Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Slave ❯ Love and Hate ( Chapter 40 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters.

 

A/N - Okay, I need some honest feedback from people about an idea I'm having. Slave is getting to be a huge story and to be completely honest with people it isn't even half way done yet. Soo, I'm considering splitting it into three parts when It's finished. The first part can be set on Planet Vegeta and will last until the chapter where Bulma runs away with Ilandra. The second part will be When Bulma is in space and will last until she touches down on her next planet…and the third part will be the secret stuff that I haven't written about yet - I'll give some vague details: It will consist of the saiyan war with the icejins and will pretty much conclude the entire saga. Let me know what you think because I have a horrible suspicion that this fic is going to end up over 100 chapters long - and that is a little too huge for my liking.

 

Lyrics: `Cry yourself to sleep' - The Charlatans.

 

 

~*~

Staring
Staring further away
Won't you help me
Help me live for the day

~*~

 

 

        How long had he been in space? Days? Longer. Weeks? Longer. Months? Probably. Long enough that he'd watched the wedding of King Vegeta to Princess Zucchini and long enough that the wedding had happened a few weeks ago. Too long. He had never been away from Vegeta for this long before…and it was killing him.

 

Weakling.

 

Cold black eyes watched the icejin space station grow in the vision plate that was equipped to the tiny space scout that Prince Vegeta - no the King Vegeta - had gifted him with. Gifted him with? What a joke. Vegeta had forced him, against his will, to take on the mission of tracking down Bulma Briefs. It was stupid. Even if he managed to find her aboard Frieza's ship he very much doubted if she'd willingly leave with him and he didn't particularly want to fight Frieza or his daughter. Ilandra he could take…he wasn't so sure about her father.

 

Besides which, truth be told he felt sorry for the young human girl. Her emotions on planet Vegeta had been erratic at the best of times and he'd come to the unsettling conclusion that the girl was unstable mentally - not the kind of girl who should be allowed into close intimate contact with the saiyan King.

 

Brolly sighed - it didn't much matter anymore. Vegeta had sent him after the girl to punish him for attacking Kakarot. God…if only Vegeta knew what that man had done to them all. Kakarot hadn't just torn his own family apart - he'd massacred them and he'd been very careful to mop up all the mess he'd left behind. No one knew that the talented Kakarot had killed both of his brothers except for himself - and Vegeta had forced him to abandon his quest for revenge.

 

He could still remember the day that he'd discovered that it was Kakarot who had killed Raditz and not Turles. The crushing pain in his chest had been something he'd never forget - after all, not only was his lover dead but it was his best friend Kakarot who had done it. Kakarot, the same man who he'd had a crush on as a teenager in the King's Army. Kakarot - his best friend and Raditz's younger brother. The pain had lessened over time but seeing Kakarot in the flesh had reopened old wounds and worsened the pain.

 

Kakarot had to be killed. Heaven only knew what new tricks he'd probably discovered during his journey around the galaxy. He'd been gone for so long that any number of things was possible - including the theory that Kakarot was working for Frieza. He probably was, Brolly suspected so but wasn't entirely positive. Kakarot was a sadistic son of a bitch but that didn't mean he was going to turn against his people, did it?

 

No matter, he had better things to worry about for now - such as his plan for getting on board the space station. He only had one shot at it and he was going to play his cards as well as he could in order to get as close to Bulma as humanely possible in however much time he had to spend with her. Somehow he had to make Bulma understand that she had to return with him.

 

Ilandra was the true key to everything going to plan, after all she was the one who had known his secret and had known how Vegeta would react. He had to make her believe that when Vegeta had ascended and learned of his true power he had cast him out and had taken in Kakarot as his new aide. He wouldn't have to fake the tones of bitterness and resentment in his voice, for in a way Vegeta really had cast him out of his

life.

He just had to hope that Frieza and Ilandra would believe him.

 

 

~*~

Cry yourself to sleep my little girl
Don't you cry for me
but for the rest of the world

~*~

 

 

“Having a baby won't be such a bad thing - you'll see! My father will take care of everything. If you don't want to see the baby then you won't have to…”

 

“He's mine. I'll want to see him even if I don't like him.”

 

“You don't have to…”

 

“I want to…maybe. It seems to unreal to me still, but I'm sure once it starts moving things will get a lot more real to me!”

