Hello everyone, this is my first story ever. Like EVER! So go easy on me guys.

Big shout out (and I promise this is the one and only) to ImaginaryInk who is my awesome beta and for giving me the push that I needed to write this fic.

This story is set in the 1950s Chicago Mob life era. This chapter is set in present time and the year is currently 1962. As the story progresses it will go back and forth between the 1950s and the 1960s.

"Italics" are thought's or flashback scenes.

If you have any questions, confusions or suggestions please let me know in your review. Thanks and enjoy.

Disclaimer: Claim dis! Yea I own it. So what! Sue me!

Oh I'm just kidding y'all know I don't own sh*t lol.

Hopeless Reciprocation

Prologue

Home. "Hmm, more like a prison cell" Vegeta thought as he glared, standing in front of the hell hole that he'd called home for years. The dark, gloomy sky above gave the abandoned house an eerie look, more so than usual. The two story, red brick house, covered in moss, wild leaves and tree branches due to lack of maintenance, barely stood tall as it stared right back at him, practically laughing; daring him to come inside so that it could swallow him whole and eat him alive.

Vegeta sneered just as a strong gust of wind blew, threatening to throw him off balance. To say that he hated this house, would be putting it mildly. Most people, who walked down this block, only saw an old shack of a house that used to be. They saw nothing else and heard nothing else. Save for Vegeta who saw what use to be his torture chamber.

He could still hear the screams and cries of his mother, Vanessa, and the shouts of his father, Vegeta Sr. as he would brutally attack her verbally and physically every night. As Vegeta walked through the old worn down fence onto the front lawn, a softer breeze drifted past him bringing a smile to his face and he began to reflect on everything that he could remember about his mother.

His mother Vanessa was a beautiful, hardworking house wife and a strong spirited woman, who never took crap from anyone; not even Vegeta Sr. A small smile graced Vegeta's hardened features as he remembered the way she looked. How her long, raven hair would shine after hours of brushing. How her big, emerald green eyes would sparkle in the sun light. How bronze her skin would get during those hot summer days; and how his heart would melt every time his mother would have that big, beautiful smile on her face when he came down for breakfast or came home from school.

She had the most radiant smile that he'd ever seen on any human being. Her teeth were as white as snow and her lips were as full and as red as those beautiful roses that she would plant in her garden every spring. He remembered how happy she would be whenever he came to help her with her gardening. He remembered the way she smelled like sweet strawberries and honey every morning. From her lovely round face, to her thin slender frame, to the melodious sound of her voice, Vegeta still remembered every detail about his now deceased mother.

Vegeta's smile faltered as he remembered the more dark memories, when his father would take his anger out on his mother. After Vegeta Sr. lost his job, he struggled to find work over the years and failed miserably causing him to lash out at his family more and more very night. His mother, being uneducated and having no work experience, did what no noble, self-respecting woman should have to do.

She sold herself.

She sold her body every single night to the most ruthless and disgusting men, giving the profits to her husband so that he could pay the bills. Yet every night he'd ridicule her. Calling her every disgusting name in the book. From harlot, to hussy, to tramp. She never took his insults though. And she met him head on with insults of her own. His father did nothing but got drunk and moped from being unsuccessful at finding another job. Soon enough drinking and moping turned to complaints and yells. Yells turned to insults. Insults led to fights and fights made his mother end up in the emergency room.

He remembered the way his mother would tell him to stay in his room when he was a child; to cover his ears and not come out; that it'll all be over soon enough. He would always run to his closet whenever he heard his parents beginning to shout at each other. That was his safe place.

"Why do you do this every night Vegeta?" Vanessa said frustratingly.

He was drunk. Again. And she was tired from a long day of doing things that she just wanted to forget about. All for her family and now this asshole has the nerve to harass her right now.

