Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I wish!

Note: This story has no Goku, no earth. Everything happens on Planet Namek and well, as the saying goes, "What happens in Namek, stays in Namek". Hehe.

Hope you guys will enjoy this piece!

| ImaginaryInk |

The planet rumbled loudly beneath Bulma's feet and the tremors sent her flying backwards. The heavy impact caused her back to collide violently with the large boulder behind and she tumbled down hard to the ground and she clenched her teeth as she groaned silently in pain. With all her strength, she brought herself up and crawled towards another boulder that covered the frightening scene before it.

She looked over with trembling fear as she saw the monster lizard entering his space ship with his lackeys following closely behind. Her eyes darted around aimlessly as they searched for her friends. Much to her chagrin, they were nowhere in sight and she hopelessly wondered where have they all been at a time like this. They wouldn't leave her, would they?

Fear and worry began to engulf her when the sudden realisation of her friends lying dead hit her hard. With Frieza leaving the planet, that could only mean that her friends must have lost the battle. Her aching body began to shudder and she wanted so badly to move from her position to find them. Then another harsh reality hit her when she realised that if they were all dead, there was no way she could return home. With no space capsule and her friends, she would be left all alone on Planet Namek.

"No..." Bulma squeaked, panic waved through her and she began to cry softly.

The tremors grew more aggressive and once again, it almost threw Bulma off her feet. This time she let out a wail but was cut short when she felt a hand glided roughly over her mouth, drowning her screams.

"Shut up!" hushed the person harshly behind her as he crushed her back towards him.

He pulled them both backwards and far away from the scene when Frieza's lackeys thought they heard a scream and diverted their attention towards their direction. Fortunately, Bulma and the mysterious man behind her managed to hide a good distance from where they were as the soldiers took to the sky and directed several fatal blasts towards her initial hiding spot.

Her eyes bulged when it dawned on her that the blasts could have easily killed her when a rain of rocks fell just metres from them. Stunned into complete silence and utter shock, the overwhelming fear caused Bulma to feel light headed and eventually, she passed out in the arms of her mysterious saviour.

Hours have passed, Frieza has left the planet surprisingly intact and her friends were nowhere to be seen. Raindrops fell on her sleeping form and Bulma fluttered her eyes opened. It took her a minute to take in her surroundings and realised she was lying on the ground facing the dark gloomy sky above her. She pushed herself up slowly and groaned in pain when her back gave way.

Tears welled in her eyes and she wiped them away fiercely. She got up and started to run towards where Frieza's ship once was but she tripped over the rubbles and fell hard on her hands. Trembling in pain completely drenched and at an absolute loss of hope, her head hung low and she finally let out all frustrations and tears, hoping to drown them with the falling rain.

After five minutes of despair, she felt something shifted behind her. She ceased her crying and turned behind cautiously and her eyes widened in shock, gasping aloud when she saw the form of a man lying in the dark just a few feet from her. She stared at him for a minute and finally recalling her mysterious rescuer, she gathered all her guts to approach him, slowly.

Standing at arm's length as she loomed over the beaten form below her and very carefully, she extended a foot towards him. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she nudged the man with the tip of her boot and quickly retracted it. When she saw no movement, she nudged once more, twice more.

And then, she screamed and fell on her butt when the man suddenly grabbed hold of her ankle.

"No. Don't kill me!" she pleaded pitifully as she tried to back away but was held in place.

"Then stop jabbing me..." he warned faintly though his eyes were still closed and his form still weak.

He had released his grip on her ankle but did not retrieve his hold on her. Bulma took the chance to withdraw her leg quickly and scooted a few inches backwards. Fear was written all over her face as she realised that the man before her was none other than the Saiyan soldier – Vegeta.

She sat staring at him for a long moment, contemplating her next moves. Logic and emotions fluctuated within her as she battled if she should tend to him or move on to find a way home. Remembering how he had threatened and frightened her just a few days ago, fresh tears welled in her eyes and she realised that Vegeta could be the only person who could help her, but would he? If he doesn't, and if there really wasn't another alternative out of this planet, she could be stuck here with him... alone.

But what else have she got to lose? Her friends are probably dead, she was alone and had no one's help except Vegeta... wait. 'Why is he even alive? I thought he'd died!'