 

“Bulma if you don't want to have the child…you could have it killed…”

 

Lies. They won't kill it. He won't let me kill either of them and neither will you. You're just testing me…seeing how attached I'm becoming to the child. You don't know I know…I can see it in your eyes. You think I'm stupid. You think I can't see the truth, that I don't know what that operation was really for. But I could see the scar and I can feel something is different inside of me.

 

“No. I want to have the child. To remind myself.”

 

“Remind you of what? Vegeta?”

 

To remind me that you're lying to me. That you don't really love me.

 

“No. To remind myself of what the saiyans did to me.”

 

Liar.

 

“Oh Bulma…”

 

“I'm going to be a mother, Ilandra. I need to get used to the idea…I always liked children. I think I'll be a good mum if I try. I can make a new life for us.”

 

A new life. A new life without all this shit. Without the political manoeuvring. Without your father whispering in your ear. I loved you. God, I loved you so much. I trusted you. I left Vegeta for you. Why did you do this?

 

“Lets go to bed. I'm tried.”

 

Why did you do this to me?

 

 

~*~

Stay here
Don't wish your life away
Heaven help me
Help me to live through the day

~*~

 

 

Bulma ran a hand over the small baby bump in her stomach, her cold blue eyes refusing to meet Ilandra's as she thought over the conversation they had had earlier. Ilandra lay next to her, gently stroking her hair. She didn't want to break the comfortable silence but she knew now what it was that Ilandra had been hiding from her since the operation. Quite by accident, perhaps under a horrid little insurgence of motherly love, Bulma had used one of the science labs ultrasound machines to try to get a glimpse of the baby inside of her. However instead of one child she'd seen, quite clearly, two babies. Now she wanted to know the truth - the real whole truth about what had happened during her operation.

 

It was time for everyone to stop lying…

 

“Tell me the truth, Ilandra.” She lifted her eyes and focused on Ilandra's lips, not wanting to look any higher in case the icejin somehow trapped her in her eyes. A foolish thought but one that wouldn't leave her mind. Bulma could practically smell the lies fermenting around her; she knew that something bad was happening to do with the saiyan halfling inside of her.

 

“The truth about what? Your baby? The operation?” Ilandra swallowed hastily. It had been about a month since the operation on Bulma and since then the doctor had uncovered absolutely no information about the strange power that they had theorised Vegeta might have…and Bulma had been acting different since the operation. Distant. Cold. Remote. Loveless.

 

She knows.

 

“Both.” Bulma dared glance into the wine-red eyes of her lover and she sighed. Time for the truth. “I have access to the science labs and the have ultrasound machines.” Bulma waited for a beat. “I worked out how to use one - I was curious about the baby.” She glanced at Ilandra's eyes again and quickly looked away.

 

There was dead silence as Ilandra struggled with the feeling inside of her that somehow Bulma already knew what she'd sone and all of this was some kind of test. She had worked out how to use one of the ultrasound machines by herself? She'd used it? She'd seen the babies inside of her…no wait. Perhaps she didn't know how to use the machines properly, perhaps she had only seen one child and this was just some kind of trick…but why would she lie?

 

“I can explain, honestly.” Ilandra interrupted, wrapped the bed sheet around herself, feeling oddly exposed now that Bulma knew. She had to explain to Bulma about how important it was for her saiyan child to be allowed to live and how important it was that their child live!

 

But…does she want to know?

 

“I don't want you to be mad at me, I only did it because I wanted us to be a proper family.” Ilandra tried to smile reassuringly, but Bulma's face remained blank.

 

“Did what?” The small human practically bit the last word out of her mouth, her emotions becoming more evident as time passed. She was angry. Angry that Ilandra was still avoiding the issue, angry that her body had been violated in such a way. Angry that everyone around her seemed to think it was okay to use her.

 

“I used artificial insemination to implant an embryo inside of you that came from one of your eggs and my father's seed…”

 

“You did what?” Bulma slowly sat up, her blue eyes as frosty as a cold winter morning.

