A month had went by since the third bond. Bulma and Vegeta were always around each other, making love, doing anything to fulfill their unquenchable thirst for each other. But nothing worked. Although Bulma didn’t understand why; Vegeta understood completely. It was the last bond. The bond of the soul. And until they had merged their souls, neither one of them would ever be able to live with out the other person again. Even though the thought of that was romantic; it wasn’t healthy. They had to be around each other. It was more than, love, lust or even obsession; it was need. They needed each other like they needed to breathe. For one to be without the other was, literally, painful and agonizing. Vegeta couldn’t train and Bulma couldn’t work. And every day their need for each other grew and grew. The fourth bond seemed to demand to be completed. However Vegeta was afraid of this bond. He didn’t remember much about the bonding ritual but he remembered being told that it had to be equally wanted. Or one will be forever tied to the desired person, and the other will be completely free. If this bond was botched, the person with the weaker desires will be completely free of the other three bonds. He wasn’t sure if Bulma felt the same way about him. He wasn’t sure if humans could completely and fully love another person. He wasn’t worried about his feeling being weaker than Bulma’s. He was absolutely sure that his feelings ran deeper than hers....

Vegeta peeled himself out of Bulma’s grasp and got out off the bed.

"I’m going to train" He said in an (almost) absolute tone. She started to whine. "Bulma, we have to be able to be separated from each other some times. It have to train! I have yet to become a SSJ and those Androids will be here in little more than a year!"

‘Later?’ she pleaded through her tears.

He shook his head no "I’m going to train now!" He let out a big sigh and put up his mental wall as she started to cry harder. He didn’t want to share her emotions. "I know what you are feeling right now. I’m feeling it too, but we both have very important things we need to do! We have no other choice, but to ignore the pain!"

"I can’t it hurts too much!" She sobbed.

Vegeta sighed again. "Bulma-chan I’ve never known you to be so weak!" He quickly got dressed as she cried harder. He jumped out her window, flew to his gravity room and locked himself in before his own pain made him relent and go back to her.

Vegeta stayed in the gravity room for a week. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do in his whole life. The first day Bulma banged on the door crying and pleading for him to come back to her for hours. "Vegeta please!!..." she cried.

Vegeta had his forehead and palms pressed against the door as he allowed his tears to stream down his face. He hated that Bulma was in so much pain. He knew pain. His whole life he had experienced pain one way or another. (Usually it was self inflicted because he has always trained his body mercilessly) However this pain was like nothing he had ever felt before. This pain was even worse than what he experienced when he was sent to hell! And he knew that Bulma.. his innocent, beautiful Bulma was going through the same thing and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He could feel the vibrations of her futile attempts to break down the door. If she wanted to, she could of used the tools she had in her lab to unhinge the door. But the pain didn’t allow her to think rationally. Plus, the further she was away from him the worse the pain. (Lets not forget; they needed to be near each other)

"I’m sorry...I’m sorry for what ever I did.." She cried and pleaded hysterically

"There’s nothing to be sorry about!" he cried "You didn’t do anything wrong!"

"Then why are you doing this?" She sobbed. He didn’t answer.

"Please Vegeta!...Come back to me!" She begged through her tears.

"I can’t..." He answered dejectedly

Bulma banged and scratched at the gravity door until her hands bled. "Vegeta I’m going to die.." She slowly slid to her knees. Her hands left a blood trail on the door. "I’m going to die if you don’t come back to me!" She cried in a whisper.

Vegeta heard her. He tried to stifle his tears but failed miserably. "Bulma please try to understand.... This.. feeling... the pain is a reaction to the physical bond!.. It has too much control over us! We have to resist it and gain control of our lives!"

"No, you’re wrong! ..sniff sniff I have control!... I just need you!" She hiccup through her tears and tried to convince him. "This has nothing to do with the bonds..."

"Yes it does!." He cried out softly. Her pain hurt him worse than the bond’s.

"Then just let down your mental wall!...." She begged.

"I can’t..."

"WHY?!!!" She interrupted. "Why are you doing this?! Don’t you love me anymore?!"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why have you left me completely?.." Her voice was pleading. Her hot tears were burning her eyes.

"Bulma I haven’t left you at all...." His melancholy saturated his voice.

"Why... why are you denying me this Vegeta?...." She cried "If you won’t come out, then please put down your mental wall!!"

"I can’t.." He said dejectedly.

"Why Vegeta?!.." she cried out " What have I done to deserve this?!"

Vegeta took a deep breath to stifle back his sorrow, pain and tears but to no avail. "Bulma.. If I let down the wall you will feel my pain on top of yours!!...I don’t mind feeling your pain, but I will not allow you to feel mine!!.. So it has to be this way..."

"For how long?" She interrupted crying hysterically.

"I don’t know."

"Vegeta PLEASE!!!" she banged on the door again "This is crazy! Just come back to me!!"