Slowly, a very curious yet desperate Bulma inched her way on all fours towards the Saiyan. Careful not to wake her assailant up, she hover her hands over his beaten body, uncertain if her next move was wise. She frowned at her indecisiveness and slowly mustered all her courage for her next choice of action.

Afraid that she might garner another attack from Vegeta, she touched him lightly on his chest and waited for the blow. When she was sure he wasn't moving at all, she tugged on his arm and with all the strength she had in her, heaved his almost lifeless body over her shoulders. She groaned and cringed in pain when her back ever so graciously reminded her of her injury.

She knew the cave which she hid in for the past week wasn't very far from where they were. If she wasn't dragging Vegeta's carcass across the land, she would've reached it within minutes. But as heavy as the rocky mountains around her, Vegeta was definitely slowing her down and causing her energy to drain down to a notch. Not to mention his dead-weight on her injured back could prove fatal if she wasn't careful enough.

Every few minutes or so, she would need to stop and rest for several moments before continuing her heavy journey. The rain wasn't helping either as it made his battle armour and spandex suit even more slippery than it was, causing him to slip off her shoulders every now and then. Several times she had thought he'd be better off lying in the dirt while she seek shelter for herself but her stupid soft heart would tell her otherwise.

So what felt like hours were only a mere forty-five minutes when they finally reached the dark damp cave which she called a shelter. Dropping Vegeta on the ground none-too-gently, she headed straight for her make-shift home which she brought in her Hoi-Poi capsules. She dashed into the house and turned on all the switches, causing the house to whir to life. Without another moment to lose, she cleared the dining table with a sweep of her hands and scurried back towards Vegeta.

Once again hoisting him up, she dragged him into the house and placed him on the dining table. She collapsed on her knees on the floor beside him and rested her head on the table edge, calming her racing heart and regenerate however much energy she could. For now, the sting on her back was forgotten as thoughts of tending to the injured alien above overwrote all judgements.

Several moments passed when she finally regained her strength and train of thought only did she gets up and walked towards the hall to retrieve a first aid kit. She returned to Vegeta's side and quickly studied his injuries. Making sure that she didn't miss out any of it, she slowly unclipped to remove his armour, then took a scissor and cut the spandex suit into pieces, revealing the rest of his body, save for his privates.

With each injury bandaged, she made sure a clean cloth had run thoroughly through it, cleaning all the excessive blood and grime to avoid possible infections. Certain that all his wounds were neatly tended to, she heaved out an exasperated sigh, took one last look at her patient and tiredly headed towards the bathroom for a much needed shower.

It must have been the first time Bulma had taken a shower that didn't last for more than an hour. It was only a mere fifteen minutes before she emerged from the bathroom, changed into clean clothes and sat waiting at the main hall. She didn't know what she was waiting for as she stared blankly at the entrance door – either for the rain to stop so she could find her friends – and then she turned to her silent assailant – or for Vegeta to awake so together they could find a way to get off the planet.

She turned and took a silent stride towards the door and out to the entrance of the cave, stopping just by the edge. The rain didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon and it was unearthly dark out there. Who knew what creatures could be lurking, ready to have her for supper had she ventured out. If she's lucky, one of the frightening lightnings could strike her and she'd be dead. Perhaps that would be a better fate than having to...

Bulma turned back to the house that confined the alien man inside. She dreaded the hard cold reality that she was possibly all alone on this planet with him. And the need to find Goku, Gohan or Krillin grew desperately but she would have to do it in the morning. And letting out a heavy sigh, she returned to the house and headed straight for bed, eager awaiting morning fall to greet her.

Morning came unexpectedly earlier than Bulma had anticipated. She opened her eyes and instantly a sudden pang of loss hit her again and she gripped on her chest tightly. The ache in her back wasn't doing any good to her wellbeing either and she cringed once more. As the pain subsided to a notch, she pushed herself out of bed and stumbled towards the adjoining bathroom and only thoughts of her friends overwhelmed her mind.

Having washed herself up, she went to the kitchen and found her alien companion still lay immobile on the table. The thought of him dead crossed her mind though she brushed it off as she retrieved an empty glass from the cabinet and filled herself with refreshing liquid from the sink. Then she took a seat on the kitchen island staring at her silent assailant who was seemingly asleep. Again, she would have thought him dead if it wasn't for the tranquil heaving of his chest, indicating that he was very much still alive. How peaceful he looked without his scowls and taunts, she thought.