 

“I wanted a baby with you.” Ilandra reached a hand out to Bulma as a strange unfamiliar pain twisted deep in her gut as she watched the anger fade from Bulma's eyes only to be replaced with despair. “Please don't be upset…”

 

“Upset?” Bulma covered her mouth and shook her head as she fought the urge to scream at the woman who was supposed to be her lover and friend. Stifling the sobs that were threatening to burst from her mouth she pushed off the bed and bolted into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door before collapsing on the floor and allowing her tears to pour out.

 

“Bulma…” Ilandra's voice, soft with concern floated under the door.

 

“Go away!” Bulma screamed. “I'm not a fucking slave anymore! You're not supposed to do these sorts of things to people you love! I hate you! I hate you!” She sobbed harder and scuttled away fro the door and into the bathtub, slowly dropping her head to her chest as she fought the despair washing over her in waves.

 

At least Vegeta was always honest with me.

 

That thought, that simple, simple thought, made everything that Ilandra had done seem about ten times worse and instead of her tears abating they fell faster. Why had Ilandra just gone and done it? Why hadn't she asked? God, didn't understand why Ilandra had felt the need to impregnate Bulma with a ice-jin halfling. The saiyan child she could understand - Ilandra's words back on planet Vegeta made sure of that…

 

 

~*~

And all the things they said
Playing tricks with your head

~*~

 

 

“What do you mean? Why do you want me alive?” Bulma kept still in Ilandra's grasp. She was picking up some seriously creepy vibes from the woman she had thought was her friend.

 

“Oh, I wanted you alive for one reason, but I managed to find another reason for my father to keep you alive too.” Ilandra nodded. “You're going to be the tool through which we bring down the entire Saiyan Empire.”

 

Brolly and Bulma both gasped. “That's impossible! I'm just a human! I can't do anything to the Saiyans!” Bulma denied vehemently. Obviously Ilandra was deranged if she thought that she would help them kill off the Saiyans.

 

“Oh I know that you can't do anything to the Saiyans, but it's what's inside you that counts.” Ilandra laughed yet again, this time it was obvious that she knew something that Bulma didn't. “You're going to make us all so proud, my dear.”

 

 

~*~

Now I sit here all alone like a king with no throne
Won't you be my lady?

~*~

 

 

“It's what's inside me that counts.” Bulma whispered the words slowly, her hand calmly tracing the swell of her stomach. “The tool through which they bring the Saiyan Empire down.” She laughed hoarsely as the tears dried up. All along…Ilandra had just been after the baby. She'd never loved her. Never! It'd all been a farce! A lie! A deception to keep her in the dark!

 

If she never loved you then why did she implant you with a baby? Why does she watch you the way she does? Why is standing outside that door waiting to comfort you?

 

“Shut up!” Bulma told the voice in her head. “You shouldn't have lied to me, Ilandra.” Bulma looked at the bathroom door, a scowl on her face. “You should have trusted me enough to tell me about the back on planet Vegeta.”

 

“I couldn't risk telling you. No one except myself and the doctor who did your physical exam knew you were pregnant…and that doctor in question owed me a favor or two and kept quiet.” There was a slight pause and Ilandra tried the door handle again. “Let me in Bulma…I love you.”

 

Liar! You don't do this to people you love!

 

“Please…I want to be alone.” Bulma hiccupped and wiped her eyes, drawing her legs to her chest and shivering as she thought of all the planning that had gone into Ilandra's, or possibly Frieza's, plan to get their hands on her baby. “Just go away.”

 

She heard Ilandra sigh and heard her footsteps pad away, but she wouldn't have gone far, Bulma knew she wouldn't have. Probably just back to the bed to wait for her to come out - she didn't trust Bulma enough to wait outside or give her proper space. She didn't understand human emotions. Hurt, sorrow and betrayal were generated so easily in humans, it was no wonder that Ilandra didn't know why Bulma was so upset.

 

Bulma hugged her legs tighter and felt tears trickle down her face as the realization that she was completely alone again descended upon her. No friends. No family. Nothing. Her freedom from Vegeta had just meant slavery with Frieza - Ilandra had just made it sound prettier.

 

I want to go home…

 

 

~*~

Cry yourself to sleep my little girl
Don't you cry for me
But for the rest of your world

~*~

 

 

A/N - Will Bulma forgive Ilandra? Maybe. Will Frieza trust Brolly? Maybe. Review and you'll find out…^_^ Feedback welcome!