Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Idomu ❯ Chapter 14 ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: Macha

Disclaimer: I don't own DB/Z/GT or any of the characters found in this fic. They are the property of TOEI ANIMATION in Japan and FUNimation in the U.S.A. I am not making any profit from this.

Rating - NC-17

Warnings - INCEST. And although I don't know that it is so much a warning for this group as it is an encouragement…Yaoi (M/M, M/M/M). Followed by, ice, fire, voyeurism, body modification, bonding, tails, S & M, slave/master, character death, lemons, limes, random Japanese terms, A/U, wishes. (And I apologize for any other warnings I have forgotten!)

Pairings - (stepping out on a limb here folks) Lemons: Prince Vegeta/Kakarott/Gohan, K/Gh, PV/K, Radditz/Gh, V/Gh, V/G.

A/N: THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME HOSHI!

Idomu - Chapter 14

Vegeta's movement to shut the door was blocked as Gohan followed him in, “Leave it open,” Gohan instructed.

Vegeta watched the other curiously as he began to strip while moving further into the room, “What are you up to?” he asked suspiciously.

Gohan dropped his shirt to the floor, waved his tail in an enticing motion, and looked over his shoulder, “The seduction of Kakarott: phase two.”

Vegeta grunted as he took his hand away from the door's edge: it still seemed very weird to hear Gohan use his father's sayian name when referring to Kakarott. Thoughts of weirdness turned to those of lust as he watched Gohan move. Nothing overt, resting his elbows on a counter top, upper torso bent over, tail twining and untwining from his own thighs, knees flexing slowly, lifting one hip before lowering it back and raising the other. Vegeta took his shirt off quickly, growling in appreciation at the nuance of the other's movements.

Gohan looked over his shoulder back at Vegeta, flicked his tail once, and purred in response to the sayian's deep growl. He gasped as Vegeta's hands were suddenly halting the movements of his hips, fingers digging in demandingly, pulling him back with a quick jerk: not enough to pull him from the counter, but enough he could feel heat and friction as their still clothed legs rubbed against each others'.

Vegeta shook his head in reaction to Gohan, running his nails over the other's spine. Gripped his sides, and then pulled back again, moving slowly. He couldn't quite place a finger on it, but anything the other did…it made him want to growl and bite: and thrust hard. He purred as the fantasy of it being the father instead of the son quickly came and went. That was dangerous ground: Kakarott wouldn't know what to do with himself in this situation, “How do you think your father will react, if he shows up, and the door is open?” he questioned, just before leaning over and pressing his lips just over Gohan's spine and started kissing up.

“Hmmmm,” Gohan mused, “I don't know: kind of what I wanted to find out.”

Vegeta shook his head as he hooked his fingers in the hem of Gohan's pants and dragged them down his legs, nipping at his tail when the kid got it too close too his face, “What if…what if he comes in?” Vegeta couldn't help but ask.

Gohan shook his head as he stood straight long enough to remove the material pooled around his feet, “He's not that gutsy…yet,” he turned and smirked, returning the favor of removed clothing, “What would you do if he did though?” Gohan leaned away from the counter and whispered in Vegeta's ear as the sayian frowned at the thought, “Would you be interested in being the middle of a sayian sandwich?” he purred.

Vegeta snarled, reached a hand for Gohan's throat and backed him up against the counter's edge, “If I were interested, it would be on my terms, not yours,” he said threateningly.

Gohan nodded, barely keeping a smirk off of his face: he liked it when Vegeta pushed him around.

~o0o~

Goten steadied his glass of water before it fell off of the kitchen counter, “They're at it again. You're dad's a perv,” he commented to Trunks before shoving another handful of peanuts into his mouth.

Trunks shook his head and took a drink of water from his own glass. Which he promptly spit out, on accident, “Well, if my dad is a perv, what does that make yours?” he asked archly as both of them detected Goku's ki make a sudden, though not unexpected, appearance.

Goten rolled his eyes, “Okay, so they are both pervs, yours is a cradle robber, and mine is a peeping tom.”

Trunks leered at his friend, just before his mom stormed through the hallway mumbling something about foundations and sayians, “Oh, crap…”

Goten laughed as he watched his friend get up hurriedly, “MOM! STOP!” he heard shouted from the hallway: everyone knew what was happening, but neither of them thought Bulma knew of Goku's…involvement. Moments later Trunks returned leading Bulma into the kitchen.

“He needs to stop rocking the building! I found cracks in the bathroom plaster this morning,” Bulma huffed, “Why can't he do this in the G.R. or something?”

“I agree, just…talk to him after, okay,” Trunks turned pleading eyes to his friend.

“Yeah, kick them out after,” Goten agreed. He didn't want to know how any of the three of them would react if Bulma found Goku watching….

Bulma sighed, grimaced as she was thrown off balance, and turned to the intercom system, pressing the button, “VEGETA! You are ROCKING THE BUILDING.”

