Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Stealing Time ❯ Musical Chairs of the Mind ( Chapter 19 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Linkin Fantasy 
Plans are being made to stop Vegeta's denial before he loses himself to the alters, that are starting to take over.
Gohan/Piccolo
Trunks/Goten
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Hentai / Drama | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.02.2011 | Updated On: 01.02.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.8K | Visits: 617 | Status: Work In Progress
Plans are being made to stop Vegeta's denial before he loses himself to the alters, that are starting to take over.
Gohan/Piccolo
Trunks/Goten
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Hentai / Drama | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.02.2011 | Updated On: 01.02.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.8K | Visits: 617 | Status: Work In Progress
warnings: Language thats about it
alters- Anger Sadness Envy Lust Playful Loving
Stealing Time
Chpt 19- Musical Chairs of the Mind
Everyone stood around in the Brief's living room quietly and awkwardly. Unsure of what to say or do next. It was Vegeta that broke the silence first, his temper apparent.
"Well I hope you're all satisfied now." He gave the group an accusing glare. "Putting me through hell for nothing."
"It wasn't for nothing dad."
"Whatever. I'm going upstairs now and I don't want to hear or see any of you for the rest of the day. Got it?" He headed up the stairs with an air about him that dared anyone to say something or try and follow him. No one budged of course. Once Vegeta was out of sight and the slam of a door was heard they relaxed a little.
"What about his meds'?" Goten asked.
"I'll make sure he gets them later. Its probably best that he cools off first anyway." Trunks sits heavily on the couch tossing the books and medicine bottles onto the coffee table.
"Do you need anything?" Goku asked.
"No, thank you."
Goten and Goku winced a little at the tightness in Trunks's response, reminding them both in a rare moment that he really was Vegeta's son. "Alright, well we should leave Goten. There's nothing more we can do right now and I think they could both use some rest."
"Trunks?" Without really having to speak the words, Goten asked his boyfriend if that was o.k with him.
"Yeah, you should go. I'll be fine." He tried to sound reassuring but it was a failed attempt. "I want to get started on these books anyway."
"Okay, but don't forget to eat, drink, and try to get some sleep." Goten mothered before giving his boyfriend a pat on the shoulder. Trunks squeezed the others hand that rested there a moment. "I'll stop by tomorrow."
"Sure." Letting go of Goten's hand. After that Goten followed his dad out of the house leaving the sullen heavy feel behind.
Trunks turned to lay himself down on the couch and squeezed his eyes shut to fight back the threatening tears of frustration. "Keep it together Trunks." He encouraged himself while wipping his eyes roughly. He let out a loud breath and reached for one of the books doctor Kondo had given him. "D.I.D, The Source." He opens it and flips through a few pages before glancing in the direction of the stairs. Then he proceeded to actually read the first page.....
_____________
"Ahg!..." Gohan yanked his hand away from the scalding hot coffee that he accidently poured on his hand instead of into the mug he was holding. He quickly set the mug down with a heavy clank. He was having his lunch break and needing some time away from the hospital, he decided to take the break at home instead of the hospital cafeteria. "Damnit!" Shaking the excess liquid off he grabs a nearby kitchen towel.
"What's wrong Gohan?" Piccolo's strong deep voice enters the kitchen before he does.
Sighing Gohan walks over to the sink running cold water over his burn. "I'm just worried about Vegeta."
"You mean his disorder?" Gohan looks surprised at his Namek lover, as he brings him an ice pack that he'd retrieved from the freezer.
"...Yeah. You.. know about that?" He takes the offered ice pack after shutting off the water. "Thanks."
"I've known about it for a short time. Goku told me something was off about Vegeta and lucky me I got to witness it first hand."
"Oh?"
"I kept my mouth shut because it was none of my business." Piccolo rummages through a drawer next to their small gas oven. He pulls out a bottle of burn cream and twists the cap off with ease, squeezing a decent amount into his green palm. Gohan met him halfway and held out his hand for Piccolo to massage the cream in.
"Makes sense. Guess we're even though. I've also had a first hand look at Vegeta's behavior. It was so disturbing I didn't want to believe it myself but now there's proof. Sort of." Piccolo saw the disappointed look on his lover's face.
"What happened at the hospital?"
"You know about that too, huh?" The young intern smiled.
"I was at the Lookout. Just listening in a little. It gets boring up there you know."
Gohan laughed a little earning a smile from his usually stoic partner. "Well," He spoke returning to a serious demeanor. "We had Vegeta examined, after he caused a scene. I've been reading up on multiple personality disorders since my dad brought up Vegeta's behavior."
"Multiple personalities." Piccolo mumbled more to himself than anything as if recalling a moment in time when he'd experienced something similar.
"Yeah and all the research fit perfectly with Vegeta's condition only, diagnosing it isn't always easy or a sure thing." After Piccolo released his hand he reached back and pulled the bandages from the drawer to wrap Gohan's hand and keep the cream from smearing anywhere. "So now Vegeta thinks he's fine. No one else believes it though and Trunks is pretty torn up about the whole thing."
"Hn."
The young half Saiyan flexed his hand once the bandages were in place. "If we can't get Vegeta to admit to what's going on there's no way we can get him proper help or treatment. I mean its a bad enough disorder in normal humans but Vegeta's a Saiyan, and a powerful one at that. What if something bad happens to him? Or to one of us..."
"I don't think the others will let that happen and I'll do what I can to help."
Gohan appreciated the comforting words and brightened up a little. "Yeah you're probably right." Sighing again he moved away from the island counter and proceeded to clean up the spilled coffee and pour himself another. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."
_____________
Vegeta had been pacing back and forth with his arms crossed, since he'd entered his room. The events of the day fueling his angry rants and making his steps heavy.
"I can't believe this! How dare they force me into that nightmare; treating me like some lab experiment to dissect!" He kicked the armchair causing it to slide out of place slightly. He sat in it letting all the weight of his anger drop with him. Across from the chair on the opposite wall was a full body mirror. Vegeta glared at his image. Staring so long and hard that he thought for a minute his reflection might have moved, changed expression or something but he quickly dismissed the idea.
"There's nothing wrong with me." He spoke to his image with conviction before turning his head away to look somewhere else.
Of course there isn't
"Hm?" Snapping his head back to the mirror Vegeta only saw himself the same as before. It had been just a whisper but he'd heard it, he was sure of it. He waited a moment but heard nothing more. "Get a hold of yourself Vegeta. Last thing I need is to make myself think I'm crazy as well as everyone else." The prince wanted to stand firm in hopes that what he knew might be coming wouldn't. If this was a mental thing all he had to do was beat it on his own. Fight it off and make it disappear.He stood and scanned the room for something to do to occupy his mind and keep him busy. There was nothing but a few books on a shelf, ones he'd already read and a set of weights in the corner. He figured the weights would be a good mental and physical distraction. So he picked them up to do a few reps counting in his head to keep his brain busy and intrusions out.
'Eight.. nine... ten...'
Twelve
He paused momentarily at the unexpected jump in numbers knowing he hadn't thought it himself but heard it clearly in his head. Gritting his teeth in determination not to let his mind get the best of him he continued only counting out loud. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen..." In the back of his mind he could hear the laughter probably at his attempts to keep the alters at bay. As he lifted the weights up and down working his already too sculpted biceps he began feeling light headed and dizzy. "Damn this." He dropped the weights with a thud, the sound not going unheard from downstairs. Going to the window he slides the door over to let some of the evening air in. Breathing in deeply he tries to help relieve his dizziness, and just as his body relaxed a bit a knock on the door had him jumping out of skin. "What-?" Turning quickly expecting to see something he didn't want to, a body to accompany the voices that had been taunting him earlier, he tensed as the door to the room slowly opened.
