Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ When It Rains ❯ When It Rains 09 ( Chapter 9 )

Warnings, disclaimers and such: Hey I finally found some free time so I thought I’d update. Sorry for the delay. This chapter was extra long (about 30 pages in word) so I thought I’d cut it into two chapters so I don’t bore anyone to death. I’ll post the next chapter asap if anyone is still even interested in this story. If so let me know.
When it RainsBy: Kaineko

Chapter 09


It wasn't until much later that everyone cleared the house. Goku's condition, though still sketchy, had improved. At least he was out of the danger zone. They had hooked him up to every kind of monitor known to man with a constant attendabot on hand just in case. Vegeta had retreated to his own room way before everyone left, not really being in the mood for them…they were all pretty pathetic and useless anyway. Except for Master Roshi who obviously knew something that he wasn’t letting on. Maybe for once that old pervert could be of some use. He'd have to corner him later and threaten the information out of him. Glancing at the clock he noted that it was well after midnight and apparently a useless concept to try and sleep. He yanked the covers back and slid out of bed, heading downstairs to the darkened deserted kitchen.

Vegeta grabbed a few snacks and sat into one of the kitchen chairs thinking about the day. He didn't know what was more disconcerting…all of his vital information in the hands of some unknown criminal, or finding Goku very-near death on his bedroom floor. Add to that the time he’d spent explaining purging protocols and Oozaru transformation to those baka ningens and that made for one hell of a horrible day. It was amazing that he hadn’t blown anything up in his frustration, although that may not be such a bad idea. That whole 'Murphy's Law' crap the woman is always spewing seemed to be proving itself within his life lately.

After finishing off the rest of the lemon cookies Vegeta stood and dusted the crumbs from his shirt. He made his way down the back stairs to the lower level where his Gravity chamber lie, with the intent of some late night training. At the bottom of the two flights of stairs he stood in a long hallway that effectively split the lower level in half. The complete left half was his Gravity Chamber and the right half was the medical wing. Vegeta stood for long moments simply staring down the unoccupied hall. Sure, he’d told himself that he was going to train, but Goku was so close; merely behind one of the many doors on the right side of the hall, and Vegeta did have a responsibility to check on the man since he was his prince… It didn’t take much to convince him of where he should go. After all he was simply looking for an excuse.

Vegeta stepped into the cold sterile room that they'd moved Goku to. It was just as uninviting as all hospital/med bay rooms he'd been in during the course of his life. The room was filled with the repetitive sound of beeping monitors, the incessant whir of the air conditioning and Goku's barely audible breathing. The room was cast in muted light, just enough for a normal person to see, but not enough to disturb someone that was sleeping. The prince's gaze immediately fell on the immobile form draped with a thin white blanket in the middle of the room. Upon closer inspection he realized that Goku was moving slightly, shaking actually, most likely from the near arctic conditions of the room. He pulled a thicker blanket from the warming rack almost absentmindedly and threw it over his fellow Saiyan as he approached, not really registering the significance of his action. The evidence of his concern.

Vegeta stood pensively assessing the other warrior's condition based on his appearance. His face had regained some color, his mouth slightly open making him appear to be merely sleeping but his ki was still so low and his breathing so shallow. He stared intently for a while, his eyes following every curve and line of Goku's face. Things had certainly changed over the past half-year. Goku's boyishly handsome face had slowly changed and begun to take on a wearier look...the kind that only comes from the harshness of life’s experiences. Vegeta had watched him change and become more somber over the last few months. Even when they visited with one another, Vegeta had notice how reserved Goku had become. He didn’t doubt that the other man enjoyed spending time with him, but things were definitely not as expected. Vegeta was usually the one doing all of the talking. He didn’t have a definite reason for the change in the other warrior other than maybe stress.

Cool air swirled around Vegeta’s bare hand as he removed his glove. He lifted his hand up and lightly ran a finger down Goku's face.

“What's going on with you Kakarrot?” He whispered to the unconscious man, not really expecting an answer and not receiving one. He leaned in closer just able to feel his own breath as it rebounded off Goku’s face. He breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with a scent that was familiar and warm. Just a few millimeters closer and he could be kissing him. Vegeta lingered there for a few more moments, not daring to move closer, but not really wanting to move away. After long moments of indecision finally he simply straightened his posture and pulled up a chair next to the bed. He turned it around and sat in it backwards with his head resting against his arms folded across the back and merely watched the other man as he slept.


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Vegeta stepped out into the hall separating the med bay from the gravity room flexing his neck and trying to work out the kink in his muscles. He quickly made his way up the stairs glad no one saw him emerge though he could always claim he'd fallen asleep in the gravity room. Only a few days had passed since Vegeta found Goku. And he'd ended up visiting the other man every night, watching him for any change in his condition. Though there had been none, the doctor remained optimistic that he would recover soon.

Bulma was already sitting at the table eating a bagel and drinking coffee when he entered the room. It never failed to amaze him that the woman could live off such meager rations.

“Mornin' Vegeta.” Bulma chirped as she watched the prince drink straight from the bottle of juice that he’d pulled from the fridge.

Vegeta examined the smug look on her face and the higher octave of her perky voice and immediately became suspicious. She was never so agreeable this early in the morning.

“What the hell are you so chipper for this morning?” He said, turning up the juice bottle again.

“Aww what's wrong Veggie? I thought you were used to sleeping in a sitting position. Oh well, I guess I could have a futon moved into Goku’s room if it'll make you more comfortable.”

