happy, don't you think?" Vegeta got up and started pacing around in his room. He was starting to realize the answer to his questions, and they made him want to shrivel up and die. How could he ever be without his woman? She made him whole. She made him feel truly invincible. "I keep getting so angry and so enraged, even when I'm around her. And, I'm afraid I've been acting out on her, for no reason. She doesn't deserve this, Haruki! What do I do? She's the best thing that's ever happened to me..." He paused. "If you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll rip your intestines out, understood?"

Haruki snorted. "I understand, Vegeta. And yes, I know she doesn't deserve it. And, I also think I know what you should do...But, I really don't think you're going to like it."

"What is it? Spit it out."

"Let her go."

"I can't do that...I'd go insane without her."

Haruki rubbed his brother's shoulder thoughtfully and reasoned, "I know. But, you'd also go insane seeing her the way she is right now. If you love her, which I know you do despite your lack of ability to admit it, you know her happiness comes first. And, I truly believe that the way to make her happy, in the long run, is to let her go. Yeah, she'll be devastated for a while, but I think in the long run it will do her good. It will do both of you good. You both need to go on with your lives without having to worry about taking care of the other. And, maybe, you'll find your way back to each other again, when you're ready."

"I don't know how to live without her, at least as a friend in my life."

"Vegeta, you have to let her go. Completely."

"She'd never go for that, though," Vegeta said, realizing it for the first time as well. "The stubborn woman, she'd never listen. She'd know I'm trying to do it for her own good, or whatever and would tell me to give it up. Letting her go wouldn't even work out, it's a stupid idea."

"Then...You have to break her heart," Haruki stated.

"I can't..."

"You have to. It's the only way to let her go, if you think she wouldn't leave you if you reasoned with her. You have to break her heart then."

Vegeta nodded as he knew his brother was right. He would break Bulma's heart; it was the only way he knew how to do right by her. It was the only way he could give her happiness, even if he was giving her sadness for the time being. He truly believed he was doing the right thing, for he knew that her being in his life would do no good for either of them. He'd break her heart. And, it would have to be completely brutal for her to leave him, after she had promised herself that she'd stick with him, no matter what. He rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. He would have to break her heart, as brutally as he could, it was the only way.

END FLASHBACK

Bulma looked down at her feet, her mouth gaping open. She couldn't even look Vegeta in the eyes when she said, "That's why you did that? You wanted to let me go? FOR MY OWN FUCKING GOOD?!" She then proceeded to slap him across the face so hard her hand hurt, though she knew it didn't cause him the slightest, at least, physical pain.

"That's why," he replied quietly, with his stone cold expression.

She thought it over in her head. He had done those terrible, unforgivable things because he wanted her to be happy. She couldn't wrap her head around that fact. She also wanted to punch him until he couldn't move for the next two weeks. How could he possibly think that breaking her heart would make her happy, would help in the long run? But, Bulma thought about those past two years and how, despite the tremendous pain in her chest everyday, she excelled in every single one of her classes, becoming the top student. Her social life sky rocketed, and she began having fun again, at least on the outside. But, no matter how far her new adventures with her friends or the new inventions she worked with her dad took her, she never shook Vegeta. She never shook the pain he had caused her. She never shook the look in his eyes when he was about to kiss her. She never shook the way he held her, or the way he smirked at her when she yelled at him. She realized that, in his own twisted way, he had done everything he could to ensure that she would be happy. But, why couldn't he see that the only way she was going to be happy was with him? She knew now she could never have him, after what he did, even if it had good intentions, he still did those things to her, and they broke her heart into a million tiny pieces. She couldn't let herself be vulnerable like that with him anymore. But, she did love him. And, she did want to be his friend again. And, she knew how she could get what she wanted.

They sat in silence for a long time, maybe even an hour. Bulma then broke that silence with three words, "I'll help you."

Bulma and Krillin walked down the History floor's hallway together, chatting about nonsense things. Bulma was laughing and smiling as she noticed some whispering and pointing come from behind her.

"She and Vegeta are getting pretty close again," she heard a junior mutter to her friend. Bulma flipped around and walked towards them, leaving Krillin dumbfounded, standing by himself.

"And, why is that any of your business?" Bulma screeched, putting her hands on hips and tapping her foot impatiently. Sometimes high school kids could be so immature, she thought to herself. They two did not answer but rather stared at her with their mouths open slightly. "I thought so," she snapped and returned to Krillin.

"Can you believe those two?" she asked her bald headed friend while hooking arms with him. They were walking to their fourth period World History class.

"Well, they're not the only people I've heard talking about...your new found friendship, if that's what you mean," he answered, putting his head down. He had hoped Bulma wouldn't find out, but it was basically the hottest topic in the school that day. Everyone was talking about it, even people who didn't know what happened two years ago.

"What? Ugh, this is so not anyone else's business..." Bulma said, rolling her beautiful eyes. "Krillin, do you think I'm making a mistake by being his friend?"

"Gosh, Bulms...I don't even know, to tell you the truth. I know what he did to you, and I hate him for that. But, you said he's changed, so I don't know what to tell you."

Bulma shook her head at him. As they were about to enter the classroom, she heard her name being called, turning around to see Yamcha speed walking towards her. She didn't know if she wanted to talk to him yet. If she even cared what he had to say to her. She was so confused as to why he cheated on her; he had seemed so interested in her prior to that unhappy event. Krillin looked up at her as if to say "do you want me to get rid of him?" Bulma shook her head at her dear friend. She knew it was time to talk to him, there was no use putting it off for later. She was hardly even mad anymore. She patted Krillin's shoulder and walked up to Yamcha.

