Chapter 7:
Bulma jumped and ran to her friends, who were fighting to get out of a ring of Guards who were currently trying to hold them both down. As she got closer, she heard what it was they were screaming about.
�He�ll kill her! You have to let us help!� Chi Chi had a black eye and Kakkarot looked very pissed off. He was sitting on the small of her back, Indian style. All she could do was wiggle. Kakkarot was befuddled. He couldn�t explain what had happened to Chi Chi. As soon as the Prince had grabbed Bulma�s tail, Chi Chi had gone absolutely nuts! She had begun screaming and cursing at her father, who was miles away; he thought he had seen her foaming at the mouth. 18 had even backed up a little from the crazy, raven-haired girl.
Chi Chi had suddenly launched into the air, snarling as she headed for the speck in the sky that was Vegeta and Bulma, cursing him to all the pain and evil of ten life times. Kakkarot had to try to restrain her; whatever the Prince was doing to Bulma is what she deserved. Unfortunately, Chi Chi would not be restrained, and as soon as 18 thought both of her friends were being beat, she joined them and attacked the first guard she saw-Krillin.
Who, Kakkarot smirked, was now holding an unconscious 18 in his arms, and rubbing the sore spot on his head. She had really clunked him hard! His frown reappeared when he saw Bulma running, or should he say limping, to her friend�s aid.
�Kakkarot! Get off her now! Krillin, take 18 to the room for me, please?� Bulma turned to Chi Chi who, even though Kakkarot had moved off of her, was curled up into a tight ball and sobbing. Bulma ran to her side and picked her up. She didn�t even bother to open her eyes. Bulma ran after Krillin, Kakkarot following closely. The other girls had decided to stay out of it.
Bulma laid Chi Chi onto her bed and got some wet cloths for her head. She was shaking badly and muttering incoherent phrases. Kakkarot ran up to her, a worried expression on his face. Did I hurt her? Bulma turned to him, growling.
�What the hell did you do to her Kakkarot? What kind of attack does that-� Bulma stopped when she saw the incredibly regretful look on Kakkarot�s face. In his eyes was a mix between confusion and terror. Could he�could he care for Chi Chi?
�I didn�t do anything Bulma! Honest - she was fine one minute and then saw Vegeta grab your tail. She went psycho on us and I had to restrain her! The only time I hit her was when I gave her that black eye, but what�s a black eye?� He looked into Bulma�s eyes. �Is she going to be okay?�
Bulma stood shocked. If Kakkarot hadn�t done this to her friend, what had? She shook her head. Too many things had happened and she was getting dizzy from her numbing pain and loss of blood from the beating Vegeta had given her.
�Kakkarot, thank you.� Bulma�s voice was so low he had to strain to hear her.
�For what Bulma?� he asked timidly. Before Bulma had seemed like she was going to beat the shit out of him! Now she was thanking him?
She flashed him a magnificent smile.
�For caring. I really needed that. We really needed that.� He smiled back at her, comprehension showing on his childlike face. �You can go now. I�ll take care of Chi Chi and 18.�
He nodded and went to go get Krillin, who was tucking 18 under the covers.
�She�s going to have an awful headache when she wakes up. Didn�t mean to hit her so hard�� the short Guard murmured as he and Kakkarot left.
Bulma turned back to Chi Chi, and was surprised to see her staring back up at her. She smiled, but Chi Chi just stared. Bulma was about to talk when Chi Chi did.
�What did he do to your tail?� Her voice was cold and full of anger. Her eyes were full of tears. Bulma was scared.
�It�s OK Chi Chi. All he did was yank it a couple of times and-� should she mention the weird thing he had done in the sky? Why not. �He kinda rubbed on it, like this.� Bulma grabbed for Chi Chi�s own tail but her arm was caught in a painful vice. She was surprised to see Chi Chi�s hand slowly crushing her wrist.
�Don�t ever touch my tail.� Her voice was still angry, and Bulma was afraid it was directed to her.
�I�m sorry Chi Chi. I didn�t know�do you know what I�m talking about though? And then it was like, I wanted to kiss him.� She wanted to giggle, but she sensed that for Chi Chi, this was something way different. Way deeper, and no place to giggle and make fun. �Do you know what I�m talking about Chi?�
Chi Chi�s head slowly nodded and she faced her friend, but her eyes were somewhere else. She was reliving a horrible image over and over. She shook her head and began to speak. Bulma heard 18 stir and then sit up. She was glad 18 would hear this too.
�My father. I don�t know why, but he would�he would take my tail sometimes and, and he would caress it. Real soft. I didn�t know why, I didn�t know what he was doing. I thought tail rubbing was a thing that people did when they loved each other! I was even happy that the bastard was showing some affection toward me�� She turned to Bulma and 18, who had joined them, and the tears spilled over her eyes. �How was I supposed to know the touch of the tail was meant for a Hunted pair, lovers? The feeling I always got confused me. I�I wanted to do stuff that only Hunted pairs did, but I didn�t have a mate, and my father only did it to see me squirm. I�m not even of Age yet Bulma!� She began crying all over again. �He would come into my room at night, when he thought I was asleep, and�and rub my tail. I hated it but I thought it meant he loved me. How could I have known? How could I have? All I wanted was for him to love me��
Bulma sat there, thunderstruck. 18 was the same. So that�s why Bulma had gotten those weird feelings with Vegeta. Had he known what he was doing to her? Surely not, since he wasn�t of age. But then, why had he done it at all? She was confused, and hurt. And then pissed off. She would get him back. One day. But now she needed to comfort her friend.
�Chi Chi! It�s all right! He did it and then I turned around and scratched his face all up! He won�t be coming around here for a while, or at least until his face heals. He�d be a laughingstock.� Bulma smoothly lied her friend to sleep, rubbing her back and talking calmly. 18 had changed Chi Chi into PJ�s, and said she�d make supper and breakfast. When Chi Chi was asleep, 18 and Bulma went to eat dinner.
Kakkarot was stunned. He hadn�t meant to overhear, but he had. Krillin had run off to supper, but Kakkarot had stayed behind, just out of curiosity. He had even decided to be late for supper � a first! He had waited outside of their door, and had heard everything. As soon as Chi Chi had gone to sleep, he ran off, entirely pissed. And he didn�t even know why, which made him even angrier. He just knew the next person who talked to him was going to get the living shit beat out of him. He smirked as he saw Yamcha running up to him. He never had liked Yamcha very much.