"Dad are you alright? I heard a noise." Trunks peered in slightly, using the door as a shield incase the Saiyan was in a throwing mood for having been disturbed.
Sighing heavily in relief, Vegeta tried to return to his normal cool demeanor. "I thought I told you to leave me alone." He simply stated turning back to look out of the window. 'Thank Kami, I would have truly lost my mind if these alters, as they call themselves, started appearing in physical form. Damnit I'm already giving in by thinking they're real.' He leaned into the window frame breathing in again and trying to cover up his rattled nerves so Trunks wouldn't catch on to anything. 'I will not let this get to me.'
"Well I heard something and thought-"
"It was the weights dropping that's all. Now leave me alone."
Glancing at the fallen objects Trunks can't help but feel nervous. From what he'd just been reading alternate personalities were liars, erratic, unpredictable.... violent. 'No I can't be afraid of them. I have to be strong to help my dad. They're just extensions of my father if, I can handle him I can handle them.' Pushing the door open more Trunks firmly held the knob to steady his nerves. "I'll go as soon as you take one of these." He holds the medication out to the man's back. Vegeta barely spares him a look over the shoulder. "Please dad, it'll... help relax you."
"Relax me? So you're trying to drug me now. Put me down so you can drag me off to Kami knows where!" He turns to face his son.
"No, the doctor said-"
"To hell with the doctors."
Trunks set his mouth before speaking again. "The doctor said this will help you, keep... them away, or whatever is causing you to feel and act differently."
"There is nothing to get rid of! Remember? You were there, we all were I'm perfectly normal. Now get out."
Trunks winced a bit but didn't budge. There was a moment of silence and a brief staring contest. Vegeta leaning against the window with his arms crossed and Trunks standing in the doorway trying very hard not to get angry with his stubborn father. A few minutes later and Trunks gave in as he always did. "Fine," He spat out then easily openend the pill bottle and poured a few into his hand. "This is the recommended dosage." He walked the short distance to the nightstand by Vegeta's bed and placed the pills there. "Do what you want with them." He left closing the door behind himself.
Vegeta eyed the pills.
You should take them maybe we'll go away..... or not
"Hn."
You'll never know unless you try
Vegeta growled getting tired of these damn mind games and the intrusion of his thoughts. "Maybe it will shut you up!" He yelled into air space. "Then what huh?"
Hahahahahahahhahaha
"Damn this." He stormed over to the nightstand and snatched the four medium sized pills up throwing them back down his throat and swallowing without the aid of water. He walks back to the weights and grabs them from off the floor going back to what he'd been previously doing. This time with more determination to ignore anything that wasn't his own counting.
And now we wait
...........................
"That stupid stubborn-" Trunks stormed into his bedroom raging at his fathers behavior. "Why can't he just listen to me!?" He slammed his fist down on the dresser drawer rattling the pictures and lamp that sat atop it. "Doesn't he know I just want to help." Stalking farther into the room he kicked the beanbag chair that had been sitting in the middle of the floor. It tumbled a few times before landing against the oppostie wall.
"Why do I put up with this?" He seethed, grabbing his hair and pulling it. Trunks froze just then realising what he was doing. Behaving just like his father. Dropping his hands he went to sit on the bed trying to breathe deeply and calm himself down answering his own question. "He's my dad, and he's sick, that's why." Sighing loudly he stands and paces the room a bit.
"What did the book say about this," He tried remembering the last few things he'd just read on the behavior of a person with D.I.D. How most people that don't acknowledge their disorder won't take the treatments. They believe they're completely sane and o.k. The loved ones of those suffering have to trick them or force the treatments. "Maybe I can slip the pills into some food. He's gotta be hungry by now." Leaving the room Trunks heads into the kitchen to start an early dinner. Its not like they both couldn't use a meal anyway.
...........................
Vegeta had been slowly dozing off in the arm chair in his room. Fighting complete sleep becaue the moment he closed his eyes he could feel them lurking around inside of his head waiting, as one of them had said before.
"I knew... these damn pills.... wouldn't work." He spoke slowly voice heavy with sleep. His eyes slowly closed and he snapped them open, shaking his head to try and rattle himself awake.
Its no use, you can't fight the power of earth medicaiton
"Huh?" In his state of half rest the voice had startled him because he'd momentarily forgotten that technically he wasn't alone.
Why don't you just give in already and stop wasting our time
"Never." He forced his weary body out of the chair and walked around a bit clumsily.
Sleep Vegeta and when you wake up it'll be over
"No!" In his frustration Vegeta started banging his head against the nearest wall desperately wanting the voices to go away. "Just leave me alone!"
He could hear them all speaking at once, words overlapping themselves making it hard to understand any one sentence. Vegeta pressed his hands against the wall pushing himself away from it, his head lowered to the floor. His breathing was heavy and a sheen of sweat had formed over his face.
You're too weak to keep us in anymore Saiyan prince
Those words were so loud in his ears, so clear in his mind and triggered a memory of haivng heard something very similar once before and said with the same spite and mocking. His mind began to spiral as images of a land in shambles; broken mountain and cliffs missing chunks of rock, grass burned away and the sky full of smoke and dark colors. All the remains of an ongoing battle. Vegeta could see himself lying near dead on the ground, clothes in shreds covered in his own blood and a figure hovering just a few feet in front of him. Those same words being spat at him from the figure, the voice distorted in his memory to be unrecognisable. "You're too weak to stop me Saiyan prince...." Followed by a cackling laughter. The memory faded as Vegeta slid off the wall to the floor.
Its too much for you isn't it?
Why don't you just admit that you need us
Let us out!
Kneeling his hands ripping at his hair, his head shook back and forth before he let go to fall completely to the floor lying on his back. The ceiling above him was moving in wavy lines before his eyes. He groaned being cut off by his own sudden laughter. It didn't last long though, soon being replaced by feelings of self loathing and disappointment. For a split second he actually felt like shedding tears just then but they never came. He was briefly back to feeling like himself in control of his own emotions.
"Wh... at's happening to me?"
He could feel their presence growing stronger and not just in his head anymore but physically moving through his body. Its as if each alter were rapidly circling him and randomly jumping into his body taking over his mind, just to move on for the next one to take its turn. Vegeta couldn't move he couldn't speak, the medicine he'd taken was affecting his conscious. He was tired, weak, floaty. His eyes straining to stay open had finally lost the battle closing him in darkness. He could still hear them faintly talking to or through him in harsh whispers. Not having the energy or frame of mind to ignore their desperate attempts to take over Vegeta gave in
___________________
"Aw man, I can't do this anymore!" Goku stood from the couch he'd been sitting on with Goten. Goten had been playing videogames to occupy himself and Goku sat with him to watch, turning down any offer his son made for him to play with him.
Goten looked up at his dad in surprise. "Can't do what, watch? My playing's not that bad." He joked.
"Its not that. I can't sit here anymore doing nothing, knowing Vegeta's in trouble and knowing that Trunks is upset with me."