Bulma leaned back in her chair and watched Vegeta nearly choke on his juice. She held up her hand in a gesture of silence before he could even respond.

“Don't even try to deny it. I know you've been sleeping in that room since he came here, and sneaking back to the gravity room early, before the doctors arrive.”

Vegeta was shocked and could only counter lamely. “I don't sneak.”

“Yeah right whatever. But I've seen it with my own eyes.” She said pointing to her face as if her eyes might be located elsewhere.

Impossible. Vegeta would have sensed her ki before she ever even made it down the stairs. Even if he was asleep. As if reading his thoughts she said, “Security cameras. You forget that you demanded I beef up security around here after that break-in so now they're installed everywhere…even your precious gravity chamber.”

Vegeta grumbled, annoyed at being caught. “Damn it onna. I told you to increase security, not play detective. I don't appreciate being spied on!”

“Why? Are you embarrassed because I know about you and Goku?”

“What the hell do you mean 'me and Kakarrot'? There is no 'me and Kakarrot'.”

“Well you certainly have been spending enough time with him for there to be. Since you’ve known longer than the rest of us that Chichi hasn’t been in the picture for a while, I can’t imagine why you haven’t made a move. What’s holding you back?”

“Woman, we are merely sparring partners and nothing more.”

Bulma rolled her eyes. “Only because of your overzealous pride.”

“What are you talking about? I have absolutely no interest in Kakarrot and to think otherwise is ridiculous.” Even as he said it he cringed subconsciously at the lie.

Bulma sighed. She wasn't completely inept. She could tell that Vegeta had feelings for Goku merely by observing his actions and she suspected that Goku felt the same way. She'd often wondered why they spent so much time together, but it didn't take her long to figure it out. That was the main reason she'd given up her attempt to claim the handsome prince. Her best friend had already done so; even if neither one realized it.

“Vegeta, you cannot hide nearly as many things from me as you think. I've been around you for far too many years. And I know…even if you deny it to yourself. I know that you have feelings for…” She mimicked his voice…”’That baka Kakarrot.’ Maybe even love him.”

Vegeta was tired of justifying himself. He tried to will himself to leave the kitchen. He didn't even want to stay and argue like he normally would. What she was saying hit far too close to home for him to be comfortable. However some unknown force; be it pride or Dende; was keeping him immobile.

“I do not care one bit about that idiot. And love…ha. Love is for weak fools.”

Bulma rolled her eyes. “You can give that tired excuse a rest. You should know by now that love is the driving emotion that underlies true strength. Look at Goku…he became the strongest man in the universe because of love.”

“It wasn't love that drove him to transform. It was rage.”

She rolled her eyes. Kami the man was stubborn. “You're wrong Vegeta. It was his love for his friend that drove him to that rage…that point of transformation…and allowed him to achieve the ultimate.”

Vegeta remained silent. He knew what she said was true, he'd always known, but he couldn't think of one way to retort her.

Bulma sighed and shook her head. Sometimes Vegeta just refused to see reason, but she could at least try. “Vegeta, in reality Goku is not your enemy. He never really has been.” She got a wistful, almost reverent look and continued as if she were merely thinking out loud. “But I guess reality is as you perceive it to be.”

She again turned her piercing blue gaze on him. It was almost like she could see straight into his soul.

“If you perceive him to be your enemy, then he will be. But if you perceive him to be your lover, he'll be that instead. However, in the interest of your own sanity, you can't perceive him to be both. You must make the decision of where you want him to stand in your life…” She stood pushing the chair from the table; “…And where you want to stand in his.” She said before leaving the ouji alone to contemplate her words.


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The passage of days didn’t hinder Vegeta’s confrontation with his own emotions. Bulma's words seemed to ring within his mind every time he found it idle, which was far too frequent for his liking.

'You cannot hide nearly as many things from me as you think…'

How the hell had Bulma become so damned insightful? Sure she was a genius, but this is the same woman that turned thick at the mere sight of a “cute guy”. Still, apparently when it came to the ouji she seemed to have an uncanny knack of deciphering his feelings. Perhaps it was their years of familiarity or the simple fact that their personalities were similar in some aspects. Whatever the reason, Vegeta passionately hated when anyone read him so well. Now the prince’s thoughts were a jumbled mess that he couldn't seem to control.

'I know…even if you deny it to yourself. I know that you have feelings for…that baka Kakarrot.”

Bulma…damn her for her insightfulness, but she did know.

Unlike most people who thought that he didn’t know any emotion other than anger, Bulma knew. She knew that he experienced a wide range of emotions some of which he was very familiar with like anger, hatred, contempt; and some that he couldn’t even name and didn’t care to acknowledge. Those unknown emotions he’d learned long ago to control and keep them within lest they become weaknesses.

But what of love? Did he know love? He cared for Kakarrot, he’d admitted as much to himself, but love.

‘It was his love for his friend that drove him to that rage…’

In Bulma’s opinion, love had been the driving force behind Goku’s strength. It had been the loss of someone he’d been attached to that sent him over the edge…or better yet, gave him the edge he needed for vengeance. Vegeta had felt that rage before. The kind of raw agonizing bleeding rage that called to the soul, demanded your attention, and commanded your action. Was that rage the kind that could only be provoked by emotion? Was that Love?

Love was such an utterly foreign concept to him. The word didn't have a counterpart in his language, or for that matter, in most of the other languages he spoke. He'd heard humans use the term so many different ways from ‘I love my mate’, to ‘I love your sweater’ that he wasn't even sure what it was supposed to mean.

