Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sole Survivors ❯ The heir...and the spare ( Chapter 12 )

Sole Surviors by QueenSaiyajin

queensaiyajin@aol.com

{Sorry so long for an update. Thus is the life of a schoolteacher. I promise more to come soon as this epic heads towards an ending… Thanks for your patience and nice comments.}

Chapter Twelve: The heir…and the spare

"All right," he told the dragon. His eyes were fixed on hers as he proclaimed, "If that's what it will take to make this wish-I will remain on this planet."

Bulma gasped, incredulous. Had Vegeta just renounced his right to return to Vegeta-sei, to claim the Saiyan throne…?

What would you have me do, woman? Nothing is as important as that child. "We are agreed?" he asked her quietly.

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears, her heart bursting with her love and pride in him.

"Ouji-sama, you can not do this-" Bardock began.

"I have no choice, Captain," he replied tersely. "I think I made my priorities clear to you." He paused, taking a deep breath, the weight of what he was doing bearing down upon him. "My duty to my people cannot outweigh my duty to my own son."

Bardock nodded his understanding, but then Goku stepped forward. "Vegeta, you don't have to do this. I'll stay and make the wish for you."

"Son-kun, we couldn't let you do that," she said softly, terribly moved by his willingness to do so.

Vegeta's face betrayed his sincere appreciation as he said, "No, Kakarot. You have your own responsibilities on Earth."

"Then let me, Ouji-sama."

They all turned at Rossdark's voice, and Vegeta's expression hardened as he said with contempt, "I trusted you with my son's life once before. I will not make the same mistake-"

"Prince Vegeta, you know why I betrayed you to Kold! To save my child's life!"

"And I intend on restoring mine!" Vegeta growled, stepping towards him.

"But you needn't give up your crown to do so!"

"What affair is it of yours, Rossdark?!"

"I've a debt to repay!" the Korwal-sei-jin replied. "A debt of blood and honor. You restored my family to  me, and I will do the same for you! You have my vow!"

"I had your oath of loyalty before," Vegeta replied. "And it meant nothing. Am I to believe that you will help us now simply because your honor demands it?"

"Yes." Rossdark would not back down. He had quietly worn the yoke of guilt for the past three months, but now his will seemed as unbreakable as that of the Saiyan Prince.  "And if you do not believe that I would do this out of friendship and loyalty to you, then think that I do it solely for my people. If your father remains on the throne, without you to stop him, Korwal-sei will be a slave planet once more."

"Not if I'm living here," Vegeta replied. "If this is to become our home, it will be safe, and so will your people."

"And what of the rest of the galaxy?"Rossdark countered.

Vegeta didn't have to respond. They all knew the answer. King Vegeta would carry out the same vicious and cruel policies as he had in the past. Leading Vegeta-sei and the Saiyan Race to their ruin once more, taking as many innocents with them as possible. The guilt of leaving his people to that fate weighed heavily on Vegeta's soul. She could feel his inner conflict. Yet she knew that he had made this decision with his heart. Perhaps it was the first such decision he had made in his life.

Above them, the dragon roared, "You try my patience!! Who will make the wish?!?"

"I will!" Rossdark called, then turned to Vegeta before he could protest. "Please, Ouji-sama. You trusted me once. I will bring Prince Trunks back to you. You have my word. I will ask the wish exactly as we discussed before this nightmare began."

Vegeta examined the man's face, his inner turmoil visible. He looked into her eyes. Tell me what to do, woman… he begged softly.

Trust him, she thought back to him, her instincts telling her what was right before her own fears could take hold of her.

He breathed deeply, then nodded at the Korwal-sei-jin.

"I wish for you to revive all those on this planet killed by the Tsiru-jins and their men," he stated the wish precisely as they had decided months ago, but then added, "including the Saiyan baby Trunks…and my father."

Bulma sighed with relief as Vegeta gave a slight nod of approval.

But as the dragon hesitated with a dramatic pause, Bulma began to realize that something was not right. She stepped closer to Vegeta as the dragon said, "This is too all-encompassing for a final wish. Two worlds have already been revived with the dragon balls. Only one being may be brought back from the other world with this wish. You must choose who that will be."