Goten paused his game. "I know but what can you do? Trunks knows you're sorry and he's only really mad because he's scared, it'll go away soon enough. Vegeta's another story though. There's really nothing we can do if he won't let us."
Goku sighed heavily. "I know but, what if just being there could do something."
Goten gave a wary look at that comment until he had an idea of what his dad might be getting at. He and Vegeta have always been together even if it were as rivals. Even if one was good and the other bad so it was natural that they'd feel some kind of kinship. Not to mention they were both the last of their full blooded race. Even though Goten didn't think this was the time for some cheesy love might save the day story, the idea was pleasant. It was atleast worth a try and might be the starting point to getting their dads together.
"Well then you should go back over there."
"I can't, Trunks needs some space remember, it was my idea to leave in the first place." Goku spoke defeatedly.
"So then don't let Trunks know you're there. I could call him and try to distract him for you."
Goku was quietly thinking this over. "....No I can't, what if being around Vegeta only makes it worse. Trunks finds out I'm there and gets angry all over again. I can't take the risk. Not now atleast. Rrr." He sighs frustratedly while tossling his already unruly hair. "This is all so... so.."
"Stupid?" Goten offered up a word.
"Yeah, stupid." Goku trailed off crossing his arms and glaring at the carpet under his bare feet. Goten knew that look he'd seen it before at the hopsital. His dad was blaming himself and also concerned for Vegeta in more than an 'I want to help him get better way.' Deciding that talking about the mans feelings might be a good distraction, he turned off his video game and cleared his throat.
"Hey dad?" Not sure how to start a conversation about relationships with his own father and worse than that relationships with the most unrelatable man the world over, Vegeta, Goten hesitated feeling suddenly uncomfortable.
"What it is Goten?" Goku asked after realising his son wasn't going to continue.
"Well, I... uh. Its kinda hard to say but..." Goku watched him waiting making Goten even more nervous, he could feel a sheen of sweat building under his shirt. 'Its now or never 'Ten and he needs this push.' After mentally pumping himself up the young teen blurt the words out in a rush. "DoyouhaveathingforVegeta? Cause ifsothatscoolwithmeandTrunkstoo."
"What?" Goku half laughed out.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out Goten tried again. "You and Vegeta, you have a thing for him don't you?" Goku froze giving the answer without words. "Its cool dad and understandable, I think. Trunks and I kinda already thought so anyway and we'd be cool with it ya know."
Goku sat down moving on automatic a surprised look on his face. "Was it that obvious?" He spoke distantly but with a hint of humor to his tone.
"Not at first, not until recently with all this disease stuff."
"Yeah its kinda recently happened to me too. Well sort of I mean, for a while I always knew life would be kinda boring and lonely without Vegeta around but lately its, I don't know, turned into something else."
"Thats how it happens. Me and Trunks were friends forever as kids and once you realise not having them around whenever you need makes you a little down. I started thinking about him differently and the attraction was there, one thing lead to another. I blamed it on teenage puberty but that just brought on the physical attraction not the,,, well ya know want to be with him part." He akwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Man this is weird." He mumbled more to himself. Goku suddenly laughing startled the spiky haired boy.
"It is weird isn't it." Goku agreed. This made Goten smile.
"Yeah. Add this to the awkward conversations I never thought I'd have list." Both men cracked up dissolving the weird air between them until they sobered up.
"But its different for you and Trunks, even Gohan and Piccolo. You've all had years to realise the changes and could easily do something about it. If you think this is uncomfortable imagine having the conversation with Vegeta."
"Yeah you're right..." Spacing out for a moment Goten actually tried to imagine the scene play out but couldn't even begin to get his mind to go there. Both men mimicked each others posture leaning their elbows on their knees and hands on their cheeks, pouting.
"So what do I do?"
"Hmm..." They went quiet in thought. "I know skip the conversation part." Goten suggested straightening up, Goku turned his head in his enthusiastic sons direction.
"What?"
"Don't talk about it just act. Its the best way to get a response from a guy like Vegeta. Get in his head, or not guess he's already got enough going on in there. But you know what I mean, gradually show him how you feel put the idea out there."
Sitting up as well Goku looked thoughtful. "Yeah maybe," He spoke slowly. "Its just with everything thats going on you think this is a good time?"
"Better now than never considering the circumstance. What if you were right before. What if being with Vegeta would make things better or atleast easier for him and hell for Trunks too."
Both men stood up with determination. "Yeah, that actually sounds possible. Maybe I will."
"No maybe you have to, me and Trunks could try and help too, I don't know how but we'll think of something."
"Thanks son but right now Trunks needs to focus on his dad getting better not, well, this. You're right though if I can help Vegeta I'd be helping Trunks too, this could work for all of us."
"That's the spirit. Now how about a celebration snack?"
"Hahaha sure son. In fact let's order some pizzas."
"Sweet." Goten reached for the phone immediately dialing the number to a local pizza place. Goku paced the room a bit, expression serious.
'Looks like the cats out of the bag now. Its good though, having the kids support and not having to keep this to myself anymore. But can I really go through with it, can I make Vegeta notice me in that way?' Goku mentally laughed at himself. 'It sounds ridiculous just thinking about it and where would I start, what would I do?'
His thoughts were momentarily haulted when Goten hung up the phone. "Alright I got a large everything, a large meat lovers and medium cheese pizzas. It should be here in half an hour or less."
"Great." Goku put on a smile but his expression was lost in thought.
"Still worried about Vegeta?"
"Yeah but only now for a different reason. I'm not exactly a Casanova."
"True, I think that quality was passed down to me." Both shared a quick laugh. "Don't sweat it dad just be the way you always are around Vegeta, the rest just kinda falls into place on its own."
"I'll do that son. Man, when did you grow up so smart? Was that passed down too?"
"Thank Gohan for that." They laughed again. "Now how about that video game?"
"Yeah why not." They both sat on the couch, Goten turned the fighter game back on and handed his dad a controller. They played a few rounds waiting for the pizza to be delivered.
.........................
Vegeta stumbled down the stairs looking solemn and his body was feeling heavier than normal due to the medication. Having banged his head repeatedly moments ago had made him dizzy and left a nasty bruise. Getting to the bottom of the stairs he smelled food coming from the kitchen and made his way there to find Trunks at the stove, leaning against the counter with a book in hand. Going to the refrigerator he took an ice pack from the freezer placing it to his aching forehead.
"Ehem." He cleared his throat to get his son's attention. Trunks was startled from his reading trance and looked in the direction of the sound.
"Huh? Dad you're-"
"Starving how long till its done?"
"Uuhh," Momentarily surprised to see his father standing there and looking less than rested or relaxed Trunks was at a loss for what the man was talking about. He glanced around for a second before remembering his meal and registering what his dad meant. "Oh, the food. Uh,- just a few minutes I think."
Vegeta only nodded and sat at the table. The hand holding up the ice pack also held his head up as he leaned his elbows on the table. Trunks thought the man looked sad but that seemed wrong and then he figured he must just be tired from the long day he'd had at the hospital. His hand unconsciously went to finger the pills in his pants pocket. "So.. how are you feeling dad?" The teen asked warily not completely sure who he was talking to. From what he'd just read in chapter ten of the book, 'Engaging Alters' he knew to be careful of what he said and how he engaged in conversation with the mental personalities. So not to set one or all of them off.
"Lousy, thanks to those damn pills of yours." Vegeta spat out but with less malice than he'd usually speak with. Trunks wasn't crazy the man defenitly sounded depressed.
