Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Saiyan Games ❯ The gift ( Chapter 3 )

Ok this is the disclaimer. I don't own the rights to DBZ that's the privilege of Akira Toryiama I am not profiting by writing this story, I'm just a huge fan with far too much time on her hands *^_^* please don't sue!

Part three

Vegeta woke the next morning to the sounds of talking coming from the landing outside his bedroom door. He guessed that it was most likely the Brief's waking up and getting ready for work, and wandered across to his closet to get dressed. By the time he got to the door and opened it the voices had moved down the hall. He saw Dr Brief scratching his head and talking to the little cat on his shoulder as his wife carrying heaps of pillows into Bulma's room. Before anything could be done to prevent it Dr Brief turned in his direction and called him over to where he stood. Vegeta confidently strode along the passageway as Mrs Brief came rushing out of the bedroom and almost straight into him. He stared at her and let his lip curl as she cheerily wished him good morning and told him that breakfast would be ready shortly. He grunted in reply and turned his attention to the doctor. "How's the training going Vegeta?" The old man asked with just enough awe in his voice to make him smirk.

"Humph, those stupid deflector machines that you made still keep melting when I power up. Do something about it old man!" he hissed, making the poor man jump.

"I'm not sure if I'll have the err time. I, I mean now that Bulma is injured and I, I err." He looked down at his feet unable to finish.

Vegeta balled his hands into fists and was getting angry. "I told you to do something about it and I expect it to be done." He growled. "That is unless you want to find out what happens to people that don't do as I tell them." He continued, backing up his words by letting a small ball of energy spark into life on the palm of his hand. He had no intention of using it, but the man had to be reminded of whom he was talking to. "Now are you going to do as I ask?"

Dr Brief nodded his agreement and promptly made a hasty exit.

"Vegeta you baka leave my father alone before I come over there and give you a spandex wedgy." Came a voice from the bedroom. Vegeta let his arm drop, absorbed the energy and slightly turned his head to get a better view of the speaker. Somehow she must have changed out of the clothes that he had taken her up in the previous night because all she was wearing was a white silk nightdress. Her hair hung seductively over her face and her eyes were sharpened into strange angles with anger.

"No one tells me what to do." He growled trying not to show any of the feelings that had been created by seeing her dressed as she was.

"When are you gonna learn that people have more important things to worry about than your worthless training?"

"Stop talking nonsense woman! There's nothing more important than my training."

"Sure there is Vegeta. Trainings all well and good, but don't you ever just want to have fun?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes sarcastically and turned up his nose. "I am the Prince of the Saiyans." He replied in complete composure. "I fight, I kill, and I torture those who are weaker than me. That's all the fun I need." He grinned and licked his lips.

Bulma shivered at the confession, but it made her calm down. He was obviously trying to rattle her and she wasn't having any of it. "You know I often wonder what's going through that thick Saiyan head of yours." She said getting up and limping over to where he stood. "My mother seems to think that there's some good in you. I think she even has a little crush on you, but is she right? Do you feel?" she asked, lifting her hand to run her fingers along his forehead.

He caught it just as her fingers touched his skin and swallowed hard trying to block out the sensation. "You shouldn't ask questions like that woman." He growled in his deepest voice.

"Oh and why would that be Vegeta?"

"Because I'm too used to being feared to be thought of as anything else than an efficient killer." He snarled.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It means," he sneered sarcastically, "that you should never forget who and what I am!"

"As if you'd ever let me forget!" She answered trying to be assertive and blocking out his threatening demeanour. "But you know fighting and training isn't the be all and end all. There's so much more that life has to offer if only you'd look for it. Aren't you even curious about what being human is like?"

"I don't care about what being human is! I'm a Saiyan and I would never degrade myself like that fool Kakarrot and try and be what I'm not. Don't try and second guess me, and don't try and figure me out either. I am far and away beyond anything that you and that simple brain of yours could ever hope to comprehend!"