"Bulma, I'm so so so so so so so so SO sorry!" He blurted out before she got a chance to say anything. "I don't know why I did that...I was drunk, that's no excuse I know, and that thing you said about spending time with Vegeta now was stuck in my head...I have no idea...I'm not making any excuses. Maron came up to the room I was sitting, and I started telling her about how I was jealous, I don't even know, and then she said that she'd help me. I didn't really know what she meant in that moment, which was so stupid of me, and then she kissed me. And, for some reason, I didn't push her off...yet...and then you came in...And, I'm just so sorry. You've got to believe me, I never meant to hurt you. Kami, I'm so sorry, Bulma..."

Bulma stood before him blankly for a few moments before beginning to speak. "I know you're sorry, Yamcha," she said slowly, "and I forgive you. I do. I don't think you meant to hurt me or had bad intentions. But, I just can't be with you. This made me realize that. Like...it didn't break my heart, so I realized that I shouldn't be with you. We just don't have that spark. I'm sorry to be telling you like this. I hope we can still be friends." She smiled at him and kissed his, then entered her history classroom before he could say anything else.

"Goku!" Chi-Chi yelled, running up to the black haired boy. She didn't know where she was finding the courage to talk to him, for she had had feelings for him for as long as she could remember. He was just so adorable, with her big, unassuming eyes and innocent smile. She wanted to kiss him then and there but fought off the urge. She had come to talk to him for a different reason. A reason pertaining to Bulma and Vegeta.

"Hey," Goku replied, smiling at the raven-haired girl. She had been in his life quite more frequently now, and he couldn't deny that he liked it. She had so much fire in her.

"We have to talk. About Bulma and Vegeta. I'm worried about her, she told me she's become friends with him again, and I don't know if he's just going to hurt her again. He actually can't hurt her again, or he'll be a dead man. I swear, you think I'm kidding, but you didn't have to deal with her when he hurt her all those years ago. Goku, you've gotta tell me, if he has some ulterior motives her...please."

"Hey, hey slow down!" Goku exclaimed, kindly. He rubbed her shoulder consolingly and suddenly Chi-Chi felt significantly better. "I know what you mean...But, don't worry, I won't let him hurt her. I don't think he would anyway. Between me and you," he said softly, pulling her closer to him, "sometimes when he sleeps at my place, or whatever, I hear him say her name. I'm not kidding. But, don't worry, he's going away to, like, his uncle's place, out of the city, during winter break, so I doubt they'll even see each other."

"She told me she's going to her aunt's place out of the city..." Chi-Chi stated thoughtfully.

"You don't think..."

"Yes, yes I'm afraid I do." Chi-Chi looked up worriedly at the beautiful boy standing before her.

Winter Break had arrived. It was all set. Bulma and Vegeta would leave the next morning at 8:30 AM sharp for her father's secluded lab in the mountains, so she could build a device to track the Dragon Balls. They had each lied to their parents, saying that the whole gang was going off to a beach house down further south, and that they would be back in about two weeks. Bulma sat in her room packing, wondering what was going to happen on this trip. Would they get hurt? Would she and Vegeta get together? Did the Dragon Balls even exist? She stared down at a folded pink shirt in her hands and wondered.

"Hi," she heard from her door. She turned to see Vegeta standing there. "Your mom let me in."

"Hey..." she said awkwardly and moved some clothes around on her bed so that he could sit.

"Just wanted to make sure you were ready, woman. I know how long you take usually." He sat down next to her.

They talked for what seemed like hours, about everything and nothing. They laughed, which was something they hadn't done together in a while. She made fun of him, and he snapped at her as usual. And, they kept talking. Until they stopped talking. He kissed her. And, she kissed him back. He put his fingers in her blue hair hungrily and deepened the kiss, not really sure what he was doing or why. She slowly put her arms around his neck and pulled her towards him, smiling against his lips.

He pushed her down onto the bed and moved his hands to her waist, feeling all of her skin and feeling whole. She began to kiss his neck hungrily, and his hands reached the bottom of her shirt and started to take it off. He kissed her entire stomach, savoring her taste. Oh how he had missed it. His right hand found its way in between her legs and rubbed, causing Bulma to let out a small moan. He kissed her mouth, biting her bottom lip slightly, wanting her so badly in that moment.

She then realized what they were doing and pushed him off quickly. A little bit of sadness entered his eyes, but he blinked before she could really notice.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I can't do this. I can't. I'm sorry."

"Whatever, woman. I was hoping maybe we just be, like, friends with benefits or something...I don't really care," he lied.

"I just," she replied, ignoring him completely, "I forgive you for what you did to me...But, I can't forget what you did. And, I don't think I can ever be with you again, because of that. I'm sorry, Vegeta." She sat up and put her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his smell deeply. He pushed her away, gently.

"It doesn't matter, woman," he stated, monotonously. "I'll be here at 8:30 sharp woman. Be ready, I don't want to have to delay this because of you."

With that, he left the room, leaving a very confused, half topless Bulma alone on her bed.

Done! Sorry this one took so long. I do not own "Every Breath You Take". It's a great record, but it's not mine. Please don't sue me! Hope you guys liked this one. Next time: they start the search for the Dragon Balls. Keep reviewing, please!