Everything suddenly became still. Bulma shook her head before leaving the kitchen to head back to her home office.

Goten looked at Trunks, and Trunks looked back. They exploded into fits of laughter moments later.

~o0o~

Goku stood with his back pressed to the hallway wall, panting, palms flat against the slowly warming surface. He slowly let himself slide down it until he was sitting on the cool tile flooring. He certainly had not been expecting them to leave the door open.

It was much clearer now, what they were saying to each other while they had sex: some of it wasn't very nice at all, and Goku had to admit, he'd liked it better when they had kept him guessing.

What was up with that any way? The door open? It was ridiculous to think they didn't know he was here, so if they knew…then why?

Was it to scare him off? `Cause…it was almost working. Goku flinched at a particularly loud groan from his son. If they wanted privacy in the first place, they could pick a room with no window in the door.

Was it an invitation? Were they expecting him to just come waltzing in? `Cause that wouldn't happen either. Goku snarled quietly: he would never be able to compete with his son in this….

Wait, when had this become about competing? And for wh…

Goku shook his head at himself, he knew exactly what: not even he could fool himself on that one.

“VEGETA! You are ROCKING THE BUILDING!” Goku squeaked as Bulma's voice came over the speaker system. After his heart had settled back into his chest, he realized things had become much more still…wait, Bulma knew?

There was a quiet growl and a responsive chuckle from the room behind him. He heard murmuring, but couldn't quite make out what was being said: then, “Close your eyes,” Gohan's voice requested. Goku twisted his head to look at the doorway, but no one was standing there.

“I don't think…” Vegeta's rough voice carried easily.

“That's right, don't think, just close your eyes,” quiet coaxing. Goku wondered what they were doing, and even more questions popped up as he felt his son's ki diminish: they hadn't used the ki cuffs in a couple of months….

…Goku's curiosity got the better of him, and he managed to convince himself to peek through the doorway. He twisted to his knees and stretched until he could see what was going on.

It was very strange, at least compared to what he could remember for these two. Vegeta was moving quite slow, Gohan's moans were softer, though no less intense, the touches more gentle….

…And kisses. Goku couldn't remember a time he'd actually witnessed them kiss: and it was Vegeta who had initiated it. He wanted to scream, roar, howl….

…Instead he sat on the floor, a frustrated, obsessing voyeur, made so by his cowardice in this, and his endless fascination with Vegeta….

“Oh god,” it slipped from his mouth so quietly Goku didn't realize he'd said it aloud.

“Kakarott,” Goku was certain he had heard that, but, Vegeta wasn't looking at him, nor had he said it angrily…

Goku watched as Gohan shifted his head quickly as Vegeta made to kiss over that ugly scar on his son's shoulder, “Don't lose yourself that far,” Gohan whispered, running a hand through Vegeta's hair.

Vegeta nodded, going back to kissing at Gohan's lips, then neck, though on the opposite side. He pressed his forehead to the other's chest, growling softly, “I want him, so badly.”

Gohan closed his eyes, nodding in understanding, responding by twining his tail with Vegeta's soothingly, running hands tentatively over the other's scarred back. He sighed as he felt his father's ki leave, “Do you want to stop?” this was pointless now. Neither of them wanted to do this slow shit with the other….

“Make me forget, Gohan,” Vegeta requested.

Gohan frowned, that was going to be a fairly difficult thing to accomplish. “Let me up,” he spoke quietly, moaned as Vegeta with drew from him, and slipped down from the counter. He grinned, patting the surface with a bare hand, “Lay back: relax.”

Vegeta gave Gohan a curious look, but did as asked. He closed his eyes again as Gohan straddled him, “You ready for a good ride?”

Vegeta shook his head at the question, “You think you got what it takes?” he challenged.

Gohan's response was a smirk, “Ah yeah.”

~o0o~

Gohan sighed as he continued to repair another damaged probe. He was certain Vegeta took perverse pleasure in demolishing them, but he couldn't find a better target. The sayian's power level was the most constant, because of his steady training regiment.

He closed the last compartment, and set the probe on the data dock, hoping it would have time to charge before the last one he had sent out came back on its own, or in Vegeta's hand.

“I see he broke another one,” Gohan spun in his chair as he heard Bulma's voice from the doorway.

Gohan smiled, a hint of laughter in his voice, “Yeah.”

“I can't tell what is making this project more expensive,” Bulma sighed as she walked the rest of the way into the room, “You saying you need more time and equipment, or Vegeta killing off half of the project,” Bulma picked up one on the charred remains of a probe, shook her head again, and set it back down.

“Is that your way of asking if I know anything new?” Gohan asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Nah, it's just my way of telling you I've had to fend off the auditors again,” Bulma shrugged, not showing much of the concern she actually felt. She was determined this project would take as long as it needed to be complete, and days like this made her think she couldn't stick with that goal…they just wore her out. She smirked, “And a couple of the more nosy employees have suggested if I weren't so interested in keeping my husband's boy toy happily employed….”

