I walked up to the counter of a small department store and cleared my throat. The clerk looked up and gave me and Lela a friendly smile. We returned it and Lela touched my shoulder, urging me to hurry up and ask him.

"Uh, do you know where we can find Teresa Briefs? I am her cousin," I said, faking the excuse.

The clerk gave me a sad look. "Poor Teresa! Who would have thought that she was so ill? Yes, I know where she is. She is in the Miami Center Hospital, you will find her there," He answered, shaking his head.

My jaw dropped in surprise. "She's...sick? With what?!" I asked, almost frantically. "No one informed me!"

The clerk just shook his head and frowned. "Cancer, I am afraid. Loosing her husband and daughter must have taken it's toll, also."

I mumbled a quick thanks and got directions to the hospital. Luckily, it wasn't far away, and me and Lela sprinted the whole way. But we stopped short when we saw Vegeta standing in the entrance of the emergency rooms.

"How...how did you?" I stammered, surprised to see him here before us. How had he known?

Vegeta just shook his head. "Let's go before I get a complex, or at least a bigger one, no thanks to you," He said, and pushed open the doors.

The room smelled of disenfectants and medicine. I was surprised that it wasn't crowded. Only a few people waited in plush seats along the walls.

Lela and I rushed to the service desk.

"I would like to visit my dear cousin, Teresa Briefs, and this is my sister," I said hurriedly to the nurse, a young brunette who was snapping her gum.

She nodded. "Room 206. Be quiet though, her condition isn't very well."

I nearly choked at this little comment, but I was pulled along by Lela, and Vegeta was close behind. I guess the nurse wasn't a very smart one, because Vegeta looked none to nice!

Lela pulled me all the way to room 206, the dreaded place of hell where my life would either be shattered or pulled back together. One of the missing fragments was in the room right now.

We entered the room, and the old woman on the bed looked up. She *couldn't* be the fair, pretty woman that had once been my 'mommy'. This woman had pale, slightly wrinkled skin, and her eyes look sunken and large on her skinny face. Her once light-lavender hair was now snow-white, and her lively baby blue eyes were dark navy now.

I held back a sob when I saw her condition, the IV's and tubes giving my mother's frailness away. Lela gasped in surprise and held my arm protectively, trying to make me feel a little better. Vegeta just stared at her, not knowing quite what to say. Even he had the decency to not joke or insult me now.

"Who are you?" My mother weakly demanded, lifting her head lightly, and setting it down carefully.

I felt tears slide down my pale cheeks, and I walked over to the hospital bed slowly, trailing my fingers along the side of the sheets. My mother stared up at me with a confused look on her face, then shock took over her dark eyes.

"Bulma? Is that you?" She said, as if she was seeing an angel and didn't quite believe it.

I nodded and kneeled down next to her bed. "I promised I would come back, I promised Daddy, but he isn't here," I cried, and broke down sobbing as my mother held me as best as she could.

"My little girl, my little girl has come home from the Saiyans! It must have been horrible!" She cried, and I heard a little noise from behind me. I looked back, tears still streaming. Vegeta was whipping his tail back and forth, probably at this last comment.

My mother noticed the tail and nearly screamed. "Honey, why? Are you still prisoner?" She said, gripping my arm protectively.

I shook my head and looked away from her eyes and Vegeta's. "No, Mother, just a friend. He was really the only one," I said, and started sobbing again.

"Oh, honey. We had *everyone* searching for you. And when the Saiyans came back, it was awful! They came for more children, and chided me with false stuff about *you*, it was hell, excuse me," Mother said, stroking my hair now. "When I got stricken with cancer, I swore that I wouldn't give up until you came back to us. I never had any doubts that you would. And you are so strong. I am so, so proud of you."

I let the tears continueously fall, dripping with little sparkles to the cold white floor. Lela and Vegeta didn't look like they knew what to say. Vegeta looked something besides mean now, he looked stricken almost. Lela had tears falling down her cheeks, no doubt remembering her mother.

