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Endlessly	By : Froglady15 Category: Dragon Ball Z > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 2949 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination. Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned DO NOT belong to me. I MKE NO MONEY/PROFIT!

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.
Sorry for taking forever to update this!!! I'm back on it! As well, some how the last time I uploaded chapters, I mixed them up and accidentally posted one from the sequel to this storuy!! Thank you to a reviewer who pointed out tha Chapter 14 was off!!! So sorry!! Thank you!!! Anyway, it's all fixed now and I'm back on track! Enjoy!!
Chapter 21
Kakarott opened his eyes and yawned. He was awake. Finally. It was one week since escaping Vegeta-sei. He shook his head and took in his surroundings. Bulma was snuggled securely into his lap. He looked at the data on the screen. They would be landing in about 45 minutes on the planet Vegas. In the panic of the explosion, the only place he could think to go that would be safe was Vegas. No one would ask any questions. They could stay there for a few days and figure out what to do next. He had enough credits that he could buy a small ship and head out someplace safe.
He hoped Bulma was okay; she had been out cold since he bonked her on the head. The escape pod they took put them both in an instant drug-induced coma. For long trips, it was an automatic response rendering the inhabitant unconscious until about an hour before landing at the specified destination.
It was a miracle they were even alive. He had his father to thank for that. After Kakarott had knocked Bulma out, preventing her from leaving the ship to help Vegeta, he placed her into the escape pod and took off immediately. Within minutes, he answered a call on his scouter from his father who had seen the flying ship. He warned him that Lord Frieza was standing outside the palace with what looked to be a fairly beaten up Vegeta.
Kakarott thanked him and did the only thing that came to mind and set the ship on auto pilot and hurried into the same escape pod he had placed Bulma into only minutes ago. Unfortunately, he didn't realize until he got in and set the coordinates that he had dropped his scouter somewhere in the ship in his panicked state. It would have been too risky contacting him back to confirm that they had gotten away. They had been extremely lucky that the explosion hadn't taken out the escape pod as well. He had felt the turbulence and had been worried it would send them crashing down too. It had been close; very close. By some miracle, they managed to make it through and had lasted the week and were almost ready to land.
Kakarott was not sure what to do. He wanted to contact his father to let him know that they were okay, but there would not be a safe way to do so without being caught right now. If Lord Frieza believed them to be dead, it would be best to continue on until they figured something out. He at least had to get Bulma settled in someplace safe before attempting to contact his father. On the plus side, Bulma and Vegeta were bonded so she could let him know. Won't he be surprised! He thought with a smirk.
Bulma groaned. "Where am I?"
"We are in the escape pod and about a half hour away from the planet Vegas." Kakarott replied, looking down at her with a smile.
"What happened? Where's Vegeta?" she asked in a panic, realizing they were stuck in a tiny space pod that was really designed for one occupant in mind.
"Well, something happened, I'm not exactly sure what and I am sorry, but I had no choice. I knocked you out and placed you in here for safe keeping and left in the ship. My father called me and warned me that Frieza was just outside with Vegeta. It didn't look good, so I set the ship on autopilot and jumped in here and set us to arrive on Vegas." He explained.
"That's right, I remember. Vegeta told me to leave without him and I was going to go help him. You... What did you do?" she asked angrily, remembering the events.
"Bulma, I am sorry. I know you meant well but I couldn't let you leave. I promised Vegeta that I would keep you safe no matter what happened to him."
"We left him." Bulma whispered.
"We did, but I could not let you off the ship. I know this is hard, Bulma, but at least we are safe. They think we're dead. Frieza blew up the ship literally minutes after I ejected this escape pod." Kakarott said, hoping she wouldn't smack him. "At least I can get you someplace safe and then we can contact my father and Vegeta."
Bulma shook her head. She was still feeling groggy but she felt this overwhelming sense of despair and anxiety washing over her. "The bond." She murmured. "I can feel him. He's devastated. I have to let him know we are alright."
"Wait, Bulma." Kakarott said quickly. "Wait until we have landed and find someplace to stay and figure something out."
"But he needs to know, Kakarott! If he thinks we're dead…"
"I know, Bulma, but it is better that we wait and at least formulate some kind of plan. If I know Vegeta, he'll want to come and find you as soon as he knows you're alive. We should at least have a plan or something." Kakarott said.
Bulma sighed. "Alright. But as soon as we land and have a place to stay for the night, I'm letting him know." She said. "Shouldn't he know? Like be able to tell?"
"You've been out cold for a week. First because I kinda knocked you out and then because the escape pod put us both in like a coma until before landing. So he probably thinks you're dead."
"Oh my god." Bulma sighed. That explained the heavy feeling within her. She was picking up on whatever he was feeling. "Wait, a week?"
"Yea. I thought we should come to Vegas. We can easily buy a ship. No one will ask us any questions or care."
"Good thinking. We can probably stay at the Tavern." Bulma suggested. "He told me before I left with you guys that I was always welcome back."
"Alright. We'll go there, maybe get some food and get settled in. Then we need to buy a ship." Kakarott nodded.
They landed about twenty minutes later. They left the pod and made their way to the tavern. Bulma was aware she looked rough, but whatever.
"Good day, would you like a seat?" the hostess asked politely.