'One of the symptoms.'
"You- you took them?"
"Yes," Vegeta half smiled in an eerie way but Trunks was too shocked and then relieved to notice it. Mostly because he wouldn't have to drug his own father by force. 'Maybe he's starting to understand the seriousness of this and wants the help now.' Already getting his hopes up Trunks turned the stove off and hurried to fix their plates.
Vegeta watched him with a wondering expression. 'What's he so happy about all of a sudden, oh I know, he probably thinks his daddy is bending to his will. That their magical medicine has gotten rid of us. The poor fool has no idea...'
"I feel sorry for you." He said setting down the ice pack and causing Trunks to pause mid-plating.
"What?"
"Having me for a father, it must be terrible for you."
Feeling a bit wary Trunks continued to put food on the plate and slowly carried them over to set down, "Why would you say that dad?" He stared at his father hard and finally noticed the bruise on his head. "And how'd you get that?"
"I'm only saying it because its true. All the other kids have a normal family don't they? And you're stuck with me, a big jerk with issues. How do you stand it?" Vegeta lifted his fork and began stabbing at the meat on his plate, ignoring Trunks's other question.
'This isn't right, there's no way this guy is my dad. But it can't be some alter, he took the pills. No, he said he took them, they do lie after all. Damnit. I'll have to find a way to check and make sure later.' Figuring out what was going on Trunks decided to follow the books instructions and play along, hopefully he'll catch the man in a lie revealing whichever alternate form of his father he was. So he ate casually.
"You're my dad, of course I can tolerate you. No matter what."
"Tch. Sentiment I don't deserve. What good am I to you huh? Wouldn't you prefer a nice strong kind and understanding father like Kakarot?"
"Goku's fine but you're my dad and you shouldn't be talking like this. What's wrong with you?... Unless you're not yourself right now." He raised an eyebrow.
"Hn. Not myself, I've never felt more myself actually. I've had enough time to think and its clear I'm no man worth loving or helping. You'd be better off alone. I'm surprised you haven't moved out yet. If I were you I wouldn't want be to stuck around a pathetic excuse for a Saiyan pr-"
Hearing that was the end for Trunks's self control and all his caution flew out the window. "Shut up!" Trunks stood dropping his fork to the table. "I don't know who the hell you are but you're clearly not my father. He's sick, has a disease and you're part of it. I don't know what brought you here but I'll personally make sure you go away."
"Haha threats now to your own father, am I so awful?"
"That's not what I meant and I'm not threatening my father. I was talking to who or whatever you are."
"It hurts me when you treat me like a stranger Trunks."
The young teen gave his father a skeptical look. His own conviction starting to waver on whether this man speaking to him now was his dad or an imposter. He hesitated before speaking again. "...Then stop acting like one."
Vegeta half laughed and scoffed at the same time. "Still thinking like that, fine, if that's what you want to believe go ahead. I can't change your mind and I'm in no mood to try." Vegeta went back to eating as Trunks stood there watching him a moment unsure of what else to do he finally sat down and forced his food down, having lost his appetite.
_______________________
Night had finally fallen over West City and Trunks was once again nose deep in medical books. After an uncomfortable dinner with his father, who left the table right after eating, not even bothering to clean up after himself, Trunks took care of the mess and got immediately back into the books. Only after checking in on his dad who had finally fallen asleep from the pills, if he had actually told the truth about having taken them earlier. He'd found Vegeta passed out in his bed, barely on top of the matress. With a sigh of relief and hopes that sleep would get the man back in his right frame of mind Trunks headed downstairs to read.
He was midway through a book titled "Multiple Selves, Multiple Solutions"
"This says most D.I.D. is caused by stress or a traumatic experience in ones life." He dropped the book into his lap and stared outward. "What could possibly be stressing him out? There haven't been any threats to our world lately. He and Goku seem to be getting along. I'm a good kid so it can't be me...." He gnawed lightly on his bottom lip as he thought his words over. "Maybe it is this life, its too simple for him. Too peaceful and he's bored or worse fighting urges to be evil and it caused his mind to... split or something."
'That sounds a bit farfetched even to me.' He thought. "But then what could have caused this."
Just then the phone rang and Trunks half turned reaching behind his head to grab his cell phone from the side table next to the couch. Hearing the familiar ringtone he already knew who was on the other end. "Hey 'Ten." He listened to his boyfriend talk. "Just reading and trying to figure out what might have caused my dads disorder.... yeah he's still acting weird but the problem is I'm having trouble telling if its my dad I'm talking to or someone else."
He listened to the other end a moment. "Vegeta's always been an enigma, I guess it would be kinda hard to tell unless his attitude changed drastically." Goten said from his end. "Maybe you should keep a chart or journal or something on his behavior, try to figure out what's real and what's well... mental."
"..Yeah that might work," Trunks was quiet a moment as his mind worked over what his boyfriend had just said. 'Keep track...'
"T' you still there?" Goten asked over the phone.
"Yeah I'm here. Listen 'Ten you just gave me a great idea."
"I did?"
"Following my dad around to write his behavior would be too much work but if we videotape him instead."
"We'll have proof he's sick and something to go on for figuring out.... well everything else."
Trunks laughed for the first time in awhile. "Exactly. So come over early tomorrow and we'll set up camera's all over the place. Hopefully Vegeta won't catch on."
"My dad can distract him for us, maybe get him out of the house." Goten suggested his tone of voice changing slightly to something a bit sly.
"Huh, you sound like you know something. Spill."
"Oh its nothing much I'll tell you tomorrow though, finish your reading ok."
"Alright, see ya then."
"See ya."
"And Goten thanks for calling I really needed this."
"Boyfriend's intuition. Bye." Shaking his head with a smile Trunks ended the call after Goten hung up.
He pocketed his cell phone and grabbed his spread of books and left the living room. He headed up the stairs two at a time to get to his room. Pausing on his way past Vegeta's room curiosity getting the better of him he leaned in towards the door listening. It was quiet, which wasn't exactly comforting for the teen at the moment. He gently pushed the door open and peered inside finding his dad still asleep in the arm chair. Trunks sighed of relief, happy that the pills were working in some way and hoping his dad wasn't suffering in his sleep. Sliding inside the room he left his books on the small table near the door and proceeded to his father for further inspection. Reading about suicidal D.I.D. patients did nothing to stave off his paranoia. He was careful putting an ear to his dad's mouth, the man was still breathing.
"Thank Kami." He heaved a relieved sigh and gently touched the man's forehead, it was warm. Wetting his mouth, a little nervous that he'd end up waking the sleeping form, Trunks moved in to lift the small built man. He kneeled down and hoisted Vegeta over his shoulder freezing once back on his feet. Vegeta barely stirred.
"Those must be some relaxers. Alright to the bed." He carried him quickly but carefully so not to jar his movements and successfully placed Vegeta on the bed. The Saiyan prince rolled to his stomach but made no sound or other movements afterwards. "Good. I'll be back to check on you later." He whispered. Trunks retrieved his books and paused in the doorway looking back at the sleeping man. His dad's words from earlier replaying in his mind.
"Hn. Not myself, I've never felt more myself actually. I've had enough time to think and its clear I'm no man worth loving or helping. You'd be better off alone I'm surprised you haven't moved out yet. If I were you I wouldn't want be to stuck around a pathetic excuse for a Saiyan prince."
