Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Unlikely Bond ❯ Ghosts of the Past ( Chapter 45 )

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

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters! If I did, the anime would never end and GT would have never happened!

Story notes: This takes place ten years after the Buu saga. The only differences I can think of is that the whole thing with the world tournament in the last episode never happened and Goku didn't leave to train Uub. I wouldn't count on anything from the movies being part of this story's time line either, 'cause I haven't seen them all and they usually don't fit into the show's time line anyway. Especially that Broly crap. Vegeta cried through, like, that whole movie! That certainly didn't happen in this story....but, that's a different rant altogether. Hope you enjoy!

PLEASE heed warning in story description!! If you missed it, this story is not for children! It is also not for people who do not like stories that contain elements of violence, strong language, adult situations, references to sex and sexual activity between men and women, and men and other men. Oh, and fictional alien men having babies...'cause that's a'happen' here folks...

To my wonderful, wonderful beta-reader, Rowina: Thank you, thank you....thank you... ^-^

Flahsbacks in this chapter are noted by three astrisks at the beginning and end of the passage.


The dust had not even begun to settle around the three space pods that had crashed, leaving large circular craters in the planet’s surface, when their hatches dropped and their occupants emerged.

The three men stood quietly a moment, taking in their surroundings. The planet was covered in lush, green vegetation, and the sky was the palest of blues. Bright patches of colored flowers grew abundantly across the landscape, swaying rhythmically in the light breeze of fresh, unpolluted air.

“Well,” the tallest of the trio spoke, his voice rough but with an edge of amusement. “This one will fetch a high price.”

Vegeta turned and barked an order at him.

“The report, Nappa!”

The tall, bald Saiyan tapped his scouter and responded.

“Koroba. Class 1, inhabited. The population looks to be about...a little over seven hundred million of the dominant species. But their power levels are next to nothing.”

“The briefing reports said that there are no weapons on this planet,” Radditz interrupted. “We can wipe out seven hundred million by dinner time.”

‘Then why the fuck did Frieza send all three of us?’ Vegeta grumbled in his mind. He smirked at the other two. “Well then, there is no time like the present, gentlemen.”

He tapped his own scouter and scanned for the most densely populated sector. He took to the sky, Nappa and Radditz following close behind.

Vegeta’s mind was blank as he flew, the scenery below him nothing but a streak of color. Once they were finished here, it was on to the next acquisition. Hopefully, there would be stronger opponents there. Something to challenge him. To push him. To help him break through. He couldn’t waste his time on such low-level fights.

When the prince turned sharply and began to descend, Nappa and Radditz were right behind him. The three touched down just outside a large village.

The village was composed of hundreds of tiny, domed shaped huts that looked almost as though they were made out of sharp rises in the terrain. They had a very organic appearance, covered in moss and ivy.

“You think it’s time we announced ourselves?” Radditz asked, turning to Nappa, a devious grin on his face.

“Remember,” Vegeta warned, as Radditz rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Don’t lower the property value.”

The two laughed at his words.

As Radditz stepped forward, drawing ki into his hands, the inhabitants of the tiny grass covered huts began to emerge. They were no taller than three feet. Their wide, ebony colored eyes seemed twice as large as a Saiyan’s and were framed by brows that were the same silvery white as their hair. The beings gathered close to one another and watched the new arrivals with curiosity.

“Kill them,” Vegeta ordered.

Radditz and Nappa exchanged looks before Nappa turned to the prince.

“But....they’re children,” he replied hesitantly.

Vegeta made a throaty sound of annoyance before stepping between the two warriors and raising his hand. Even as the ball of ki expanded in his palm, the tiny Korobans only watched him in wonder, without the smallest sense of fear. Their planet had obviously never known war or strife.

Or Frieza.

Vegeta sneered in disgust and shot the blast of energy directly into the gathering crowd. Shrill screams erupted around them as smoke, fire and the smell of burned flesh clouded the air.

Nappa and Radditz recovered quickly from their looks of surprise as Vegeta turned back to them.

“They are in the way,” he barked. “Get the job done!”