'…you should know by now that love is the driving emotion that underlies true strength.'

But the love the Bulma spoke of…this love may not have had a corresponding word, but the emotion was universally understood. This love that humans regarded as true love was the deep emotional attachment that could at times be manifested physically. Rage. Strength. It could take over one’s body and mind, willing them to do things that they’d never before have considered.

That's what made it so damned frightening. This enormous power to influence. And the weakness lay in the fact that its power had no owner…no one to completely rein it. It could be utilized by anyone for many different reasons. Love could heal far better than any medicine, but it could kill just as surely as he could. It only had to fall into the wrong hands. You could use your love of the people you're fighting for to boost your strength and defeat your enemies. But your enemy could use it to defeat you by taking away what you love. The only armor that could be forged against the pain of that loss is to not have anything to lose in the first place. And that's precisely what he thought he'd done all along.

But was he a coward for running from it? From his point of view he wasn't running. He was merely avoiding a potential pitfall. Any great warrior would protect their weakness.

'But an even greater warrior would embrace it and turn it into strength.’ His mind told him.

At least, that's what Goku always did. He took his love for his family and friends and turned it into a strength that he wielded for his own purposes. Vegeta wasn’t sure if he could do that. It wasn’t in his nature to draw on his emotions, rather to suppress them.

‘But it hasn’t always been that way.’ A little voice whispered to him.

The stray thought caught Vegeta off guard making his stop to consider it. He'd always been taught to suppress his feelings...squash anything that was weakness. Frieza’s cruelty had taught him as much.

‘But it hasn’t always been that way.’ That little voice whispered louder, as if revealing something that should have been obvious. And now that he thought of it, it was right. If he really thought about it, Saiyans weren’t like that at all.

Saiyans were ruled by their unwavering loyalty to one another, and their fealty to the royal family and Saiyan society as a whole. What drives fealty? Devotion. And what drives devotion? Self-dedication, self-sacrifice, respect. And behind that? …Love.

That little word hit him like a ton of bricks. He’d never thought of it in such a way, but it was true. The Saiyan populace drew on their natural instincts to guide them. Their interaction with one another, their loyalty to the king and prince had all been as natural to them as breathing, and it had all been guided by their love.

It was then that Vegeta realized something of fundamental importance that he’d never recognized before. His entire demeanor, attitude, mindset had been and even now was largely dictated by Frieza. It all made sense to him. It had been the tyrant’s desire to keep his subjects inline that had facilitated Vegeta’s repressed emotions. It wasn't just with the Saiyan race, but with every other race as well. The Cold Empire's philosophy was to strip away all pride, desire, and instinct that characterized or unified them with their race. All that would be left is an obedient, subservient shell. They exploited any traits that were useful to them and attempted to destroy the others. It wasn't very healthy in Frieza's camp to think-freely.

They tried on many occasions to break Vegeta's instincts, and the prince thought that he’d been defying them by simply building a wall between himself and everybody else. That way Frieza would never get the chance to exploit his emotions as weakness. But in the process of building that wall, he’d inadvertently blocked even himself out. Frieza had wanted him to stop feeling…to grow resentful and hate-filled. And until now, it had pretty much worked. Now he realized that his defiance had been merely superficial. To have truly been defiant, would have been to build up a wall between himself and Frieza’s atrocities, while not allowing his very nature to be crushed by the bricks. Frieza had succeeded. Vegeta didn’t feel...hadn’t felt in a long time…until Goku came along. And even then he refused to recognize that he felt.

In that moment Vegeta’s perception changed. He’d resented Goku before for what he’d always perceived as weakness, disgraceful. But Goku’s love wasn’t a weakness that made him a disgrace to the Saiyan race or an enemy to their prince. Instead it made him very much in line with his instincts and would have made him a true asset to Vegetasai. Now it was Vegeta’s turn. He had to allow his instincts to guide him in his perception of Goku. What were they telling him about the other warrior? Did he love Goku?

He thought about if for a long while. How he felt drawn to the other warrior, compelled to spend time with him, his desire to keep the other man safe, his fear at the thought of losing Goku, the way his body reacted to his scent, his laugh, his touch, his beauty. The answer didn’t come to him all at once, but when it did it was as if the realization slapped him in the face. He wanted Goku, not merely from superficial desire, but on a deep instinctual level. Goku evoked something within him that negated all Frieza had done. The tyrant’s success had only been temporary. And now, suddenly and for the first time in his life, Vegeta felt free. What it took to bring him to this point was essential. Bulma had been right. He was in love with Goku.


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No mere man can wield the ebb and flow of time...Its strength endless, its will indomitable. And so, time passed. Hours turned to days and days turned to weeks. Two and a half to be exact. And during that time Vegeta had finally come to terms completely with his feelings for Goku. He’d also built up the courage to tell Goku his feeling though deep down he still harbored feelings of apprehension. That bit of trepidation was now the only little nagging concern that he felt. But he wouldn’t allow it to grow and become a weakness. He would use it as fuel and transform it into strength. He needed to work off the jittery energy that kept increasing the longer that Goku stayed unconscious. So with that in mind he made his way down the hall to the GR.

A few hours had passed since Vegeta's workout started. It was actually helping soothe his mind as he became lost in the sheer rhythmic cadence of his movements. He executed several graceful back flips before finishing in a handstand. He could have held his position indefinitely but suddenly a jolt of energy, alien in its intensity, shot through him causing him to lose his balance and fall abruptly on his face.