"I hope that wasn't you talking dad. I won't believe it." He exited the room as quietly as he'd entered and proceeded to his own bedroom. Determined to read as much as he could to find ways to help his father in his personal battle.
_________________________________
A/N: I can only apologize for the extremely long update wait and promise this story will be finished in time. I always appreciate knowing people are still reading, thanks for hanging in there!
Converting /tmp/phpPuVAJV to /dev/stdout
alters- Anger Sadness Envy Lust Playful Loving
Stealing Time
Chpt 19- Musical Chairs of the Mind
Everyone stood around in the Brief's living room quietly and awkwardly. Unsure of what to say or do next. It was Vegeta that broke the silence first, his temper apparent.
"Well I hope you're all satisfied now." He gave the group an accusing glare. "Putting me through hell for nothing."
"It wasn't for nothing dad."
"Whatever. I'm going upstairs now and I don't want to hear or see any of you for the rest of the day. Got it?" He headed up the stairs with an air about him that dared anyone to say something or try and follow him. No one budged of course. Once Vegeta was out of sight and the slam of a door was heard they relaxed a little.
"What about his meds'?" Goten asked.
"I'll make sure he gets them later. Its probably best that he cools off first anyway." Trunks sits heavily on the couch tossing the books and medicine bottles onto the coffee table.
"Do you need anything?" Goku asked.
"No, thank you."
Goten and Goku winced a little at the tightness in Trunks's response, reminding them both in a rare moment that he really was Vegeta's son. "Alright, well we should leave Goten. There's nothing more we can do right now and I think they could both use some rest."
"Trunks?" Without really having to speak the words, Goten asked his boyfriend if that was o.k with him.
"Yeah, you should go. I'll be fine." He tried to sound reassuring but it was a failed attempt. "I want to get started on these books anyway."
"Okay, but don't forget to eat, drink, and try to get some sleep." Goten mothered before giving his boyfriend a pat on the shoulder. Trunks squeezed the others hand that rested there a moment. "I'll stop by tomorrow."
"Sure." Letting go of Goten's hand. After that Goten followed his dad out of the house leaving the sullen heavy feel behind.
Trunks turned to lay himself down on the couch and squeezed his eyes shut to fight back the threatening tears of frustration. "Keep it together Trunks." He encouraged himself while wipping his eyes roughly. He let out a loud breath and reached for one of the books doctor Kondo had given him. "D.I.D, The Source." He opens it and flips through a few pages before glancing in the direction of the stairs. Then he proceeded to actually read the first page.....
_____________
"Ahg!..." Gohan yanked his hand away from the scalding hot coffee that he accidently poured on his hand instead of into the mug he was holding. He quickly set the mug down with a heavy clank. He was having his lunch break and needing some time away from the hospital, he decided to take the break at home instead of the hospital cafeteria. "Damnit!" Shaking the excess liquid off he grabs a nearby kitchen towel.
"What's wrong Gohan?" Piccolo's strong deep voice enters the kitchen before he does.
Sighing Gohan walks over to the sink running cold water over his burn. "I'm just worried about Vegeta."
"You mean his disorder?" Gohan looks surprised at his Namek lover, as he brings him an ice pack that he'd retrieved from the freezer.
"...Yeah. You.. know about that?" He takes the offered ice pack after shutting off the water. "Thanks."
"I've known about it for a short time. Goku told me something was off about Vegeta and lucky me I got to witness it first hand."
"Oh?"
"I kept my mouth shut because it was none of my business." Piccolo rummages through a drawer next to their small gas oven. He pulls out a bottle of burn cream and twists the cap off with ease, squeezing a decent amount into his green palm. Gohan met him halfway and held out his hand for Piccolo to massage the cream in.
"Makes sense. Guess we're even though. I've also had a first hand look at Vegeta's behavior. It was so disturbing I didn't want to believe it myself but now there's proof. Sort of." Piccolo saw the disappointed look on his lover's face.
"What happened at the hospital?"
"You know about that too, huh?" The young intern smiled.
"I was at the Lookout. Just listening in a little. It gets boring up there you know."
Gohan laughed a little earning a smile from his usually stoic partner. "Well," He spoke returning to a serious demeanor. "We had Vegeta examined, after he caused a scene. I've been reading up on multiple personality disorders since my dad brought up Vegeta's behavior."
"Multiple personalities." Piccolo mumbled more to himself than anything as if recalling a moment in time when he'd experienced something similar.
"Yeah and all the research fit perfectly with Vegeta's condition only, diagnosing it isn't always easy or a sure thing." After Piccolo released his hand he reached back and pulled the bandages from the drawer to wrap Gohan's hand and keep the cream from smearing anywhere. "So now Vegeta thinks he's fine. No one else believes it though and Trunks is pretty torn up about the whole thing."
"Hn."
The young half Saiyan flexed his hand once the bandages were in place. "If we can't get Vegeta to admit to what's going on there's no way we can get him proper help or treatment. I mean its a bad enough disorder in normal humans but Vegeta's a Saiyan, and a powerful one at that. What if something bad happens to him? Or to one of us..."
"I don't think the others will let that happen and I'll do what I can to help."
Gohan appreciated the comforting words and brightened up a little. "Yeah you're probably right." Sighing again he moved away from the island counter and proceeded to clean up the spilled coffee and pour himself another. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."
_____________
Vegeta had been pacing back and forth with his arms crossed, since he'd entered his room. The events of the day fueling his angry rants and making his steps heavy.
"I can't believe this! How dare they force me into that nightmare; treating me like some lab experiment to dissect!" He kicked the armchair causing it to slide out of place slightly. He sat in it letting all the weight of his anger drop with him. Across from the chair on the opposite wall was a full body mirror. Vegeta glared at his image. Staring so long and hard that he thought for a minute his reflection might have moved, changed expression or something but he quickly dismissed the idea.
"There's nothing wrong with me." He spoke to his image with conviction before turning his head away to look somewhere else.
Of course there isn't
"Hm?" Snapping his head back to the mirror Vegeta only saw himself the same as before. It had been just a whisper but he'd heard it, he was sure of it. He waited a moment but heard nothing more. "Get a hold of yourself Vegeta. Last thing I need is to make myself think I'm crazy as well as everyone else." The prince wanted to stand firm in hopes that what he knew might be coming wouldn't. If this was a mental thing all he had to do was beat it on his own. Fight it off and make it disappear.He stood and scanned the room for something to do to occupy his mind and keep him busy. There was nothing but a few books on a shelf, ones he'd already read and a set of weights in the corner. He figured the weights would be a good mental and physical distraction. So he picked them up to do a few reps counting in his head to keep his brain busy and intrusions out.
'Eight.. nine... ten...'
Twelve
He paused momentarily at the unexpected jump in numbers knowing he hadn't thought it himself but heard it clearly in his head. Gritting his teeth in determination not to let his mind get the best of him he continued only counting out loud. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen..." In the back of his mind he could hear the laughter probably at his attempts to keep the alters at bay. As he lifted the weights up and down working his already too sculpted biceps he began feeling light headed and dizzy. "Damn this." He dropped the weights with a thud, the sound not going unheard from downstairs. Going to the window he slides the door over to let some of the evening air in. Breathing in deeply he tries to help relieve his dizziness, and just as his body relaxed a bit a knock on the door had him jumping out of skin. "What-?" Turning quickly expecting to see something he didn't want to, a body to accompany the voices that had been taunting him earlier, he tensed as the door to the room slowly opened.