Gohan gulped, he'd wondered when they were going to have this conversation: he certainly hadn't been expecting to have it in such a setting though - or for it to have taken this long. He decided to change tactics; hopefully delay the confrontation… “I've tried to keep up the progress on this project. The magnetic enhancers are wonderful for moving the probe from place to place, which would be the space part of the problem: I've managed to get one out to Old Namek...took a little longer than those that stay here on Earth…Anyway, it's the time part of the problem that keeps getting me stuck…I swear, I am working on it…”

Bulma shook her head, smirk still in place, and now laughter in her voice, “You sweat it too easily, Gohan, it's almost no fun giving you a bad time!”

Gohan could feel the blush creeping across his nose, cheeks and to the tip of his ears, “Well, you see, you and I haven't actually talked about it….”

Bulma waved a hand to signal it wasn't necessary, “Vegeta and I have, that's all that matters…what the…” she started to say, looking around, as a buzzing noise started growing in the lab. She covered her ears, as it quickly became an intolerable screeching. Her eyes focused on Gohan, who was doing the same, who shook his head to indicate he had no idea what it was either.

Movement to the side of them had both of their eyes shifting quickly. The probe that had been docked was lifting from the dock, and the one that had been out took its place as the screeching continued, and then the recently repaired one popped out of existence. They both sagged in gratefulness at the resounding quiet that followed its exit.

“What was that?” Bulma asked wide-eyed.

Gohan shook his head, before looking up, “Oh, shit, if that thing gets to Vegeta…I'll- I'll be right back!”

Bulma took a seat after he left, rubbing her temples. Moments later Gohan was back, “It didn't get there,” he had a strange, confused look on his face, “I've timed them, it doesn't take them more than 32 seconds to get there.”

“I don't know what to tell you, Gohan. Do they always do that?” Bulma asked.

Gohan shook his head, taking a seat again, “No. I had just repaired that one: apparently incorrectly,” he sighed, “I hope where ever it has gotten to, it isn't making that awful noise.”

“At the rate those vibrations were working? It'll probably break apart in a matter of minutes,” Bulma mused, “Probably ought to add a requisition for more parts,” she advised.

Gohan groaned; that's all he needed. Taking a requisition down to purchasing…it was a good thing the department wasn't customer service oriented: they certainly never made a person feel welcome, especially if said person were asking for money to replace something they had broken…repeatedly.

Bulma shook her head, but held no sympathy. She'd hired those people to do exactly what they were doing: keeping a watchful eye on what the company was spending, “I'll leave you to that,” she said quietly before standing and walking out of the lab.

~o0o~

Two weeks later, Gohan strolled tiredly into his lab, coffee in hand, eyes half closed as he fired up his computer to begin another uneventful day of calculations and small-scale manufacturing.

He took a sip of coffee, swinging to face the rest of the lab from his chair, eyes searching white boards and tables, sizing up which of many projects waiting he wanted to start on first. He turned back to his computer as it blipped at him, and yawned as the data from the probe that had come in over night….

…Wait, the last probe had come in before he had turned in for the night.

No, this was new data, but for the life of him, Gohan couldn't remember having sent it out before he left, “I need a vacation,” he grumbled, clicking the chart to a higher rating.

He frowned, wondering if someone had decided to tamper with the project. The key for Vegeta's reading was flat lined…so was his for that matter. The only one that seemed to be operational was Trunks', and that was just weird. If the probe were malfunctioning, why would it pick up on any of their kis at all?

He set his coffee cup aside to type at the keys in an annoyed fashion. He usually didn't bother looking at these…just repeats of what he knew…wait.

Capsule Corp was in shambles. Wait, this thing had been out at night, why was he seeing pictures in the full light of day? The computer screen flashed through photos of different portions of the compound. The one building that stood wasn't even the round structure he was used to seeing….

…A quick ki scan told him everyone was healthy, in bed, and probably asleep.

What was he looking at then?

And then, there was Trunks…or, no….Gohan shook his head: not the Trunks he was familiar with.

“Mirai?”

Gohan turned to look at the probe in the dock. It looked a little disheveled, compared to the probe that had undocked and settled on the counter besides it, anyway.

It took a moment longer for all the data to pile up and come to a conclusion in Gohan's less than operational, tired brain.

He had done it.

He didn't know how he had done it, but the evidence was right there.

“WHAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” he looked around quickly after his whoop, a little embarrassed, and then realized, there wasn't anyone up at that hour.

“Bulma,” he was out of his chair and locking the lab down without thinking much more than his need to have someone help him figure out what had happened so differently this time.

Vegeta growled and hugged his wife closer as someone annoyingly knocked on their bedroom door, “Bulma? Are you awake?” Another persistent knock had Vegeta climbing out of bed, ready to blast whoever was trying to wake his wife at this unholy hour.