"Yes, Umm. I used to work here. Is Toma available by any chance?" Bulma asked, really wishing she'd had a chance to do herself up a bit.
"He is. One moment." She replied, looking Bulma over warily. "Would you like a table?"
"Sure. Please." Bulma nodded. They followed her into the lounge. There was no one on stage yet. It was nice and quiet still.
"Would you like to order any drinks? I can get that going while I go get Toma for you." The hostess offered.
"Alright, I'll have a glass of wine." Bulma said.
"Can I get a beer and an order of that noodles and meat dish you guys have here?" Kakarott asked.
"Sure thing. Anything for you, Miss?"
"I'll try that noodle dish as well." Bulma replied.
The hostess left and Bulma and Kakarott relaxed. Bulma was still feeling really cramped. She had tried to stretch out as much as she could on their way to the tavern, but she still felt off. There was that and the heavy anxious feeling hanging within her. She really wanted to know how Vegeta was. The suspense was killing her. She wondered if he could sense that she was awake now? What would he say to her? She hoped Toma showed up soon and would be able to give them a place to stay. She wanted to take a shower and calm her nerves. At this point she wasn't sure if all this anxiety was just her or if it was coming from Vegeta as well.
"So, you and Vegeta finally made it official?" Kakarott commented with a big grin, taking her out of her thoughts.
"Yea, we did. He took me to a beautiful island that he said was his and we bonded. I am officially his mate and he is officially mine." Bulma replied, unable to hide the blush. "He gave me a ring, which is part of my people's sign of commitment and yeah." She explained, holding her left hand out for him to see.
"Very nice!" Kakarott commented, looking at the ring on her finger. "Who'd have thought cranky Vegeta would have good taste, huh?"
Bulma giggled. "It was certainly an unexpected gesture. But like he said, now it's official in my culture as well as yours."
"True. He bit you?"
"He did." Bulma nodded, pulling the collar of her shirt down, revealing the bite mark. She hadn't had the chance to see it for herself since the morning after. She wondered briefly how it had healed.
"That's a good one." Kakarott commented, obviously impressed.
"As opposed to a bad one?" Bulma asked with a frown.
"Well, I've seen some where the male really marred up the neck of his mate in the heat of the moment. It does not always heal nice." Kakarott shrugged, thinking of a way to properly explain it to her. "Yours is clean. Like a nice crescent. Discreet but still obviously marks that you're taken."
Bulma nodded and smiled. Such a different culture. She mused to herself.
"Did you mark him back?" Kakarott asked.
"I did." He replied proudly.
"Right on!" Kakarott nodded. "Although that may have caused more trouble than not since Vegeta ran into his father and Lord Frieza. His father would have had a fit if he'd seen it."
"Maybe he didn't though." Bulma suggested. "Vegeta said that when a mate dies the other follows. Frieza obviously wanted me dead. If they knew we were mated and bonded, they wouldn't have done that. Right?"
"It's hard to say." Kakarott replied. "Frieza is twisted enough that even if he knew, he'd have probably still fired at us the way he did. If for no other reason to watch Vegeta suffer and die. He would take great joy in that for as long as he could. The King, it's hard to say. He may have known and banked on the bond not taking because you aren't Saiyan. Also, some mates take years to establish a proper bond. He may have thought that since it was a new bond it may not have had time to fully take yet, so Vegeta wouldn't be affected as much by your death. In the end, getting rid of you early would have been the best thing. However, it would have still been a gamble on his part. I have a feeling that you guys would have forged a pretty strong bond in a very short time. You two were meant for each other."
Bulma nodded. Poor Vegeta. She thought to herself. She needed to contact him and let her know they were alright. He probably did think she was dead. He was so determined to keep her safe she didn't even want to think what this was doing to him. And for a whole week? At least she had been in a drug induced coma. Vegeta wouldn't have had that luxury.
"So, he probably thinks our bond didn't take since he's fine."
"Probably." Kakarott nodded.
"So shouldn't I notify him and give him some relief?" Bulma asked. "I have this overwhelming feeling of anxiety and despair and anger. I'm sure it's coming from him."
"No. Just wait a bit."
"Why? I feel like I'm being mean. I want to talk to him."
"Because he's going to bombard you with a ton of questions and all your answers will be "I don't know". Vegeta hates the answer "I don't know". Let us figure out a few things so we can give him some answers at least." Kakarott advised.
"But won't he be more upset that I didn't let him know right away that we are okay?"
Kakarott sighed. "He probably would, but trust me. He's probably so consumed in rage and grief that he'll just be mad that you have no information for him. Trust me. I've known him since we were boys. He'll be much easier to talk to if you wait and have something to tell him so that he can start formulating a plan. He's going to be mad anyway."
"Fine. I don't like it, but if he yells at me, I'm blaming you." Bulma replied with a heavy sigh. Her stomach was in knots. She wondered if he would be able to pick up on her own anxiety as well?
Toma finally showed up and walked up to their table. "Bulma?"
"Toma!" she replied, standing up to give him a hug.
"I am so glad to see you! My word, you look terrible, but I am glad all the same!"
"Thanks." She replied, rolling her eyes.
"What happened? Please, do tell." He asked, taking a seat at their table and nodding to Kakarott in acknowledgement.