“Yes, sir!” they answered in unison.

Nappa smiled as he and Radditz stood side by side in front of the gathering of child-like aliens.

“This will be like taking candy from a baby,” he announced.

“Yeah,” Radditz laughed. “an’ then killin’ ‘em.”

Within moments, the entire area was nothing but a cloud of dust. The monotony of ki fire was broken infrequently by more screams or incomprehensible shouts.

Vegeta turned slowly around, unable to see in the sudden and overwhelmingly dense foggy dust that surrounded him. He brought his hand up to his scouter and tapped it, the eye panel blinking to life as he scanned the surroundings. It registered nothing.

“Nappa!” the prince shouted. “Radditz! This is overkill! Do not destroy this planet!” He moved forward toward the blasting sound, but the white haze never seemed to become any clearer. He tapped his scouter again, and it beeped obediently, still displaying no other signs of life. “Damnit!” He pulled the device from his head and threw it hard to the ground where it shattered. “Nappa!” he shouted again. “Where the fuck are you two!!”

Vegeta turned sharply and began to move back in the direction of the pods. Just as he was about to take to the sky, to rise above the suffocating cloud, a chilling voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Well, well, well...”

Vegeta felt every muscle in his body tighten and become alert. He turned back, and his heart almost stopped beating at the sight that was emerging from the fog.

“You’ve made quite a mess here, Mister Vegeta. How can I resell this planet when it has been reduced to nothing but a trash pile?”

“Lord Frieza,” Vegeta spoke, as the floating metallic sphere that carried his master moved slowly toward him through the mist.

“Can you not control those animals you call soldiers?” Frieza asked, leering at him and drumming his fingers idly on the hoverchair’s control panel. “I thought you a better leader than that, my dear. An elite.”

Vegeta tried his best not to frown. What the hell was Frieza doing here, anyway? This mission was not important enough for his personal review. Vegeta glanced around, trying to get some kind of indication as to where the other two Saiyans had gone.

Frieza laughed heartily at his expense.

“There, there, my pet,” the Aisujin cooed. “Don’t worry about them. They’re dead. Destroyed.”

Vegeta’s eyes grew wide, and he turned back to Frieza.

“What? That....” He furrowed his brow as he thought. “...that’s not right...”

“Don’t worry, Mister Vegeta,” Frieza continued. “We have already replaced them. Or should I say, you have already replaced them...” The evil lizard prince smiled maliciously at Vegeta as two figures emerged from the shroud of mist to stand on either side of him. They wore the same Aisujin combat suits as Vegeta and his men, and their hands and armor were smeared with fresh blood. One was a tall, raven haired young man. The other was a slim, fair skinned girl.

With light teal colored hair.

“No,” Vegeta breathed, feeling as though a cold, steel vice were suddenly clamped onto his heart. “Goten...Bulla...”

Bulla smiled at him, an eerie, smirking smile that he had never seen on his daughter’s pretty face.

“Don’t worry, Papa,” she said in a happy tone that did not match her sinister expression. “I’m going to be a Saiyan...just like you...”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed, nodding. The same twisted grin upon his face. “You’re my freakin’ idol...Uncle Vegeta.”


Vegeta bolted upright in bed, waking Bulma in the process.

“What?!” she exclaimed, reaching out for him.

Vegeta took a deep, gasping breath, catching hold of her hands.

“Nothing,” he replied. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, alarm obvious on her sleepy face.

“Yes, I...I just had a bizarre dream, that’s all,” he explained. “Go back to sleep.” He lay back on his pillow, and Bulma curled up at his side, laying her head on his chest. “Sorry to wake you.”

“It’s okay,” she murmured.

Vegeta held her to his side as he lay awake in the darkness. Soon she’d gone back to sleep, and he slowly slid out of the bed, making sure she remained sleeping comfortably before he left the room.

That unnatural image - his daughter and the boy whom he considered almost like a second son, standing at Frieza’s side - still twisted his stomach. He moved down the hall to Bulla’s bedroom and quietly opened the door.