Sighing deeply, she jumped down from the counter and hesitantly walked towards him. Stopping a few inches short before the dining table, she studied her handiwork. Her eyes trailed from his feet, to his muscular thighs, to his well-sculpted pectorals and to the contours of his face, and she felt a tinge of heat rush to her cheeks when she realised how she had gawked at him so unabashedly and quickly looked away. But who was there to know?

Slowly eyeing her patient once more, Bulma continued her scrutinising when her eyes fell on the huge scar on his pectorals. She had seen it last night when she washed him but never gave much thought to it until now. As if the scar was beckoning her to touch it, she reached for the mark and ran a finger lightly over it. And before she could even register what was happening, and very much the same as last night, Vegeta sat up, gripped onto her wrist roughly and jerked her forward.

"No, please let go!" she yelped in pain and surprise as she was roughly yanked towards him.

Vegeta had awakened seconds before her fingers traced his disfigurement but ignored her presence until she'd decided to touch him. How dare she, he thought. That was when he opened his eyes to find her lost in wonder or perhaps, disgust, as she so diligently studied his scar. And he had grabbed her again.

He stared into her eyes groggily, feeling lightheaded with her closeness. Perhaps he shouldn't have pulled her to him in the first place. But when he regained his train of thought, he was enraged by her audacity to touch him. He narrowed his eyes into slits and scowled at her. He fed on her fear when he felt her nearly trembling in his hold.

"Who are you?" he questioned, his voice low and filled with malevolence. "... and where the hell am I?" his eyes darted towards his surroundings. From the table he was on, to the walls behind her and the kitchen on his left. In other words, he was confused. And that made him angrier before he turned to Bulma once again, his patience running thin.

"You're on Planet Namek," she answered timidly. She was still afraid of him though he still looked weak and beaten. The way he loomed over her despite the fact that he was still seated down scared her and she had half a mind to just bolt, far away from him. But she knew it would be pointless.

"Planet Namek?" he roared in bewilderment, unwilling to believe the little wench before him and he yanked her harder towards him till she was pulled up on the table and sat straddling his right thigh. He released his hold on her wrist and replaced it on her neck, choking her slightly.

"Don't toy with me, wench. If you think I'd believe even one word coming out from your whorish mouth, then you're wrong! You tell me this is Planet Namek? I don't think so. This planet is nothing short of a mud ball with no amenities such as this!" he argued as his free hand gestured towards the entire household, seemingly proving his point.

"I'm... not ly-ing..." Bulma choked through whatever little breath she had left as Vegeta's hold on her throat tightened. She didn't want to die like this, at least not before knowing if there was ever a chance to find a way home. "...I swear..." she breathed out before her eyes began to roll backwards and Vegeta hesitantly release his grip.

The moment she felt whatever freedom she had to be able to breathe once more, Bulma took in gulpful of breaths. And without a second thought, she pushed herself away from her attacker and scooted away as far as possible. Surprisingly, Vegeta let her though his narrowed eyes never left her.

Bulma seeped into a coughing fit while her hands rubbed at her throat, the whole time sneering at Vegeta. Whatever hopeful thoughts she had about him had shattered under one act of violence and she was tempted to lunge at him with a butcher knife, if she could only get pass him to the kitchen. And if only looks could kill, both would be dead under the glaring daggers which both were giving.

With one swift swoop of his legs, Vegeta's feet touch the cold tiles beneath him. He stalked towards a frightened Bulma and she stumbled backwards to the couch behind her, cornered. Vegeta kneed the couch and locked Bulma between his legs. He pried her hands apart and held them in place, snarling at her menacingly.

"So help me if you are lying, bitch, I will tear your limbs apart." He whispered harshly, threatening her.

"Oh, we've just been through this," she chuckled hoarsely as she couldn't believe how predictable he was. "I told you we're on Planet Namek!" she spat as she found the courage to level her glare towards the Saiyan.