"It's a long story. I went to Vegeta-sei with Prince Vegeta and Kakarott." She said, gesturing to the younger Saiyan. "Things were fine until Lord Frieza showed up. The Prince and I married in secret and were planning an escape but it didn't work out as planned. He sent me with his First Lieutenant, Kakarott and Lord Frieza decided to blow up our ship to do away with me. Fortunately, thanks to Kakarott's quick thinking, he crammed us both into an emergency escape pod and the ship blew up and we are here. Frieza and the Prince think we are both deceased."
Toma nodded as he listened to her story. "Do you need a place to stay?"
"If you can, that would be much appreciated." Bulma nodded. "We will only stay until we buy a ship. Then we will be off."
"You can both stay as long as you need." Toma replied. The waitress showed up with their drinks and food orders. "Whatever they need, see to it and do not charge them." He said to her. The Waitress nodded and left them.
Kakarott dug in immediately. "This dish is different than last time." He commented.
"Oh, we got another chef." Toma replied. "If it is not to your liking-"
"No!" Kakarott replied, waving his hand back and forth. "It's even better! There's more meat and other stuff."
Bulma looked at it. It looked like a few different types of meat. Onions, bean sprouts, red pepper, peas and of course noodles. It was delicious.
"We bought another girl who is apparently from Earth, your planet. Maybe you know her, Bulma." Toma said. "She's strikingly beautiful. We put her on stage and had nothing but trouble with her. I had been hoping she would be like you, but no. The first night, a male patron shouted something vulgar to her and she threw her shoe at him. When he persisted, she came down off the stage and beat him over the head with her other one. Her next two nights weren't any better so I asked her what else she excelled in and she said cooking. We were in need of a new chef anyway, so I sent her there. She is an excellent cook but I still get lots of complaints."
"This is great!" Kakarott mumbled between mouthfuls.
"I'll meet her, Toma. Maybe I do know her." Bulma nodded, just feeling good that there was another Earthling. Odds were, she didn't know her, but she would still like to meet her anyway.
"Alright, I will go and get her." Toma said, getting up to leave.
A few minutes later a tall dark-haired girl walked in. "Bulma?!"
Bulma looked in the direction her name had been called. "Chi-Chi?!" she exclaimed. "Oh my god!" The two young women ran to and embraced each other. "What are the odds? Are you alright?"
"Yea. I was at the auction forever!" Chi-Chi said. "How about you?"
"It's a long story, Chi." Bulma sighed. "I'm so glad to see you!" she said, trying not to cry.
"Me too! I haven't run into anyone else. Have you?"
Bulma shook her head sadly. "No. Just you."
"I ended up on a ship full of women and a few men; no one I knew there either and then we were sent to an auction. What happened to you?"
"Same." Bulma replied, not feeling up to getting into it. "I was sold here actually right away. I did well on stage, was bought by the Prince of a powerful race. It was fine until it wasn't and to make a long story short, I escaped with him and I came back here because it's all I know." She explained, pointing at Kakarott.
"He's a Prince? Wow." Chi-Chi commented. "He's gorgeous!"
"No, he's not the Prince. I had to leave him behind. That's Kakarott, his First Lieutenant. He's keeping me out of harm's way."
"Ohh.. Lucky You."
"Come meet him. He loves that noodle dish." Bulma said, bringing her friend over the meet the Saiyan.
"Kakarott? This is Chi-Chi. We were actually friends back on my home planet. We went to school together and she happens to be the chef here." Bulma said. "Chi-Chi, this is Kakarott, Umm. My friend and the Prince's First Lieutenant." She said awkwardly.
"Really? I'm your friend, Bulma? Wow! Saiyans don't have friends! I'm honored!" Kakarott beamed. He had never been called a friend before. "Nice to meet you. This dish is superb."
"Thank you." Chi-Chi replied, blushing. "I don't get many compliments so I do appreciate it."
"Really? I could eat this every day!"
Chi-Chi giggled. Who was this guy? He was absolutely adorable! Not to mention super sexy! Most of the males she had met since being taken from Earth had been absolute pigs! She had been extremely lucky that nothing bad had happened to her. She could hold her own though. Martial arts had been her hobby. She had competed since she had been six years old and always did well.
"I'm taking my lunch break soon. Would it be alright if I joined you guys?" Chi-Chi asked, eyeing up this friend of Bulma's. She wondered briefly if he was just a friend or were they "together" and she just said he was her friend.
"If you're able to, absolutely!" Bulma said. It was so good to see a familiar face.
"Awesome! Let me go grab something to eat and I'll be right back." Chi-Chi said. "Would you like more?"
"That would be great!" Kakarott replied with a huge smile.
Chi-Chi nodded and left.
"She's cute!" Kakarott said as soon as her friend left.
"She is. She's a handful though." Bulma chuckled. "We were practically inseparable."
"That's nice. I'll bet you're relieved she's safe."
"I am! Although, I'm not surprised. I knew that if anyone was going to make it through, it would be her. She can take care of herself. Unlike me." Bulma sighed.
"How do you mean?" Kakarott asked, genuinely interested.
"She was like a master in martial arts and self defense. She used to compete in fighting tournaments all the time."
"Really! Wow! That's impressive!" Kakarott nodded. "She's like your size."
"Oh, don't let that fool you." Bulma laughed. "I've seen her take down guys twice her size."