"Dad are you alright? I heard a noise." Trunks peered in slightly, using the door as a shield incase the Saiyan was in a throwing mood for having been disturbed.
Sighing heavily in relief, Vegeta tried to return to his normal cool demeanor. "I thought I told you to leave me alone." He simply stated turning back to look out of the window. 'Thank Kami, I would have truly lost my mind if these alters, as they call themselves, started appearing in physical form. Damnit I'm already giving in by thinking they're real.' He leaned into the window frame breathing in again and trying to cover up his rattled nerves so Trunks wouldn't catch on to anything. 'I will not let this get to me.'
"Well I heard something and thought-"
"It was the weights dropping that's all. Now leave me alone."
Glancing at the fallen objects Trunks can't help but feel nervous. From what he'd just been reading alternate personalities were liars, erratic, unpredictable.... violent. 'No I can't be afraid of them. I have to be strong to help my dad. They're just extensions of my father if, I can handle him I can handle them.' Pushing the door open more Trunks firmly held the knob to steady his nerves. "I'll go as soon as you take one of these." He holds the medication out to the man's back. Vegeta barely spares him a look over the shoulder. "Please dad, it'll... help relax you."
"Relax me? So you're trying to drug me now. Put me down so you can drag me off to Kami knows where!" He turns to face his son.
"No, the doctor said-"
"To hell with the doctors."
Trunks set his mouth before speaking again. "The doctor said this will help you, keep... them away, or whatever is causing you to feel and act differently."
"There is nothing to get rid of! Remember? You were there, we all were I'm perfectly normal. Now get out."
Trunks winced a bit but didn't budge. There was a moment of silence and a brief staring contest. Vegeta leaning against the window with his arms crossed and Trunks standing in the doorway trying very hard not to get angry with his stubborn father. A few minutes later and Trunks gave in as he always did. "Fine," He spat out then easily openend the pill bottle and poured a few into his hand. "This is the recommended dosage." He walked the short distance to the nightstand by Vegeta's bed and placed the pills there. "Do what you want with them." He left closing the door behind himself.
Vegeta eyed the pills.
You should take them maybe we'll go away..... or not
"Hn."
You'll never know unless you try
Vegeta growled getting tired of these damn mind games and the intrusion of his thoughts. "Maybe it will shut you up!" He yelled into air space. "Then what huh?"
Hahahahahahahhahaha
"Damn this." He stormed over to the nightstand and snatched the four medium sized pills up throwing them back down his throat and swallowing without the aid of water. He walks back to the weights and grabs them from off the floor going back to what he'd been previously doing. This time with more determination to ignore anything that wasn't his own counting.
And now we wait
...........................
"That stupid stubborn-" Trunks stormed into his bedroom raging at his fathers behavior. "Why can't he just listen to me!?" He slammed his fist down on the dresser drawer rattling the pictures and lamp that sat atop it. "Doesn't he know I just want to help." Stalking farther into the room he kicked the beanbag chair that had been sitting in the middle of the floor. It tumbled a few times before landing against the oppostie wall.
"Why do I put up with this?" He seethed, grabbing his hair and pulling it. Trunks froze just then realising what he was doing. Behaving just like his father. Dropping his hands he went to sit on the bed trying to breathe deeply and calm himself down answering his own question. "He's my dad, and he's sick, that's why." Sighing loudly he stands and paces the room a bit.
"What did the book say about this," He tried remembering the last few things he'd just read on the behavior of a person with D.I.D. How most people that don't acknowledge their disorder won't take the treatments. They believe they're completely sane and o.k. The loved ones of those suffering have to trick them or force the treatments. "Maybe I can slip the pills into some food. He's gotta be hungry by now." Leaving the room Trunks heads into the kitchen to start an early dinner. Its not like they both couldn't use a meal anyway.
...........................
Vegeta had been slowly dozing off in the arm chair in his room. Fighting complete sleep becaue the moment he closed his eyes he could feel them lurking around inside of his head waiting, as one of them had said before.
"I knew... these damn pills.... wouldn't work." He spoke slowly voice heavy with sleep. His eyes slowly closed and he snapped them open, shaking his head to try and rattle himself awake.
Its no use, you can't fight the power of earth medicaiton
"Huh?" In his state of half rest the voice had startled him because he'd momentarily forgotten that technically he wasn't alone.
Why don't you just give in already and stop wasting our time
"Never." He forced his weary body out of the chair and walked around a bit clumsily.
Sleep Vegeta and when you wake up it'll be over
"No!" In his frustration Vegeta started banging his head against the nearest wall desperately wanting the voices to go away. "Just leave me alone!"
He could hear them all speaking at once, words overlapping themselves making it hard to understand any one sentence. Vegeta pressed his hands against the wall pushing himself away from it, his head lowered to the floor. His breathing was heavy and a sheen of sweat had formed over his face.
You're too weak to keep us in anymore Saiyan prince
Those words were so loud in his ears, so clear in his mind and triggered a memory of haivng heard something very similar once before and said with the same spite and mocking. His mind began to spiral as images of a land in shambles; broken mountain and cliffs missing chunks of rock, grass burned away and the sky full of smoke and dark colors. All the remains of an ongoing battle. Vegeta could see himself lying near dead on the ground, clothes in shreds covered in his own blood and a figure hovering just a few feet in front of him. Those same words being spat at him from the figure, the voice distorted in his memory to be unrecognisable. "You're too weak to stop me Saiyan prince...." Followed by a cackling laughter. The memory faded as Vegeta slid off the wall to the floor.
Its too much for you isn't it?
Why don't you just admit that you need us
Let us out!
Kneeling his hands ripping at his hair, his head shook back and forth before he let go to fall completely to the floor lying on his back. The ceiling above him was moving in wavy lines before his eyes. He groaned being cut off by his own sudden laughter. It didn't last long though, soon being replaced by feelings of self loathing and disappointment. For a split second he actually felt like shedding tears just then but they never came. He was briefly back to feeling like himself in control of his own emotions.
"Wh... at's happening to me?"
He could feel their presence growing stronger and not just in his head anymore but physically moving through his body. Its as if each alter were rapidly circling him and randomly jumping into his body taking over his mind, just to move on for the next one to take its turn. Vegeta couldn't move he couldn't speak, the medicine he'd taken was affecting his conscious. He was tired, weak, floaty. His eyes straining to stay open had finally lost the battle closing him in darkness. He could still hear them faintly talking to or through him in harsh whispers. Not having the energy or frame of mind to ignore their desperate attempts to take over Vegeta gave in
___________________
"Aw man, I can't do this anymore!" Goku stood from the couch he'd been sitting on with Goten. Goten had been playing videogames to occupy himself and Goku sat with him to watch, turning down any offer his son made for him to play with him.
Goten looked up at his dad in surprise. "Can't do what, watch? My playing's not that bad." He joked.
"Its not that. I can't sit here anymore doing nothing, knowing Vegeta's in trouble and knowing that Trunks is upset with me."
Goten paused his game. "I know but what can you do? Trunks knows you're sorry and he's only really mad because he's scared, it'll go away soon enough. Vegeta's another story though. There's really nothing we can do if he won't let us."
Goku sighed heavily. "I know but, what if just being there could do something."