"Why do I do this every night!? You're the one that's out there giving up all you're goods to those…those creeps like the dirty harlot that you are and for what!? For five bucks!? What the hell am I supposed to do with that!? Vegeta Sr. shouted

"Look asshole I do this so that we could eat okay! That's a helluva lot more than you're doing!" Vanessa screeched.

"You bitch!" Vegeta Sr. roared as he backhanded Vanessa.

Vegeta sat in his closet with his eyes shut tight, knees to his chin and his hands over his ears, rocking back and forth, trying desperately to drown out the pleas and cries of his mother. He hated when his father got like this. He hated that she always took the pain for the both of them whenever his father felt like lashing out, but most of all he hated that he couldn't do anything to protect her. But she said it would be over soon. It would all be over soon.

She lied.

She always lied and they both always suffered. Him mentally and his mother physically.

"But she was a fighter, that woman." Vegeta murmured to himself as he was brought back to the present. Shaking his head he smiled as he remembered the firecracker spirit that his mother had. Even though she would end up in the emergency room, she made sure the Vegeta Sr. had a few scars of his own. Ones that he couldn't get rid of and that everyone would be able to see. Whether she bruised his face, his hands or his ego, Vanessa made sure that every scar that she'd given him would leave a permanent mark.

Then…one day…she was gone.

"She'd ran off with some rich bloke that she'd met while she was out there 'hookin'", his father would say.

Nothing but lies, always spewed from his father's lips. Hell Vegeta was glad that she'd gotten away from that hell hole. He'd just wished...that she could've taken him with her.

Days later…he realized why.

Her dead body showed up right on their front door step. Vegeta was only ten when he saw the dead body of his mother, just lying there. His mother never ran off. She was taken from him. Who could do this? Who would do this? He couldn't believe it. His mother was...gone.

Vanessa never got a proper burial since they were unable to afford one and because her reputation as a self-respecting woman, was practically tainted; no one really cared enough, to contribute toward the funeral arrangements. So, he and his father buried her right there under the tree of their front lawn.

Which is what led him back there twenty seven years later to this prison cell; this hell hole, this torture chamber that he called Home. Every year for twenty seven years, on her birthday, he would return and pay his respects to the last place that he remembered his beautiful mother. Though this house was the bane of his existence, the one good thing that always came out of this house was his beloved mother and this was the only place where he could seek the peace and salvation of his mother's memory despite his dark past with having lived in this house.

Old, dried up leaves crunched as he walked up to the tree that his mother was buried under.

"Hello mother. Happy birthday," Vegeta began as he knelt down in front of his Mother's grave site, placing the flowers that he'd brought atop her headstone.

"It's been a long year mother, but an amazing one yet." Vegeta paused as he breathed heavily. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Unfortunately, I have come to report that this will be my last visit mother, I am sorry." Vegeta sighed. He hated that he had to do this. He didn't want to do this but…he had to.

"Though it is not by choice I must admit, that my duties call for me elsewhere; and for good reason, I assure you."

"As you've watched over me, for all these years, I am quite sure that you already know the reason for my abrupt departure." Vegeta continued.

"I have a duty to protect the ones that I love dearly; though I was unable to protect you, mother." He sadly expressed as he tilted his head down.

As Vegeta continued with his goodbyes to his mother, he began to reflect on the past twenty seven years of his life. The seven most recent being the most exciting, passionate, loving, yet heart-wrenching ones of all. He smiled at some of the more recent memories that took over his mind. Vegeta heaved a heavy sigh as he once again faced his mother's headstone.

"Until we meet again mother."

"Goodbye."

"I will always love you." Vegeta whispered, as he wiped a stray tear that had escaped from his eyelids.

He felt a cool breeze and suddenly the scent of strawberries and honey soon filled the air. Vegeta smiled as he looked to the sky. He knew it was his beloved mother speaking to him in the only way that she possibly could. He knew right then and there that he'd made the right decision and that there was hope after all.

All he would have to do was follow his heart.

Well I hope you liked the first chapter. Trust me there's plenty more to come! Until next time guys don't forget to review.