Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Empire ❯ Table for Three ( Chapter 5 )

A.N:Okay, here's chapter five. It's back to Kakarott's POV. No warnings, I guess. Just some angst and emotional baggage.

Table For Three

The silence at the dinner table had never been so awkward. It was nothing like the well practiced withdrawal that Raditz and Kakarott had maintained over their years of living together. Bardock had turned up with an impromptu self invitation to dinner. Kakarott had never seen Raditz act so fake before in his life.

Although things seemed civil between then, Kakarott could still sense the tension between hi father and brother. He himself had barely been able to contain his happiness. They had never been all together like this before, like a real family. Almost.

He couldn't help staring at the father he rarely ever saw from across the table. He had stopped eating to look upon the scarred man with an expression of awe and worship as Bardock told stories of his most recent exploits.

After a few minutes, however, Kakarott caught sight of Raditz glaring at him and looked down at his plate.

“So, what brings you here this evening of all evenings?” Raditz asked, his annoyance rather thinly disguised with a casual tone.

Bardock glanced up at Kakarott before turning toward Raditz.

“Well Kakarott is being married off to Commander Nappa in a little less than two days time. I just thought I'd stop by to see him since I won't be around for the ceremony.”

Raditz chuckled a little, a forced sound that gave away his intent.

“Yeah, but really. I mean, you didn't seem to care about what happened in his life before. It's been months since you've even seen him.”

He was smiling at their father, trying to force a response from him. Kakarott seethed. He hated how Raditz implied that he somehow cared more about him than their father. He knew such a thing could not be true. Complete strangers cared about him more than Raditz did.

But he couldn't help feeling guilty. He somehow felt like he was being ungrateful. Raditz had been raising him for a long time, had done more for him than their father had ever cared to.

Bardock ignored his older son's baiting. He waited a few moments before looking up at his younger son thoughtfully.

“So, what happened to your face?”

“Training,” Raditz replied immediately before Kakarott could even open his mouth. He seared his younger brother with his eyes.

The look triggered a memory for Kakarott. A memory of a stern man sitting in a chair beside a hospital bed containing a badly bruised little boy with his arm in a sling.

Bardock had not spoken at all then, as Kakarott had lain there on the hospital bed, wallowing in his own pain. Medical had refused their request for a tank, saying that since Kakarott was not a soldier, they had no tanks to waste on him.

Raditz had stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms folded across his chest.

“Training,” he had said in curt explanation to their father.He had looked at Kakarott with that same burning look he was using now. A look that dared him to contradict. Bardock had said nothing.

But this evening, he wasn't so passive.

“I didn't ask you. I asked him,” he told his oldest son, still looking at Kakarott expectantly.

Kakarott could feel the heat emanating from his brother's gaze. He wasn't sure whether or not it was directed at him, because his eyes were on his plate, not daring to look at either man. He swallowed hard.

“Training,” he replied quietly, pushing a piece of cut meat around on his plate with his fork.

“Mmm-hm. That's what I thought you'd say”

“What's that supposed to mean?!” Raditz shot at him, his pretense of civility melting away.

“It's supposed to mean that he'll say anything you want him to to avoid getting beaten,” Bardock said simply, “Really, Raditz. You don't really thing I'm so stupid that I haven't figured out what's been going on?”

“No, not stupid. Just neglectful.You're never around enough to know anything about us!”

“I've read your reports! You think I don't check up on you guys when I can? He's in the hospital every other week!”

“They're training accidents!” Raditz cried, slamming his fist down on the table so hard Kakarott jumped.

“Training accidents my ass! If the kid's been training that hard, he should be a fucking super saiyan by now!”

Raditz was red in the face with anger and embarrassment at having been caught in his misdeeds. Kakarott knew it was taking all his self control not to overturn the table and wrap his hands around Bardock's neck. He seemed to breathe in deeply for a while before, speaking as calmly as he could.

“Alright then. If you've read the reports and you knew he was being 'abused', why didn't you come running back to get him?”

“I was---.” Bardock seemed to notice the poor choice of wording and went silent to Raditz's obvious glee. Kakarott felt his heart twist when he thought about what his father had been about to say.

Raditz didn't let the slip go unnoticed.

“Oh, that's right. You were too busy. Meanwhile, I was the one left to take care of him. I was the one who put clothes on his back and food in his mouth, while you were running around playing soldier of fortune. Me.”

Bardock looked as if he wanted to say something, but he let it go. Instead, he stood up and walked to the back door. He took one last look a his sons, before shaking his head and disappearing into the darkness.

When they were alone, Raditz slammed his fist down on the table again. Kakarott didn't move, afraid to draw attention to himself. After a few minutes of staring off into space, Raditz spoke to him.

“Why are you still sitting there? Clear the table and do the dishes.”

Kakarott got up to obey immediately. There was silence in the little kitchen for a while except for the clinking of dishes and silverware.

“I'm sorry,” Kakarott said after a while, hoping that it was enough.

Raditz sighed.

“I don't need to hear that from you,” he replied in a low voice. He stood up and left Kakarott alone.

A.N: Did you like it? I promise to keep the updates coming. I already have the next chapter in mind. Keep reading!