"Mother, don't struggle because of me, please don't. But don't die, don't leave me!" I sobbed, and held my mother's frail hand. I was trembling now, loosing more control then I ever had in my whole life, especially in front of Vegeta.

"I won't leave, dear, never, never, ever. Tell me about your life on Vegetasei, I want to know," My mother requested, and I started my story. My terrible, heart-wreching tale that killed me even to tell. I couldn't tell how many hours I spent talking and talking, with Vegeta adding in on parts to help me when I lost it, and Lela gasping at some of the things I had done. My mother looked radiant, her eyes filled with newfound life. She had expected much, much worse maybe. Whatever she thought, I didn't care, because I was busy spilling my guts for anyone to hear. I didn't even want to know what Vegeta thought of some of the things I had been thinking, or done. I didn't.

"Bulma, you are the bravest girl I have ever known. And it makes me proud that you are my daughter. If I would have known how you were, I would have wanted to come, but I don't think that it would have been right. If all of this wouldn't have happened, who would you be today?" Mother said, and let some tears of her own fall.

"Thank, you Mother. I am so, so glad you don't hate me for...e-everything!" I said, and continued crying.

"Why would I *hate* you?" She asked, shocked.

I choked and sniffed a little. "Because...I let myself be one of them, Mother. Father would *hate* me, hate me," I cried. "Father hated Saiyans, and I let myself...oh, Mother, this sucks!"

Vegeta came up on the other side of the bed and looked from my mother to me. "I can help her, if you want me to," He said softly.

My mother started. "What? How? Why should I trust you?" She asked, a suspicious look in her eyes, one that hurt me so much.

I looked him in the eyes and nodded. "Please, Mother, I trust him."

She looked at me for a moment, and sighed. "Bulma, I can't let him do this. It would be unnatural for me to live on like that, knowing how many innocent people died, just like me, when they could have been helped by this Saiyan king."

I felt more tears streaming down my cheeks. "It's not unnatural! I won't let you go, I won't let you leave me!" I cried, a little too loudly, and Lela flinched, tears streaming down her cheeks as well.

"Bulma! Contain yourself. It *has* to be this way. I would be leaving your father alone by doing that," said Mother, and she grabbed my arm. "You would be losing *nothing* by me being gone. You have people supporting you, baby."

I shook my head and looked at my feet. "But...I just got here."

"I know honey, I know. But I can't do that. Kami wants it this way. Would you go against his good judgement?"

I sniffled and shook my head, no. "Mother, how old are you?" I asked.

"I am fifty-two dear, a very full fifty-two."

I gave in and let the crying take over. Vegeta looked out the window, Lela just stared, and my mother held my hand.

"You are too young to die, way too young. *That* is unnatural!" I screamed, and my mother covered my mouth. I shut up instantly.

"It's my time, dear, it's just my time. Don't worry, I will always be with you," Mother said, and let go of my hand and uncovered my mouth. "I don't plan on staying any longer than I can stand to bear."

I cried and covered my face with my hands. This wasn't happening, no, it wasn't! Not to *me*, hadn't I been through enough already?! Hadn't I! I couldn't take the only family member left dying, I just couldn't. Only Vegeta could help me now, I had *make* him help her!

"No, I won't. Don't think about it, baka," Vegeta growled.

I looked up in surprise. How had he known what I was thinking?

"Don't look at me like that, all common sense can tell me what you are thinking," He said, and looked back out the window.

I couldn't find the strength to argue, so I just leaned my head on my mother's chest, crying softly.

"Don't leave me, Mother, don't go..." I whispered, and she patted my back.

"I won't leave yet, angel," She said, and began singing a lullaby she used to when I was six or so. It was in some foreign language, one I never knew. The words were soft and flowing, like water.

"Susine y vivera," Vegeta said, and I looked up.

He smirked. "I didn't know that your mother knew Saiyan," He said.

My jaw dropped and my mother chuckled softly. "I don't," She replied. "My daughter does."

~*~

I really have nothing to say, what a sad, tearjerking chapter. Even *I* can't joke around...ja ne.

b e a u t i f u l : : i r o n y

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Chapter 32