Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ TOSOV (THE OTHER SIDE OF VEGETA) ❯ KEEP HOPE ALIVE ( Chapter 5 )

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

CHAPTER VI

KEEP HOPE ALIVE

As Vegeta and his companions continued on their way down the mall, the prince and princess barely looked at one another since the kiss. Trunks carried his sister who had fallen asleep not soon after the little snack.

"Looks like the kids are played. Shall I take them home?" Trunks asked noting that Pan, Naila and Nyricco were all having trouble keeping their little eyes open as well.

"We'll take them. Videl and I are a little beat ourselves. Ya comin' or stayin', Krillin?" Gohan asked as he picked up Pan and Naila then had Videl put Nyricco on his back.

Vegeta reached into the pocket of his jeans to retrieve the capsule storage container. He opened it and gave Gohan a capsule marked 'HOME'. "Here, this may come in handy. You remember where it was?" the prince asked and Gohan nodded then began to walk down the mall.

Krillin and 18 opted to go with Gohan and his family, which left the X-team, Goku, Goten, the Minerva-jin, Trunks, Marron, Cilvanti, and Vegeta to continue touring the mall. After the others had left, the remaining group started down the mall only to find their path blocked by a tall, platinum haired figure and a shorter purple haired being who eyed Ariadne with hungry eyes.

"Poppa!"

"Aegar? What brings you to Earth?" Vegeta asked the platinum haired being whose own handsome face was stern but Vegeta could see the pain and hurt in his brown-gold eyes,

"I have come for my daughter, Prince Vegeta. Ariadne," King Aegar looked at the golden beauty, which clung tightly to the Saiyan prince.

"No, poppa, please!" she protested.

"What's the meaning of this, Aegar?" Vegeta spat as he held the shaking princess to his side.

"She has been aligned to Prince Tyrus of Ispan-12. This is his guard, Treyus. The king of that planet has said that if my daughter did not marry his son, that he would attack Minerva and take it as his own," King Aegar stated.

"That's preposterous! It's insane! You let that sniveling little weasel bully you into surrendering the prize I myself have requested from you? You forget that your planet is under my control and my protection! If it hadn't of been for me, Kellogg-18 would have made slaves out of the lot of you! The universe knows how rich and valuable Minervasei is and that you have no defense against invasion save for me and mine! That's what makes you so weak! Why I stake my interest in your pathetic little planet is beyond explanation! Here, take this weak as water, worrisome female creature! Do with her what you will I don't care anymore! I don't care about her or your planet. Don't call me for a crisis nor to rescue that bitch! I don't need your stinkin' planet! I should take my Gallick Gun and blow the whole thing up!" Vegeta had pushed the princess towards her own Outusan and turned his back on her.

"Vegeta, you can't be serious! You can't let him take me! Vegeta, I love you!" Ariadne screamed as tears cascaded down her beautiful face in torrents as her Outusan half pulled half carried her away.

Vegeta steeled himself, began to slowly walk away then he broke into a run as he heard, "Dad, wait!" from his son.

Vegeta ran so fast that he phased out of the mall and appeared in a clearing by a large lake above the remains of Rock Tunnel. Here he fell apart and lost his uncontrollable emotions. That had been happening a lot lately, must try to gain control of the melted marshmallow and turn him to stone again.


Back at the mall, there was confusion; but then again lately where Vegeta was concerned, confusion reigned number one. Prince Sonra, who had remained with his family after his Outusan had taken the princess, expelled a heavy sigh.

"Outusan should not have done that to Vegeta. Now, my friend will never visit us again. Poppa seems to forget that it was Vegeta who saved us from invasion almost fifteen years ago. We are in that prince's debt. He had never claimed any payment for his services but I could tell that he wanted Ariadne the minute he had laid eyes on her. True, he tries to keep her at bay because she is so much younger, but he desires her as much as she desires him. They love one another deeply. I think he sees his lost baby sister in her," Sonra remarked.

Just then, Bulma, Jeffery and Cynthia approached the group. "All right, you guys, where the hell is that brainless vegetable monkey tailed asshole?" Bulma fumed.

Goku heaved a sigh. "Woman, I will not tolerate you calling my prince such humiliating names! What the hell do you want with him? You're the maniac that tried to kill him and the kids. You're the heartless monster who threw him out when the baby was only a year old! F#$&k off, Bulma, and leave him alone! You've put him through more contortions than any being should live through!" the usual mild mannered, sweet natured, clean talking Saiyan ranted in anger and he tried to keep from flipping into Super Saiyan, level 2!

This startled Bulma to the point of being speechless. She looked at her son, who glared back at her with cold, hard as diamond cobalt colored eyes and a stance exactly like his Outusan's. Then she looked back at Goku.

"Goku, what's come over you? We're friends. You've never said such things to anyone! You're an Earthling, not a ruthless Saiyan like that little tyrant," Bulma had burst into fresh tears.

"Look, woman, Vegeta is my kinsman, my prince and my friend. I will defend him and protect him from the likes of you! Why he ever got involved with you, is beyond the scope of logic! You don't deserve anyone of his make. How he can still have feelings for a wart like you defies explanation. C'mon, kids let's go find your dad. Suddenly, the air's gone sour in this place," Goku turned to leave. The kids and all the others, which had remained at the mall following Vegeta's disappearance, followed him.