She was there, of course, sleeping peacefully. Her light cerulean hair pulled up into a now messy ponytail, her face relaxed and serene. She was well, showing no similarity to the girl of the nightmare. Neither literally nor figuratively was there innocent blood on the child’s hands. And he was going to make damn sure it stayed that way. She would not be a Saiyan like him. She would be a Saiyan like she thought he was. Like he would strive to be for her sake. For Trunks’ and Goten’s sakes.

For Bulma’s sake.

He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on his daughter’s forehead before leaving the room. He needed to get away to think. To collect his thoughts and steel himself for what needed to be done. This in itself would be training - and he needed to prepare.

He returned to his bedroom, picking up a t-shirt from the top of the hamper and pulling it on. He thought nothing of wearing the light shirt and his sleep pants out into the chilly night air as he slipped out of the balcony doors and took off into the sky. The cold wind rustled the thin fabric of his clothing and raised goose bumps on his skin, but he was more than used to ignoring the temperature, in any extreme.

Without exactly realizing it, Vegeta ended up at the sparring field in which he trained with Goku. He hovered for a moment over the clearing, adrenaline pumping through his veins from psyching himself up about his strategy to improve his family’s life by changing his ways...and partly from the sheer fear that his nightmare had placed in his heart.

His heart.

He had always been so sure he didn’t really have one.

The energy seemed to dissipate immediately from his body, and he slowly lowered himself to the grass. His legs failed to keep him upright, and he slumped to his knees, his head bowed.

What was happening to him? A war was seemingly raging inside of him; his old life versus the new. The old life he had not chosen for himself and the new one he had always wanted, but felt he didn’t deserve.

Why couldn’t this be more simple? In his mind, he knew what he should do in order to make his family happy. And yet that same mind fought and struggled against those things that would make him appear weak or soft or human.

But Kakkarot was raised by humans and was the stronger of the two. Vegeta was reared in the Aisujin army and couldn’t seem to conquer the demons in his mind.

Of the two, Kakkarot was the one who acted with more strength and honor. Vegeta felt as if maybe he was losing sight of what he himself felt Saiyans should be.

What was the point anymore?

Vegeta stared blankly down at the grass beneath his knees. His eyes narrowed as his vision came to focus on a tiny yellow flower that was just beginning to bud late in the winter, its petals closed tightly in the dim night. It sparked an odd memory within the prince of his first years on earth during the wait for the android attack. The memory was odd...yet oddly relevant.


***
Vegeta stood on a cliff side looking down at the ocean below. The waves crashed forcefully against the jagged rocks creating clouds of foamy sea water. He stared out into the vast blue sea, arms folded across his chest.

Earth.

What a detestable planet to be stuck on. He would rather be stuck on any other war-torn planet, living every day wondering if this were the day his life would end, than be stuck where the battles were few and far between, where he lived every day wondering if it would be the day he would have to spend another moment alone with the woman.

She was more deadly than any opponent he had ever faced. Her methods were deceptive and subtle. And he couldn’t read her intentions. Certainly she didn’t mean to kill him, but he knew from experience there were worse things than death. Far worse.

He hadn’t slept at all that night. Whenever he ventured to close his eyes, his mind was assaulted with visions of Bulma. The scent of her body. Her soft moaning...

He had left just as the sun was rising, hoping to avoid seeing her until he could sort things out in his mind. He was concerned that seeing her would change any decision he made, and he still wasn’t certain that it wouldn't happen anyway when he returned.

Her actions last night had surprised him. Was she the kind of woman who could just submit to a casually sexual, mutually beneficial relationship? He frowned. While the notion was quite intriguing, it was doubtful. Humans were very unpredictable and unstable types.

He would just have to ignore her. Let her know that her advances were unwelcome. He didn’t have the time for such distractions from his training. Intimacy was a luxury that he couldn’t afford; and it was certainly something that he and the woman probably had radically different ideas of...

As he stood on the edge of the cliff, hands clasped behind his back, he could feel the approaching ki of that third class buffoon and gave a small groan of annoyance. Goku came to stand beside him, a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand, and peered down at the chasm below to see what the other might be looking at.