As he ranted Bulma couldn't help but look deep into his eyes. Those dark orbs seemed to have a strange life energy in them. Every other feature, muscle, and nerve was showing anger and frustration, but she could see what her mother was talking about now when she spoke of the real Vegeta. How had she missed it before? The fire that was expressed there was amazing, it could almost be described as a passion. It was more of a feeling than a vision, alive and intense, but perfect in it's simplicity. "I can see it now!" she exclaimed aloud, and let a smile spread across her face. "I can't believe I missed it before."

"What are you talking about woman? The pain from your leg has made you delirious!"

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with my thoughts Vegeta! In fact they're clearer at this minute than they have ever been. I think I'm actually starting to understand you!"

Her words made him nervous. Could she have figured it out? Could she really know how he felt? No that was impossible, no one knew him. No one understood him. He was a Prince and stood alone.

Bulma moved closer to where he stood, leaned into him and whispered in his ear. "I'm not afraid of you Vegeta, I know you feel."

He could feel her hot breath on his skin and felt more vulnerable than he had ever done in his entire life. "You don't know shit about me!" he shouted and forgetting about her heavily strapped knee pushed her aside. She fell to the floor screaming and holding her leg. Tears rushed to her eyes and spilled onto the carpet. The pain she felt was intense, her whole leg burned and no matter where she moved it the throbbing was just as severe.

Vegeta mentally cursed himself, but he couldn't do anything to help her. He had formed a plan and had yet to carry it out. Frustrated and annoyed with himself he left the room.

"Where are you going Vegeta?" she called out to him through gritted teeth. "You get back in here and help me!"

"What?" He replied turning back and standing proudly in the doorway. "Do you honestly think I give a crap about helping you?"

"Yes." She replied, "I think you do Vegeta."

"It just goes to prove that I was right. You don't know shit about me!" He answered turning to leave once again.

"You cared enough last night." She whispered, listening to him walk slowly along the hall and down the stairs.

He didn't get very far. A tiny feeling sparked into life in some unfathomable part of his body and made him stop. The feeling was enough to make him turn on the stairs and walk back to her bedroom. He stood in the doorway once again and glared and growled before walking over to where she had fallen. He looked down at her. Without thinking about what he was doing he dropped to his knees, slid one hand under her legs and the other around the small of her back. He placed her gently on the bed and watched slightly amused as she stared at him in disbelief. Unable to control the urge he lightly ran his hand down her injured leg and pouted. His eyes were full of fire as he walked over to the window and carefully slid a glass panel open. "Don't think for a minute that you have won this!" he growled, and began powering up. The hot air created by his ki rushed across the room as the Saiyan finished gathering energy. Almost as soon as the wave of heat had passed, a bright light appeared and he sped out of the open window enclosed in an electric veil, leaving Bulma completely confused.

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Korin gazed out at yet another beautiful day above the clouds. His feet were lifted clear off the ground as he balanced his furry body over the railings of his lookout. A large exotic looking butterfly fluttered up from the earth below and rested gracefully on the end of his nose.

"Korin! I'm hungry! I want some food!" shouted an exasperated Yajirobi from the depths of the precariously balanced platform. The beautifully colored butterfly left its comfortable perch when the loud obnoxious voice boomed across the otherwise peaceful environment, and flapped away to a nearby multi-colored flower.

"And what do I look like? Your mother?" screamed the life size cat as he lost his center of gravity and toppled on to the cold, hard tiles below.

"Yeah, yeah Korin whatever. Just shut that big ugly mouth of yours and find me some food!"

"Hey! You come out here and say that to my face, tubby!" he demanded spitting angrily and waving his unusual staff wildly in the air.

"I would, but I'm so hungry that I can't even move!" Yajirobi whined, putting on a feeble voice.

"What's a cat got to do to get some respect around here?" he sighed and continued his attention on the blue sky that stretched out in every direction. Once again the butterfly caught his attention. He studied its markings and movements as it flew over the railings and fluttered above a large cumulus cloud that hovered just below them. The sun was bright and beat down on his sensitive ears, and he was rather relieved when after a few minutes a shadow fell across him blocking the intense rays. He figured that it was probably just a stray cloud and carried on with his ever-interesting insect analysis, unaware that the butterfly wasn't the only one being watched.