"No…" Vegeta groaned, no more furious at the dragon than at himself for having relinquished his right to make the final wish. Bulma clutched Trunks' body more tightly in her arms as Vegeta thought to her in alarm, Oh, no, he will choose his father! Why the fuck didn't I make the wish!

"You can't do this!!" he screamed at the mystical creature. "We've done all you asked!! You can't deny us!!"

"It's all right, Ouji-sama," Rossdark told him with a gentle smile.  He looked up at the dragon. "I wish you to restore life to the Saiyan baby, Prince Trunks!"

Bulma held her breath, as Vegeta looked at the man in shock. Then the dragon spoke the words that would heal the worst anguish they had ever known.

"Your wish has been granted."

Bulma's eyes filled with tears of joy as she felt warmth and life return to the tiny body in her arms, and looked down to see big blue eyes open to smile at her. At her side, Vegeta gasped audibly as their son began wiggling against her, babbling, "Ma ma ma ma! Pa pa  pa pa!"

"My baby! My baby!" she wept, hugging him tightly. Vegeta reached gingerly to touch Trunks' hand, and the baby grasped his finger tightly in his own chubby ones, forcing the Saiyan Prince to smile despite his desperate attempts to contain his reactions in front of the others. Bulma could feel his unbounded joy even before she looked up at him. He was nearly shaking with the unshed tears that he held captive behind his reddened eyes. She knew that he was afraid to even speak, lest he allow his flood of raw emotions to escape. She saved him the embarrassment. Let them blame his emotional woman. Still holding Trunks in one arm, she pulled Vegeta to them with the other, falling against his chest and feeling his entire body sigh with relief as he allowed himself to encircle them in his arms, burying his face in her neck. His tears would fall and dry on her shoulder, though as his mind wrapped around hers she knew that he didn't give a damn at that moment what anyone thought. As long as I have you both… My family…

He clung to them possessively for a few more moments, until control was his once more. He released her gently, but not before kissing her tenderly on the cheek, and brushing his lips softly against his son's forehead. He was in command of himself once more as he looked with wonder and gratitude at Rossdark.

"You kept your vow," he said simply.

The man nodded, devoid of regret. "We will collect the dragon balls and summon the dragon in a year's time. My father and the others…will live again."

Vegeta nodded his understanding, and his appreciation. Bulma's mind already raced with how she would build a dragon radar for Rossdark, to aid him in his quest…

"I only hope that one day, Ouji-sama, I will regain your trust…and your friendship. I value both a great deal."

Vegeta's face softened as he said the words Bulma knew were truly in his heart. "You…have made a good start." He looked at Bulma, glad to see the approval on her face.  "Woman, I defer to you in these matters, but I would say that this would be a good time for you to make one of your famous 'parties'. We have a good deal to celebrate."

"Yes, we do," she agreed softly.

A grand celebration it was. Even Vegeta found it difficult not to betray his utter joy at his son's return. Especially as the day wore on, and Bulma kept the food and drink flowing. Kakarot was an even bigger clown with alcohol in his system, and it was all Vegeta could do to keep from challenging him to a sparring session. He doubted the fool could even fly straight. Vegeta himself had learned long ago how to hold his liquor, and even the wine that Bulma's parents had brought from Earth merely left him with just with a relaxed buzz. The bigger Saiyan, Bulma confided in him, had never even partaken in beer as a teen. Bardock, like most warriors, was a seasoned drinker, and was getting a kick out of corrupting his son, despite Bulma's admonitions that Kakarot's wife would be horrified…

Rossdark and his family had joined the Saiyans at Vegeta's invitation, and when all was said and done, Vegeta was glad that his woman had prodded him into doing so. He wasn't sure if he would ever fully forgive the man for what he had done to them. But Rossdark had taken a big step towards regaining Vegeta's trust today. His son was alive, at the sacrifice of the other Korwal-sei-jin, including Rossdark's own father. If Vegeta would forever remember the betrayal, then this…gesture…would also not be forgotten. Even those closest to us can make mistakes, Bulma had told him. Sometimes, we have to learn to forgive…

Does that include my Father? he'd asked grimly. She hadn't answered, but he knew that even Bulma had a limit to what she could forgive. Rossdark had betrayed them for a reason he understood all too well. Vegeta Ou's actions, both in the recent and distant past, were unpardonable.