He'd barely touch the knob when his brain functions told him who was at the door, but not fast enough for him to react and not open it. “Gohan.”

“Is Bulma awake?” Gohan tried not to size Vegeta up, but it was really difficult not to do when the sayian was standing there, butt-ass naked.

Vegeta frowned, tail whipping: he'd obviously let the other become too familiar with him if he thought he could knock on their bedroom door any time he chose, “No…”

“I am now, Vegeta,” Bulma mumbled as she shifted to sit up in the bed, tiredly running a hand through her hair while the other held the sheet to her chest.

“I think I got it to work,” Gohan said in a rush from the doorway. If it had been anyone other than the sayian blocking his way, Gohan had a feeling he'd have already entered the room in his excitement.

That woke Bulma up a bit more, “Think?”

“Yeah, I don't remember sending this probe out last night, but the data on my computer this morning…”

“Give me some time to get dressed and eat something, I'll be down there as quickly as possible,” Bulma said, too excited now to go back to sleep.

Gohan nodded, stood there, until Vegeta growled, “Oh, sorry,” he hesitated a bit more before heading back down to his lab. He was too keyed up. His hands were actually shaking!

Vegeta closed the door, grumbling slightly, “It's the weekend: you're supposed to be able to sleep in,” he told his wife from where he stood, perfectly able to watch her as she put a bra on and then moved around in the darkness of the bedroom. He flinched a bit as she turned a light in the closet on.

“Breakthroughs don't always happen when it is convenient,” Bulma tried to reason quietly as she pulled a T-shirt off a hanger.

Vegeta yawned, tail stretching out behind him, not bothering to respond as he headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

Bulma shook her head as she pulled some jeans on, put on some socks and slipped into some loosely tied tennis shoes.

She was quite surprised when she walked into the kitchen, smell of coffee hitting her nose, “Hi Mom, you're up early,” she said as she made her way to the kitchen cupboards.

“Good morning, honey. I thought I would try that recipe Gohan brought back with regular flour,” Bunni explained. Bunni hummed as she added something else to the mixing bowl, “Those plants sure are stubborn.”

Bulma smiled at her mother. It really wasn't that unusual for her mom to talk about plants like they had ideas and personalities, “Well, you will get them to grow for you. If anyone can get them to grow, it'll be you, Mom.” Then a thought hit Bulma, “Which recipe?” she asked a bit hesitantly.

Bunni smiled, finally looking up at her daughter, “The pastry one dear. Not that interested in trying to brew alcohol this early in the morning.”

Bulma shook her head at herself, “I should have known.”

“I'll chalk it up to you being up so early,” her mother assured her.

“Thanks mom…oh, um, I'll be down in the labs…”

“On a Saturday?” Bunni asked.

“Yeah…” Bulma stirred some sugar into her coffee cup.

“I'll bring you some breakfast when it's done,” Bunni said, “You working with anyone?”

“Yeah, Gohan,” Bulma mentioned.

“I'll bring enough for him also.”

“Thanks Mom,” Bulma grabbed her coffee and headed for the labs.

She snorted as she entered Gohan's lab to find him pacing back and forth, “Okay, show me,” she laughed as he jumped.

Gohan pulled out a chair in front of his computer and indicated he wanted her to sit in it with a wave of his hand, “Okay, so here is the data from the probe sent out at 6 pm last night, and came back at 8…”

“You were here until 8 p.m. last night?” Bulma asked, a bit concerned. She had known Gohan was dedicated to this project…she just didn't realize how dedicated until now.

“Yeah…anyway, you can see my ki reading, Vegeta's, my dad's, Piccolo's, Goten's, Trunks',” running a finger tip over each as he explained who they were.

The way Gohan just shrugged off the hours he was putting in had Bulma concerned, but she nodded she understood what Gohan was pointing out and then asked, “You're not using humans?”

Gohan shook his head, “No, their ki is not constantly high enough, although that can be fine-tuned later,” he said. He moved for the keyboard, and Bulma shifted a bit so he had room to type, “And here is the data from the one that came in last night…”

“The one you don't remember sending it out?” Bulma asked, before she looked back at the screen, and gapped, “Where is everyone? I only see Trunks'.”

“Exactly,” Gohan stated, “So I went to the photos, I haven't had to do that much lately, all the data's been pretty much the same.”

“Okay…” Bulma stated.

Gohan hit a key command on the keyboard, and a picture of Trunks popped up, “Mirai?”

“Wow, didn't take you long to figure that out…” Gohan started.

“I am his mom…or, this Trunks' mom, I can tell the difference,” Bulma frowned, looking closer. Same slight frown, even longer hair, and a scar across his nose she didn't remember from his previous trips, “Okay, so, I think you got it to do something different,” she agreed, “What is it?”

“That's just it, I don't remember!” Gohan actually clutched his hair as he stood straight.

“Calm down,” Bulma said, taking a sip from her rapidly cooling coffee, “That's the odd one?” she nodded towards the probe in the dock.