Goten gave a wary look at that comment until he had an idea of what his dad might be getting at. He and Vegeta have always been together even if it were as rivals. Even if one was good and the other bad so it was natural that they'd feel some kind of kinship. Not to mention they were both the last of their full blooded race. Even though Goten didn't think this was the time for some cheesy love might save the day story, the idea was pleasant. It was atleast worth a try and might be the starting point to getting their dads together.
"Well then you should go back over there."
"I can't, Trunks needs some space remember, it was my idea to leave in the first place." Goku spoke defeatedly.
"So then don't let Trunks know you're there. I could call him and try to distract him for you."
Goku was quietly thinking this over. "....No I can't, what if being around Vegeta only makes it worse. Trunks finds out I'm there and gets angry all over again. I can't take the risk. Not now atleast. Rrr." He sighs frustratedly while tossling his already unruly hair. "This is all so... so.."
"Stupid?" Goten offered up a word.
"Yeah, stupid." Goku trailed off crossing his arms and glaring at the carpet under his bare feet. Goten knew that look he'd seen it before at the hopsital. His dad was blaming himself and also concerned for Vegeta in more than an 'I want to help him get better way.' Deciding that talking about the mans feelings might be a good distraction, he turned off his video game and cleared his throat.
"Hey dad?" Not sure how to start a conversation about relationships with his own father and worse than that relationships with the most unrelatable man the world over, Vegeta, Goten hesitated feeling suddenly uncomfortable.
"What it is Goten?" Goku asked after realising his son wasn't going to continue.
"Well, I... uh. Its kinda hard to say but..." Goku watched him waiting making Goten even more nervous, he could feel a sheen of sweat building under his shirt. 'Its now or never 'Ten and he needs this push.' After mentally pumping himself up the young teen blurt the words out in a rush. "DoyouhaveathingforVegeta? Cause ifsothatscoolwithmeandTrunkstoo."
"What?" Goku half laughed out.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out Goten tried again. "You and Vegeta, you have a thing for him don't you?" Goku froze giving the answer without words. "Its cool dad and understandable, I think. Trunks and I kinda already thought so anyway and we'd be cool with it ya know."
Goku sat down moving on automatic a surprised look on his face. "Was it that obvious?" He spoke distantly but with a hint of humor to his tone.
"Not at first, not until recently with all this disease stuff."
"Yeah its kinda recently happened to me too. Well sort of I mean, for a while I always knew life would be kinda boring and lonely without Vegeta around but lately its, I don't know, turned into something else."
"Thats how it happens. Me and Trunks were friends forever as kids and once you realise not having them around whenever you need makes you a little down. I started thinking about him differently and the attraction was there, one thing lead to another. I blamed it on teenage puberty but that just brought on the physical attraction not the,,, well ya know want to be with him part." He akwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Man this is weird." He mumbled more to himself. Goku suddenly laughing startled the spiky haired boy.
"It is weird isn't it." Goku agreed. This made Goten smile.
"Yeah. Add this to the awkward conversations I never thought I'd have list." Both men cracked up dissolving the weird air between them until they sobered up.
"But its different for you and Trunks, even Gohan and Piccolo. You've all had years to realise the changes and could easily do something about it. If you think this is uncomfortable imagine having the conversation with Vegeta."
"Yeah you're right..." Spacing out for a moment Goten actually tried to imagine the scene play out but couldn't even begin to get his mind to go there. Both men mimicked each others posture leaning their elbows on their knees and hands on their cheeks, pouting.
"So what do I do?"
"Hmm..." They went quiet in thought. "I know skip the conversation part." Goten suggested straightening up, Goku turned his head in his enthusiastic sons direction.
"What?"
"Don't talk about it just act. Its the best way to get a response from a guy like Vegeta. Get in his head, or not guess he's already got enough going on in there. But you know what I mean, gradually show him how you feel put the idea out there."
Sitting up as well Goku looked thoughtful. "Yeah maybe," He spoke slowly. "Its just with everything thats going on you think this is a good time?"
"Better now than never considering the circumstance. What if you were right before. What if being with Vegeta would make things better or atleast easier for him and hell for Trunks too."
Both men stood up with determination. "Yeah, that actually sounds possible. Maybe I will."
"No maybe you have to, me and Trunks could try and help too, I don't know how but we'll think of something."
"Thanks son but right now Trunks needs to focus on his dad getting better not, well, this. You're right though if I can help Vegeta I'd be helping Trunks too, this could work for all of us."
"That's the spirit. Now how about a celebration snack?"
"Hahaha sure son. In fact let's order some pizzas."
"Sweet." Goten reached for the phone immediately dialing the number to a local pizza place. Goku paced the room a bit, expression serious.
'Looks like the cats out of the bag now. Its good though, having the kids support and not having to keep this to myself anymore. But can I really go through with it, can I make Vegeta notice me in that way?' Goku mentally laughed at himself. 'It sounds ridiculous just thinking about it and where would I start, what would I do?'
His thoughts were momentarily haulted when Goten hung up the phone. "Alright I got a large everything, a large meat lovers and medium cheese pizzas. It should be here in half an hour or less."
"Great." Goku put on a smile but his expression was lost in thought.
"Still worried about Vegeta?"
"Yeah but only now for a different reason. I'm not exactly a Casanova."
"True, I think that quality was passed down to me." Both shared a quick laugh. "Don't sweat it dad just be the way you always are around Vegeta, the rest just kinda falls into place on its own."
"I'll do that son. Man, when did you grow up so smart? Was that passed down too?"
"Thank Gohan for that." They laughed again. "Now how about that video game?"
"Yeah why not." They both sat on the couch, Goten turned the fighter game back on and handed his dad a controller. They played a few rounds waiting for the pizza to be delivered.
.........................
Vegeta stumbled down the stairs looking solemn and his body was feeling heavier than normal due to the medication. Having banged his head repeatedly moments ago had made him dizzy and left a nasty bruise. Getting to the bottom of the stairs he smelled food coming from the kitchen and made his way there to find Trunks at the stove, leaning against the counter with a book in hand. Going to the refrigerator he took an ice pack from the freezer placing it to his aching forehead.
"Ehem." He cleared his throat to get his son's attention. Trunks was startled from his reading trance and looked in the direction of the sound.
"Huh? Dad you're-"
"Starving how long till its done?"
"Uuhh," Momentarily surprised to see his father standing there and looking less than rested or relaxed Trunks was at a loss for what the man was talking about. He glanced around for a second before remembering his meal and registering what his dad meant. "Oh, the food. Uh,- just a few minutes I think."
Vegeta only nodded and sat at the table. The hand holding up the ice pack also held his head up as he leaned his elbows on the table. Trunks thought the man looked sad but that seemed wrong and then he figured he must just be tired from the long day he'd had at the hospital. His hand unconsciously went to finger the pills in his pants pocket. "So.. how are you feeling dad?" The teen asked warily not completely sure who he was talking to. From what he'd just read in chapter ten of the book, 'Engaging Alters' he knew to be careful of what he said and how he engaged in conversation with the mental personalities. So not to set one or all of them off.
"Lousy, thanks to those damn pills of yours." Vegeta spat out but with less malice than he'd usually speak with. Trunks wasn't crazy the man defenitly sounded depressed.
'One of the symptoms.'
"You- you took them?"
"Yes," Vegeta half smiled in an eerie way but Trunks was too shocked and then relieved to notice it. Mostly because he wouldn't have to drug his own father by force. 'Maybe he's starting to understand the seriousness of this and wants the help now.' Already getting his hopes up Trunks turned the stove off and hurried to fix their plates.