“Kakkarot,” Vegeta spoke in an irritated tone. Goku looked over at him.

“Yeah?”

“You were not invited. Flowers do not help.”

Goku looked from the older Saiyan then down to his bouquet.

“Oh, no, Vegeta!” He laughed, bringing a hand to the back of his head. “These aren’t for you! These are for my wife!”

Vegeta gave him a sideways glare.

“I know that, you clown! Leave!”

Goku frowned, a bit taken aback.

“Well...if ya want ‘em...” He held them out.

Vegeta turned on him smoothly, causing Goku to take steps back.

“I am not in the mood for your idiocy, Kakkarot!” Vegeta growled. “Get out of my sight!”

“Okay! Okay!” Goku held up his hands, flowers still clutched in his fist. “I get it. You want me to leave.” His smile returned, as did his cheerful voice. “You wanna spar?”

Vegeta grimaced and turned.

“If I were to spar with you today, I could not keep myself from killing you.”

Goku shrugged. He felt he should keep his doubts about that fact to himself so as to not hurt Vegeta’s feelings or provoke him, as it seemed he was not in the best of moods. Not that he ever was.

“Thanks,” he offered instead. “So how is your training going?”

Vegeta gave a snort of disgust.

“Abysmally,” he growled. “That woman can’t keep anything working correctly. I would be better off training on the other side of this miserable mud-ball.”

Goku dropped to sit cross legged on the grass.

“I heard that you blew up the capsule,” he replied, noticing the vein that twitched in Vegeta’s neck at his words. “But Bulma is a genius. She knows what she is doing. I’m sure she will keep you happy.”

Vegeta turned slowly to look at him.

“And, uh...” Goku swallowed. “I highly recommend working in high gravity. I think it really, really helped me.”

“Kakkarot,” Vegeta sneered, “are you not needed by your mate?”

Goku blinked.

“My mate? Oh, you mean Chi Chi! No. Not really. She’s mad at me right now for not passing my driving test yesterday. I’m bringing her flowers I picked to see if she will forgive me.” He smiled as Vegeta continued to glare at him.

“You are truly a disgrace to all Saiyans,” Vegeta remarked. “Truly.”

“Well,” Goku pulled himself from the ground. “Maybe. But I don’t really care about being a good Saiyan, or even a good human,” he spoke with honesty. “Because I’m only concerned with being a good husband. A good father. And a good friend. If I get those three, I hope everything else falls into place.”

“What does that matter when you disgrace your blood?” Vegeta replied, disgust still thick in his tone. He turned back to look out at the horizon. Goku shook his head.

“They are my blood, Vegeta. I don’t have a father and mother anymore. But I have a wife and a son. And my love for them is my best training tool.” He looked down at the flowers in his hand. “Because I fight for them. I get stronger for them. If something threatens this planet, it threatens my family. I can’t allow that.” Goku looked at the back of Vegeta’s head, as he did not turn back around. “I didn’t allow you to. And I won’t allow these androids, not while there is life in my body.”

There was silence between the two warriors for a moment.

“You can leave now, Kakkarot. Before I change my mind about the sparring,” Vegeta spoke tightly.

Goku frowned.

“Yeah...I wouldn’t want you to do that.” He gave a friendly goodbye wave, even though it wasn’t seen or acknowledged. “I hope things get better for you... with your training and all.”

He turned and left the brooding Saiyan prince where he stood.
***

Vegeta felt frustration rise within him. Could Kakkarot really have been right all this time? Was he not only stronger, but smarter as well? It seemed no matter what the circumstances, Vegeta was destined to chose the wrong path. As if the fates refused to set the right paths before him, or left them hopelessly obstructed. He was ashamed of the decisions he had made and of the self-pity he now found himself wallowing in.

The prince turned his eyes up toward the sky. The full, round face of the moon shone back, calming something inside of him. At what point in his journey through life had he lost himself? Lost what it was that he held dear?