Bulma stood riveted to her spot not even wanting to look at either Jeffery or Cindy. She had to leave. In a hollow tone, she excused herself and ran from her girlfriend and lover.


Vegeta had found a spot in front of the lake to sit and meditate. He would have to ask Piccolo how he could fuse both sides of his nature into one being so that the marshmallow didn't dominate as he had when the prince was a boy. The prince fell back to lie on the grass but his mind was too busy and his emotions...Well, he wouldn't even start on them. He needed to release some of this pent up energy! He needed to go to Scotland and spar with Angelair, but he had promised to take the others when he undertook that venture. Vegeta sat up and took in his surroundings. How did he get to Kanto Island? No matter, Rock Tunnel-its remains anyway-was down from where he was so he would go there and shoot at the rocks.

As he stood in front of one of the major catalysts to his present personality conflict, chills ran down his strong spine. He could see the event as if it had just happened. Well, it had, less than a month ago. He had heard the child crying for help and followed the chi he had picked up. The place was a tomb as black as his eyes, so he had to keep his chi aglow to see even two inches in front of his body. If his baby had gone in there, it was a wonder as she was deathly afraid of the dark. He had called, followed the chi and discovered Piccolo's little boy. The child said that his sister and Pan were buried under a pile of rocks that had fallen beside the child himself and that the kids had lost Cilvanti before the quake hit. Vegeta had begun to dig out Pan and Naila when the aftershock hit. He'd managed to throw an area blast over Nyricco as he felt his own body fall downward into a hole. After, a large chunk of the tunnel had cracked him on the head then all senses ceased and total blankness reigned.

The many times the prince had crashed through walls, buildings, mountains and such during his life, not one of those instances had caused such a major change in his personality as the tunnel collapse had done. Then again, Vegeta remembered he hadn't fully recovered from the Gravity Chamber accident the day before the Kanto Earthquake. Vegeta had clenched his right hand into a tight fist. When he opened it, an energy ball danced in his palm. With a mighty yell, the price hurled the chi ball at the remains of the tunnel. This alerted anyone who had been trying to get a fix on Vegeta and his location.

Unbeknownst to the prince, he was being observed. Not by his fellow Z fighters nor the X-team but six pair of angular eyes as black as his own. The beings stood behind Vegeta, about 200 meters from where he was and watched him hurl chi blast after chi blast at the tunnel.

"I hate you! You turned me inside out and now look at the shape I'm in! I can't even keep my stony exterior in tact for longer than an eyeblink! Every little thing upsets me, now! AAAARRRGGG!" Vegeta screamed in his native tongue. The hurt anger of the uncontrollable emotion storm raged inside of him and overtook his senses.

'What do you think, your highnesses? Could this be the elder one? His power is incredible!' one of the beings asked his two companions through telepathy.

'It is hard to tell both from this distance and the fact that he has his back to us, Fuyung,' another of the three beings responded in like manner.

'Maybe we should send a blast his way to let him know we are here?' a smaller, slimmer, curvaceous being suggested.

'Sis, are you crazy? If we do that and it is the elder one, he'll blast us with pinpoint accuracy!' the second of the two larger, masculine beings reprimanded.

The Z team, who had been carrying those of the X-team that could not fly, had been speeding towards Rock Tunnel when Trunks stopped. "Did anyone hear that?" he asked the group in general.

"Hear what, Trunks?" Jean asked. She had been astride Piccolo's back.

"I picked up something, but I don't understand your language all that well, yet. Something about the elder one, whatever that means," Piccolo shrugged then the group continued on to their destination.

Vegeta wasn't satisfied with simple chi blasts, so he powered himself up to SSJ-2 form and began to gather an awesome amount of energy. The three beings, which had been observing the prince, all wore a scouter that exploded from the surge in power being emitted 200 meters in front of them.

"Wow! What power! Look! What happened to him? First his hair was as black as ours was, and now it's as golden as the sun of this planet and his aura is golden as well. AAHHH! Look! He has a tail!" the smaller being noted as the prince's long hair fanned away from his body to reveal his tail, which had been hidden from view.

The Z-sensi felt the increased power immediately. Simultaneously, everyone yelled...

"Vegeta, NO!"

"Dad, stop!"

In an instant, the prince's arms had been restrained as a pair of arms gripped him tightly.

"Vegeta, power down, hot head or you'll destroy us and the galaxy as well! We know you're hurting! We know you're lonely, but that's no reason for this madness!" Piccolo screamed at the seething prince, whose power began to decrease and his hair turned from gold to black once again.