Vegeta jumped up immediately, looking around frantically for the source of the sensation that had left him just as quickly as it had come. Again the same gloomy energy flooded his entire being. A wave of vertigo descended upon him and he had to grip the center control panel for a moment to steady himself. He smacked the controls to return the gravity to normal and quickly left the room, indignant curses falling from his lips as he went in search of the source.

Just as suddenly as it hit him, it was gone again.

"What the hell was that?" He thought aloud.

He stood in the hall separating the Gravity Room from the Medical Bay trying to fight off another wave of nausea to investigate the origin of this strange energy. It was as powerful as it was melancholic. But the strange thing was that it was…familiar. His eyes settled on the door directly across from the one that he’d just left through. Could it be coming from…?

“No…that can't be right.” He whispered.

He shook his head, forcing himself to think straight. He'd never felt anything that depressing coming from the other warrior. Not even right after the harpy left him. But just as he thought it, another wave hit him reaffirming his suspicion. This time the source was unmistakable. The energy signal screamed Kakarrot.

‘Is he finally awake? Why is his energy so dark?’

Vegeta crossed the hall and stood in front of the door to Goku’s room and paused. With his sensitive hearing he could pick up muffled noises coming from within…like voices, but it didn’t sound like Goku. Was somebody else in there? He tried to open the door but it was locked from the inside and wouldn’t budge.

“Why the hell is this door locked? Who's in there?” He yelled banging on the door but no one answered.

If it had been just a normal door, he would have simply forced it open, breaking the lock. But the walls and doors on this entire level were made of the same metal alloy that the Gravity Room was made of. It wasn't impervious, but it was really close to it. He'd have to use a considerable amount of strength but not enough to cave in the entire wall since both walls that ran along the length of the hall were support walls, taking the bulk of Capsule Corp’s upper 3 stories.

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A shadowy figure rounded the side of the yellow domed building, crouching low and making sure he hadn't been seen.

'Finally.' He thought cursing the sheer size of the compound. The set of windows that he'd been looking for came into view. It was a good thing he'd been able to find the blueprints for the building within the corporate database. He highly doubted he would have been able to find this room so easily by trial and error.

The medical bay was actually partially under the ground level with just the top half above so the windows into the room sat at ground level on the outside, but near the ceiling on the interior. He slid his hand inside the black pouch he carried on his hip, and pulled out a set of precision tools. He was in luck the security system was only partially installed making it even easier than he’d anticipated. Within minutes he had gained access to the room that held the slumbering Saiyan using the nearly floor to ceiling shelves and instrument cabinets that lined the wall to expertly scale down to the floor.

The mystery man stopped briefly to adjust the identity-concealing mask before glancing around the room again. He immediately spotted the two security cameras within the room just where the security layout said they would be. He again used the cabinets to scale to their locations, pulling out a small can of black spray paint, and coating the lens.

Once back on the floor he quietly slipped toward the door to the room and bolted it from within. He certainly seemed to be thorough at what he was doing.

Now that he was certain that the room was cut off from the outside world he slid his hand under the mask, pealing it off to reveal smooth skin, midnight hair and piercing ice blue-green eyes.

If things went as planned, Ian would be in and out of CC before anyone even knew he’d been there. Smiling devilishly at Goku, he slid through the darkened room toward the man, careful not to create any unnecessary noise.

“Goku…” He whispered as he approached the other man. He came to a halt right next to the waist high bed that held the helpless warrior.

Leaning forward over the prone warrior he could feel Goku’s body heat as his lips almost touched the other man's ear. “Goku…” he whispered again in a singsong voice, almost certain that the other man couldn’t actually hear him. From the snippets of conversation that he’d picked up around CC and his ‘innocent’ conversations with Gohan he knew for a fact what condition the other man was in. But he just had to see for himself.

His goal hadn’t really been to do anything, but spy on the other man, and see how vulnerable his condition really was. But the sheer proximity that he held to a man that evoked passionate emotions within him was too much for him to resist. Tentatively he reached out and touched Goku’s brow, slowly running his index finger down his cheek, to finally rest on those lips that were slightly open as if in sleep. Ian’s touch was soft, almost reverent as if Goku were precious glass that might break if handled too roughly.

“You always were beautiful.” He said through a smile.

Goku hadn’t made any significant movements since he’d been admitted to the infirmary, and Ian hadn’t really expected him to. So it came as a bit of a shock when the younger man began to stir, his nose scrunching as his body started to shake lightly.

Realization of what was happening dawned on the dark-haired enigma and he smiled triumphantly at Goku’s reaction to him. He leaned forward, his face hovered mere inches above Goku's and his warm breath ghosted across the unconscious warrior's skin raising goosebumps.

“Ah…so you do recognize me somewhere in the back of your mind. It's nice to see that you still respond so beautifully to me.”

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The stifling darkness that Goku had known for a seeming eternity suddenly bled away, morphing into an entirely different scene. He found himself running…escaping through the cold wet forest barefooted. All he knew was that he had to get away. Wet branches and thorns slapped him mercilessly scrapping against his exposed flesh causing more damage than should have been possible against his resilient Saiyan skin. Bloody gashes and bruises formed almost immediately, marring his smooth pale complexion. His feet were blistered and sore from the sharp rocks that pierced them as he ran. His tail was swaying limply behind him, jarring the broken bones within painfully with every step he took.