It wasn't long before the shadow shifted and a light padding sound made him look up. He jumped and was about to run off a long list of expletives, before he saw whom he was about to shout at and thought better of it. "Korin, did you eat those chicken legs that Mr. Popo brought for us yesterday?" Yajirobi complained as he reluctantly exited the living quarters in search of his friend. "Err never mind!" he said, promptly seeing what was going on and turning back the way he had come in search of a suitable hiding place. "I'm out of here!"

Korin wasn't scared, almost as soon as he had seen him he had used his telepathy to ascertain what was going on. His guest slowly walked over to him, grabbed a handful of fur and lifted him effortlessly off the ground. "You have something I need."

Korin smiled knowingly "Why of course, I know exactly why you're here."

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It was now late in the afternoon. The sun had started its decline and streams of orange light fell across Bulma's bedroom. Her window remained open and a gentle breeze made the muslin drapes that hung there billow and twist into strange patterns. She still lay on the bed where Vegeta had placed her and was sound asleep.

Mrs. Brief silently entered with an elaborate bouquet of flowers in one hand and an industrial looking silver case in the other. Quickly she lay the case on the floor and set about finding a vase for the flowers. She placed them immaculately on the table next to her daughter's bed, before sitting down and pushing a few stray bands of blue hair away from her face. Bulma squirmed into the comforting touch of her mother's hand and let her eyes flutter open. "Mom is that you?" she asked.

"Yes dear! How are you feeling?"

"Much better now. What time is it?"

"Almost half past five."

"Kuso! Have I really been asleep all day?"

"I think you can be excused." Replied her mother and gestured to the flowers that were neatly arranged by her bedside.

"You didn't have to buy me flowers mom." She said, taking in the beautiful arrangement and yawning.

"Oh gosh dear they're not from me!"

"Really?" she exclaimed raising a curious eyebrow.

"I don't know who they're from. They were delivered almost an hour ago. This note was attached to them, but as it was addressed to you I didn't open it." Mrs. Brief pushed the small white envelope into her daughter's waiting hand. "Well I'll let you read that in private dear. If you want anything at all just call me. I'll be in my room packing."

"Packing?"

"Yes, your father and I are going away for a couple of weeks dear. I thought he told you about that."

"Oh of course, sorry mom I completely forgot. When do you leave?" she asked rubbing her eyes.

"In a couple of hours sweetie. Our flight is scheduled for first thing in the morning so we're going to stay at a hotel at the airport tonight."

"Ok, oh and let me know when you're about to leave I want to be able to say goodbye properly."

"Sure thing dear." She replied as she made her way to the door. "Oh and I almost forgot! The case on the floor there is the remains of the scouter that you asked your father for last night at dinner."

"Ah cool!" exclaimed Bulma, "I'd forgotten about that! Who needs magazines and fruit to help them convalesce? Guess what I'll be doing for the next few days?" she grinned.

Her mother smiled and shook her head "You know at times you're so much like your father Bulma! Now remember if you need anything I'll just be down the hall ok?"

"Ok mom." She replied safely watching her out of the room. When she was sure she was alone her attention was turned to the note that had been placed in her hands. Her fingers slid under the envelope and impatiently tore it away from the small red card that lay inside. A familiar if somewhat messy handwriting spread across the rectangular card and read as follows: -

To Bulma,

Hey I hope your leg is feeling better now; these flowers are to show that there are no hard feelings about last night. I thought it all over this morning and I think you are right. Our friendship means more to me than anything else and I don't know what I would do if I ever lost it. So here's to being best friends! Take care of yourself Bulma-Chan and if you ever need me I'm only a phone call away,

With heaps of love Yamcha.

As she read a small tear disobediently ran down the side of her face. She smiled and brushing it away, held the small piece of card to her chest. She was glad that he had written to her, it would have been devastating if she had lost his friendship. He had said that they were still friends the previous night, but the look in his eyes at the time had made her unsure if she could take his words seriously or not. This confirmed everything. Now she had written proof that he didn't resent her decision and that he would always be there for her. Her smile faded slightly as she looked over to her nightstand and saw the picture of the two of them that sat next to the vase.