Vegeta fell to the ground with Trunks and Goku still holding onto him. He didn't try to shake them off. "Hurting, hell! I haven't felt pain this deeply since Frieza took me away from my people and my family, then ruthlessly exterminated everything that I held sacred. That monstrous freak of the universe made me his slave. His two henchmen, Zarbon and Dodoria, did things to me that no being should have to endure! The three of them tortured me mercilessly, sometimes in front of Nappa and Raditz, whom they also tortured! The dodo duo would make me watch as they tortured the only other two full Saiya-jin. The two had to watch while I was being tortured! They stripped us of our dignity and our heritage. Frieza always boasted that we were his monkeys. That he held our chains and controlled us. It was he who made me the way I had been so many years ago! We never wanted to harm peaceful planets the way he made us. The Saiyan way was to only brutalize strong planets, which had provoked us! AAARRRGGGHHH! This is the very reason why Saiya-jin don't express their feelings! This is why I was a block of ice and hid my heart away! Kakarrot, kill me, please! I don't want to feel this pain anymore!" the prince pleaded, his sobs deep and heartrending.

The Z sensi all stared at one another in horror. From out of nowhere, the slimmer feminine being of the three observers had broken from hiding and bolted towards Vegeta. "Ichison, no! We just found you! You are not gonna leave us again unless I go with you!" the being screamed in Saiyago. She pushed Trunks and Goku away and took hold of the prince, her black eyes angry and her hand raised to prepare a blast. "Leave him alone! He is my brother and only I know how to comfort him!" the being then embraced the prince and cried herself as she held him tight and stroked his tail.

"Kayla, have you flipped!" one of the two males exclaimed.

"Kale, he is our brother! Can't you see that he's hurting and needs comfort!" the girl named Kayla responded. "Calm down, Ichison, calm down. Your baby sister is here to take you home. Oh, I'll tear the heart out of the being who hurt you this deeply!" the girl cooed into Vegeta's ear.

"Too late, he's dead. K-kayla? M-my sister, are you for real or has my distress caused me to phase into the next dimension?" the prince asked as he slowly regained control of his senses. His red rimmed black eyes met those of the female being, who still held him tightly. Tentatively, the prince lifted his arm, took the glove off his right hand and ran his fingers down the girl's face. His mouth was agape in surprise. "No, it is you! I can't believe this! It's impossible! But how?" Vegeta asked in his native tongue. The two hugged and Vegeta moved to get up when his left arm was taken. His head whipped around and he stumbled as he got to his feet. Again, his mouth fell open in surprise at the being by his side that stood at least five inches taller than the prince did. "Kale? Little brother, you made it, also? You mean the terrible trio are united once again?" Vegeta's voice rose a few octaves over its usual gruff baritone sound.

"Yes, elder one, twin brother made it, too, and so did Fuyung, Angelair's brother," the first of the two males smiled as he and the other male assisted Vegeta to stand.

Once the prince had regained his balance, the trio hugged, but Vegeta kissed the girl on the cheek, then the prince turned and regarded the second male, who had bowed himself to the ground.

"Fuyung, it's good to see you, again. You're not gonna believe this, but I just met your brother last night in a country called Scotland! Rise and stand," the prince permitted and the warrior rose.

Fuyung looked at the prince in surprise. "You told me that you met my brother, Angelair? He is alive! I cannot believe this! When King Vegeta dispatched the pods from the planet, my brother was to go with the royal family and I to an outward planet. But things got mixed and I ended up with the royal family! Oh, my prince..." Fuyung was at a loss for words.

"Vegeta, do you know these Saiya-jin?" Jean, of the X-team asked and the prince nodded.

"This is my daddy's brother and sister!" Cilvanti, who had awakened during the flight to locate Outusan, smiled as she and Trunks approached the group. "I'm Bura Cilvanti Vegeta, your brother's baby girl. This is my brother Trunks Vegeta, but we call him Trageta. These are daddy's sparring friends, the Z sensi and our new friends from America, the X-team," little Cilvi introduced and bowed to the three new Saiyans who returned the bow, then the elder Vegeta introduced everyone individually.

Cilvanti stood in front of the princess, who smiled down at the tyke, then knelt to be on her level. "Hello, my little one. Y'know, I have some little ones back on Planet Kale-alea about your age," Kayla smiled.

"I'd love to meet them! I love you, Aunt Kayla, and I'm glad that you three left Vegeta before it was blown up," Cilvi said and hugged Kayla then turned around and hugged Kale.

"I'm glad my dad listened to an inner voice which nagged at him to get as many off planet as he could before Frieza could make a return to the planet. May, I?" Kayla asked Cilvi as the elder princess held her arms open, and the baby jumped right into them then her highness hoisted the child into her embrace.

"Oh, I am starved! Brother, is there anything around here to feast upon?" Kale asked.

"Say no more, my brother! It's past lunchtime and Kakarrot's alarm clock stomach's been goin' nuts! We'll return to the palace, cool down, Kakarrot, the boys and myself will hunt for lunch," Vegeta said then gathered everyone together to teleport to the palace, which stood in regal splendor and seemed to rise out of the desert ground. Once in front of the palace, the prince waved everyone inside, beginning with his sibs and their guard, then the Earthjin and the prince himself.

"Hey, heartthrob, I think your sister might be able to use these. She and I are built pretty much alike," 18 stood beside Vegeta and held a bag out to him.

Was this the same female he despised when she was an android? Still felt uncomfortable with because she had proven she was much stronger than he was even in SSJ form? That he was too stubborn to admit that he kinda liked her because she wasn't afraid to verbally spar with him on the same level as Bulma used to? No, he would not let his mind go there. Vegeta looked at 18 and asked if she wouldn't mind assisting Kayla with her needs and the former android nodded, then he himself went to spruce up as powering up in any fashion was equivalent to hard exercise and took a toll on the body. Vegeta went to his private chamber-the palace had several unoccupied guest chambers for his visitors and friends to make use of.