Stop thinking about that now, Bulma chided him suddenly as she sat down beside him on the couch. This is a time to be happy. As if to concur with his mother, Baby Trunks reached out from her arms with a gleeful, "Papa!"

To hell with decorum, he thought as he took the child onto his lap. Vegeta would never fail this boy as his father had him-nor would he ever give him reason to doubt how much he meant to him. His mouth twitched into a slight smile as he said, "I trust your mother has changed you first this time?" The baby giggled, and Vegeta was certain he had understood him perfectly. Vegeta had had the honor of first diaper change, and had been rewarded with his son's signature attack.

"Gohan used to pee on me all the time when he was a baby," Kakarot mused as he sipped his drink. "And…other stuff too."

"Thanks for sharing, Kakarot," Vegeta murmured, stroking his son's lavender hair absently. His father's biting criticisms of this child's un-Saiyan-like features had given him too much pause, and he wondered if it was having lost the boy or getting to know his older self that had made Vegeta realize how totally meaningless such things were. This was his child, as beautiful as he was unique. Vegeta would condemn to the next dimension anyone who dared say otherwise.

A wisp of sadness drifted through his mind, with the soulful lament, Why couldn't things have been like this for us, Mom?  Vegeta looked up to see his older son, the one from that accursed future, his eyes misting over as he watched the quaint family scene that he and his mother had been deprived of. This was how it should have been... his heart was crying, though Vegeta could sense that a part of the boy was at peace knowing that for this infant version of himself, the pain had been averted.

I'm sorry, Trunks. I truly am…  He projected the thoughts to his son, watching as the awareness, and shame for not sheltering his emotions better, dawned on the young man's face. The boy should have realized that their inherent telepathic connection had been growing from the moment they'd met. But his father's words had meant something to him. Vegeta was glad. It was nothing he could have said aloud. Not now, not amongst all these others who had no clue what common horror bound him to his son…

"Ouji-sama?" 

Pota stood before him suddenly, a hesitant expression on her face. In her hands she held the small holo-device that Bulma had given her as a gift. Vegeta's face softened as he looked at her, and he couldn't help but hope that maybe their next child would be a little girl. A daughter of his and Bulma's would surely wrap him around her tiny finger.

"Could I please take a holo-image of you and the Princess with the baby?"

Vegeta hesitated. He'd seen Bulma take all sorts of photos, videos and holos of the baby, and she had often urged him to pose with their son. But he'd always found such mementos…silly. "Ah, no, I don't think-"

"Of course you can," Bulma said sweetly, bringing her arm around his waist, and leaning against him. Sensing his hesitance, she thought to him, You can't tell me that once you're King you won't have to pose for a couple of shots of the 'Royal Family'.

I haven't the faintest idea, he admitted, though he had a vague memory of a portrait of himself no older than three or four in full Saiyan armor beside his father. It didn't matter. He slipped his arm around her back, pulling her closer, holding his other hand firmly on his son's stomach as the baby rested contentedly against him. Contentment. Peace. That was all he felt right now. But there was one thing missing.

"Trunks. Come."

The boy looked at him in surprise, and he was glad for Pota's excited, "Oh yes, please! Let me get the whole family!" Simple words that he had not been able to ground out, but that expressed what he felt, what he wanted his son to know. That he was, in spite of all the paradoxes and complexities of time, a part of them. A part of their family.

The boy came to them tentatively, but gratefully, and Bulma pulled him next to her, hugging him. "Now I've got both my little boys," she cooed, making her elder son grow crimson with embarrassment.

Only Vegeta, with the telepathic bond with his son, could possibly know just what that meant to him.

She will embarrass you relentlessly, he told him. But you will grow accustomed to it. I have.

I heard that,Bulma's voice warned him in his mind.