It wasn't his superior physical strength or even his inhuman stamina that kept him going because they had played out long ago. Instead it was complete unadulterated fear and adrenaline that fueled his need for escape. It helped him ignore the pain as he ran blindly through the forest. He couldn't stop running; something was after him...intending to hurt him. It was behind him, calling his name over and over again, trying to will him to stop running by sheer persuasion. The crescent moon was partially covered by clouds and overhanging limbs, giving barely any light to see by, but he kept running.

Suddenly he felt himself falling and shot his hands out in front, preparing to break his fall. He didn't know whether he'd tripped on a rock, twisted his ankle, or merely lost his footing in the oozing mire of the sodden earth but he did know that the ground was cold and cruel. He found himself face down in the mud, panic gripping his heart in a vice as he realized that for whatever reason he couldn't move anymore. He struggled futilely to free himself from whatever had him tangled.

Run, run....RUN! That's all that kept going through his mind. Get free and run. He struggled more violently; pain shooting through his body making his need to escape more frantic. But he couldn't move. It seemed that fate itself held him down to ensure that he met his demise and the more he struggled the more futile his efforts became. Indescribable terror gripped his heart...causing violent tremors to wrack his frame. He was going to die there tonight…face down on the cold, unforgiving forest floor. His resolve left him and he broke into strangled sobs as he realized that there was nothing he could do about it.

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Tears flowed freely down Goku’s face, glinting beautifully in the very pale light filtering through the room. He seemed to flinch involuntarily as a finger slid through the liquid on his cheeks, wiping at the manifestation of his distress. Goku was consciously unaware when that finger was brought to lips and his tears licked off as if a superb delicacy.

“It seems you’re starting to come around. I can tell it won’t be long now before you join the world again.” Ian said.

Suddenly the sound of someone trying to open the door filled the room startling Ian into attentiveness.

Ian glanced at the locked door; sure that whoever it was wouldn’t delay in finding a way into the room. He hadn’t planned on this happening…but he always had a contingency plan. He wasn’t in the least bit nervous but he was definitely not about to hang around. Quickly, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against Goku's and holding them for what seemed an eternity, tasting the other man’s sweetness.

“Why the hell is this door locked? Who's in there?”

Ian released the kiss when he heard Vegeta yelling and banging on the door.

“Seems we're out of time. Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you.” He whispered before scaling the shelves with inhuman speed and grace and leaving through the window.

The screeching sound of bending metal followed his fleeing form as Vegeta forced the door open. He entered the room, gripping his head in an attempt to stop the ringing in his ears. Though Kakarrot was the only one in the room now, Vegeta knew that someone else had been there. He was certain that it had been human/male, by the scent, and it was slightly familiar though Vegeta couldn’t place it. His attention was immediately called to the sound of the metal blinds that covered the damaged window, flapping softly in the wind. He levitated up to the window, which was fairly high from the floor and exited the room, vaguely wondering how anyone would be able to get back out so quickly unless they could fly. Once outside, he levitated high into the air, looking around the compound for the intruder, but he couldn't see anyone. He did a general ki sweep of the area for anything unusual and almost fell from the sky. The only ki feedback he received was that from Kakarrot. It was strong enough to completely negate any other ki signature around.

“Damn onna. I told her to increase the damned security around here.” He growled under his breath as he returned to the medical bay room.

The room was now illuminated with the light from the hall. Goku was still out of it, but from the look of things he was caught in the middle of a particularly nasty nightmare. Tears were actually leaking from the sides of his tightly closed eyes and he'd rolled into a ball, managing to pull the IV free from his arm. A bit of blood leaked from the wound, but not enough to warrant any concern.

“Kakarrot…Kakarrot wake up.” Vegeta called to the other man, shaking him forcefully. It seemed to the prince that if the man was conscious enough to dream, that it would stand to reason that he was conscious enough to be woken from that dream, but Goku didn't respond. Vegeta was pretty much at a loss. What in the hell had happened to cause this reaction? Whatever that person did to him was enough to bring him closer to consciousness than he'd been in quite a while, but from the outcome, Vegeta wasn't so sure that was a good thing. The break-in a few weeks ago suddenly returned to his mind. With everything else that had been going on lately, he'd pushed it out of his immediate thoughts. What if it was the same person that had stolen Bulma's research? They held information that was potentially dangerous to a Saiyan. And if it was the same person, they had definitely been too damned close to a vulnerable Goku for the prince’s comfort.

Again Vegeta pushed the thoughts from his mind, focusing on resolving the problem at hand. “Calm down Kakarrot. It’s me…Vegeta.” He removed his gloves and wiped away some of the tears, disturbed that someone had gotten close enough to the man, while he was utterly vulnerable, to cause them.

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“Kakarrot…Kakarrot wake up.” Over the thunderous sound of his own racing heart and his desperate sobs he heard a voice calling his name. Wait, that wasn't his name; At least not his earth name. Only one person called him that.

“Vegeta?” A small shard of hope could be heard in his voice.

“Calm down Kakarrot. It's me…Vegeta.”

Relief washed over him and he chanced to look up from his position on the ground. It was Vegeta standing over him, his hand extended to help him up. He'd never felt such elation in his life. He quickly took the offered hand and stood. An optimistic smile crossed his face. He realized that he wouldn't die there tonight. Vegeta had saved him.

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Vegeta pulled up the chair next to the bed, his chair, and sat down. He'd slept in it for a few nights but he didn't mind. Bulma was right. It wasn't so different from sleeping upright inside a pod. At least that dark energy, that he now realized was Goku's emotions raging in response to his nightmare, had ebbed. He was glad that that feeling was not invading his own mind any more. Goku seemed to have calmed considerably, though he still wouldn’t wake up. He sighed following suit and slowly calmed his own nerves. He thought about finding Bulma, but he was unwilling to leave the other Saiyan alone. Instead he opted to just stay there for the remainder of the night. He was sure that Goku would be okay until that doctor showed up in the morning. It wasn't until some time later that he’d calmed enough himself, to succumb to a very light sleep.