Once in the master bedroom, Vegeta stripped then went to stand under the hot pulsating spray of the shower and he begin to relax. He had no idea he had become so tensed! He felt as tightly wound as a top and he searched his mind for a cause. He hadn't trained at all nor had he sparred. Maybe the cause was the encounter at the bank and the incident with his ex. Or perhaps it was the way he had handled the baby when he found that she was prepared to blast that witch for bad mouthing her daddy. He couldn't blame the brat. After all, the woman did admit to wanting to kill the three of them. Hmm, what would that woman do now, if she found out that his highness would be more protected than any Earth dignitary would? Saiya-jin were loyal to their monarchs and would even stake their own lives to save that monarch? That would tighten the curl in her blue hair. No, this tension came from having to be rough on to two female beings, which-along with four others-had meant the most to him until a half-hour ago, and they were Cilvanti and Ariadne. Why? Because he had never had to reprimand Cilvanti and it had ripped him apart to toss Ariadne, the third grown female outside of Kayla that he had ever loved, and treat her so roughly. Yes, that was it. He had to stop letting his heart get involved with those creatures, it hurt when you had to put them away, they threw you out, they found another or all of the above. Yes, females were bad for the male nervous system but then he hadn't exactly had a steady woman in the four years since Bulma had tossed him to the curb. He didn't count his blast partner because he wanted to keep her as secret as the love he had for the only other member of his race that he knew to exist. Maybe that's why Trunks and Goten hadn't found the right ones and were closer than most boys their ages were. Oh, sure there was Marron, but she was as dizzy as her mother sometimes and played the two young Saiya-jin like toys. Nonetheless, after the refreshing shower, if it could be called such, Vegeta powered up to dry himself then went to search for an outfit for the mid-afternoon. He really must check into hiring some help around here. Honestly, a prince having to do such menial things by and for his own self was totally asinine! He was the only son of nobility that he knew who did things for his own being. Well, having been with freeze shit so long, he had to get used to such hardship, however, Raditz had always been an able and willing servant when the prince had need of him, which was quite often. Nonetheless, it was hard to believe that it was just shy of two in the afternoon. It seemed like forever. Maybe he'd go meditate and get his nerves together. Oh, well, the prince opened a closet that would make any fashion model or woman want to hurt the prince, as every shirt was as crisp as if it had just been purchased. Every pair of slacks was creased to perfection, even his casual jeans, and coordinated with the shirts. Sport's shoes, men's dress and casual shoes and boots all stood in a straight line at full attention like a well-trained army. Vegeta finally decided on a pair of deep blue jeans and an Hawaiian styled shirt printed with the entire Z sensi faces, although he hated to have Kakarrot's mug on the front and his own on the back, but beggars couldn't be choosy. 'Yeah, right, Vegeta. You know how you feel about that big baka brained warrior just like you do for all your offspring.' Vegeta thought to himself as he dressed. After he had dressed, he grabbed a pair of blue and white sneakers, then left his room after he had spritzed a little JOOP for men on his neck and open chest-he had put a blue muscle shirt underneath the printed one-then he left his room.

The path from his room took him passed Cilvanti's playroom where the sound of laughter emitted. The loudest ones belonging to his own baby girl and Pan. Vegeta stopped by the room and found Princess Aphrodite, Prince Sonra's wife, young Princess Artemis and his own sister, Princess Kayla, playing dolls with Cilvi, Pan and Naila. There was a tug on Vegeta's pant leg and he looked down to see Nyricco.

"Vegeta-san, may Trillium and I play the Dream Cast-45?" the boy asked as he stood beside Prince Trillium. Vegeta nodded and the boys went to play.

"Hey V-" the prince waved his hand as he did not wish to disturb the idyllic scene in the room. He drew the speaker away from the room and noticed the X-girls gathered together.

"Speak," he intoned in his snobbish accent as he struck his familiar pose.

"When can you all begin to train us? I mean that's why we came here in the first place," Rogue said. She kept her eyes averted from the magnificent sight of Vegeta's broad muscle rippled chest and powerful biceps.

"All you have to do is ask 18 or Videl and now that my sister's here, she'll also assist. We can't persuade Kakarrot's mate, Chichi, to train or I'd suggest you could ask her. My ex has a gravity trainer the rest of us use and we train with weights as the gravity on this planet is much less than that of the one Kakarrot and myself came from. If you want to learn to fly, we can teach you that as well. May come in handy. Anything else?" he asked but the girls shook their heads. Mental note, Vegeta: retrieve the Gravity Machine from Bulma to resume heavy training.

"Surprise, your highness, some of us already possess that ability, but we are always willing to improve," Rogue gave the prince a flirty smile to which he paid no heed.

Vegeta left the third floor hallway, hopped over the rails to descend to the first floor. "Do you do that all the time?" a voice asked from beside him when he landed.