"Bulma, it has to be this way... I’m sorry." His voice was little above a whisper. He wasn’t even sure if she heard him.

Almost immediately after Vegeta spoke his last words Bulma’s dad had some of his closest employees grab her and force her back into the house. She fought them with everything she had in her. She screamed and cried for Vegeta to save her from the many men who tried to, as gently as they could, bring her (kicking and screaming) back in to the house.

Vegeta felt like he died that day. And hated himself because he had to allow her to go through so much pain.

They had to sedate her after they got her in. Vegeta on the other hand got no rest. The physical pain made him wish that he did die that day.

The next day the pain made him soo sick. He vomited all day. The pain in his body was unbearable. And as he laid in the cradle position on the bathroom floor, he was afraid to think how Bulma was handling it. Lucky for her, Dr. Briefs decided to keep her sedated.

On the third day, and just when the pain started to relent (a little) it abruptly got worse. Vegeta was informed by one of the men that helped take her into the house (on the first day) that Bulma was taken to the hospital. Even before he was told, he had already known that she had left the grounds. The pain worsened with every inch further she went away from him. They had to bring her back the very same day in fear she would die. It was good that they brought her back, for Vegeta’s body was reacting and shutting down just like hers.

The next day, Goku learned about the pain and suffering his "big sister" was going through. Bulma’s mom called him. She needed answers to why Bulma was having such adverse reactions to being away from Vegeta. She figured it had something to do with him being Sayien (since she never reacted like this for Yamcha) And since Goku was the only other full blooded Sayien, she thought he may know how to cure her.

"What!! She’s dieing?!"

"Yes Goku I think so!" Bulma’s mom sobbed. "She keeps crying for Vegeta. She honestly believes that he’s the only one who can save her..."

"Where’s Vegeta?!" Goku asked in distressed voice. "Does he even know what going on?!"

"Yes..sniff sniff he knows!" Bumla’s mom sobbed. "He has locked himself in his gravity room...sniff sniff .. We’re almost positive that he’s going through the same thing Bulma going through.."

"He is?" Goku asked in disbelief "Then why doesn’t he just go to her?"

"sniff .. He thinks that by staying away from her, they both will get better...sniff.. Goku what going on?" Her mom pleaded

"I’m sorry Mrs. Briefs I don’t know..."

"You don’t? Don’t you and Chichi ever go through this when you are apart?"

"No. Why would we?" He asked innocently.

"I just thought ...oh, I just it might be a Sayien thing.... sniff sniff"

"Hmm.... Maybe it’s some kind of space disease. Chichi told me that Bulma told her, how experienced Vegeta was in the .... Well you know."

Bulma’s mom gasped and almost fainted. (for two reason: she would have never expected Goku so say something like that to her. And that what he said, might be true)

"Then again.." he continued "It might have something to do with their bonds."

"Their bonds? What’s that?" She stopped crying at this more pleasant sounding diagnosis.

"Oh, Bulma didn’t tell you?" He paused waiting for her answer, not taking into account that she just asked him what they were.

"Tell me what! Spit it out Goku!" She was getting impatient.

"Their bonded. Chichi told me it was a Sayien way of being eternally connected.... I guess..(Goku scratched his head)... getting bonded is like getting married without the party and the yummy food!"

Bulma’s mom blinked like ten times (very hard) "Are you telling me they’re married?!"

"Umm..Yep" Goku heard a noise that sounded like something falling on the ground. "Hello...Mrs. Briefs......Mrs. Briefs are you there?"

Mrs. Briefs fainted.

Goku decided to go to Capsule Corps and help Bulma. And he decided that the best way to help her was to get Vegeta out of the gravity room. So when her got there, he threatened to blow up the gravity room to get Vegeta out.

Goku’s heart broke when he saw Bulma’s little bloody hand prints and streaks on the gravity door. He floated to the one, circular, window in the gravity room. He saw Vegeta drag himself in front of the door and sit with his back against it. Goku chuckled to himself at Vegeta’s pathetic attempt to keep him out. He could tell that Vegeta was so weak now that even Krillien, no Yamcha could take him in a fight. (Every one knows that Krillien stronger than Yamcha ^_^ )

"Move out of the way Vegeta! I’m coming in!" Goku yelled warmly.

"I’ll tell you like I’ve told every one else, Baka! Try it and die!" Vegeta growled.

Goku couldn’t help but laugh. "Vegeta, I’m doing this for you own good...."

"And how the %$@$^ would you know?! You‘re not even bonded to your mate!!!" Vegeta spat out with as much venom his pain stricken body could muster.

It was a direct hit to Goku’s pride. Since Chichi had learned about their bonds , she wanted to be bonded too. Everyday she tried to make it happen. He tried too. He wanted to please, her but fate or destiny seemed to be against them.

