Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Father's Helplessness ❯ One-Shot

Disclaimer: I do not own the "Dragon Ball Z" characters used in this story. I'm only borrowing them for my own enjoyment.

Author's Notes: This is for all of you who asked for a sequel to "A Father's Rage". Here it is. Also, in AFR, I referred to Android 18 as a bitch. Personally, I like 18, she's pretty cool, but the story was Vegeta's thoughts and feelings, and that 18 kicked Vegeta's ass, I'd figured he wouldn't be too happy to have her around either. The Galic Gun is one of Vegeta's attacks, as are the Fatal Flash ( Final Flash in the dubbed) and the Big Bang Attack, its not Freeza's.

A Father's Helplessness

By: Elf

The attack was fast, furious, deadly, and powerful. Vegeta launched at Cell with every power he had at his arsenal. Energy blasts furiously left the palms of the Sayan's hands as he shouted in sheer rage. He cried, "Cell, when I'm done there won't be anything left to put together!"

Down below him, Krillin, still cradling Android 18's still body, said, "Damn you Vegeta, why do you always have to blow up like that! This ain't helping Trunks!"

Vegeta ignored him and kept on with his assault. His rage combined with his power, making a deadly force as he continued to batter Cell with rapid fire. He felt sweat trickle down his brow, on the back of his neck, over his nose, dripping off of his angular features as he continued to assault the monster who stole his son away.

There was another emotion beginning to mix in with the rage: guilt. He felt terrible that he had treated his own son with such indifference. It was a black hole that ate at his soul, fed his fury, and kept on his assault on Cell. If he had to die to avenge his son, then be it. It was worth it.

He stopped for a moment, breathing hard as he watched as the heavy cloud of yellow smoke began to clear. His chest heaved as he breathed, watching to see if the monster still survived. His body was starting to weaken, using too much energy too fast.

If Cell still lived, Vegeta knew that he would find it within himself to take the monster down in the fastest way possible. He was horrified when the horned head emerged from the smoke. Cell's pink eyes gleamed mancicaly as he smiled demonically. Vegeta swallowed and took a deep breath. He had too much riding on this.

Bulma.

Little Trunks.

His pride.

His dead son's revenge.

"Vegeta, you idiot, you've used up too much energy too fast," Krillin shouted at him.

"Shut up, Krillin," the Sayan prince sneered at him, looking down at the little bald warrior.

"You have a point there, Krillin," Cell chuckled as he hovered up to meet Vegeta's gaze. From below, Vegeta felt Gohan's power level spike up dramatically. He ignored it as he locked Cell's maniacal gaze.

Vegeta chuckled in his usual manner as he said, "I'm not finished yet, Cell."

"Yes, you are," Cell said as he brought up his hand. Vegeta had no time to prepare. A flash of fear ran through his mind as Cell pointed his finger and the bright bolt of magenta energy crashed through him.

Pain raced through his body as he collapsed to the ground. Everything was getting dark. Everything was swirling images of Kakkarot, Gohan, Trunks, infant Trunks, Bulma, his father, Freeza, then back to Kakkarot teleporting Cell away, Gohan changing forms, Bulma crying in anguish, and Trunks' lifeless body on the ground.

The ground hit him in a painful rush. The saw Cell powering up again. He waited for the blast, apologizing to everyone he had ever killed, to Trunks, not being able to save him, the baby Trunks that he couldn't be there for him like his father hadn't been, and to Bulma for some strange reason, even though the woman infuriated him.

Right as the blast came at him, Gohan's stout form rushed into it, his arms wrapping around the fallen prince, lifting him up, and carrying him to safety. Not without indecent though. The last thing that Vegeta remembered was that Gohan's injured form fell on top of him, sending a rush of pain through broken ribs.

******

Vegeta opened his eyes long enough to see Gohan deliver a killing blow to Cell. Then, he fell back into the blessed darkness.

******

Vegeta awoke to a beeping sound, something sharp in his right arm, and a baby laughing at him. He opened his eyes to look right in a pair of bright, innocent blue eyes with a lock of lavender hair falling into them. Automatically, he sat up, reached out, and gathered baby Trunks in his arms.

The baby giggled and waved his chubby little arms up at him adoringly. "Deh?" he asked himself as he looked around, recognizing the bedroom that he stayed at Capsule Corps while he wasn't sharing a bed with Bulma. "I'm alive," he said to himself as the baby wrapped his arms around Vegeta's neck.

