I leaned harder against the wall, tears running down my cheeks like rain. All of my pent-up anger and sadness was streaming out, leaving me in it's exhaustive wake. The sobs wracked my body, and subsided sometimes, sending me rocking from my heels to my toes. I was lucky that hardly anyone was out this late at night, I felt I had made enough of a fool of myself my whole life. I deserved better, and I knew it.

I forced myself to regain control of myself. I had to do something besides cry until I got so depressed, or at least more than I already was. I pulled myself up and looked up and down the hall, like I was being chased. I felt as if I was being watched, and the feeling was not comforting. Whoever, or *whatever* was watching me felt sinister. I wrapped my arms around myself, and looked about frantically. I made a split decision and ran for the prisons, wiping my face and eyes as I ran.

The guards that were once in front of the prison were off duty, good news to me. I walked softly, or at least as softly as I could in high-heeled shoes and a swirling dress and cape. The prison reeked of sorrow and death. It was all I could do to not hold my nose with disdain.

The cells led on and on, some of the men saying mild profanties and jeering me. I just ignored them, staring straight ahead, eyes focused on the wall in front of me, and glancing in each cell briefly. I came to the second hall of cells, and saw Goku. He was clutching the bars in front of him, and he stared up at me blankly when I stopped in front of his stall.

"Bulma...I...I know it isn't your fault," He said, and tried a half-hearted smile. "Chichi and Yamcha aren't strong enough, like you and me, to handle all of this, but they had to come."

I started, fighting for control over my own trembling voice. "I-I am not as strong as you, Goku. You know that," I said, my voice shaky and unsure.

"I don't understand how you couldn't be to survive this," Goku said, and grabbed my arm. "You have to get them out of here, what happens to me doesn't matter, I can hold my own until someone can come back."

I shook my head. "Goku, you are my oldest, dearest friend, and I am not going to leave you here while I take away two people I hardly even know, one of them who hates my guts!"

Goku sighed and sat down on a bench near the back of the stall, his eyes downcast. "It really isn't Chichi's fault. She is naturally like that. But Yamcha likes you a whole lot, and I think that he would be happy to see you also."

I looked down at my feet and leaned against the bars, holding them like I was in there myself. I was about to tell Goku that I wasn't leaving without my best friend, but I heard a loud noise from behind me, towards the entrance of the prison. Goku nodded for me to go check it out, so I snuck silently around a row of empty cells, trying to get a view of whoever was there.

I saw Vegeta and some guards, three that I could see, talking in hushed, angry voices. Vegeta looked angrier than both of the guards, so I guessed that something besides our little incident had happened to tick him off. He was motioning wildly towards the cells, and the guards, them to himself.

I snuck a little closer, and I could hear them almost clearly now.

"I told you bakas to get rid of the humans with him as soon as you could! Meaning, do something about it before you get the same fate!" Vegeta said, his voice dangerously low. He looked menacing and older than his seveteen years in the dim light. The guards acted as if he was their ultimate superior, instead of a King who was young enough to be their son.

"Yes, Vegeta-sama, but a noblewoman bought them off earlier, and claimed she was to have them as slaves on her estate," One of the guards said, and I felt my cheeks grow warm. Vegeta would just get even more angry at my excuse.

"You fools! That *Lady* was Bulma Briefs, posing as a noble to get her *friends* out of death!" Vegeta yelled, his voice echoing off the cement walls of the darkly light rooms and rows of cells.

I winced and shut my eyes in fear. I just hoped that I didn't see him again anytime soon!

"We-we are dreadfully sorry Your Majesty!" They said, almost in unison, and Vegeta rolled his dark eyes. The guards tensed, expecting a penalty, and not a merciful one.

"I am sure you are. Get back on duty now, it looks as if I will have to do it myself!" He said, and walked down the other hallway, to where Goku was being kept, and no doubt Chichi and Yamcha. I put a hand to my mouth and crept to the same hallway. I had to stop him before it was too late!

He stood in front of two cells, arms crossed, as if judging the strength of the prisoners within, I had no trouble knowing who those people were. I creeped along the shadowy corners of the halls, being as silent as I could be, my little noises hidden by the humanoid sounds throughtout the prison. I was likely to go unnoticed at this rate.

"You really had no idea what you were all messing with, did you?" He asked, pacing from Goku's cell to the other two, giving them evil stares. "Well, I hope that know you know not to fuck around with the King of the Saiyans."

I narrowed my eyes at his unbelievable arrogance, and crept closer still, my chest heaving from lack of breath. I had to keep them shallow as not to disturb Vegeta. I was across from the cells, Chichi's, when she spotted me. She glared at me, venom practically knocking me dead as harmless as it was meant to be. To my luck, she didn't say anything, put glanced at me as she switched from Vegeta to Goku. Goku soon noticed me also.