“Yeah…”

“Okay, here is what we are going to do. Since I haven't been in on this whole project, we are going to tear one of the normal ones apart, bit by bit,” she smiled as Gohan fidgeted, “I'll fill out the requisitions for the new parts, if any are needed,” she assured him, “Once I know what I am looking at for one of the regulars, we'll take this one apart.”

“Okay,” Gohan smiled, “I…I just don't want to ruin it. It's the only one that's worked.”

“And we'll figure out what made it work,” Bulma promised.

An hour later Bunni interrupted them with food. Bulma barely touched hers, but Gohan wolfed his down in record time, and then finished Bulma's as well. A couple more hours, and they had the example probe taken apart and set out on a table in the precise order it had been dismantled: notes next to each component or piece written down on the table top in permanent marker.

Bulma had the cover of the odd one taken off and was looking at the circuit board when she stopped.

Gohan looked up as Bulma froze, “What is it?”

Bulma leaned in, “These are the crystals, right?” she asked, pointing at the components in question.

Gohan nodded, “Yes?” looking over her shoulder.

“Someone did a very sloppy job of soldering then,” Bulma said, before she realized what she had said, “Sorry, but you did…”

Gohan shrugged, “I'll live with it,” he waited as she followed the solder splash, holding a magnifying glass up to it for a moment.

“It's ran into the circuits for the magnets,” she whispered, thinking.

“You think there was connectivity between the two?” Gohan asked, wondering if or how that would have made things different.

Bulma set the magnifying glass down on the table, biting her bottom lip as her eyes lost focus, “You said you didn't remember sending this one out last night?”

Gohan nodded.

“What if…that's because it went out two weeks ago?” Bulam asked, finally turning to look at him.

“The screecher?” Gohan caught on quickly.

Bulma nodded, “And the reason for the screeching was this,” she pointed down at the solder splash.

“Crystals connected to the magnets?”

“Rotating magnets,” Bulma corrected.

“Oh…you mean like when you take a wet finger around the edge of a crystal glass?” Gohan asked.

“Sort of, not an actual physical touch,” Bulma nodded, “The electricity would be the thing transferring the motion of the magnets to the crystals, and the crystals could possibly be translating the additional data into sound.”

“That didn't sound like that though,” Gohan frowned.

“Well you have three different crystals here, Gohan,” Bulma pointed out, “They'd pitch differently.”

“So…are you indicating sound did this?” Gohan asked, incredulous.

Bulma frowned, a thoughtful look coming over her features again, “Well, it really isn't that far fetched,” she started.

“How so?” Gohan took a seat.

“Well, I remember the boys mentioning when they were stuck in the room of spirit and time, they watched as Buu ripped a hole in dimensions with a yell…that's how that monster, and then later the boys, got out of the room after Piccolo had blasted the door shut.”

“Ooooooh,” Gohan said thoughtfully.

Bulma looked back down at the probe, “I don't think I've damaged it: I'd only taken the cover off before I noticed this,” she said quietly, “Should we put it back on and try it again?”

Gohan rubbed the palms of his hands on his pants, “Um…sure, I guess,” he agreed cautiously, and Bulma had a moment to wonder about his hesitance, “Can we get some of the ear protection equipment from the blast lab first?” he asked.

Bulma laughed, “Of course!”

~o0o~~o0o~

Prince Vegeta gazed out from one eye. This fight certainly had not gone as well as he'd hoped. Firstly, Kakarott had been taken out of the equation by the fact his brother was on the ground dieing, and his mate was trying to administer that CPR thing Gohan had tried to teach them, and was supposed to have given him a senzu shot by now.

Who ever had not been watching Radditz was going to pay. They'd told him to back off when the fight started, but the other had adamantly refused to do so. And then, to top it off, the commander hadn't stayed down the first time the enemy had proven him too weak to be of use in this fight. Oh, no, Radditz had to come back for a second try…like he was looking for death.

So he'd spent the next hour of this fight on his own, as Kakarott, although angry, was wrapped up with trying to get his brother to stay amongst the living.

Secondly, Gohan had not been underestimating this opponent while training them, and it was going to take the two of them working together to finish him off. Which wasn't happening because of the first reason!

“GAH!” he threw a ki attack at the enemy sayian, dodged the ki attack he could see coming his direction out of the peripheral vision of his undamaged eye…straight into the one that came at him, and pierced through him, from his blinded side.

Kakarott looked up as his mate screeched: a tortured, agonized sound…and then he felt nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Brolli smirked down at his target. Now that the two nuisances were out of the way, he'd have no problems finishing off this last opponent. When that was done, he didn't know what he'd do, but this was his goal, for the present.

Too bad about the first sayian he'd had to kill: persistent, beautiful fool. Lived for the moment, Brolli guessed, rather than take his advice.

Something in the last enemy's behavior sparked a flash of concern in the normally fanatical sayian. A brief wondering if maybe he'd gone too far.

