Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Lost and Found: Royal Line Blues ❯ Yamucha's just desserts ( Chapter 29 )

Chapter 28  

Meanwhile, Bulma had trudged along with Yumi to the small sitting room to join Yamucha and Ami. At sight of her, Ami bounced over to hug Bulma tightly. "We were so worried!" she cried.

"You’re alive!" Yamucha cried, leaping out of his chair.

"It’s okay… we won…" Bulma reassured her. All anger towards her friend was momentarily forgotten. Yamucha tried to push his way into the female embrace. Bulma tensed in fear at the feel of Yamucha's arms. Something told her that he wouldn't let her go if she let him come near.

"Move over… damn you had me worried sick, Bulma!" Yamucha scolded. Ami backed away while he tried to embrace Bulma.

"Don’t come near me," she said quickly, pushing against his chest.

"But…" Yamucha spluttered, trying to hug her. He caught her against his body, crushing her accusingly tight. Hands moved over her body, and Bulma felt sick to her stomach.

"Don’t… please…" she said, stopping him.

"Bulma, I just care about you. Can't you see that you worried us all sick? What were you THINKING consorting with that… messed up, heinous ape? He could have gotten you KILLED! Don't you care what you put us through? What you put ME through? Ami and I only did what we thought was BEST!" Yamucha whispered fiercely.

"Let me GO!" Bulma grumbled, pushing against him. "You're hurting me!"

"Hey, excuse me," Ami said, resting a hand on her hip.

"You're seeing another woman!" Bulma protested, twisting her wrists in his grip.

"I couldn't get you out of my mind," he whispered in her ear. "To think of you in the arms of that evil son of a bitch… it makes me want to puke. Don't you have any self respect?"

"Take your hands off me. I won’t be responsible for the consequences. Besides you’re seeing another woman… it won’t be right…"

"She’s right," said Ami, pulling Yamucha away. He shoved her back, and Ami tumbled into the wall.

"Stay OUT of this!" Yamucha snapped at her. "This isn't your say!"

"How dare you…" Ami stammered.

"You… what did you just do," Bulma gasped as he turned away from her, anger burning in his face. Ami sniffled, glancing up at Yamucha's back to her as if she were of little consequence.

"Yami! She's all wrong for you!" cried Ami. "I care for you! Forget her!"

"Shut up," Yamucha held up his hand. "Bulma… please… I'm begging you, don't keep turning me… us away…"

"How dare you push her away when she wants you badly!" Bulma cried. She dodged around him towards Ami, who backed away in fear. However it was not because of her, but because of something else. Turning around, Bulma saw the look of outrage on her erstwhile boyfriend's face.

"Bulma, if you care about me at all, what we once were, you can't give yourself to that madman. He'll destroy us all! How could you…"

"Shut UP about him! You know NOTHING!" Bulma screamed, twisting her wrists out of his grasp and breaking away.

"He's brainwashed you. Turned you against us! Don't you see he's using you?" Yamucha cried. "He'll kill you! What did he hold over you?"

"That's none of your business, you jerk!" Bulma snapped. "Kami, you have no right to tell me how to live my life!"

"Why, cause the Prince of all Assholes is? Was he a better fuck than I was? Is THAT it?" Yamucha yelled at her.

"Go to HELL!" Bulma screamed.

"You'd better stop this, Yami, if you know what's good for you… don't you care about me? She's nothing! She doesn't love you, she never did!" Ami sobbed as she threw her arms around his waist and dragged him back. "I love you!"

"Ami, please… we can't let her throw her life away to become some monkey's whore!"

"You son of a bitch, you take that back NOW!" Bulma screamed, throwing herself on Yamucha and slapping him hard. Reflexively his hand flashed out, cracking into her face. He grabbed Ami and hurled her onto the sofa in frustration. She landed, shaking her dazed head.

"He's turned you into an animal, Bulma," Yamucha said as he walked over and stood where Bulma huddled on her knees. "And if you stay with him, you're not the woman I once knew…"

"You're a coward, you abuser. Hitting on those weaker than you, you're not worthy to be a Z fighter," she whispered, looking up at him. "I hate you. How can any man turn his back on the woman who cares for him in one breath, and throw her away as if she means nothing? Ami, he's using you like he used me… and it's my fault…"

"How… how dare you say that Bulma! You don't know me! You can't judge me!" Yamucha yelled at her, his fists shaking at his sides. "I gave you the best years of my life and you dare insult me? You BITCH!"

"Better a bitch than your little whore that you can use for money," Bulma mumbled, spitting blood out.