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“So which one was it tonight?”

Ian stopped in the doorway and looked across at his friend. “What?”

“I said which one? Mother or son?”

Ian smiled ignoring the question for the moment and allowing his so-called genius friend to use his powers of deduction. He stepped into the room removing the small pouch of lock picks from around his waist and dropping them on the coffee table with a resounding clunk. It was then that Randall actually took the time to look up from his computer screen and take in Ian’s appearance.

All black. Pants, shirt, shoes…Ian wore nothing but midnight. It became all too apparent to him then what his partner had been doing and he smiled. It looked rather odd on his face, like it wasn’t something that he often did.

“I see you’ve been playing a different game tonight…”

Ian smiled back but didn’t really affirm or deny it.

“…and without me this time. I’m a bit disappointed.” Randall added.

“Ah, don’t be. This was a bit of a personal visit anyway. Besides, it proved to be pretty dangerous and required some stealth. I almost got caught as it was. If you’d been with me, I’d never have pulled it off.”

Randall, whose moods were known to fluctuate at an instant, suddenly frowned. He was all for having a little fun…taking a few risks, but not if it endangered the plan. But Ian was being even more reckless than usual, and he wasn’t at all happy about it.

“Don’t let your impatience jeopardize this Ian. We are too fucking close to have you screw up.”

Ian walked around and sat on the couch propping his feet on the table.

“You worry too much. Everything is going as planned. I’m just having a little fun.”

Randall admitted that Ian’s cunning was extraordinary, but his friend tended, at times, to get a little overconfident.

“A little fun? Is that what you call fucking Gohan? What if he finds out about Chichi? Then definitely the whole plan is shot to shit and you’ll be lucky to survive. I shouldn’t have to remind you of all people that those Sons are docile until you threaten them.”

“There’s no chance of that happening. They don’t get along well. They definitely wouldn’t be discussing who they’re sleeping with and comparing notes. Besides, I’m careful. I only see Chi on the weekends and I never let Gohan catch her scent on me. I’m not stupid you know.”

Randall was actually beginning to wonder. They’d had this conversation before. When Randall first found out about Gohan. Ian’s tryst with the younger man and his so-called visit to Goku tonight were evidence of his growing carelessness. If he didn’t stop playing around so much, things were definitely going to go south.

“Look, I didn’t plan on Gohan, but I definitely wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to try Goku’s son. Besides, that’ll make it just that much worse when the Saiyan finds out. Don’t worry so much man, everything is perfect.”

Randall arched his eyebrow. “I’ll just be glad when the opportunity to execute the final stage of the plan presents itself.”

“Oh, I have a feeling that it won’t be too much longer.” Ian smiled.

------00------

Bulma groaned as she woke up just before dawn. Much earlier than her normal hour. She'd been working late on a project in her private lab and had fallen asleep bent over her desk. She sat up, her back stiff from the unnatural position, and peeled a piece of paper from the side of her face that had gotten glued there by her slob.

“I am getting too old for these late nights.” She told herself as she stood and stretched the soreness from her muscles. She left the building, walking through the glass-enclosed breezeway that connected it to her home.

“Good Morning Ms. Briefs.”

Bulma turned around and found herself face to face with Dr. Moseri.

With her hand over her heart she said, “You startled me. What are you doing here at this time of the morning? Is something wrong with Goku?” She asked knowing that he was at present the only infirmary patient.

“I really don't know what's going on. I checked his vital signs through my home network connection and I noticed some very peculiar activity.”

Dr. Moseri was a very diligent and very capable doctor that had been employed with the Briefs' family for years. He really enjoyed his job, it was usually pretty laid back, and he was allowed time to conduct fruitful research. The fact that he was so well paid didn't hurt anything either. So, it wasn't surprising to Bulma that he'd been remotely checking on his patient at such an odd hour and when he was supposed to be off work.

As they resumed walking toward the main building together, he gave her a piece of paper. She stared at it intently trying to make sense of it.

“This graph represents Mr. Son's brain activity. I've been tracking it since he was first admitted. For the most part, it is comparable to someone that's in a coma. There's very little activity that would suggest rousing consciousness.”

“So then his condition hasn't improved.”

“Well…you see this.” He said pointing to a part of the graph that showed extreme peaks before suddenly dropping off again. “It was recorded late last night. It shows a drastic increase in brain activity comparable to if he'd been awake or in the REM stage of sleep. Then the EEG suddenly declined to about 35% delta activity.”

“So what does that mean? Will he be waking soon?”

“I really don't know. I found from previous data that at 35% delta activity the Saiyans enter into something similar to stage 3 in the human sleep cycle.”

Bulma was a technical genius, but when it came to medical jargon she was at a complete loss.

Seeing the confused look on her face, Dr. Moseri continued to explain. “There are 5 sleep stages that the normal human experiences and the brain patterns are distinctly different during each. Stage 3 is the period where night terrors and sleepwalking sometimes occur. People in comas don't go through fluctuated stages in alpha and delta waves. Instead their brain activity remains constantly low, sometimes nearly undetectable.”

“So then maybe he is waking.” Bulma said.

“Perhaps. But I won't know for sure until I check him out myself.”

“Well let’s go.”