"And if it makes you feel any better, we're probably the only ones left alive! So help yourself and help me because if you don't want to survive, I'm sure I do! I'm not going to stand for this any longer. I'm sick of your intimidations, I'm sick of you trying to hurt me every time you come in contact with me. So if you don't mind, get off of me right now! I have more important things to do than getting pinned under you and forced to listen to your empty threats!"

The moment she spewed her last words, a rough hand made contact with Bulma's cheek. Her head snapped to side and hair fell out of place as they covered her face. She trembled beneath him in constrained shock and anger, and Vegeta released her, backing away two steps from her beaten form.

"There are no empty threats, Woman. Bear in mind that I will go through with my words if I deemed fit and that your death is only a wringed neck away." He stated and warned in a foreboding tone. With that last threat, he turned to walk towards the door, leaving Bulma to sob her disheartened spirit away.

An hour passed and Bulma was still in the same position she had been since he slapped her. Tears were dried by now but her form was still crushed in a hopeless and helpless state. Vegeta had long been gone when he strode out of the make-shift house to confirm whatever she had told him – that they were indeed still on Planet Namek.

And did that make Vegeta feel like a fool to regret his actions? Of course not. The Saiyan Prince was never one to feel remorse, not especially for a snivelling human. He had returned to the house to search for a bathroom and had demanded Bulma for a new set of clothes since she had sliced his spandex suit apart, leaving his privates to the imagination. But as the Saiyan suspected while looking at her sorry state, he knew he wouldn't be able to garner anything from her.

So he scavenged whatever he could find in the house – a clean bath, fresh human clothes that were two sizes bigger, leftover food in the pantry and a spot to sleep in. He ignored the bandages that covered his wounds as he ever so roughly peeled them away and left them in the bathroom sink. He smirked as he thought about how the woman would react when she sees the mess he'd made.

Bulma had removed herself from the couch and packed whatever essentials she could carry on-hand as she set out to find her friends. Dead or alive, she had no choice. It frightened her to know if she hadn't gone to seek them out, they could be lying alive somewhere in the gutter, trapped with no one around to ever know. Though she wouldn't rest till she finds a body, she knew her chances were slim. The planet is a huge mass of ball and there was no way she could turn every rock over in one day. Thank God she had kept a few choice vehicles in her Hoi-Poi capsules and even so, the search had already wasted a good full day.

It wasn't until in the dark of the night when she could no longer make heads or tails of where she was heading, she finally returned to the cave. Tired and drained, her search had been in vain. There were too much land to cover, too little time. Encapsulating the vehicle back to its shell, Bulma dragged her weary body towards the house and found her Saiyan companion lounged on the couch which she had occupied earlier.

Gasping lightly for air, Bulma stumbled towards the other side of the main hall and plopped belly-down onto the second couch of the house. She could feel her breathing was becoming more rapid with every second passed and her body perspired heavily. Beads of cold sweat rolled from the top of her head and she hadn't even realised she was whimpering as she cringed in agony.

Vegeta noticed her the moment she emerged from the front door but made no attempt to let her know he has awakened. Only moments later when he'd heard her light whimpers had he turned to look at her lounging on the opposite couch. She wasn't facing him though she was lying flat on her stomach, but her shaking form was apparent enough to pique his curiosity. He pushed himself up from his lazy position and strode towards Bulma. Standing before her, he could see that her eyes were closed but pain was clearly written on her face and he furrowed his brows, a perplexed expression crept on his face.

"Woman..." he called to her and Bulma opened her eyes. He knew that something was amiss as those eyes seemed all too familiar to him – clouded, distant and fatal. Without another moment to lose, he sprang to action. Kneeling down on the floor before her, he tenderly slapped her cheek to keep her awake.

"Woman, wake up. Keep your eyes open," Vegeta ordered as he placed a hand on her forehead, not surprised with the fluctuating temperature. Then he moved to place his two fingers on her the main artery on her neck, feeling the rapid palpitations of her heart.

"Woman, where do you feel pain?"

"... My... back..."

Bulma whispered in short breaths as her eyes were beginning to close again. Swiftly, Vegeta pulled her shirt upwards, revealing her back and as much as he had anticipated, his eyes widened at the dreadful scene before him.

"... Gods."

So, how was it? Hope it was interesting enough for you guys to keep a look out! Cus there are more coming your way! Don't forget to review, though!