"Huh." Kakarott commented, shaking his head. A woman that could cook and was trained in physical combat. Now, that was awesome! "You never trained with her?"
"No. I had no interest." Bulma shrugged. "I used to watch her compete. I enjoyed that. We sparred a few times but I was never into it. I'd rather be inventing things or reading a good book."
"You never needed protection on your planet?" Kakarott asked.
"Not really. There were tons of security measures at my home; locks, security guards. I didn't really need to know how. My father bought me a dog. He came with me everywhere. He was trained in property surveillance and personal protection. He died attempting to protect me from Zarbon and his goons." Bulma explained with a frown. Poor guy. "None of it had been enough when it really came down to it."
"Not many can defend themselves from the Ice-jin." Kakarott nodded. "Or even from us when we are sent on a purging mission."
Bulma nodded. "Anyway, whatever. Chi-Chi is a good girl."
"I can see that." Kakarott nodded.
Chi-Chi returned to their table with a bowl of noodles and meat for herself and an extra for Kakarott. "You have no idea how glad I am that you are okay!"
"I know, me too. For you." Bulma smiled. "So, how long have you been here? I was here for about three weeks and I guess it's been about three or four weeks now since I left."
"I've been here about two weeks." Chi-Chi replied. "I hate it. How did you stand it? They put me up there and said I had to perform and then in a few weeks I would be required to entertain men in the private rooms. My first two nights ended with me beating a guy with my shoe."
Bulma laughed. "I would have loved to have seen that. I did alright, actually. I didn't have to entertain. Just perform on stage."
"Lucky you. How did you even do that? Some of them are such pigs!"
"I just ignored them." Bulma shrugged.
"Until Vegeta showed up. You couldn't ignore him." Kakarott said with a chuckle, wagging his eyebrows at her.
Bulma shot him a dirty look.
"What?! It's true! I saw you both looking at each other." Kakarott teased.
"Like you even know anything. I saw you from the stage. You were stuffing your face as fast as you could." Bulma replied, rolling her eyes. "I remember it perfectly. Toma had told me that there was a Prince in the audience and the only ones here were you four and I was trying to figure out which one of you was the Prince and I ruled you out immediately because of your terrible table manners."
Kakarott frowned. "Huh. Well, I was really hungry that day and it doesn't matter, I still noticed you two making eyes. And then you came up to us and yelled at Vegeta and then left with him for a while and he was smitten after that."
"Smitten?" Chi-Chi asked looking pointedly at Bulma with interest.
"It's a long story, Chi. I don't want to get into it right now." Bulma sighed.
"Oh yeah. They were both smitten." Kakarott laughed.
"Enough, please." Bulma begged.
"You have to tell me later!" Chi-Chi said to her. This sounded way too juicy. Bulma and a Prince? Maybe that explained the ring on her finger.
"Fine. Later. I promise." Bulma nodded. "Where's Toma? I really need a shower."
"I don't know. Probably around somewhere." Chi-Chi shrugged. "Do you want me to go find him?"
"No, it's okay, I'll wait. Enjoy your lunch break." Bulma said shaking her head and finishing her glass of wine.
"So, what happened exactly that you came back here?" Chi-Chi asked.
"I need to keep Bulma safe. So, we left my planet, planet Vegeta-sei and came here. We need to buy another ship and then once we do that, we'll have to find a planet where we can lay low for a while."
"Keep Bulma safe, huh?" Chi-Chi replied. "Maybe since she's such good friends with Toma she can convince him that you need to keep me safe as well."
Kakarott couldn't help the blush travelling up his neck and onto his cheeks. "Ha ha haa! Umm. Maybe?"
Bulma rolled her eyes at her friend's obvious flirting.
"Bulma tells me you don't really need protecting though." Kakarott said.
"I can hold my own, I guess." Chi-Chi shrugged.
Bulma snorted. "Yea, okay."
"Hey, it's true. I only do the best I can. I've seen some pretty scary guys since I've been here."
"You have no idea." Bulma nodded.
"Yea, there's lots out there." Kakarott agreed.
"So, where do you rank?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Well, I am from the Saiyan race. We are pretty much the second strongest race in the universe." Kakarott explained. "Prince Vegeta is the strongest Saiyan I know, after his father, the King."
Chi-Chi nodded. "Are all Saiyans as handsome as you?"
Kakarott laughed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I wouldn't know."
"Well?" Chi-Chi asked looking at Bulma.
"Yea, they are a very attractive race. Both the men and the women." Bulma nodded. She had never seen Kakarott look so awkward. Here her friend was blatantly coming on to him and he was pretty much speechless.
It was then that Toma came to check on them. "Can I get you anything else?"
"Not for me, thanks. I was just wondering if I could go somewhere for a shower?" Bulma asked.
"Of course! I have a room ready for you and your companion, unless you'd like separate rooms?"
"Is that okay? If not, we can make due." Bulma said looking awkwardly at Kakarott. She trusted him but wasn't sure what he was comfortable with.
"Whatever is fine with me, Bulma." Kakarott shrugged.
"I can get a second room ready easily." Toma nodded. "Here is the key to yours, Bulma it's in the VIP area. I will have another one ready for him near yours."
"Perfect. Thank you so much, Toma. I hate to impose." Bulma said smiling gratefully at him.
"Not a problem now go!" He said to her. "Anything for you?"