He needed to think. Needed to feel for one moment free of this claustrophobic mass of emotion that bombarded him. Slowly, he got to his feet, his eyes never leaving the glowing orb in the heavens. He stripped from the thin garments that covered him and dropped them aside. His mind ached for the stillness and quiet that could not exist alongside the raging in his heart. He needed to find a way forward for his family.

He needed to find a way back to himself.


Goku lay in bed, staring out the window at the starlit sky. His hands were resting on his abdomen as he focused on the squirming, twisting movements inside of him. The baby was incredibly active tonight, and he felt he knew why. As bright as the night sky was, the moon had to be at its fullest stage. And according to the hastily prepared chart Vegeta had made for him, that was exactly the case.

Goku had tried to tell Vegeta that the phases of the moon were on every calendar he owned, but Vegeta had insisted on calculating it himself.

Goku sighed, wishing he knew something to get the baby to settle down. The only thing that seemed to work was movement, so reluctantly he pulled himself from the bed. Chi Chi stirred but did not wake, so he left the bedroom and headed downstairs.

For a few moments, he walked aimlessly around the living room, humming to himself. He stretched out a kink in his lower back and sighed, tired and bored. Out of nothing but curiosity, he reached out with his ki to see if any of his friends were active.

Vegeta.

His ki was fluctuating wildly and just as suddenly as Goku connected with it, it dropped. Goku frowned and sat down on the edge of the couch, wondering what Vegeta could be up to. Absently he rocked back and forth to soothe the baby while he concentrated on Vegeta’s ki. He was moving now away from Capsule Corp.

Goku looked to the clock. It was 2:42 am.

What could Vegeta be doing at this time of night?

Goku felt Vegeta’s ki stop moving, and he was incredibly curious now. Vegeta’s energy signal was presently located at their usual training spot.

Goku got up and went to the door, slipping into his boots and coat before heading out into the night.

He flew at a moderate pace, keeping his eyes downcast to avoid looking into the face of the moon. As he approached the prince’s signal, he slowed, touching back down onto the earth and walking the rest of the way.

As he reached the edge of the clearing where they trained, he stopped - Vegeta was standing in the middle of the field, hands at his sides, face upturned toward the sky...

And not wearing a stitch of clothing.

Goku blinked, then squinted out into the clearing, not quite sure he was seeing clearly. But yes, it was exactly as he first thought. Vegeta’s bare, tan skin seemed to glow in the moonlight as his dark sable tail swung hypnotically against the backs of his thighs. Goku began to wonder how long it had been since he had seen Vegeta with his tail in any other way than wrapped tightly around his waist.

He had only a moment to ponder when a sharp rise in Vegeta’s ki pulled the younger Saiyan from his thoughts.

Vegeta was trembling, his muscles twitching wildly. Goku felt a flash of shock before realization struck him, and he stared in amazement.

Vegeta’s muscular, compact form began to change and grow, dark colored fur covering once bare flesh.

Goku’s lips parted slightly in awe as he gazed upon the massive Oozaru. It had been so many years since he had seen the transformation, and the sight was still incredible. The first time he had seen Vegeta transform, they were locked in a vicious battle, and Goku didn’t have the opportunity to admire the power or the beauty of the Saiyan’s special form.

The prince remained still, staring into the bright orb in the sky until he threw back his head and howled into the night.

Goku felt his heart thump heavily in his chest, and it was then that he noticed that the baby had calmed completely. He wasn’t sure what to do next. Should he go home? Or should he stay and risk Vegeta’s wrath for invading his privacy?

Goku heard the Oozaru make a huffing noise as if scenting the air, and thought he heard a slight rumbling growl. He turned from the prince and leaned his back against the tree he was watching from.

“Kakkarot?”

It was Vegeta’s voice. He must have reverted back to his natural form. Goku sighed and turned back toward the clearing.

Vegeta was frowning.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” The prince leaned down to pull on some clothing that was piled near him on the grass. “Close your eyes, damnit!”

“Sorry!” Goku said hastily, squeezing his eyes shut. Vegeta grimaced.

“Not because of me, you fool, because of the moon.”

“Right,” Goku replied, his face coloring from embarrassment. Vegeta grabbed hold of his arm and turned him around, leading him toward the cave in which they usually spent their breaks from training.