By the time he and Kakarott were face to face, it was too late to care. So this was sayian his father had always blamed their fate on…. And people called him insane?

“You'll destroy the planet,” Brolli chocked out, trying to pry the ki charging hands from around his throat as Kakarott pushed him through the planet's crust. As obsessed as he was, even he had the faculty to reason…right now, it seemed his opponent had lost the ability to equate survival…or didn't care.

He received no response other than a snarl. And then fire, from both directions: one the ki of his enemy, the other the heat of the planet's core.

~o0o~~o0o~

Gohan had convinced himself he was doing this out of curiosity to know he could.

And then he had convinced himself he was doing it a second time, because he needed to know the first time he had found it hadn't been a fluke.

And it hadn't been. He'd used Videl's birth date as a point of reference, for the day, and sent out probes on thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of data missions to other dimensions, varying the year, trying to find the one where Vegeta-sei was still intact at the same time.

And came up with 37 dimensions where both occurred.

But only one where his ki was on the planet at the same time.

So he was a little obsessed: who would blame him? Not that he'd go back: no, he could finally tell his emotional scars were healing up. He had learned from his mistakes, and wouldn't make the same ones again….

And then this last probe with its data came back, and the Vegeta-sei of that dimension wasn't there.

Which meant…his Radditz…wasn't there.

And he discovered he wasn't as `cured' as he had thought.

The shaking of his hands stopped as someone came into the lab unexpectedly, “Gohan?”

Gohan quickly turned his computer screen off, before turning around, wondering how his father had managed to come into the room without him detecting it- oh, yeah, obsessed.

“What do you want Dad?” he tried to be cordial, but really, he had other things on his mind other than talking to his father right now.

“Did you forget?” Goku asked.

“Forget?” Gohan repeated.

“Your daughter's high school graduation is today,” Goku shook his head: it was obvious his son had forgotten, “Chichi sent me to get you when you didn't show up,” Goku said, “Come on, we're late!”

“Do I have time to change?” he asked, suddenly ashamed he had let himself become so fixated with this project.

“No! We're late!” Goku said, holding out his hand.

Gohan sighed, as he placed his hand in his father's, flinched a bit at the sensation of traveling through space in the blink of an eye.

And into the middle of a crowd of people. Gohan shook his head as several people gaped at them. How his father knew where to place them where they didn't actually run into someone on re-entry…now that was quite a trick.

“Goku,” Chichi chastised as she patted her chest, “You scared me.”

“Sorry hun,” Goku smiled, placing a hand behind his head in embarrassment.

Chichi swallowed, “No, it's okay, you made it,” she turned her attention to her eldest, “You're late!” she whispered harshly as the graduating class's song began to play over a P.A. system.

“Sorry, Mom,” Gohan said quietly as he took a seat.

He tried to pay attention, he really did, but there were so many graduating students before his daughter came up on the stage, and it gave him lots of time to think…worry.

What had happened? A single day had made that much of a difference in the other time line? One day his ki had been there, he'd been expecting it to be gone, but the planet still there after.

One day… “Son Pan,” his daughter was announced as she came up on stage, and he had a moment to reflect how much she had grown over the last few years. He smiled as his mother clapped the loudest, adding his own, wishing to holler his approval, but knowing his mother would think it totally inappropriate.

He smiled as Pan looked towards them, and waved cheerfully as she walked off the stage, and Gohan waved back enthusiastically. After that brief moment of interruption, he had some time to reflect again.

If that were the case, then he understood why Shenron had sent him back in time as well as across time lines. Okay, so, if one day was the difference, then, he'd try to fine-tune the probes for hours, instead of days.

Yeah…that's what he'd do.

The valedictorian's speech was boring: blah, blah, blah.

And then hats were being thrown in the air, “Come on,” Chichi grabbed both his and his father's hands, tugging them to get over to Pan.

“Hi Daddy,” Pan said, giving him a hug.

It was an awkward moment for Gohan. He hadn't been the best of fathers since his return, throwing himself into his work, probably more than what was healthy. She was quite a bit taller than the last time he'd seen her, “Wow…you look more like your great aunt than you know…”

Chichi frowned, but didn't interrupt the moment.

Pan blushed, “Well, is that a complement?”

Gohan smiled, nodding, “Yes, it was meant as a complement,” he squeezed her again, “Congratulations!”

“I am so glad you made it!” Pan said before pushing him back, frowning, “You've gotten thinner,” she accused.

Gohan's tail whipped at the unwanted attention, “Yeah,” but he didn't go into the fact he'd been focusing on…yeah, best not to discuss that. Everyone here was under the impression he was doing better.

“Hello, Gohan,” Videl squeezed herself between a couple of other gathered groups of people.

Gohan gulped, “Hi Videl.”

He didn't know what to make of the smile, “Hey, Pan! Is that your dad?” another student in graduation robes asked from a distance.