"Maybe another beer and some more food." Kakarott said.
"I'll go." Chi-Chi volunteered.
"Very well." Toma replied, leaving.
"Kakarott, I really need a shower. I need to relax and contact Vegeta. I can't wait any longer."
"Alright." He sighed. "Just tell him we just got here. We will be looking to buy a ship later on today and will be leaving as soon as we can. Find out if he wants us to wait here for him or contact him when we find someplace safe."
"Okay." Bulma nodded. "You going to hang out with him for a bit?"
"After I get him more food, yea. I still have some time." Chi-Chi nodded. "I'll be right back, okay?"
"I'll be here." Kakarott replied.
The two girls left. "Oh my god, Bulma! He's so amazing!" Chi-Chi gushed. "So, are you two like, together or just friends? I am soo jealous!"
"No, We're just friends." Bulma shook her head.
"I kinda thought so. So, what's the deal with this Prince?" her friend asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Chi, I don't have time." Bulma sighed.
"Sure you do! I'll walk you to your room. Give me the cliffs notes version! Come on!"
"Alright, I had no choice but to entertain him here in one of these rooms. I was really pissed at Toma because he had promised me no private audiences. I did it anyway and at first I thought he was a major dick, but he turned out to be really nice. We have a lot in common." Bulma explained.
"Is he as hot as Kakarott?" Chi-Chi grilled.
Bulma couldn't help the blush on her cheeks. "Hotter."
"Really?" her friend squealed. "So what happened?"
"Well, we hung out here. Didn't do anything, and he gave me like a huge tip he said to put towards buying my freedom."
"Oh my god!"
"Yea, I know, right?" Bulma chuckled, her insides fluttering in excitement at the memory. "So like two weeks later, he showed up and paid Toma out for me, and brought me back to his planet. I had told him all about my capsules when we had hung out and he had been so fascinated that he wanted me to help out in their tech department, only it didn't go over well with his father, the King."
"Trust you to bore some hot guy with your boring science stuff." Chi-Chi groaned.
"Hey, I couldn't have bored him that much. He came back for me, didn't he?" Bulma argued.
"I guess. So, what happened?" she pressed.
"Lots. I can't talk about it now. It's so much. I will tell you though. Come back and see me tonight. I will give you the whole story then, I promise." Bulma pleaded with her. She did want to talk to her friend about it, but she needed to get in touch with Vegeta. "There's something I need to do. I will explain it so that it makes sense later. I promise. It'll be good to finally talk to someone who understands."
"You're in love with him." Chi-Chi commented.
"I am. And at the same time, it's so much more than that." Bulma murmured, remembering everything she and Vegeta had shared that last night together. The word Love didn't even begin to cover it. "I will explain everything in full later tonight. Just see if you can snag some snacks and a bottle of wine. We'll have an old fashioned girl's night."
"I'm holding you to that! I'll check on you when I'm done my shift. In the mean time, can I hit on him? He seems like a decent guy. He's single?"
"Sure. Yea, he's single. He's a great guy! Not the swiftest, but he's loyal and a real sweetie. His father is great too." Bulma nodded.
"You've met his parents?"
"Just his father. He's a genius and head of the science lab."
"Ugh. Okay. You have to get me out of here!" Chi-Chi begged.
"I know. I'll talk to Toma. Maybe we have enough to get you out of here. If not now, hang in there. When I get back in touch with Vegeta maybe there's something he can do. He got me out with no issue. Plus he kinda owes his buddy for saving me. If you two hit it off, who knows?"
"Please! Okay. I will see you later tonight. I expect details girl!" Chi-Chi sighed, giving her friend a hug.
"It's so wonderful to see you!" Bulma said, trying not to cry.
"I know, you too." Chi-Chi nodded, also trying not to succumb to the emotions threatening to take hold. "Okay. We can cry later!"
"We will!" Bulma agreed and watched her friend rush back down the hall with a smile.
Bulma went in to the room and let out a heavy sigh. She had been so wrapped up with talking to Chi-Chi she hadn't realized which room she had been given. It was the same room she had taken him to the night they had first met. She swallowed the lump in her throat and went to the bathroom. She briefly remembered there had been a Jacuzzi. She went to start filling it. Bulma then went to the kitchenette area to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of wine that was supplied. She opened it, poured herself a healthy glass, closed her eyes and took a nice, long sip.
She exhaled, closed her eyes and cleared her mind.
Vegeta?
Bulma thought, trying to tap into their bond. She hoped she could reach him. She could feel him. There was still that nagging feeling of anxiety, but no response. Not even a slight flicker of recognition.
Vegeta. Are you there?
She tried again. Still nothing.
Hey, I'm alright. Kakarott's quick thinking saved us.
Bulma took a few deep breaths. She refused to allow herself to panic. She headed into the bathroom with her wine, bringing the bottle with her. She needed it. And she settled into the huge tub while the water still ran. She sat there with her eyes closed, trying to relax and clear her mind. Vegeta had told her that this was something she would have to work at. Kakarott even mentioned earlier about new bonds taking a bit to solidify. Vegeta had said the same thing.
Maybe that was the problem. Their bond was still too new. Maybe she was too far away from him? She exhaled deeply again. No sense in panicking just yet. She would find a way through this. She was Bulma Briefs. She had to. She had never been faced with a problem she could not solve.