"Take it BACK!" Yamucha yelled, grabbing Bulma and yanking her to her feet. He shook her in frustration.  

"I love him," Ami whispered as Yamucha stood over Bulma. "Besides, Vegeta would kill you with the look he’s giving you right now…"

"What?" Yamucha asked, and then froze at the sight of Vegeta rounding the corner. His eyes were narrowed to slits. Crouched over in an offensive stance, the Saiyan Prince advanced on Yamucha.

"Get AWAY from her! Or you’re DEAD!" Vegeta raged. Yamucha grabbed Bulma and dragged her back, putting himself between the armored figure and Ami. Huddled on the sofa, she backed away in fear.

"Yamucha, let GO you stupid lamebrain or you’ll die!" Bulma cried. Stupidly Yamucha wouldn’t let go of her arm.

The next moment he felt someone grab his wrist, and rip it off Bulma’s arm, and then a punch slammed into his jaw with the force of a mountain. Vegeta jerked Bulma towards his armored body, and vanished from view. Staggering, Yamucha shook his head, and barely managed to bring up his hands when he saw Vegeta dematerialize across the room with Bulma clutched tightly to him.

"He can’t tell me or you what to do, Bulma," Yamucha said angrily. "I’m SICK of this tyrant pushing everyone around!"

"Stop NOW if you want to live!" Bulma screamed at him. "Surrender now!"

"You can’t have her I won’t let you!" Yamucha answered, bringing up his hands.

"Shut the fuck up, you low life," Vegeta said as he leaned for the attack.

Vegeta was ready for the spirit ball that sizzled his way, easily blocking it with an well-aimed Ki blast. Holding Bulma close to his hip he spun forwards, accounting for her additional weight, and then hit Yamucha in the jaw with another kick. Barely Yamucha dodged it by dropping under. Vegeta landed with his precious cargo on the side opposite.

"Wolf fang fist!" Yamucha hollered. Energy in the form of a large set of jaws reached out towards Vegeta, as the Saiyan tossed Bulma to one side.

"You insult me, weakling," Vegeta snickered. He swept out with a barrage of multiple ki balls that disoriented Yamucha. Then he appeared behind Bulma again, picking her up easily with an arm wrapped around her waist. As his back was turned to grab her, Yamucha recovered his wits enough to see his chance for a sucker shot.

"I’m sorry Bulma," Yamucha said quietly. Vegeta turned to see the human reaching deep and glowing with energy drawn from the deepest part of his life force. His hands raised up in a familiar position with both palms cupped and fingers curled. The energy beam sizzled towards Bulma and the alien Prince as he whirled around.

At the same second Krillen entered the room. "No, what are you DOING?" Krillen gasped as he saw Yamucha’s hands aimed, and the spirit ball released in the next fraction of a second. Bulma was right in the path of the blast because Vegeta was leaning over to pick her up in his arms off the sofa. Generating a moderate sized destructo disc, he hurled it between the two fighters.

"Krillen you idiot!" Yamucha cried. "Bulma!"

Vegeta’s arm’s closed around Bulma, and he whipped around quickly at the sensation of the energy blast headed his way. Of course he’d anticipated the coward would try and hit him or the woman when he tried to retrieve her. Now the bald fool had stepped in, and added his own energy weapon to divert the weakling’s spirit ball. Together the two exploded, but not before Vegeta extended his hand to create a far more substantial ki blast of his own.

Yamucha screamed as Vegeta’s blue white blast hit him point blank in the chest. The force of his spirit ball colliding with Krillen’s destructo disc threw him and his friends back into the walls. Bulma wasn’t sure what happened first: Yamucha’s blast, Krillen’s intercepting Destructo disc, or Vegeta’s shot to take Yamucha out before he could attack again.

"No not now!" Bulma screamed, afraid that she was about to meet her maker. All she saw and felt was the backlash of energies, and Vegeta’s arms tightening around her. Whimpering she felt the intense heat and the Prince’s arm curled around her waist.

Yamucha’s weak Kamehameha blast shot forwards to counter the multiple ki blasts the Prince rained on him the next moment. Appearing behind Bulma, he twisted her to the side, and held up his hand glowing hot whitish blue.  

"Shimata," gasped Yumi, raising her head from behind the sofa. "What happened?"

"Woman… you’re safe, don’t worry," Vegeta whispered. She clung to him, weeping as Krillen picked himself up off the floor.

"Yamucha!" Ami wailed, rushing over to him. The armor he was wearing had taken the brunt of Vegeta’s blast, but he was out cold. Multiple ribs were smashed, and his legs were broken. Battered he lay against the far wall, his breathing ragged.