His smirk at her was caught in the holographic image. Bulma raved about how much she loved the picture of her family, and hurried to make a copy with her own device. Vegeta would have trouble admitting it aloud, but gazing at that scene in the days and years to come, he knew that he would look fondly back to the day when his family had come together once and for all. And for once he understood the meaning of those silly mementos that captured moments in time.

"Okay, that's it."

Bulma slipped the capsules into her bag, as the four Saiyan men looked on in wonder at the empty space where their huge mansion had been.

"I still don't understand the technology behind that," Bardock commented, his admiration evident.

"I remember the first time Bulma showed me, when I was a kid. I thought she was some kind of witch or something," Goku told his father.

"I'm still not sure she's not," Vegeta commented under his breath, smirking at her.

"Very funny," she replied to her husband mirthlessly.

Well, you did cast a spell over me, didn't you? he thought to her, the sexy tone of his voice in her mind making her flush.

We will have a private bedroom on that ship, won't we? she asked seductively.

Even if I have to throw Kakarot into space…

"We should be going, Ouji-sama," Bardock unknowingly broke in to their mental flirtation.

Bulma could feel Vegeta's mind retreating from hers as he set his attention on the business at hand. "Yes. The sooner the better." He turned to her. "Bulma, get the child."

She nodded and motioned to Pota, who was playing with Trunks on the grass as her parents and brother waited to say their own good byes. The little girl carried him over, her eyes filled with tears as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good bye, little Prince," she said sadly.

Bulma reached down to take her son into her arms. "Thanks for taking care of him, Pota," Bulma said sweetly.

The little girl gave her a hug. "Good bye, Princess. I'll miss you."

"So will we all," her mother added as she gave Bulma a hug. It had been good to spend time with Melza after their husbands had made their peace. She was the closest friend Bulma had had over the last year, and she would miss her terribly.

Rossdark kept his distance, but nodded at Bulma with a sadness in his eyes, borne of a guilt he would never rid himself of.  "The gods be with you all, Princess," he said softly. He turned to Vegeta. "I am at your service, Ouji-sama, now and always."

Bulma watched Vegeta nod to the man whom he had called friend, then cursed for his betrayal. The wish to revive Trunks had done a great deal to heal the wounds between them, but for Vegeta any emotions were difficult to express, much less conflicted ones. "When I return to you one day," Vegeta said finally, "it will be as King. And my vow to protect your people will be honored."

"Thank you, Prince Vegeta," Rossdark replied gratefully, knowing this was the most forgiveness he could expect from the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta was about to turn away from them when Pota called out, "Ouji-sama! Wait!"

His face turned crimson as the little girl ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "Thank you for everything, Ouji-sama!" she said tearfully.

Bulma had to keep from crying herself as she realized all that the child was thanking Vegeta for, not the least of which was having spared her father's life. She could feel Vegeta' mortification at her display, but the warmth of emotion he felt for this little girl was just as evident. His hand rested on the child's hair, caressing it lightly, almost instinctively, as he said, "Thank you for being so good to my family. Especially Prince Trunks."

Bulma could see Bardock's eyes widen in surprise, not having expected such words from Vegeta. But Bulma knew that it was easier for him to express these things to a little girl who knew nothing of Saiyan pride and decorum. And she loved him all the more for the kindness he had always shown this child. Bardock knew so little of her mate! He remembered a child who had been taught to destroy, and must find any show of tenderness in him utterly contradictory.

I told you that you had cast a spell upon me, sorceress, he whispered in her mind, catching her thoughts.

She smiled as she took his arm and they walked into the ship that would take them to their new home.

Weeks had passed, and in the blackness of space night melded into day. Vegeta had fallen into a daily ritual that passed the time, sparring with Kakarot, Bardock and Trunks for hours on end, more often than not competing to see which father and son team was the strongest. He and Trunks always bested their opponents, of course, and that was as it should be.  They were of royal blood, after all. Vegeta found little challenge in the bouts, but delighted in watching his son grow more powerful each day. Bardock and Kakarot were two of the strongest Saiyans alive. Trunks would need to prove himself to be superior to Saiyan elites who might scoff at the idea of Vegeta's demi-Saiyan heir. Vegeta was confident the boy would do so. He was already on the brink of Super Saiyan 3. Those conservative fools on Vegeta-sei would be soiling their pants when they saw the extent of Trunks' power. Not to mention his own…

"Ugh!" Vegeta shook off a wave of nausea as he opened Baby Trunks' diaper to find he had done some soiling of his own. "Bulma!" he roared.