Pan rolled her eyes at her friend's timing, having noted the tense moment between her parents, “I'll be right back,” she said in a serious tone, “Grandpa, grandma, come with me?” Goku shrugged, and Chichi nodded.

“Uh-oh,” Videl's eyes widened as she watched her daughter move off, “Going to introduce her `other grandfather' to her friends,” she laughed, “How have you been?” she asked, turning back to Gohan.

“Um…busy,” he hoped Videl wouldn't make a public scene.

“Relax. I hated you for a long time. I am over it now,” she said with a simple shrug.

Gohan placed a hand behind his head, really uncomfortable, “Yeah, well, I wish I could say the same…”

“Still hurts?” Videl asked, “Sorry, none of my business…” she sighed.

Gohan shrugged, “Valid question, and yeah, I guess it does.”

Videl nodded.

“Watch it, freak,” Gohan turned in surprise at someone's comment, realizing his tail was swinging. He growled as he tucked it back around his waist.

“Not here,” Videl begged him, a little surprised to see Gohan's expression. She had never seen him behave like that.

“I could squash him,” he watched the teenager move away with a deadly glare as a bunch of his friends laughed with him.

“There'd be no challenge in it, Gohan,” Videl assured him.

“Feh,” he was irritated enough right now, and he'd grown unused to crowds…

“Chichi!” Gohan's head swung in the direction he'd last seen his daughter and parents moving off at the sound of his dad's panicked voice.

“That didn't sound good…” Gohan had just enough time to hear his ex say as he moved as quickly through the crowd as possible without hurting people.

“Stand back people!” he heard his daughter's voice warn others off.

“Pan, what's going on?” he asked, as he saw her head above the crowd of people just standing around. He didn't see his father….

…Oh, there, kneeling next to his mother, “Oh…no,” no, not this too.

He realized his pain wasn't as much as his father's was going to be as Goku turned teary eyes up to him, “We need to get her to the hospital.”

“Someone call an ambulance!” Pan yelled, “My grandmother's had a heart attack!”

Gohan touched his dad's shoulder, “Can you focus?”

Goku nodded, pulling Chichi into his arms, standing, and then passing her to Gohan as he focused on any kis he could detect in the direction he knew the nearest hospital to be in from previous visits with his granddaughter, and then to see her other granddad in the hospital.

Videl made it just as the two sayians left with her ex-mother-in-law between them, in time to hug her daughter, “Come on Pan, we need to catch up,” she said, tugging on her daughter's shoulders to get her to respond.

“SOMEONE HELP!” Goku's shout made Gohan blanch as their journey came to a stop in the middle of a white tiled hallway, “Help,” Goku whispered this time, taking Chichi from Gohan's arms.

“Dad…” Gohan started, “DAD! We need to find the emergency room: ground floor.” He growled in frustration, looking for the nearest set of stairs as his father managed to get two fingers to his forehead despite holding his mother.

He slammed into the release bar of the door at the end of the stairs as he made it to the bottom floor, coming in on chaos Goku was creating while trying to get someone to help his wife, “She's having a heart attack. She needs a doctor!” he snarled at some poor fool who had dared ask him the `what's wrong' question. “Are you a doctor?”

“No”

“Then fucking get one!”

“DAD!”

“No one in this gods damned place gives a damn!” Goku snarled at his son.

“Dad,” Gohan said in a more reasonable tone.

“Excuse me…”

“WHAT!?” Goku turned on someone who had approached him quietly from behind.

“I am a doctor. I understand your wife is having a heart attack?”

Goku nodded, holding Chichi out to the man.

Who cleared his throat, “Will you please set her down here?” the doctor indicated a gurney on the other side of the hallway.

“You have to help her,” Goku said, placing his wife down gently on the moveable bed.

The doctor put a stethoscope to his ears as he moved forward. Placed his instrument against Chichi's chest, listened a moment before placing two fingers of his free hand to her neck. He removed both before pulling a penlight out of his smock pocket and pulled her eyelids back, one at a time, flashing the light into them.

He sighed, shaking his head, “I am sorry…”

Goku snarled, “Sorry?”

“We can't…”

“Don't tell me you can't!” Goku grabbed the man by his smock front and lifted him off of the ground, “Get those electronic shocking thingies…”

“Dad!”

“Dephibulator?” the doctor squeaked.

“YEAH!”

“It won't work…”

Goku threw the man to the ground. Gohan heard something crack, but knew that had been much more gentle than he'd been expecting, “Fucking useless piece of…” Goku's tirade vanished at the same time he did with Chichi's body.

“Crap,” Gohan said, heading for the exit.

“Someone get a medical team…I think my leg is broken,” he heard behind him as he waited impatiently for the automatic doors to open.

He was just about to blast off after clearing the hospitals overhang, when he heard his name being shouted from behind him, “GOHAN!”

“DAD!”