Moments later when they reached the infirmary, they were wholly unprepared for what they saw. The smell of twisted metal still wafted through the hall lending to the appearance that something drastic had occurred.

“What the hell happened to the door?” Bulma screeched looking at the warped metal and twisted frame.

The prince awoke abruptly. He jumped from his chair, standing protectively between them and Goku, snarling and baring his teeth.

Bulma normally would have commented on how adorable his protectiveness was or how much he resembled a guard dog, but the situation seemed too serious for that. When she didn’t get an immediate response, she asked again. “Vegeta, what happened here?”

Finally seeing who it was, Vegeta relaxed his protective position a bit, but not completely.

“Kami woman! I thought I told you to fix that damned piece of shit security system you have installed.”

Bulma was taken aback by the obvious accusation before she became angry. “What are you talking about jerk? Not only did I have new monitors put in, I also had new electronic locks and sensors installed on all the doors.”

“And the windows?” Vegeta asked accusingly.

Bulma looked toward the ceiling-level windows in the room, noticing the broken one. She paled when she remembered. “We have so many doors and windows on the premises that they ran out of alarm sensors before they finished. They said they'd have to order more. I told the guards to patrol the unfinished areas more diligently.” She said suddenly feeling guilty, but not fully sure why.

“Fucking incompetent humans. You need to fire the damned security company. That useless guard is probably sitting on his fat lazy ass sleeping right now.”

“You still haven't told us what happened.”

Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to reel in his anger. He relayed the entire story while Dr. Moseri checked Goku and he kept a keen watch.

“My Kami. This is terrible. Do you think it was the same person that broke in before?”

“You're the damned genius. What do you think?” He said sarcastically.

Just then Dr. Moseri broke into their conversation. “You say that he was having a nightmare when you came in?”

“It appeared so. I could feel the blackness of his emotions flooding my entire being.”

“How interesting. I’m not 100% sure about Saiyan physiology, but I’m sure that this is a good sign. All of his neurological activity suggests that he's now in a deep exhaustion induced sleep.”

“Wonderful. Shouldn't we try to wake him then?” Bulma asked.

“Not yet. If I recall correctly, insomnia was the cause of this situation. And like I said his body is in an exhaustion induced sleep state. It’s like what happens when a person passes out from lack of sleep. It’s nearly impossible to wake them until the body has rested fully.”

“But he’s been out for weeks. How can he still be exhausted?”

“Well, the comatose state is not a restorative state like sleep. It’s more like a non-restorative limbo. You’ll just have to wait until he wakes on his own and hopefully he’ll be refreshed. Then maybe we can deal with the problem that caused his insomnia in the first place.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Bulma said a little disappointed that she couldn't wake him.

“I'll remain on the premises and monitor his condition from my office.” Dr. Moseri said before leaving the room.

Vegeta sat down in his chair and crossed him arms. “Go onna. I can watch after him on my own.”

Bulma nodded and smiled. She was happy that Vegeta seemed to have resolved his conflict over his feelings for her best friend. She knew that they would be good for one another.


------00------


Sweet aromatic spice filled the air making Goku's mouth water. He breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with the scent while feeding his brain with the oxygen it craved. He lay there for a while, somewhere between sleep and awake. The limbo began to fade as all of his other senses began to join his olfactory sense. The feel of the soft cotton blanket against his skin, the stale taste of sleep in his mouth, the steady whir of some nearby machine echoing through the room, and finally the dim light and white ceiling that greeted him as he opened his eyes.

He blinked several times not really knowing where he was. He hated the disoriented feeling that you get when you first wake up. It made him feel vulnerable and unprotected. Pushing the though aside, he sat up slowly in the bed, every one of his muscles sore from disuse.

“It's good of you to join the living once again Kakarrot. How are you feeling?”

Goku turned to the prince who stood across the room regarding him coolly immediately recognizing the source of that fiery scent. He was a bit startled, not used to waking up with another person in the room.

“I'm okay, I think. What am I doing here? What happened?” He asked noting that he was in the Capsule Corp infirmary.

“I could ask you that same question…”

Confusion flashed across Goku's face.

“I found you passed out on your bedroom floor. Apparently you took some sleeping pills and blacked out, hitting your head in the process.”

Goku very vaguely remembered a bottle of little peach-colored pills and trying to make it to his bed. His cheeks tinted pink as he blushed with embarrassment. 'Vegeta must think I'm a fool.'

“I…remember.” Goku whispered.

Vegeta studied his sleep-matted hair and sheepish expression, taking a mental picture of just how beautiful Goku truly was.

Goku felt nervous again under the scrutiny. Vegeta was looking at his soul again, and he felt horribly exposed.

“Care to tell me what that was all about?” Vegeta asked breaking the silence that had extended between them.

“I…uh…I was having trouble sleeping. I guess I tried to doctor on myself and overdid it. How long have I been out?”

“A little over two weeks. You hit your head right at the base and because you'd taken those pills, your ki was unfocused. Any human would have been dead.”

Goku couldn't believe what he'd inadvertently done to himself. It's a good thing he isn't human. He thought as he swung his legs over the side and stood a bit shakily.

“I feel kinda weak. I need something to eat.”

“You know where the kitchen is.” Vegeta said.

“Maybe I should shower first.” He said feeling less than fresh after being in a hospital bed for over two weeks.

Vegeta shrugged and watched as he walked unsteadily across the room. He didn't really seem to need any help. And Vegeta didn’t want to offend him by offering.