"I guess this is closure!" she sighed and without thinking about it her hand stretched out towards the frame. It had been taken during a picnic at the son house. She was wearing a pair of hot pants and a holterneck; Yamcha had his arm around her shoulder and was posing for the camera with a big goofy grin spread across his face. She giggled, the picture always made her laugh. Laying the frame upside-down on the cotton sheets she released the catches on the back and slid the small red card underneath. After securing it in the frame once more and turning it over to look at the picture a final time, she ran her fingers over the glass, opened a small draw and placed it face down inside. An unpremeditated sigh escaped her lips as she did so, she knew she had done the right thing but that didn't make it any easier.

In an attempt to try and loose any feelings of regret she lowered her upper body over the side of the bed in search of the silver case that contained the scouter. She pushed herself upright and lay it on her legs. The boxes security code was quickly entered into the keypad and the lid hissed open. She peered inside and took out the remains of the scouter that lay there. Holding it up to the dimming light she scrutinized every part and realized that it really wasn't as badly damaged as she thought it would be. It would only probably take her a couple of hours to fix and with that view in mind she industriously set to work.

It was eight o'clock. The light of the day had completely faded and Bulma was forced to work by lamplight by the time that her parents entered the room to say goodbye. Against her mothers wishes she saw them to the door and watched as they sped away on the first leg of their Vacation.

When they were out of site she limped slowly back into the house. She sat down on the sculpted lilac couch and turned the television on. After about fifteen minutes of flicking through all two hundred channels and ascertaining that nothing was on, she pushed the stand-by button and threw the remote down in defeat. The Capsule Corp had never been so quiet and it made her on edge. Trying to put the feeling of loneliness out of her mind she got up so as to not knock her knee and sought the comfort of snack food. Her next stop, therefore, was the kitchen and she raided the cupboards in search of the chocolate bars that were hidden there. Even with the comfort of chocolate the house was oppressive in its silence and in an act of desperation she hobbled out of the kitchen door, across the now damp grass to where Vegeta's training room stood. Even insults were preferable to her at that moment than nothing.

He wasn't there when she opened the door, and her heart sank as she walked over towards the central computer to turn it on. The display confirmed her suspicions; it hadn't been used for almost twenty hours. "Great." She said to the empty room "Even Vegeta's not here. Now what?"

She had never been more disappointed at his absence than she was at that minute. Being shouted at and upbraided for disturbing his training would have been easier to cope with than total solitude. There was no helping it though, so she grudgingly left the capsule, went back to the main house and into her bedroom.

The repairs on the scouter had gone well and all that was left to do was test it. So the first thing that she looked for was the small Saiyan machine. She could have sworn that she had left it on the bedclothes, but now it had disappeared. Not believing that her memory could have been so out of whack she desperately searched around the bottom of her bed just incase it had somehow fallen. It wasn't anywhere close to where she had left it and panic set in as she furiously pulled at the bedclothes. When she had finished re-arranging the sheets she turned, looked over to the dressing table and let out a huge sigh of relief. The scouter lay neatly on the pine top and she shuffled over to it. A little freaked out at how it had got there she was about to pick it up when a small wooden box caught her eye. She had never seen it before. The lid was inlayed with an intricate geometrical band that ran around the edge in alternate gold and silver stripes and a metal clasp held it closed on one side.

Instinctively she picked it up and laid it in the palm of her hand. It looked harmless enough, so with out another thought she undid the catch. There was nothing fancy or extravagant about the inside, it was rectangular and undisturbed by any of the intricate designs that adorned its exterior. What lay in the bottom was a shock that she wasn't quite prepared for. "A senzu bean?" she exclaimed in complete confusion, picking up the small pale green vegetable in her fingers. "Who on Chikyu is stupid enough to face Korin to get this for me?"

Her mind raced. The scouter had been deliberately moved. Someone had been in the house whilst she had seen her parents out. She couldn't have been gone for more than half an hour, but in that time someone had entered her room, left the box on the dressing table, seen the scouter and then left. It had to be someone she knew, Korin wouldn't just hand out senzu beans to anyone and her thoughts turned back to the flowers she had received earlier. "Yamcha!" she exclaimed. "It must have been, who else would know that I needed a senzu and would have gone to the trouble to get it for me? This is fantastic! He's such a sweetheart!" she simpered.