Vegeta watched him with a wondering expression. 'What's he so happy about all of a sudden, oh I know, he probably thinks his daddy is bending to his will. That their magical medicine has gotten rid of us. The poor fool has no idea...'
"I feel sorry for you." He said setting down the ice pack and causing Trunks to pause mid-plating.
"What?"
"Having me for a father, it must be terrible for you."
Feeling a bit wary Trunks continued to put food on the plate and slowly carried them over to set down, "Why would you say that dad?" He stared at his father hard and finally noticed the bruise on his head. "And how'd you get that?"
"I'm only saying it because its true. All the other kids have a normal family don't they? And you're stuck with me, a big jerk with issues. How do you stand it?" Vegeta lifted his fork and began stabbing at the meat on his plate, ignoring Trunks's other question.
'This isn't right, there's no way this guy is my dad. But it can't be some alter, he took the pills. No, he said he took them, they do lie after all. Damnit. I'll have to find a way to check and make sure later.' Figuring out what was going on Trunks decided to follow the books instructions and play along, hopefully he'll catch the man in a lie revealing whichever alternate form of his father he was. So he ate casually.
"You're my dad, of course I can tolerate you. No matter what."
"Tch. Sentiment I don't deserve. What good am I to you huh? Wouldn't you prefer a nice strong kind and understanding father like Kakarot?"
"Goku's fine but you're my dad and you shouldn't be talking like this. What's wrong with you?... Unless you're not yourself right now." He raised an eyebrow.
"Hn. Not myself, I've never felt more myself actually. I've had enough time to think and its clear I'm no man worth loving or helping. You'd be better off alone. I'm surprised you haven't moved out yet. If I were you I wouldn't want be to stuck around a pathetic excuse for a Saiyan pr-"
Hearing that was the end for Trunks's self control and all his caution flew out the window. "Shut up!" Trunks stood dropping his fork to the table. "I don't know who the hell you are but you're clearly not my father. He's sick, has a disease and you're part of it. I don't know what brought you here but I'll personally make sure you go away."
"Haha threats now to your own father, am I so awful?"
"That's not what I meant and I'm not threatening my father. I was talking to who or whatever you are."
"It hurts me when you treat me like a stranger Trunks."
The young teen gave his father a skeptical look. His own conviction starting to waver on whether this man speaking to him now was his dad or an imposter. He hesitated before speaking again. "...Then stop acting like one."
Vegeta half laughed and scoffed at the same time. "Still thinking like that, fine, if that's what you want to believe go ahead. I can't change your mind and I'm in no mood to try." Vegeta went back to eating as Trunks stood there watching him a moment unsure of what else to do he finally sat down and forced his food down, having lost his appetite.
_______________________
Night had finally fallen over West City and Trunks was once again nose deep in medical books. After an uncomfortable dinner with his father, who left the table right after eating, not even bothering to clean up after himself, Trunks took care of the mess and got immediately back into the books. Only after checking in on his dad who had finally fallen asleep from the pills, if he had actually told the truth about having taken them earlier. He'd found Vegeta passed out in his bed, barely on top of the matress. With a sigh of relief and hopes that sleep would get the man back in his right frame of mind Trunks headed downstairs to read.
He was midway through a book titled "Multiple Selves, Multiple Solutions"
"This says most D.I.D. is caused by stress or a traumatic experience in ones life." He dropped the book into his lap and stared outward. "What could possibly be stressing him out? There haven't been any threats to our world lately. He and Goku seem to be getting along. I'm a good kid so it can't be me...." He gnawed lightly on his bottom lip as he thought his words over. "Maybe it is this life, its too simple for him. Too peaceful and he's bored or worse fighting urges to be evil and it caused his mind to... split or something."
'That sounds a bit farfetched even to me.' He thought. "But then what could have caused this."
Just then the phone rang and Trunks half turned reaching behind his head to grab his cell phone from the side table next to the couch. Hearing the familiar ringtone he already knew who was on the other end. "Hey 'Ten." He listened to his boyfriend talk. "Just reading and trying to figure out what might have caused my dads disorder.... yeah he's still acting weird but the problem is I'm having trouble telling if its my dad I'm talking to or someone else."
He listened to the other end a moment. "Vegeta's always been an enigma, I guess it would be kinda hard to tell unless his attitude changed drastically." Goten said from his end. "Maybe you should keep a chart or journal or something on his behavior, try to figure out what's real and what's well... mental."
"..Yeah that might work," Trunks was quiet a moment as his mind worked over what his boyfriend had just said. 'Keep track...'
"T' you still there?" Goten asked over the phone.
"Yeah I'm here. Listen 'Ten you just gave me a great idea."
"I did?"
"Following my dad around to write his behavior would be too much work but if we videotape him instead."
"We'll have proof he's sick and something to go on for figuring out.... well everything else."
Trunks laughed for the first time in awhile. "Exactly. So come over early tomorrow and we'll set up camera's all over the place. Hopefully Vegeta won't catch on."
"My dad can distract him for us, maybe get him out of the house." Goten suggested his tone of voice changing slightly to something a bit sly.
"Huh, you sound like you know something. Spill."
"Oh its nothing much I'll tell you tomorrow though, finish your reading ok."
"Alright, see ya then."
"See ya."
"And Goten thanks for calling I really needed this."
"Boyfriend's intuition. Bye." Shaking his head with a smile Trunks ended the call after Goten hung up.
He pocketed his cell phone and grabbed his spread of books and left the living room. He headed up the stairs two at a time to get to his room. Pausing on his way past Vegeta's room curiosity getting the better of him he leaned in towards the door listening. It was quiet, which wasn't exactly comforting for the teen at the moment. He gently pushed the door open and peered inside finding his dad still asleep in the arm chair. Trunks sighed of relief, happy that the pills were working in some way and hoping his dad wasn't suffering in his sleep. Sliding inside the room he left his books on the small table near the door and proceeded to his father for further inspection. Reading about suicidal D.I.D. patients did nothing to stave off his paranoia. He was careful putting an ear to his dad's mouth, the man was still breathing.
"Thank Kami." He heaved a relieved sigh and gently touched the man's forehead, it was warm. Wetting his mouth, a little nervous that he'd end up waking the sleeping form, Trunks moved in to lift the small built man. He kneeled down and hoisted Vegeta over his shoulder freezing once back on his feet. Vegeta barely stirred.
"Those must be some relaxers. Alright to the bed." He carried him quickly but carefully so not to jar his movements and successfully placed Vegeta on the bed. The Saiyan prince rolled to his stomach but made no sound or other movements afterwards. "Good. I'll be back to check on you later." He whispered. Trunks retrieved his books and paused in the doorway looking back at the sleeping man. His dad's words from earlier replaying in his mind.
"Hn. Not myself, I've never felt more myself actually. I've had enough time to think and its clear I'm no man worth loving or helping. You'd be better off alone I'm surprised you haven't moved out yet. If I were you I wouldn't want be to stuck around a pathetic excuse for a Saiyan prince."
"I hope that wasn't you talking dad. I won't believe it." He exited the room as quietly as he'd entered and proceeded to his own bedroom. Determined to read as much as he could to find ways to help his father in his personal battle.
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A/N: I can only apologize for the extremely long update wait and promise this story will be finished in time. I always appreciate knowing people are still reading, thanks for hanging in there!
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