Vegeta studied his son and the baby playfully cooed and laughed as he did. There was an amazement of holding this infant to him, his son. He whispered, "I promise you Trunks that nothing shall come to harm you and that you will be the best warrior I can make you." He couldn't promise his son love.

After all, what was love in a Sayan's life? But he could promise that he would be there, that he would be with his son, raise him, make sure no one harmed him, make him feel that he wasn't alone in the world. Like Vegeta had felt growing up.

"Well, its about time that you woke up, sleepyhead," came Bulma's chipper voice from the doorway. She had a hand on her curved hip, with her head tilted so her aqua hair fell over her shoulder, and her blue eyes were sparkling with mischief. It was the best sight that Vegeta could have woken up to.

Bulma walked in, putting a little sway into her hips for Vegeta's benefit. He scowled. She sat down on the bed, reaching out to lightly tickle Trunks' plump cheek. She asked, "So, did you sleep well, sweet prince?"

Vegeta growled, "Woman, I'm not in the mood to be badgered right now."

She chuckled and said, "You've always been grumpy when you wake up."

"And you know this," Vegeta snapped at her, bouncing Trunks on his lap.

Bulma chuckled and said, "The whole ruthless Sayan look doesn't work quite as well when you have a baby in your lap."

Vegeta snapped, annoyed, "Woman, if I would ask your opnion, I'd give it to you!"

She smiled over at him. She said, "We're wishing everyone killed by Cell back."

"Except Kakkarot," he snarled, holding his son closer.

"But Trunks is coming back," she told him with a sad smile. Vegeta smiled despite himself and the baby in his arms laughed and waved his stout fingers.

"Good," Vegeta said as he settled back into the bed. Bulma nestled beside him, and he let her, feeling in a generous mood today. Besides, later, he would remind her who he was and who she was in an all too welcoming manner.

*******

Coming back to life was quite a shock. Trunks stared blankly at all the people around him, peering though a lock of lavender hair. There were thousands of people around him, evidently all the people that Cell had killed. He ran his fingers though his hair, over his armor, down his sides, making sure that this wasn't some hallucination.

"Trunks," a familiar and welcome voice called out, sounding more serious than before. Trunks turned to see a grim Gohan, his black hair falling haphazardly around his face. Power clung to his future teacher like a limpet, refusing to let go of him, always a terrible reminder of what had happened.

"Hey Gohan!" Trunks shouted, running to him. Gohan hugged him and Trunks hugged him back.

"Hey man, how's it hanging," Krillin chirped happily.

"Krillin!" Trunks shouted, hugging the little Zen warrior.

"How are you?" a chillingly familiar husky, seductively female voice said to him. Trunks felt a chill down his spine as he looked into Android 18's icy blue eyes. She placed one arm around Krillin and the little man smiled as he curled into her.

"I'm good," he told her truthfully.

"Hey, its good to see you again," Tien said.

"Yeah man, Bulma's coming over," Yamcha said with a grin. Trunks wasn't too fond of Yamcha. He had hurt his mother, and that automatically put someone on Trunks' hate list. I'm starting to sound like Dad now, he thought to himself.

He looked over to see Bulma, his baby self, held by Vegeta of all people. His father wasn't dressed in the Sayan armor, but in jet black Earth clothing. Trunks swallowed as Vegeta approached, the breeze playing with his black hair. There was an unfamiliar gleam in his black eyes as he approached.

"Son," he said.

Trunks replied, "Father."

"I wish to talk to you," Vegeta said gravely.

He asked, "About what?"

"I'm proud of you," Vegeta said with a smile that said so much more.

Trunks smirked and replied, "Thanks."

"Trunks!" Bulma shouted before she hugged him. Trunks blushed as he held the younger version of his mom in his arms. Happy conversation buzzed around him as he looked around. Vegeta met his eyes and he smirked and chuckled.

Trunks smiled and nodded. Vegeta lifted his eyebrow before handing baby Trunks over to Bulma and walked away. Trunks caught up to him, knowing he wasn't going to get any answers, but Trunks was just glad to walk beside his father.

The End!

More Author's Notes! Okay, no sequels after this! I may do other Trunks/Vegeta father/son fics, but not related to this. Okay, maybe. So, I hoped that you liked it as much as the first one, and I can't be the only writer who writes Vegeta/Trunks stories, am I?