"What's the problem?!" she yelled from the bathroom. "Can't I take a shower in peace?!"

"Woman, you have to change this diaper. It's-it's disgusting!"

A moment later she came from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, cursing his ineptitude. Vegeta gladly stepped away as she took over the horrendous task. In what seemed an effortless undertaking she cleaned the child's bottom and secured a new diaper around him, not even wincing at the horrible smell. Gods, she was incredible. In moments she handed the happy baby back to him, the scent of that white powder having replaced the offensive odor. "Now, do you think you could manage to tuck him into bed while I get dressed?"

Vegeta laid the child in his crib, handing him the stuffed stegosaurus he loved to snuggle with. In moments, Trunks was out cold, a peaceful yet unnerving sight that reminded Vegeta of that month of pure hell. The soft rise and fall of his chest assured Vegeta he was merely asleep, and he sighed deeply as he lay on his own bed.

He'd suggested to Bulma that she and the baby be put in stasis chambers for the long trip, but she had refused. She wanted to be with him, and for that he was grateful. He could not imagine how difficult it would be to watch over them these weeks without being able to hold them both in his arms. She'd also refused to put the child in the sleep chamber, telling him that he'd already been asleep for too long. Her reference to his death had shaken Vegeta, and he had not argued with her. Besides, it was good to spend this time together before they made planetfall. Vegeta wasn't sure exactly what awaited them on Vegeta-sei, but he knew they had a difficult road ahead. When would they ever again be able to languish in the joy and peace they had shared on Namek, and then on Korwal-sei? Would his responsibilities as King, and the danger of those who opposed his choice of Queen, prevent them from ever living in peace again?

He'd fallen into a light but uneasy sleep when he felt her join him in bed. He immediately wrapped his arms around her protectively, holding her close as if to shield her from the uncertainties that lie ahead. They hadn't even spoken about what awaited them, as if both wanting to avoid an unpleasant topic. But he broke the silence between them now as he vowed, "I won't let anything happen to you and Trunks. I promise you that."

She picked her head up from his chest to look into his eyes. "I know that, silly," she said with a confidence in him that was unwavering.

And that was it. He made love to her then, gently and slowly, relishing every moment, every sensation. And her faith in him flowed into him with her love, quieting his fears and reminding him of the true source of his strength.

Vegeta shifted uncomfortably in the full Saiyan armor that Bardock had brought him, replete with the flowing red cape that matched his father's royal robes. He'd grown too accustomed to the light training gis and comfortable clothes from Earth, attire that would not be acceptable for a Saiyan no Ouji. When he stepped down from the ship he would do so in all his glory, showing his people the Prince he was-and the King he would be.

The operatives at Space Control had paled to see his face on the view screen, as he'd answered their call for identification with a declaration that Prince Vegeta was returning to his planet. The resemblance to his father was unmistakable, and he'd purposely maintained his natural form so that they would recognize him. But as soon as he stepped foot on Saiyan soil, he would give them an entrance they would not soon forget…

The ship landed, and he glanced back at Bulma, who held the baby protectively, while she herself stood safely surrounded by Kakarot, Bardock and Trunks. Ridding himself of any emotion that might be perceived as a weakness, he stepped from the ship to face the crowd of guards, ministers and onlookers who had heard news of his return. Then, ever so slowly, he began to raise his ki, just short of the threshold of Super Saiyan, until the scouters on his warriors sizzled and cracked with their inability to register his enormous power.

In shock and awe, they fell to their knees before him.

"Rise," he told his subjects. "And send word to my father the King, that I have returned to take my place."

{Coming soon in Chapter 13: Will King Vegeta allow his son to take his place? Could he possibly stop him?}