Vegeta caught her glance and looked in my direction, and I shrunk back. By some miracle, or maybe just by pure accident, he didn't see me and went back to threatening the poor humans and Saiyan.

Goku gathered up his strength and spoke. "How come Bulma isn't in here, also? Wasn't her crime as bad as ours? Or maybe even worse," He asked, trying to get some information on me of course. "She isn't totally innocent, Your Highness."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Because her crimes are excused. Being a woman has it's advantages when it comes to these petty little crimes. She would have never been able to pull it off, so don't worry about her," He said.

Chichi took this moment to give me a very chancy risk, more a suicide mission then something that was bound to be succesful. She gave Vegeta a very determined glare, and spoke up.

"If you are so all powerful, then why don't you unlock the cells to show it? I, for one, don't believe that you could stop any of us!" She demanded, and gave Vegeta a very challenging smirk. I could nearly kiss her! It was perfect bait.

Vegeta scowled and crossed his own arms. "You question my autority, woman? Well then, you will see," He said, and unlocked each of the doors.

Chichi nodded her agreement and Goku and Yamcha also did so. Yamcha saw another chance and punched the air.

"Fight me!" He yelled, and him and Goku ran for their doors. Vegeta went to stop them, and I took my risk.

I sprung out of the shadows and grabbed his arms before he could do any ki blasts or something, and he started, not realizing who I was. Chichi, Goku, and Yamcha ran for the exit as I distracted him. They got away and Vegeta shouted curses at me.

"Who the hell are you?! You just wait, bakayaro!" He yelled, and ripped out of my grasp, flinging me to the floor. I landed hard and cried out in pain.

He turned at the sound of a woman's voice and saw me. His face showed shock for a moment at my boldness, then anger took over. I cringed my face in fear and closed my eyes, expecting a blow.

"What the-?" Vegeta exclaimed, still confused. "How did you get here?"

I backed myself up to the opposite row of cells and kept my eyes closed. I cried out when he pulled me up by my arm.

"I asked you a *question*, bitch!" He roared, and I screamed.

"If you hadn't been so worried about your own affairs, you would have heard me spying on you since you entered this stupid prison!" I yelled, and tried to get away in vain.

He stared at me in confusement. He was too arrogant and self-centered to even register that I had outsmarted him even once. This hurt me and I felt my eyes water.

A single tear rolled down my cheek, followed by others. "Why do you have to *be* like that?" I asked, and ripped my arm from his grasp, catching him off guard. "You are so selfish! How do you think I have *been* all these years?! I have been torn from my home, my parents dead, and forced to help a race that I couldn't even understand. My life is hell, and what do you notice but your own problems?" I yelled.

He looked at me blankly, like there wasn't anyone in his body. I shook my head and started to walk away from him, a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. I had been holding it all in for so long, to myself, having no one to tell it all to. It wasn't healthy to keep it all held up inside, stinging at you whenever you noticed anything that reminded you of it. Vegeta wasn't the best person to comfort me, and I never expected him to. Just to register the fact that all my happiness was fake, and all acted out in vain. Tears streaming, I walked past all the jeering prisoners, and kept my head down. No one could see me cry....

I wiped off my face, only to have more salty tears replace the old ones like warriors on a battlefield. My eyelashes were wet, and stuck to my cheeks when I closed my eyes, sending mascara streaming down like many ebony eels. I probably looked like I had been eaten and thrown back up. But I didn't care. I was sick of all of it, the makeup and fancy clothes, the pretending and Vegeta and I dancing circles around one another, without anyone but me noticing. I was sick of all the people, the places, and the deep sorrow that bit away at my heart daily, twenty four-seven, my whole life since Vegetasei had been a factor. I was sick of all the lies and I was tired of the truth, almost worst than the net of lies I had bound around myself like a straightjacket.

I burst through the doors of the prison, merging into the dark, empty halls of the palace. I whimpered and ran in the direction of my room. I needed to run away, to escape from everything, to find comfort. To my surprise, I found myself entering the large, church like room. This was what the Saiyans used for religion. A sanctuary.

I walked around the room, the breeze itself echoing off the almost impossible heights of the ceiling. Stained glass windows were all over, completing the dramatic scene perfectly. I sat down on one of the benches concealed by shadows and wooden columns, and switched to the laying position. I felt a strange calmness and peace in this holy room, and fell asleep, all thoughts leaving my clear mind.

* * * * *

Write to me please.....ja ne.

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Chapter 44