Vegeta, please. I need you. I need to know you're alright. You need to know that I am alright.
Maybe he was blocking her again? She had felt him do that. It was like he put up a mental wall; right after he had left to get the plans for the stupid gravity room and then again after he had told her to leave. It hurt. She remembered, like a flinch. A mental shove. She had been upset with him at the time. She had understood that he had probably done it to keep himself from being distracted, but it still upset her. Maybe since he thought she was dead, he put up a wall.
For god's sake, answer me! Please? I will haunt you every minute of every hour until you answer me so help me.
Still nothing. She shut off the water and sat there in silence, trying so hard to reach out to him, wanting so bad for him to respond. Feeling frustrated, she leaned back in the tub, took a few sips from her chilled wine and closed her eyes. There had to be a way around this.
She tried again a few times before she finally succumbed to despair and let herself cry. What if she couldn't reach him through their bond? Would she ever see him again? She knew she could never return to Vegeta-sei. The King would probably have her executed on sight. And where did that leave Kakarott? If everyone thought they were dead, he couldn't just show up there one day. Did that mean he would have to live out his life in exile as well? She felt horrible. If it were just her and Vegeta then this would be perfect. However, it hadn't worked out that way. Poor Bardock! She thought. They owed him their very lives right at this moment and he probably assumed they were dead too.
Bulma sat there and cried. She didn't know what else to do. Here she was faced with something she hadn't a clue how to solve. There had to be a way to send Vegeta a message discreetly. If he didn't know she was alive and well, maybe he wouldn't be able to hear her trying. Maybe it was the sort of scenario that if he didn't put in the effort as well, it would only be one sided.
When she reconnected with Kakarott, she decided that they would discuss it. He would have to know of some way to contact Bardock. She knew he could be trusted. Maybe if Kakarott told her how, she could find a way to encrypt it so that only he got it? She had no idea how she would do it, but it they were travelling around on a ship for months trying to find someplace safe to stay, she would need something to do.
She felt herself start to calm down a bit at the prospect of a new project. She remembered briefly the new scouter design she had made. Bardock had approved her prototype and had sent for them to be mass produced. Maybe if she got a hold of him, she could have him make one for just himself and Vegeta and program them so that they were the only scouters that could receive their frequency. That was an idea. If the others couldn't pick up on a certain frequency, there would be no worry of discovery.
Bulma grinned to herself. She was a genius after all. Now that she had purged her system of all her petty emotions, she took a deep breath and focused. She cleared her mind of everything and relaxed.
Vegeta?
Vegeta's eyes snapped open. He had been asleep for a few hours now. It had been a week since the loss of Bulma. When Frieza had been ready to leave, he allowed him the courtesy of a regeneration tank. Thankfully whatever Bardock had given him had knocked him out good. He had woken up a few times, once long enough to take a shower and then once to eat. But he had always fallen back asleep almost immediately.
Each time he had awoke, he foolishly tried to reach out to Bulma through their bond, just in case. It had been no use. It was as if they had never formed a bond. He should not have let Bardock give him any hope that maybe they had escaped. It wasn't possible. They would not have had enough time. Even if they had managed to get into an escape pod, they would not have been able to put enough distance and it would have most likely been destroyed in the explosion along with the ship.
Once he woke up from the regen tank, he found himself back on the cursed lizard's ship and was coldly escorted to his old quarters. This was hell. He had groaned to himself.
During the day, he trained with a vengeance. The beating he had received had actually done him much good. Once he recovered, he felt a dramatic increase in his strength. He was thoroughly disappointed he could not let himself go and freely test out just how much he had improved. He was dying to know. He hoped Bardock was making progress on that gravity room. That way he could train in secret and not hold anything back. He was certain that he should be able to turn Super Saiyan without difficulty. He was having a hard time holding his energy in now. That was a good sign and in the end, he focused all his energy on holding back and controlling himself. That in itself wasn't easy and so he saw it as another challenge to master. He could not have anyone know how much he had improved. Not yet.
At night, he had taken to isolating himself in his quarters. He either passed the hours meditating or sleeping. Sleeping was almost always a bad idea. He would dream and find himself cursed with images of Bulma.
Some were good ones. Really good ones; dreams of them together on his island. They were so vivid, he'd awake to the feeling of her skin on him and the smell of her hair and believe she was there with him until he opened his eyes and reality crashed down on him and he realized she wasn't there.
Others were bad ones. Nightmares of her pleading for him to help her. Sometimes they featured Zarbon, Frieza or his father brutally beating or violating her and him not having any way to stop it. Sometimes he dreamt she resented him for allowing her to die on his ship in the explosion. There were other times he even dreamt that by some fluke she and Kakarott had managed to survive and they had built a life together and were blissfully happy with one another without him.
Thankfully tonight he had a relatively dreamless sleep, except he kept hearing her voice calling out to him; almost pleading.
Vegeta! Are you alright?
He sat up in his bed. There it was again. It was like he heard her calling him. This time it was clear as a bell; as if she were in the same room with him. He shook his head and buried his face in his hands dejectedly. How long would she haunt him? It was clear to him now that the bond they had formed hadn't been so strong that it had taken him with her when she died. Instead he was forced to endure nightmares and now hearing her voice in his head. He supposed it was his body's way of dealing with the severed bond. But now, after a week, it was starting to piss him off.