Vegeta turned and saw Ororo and Jean. He nodded. "Saves time. Sometimes I put Cilvi on the rail and we slide down like kids. No big deal," he replied in cool accents, his façade of indifference resurfacing. Just then a commotion of deafening proportions rumbled through the palace. "What the...!" Vegeta didn't care who saw him, he ITed back to the second floor den where the boys were supposed playing the Dream Cast.

"Take that Darth Vader! You'll never take Princess Leah from me, I'll see to that!" Nyricco yelled as he held his hand out.

"We'll see about that, Young Jedi! The Princess is you sister! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Take that, Jedi!" and with that Trillium dove at Nyricco and the two of them crashed into an expensive vase about three feet in height. The vase and the table on which it sat crashed to the ground.

It wasn't the fact that the boys destroyed the vase, the television, the game system or any of the other things in the room. Material things didn't mean a lot to the Saiyan and they could be replaced. It was the fact that a once pristine room had been destroyed in a matter of seconds. Vegeta went ballistic and stormed into the room. Through clenched teeth and a temper he was working hard on controlling, Vegeta said in a dead calm voice..."I want...the both of you... to get outta this room! Do you know how long it took me to get this place into the shape I wanted it? This is not a playground for destruction this is my home and it will be respected as such!" Vegeta held himself from exploding.

The occupants of the house ran to see what the cause of so much commotion was. They arrived to find two very hurt little boys and a very angry royal prince. The prince took one sweeping glance around the crowd, then left. Vegeta had returned to his room, stripped his slacks and outer shirt and put on a pair of matching spandex training pants, then opened the window in his chamber, floated out of it, closed it again to keep the air conditioning from over working. The prince landed in the vast expanse of his back yard and shouted...

"Nyricco! Trillium! Out here, now!" This not only brought the boys out but the entire household and everyone knew the boys were gonna get their butts kicked or worse. Without turning to face the kids, Vegeta asked, "What should I do about my property, which the two of you destroyed? Hmmm?"

The boys eyes were downcast, then Nyricco stammered, "H-have it rebuilt? Hire some contractors and get it fixed."

This response was so innocent that it floored even the prince who had been prepared to beat the two innocents into the ground. Uncontrolled laughter left the prince's lungs. Vegeta turned around and both grabbed and hugged Nyricco.

"Vegeta!" alarmed voices sounded.

The prince turned and found he'd been busted. With a growl of anger, Vegeta shot to his feet. "I'll consider your suggestion, sprout. For now, just go watch something and stay off of the second floor!" Vegeta yelled and turned his back on the boys and the crowd that crammed the door. The prince walked off angrily when a tug on his hand halted his progress.

"Ichison?" the voice was like that of a dove's sigh on the wind and the sound caressed the prince's injured pride. "Would you really have beat the little green being into the ground?"

Vegeta tried to remain hard and rigid, but this was his baby sister who had melted his stony heart the minute their mother had pushed her into the universe. The prince turned and looked down at her concerned face. If there was one thing about his first baby, she cared for others as much as he did but he would be the last being to let on that he did care. He had seen that in the five short years they had been together. Vegeta dropped his eyes from hers and shook his head.

"Hey, Vegeta, we gonna eat or what? I'm hungry!" a familiar whine emitted from the house.

Vegeta shook his head and rolled his eyes skyward. 'Bakayaro! Good thing Bulma never had...Whoa! What the hell am I thinking? She's with another, now, and none of my concern,' Vegeta scolded himself for his thoughts, put his arm around Kayla then the sibs returned to the house where the prince quickly changed his attire so that he, his son, Goku and his sons could go hunt for lunch.

"Ouji-sama, my we accompany you on the hunt?" Fuyung asked and bowed to Vegeta. Kale stood beside the guard. Vegeta nodded and the Saiya-jin males left to go hunting.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Logan called and the group halted their progress. "Scott and I wanna come. Nothin' like livin' off the land," Logan laughed and was invited to join.

"This will be training lesson number one: Learning to sense your prey. Out here you have to rely on your senses of smell and hearing. Your chi levels are higher than that of average humans, due in part to your mutations, so we will be able to distinguish you from the prey. We wouldn't want to accidentally blast comrades, now would we? As training progresses, we will teach you how to feel chi and distinguish whose is whose. Logan, you and Scott hunt the ground. Kakarrot and Gohan love to fish, so they hunt the water. Goten and Trageta will hunt the ground with you, mainly the high cliffs. And I want no monkey business, you two. Stay with Logan and Scott as they do not know the terrain, nor can they fly. Kale, you, Fuyung and I will gather from the trees and bushes. Disperse!" Elder Prince Vegeta ordered and the group went their separate ways.

The hunt usually didn't take long as fishing always yielded quick results. However, this afternoon, the hunters were rewarded with a nest full of dinosaur eggs. Goten and Trunks were in the nest hoisting the gems high enough so that they could fly them out of the nest. At that moment, Logan cried out, "Guys, get outta the nest! I think mamma's coming!" His eyes were wide as saucers as he watched the approach of a giant winged creature.