“Now, what are you doing here?” the prince demanded.

“Well...I was seeing what you were doing.” When the older Saiyan narrowed his eyes, Goku hurriedly continued. “I wasn’t spying or anything! I just...just thought you might need someone to talk to...”

Vegeta’s stern expression softened slightly,and he turned, pacing a few feet away. Goku settled down onto the stone floor and waited for the prince to speak. Vegeta obviously had something heavy on his mind, and if he needed someone to take it out on, Goku figured he was as good as anyone else. Vegeta needed some way to vent.

Vegeta closed his eyes, his jaw tightening as he forced the words past his lips.

“...Thank you...Kakkarot...”

Goku blinked. He was afraid he had fallen asleep for a second there.

“Um...sorry?” he asked quietly.

Vegeta took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” he repeated, louder than before. “For your concern. I assure you, however, that I am well.”

Goku was quiet a moment as he waited for the tirade to begin. For Vegeta to become an erupting volcano personified. Vegeta gave a bitter laugh.

“I can see that you are stunned. Were you expecting something less regal from a royal prince?”

Goku frowned.

“...You’re not alright,” he said, shaking his head. “Something is bothering you.”

Vegeta stared at him a moment, as if every word he wanted to say was leaving a very sour taste in his mouth.

“You can tell me,” Goku assured him. “I’m your friend.”

A strange expression passed across the older Saiyan’s face when Goku spoke.

“Yes,” Vegeta said quietly. “You have been...but I’ve never been yours.” Goku dropped his gaze to the floor, feeling a bit saddened the words. Vegeta continued. “So why do you keep trying to be mine?”

Goku didn’t look back up.

“Because you deserve it. Because you were born a good guy and had to live a bad life...you deserve better than that.”

“Do I?” Vegeta declared, amused. “I’ve murdered innocent people, Kakkarot! Millions of innocent victims of my power at Frieza’s command!”

Goku replied quietly, as if unsure of how his words would be received.

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe the first innocent victim....was you?”

Vegeta visibly tensed.

“That doesn’t make what I did right,” he answered gravely. Goku shook his head.

“No. But you’ve changed...”

Vegeta sighed and slumped to the floor across from Goku and near the exit. Wearily, he rubbed a hand over his eyes.

“...I am trying...but I am finding it harder than one might expect...”

Goku was stunned by the resigned quality in the prince’s tone and the feeling of surrender in his words. There was silence a moment before Goku asked:

“Why...did you transform?”

Vegeta looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Have you ever?”

Goku shrugged.

“Not that I remember...”

Vegeta sighed again and looked out the mouth of the cave at the moon. With his superior control over the Oozaru form, he was not affected unless he chose to be.

“It’s easier to think...” he answered flatly. Goku frowned.

“But doesn’t it make your mind a little more...animal like?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Exactly...”

Goku only nodded, but he understood the implication, and he could understand the intense emotion that the prince was feeling. It made him grateful that he had so many friends with whom he could talk over his problems, and that he had the ability to do so. Vegeta refused to deal with emotions until they crushed him. Just like they had done on Namek and just like they were doing now. Goku felt sympathy for him. Vegeta was immersed for so long in misery that there was no telling how long it might take him to fully recover. Goku continued with slight hesitation.

“I would think it might be harder to work things out, if you can’t reason...”

Vegeta shook his head.

“What is reason when it is polluted with emotion? Transformed, it is all so simple. Black and white....there is no good or bad...just...life...survival...” He sighed heavily. “I can’t explain it. It’s just....”

“Easier?” Goku offered quietly. Vegeta stared at him a moment, before shrugging and turning away.

A long moment of quiet passed between them before the prince spoke.

“...Vegeta...” he said hesitantly. Goku’s eyebrows rose. Vegeta continued. “...and Norise.” When comprehension failed to show on Goku’s face, Vegeta clarified. “...My parents’ names,” he said emotionlessly.

“Oh!” Goku smiled. “You were named after your dad? And Norise is a very nice name!”