He got out of bed and decided to do some more meditating. That always helped. Maybe if I meditate long and hard enough I can purge this blasted bond from my system! He thought, irritated that he would spend another night sleepless yet again.
Don't you dare do that! Came her voice shrilly, again as clear as if she were sitting next to him.
Vegeta! I'm okay! Kakarott and I are on Planet Vegas! We're staying with Toma at the tavern and will be buying a ship hopefully today or tomorrow and then we will leave to find someplace safe to stay. He heard her voice explain.
Vegeta shrugged, too tired to block it at this point. You're dead, Woman. Leave me alone. He finally replied. Maybe this was the beginning and he was finally losing his mind. Maybe if he talked to her voice and acknowledged its presence, it would go away.
I am not! And no, you aren't losing your mind! Where are you? Right now?
In my quarters on Frieza's ship. He replied, deciding to humor her for now.
What?! Why the hell are you there? I thought you said you'd never go back?
I lied. He replied dryly.
What happened?
I had no choice. It was either this or Asia.
I'm sorry. She replied. He could almost feel the remorse and sympathy.
No. I am sorry. I failed you.
No you didn't! She replied firmly. I'm safe because of you.
Yea. Safe in the afterlife in another dimension because of me. Fear not, Woman. As soon as I exact my revenge and destroy everyone responsible for your death, I will join you.
Vegeta! I'm not dead! Come find me! I need you. Please! Her voice replied almost frantically.
No you don't. I have brought you nothing but grief and danger and pain. I'm glad you're okay wherever you are alright? Now please, leave me alone.
No, no! Vegeta! Listen to me, damn it!
No. YOU listen to me. Leave me alone. I do not have the time to deal with this nonsense. I have humored you enough for one evening. You will haunt me no more!
On the contrary. Until you remove your head from your tight ass, I will haunt you every minute of every day until you realize "Hey, I'm an idiot! My mate is alive and trying to contact me!" she hollered at him.
He smirked. Even in death she was feisty. He could just visualize her cheeks flushing and her eyes blazing in annoyance. Alright. Whatever you say. I have humored you for a little while, and I admit I am somewhat amused but I have more important things to do than to allow myself to be haunted by my dead mate. You will leave me alone. With that, he put up a wall and began to meditate. He could not allow his mind to distract him like this.
Maybe this was finally driving him insane. He had heard stories of different effects of severed bonds. This must be his. To be tormented until he passed with her voice in his head. He had remembered once a long time ago a soldier who's mate had died in an accident. He would talk to her for hours as if she were there next to him like a crazy person until he finally passed. That must be why this was happening. There was no way she was alive. He'd be damned if he'd walk around like some crazy fool. This would end now. He could fight this.
Vegeta sat down cross-legged and began to concentrate deeply. It was strange; it was as if he could feel her. He could feel both relief and despair followed by a wave of disappointment. He shook his head and decided this was all just wishful thinking on his part and berated himself again for being a weak fool. It had to be his own emotions he was feeling. His mind playing tricks on him. He had tried for a week to find any glimpse of a connection for any kind of response and it hadn't been there.
He could not believe this. He had pushed away everything he had been brought up to believe where emotional attachments were concerned. He now fully understood why attachments were dangerous. Very dangerous. He decided in that moment to not dwell on or give Bulma a second thought ever again. He would always cherish the very short time he'd accepted her into his life, but he accepted that that part of him he had shared with her died along with her on his ship. He needed to rid himself of the weakness she had infected in him, get his life back on track and focus on his goals. Those goals were to make himself the strongest this universe had ever seen and wipe out Frieza and his entire empire and then his father. Then he would rule his planet and the universe all on his own. He would change everything he hated and make it the way it should be.
He would end the slave trading. Make peace with the planets that held desirable resources and technology to advance his empire and abolish those that wanted to destroy him or who had wronged him in the past.
Vegeta nodded and concentrated on his meditation. He focused on building up a wall around anything that pertained to Bulma. He couldn't afford to let her memory distract him any further. It was never meant to be. He should have known that to begin with. He had been foolish to allow her to get so close to him that he dropped his guard enough to let himself feel anything for her. That had been his fault. He should have known better. He should have taken his father's advice and done away with her the moment he felt her beginning to get under his skin. He cursed himself for allowing himself to care for her to the extent he became vulnerable and weak where she was concerned. He wouldn't deny he enjoyed how she made him feel, but he would not allow it again and if there was anything he wasn't, it was vulnerable and weak. He would not grieve anymore.
Vegeta spent the rest of the evening in deep meditation.
No Vegeta! Where are you? I will come find you! Bulma pleaded with him. Where are you headed? Kakarott and I will come find you.
Bulma felt the mental wall go up. He was blocking her. She flinched at the force and sighed in defeat. She'd done it. She'd gotten through, but she'd blown it.
She sat there in the still warm water going over the brief conversation she'd just had with him. He had given up all hope that she was even alive. So much so, that he was pissed off that she'd talked to him and was convinced that he was going crazy. If only there was some other way to get to him. If he wasn't going to believe her through the bond, then she and Kakarott were going to have to figure out a way to track Frieza's ship and go to him. Maybe then he would stop being a stubborn ass. She didn't blame him. If he had tried to reach out to her for a week and felt nothing, what else was he to think? He probably did think he was losing it now that she had found a way to talk to him after a week of nothing. He probably thought it was just wishful thinking on his part. She shouldn't have gotten pissy with him. She hadn't been able to help it though! He had just dismissed her, then decided to humor her and then dismissed her again, permanently. It was frustrating!