He stopped, “The doctor declared her dead,” Gohan stated, emotions of worry and loss warring within him, but he had to get to his dad…that was his first priority.

“Where are you going?” Pan asked, slightly out of breath.

Gohan frowned, “I…” he took a moment to scan for his father's ki, hoping he hadn't hidden it, “Back to Capsule Corporation,” he said.

“We'll meet you there,” Pan waved him ahead as she waited for her mom to climb back on piggyback style. Even with the extra weight, she'd be faster than her mother's top flight speed.

Gohan didn't wait.

~o0o~

“Where is it?”

Bulma squealed at the question growled from behind her.

She turned, “Goku?” she squeaked. That hadn't sounded much like the man she knew. “What happened to Chichi?”

“Heart attack. Fucking useless doctors! Where is the senzu formula my son was so proud of creating?”

“Um…” Bulma pointed: she'd never truly been afraid of her friend, until now.

Goku snarled, “That isn't much to go on.”

“Follow me,” Bulma said, managing to stand. She tripped once, in her hurry to appease her friend, kicked off her heels, and started running down the hall, the sayian right at her back.

Goku placed his wife down on a counter as Bulma opened a refrigerator, and pulled out one of the syringes.

Bulma bit her lip as she pushed the needle through Chichi's rib cage, and pressed the stopper down until all the formula was gone. Then she pulled it out, and panicked as nothing happened.

“Give her another,” Goku snarled.

“Goku…”

“I SAID GIVE HER ANOTHER!” Goku roared at her, “GAH!” he spat in disgust as Bulma just stood there, staring at him, shaking in terror: she didn't know the meaning of terror!

He pushed her out of the way to get to the refrigerator, pulled it open, had one moment of panic as he reached his hand to grab at the needles, tamped down on his fear, and pulled one out, following the same process as Bulma had, by trying to put the senzu formula directly into Chichi's heart.

Again nothing.

He pulled another out of the refrigerator, “Kakarott.”

Goku snarled, “Get the fuck out, Vegeta.”

“You are scaring my wife,” Vegeta pointed out as he moved into the room. He made a tiny motion with his hand at Bulma, trying to get the woman to move away from Kakarott.

Bulma scooted along the wall, trying to slowly edge away from her obviously grieving friend. As soon as there was enough space between the two of them, Vegeta moved himself into position.

“She's not leaving!” Goku growled. “I may still need her…”

“Your wife is dead, Kakarott,” Vegeta blanched. That had sounded particularly cruel, even to him.

Kakarott's hands came down, as though all the strength had suddenly left him, “No,” he shook his head.

Vegeta moved closer, nodding, “Yes. Give me the syringe,” he held out his hand.

Goku shook his head, backing up and pulling the hand still holding the thing Vegeta had requested of him further away, protecting it possessively.

“Kakarott!” Vegeta demanded.

“Just…just let me try one more,” Goku begged, “Please, Vegeta…”

Vegeta found himself in a dilemma…if he didn't let Kakarott try, the sayian may very well IT out of the room with his wife's body…he heard a squeak from behind him, someone's sneakers slowing on the tiled floor, but couldn't take his eyes off of Kakarott…the sayian moved too fast.

Goku growled at seeing his son at the doorway, “Goten.”

Goten gasped, seeing his mother's body on the table. The doorframe splintered as he crushed it beneath clinching fingers, “No,” he slowly slid down until his knees hit the floor. He turned a questioning look up to his father.

Goku's numb fingers dropped the syringe, “I'm sorry…I-I couldn't…”

Trunks skidded to a halt at the doorway, in full view of the room. Goku noticed what he was holding and snarled, “Fuck you.”

Vegeta quickly snatched at Kakarott's hands as he noted them raise towards his face.

There was a brief struggle between the two, objects in the room being tossed about, before Goku was pinned between the reinforced concrete wall of the basement labs and Vegeta's body, “Let me go,” he didn't have the energy to struggle any more…what was the use?

“Not this time, Kakarott,” Vegeta flicked his tail at his son, indicating Trunks should approach.

“Sorry, Goku,” Trunks said as he buckled one of the ki restraints over the wrists his father held out.

“Vegeta, don't do this,” Goku begged.

“Trunks…” Vegeta tucked Kakarott's head onto his chest as he nodded towards Chichi's body.

“Come on, Goten,” Vegeta heard his wife's voice from the doorway, and watched as the youngest sayian nodded meekly, following her away.

Trunks sighed, picking up Chichi's body, and leaving the room quietly.

“No,” Kakarott shook his head against Vegeta's chest from where the other sayian had tucked it down between strong arms and forceful hands. He knew what was going on even if Vegeta wasn't letting him watch…he fisted his hands and punched Vegeta's sides…weakly…so angry…so confused…why had Chichi had to go now?

“No…” Kakarott repeated and then Vegeta found himself with another sobbing sayian in his arms.

This time it wasn't so awkward: he knew what to do better now….

~o0o~