Vegeta shrugged, dropping his eyes to the stone floor. Goku didn’t stop smiling. He wanted to ask more questions, but he didn’t want to push the other into opening up more than he already had, even though he feared he might not get another chance.

Goku looked down at his belly and rubbed it affectionately. He couldn’t wait to meet this little Saiyan that would be his next son or his first daughter. Maybe this baby could help show Vegeta all the possibilities of life that were available. That Saiyans were not just how the prince was forced to be, but how they could be on their own. With two parents and two families that loved them.

This wasn’t going to be so bad, he tried to reassure himself. There a few months left, and then he would have another child. He would get to be there for the stages he missed with Goten, but wouldn’t have to wait seven years to begin training with him or her.

And Vegeta would be there to help, and they could all train together!

Vegeta watched Goku as the young man sat hypnotized by his own hand that was soothing across his swollen abdomen, his eyelids seeming to grow heavier with each stroke. The prince appreciated the other Saiyan’s generous, forgiving nature and how he considered his friendship something of value.

Vegeta tilted his head to the side as he observed his drowsy companion. He had always had mixed feelings about the third class. While he admired his incredible power and strength, he had always despised his happy-go-lucky ways and spirit of mercy. It was those qualities that he was now thankful Kakkarot had possessed.

Owning up to the root of his contempt being from jealousy, however, was still a bitter pill to swallow. Kakkarot had the life that should have been preserved for himself, as the prince of Saiyans: a loving, nurturing home, an easy simple life and the adoration of those around him. But it was not Kakkarot’s fault that things happened the way they did. He supposed the whys and hows didn’t matter anymore. He was finally in control of his own destiny. He could not take back what had happened in the past, but he could choose how he reacted in the future. And he wanted it to be in a way in which he could be proud. That his family could be proud of.

Vegeta blinked his eyes, realizing he had become preoccupied with his thoughts and was staring blankly at Goku’s stomach. The younger Saiyan had fallen asleep, leaning against the wall with his head resting awkwardly on his shoulder. Vegeta stood and crossed to him, using one hand to support Goku’s head and the other to guide him onto his side. The last thing he needed to hear was the clown crack his head on the stone.

He looked down at his former rival. Yes, jealousy had wasted years that they could have been good friends, the last two Saiyans.

They weren’t the two last Saiyans anymore, he reminded himself as he crossed to the cave’s entrance. There were others out there. Those who he had left alive on that broken down space heap, and those like Daikkon that had been scattered across the vast universe.

And now, the little life growing inside...

...his friend.

The concept seemed like it should feel very alien to admit, but that is what it was: friendship. It always had been. He had just been afraid to recognize it, and it was time to stop being afraid. He was tired. He had had enough.

Crouching down at the cave mouth, Vegeta set to guarding the lives within it through the night.


When Goku awoke, he was still inside the cave, curled up on his side. He was a bit disoriented as he stirred, wondering how long he had been asleep and how his coat had been placed like a blanket over him in the night. Vegeta was already, or still, awake and sat at the front of the cave by the opening, leaning against the wall. He looked to the younger Saiyan as he sat up.

“What time is it?” Goku asked, stifling a yawn.

“Just past dawn,” Vegeta replied. “Probably around five. I am not certain.”

Goku stood and stretched out his muscles.

“I was going to wake you when the moon had adequately set,” Vegeta began, “but...you seemed to need the sleep.”

“Thanks.”

Vegeta stood.

“I trust you can find your way home?” he smirked.

“Yeah,” Goku grinned. “Thanks...you know...for everything.”

Vegeta’s expression was neutral, unreadable, as he replied.

“It’s not you who should be thanking me.”

“Then there are no thanks necessary,” Goku stated. “That's what friends are for...right?”

Vegeta gave a slow nod of agreement.

Goku stepped past him and out into the cold morning air. After one short wave goodbye, he took off into the sky.

Vegeta watched him to disappear from sight, a strange feeling settling in his stomach. He couldn’t figure out for the life of him why he was so resistant and apprehensive of change. Ironically, his whole life he wished for nothing but a change in his circumstances. So why, after all these years, was he still afraid to enjoy it? How could he bear to have such happiness when one day it might be taken away?