"You… you murderer!" Ami screamed at Vegeta.

"Everyone stop! Vegeta, what have you done?" Krillen gasped.

"Stay BACK all of you!" Vegeta roared. "The fool is not dead, Kame rot his luck… but you’ll soon all join him!"

"Vegeta-chan… please just stop…" Bulma sobbed. "Enough killing for today… these are my friends… I know you think they deserve whatever punishment… but is it worth the cost of a moment’s satisfaction? Krillen fought with you… and the others… please don’t! It’s not worth your energy…"

"I quite agree, woman," Vegeta murmured. He picked up Bulma to show his territory, holding her close to his armored chest. There would be no question now.

"Yamucha… is he…" Bulma asked.

"He’s alive… but… no thanks to that… monster!" Ami screamed.

"Listen to him!" Bulma screamed. "Just stop this you jerks! He could have killed you but he didn’t!"

"Bulma… you can’t let him do this…"

"I’m sorry but there are some things I can’t change…" Bulma sniffled. "Try to understand… it HAS to be this way!"

"Do as she says, Baldie. You can still save that moron with the regeneration tank on the lower level. I can stand you, but I will not tolerate any more stupidity… And since destroying you irritants would earn me more stupid enmity from Kakkarot, I’ve no choice but to send you home in this ship by yourselves…"

"Hold on… what did you say?" asked Krillen, holding Yumi back.

"Vegeta and I are making other arrangements, Krillen," said Bulma. "You guys are going home on your own… You’d better get Yamucha to a regeneration tank NOW before he’s finished!"

"What you’re just going to let this monster get away with this?" Ami screamed. Krillen dashed over; glad to see Vegeta wasn’t trying to stop him. Rather the Prince was heading towards the ladder that led down to the cargo bay. Still the Saiyan no Ouji kept a tight grip on Bulma. Krillen barely managed to pick Yamucha up.

"Yumi, get Ami OUT of here! I’m taking Yamucha down to the lower level NOW!" Krillen barked at them. "Move it!"

"I can’t believe you Bulma… you really are as heartless as I thought you’d be… letting someone like that," Ami shouted at Bulma.

"If that’s what you believe… then I guess you weren’t the friend I thought," Bulma almost didn’t say. "You said you’d do anything for love… well I guess that was bullshit like everything else… you've got what you wanted, my leftovers. You two belong together…"

"You heard him!" Yumi snarled at her weeping band mate. Numbly the two women followed Krillen as he carried Yamucha’s battered body to the cargo bay.

"Vegeta-chan," Bulma sobbed into his shoulder. Her arms tightened with a death grip around his neck as she hid her face from everyone.

"Do stop crying, girl. You owe them no explanation or justification for your choice. Go and get whatever you need from our chambers. We’re leaving in the next few minutes…" Vegeta soothed her. Gently he set her on her feet, and urged her away.

"Vegeta… we can’t just leave them… can we?" she asked.

"Thanks to the regeneration tank, the weakling will live, but Kami knows why you even care about him after what he tried to do. You realize he could have killed you? I had to act you moron," Vegeta scolded her.

"All right Vegeta… but please don’t kill the others…" she pleaded.

"Woman, you know I won’t if they don’t give me a reason to," Vegeta said. "Now off with you. I will come and get you in ten minutes… don’t leave till I return. Remember who and what you are now."

"Yes Vegeta-chan…" Bulma nodded, and Vegeta gave her backside a squeeze. He released her with a slight shove, indicating he was serious. She stumbled away from him, shaking in fear at what had just happened. Yamucha’s blast was aimed at her, otherwise why would he have apologized?

"But he’s a murderer!" Ami cried. "You are honestly going to tell me you’re letting that maniac get AWAY with this?"

"Looks like it," Krillen said. "And I don’t think we’d better argue judging how ticked off he is right now… he didn’t have to tell us about the regen tank…"

"But he murdered Yamucha…" Yumi mumbled, trying to put the electrodes and mask on Yamucha so Krillen could lower him into the vat of blue gel. Ami watched hysterically, as the machine whirred into life.

"He was trying to protect Bulma, it shouldn’t have ever gotten this far you guys," Krillen said angrily.

"What does he WANT with her?" Yumi asked. "I heard of jealousy but he was acting like an animal in HEAT."

"That’s it I’m afraid," Krillen said, rubbing his forehead. "He’s picked Bulma as his mate… and Kame help anyone in his way…"

"Kuso…" Yumi grumbled. "You can’t even reason with her! I know love makes you do stupid shit, but turning your back on your friends?"