"Vegeta! I’m coming in!" Goku yelled in a serious tone. "So you better get out of the way or I’ll make a new doorway through your wall!"

"Kacarrott, if you want Bulma to die....Then come in.." Vegeta groaned as he got up and into a fighting stance "But I promise you , before I let you kill her....I’ll kill you! And If you even damage another one of my gravity rooms I‘ll kill you!"

Goku paid no heed to his threat, but he could tell that Vegeta was serious about protecting Bulma’s health.

"Vegeta, I’m going to let you stay in there, but if Bulma even sneezes (gets worse) I’m going to blast you out of there!"

"I’ll kill you first, Baka!" Vegeta threatened as he sat back down. Just standing up exhausted most of his energy.

"I’ll take my chances!" Goku laughed and shook his head as he walk back into the house to check on his big sis (Bulma)

By the fifth day the pain relented. Not completely, but enough for him to meditate and gain control of the repercussion of the bond. By the next to days he was almost able to ignore the pain completely and train.

On the seventh day, Vegeta sat indian style in the middle of his gravity room and tried to meditate and gain complete control of the new effects of the bond. (and increase his ki. might as well train to) But thoughts of Bulma and the pain of being away from her kept interrupting his concentration. Even though, the pain of the bond was, now almost bearable. He had to stay away. He had to get control of this. He had to train and become a SSJ!!

After the worst six days of her life, Bulma had decided to try to ignore her pain by creating new gadgets in her office. She accepted Vegeta’s logic and his decision to lock himself in the gravity. And although she hated his decision, she understood it. He was right; they needed to try to be apart. And even though its not happening as fast as she would like, the pain of being away from him was slowly going away. She missed Vegeta though, and wished that he would at least let down his mental wall. At least for a second. She wanted to know how he was handling this. She wanted to know what he was thinking.

The more he tried to concentrate on his mediation, the more his mind kept wandering. ‘I tried to prevent this from happening, yet still I couldn’t escape from it!’ Is this my fate.... Not to be the strongest but to be bonded to a frail weak earthling?’ The thought disgusted him. ‘No! I will not accept this!!’ He stood up and began to speak to himself " I am Vegeta, the prince of all Sayien’s. I am the strongest of them all! I will get stronger than Kacarrott, defeat him, and Kill him!!!" "And I....And I ...will.." His shoulders started to slump he tilted his head back and frowned but it looked more like a whine "And I will be bonded to that stupid Baka Human" He let out a big sigh and relented to the last bond that he had been fighting against for the last month. He no longer cared that it might be on sided. He was accepting his destiny.

"If you could only have one thing in your life what would it be, me or all the power in the universe?"

As if he was hearing Bulma’s thoughts he remembered that question. The question she had asked him relentlessly during the last month. It drove him mad every time she would ask and demand an answer . He refused to answer it. He wasn’t sure what he would choose, and that upset him. All his life he wanted to be the best, the most powerful warrior, and now he wasn’t sure if that would make him happy anymore. It didn’t make sense to him. How could he possibly even hesitate in accepting his life’s desire for the chance to live forever with a human weakling?..... Then all of a sudden the answer came to him.

He looked up at her hidden camera and telepathically said ‘You Bulma. I’d chose you over all the power in the universe’ He hated to admit it. He hated to say it. But what he felt like was killing him, was that he knew that he meant it with everything that he was, or ever will be.

As she worked on her newest gadget, she heard Vegeta’s voice, his proclamation of his devotion and love to her. Bulma was so over joyed with happiness and love for him, she didn’t even realize that her pain had disappeared completely. She swung around in her swivel chair to see Vegeta behind her but he was not in the office. She looked at her monitor and he was standing in the middle of the gravity room staring up at a camera.

She looked quizzically at the monitor and thought ‘Did you really say that Vegeta?’

Vegeta heard her thoughts and smirked.

Instantly his mind was flooded with her thoughts, memories, experiences, dreams, feelings. Bulma was going through the same thing in her office. It was like their souls had left their bodies, switched, then melded together, and returned to their own body. But not the same condition as it was when it left. Each had shared and gave a piece of itself to the other. They were now truly eternally connected. The experience was quite overwhelming for the both of them. Vegeta had to fight the feeling to faint, so he figured that Bulma was knocked out in her office and sleeping like a baby. He was about to go and get her but decided against it.

"Nah. I’ll go get her later. Right know I need to train."

It was a strange feeling. Instead of being consumed by his feelings for her, and thoughts of her, and having the desire to always be near/ in her, like he was experiencing trying to resist the bond, he felt more calm, relaxed and complete. He now knew that what he felt for her; she felt for him. He didn’t have to be near her to feel like they were together. Their souls were intertwined. They were never apart. Vegeta smirked. Now that his mind was clear, the pain was gone, and the last bond was successfully completed, he could think about more important things.... like becoming more powerful than Kacarrott. Mooawwwhahahahahah ^_^

****