Bulma knew how stubborn he was. If he decided that she was dead, then the more she pushed him now, the bigger the wall he would out up to keep her out. She decided she would keep tabs on him but leave him alone for the most part. Maybe try again in a few days. She knew he had things to do like make himself stronger. She didn't want to distract him. At least he was alive; probably hating life at the moment, but alive and well. He would use that rage to fuel along his progress. It was a shame the gravity room hadn't been finished. She wondered if there was a way she could build one once they figured out where they were going? It would take her some time without a proper lab facility. But maybe she could still get it done in a timely manner all the while trying to figure out a way to cross paths with Vegeta. She could try and coordinate that with the completion of it and then discreetly give it to him. That was the beauty of capsule technology. He could slip it down his boot and no one would know.
She decided it was time to get out of the bath and find Kakarott. She chuckled to herself at the thought of Chi-Chi grilling him. He was obviously shy. Chi-Chi might be too much for him to handle. She might have scared him away.
Bulma washed her hair and dried herself off and went through her clothes. Crap. These were all her clothes for performing. She left her more comfy stuff in Vegeta's room. Realization dawned on her as she rifled through everything that she didn't have her iPod either. In the panic of the evening's events, she must have left it in the room she had gone into with Zarbon. Shit! That was permanently lost to her now. She was so pissed off! It was the one real piece of her planet she had left. It had brought her much comfort. Not to mention saved her ass in terms of what to do when she came here.
She managed to find a pair of tight black skinny jeans and a black sparkly halter top; not exactly comfortable, but appropriate. She tossed her hair up in a damp bun high on her head and kept her makeup light. She found a pair of black stiletto pumps and headed out to find Kakarott.
She found him still sitting and eating in the lounge. "Hey."
"Hey, Bulma. You look nice." He said, smiling at her. "Did you get in touch with Vegeta?"
"I did." She sighed sadly.
"What happened?"
"He pretty much dismissed me."
"What? Why would he do that?" He asked shaking his head.
"He's convinced we're dead and that he's gone crazy. That I am apparently haunting him and that he will not allow it any longer." Bulma sighed. "He then put up a wall and that was it."
"That sounds like him. Trust Vegeta to be too stubborn to accept another possibility. If he's convinced you're dead, it will be very difficult for you to convince him otherwise. The more you try to contact him, the more pissed off he'll get."
"That's what I thought." Bulma nodded. "We have to go to him. He's on Frieza's ship. I did get that much out of him."
"What's he doing there?"
"He said he didn't have a choice. It was that or mating Asia."
"Oh. Yea, I think I'd make the same choice." Kakarott nodded. "Alright, so what do we do?"
"Well, we find us a ship and leave. Find some place safe to stay. In the meantime, we will find a way to discreetly track Frieza's whereabouts and bide our time. Wait for a convenient way to "bump" into Vegeta. Then he will have to accept that we are actually alive and fine. I will also start on a gravity room." Bulma explained.
"Alright. We can look for a ship now." Kakarott offered, impressed she had seemed to have formulated a plan.
"How did things go with my friend?" She asked lightly, wanting to take her mind off Vegeta.
Kakarott blushed. "She's nice."
Bulma giggled. "A little forward?"
"Yea. She is." Kakarott nodded. They had talked for a good hour after Bulma left. He had hoped she hadn't gotten in trouble for being late. "Hey, do you think that Toma guy would sell her to us?"
Bulma shrugged. She had been wondering about that herself. "I don't know. I wanted to talk to him about that. I can't leave her here."
"Like, she wouldn't be a slave or anything if she came with us."
"I know that. You and Vegeta have never treated me like a slave. I know you would do the same for her. Who knows? Maybe you two will hit it off?" She said with a wink.
"Oh, gee, Bulma." He replied scratching the back of his head nervously. "I'm in no position to take a mate just yet."
"I didn't say you had to take her as a mate. I just implied that maybe you two might hit it off. You can always be just friends. Like me and you are friends." Bulma rolled her eyes. Either way, she would try her hardest to take Chi-Chi with them.
"Okay." Kakarott nodded, satisfied with that. "She's really cute though. She kinda looks like a Saiyan too."
Bulma grinned. "You're right, she does. I'll be hanging out with her a little later on."
"Alright. Well, do you want to go and see what we have for ship options? I have a bunch of money. It should be enough for a small ship."
"Sounds good. I have some money too. I had saved a bunch up when I was working here and the night I met Vegeta he gave me a bunch so I could buy my way out. He wouldn't take it back. I don't really know how much I have but it's something." Bulma offered.
"That's really nice of you, Bulma, but hang onto it." Kakarott replied. "Maybe use it for getting your friend out or for supplies for that gravity room thing."
Bulma nodded. She had no idea how much things cost. She had no sense of currency or anything. She supposed she would find out.
They left the tavern and headed down the street. "Stay close." Kakarott warned.
Bulma linked her arm around his. "Let's go find us a ship!"
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