Vegeta's a bit... er, strange in this chapter, so don't kill me, kay? ::sweatdrop:: And there's TONS
of angst, angst, oh, and angst!
Chapter 7
I'd screwed up royally.
I walked into the small house and found the tape where I had hidden it. I also printed out my journal, the one that I had kept since Vegeta and I married . . . the one that began with the words, "The first thing I saw when my eyes fluttered open was a blur of blackness . . ." How very long ago. How stupid and naive I'd been.
I hadn't changed much.
By the time I reentered the living room, most everyone was crowded in there: Gokou, Gohan, Piccolo, Bulma and her family and Krillin. And Vegeta, scowling, with our children. Even Trunks was there, looking tired. I asked them all to sit down where they could. Beseeched them to keep silent until the tape was over. Then I leaned over and pushed the play button.
The episodes played through, the ones where Trunks first came to warn the Z-fighters about the Androids. I saw all their eyes widen with surprise and confusion. I saw my best friend with his face intent and dark. I saw Trunks pull out a small vial from his jacket pocket and stare dumbly down at it. But most of all, I saw Vegeta, face stony and blank.
When the video ended, I turned off the television and faced them. "In the riaru world," I said quietly. "This world is only a figment of someone's imagination. He created you, gave all of you life, and turned you into a form of entertainment. I used to be a huge fan of the show; Shenlong knew this when he brought me here. I- I knew all of your futures and I realized I was changing them just by being here."
I fiddled with the papers in my hands. "There's something else you should know. I thought the Androids didn't exist. But they do. They're both still alive and living nearby here. I- I met Juuhachigou at the marketplace earlier today. She doesn't seem to be of any threat. She hasn't tried to destroy the world. But . . . I thought you should know." As humbly as I could, I handed a stack of papers to Bulma. "You can read everything that was supposed to happen in here and the possibilities on why things changed so much."
For the longest, I stared down at the floor, feeling everyone hold their breath as they took it all in. A chair scrapped loudly across the floor and I jerked my head up just in time to see Vegeta's retreating back. A quick glance around the room told me Trunks had already fled long ago. To find Juuachigou, probably. I couldn't have stopped him anyway.
I shouldn't have followed Vegeta. I know I shouldn't have. And yet I scrambled to my feet, his name coming out as a choked noise.
"Mama, don't you love Daddy anymore?"
I looked down at my daughter, pools of innocent blue--just like my riaru mother--shimmerred expectantly. Not able to answer, I brushed past her and her brother. I could hear Krillin calling me back but I pretended I hadn't heard him or the others. I ran panicky out the front door and caught Vegeta just as he was about to take off.
"Vegeta!"
He froze, the tenseness in his muscular shoulders hinting at his retrained anger. I knew his power, perhaps better than anyone, and yet I disregarded the warning signals and approached the Saiyajin Prince.
"Vegeta . . ." I said again. His name sounded monotonous now, having repeated it too many times.
"Why?"
For a moment, I couldn't answer. Then I whispered, "I was afraid of losing you."
"Why?" he demanded again. His hand sliced violently through the air. "Because you thought I would drop you and suddenly fall for the Bulma woman? Did you really believe I was that without honor?"
"No, no," I said desperately. "Of course not! I- I could never-"
"But you did think so," he interrupted, dark eyes full of malice. When I couldn't answer, he spun away and stalked further into the forest. I followed. This couldn't be happening. I had to be dreaming. I'm dreaming!
"You've not dreaming," Vegeta stated without turning around. I jumped back reflexively when he stopped. "Ally . . ." In a brief second I saw a sort of longing flash across those midnight-mirroring eyes and then the cold hardness quickly snuffed it out.
"You," he stated heatedly. "Are a liar."
I thought to protest but instead lowered my pained gaze. "So are you, Vegeta," I told him sadly. "You told me you would love me until death."
Vegeta snarled at me, a vicious, animalistic snarl. I stumbled back a little when he appeared in front of me, grabbing my upper arms much like he had once more than ten anime years ago. He shook me, hard, the nails of his ungloved fists digging into the tender skin.
"Vegeta," I whimpered. "Stop. You're h-hurting me."
Shaking me again, my head snapping back painfully, he growled, "I do not know you."
Despite my better judgement, I let out a dry chortle. A swoosh of misplaced air and Vegeta's right hand drew to backhand me. My eyes slid close.
"Go ahead," I whispered, expecting him to just growl some more and move away. I knew the force of his hand would be enough to take my head right off if he used full strength. At his silence, I felt a knot of fear settle in my throat but pushed it down. Vegeta would never . . .
The sound of skin against skin broke the wooded silence. My head jerked roughly to the side, blood spurting from cracked skin. I raised up, hazy with fresh pain, to stare at Vegeta whose steel grip on my shoulders had prevented me from tumbling to the ground.
He hit me. He hit me!
Tears welled up in my green eyes, stinging when the saltiness ran into my split cheek. My arms were suddenly freed, my shoulders nearly dislocated as he shoved me back. I couldn't tell what was going on. Someone was shouting. Vegeta let out a harsh laugh that he hadn't actually broken my jaw. Thank Kami. My vision was leaking black around the edges but I felt a hand slid under mine and the bite of something metal being pressed forcibly into my palm.
And then Vegeta was gone. The wind would have blown me off my feet if not for a steady hand on my shoulder. I craned my neck up to see who it was, shuddering at the pain. I blinked away the frightening darkness.
"Gokou? I-" Then I felt the metal in my hand and turned to stare dumbly at it. Vegeta's ring. His wedding ring. I- I hadn't even known he carried it with him. "Vegeta," I mumbled and the hand on my shoulder tensed.
I tightened my fist, the ring digging into my skin. Vegeta . . . Vegeta . . . Vegeta . . . Vegeta! I broke away from Gokou, almost immediately collapsing on the ground. I hardly noticed when my anime father picked me up. Nor when others swarmed around me.
I didn't heed the bright blood trickling from my tightly clenched fist.
I felt nothing.
And I didn't care.