The two young Saiya-jin looked up in time to see the creature descend, and with a mighty screech, the bird picked up both Trunks and Goten in its talons and flew off. The bird had captured the boys in such a way as to pin their arms to their sides. Logan and Scott stood in horror as they watched the bird make off with the two young warriors, whose screams alerted the other hunters. Damn those two fools, what were they up to, now? Those two together were worse than any two natural disasters the Earth could ever put forth. Goten was strong but as brain-dead as his old man at times and Trunks...? Well, he was his Outusan's double in looks as well as arrogant pride and personality, but he was stronger than Outusan would ever be and the elder prince was slowly accepting the fact. Nonetheless, mid-ranged male screams emitted through the canyon where the team hunted and Vegeta had lost the prey he, Kale and Fuyung had been stalking to begin with. Grr! May as well go see what mischief those two miscreants have fallen into that required the expert to free them from. Powering up, Vegeta was off like a shot followed by his brother and elite guard.

The three warriors reached the area where Logan and Scott stood staring up into the afternoon sky. Their mouths hung open in disbelief. The three Saiya-jin hovered and Vegeta called, "Logan! Where's my son and his friend?" Logan could only point in the direction in which the bird had flown. At that moment, Goku and Gohan joined the group and they had two huge fish over their shoulders. Vegeta called to Goku. "Hey, Kakarrot, our sons are missing! You want yours back, I suggest that you come find him!" and with that, Vegeta flew off after he had instructed Kale to go back to the palace with Gohan and take Logan and Scott with him.

As the two mighty Saiyan elders sped to the location of the screams, Vegeta's heart began to beat faster each time he felt his son's chi become shallower and shallower. He dared not show his concern around this lower class wart that probably knew that the prince was dying inside. Suddenly, the two halted in mid air as a gruesome scene met their eyes. Their sons lay on the ground covered in blood as the giant bird prepared to make Goten its lunch.

"Kaaa Meee Haaa Meee Haaa!" Goku charged his most powerful blast and threw it at the creature. At the same time Vegeta yelled, "Final Flash!" Simultaneously, huge beams of energy left the hands of the two warriors and connected with the bird. Instantaneously, the bird had been disintegrated and the Outusans flew down to their injured sons.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Trunks, talk to me!" Vegeta tried to wake his son as his emotions began to unravel once again but for a vastly different reason.

"Damn it! Goten! Hey, buddy, get up!" Goku also shook his boy. Neither received a response. Goku looked at the prince. "Do you have a tank?"

Vegeta hung his head and shook it in the negative. Drawing a deep breath to steady his emotions once again, he replied, "Y-you take Goten to New Namek II and I'll go face that first class grade-A bitch, Bulma. Y-you wouldn't happen to have any senzu beans until, would you?' Vegeta had not looked at the other warrior and kept his face averted.

"I-I thought you always kept a stash." Goku knew Vegeta was close to tears again but didn't let the highborn one know that.

"Ung! At Capsule Corp! C'mon, the longer we wait the shorter their lives get. I'll go crazy if I lose this boy!" Vegeta said in a near whisper, gently picked up Trunk's broken body as Goku did Goten's, then the two flew off in opposite directions. Vegeta sent a telepathic message. 'Whoever can receive this. Tell Kayla, Cilvanti and Gohan their Outusans had to go into town. Trunks and Goten had an accident while hunting.'

Once in the vicinity of the city, the two went separate ways. Goku arrived at Piccolo's and Vegeta, pride and emotion choking his air supply off, arrived at Capsule Corp. Outusan threw his son over his shoulders and rang the bell. He stood at the door and feared the worse. He nearly jumped from his skin as she opened the door.

"What the...Trunks! What the hell did you do to him, Vegeta?" Bulma screeched when her eyes caught sight of her blood-drenched son.

"I did nothing to him! He met with a hunting accident! Now, outta my way, woman! I gotta get him into the tank before he dies!" Vegeta pushed passed an amazed Bulma and headed straight to the treatment room.

The elder prince sat his young prince into the tank then hooked up the breathing mask and monitors then closed and locked the tank. Vegeta entered the codes for the boy's species and watched as the tank filled with the synthetic DNA of the Saiya-jin race.

"All right, Prince High and Mighty Saiyan, just what the hell do you think you're doing in my house spreading your monkey filth all over the place? I just had this place exterminated from whatever had been crawling on you when we were together and I don't care for a repeat performance! How long is this gonna take? I'm expecting company in about five hours so you and your monkey tailed offspring had better be off my premises before six-thirty!" Bulma screamed.

"It shouldn't take much longer than that. I didn't want to come here in the first place, but since Kakarrot had taken his brat to Piccolo's, this was the only other tank available! Would it be ok if I leave him here, you are his mother, are you not?"

Bulma nodded. "H-have you eaten?" Now, what made her ask that stupid ass question? What did she care if he ate or not. Damn, it was getting hot in that room! She'd have to see about having a cooling unit installed.

"Why should you care?" his reply was matter-of-fact.

"You know I don't!" She turned to leave but her legs wouldn't move. "Th-thank you," she muttered.

"For what?"

Bulma bit her lip as she tried to reply. God, he had gotten so much more handsome than he had been when they were together and that body! That was still a work of art in any form. Oh, what she wouldn't give...Whoa, Bulma! What the hell are you thinking? This is the being, which had caused you more pain and damage emotionally than Yamcha ever had. "M-momma gave me a stack of gifts earlier. She said they had all come from you. Why did you never give them to me yourself? She found them while she was clearing out the gravity room."