He was already emotionally invested, he reasoned. It was too late now. He had wasted enough time. As he had decided last night, he'd had enough. It was time to move forward without looking back.

The house was still dark and quiet when he returned. He dropped silently onto the balcony outside of his bedroom.

Bulma was curled into his vacated spot on the bed, hugging his pillow to her chest. Vegeta slipped out of his clothes and into bed behind her. She stirred when his cool skin pressed against hers, but she smiled and pulled his arms tighter around her.

“I sure wish I had the ability to sense ki, so I would know where you are when you disappear at three a.m.,” she murmured.

“I was taking a walk,” he replied, laying soft kisses on her shoulder.

“Mm...really?” she questioned, rolling over to face him. “And how did that go?”

His eyes searched hers for a moment before he answered.

“Quite well, actually. I...” He hesitated slightly before finishing. “I think you would have been proud of me.”

Bulma’s eyebrows rose at the statement and the tone in his voice that was almost...hopeful.

“How so?” she inquired. Vegeta sighed, resting his forehead against hers.

“Because I spent a whole conversation without making an ass out of myself,” he grumbled, shaking his head in exasperation at his own behavior. Using a new perspective with which to reflect upon the way he had acted at times, many times, in the past was quite humbling, if not a little humiliating. “Bulma.” His voice took on a softer tone upon saying her name. “How can you forgive me for being such a fool...”

Bulma pulled him close to her, hugging him tightly. She wasn’t sure what had happened to him that night, but she had the feeling that he'd made some sort of breakthrough. Very rarely did she hear this vulnerable quality in his voice.

“Because I love you,” she answered. “And because I know that you try.”

Vegeta pulled away from her and gently smoothed the hair back from her face.

“But I didn’t,” he stated firmly. “Not hard enough. Not as hard as you have....I...I feel as though I have failed my family.”

“No!” she gasped. “No, Vegeta, you haven’t. Don’t say things like that! You’ve failed no one.”

“You expect so little of me...because I give so little,” he continued. “But I swear to you, on my honor, that I will not fail you again.”

He knew he could list a million things, at least, to point out exactly how he had failed her. How he had neglected her and their children. How he had shunned her family. How he had rejected the life she was trying to build with him by suggesting with his attitude that anything on this planet could not possibly be worth his precious time. How he had refused to participate in customs and rituals that were important to her, when she wanted to include him to show him he was loved and accepted.

How he never told her how much he loved her.

After the thousands and thousands of times he had heard it from her, from his own children, he still had not wanted to show weakness in admitting his feelings. Who the fuck was he, anyway?

A soldier and a slave. Nothing more.

But now he was a husband, a father...

A friend.

And as Bulma had told him, the only one standing in his way now was himself.

“...I will make you proud of me...”

Bulma felt confused and a little overwhelmed by the earnestness of his words. She could only imagine the pain he must been feeling to break this hard.

“Then...I’m happy for you...I’m happy that you want to improve.”

Vegeta closed his eyes and turned his face down against her shoulder.

“I will be a man worthy of being your husband,” he said quietly. “Worthy of being our children’s father...and...and I will try...my best...”

Bulma laid a kiss on the top of his head. As much as she hated for him to be the arrogant ass that all of their acquaintances knew him to be, she hated just as much to see him humbled. There had been a time when pride in himself was all he had, and it was a false pride at that. But she would continue to root for him no matter how many times he had to pick himself up and try again. For better or worse, this was the man to whom she had given her heart and soul, and she knew he was worthy...hopefully, he was now figuring that out for himself...


A/N: Soooooooo sorry that this update took so long. This chapter was a bitch to write and was not too nice to beta, either...twice...Thank you, Rowina!!!! Anyway, I hope you all liked. It was very angsty, I know. It was like Vegeta's heart exploded and all this angst poured out! Anyway, I am trying to write the next chapter. I have it all on notebook paper and need to type it up. So, hopefully it will not be so long for the next update. *hugs readers* Thanks for reading!! - B°