Her curiosity reigned and won out as she found herself opening the lid once again. Something that she had missed earlier now drew her attention. At fist sight she thought it was a simple piece of lining paper, but as she looked with more attention writing became visible. It was set down in silver ink and was barely perceptible in the darkness.

Only in one other place had she ever seen characters like those that were meticulously scribed in front of her, and her mouth dropped as her eyes shifted from the note in her hand to the scouter that still lay on her dressing table. "Vegeta?" she gasped in utter confusion, "No! There has to be some other explanation. Vegeta wouldn't do this for me, would he? No, its absolutely ridiculous, but…"

Her thoughts were indescribable. She had never been so shocked before in her life. What did it mean? It didn't make any sense, and more especially it went against every feeling of pride that she believed he had. A voice at the back of her head tried to tell her that maybe it was because he cared, but she ignored it.

She looked down at the small piece of paper. There wasn't much writing on it but then Vegeta was always to the point. Unfortunately she only new the very basics of the language, but that didn't stop her and she applied herself to making out the strange lettering with a determination that was almost Saiyan-like in its intensity. Ten minutes later she looked down at her note pad in total disbelief, but she had checked and double-checked with the scouter's extensive memory, and there was no mistaking that it said. "I'm sorry. This is to make the pain go away."

Bulma sat for a good fifteen minutes trying to figure out why Vegeta had done what he had and she was still no closer to an answer. The senzu still lay in her hand. She stared at it trying to get the nerve to eat it. "Oh well! Here goes!" she shrugged, tentatively putting the strange legume in her mouth and biting into it. It wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. It tasted surprisingly similar to sweet corn, but with an odd earthy twang. After chewing for longer than was necessary she eventually got the courage to swallow and pulled her face into strange contortions as she did so.

The sensation was curious. A strange heat flowed through her body and made her breath heavily. She looked down at her leg and watched open mouthed as the swelling subsided and the tightly wrapped bandages began to loosen. She could feel her skin pull as the deep cut above her knee healed in seconds. Every knotted muscle in her body relaxed and she felt unbelievably vivacious and alive. Even the small hangnails on her fingers disappeared as the senzu's effect took its hold. It took about five minutes to completely work its magic and Bulma couldn't help but laugh. She felt so good, even better than she did before the accident. "Thank you Vegeta!" she whispered whilst wrapped in the euphoria that the senzu had created. "I don't know why you did it but thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She had lied when she had told him that she understood him. The last two days actions had completely confused her. The rare glimpse into his soul that she had got that morning had only helped her ascertain the fact that he was capable of true feelings, but as to how deep they ran or anything else that they signified she really hadn't got a clue. It did, however make her search her own feelings. The dreams that she had been having weren't just a result of an unsettled state between her and Yamcha. They were genuine. She could feel it pressing down at her heart as she sat looking down at her newly healed limb. She had grown out of Yamcha, and was sick of his womanising, but who knows how much longer she would have stayed with him if she hadn't felt a connection with someone else. It wasn't an ordinary attraction, but more of a need and a necessity. Vegeta! He was all she could think of, all she needed and all she couldn't have.

Giving up on a train of thought that was only torture to dwell on she tested out her knee tentatively, and put her full body weight on it. It held and not so much as an ache crept in as she twisted on it and jumped up and down. Korin should put whatever was in one of those senzu on the open market. He could make millions. She could still feel the intoxicating waves rushing through her body and in a complete state of ecstasy hurried out on to the balcony. She danced around the small first story patio, letting her silk nightdress flutter in the cool air and flinging her head back to enjoy every moment of the delicious feeling. Out of breathe and dizzy she fell into a wicker-worked chair at one end. Her breathing had become slightly erratic, and she gulped down large mouthfuls of air to try and calm herself down. As soon as she felt she had regained proper control of her senses, and the palpitating of her heart slowed to a normal pace, she got up and rested her arms on the railings. "Where are you Vegeta?" she whispered into the night's sky, "And why did you go and have to be nice for? Now I'll never be able to get you out of my head!"