A sharp sting went right through Vegeta and he had to hold onto the tank for support. "A-after I found the first gift near the trash, I-I vowed never to present you with anything as long as we were together." Bulma could hear the strain in his voice as he made his reply.

"Vegeta, I didn't know. I thought it was just a simple neck chain that you got from some mall store. Dad told me where it had come from. I-I'm sorry," she said softly. She had a desire to wrap him in her arms and comfort him. She could still sense him even though they had not been together for nearly five years.

Vegeta waved a gloved hand, as he stood with his rigid back to her. He would not let her see him in this abject state. He had to hold himself together. He needed Kayla's comfort but she was back home in the desert wilderness with the others. Just then the kitchen phone rang and Bulma went to answer it. Vegeta let out a breath he had no idea he had been holding. God, how he wanted to turn around, take her in his arms, whisk her off to the guest room and make her his all over... AAAHHH! Where had that come from! There was no way in this dimension or the next that he would ever mate with that 1st class grade-A bitch again! He'd rather die than to go through that nightmare again. He needed a mate, sure, but he wasn't that desperate. Shaking his head, the prince wiped whatever moisture had spilled out of his eyes, sat beside his son's tank and closed his eyes to rest.

Vegeta must have drifted into a coma because the next thing he was aware of was an automated voice saying, "Patient is waking up!" The prince jumped to his feet, drained the tank, unhooked his son and gave the boy a towel.

"Thanks. Outusan, what are we doing at Capsule Corporation?" Trunks asked as he toweled off.

"You and Goten had an accident. Kakarrot took Goten to Piccolo's and I brought you here. This place has the only other tank in town until I have a few installed at the palace. I'll be outside. Join me when you've finished," Vegeta instructed and left the treatment room only to find his path to the outside world meant passing by Bulma, who sat twirling the phone wire around her delicate finger as she used to do his black-brown stands of hair.

"Dad, are you ok?" Trunks asked and Vegeta nodded.

"Why don't you start back and I'll meet you there in a little while. I need to speak to the woman for a minute," Vegeta told Trunks, who nodded and left.


Bulma soon hung up the phone and turned to see..."Vegeta, what the hell are you still doing here? Your son just left and I suggest that you do the same." She went over to the door and held it open.

Well, so much for wanting to make amends. Holding his head high, Vegeta walked to the door but a pressure on his chest stopped his progress. Call it insanity! Call it an impulse, but the reason would probably haunt the high born prince for the rest of his life. One look at the bewitching beauty he had once been mated to was all it took for him to become a puddle of goo and as weak as...Kakarrot! Damn, what a mind blowing thought! Her arm raised on its own volition and coiled itself around Vegeta's neck like a viper. She moved seductively around to stand if front of him, brought her other hand up and framed his face. Her intention was clear and he was powerless to do anything to fight it. He had wanted to feel her one last time. Wanted to taste her sweet lips with his own and his tongue. His tail gave an involuntary twitch as thoughts of what he could do with it filtered into his mind. There was nothing to do but surrender. She had out maneuvered him and now he was her captive. Bulma looked up into his dark eyes searching for any sign of hatred and revulsion but found none.

"This is to say 'good-bye," she whispered close to his mouth.

"This is to say, 'I'm sorry for being an ass and not realizing what a good thing I had, Bulma-chan'. I-I love you," he said in a whisper then allowed his lips to become one with hers and the two lost themselves in the kiss.

Suddenly a rush of air snapped Bulma back to reality. Vegeta had pushed her away and flew from the house. Damn, how could he have allowed himself to be sucker punched like that and by the 1st class grade-A bitch herself? God, he was such a fool. She belonged to another, now, and he hoped that they would be very happy. Trunks had stayed over CC and hovered above the complex. He had seen the entire exchange and shook his head. Throwing his hands up in surrender, the boy concluded that parents were the one enigma the Good Lord above did not intend offspring to understand. Phasing from his present position, Trunks returned to the palace.

Why the hell had he allowed her to do that and confound his senses more so than they had been the last few days? God, he had to get off this planet and put as many light years between himself and that woman as possible. Kale and Kayla had to have come from somewhere and wherever it was that was where the Saiya-jin race was destined to belong. Very, well, that was the final destination as soon as every Earthbound Saiya-jin had been gathered. Then again, maybe they wouldn't have to be. Vegeta remembered that the new Earth dragon, which Dende had created during the battles with the mighty Cell, had the power to grant two wishes. Yes, that was the answer! He'd locate the balls-he had copied and modified Bulma's dragon radar-summon the dragon and make the wishes. Of course, the event would occur at Little Vegeta. With that solution coursing through his mind, Vegeta became empowered with a new zeal! A zeal he hadn't felt since he'd first attained the SSJ level of power. He had to tell the others of his idea.


"Do ya think it can be done? Our planet is in another galaxy, Elder one. A dragon from Earth may not be able to grant such a request," Kale cautioned after Vegeta had returned to the desert and told everyone his plan to get every Earth dweller with a hint of Saiyan blood in their veins into one place and then onto the new planet.

