Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ More Than Meets the Eye ❯ Chapter 1: Hard to Say Goodbye ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Just to remind you, I don't own Dragonball Z or anything quite that exciting, I'm just a fan yada yada…

Thank you for reviews I know it's a fairly common plot (not quite as much as Goku X Vegeta, but still) I have a few yummy ideas that should keep it relatively interesting, I hope :p This chapter is a bit of miserymush, but I kinda wanted to set the mood etc for the stuff that's gonna happen in the next couple, I promise, you will not be bored for long!

Ch1: Hard to Say Goodbye

Vegeta lay silently on the cliff, his hands folded behind his head as a warm breeze rustled the grass around him and the hair on his head, it had been a long week, too long. He remembered it all too well, just Monday the onna, Bulma, he should at least give her that respect… Just those 6 days ago she'd been shouting at him for breaking his gravity room again, Trunks had fixed it for him; she was getting slow and shaky, he'd not known how quickly ningen aged, he'd done a double take, finally noticing the fine lines and even deep wrinkles on her previously almost flawless face. Tuesday was the true hell though, he woke to find her shivering uncontrollably in the bed beside him, clutching her chest, he had no idea what was wrong…

The saiyajin prince sighed, he'd flown her to hospital, she'd been there for several hours, once he heard that she'd be fine, just needed rest, then, an hour later she was gone. Trunks and Bra had appeared soon after, when they sensed his ki wavering, they'd both left their families to find out what was wrong and where their mother's ki had gone. Heart attack, that's what they had called it, his son had explained how it worked, his daughter wept bitterly into her hands. He embraced them both, allowing them to sob into his strong shoulders, he did not feel the need to cry but he did feel a sense of loss. Yesterday, Saturday had been her funeral, they thought the sunshine was unfitting, what was just how ningen viewed death he supposed, he thought the sunlight was very representative of her path to the afterlife, she'd be going somewhere better after all.

He lay there calculating for several minutes then let out a bitter chuckle, how very ironic; Bulma had passed away 75 years to the day after he'd last seen her, he was sure she was dead by now, that was why he felt so painfully hollow. Vegeta growled quietly to himself as he felt the ki of the only other saiyajin in existence approach his position at a reasonable speed. He rolled onto his side and curled into a foetal position, perhaps Kakarot would not notice him if he made himself small enough. A large heavy hand rested on his shoulder, no such luck, that lug could never leave him to his own thoughts could he. “Vegeta, are you ok?” the taller man enquired, almost sounding genuinely concerned to the untrusting prince.

“Hn” he simply uttered “what do you think baka?”

The hand on his shoulder squeezed lightly “You know I lost Chichi last year, and Bulma was one of my oldest friends, you can talk to me” Vegeta tensed under Goku's hand and hissed “this is not simply about the onna”

He then shrugged the heavy hand from his shoulder and blasted away as fast as he could. Why was it that everyone always refused to let him think even for a moment?

Goku let his hand drop onto the cool grass after Vegeta left, he sighed, settling himself on the edge of the cliff his feet dangling into nothingness as he watched the faint yellow trail of the prince's ki disappear in the distance. “Why do you always have to pretend you have no feelings Vegeta, I know something's wrong with you” the tall saiyajin let out an exasperated sigh, but Vegeta had never and probably would never trust him enough to let him know anything important or painful. The prince would see it as a sign of weakness but Goku considered it only natural to mourn the loss of a companion, he'd been sad for Chichi when she died, he'd mourned for several days in almost total silence despite the fact she tended to be violent and rude towards him constantly. And now Bulma was gone too, Yamucha and Kuririn were getting old, Master Roshi was long gone it wouldn't be long until only those with saiyajin blood would be left, and Piccolo of course, he knew namekians lived a long time so he and Dende would be around for company. Goku rested his chin in his palm, watching the stars with a somewhat melancholy expression, what if the human blood in his sons meant they aged faster too, he was sure Gohan and Goten looked older than he had at their age, but, they have gone through more battles than he had by that age, that must be it, he refused to believe he could outlive his children.

Later that same day, after staring out to sea from that cliff top for several hours he decided to go home, back to his empty little cottage, it wasn't totally empty though, was it… He opened the door to be greeted enthusiastically by a purring creature that wrapped its self round his legs, he scooped up the tiny cat and pressed his cheek against its fuzzy vibrating side. “You hungry Toast?” a pair of big green eyes stared at him for a few seconds before the little creature dived away from him and headed straight for the kitchen, Goku chuckled “yeah, me too” `guruguruguru' his stomach agreed. The tall saiyajin heated some oil, chopped vegetables and boiled noodles before tossing them all into a large pan to make enough stir fry to feed a small army, after depositing a sizeable amount of a plate he removed the bones from a fish and placed it on a small saucer for Toast. He set to his meal, eating with gusto for a few moments then slowing, he was not really all that hungry after all, what a waste. The little white cat tucked happily into her meal as Goku gently stroked the soft fur along her back. He'd received her as a kitten from Bulma last year, a little while after Chichi died as something to keep him company, Gohan had his own family to attend to and he rarely saw Goten, the boy was always off doing something, but he never stated what.

Goku was roused from a fitful sleep, Toast still curled on his stomach, the small television seeming to mumble something into the darkness of the room. He glanced about to find what had woken him and half sat up in surprise “Goten?” The form that had snuck in turned to face him then made its way to one of the soft recliners “Sorry dad, I thought you'd already be in bed” the senior of the two shook his head “nah, I was gonna watch something, but I forgot what it was…”

His son smiled and shook his head “where have you been Goten? The only time I've seen you in weeks was Bulma's funeral.” The younger slumped in his chair “I was training with Trunks, then I was consoling him”

Goku sighed “poor guy, he's had a rough year too” his son nodded thoughtfully

“Yeah, his divorce from Brooke and the custody battle over Nemi, and now his mum…”

The two son males awoke to find themselves still in the living room, there was a loud knocking at the door that Goku rose to answer, smiling cheerfully seeing his older son standing there with his youngest grandchild. “Gohan! And my little monster” He scooped the small wild haired boy from his son's arms with a grin, the youngster giggling excitedly as he was spun around by his grandfather. “Hey dad, Vedel's gone all day today and I've not got work so I thought I should bring Pepper to see his granddad”

Goku ushered his older son inside “Goten's already here, we haven't all been together like this for years” he grinned, placing the small child on the flood “The Son boys all together again with new addition” it was Goten's turn to pick up the hyperactive child whom had already started leaping around the furniture “Son-Pepper” He proceeded to tickle his nephew and shrieking giggles filled and almost seemed to light up the entire home.

Vegeta sat in the lotus position under the heavy flow of Piccolo's waterfall, the prince's eyes were closed as he meditated senses heightened but at the same time dulled by the rushing water past his ears. His solid ebony eyes opened to find a face almost level with his and he met it with a growl, Piccolo ignored the saiyajin and took up position at the other side of the cascade, his signature indicating he was swiftly in a meditative state, Vegeta returned to his own.

Several hours later Vegeta was roused from his state by a voice “why are you here?” the deep tones of the namekian questioned.

“Hn, is it not obvious” the prince stated with some irritation “I came to meditate, is it so hard to believe?”

Silence once more, Piccolo returning to the depths of his own mind, Vegeta himself could not, he was hungry, famished in fact so blasting away in the direction of capsule corp. he changed his mind, vanishing away toward the horizon. The Namekian opened his eyes for a moment to see the prince disappear off, he'd disturbed the calm drastically, it would take a while to get it back.