"Love makes you lie, cheat, even steal? That’s what your songs say. Bulma loves him that's the only reason she’s doing this. And if she hadn’t opened her mouth we’d ALL be space dust… so that counts for something," Krillen sighed. "Now both of you stay HERE. I’m going to find out what he’s going to do with Bulma… and see if we’ll all get out alive…"

Krillen burned with anger towards Vegeta. While he knew that Yamucha was a fool for doing what he had, that didn’t justify almost killing him in the monk’s book. He stormed out with small hands formed into fists. Just in time to see Vegeta holding Bulma’s hand, marching her in the direction of the nearby hanger bay.

"So, you satisfied your Royal Highness? You almost killed Yamucha and us. Goku’s not gonna like it when he hears about this… You sure you want to be with him, Bulma?" Krillen asked.

"Because I respect you, Baldie I’m going to let you say goodbye to the woman before we leave," said Vegeta coldly. "Consider yourself fortunate that I have been more than merciful."

"Thanks a heap, your Majesty," Krillen panted, struggling to stop his own knees from knocking together. "But you had no right…"

"Krillen shut up and LISTEN!" Bulma yelled. "Don’t say another word. If you let us go, you’ll be okay."

Krillen inhaled deeply, and then let his breath out in a long puff. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Bulma in the arms of the man who’d almost murdered his best friend in cold blood. Yet he knew deep down that Bulma could have easily died with Yamucha’s misplaced blast. "Bulma… are you sure about what you’re doing?"

"Vegeta and I are leaving now," said Bulma. "You’ve got this ride to yourselves…"

"What? But… what about your friends back on earth?" Krillen asked.

"Krillen please try to understand! I love him, and we’re getting married. It’s bound to happen sooner or later…" Bulma said, placing a finger on Vegeta’s lips before he could protest.

"Listen to the woman, Baldie," Vegeta said. "She’s given her consent. Any objections or I’ll rip you to shreds…"

"Vegeta… settle down…" Bulma snapped. "Look… it’s for the best Krillen. I need him… and well…"

"Like a hole in the head," Krillen mumbled.

"She’s my mate by right. It’s not for you to question the motives of the Prince of all Saiyans. Even one who has fought with great honor. Don’t spoil it now with fool threats."

"Sheesh I know! So now what?" asked Krillen. "We touch her and you kill us? Isn’t that a little bit harsh? I mean we ARE her friends."

"Because that’s the case Baldie, I see a simple solution. You and the other Z-fighter weaklings will be responsible for her safety when we return to Chikyuu. If anything harms her, your life is forfeit. You fought well, despite my initial reservations. Be glad you have the respect of the Prince of Vejitasei you are her guardian. This is the only way I’ll permit you in her presence. By royal decree…"

"I guess that’ll havta do. Thanks a heap your royal Whyness," Krillen grunted.

Vegeta pointed a white-gloved hand in his direction, "You’re fortunate I’m in a good mood. I’m taking the woman and leaving separately. I’ve had enough foolish interruptions."

"Vegeta… you really… Bulma… are you sure…" Krillen asked.

"Yes, I want this more than you could ever know," she nodded, as Vegeta impatiently tugged her hand.

"And another thing, breathe no word of this to anyone. I will not have Kakkarot using this as a weakness against me. Understand? A Saiyajin bond is private. Which is why you must keep this a secret till the proper time," Vegeta snarled.

Vegeta barked a command in Saiyan tongue, <Lock all commands and return home per my orders… stop for nothing. >

"Say WHAT?" Krillen asked.

<Activate sleep mist in ten minutes… per my departure> Vegeta said. Bulma opened her mouth to protest, yet stopped at Vegeta’s sharp stare.

"You’ll be home sooner than you think, Baldie," Vegeta answered. "By that time, you’ll have a good story to tell Kakkarot…"

"Tell Goku we’ll be home soon!" Bulma called. "Don’t wait for us!"

"Come on woman, its way past time we left," Vegeta snorted, taking her hand and leading her away.

"Hey you, get back here!" Yumi yelled.

"You can’t just leave us here! Bulma!!!! He’s nuts!" Ami screamed. Each of them gasped against the shackles of Vegeta’s ki that pressed them to the wall.

"We have to stop them," Ami shouted.

"Give it a rest guys!" Krillen demanded. "They’re not going to KILL us, I think Vegeta’s just set the ship to get us back to Chikyuu…"

"But he’s taking HER with him! He’s running out on us!" Yumi yelled.

"Can you blame him?" Krillen mumbled. "I just hope Bulma knows what she’s getting into… Jeez the things people do for love!"