"I can always go ask Dende or Piccolo if it is possible. If not, Vege, I may have to take you to Namek to use their db's. That's how you got revived and off planet before it exploded. Maybe the same can be done to get our people home," Goku said as he stuffed his face with a light snack of two dinosaur steaks, twelve hot dogs and a mountain of rice, which he and Gohan had prepared.

"You two may be the most powerful warriors in the universe, but I'll be damned if either one of you can cook. As long as I've let you hang around this place, you mean to tell me the only habit you picked up from me is my foul language? No matter, a warrior doesn't really need that skill, but a bachelor with two offspring and an adopted son, definitely needs it," Vegeta said as he tried to choke down the black pieces of rice bits, shook his head, got up off the floor and headed for the kitchen.

"You must have cooked this stuff blindfolded! It certainly tastes like it, ugh! How can anybody eat this slop? It's not even fit for a Saiyan," Fuyung complained. Just then the televiewer sounded to signal an incoming call.
Goku answered the call via the television screen and was surprised when the image became clear. "Oh, Mrs. Briefs, hi! Wazzup?" the cheery warrior asked.

"Hi, Goku, kids, everyone. Is Vegeta around?" Adelaide Briefs asked just as the subject in question walked out of the kitchen with ten slabs of dinosaur meat and five 1-gallon jugs of Gatorade.

"Oh, Adelaide, hi! Anything wrong or did you call to talk with the kids?" he asked as he set the plate of food and drink on a table for his family and friends to dig into.

"It's a social call, hun. I understand you came by today, hmmm? You didn't stop to see me, you naughty boy," Adelaide said in her flirtatious manner of speech which could make the mightiest warrior blush.

Vegeta was glad that his hair now hid most of his face as he had turned an incredibly deep shade of red. "Yeah. Whatever. So, what's the deal?" he asked as he picked up one of the jugs and chugged the contents.

"Oh, yeah. After you left, I asked Bulma what we were gonna do with the Gravity Chamber. She said to try and sell it but I suggested that she let you have it since it was your play toy, after all. It needs repair from the last accident but Bulma's gonna give you all the parts and things needed. She also said to throw in the dragon radar as part of the divorce settlement," Adelaide replied.

Vegeta shook his head. "But I never asked her for anything, not even child support or alimony. I just wanted out and my children with me. What brought this on?" the prince asked with suspicion.

"Hmm? Oh, that new man of hers. Between you and me, he's an annoying ass, worse than you," Addie laughed.

Vegeta smirked, "I find that hard to believe. After what I put you all through...I'm really sorry, and tell Bulma that I accept both the GR and the DR. I'll send the boys around to collect them."

"It's here when you want it, sweetheart, and so is a mountain of food, but don't let the lovebirds know I brought it for you," Mrs. Briefs smiled then bade everyone good-bye, but not before, "Oh, Vegeta, who are those three? I've never seen them before," she shook her head.

The prince looked and noticed that he had failed to introduce his sibs and their guard. "This is my brother, Kale, his twin sister, Kayla and their elite guard Fuyung," the prince smiled as he put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"What? You mean there's more of you monkey-tailed freaks of the universe? I thought Frieza had wiped those baboons out of existence?" a strident, high-pitched voice shrieked.

Vegeta's temper went from calm to volcanic at the sound of that voice and in a voice so calm that the room vacated and through clenched teeth, Vegeta hissed, "Adelaide, tell that 1st class grade-A bitch to get off the line! It's one thing to insult me, but to insult my family and my race is quite another and that I will not tolerate! One more outburst like that and-" Vegeta never got to complete the sentence for it was disrupted by a scream.

From out of nowhere, Kayla entered the den engulfed in a blue-white glow with hands positioned to fire. "No one insults Ichison and lives! Take this, bitch!" she snarled but before she could let the blast fly, Vegeta tackled her and dragged her to an opened window where the blast was released.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, little girl? That's an image and not real! You wanna blast the real thing, ask your niece to take you over there. I'm sure the child would be delighted, otherwise, woman, get a grip on yourself!" Vegeta snarled, in a language Bulma had heard him, Goten, Trunks and Goku speaking once at a picnic the Z Sensi and other had gathered for.

"Bulma, honey, I swear, for as smart as you are, you sure don't put that head to good use sometimes. Now, apologize to Vegeta for insulting his family and for that outburst," Adelaide cautioned her daughter.

"Don't bother. The boys will be over to get the gravity trainer and radar. Thank you, Bulma. Thanks, Adel, you've always tried to be kind to me but I was too blind to accept it. Have a good day," the prince bade as he held his sister and his tone had softened.

Vegeta looked into Kayla's eyes, which were downcast in shame, and then she slid to the floor in abject humility. "Forgive me, Ichison, I was out of place, but I just couldn't bare her insulting you like that!" the princess nearly cried, her black head buried in her hands.

"You understood her?" the prince gasped.

"Cilvi translated for me. That's my niece and nephew's breeder? You had to be either insane, desperate or lonely," Kayla shook her head.

Vegeta dropped his head as he replied "You have no idea," and with that, the prince called everyone back into the room to eat.