Goku paused in the damaged doorway, wondering, but for some reason not really wanting to know. He passed through and made his way up to one of the spare bedrooms.


------00------


“How’re you feeling Goku?” Bulma asked as he walked into the kitchen.

He actually felt pretty good after a hot shower and a change of clothes. It was a good thing he had his own spare room stocked with his clothes at the Brief’s house.

“Okay, I guess, but I’m hungry.” Bulma smiled, relieved that her friend seemed okay.

“Somehow, I knew you’d say that. Well, help yourself Goku. Oh, and I called Gohan and Goten. They’re pretty eager to see you…I’m sure that everyone is.”

Goku hated that he’d made his friends worry about him. It certainly hadn’t been his intention to do so.

“Hey, how about we have a little get together tonight so everyone can see you.” Bulma added.

Goku paled at the thought. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his friends, but he was already feeling embarrassed enough without having to face all of them. Besides, they’d just start asking questions and demanding answers that he really didn’t feel like giving.

“No…no Bulma. That’s not necessary. I really don’t want a party.”

But there was no getting through to Bulma. “Oh, its no trouble at all. I can call the caterer and round everybody up. It’ll be great fun.” Her mental wheels were already ticking off the details without really having registered a word that he said.

“But Bulma…”

“No buts. I insist.”

“Damn it woman are you deaf or just stupid? He said that he didn’t want a party.” Vegeta said as he walked into the room.

Bulma was taken aback. “I just thought…”

“No, that’s the problem. As usual you didn’t think.”

“Well screw you, you jerk.” She said and walked out of the kitchen mumbling obscenities under her breath.

“Thanks Vegeta.” Goku sighed. They stared at each other for a few moments without saying anything more. ‘Why’s Vegeta just standing there?’ Goku thought having trouble placing the look on prince’s face. Finally he broke eye contact and turned to the fridge. Even though he was sifting through it’s contents, he was really focused on the prince standing behind him.

After he gathered all the leftovers, Goku sat at the table and started eating without even bothering to warm them. For all outward appearances, his mind seemed to be completely on his food, but he wasn’t really even registering what he was eating. He couldn’t help but feel Vegeta’s stare lingering, seemingly touching him and he wondered why the prince merely sat there stoically. It definitely wasn’t something that he was used to. It made him uncomfortable in one sense, but strangely content in another.

Just sitting across the table from the younger Saiyan reminded the prince of all those evenings that they’d spent together sparring, eating, talking, merely enjoying each other’s company. He had come to miss that time. How he wished that it could become permanent. He knew that for that to happen, he had to retain his courage and tell Goku how he felt. Bulma had said that it was up to him to decide what role Goku was going to play in his life. But would it really be that simple? Could merely changing his perception of the other warrior really change Goku’s position in his life? Well Vegeta certainly hoped so, because his perception had changed. He didn’t see Goku as a threat anymore, but as an enhancement to his life. The man could infuriate and arouse him all in one breath. Goku complemented Vegeta in ways that no one else ever had. They were similar enough in some aspects to enjoy each other’s company, and different enough in other aspects to always present a challenge. And Vegeta always did love a challenge…

“You’re not going to eat anything?” Goku asked breaking the silence.

“No.” Simply stated. Silence once again.

Neither man spoke again while Goku finished eating. The prince was content to merely sit and watch. Bit upon bit of food disappeared within Goku’s mouth. The prince noted the sensuous way his tongue darted out occasionally to catch some stray bit of food from his lips, and the constriction of his throat muscles as he swallowed. He was sure that the other warrior didn’t realize how beautiful a picture he presented. When Goku stood to take his dishes to the sink, Vegeta was mesmerized by the way his body moved with natural grace even after such an extended period of disuse.

Goku stood at the sink, rinsing his dishes. Suddenly he felt a presence behind him and turned around only to find himself face to face with his prince.

“Vegeta?”

“Kakarrot.”

A long silence stretched between the two before Vegeta moved forward, shortening the gap between them.

“Uh? Vegeta?”

The prince looked up into the younger man’s face. ‘Kami, he’s beautiful.’ He thought noting the way his head tilted slightly to the side when he was confused.

Goku was feeling more than nervous, a light sweat breaking out on his forehead, and his skin heating rapidly. Goku calmed himself quickly when he realized that the prince could sense his anxiety.

Vegeta had caught the whiff of nervousness and dismissed it after it disappeared nearly immediately.

“Kakarrot, we need to talk.”

“Um okay. About what?” Goku asked trying to keep the apprehension from his voice.

“I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. And I’ve realized that…”

Animated laughter filtered through to their ears, interrupting the prince before he could finish.

“Hey dad!” Goten exclaimed more like a little boy that the man that he actually was. Vegeta stepped back from within Goku’s personal space as the two younger Sons came in followed by Bulma. If they thought that the Saiyans’ closeness was strange, they didn’t let on. Probably too excited to actually see their father up and about that they didn’t notice. Vegeta stepped toward the door, not being noticed by the others in the room. He caught the other man’s eye as he stood in the doorway. “Later.” He mouthed silently before leaving the room.

------tbc-------

A/N: So Vegeta did some soul-searching and finally came to terms with his feelings. And now we discover that Ian really is up to something, but what? Imagine having the nerve to break into Capsule Corp of all places. And Vegeta was just about to tell Goku how he felt before being interrupted. Talk about poor timing.

Anyway, I just need to reread the next half of the chapter looking for mistakes, and I’ll post it soon. Don’t forget to let me know what you guys think.

kaineko@hotmail.com