Chapter 33: Rebuilding
Chapter 33 - Rebuilding
Gohan rose to his feet and prepared to leave. âAre you sure it is okay to leave them alone now?â he asked, running his hand through his hair. âDad seemed kind of freaked.â
Piccolo, still hovering, uncurled from his meditation pose. âTheyâll be fine. They just need to recover. Your father and Vegeta have had a rough time.â He could feel the Saiyansâ kis â they actually seemed calm and almost relaxed for the first time in days. âGo home, kid. Iâm sure Videl would like to see you.â
Gohan gave a sheepish grin. âShe wasnât too happy when you dragged me off for guard duty. We had a date that night.â
âSorry. I wouldnât have called you if I didnât need you,â he said. Gohan had been spending more and more time with the girl â he seemed much happier and more confident since they had begun seeing each other. After those difficult years since Gokuâs death it was nice seeing the boy actually looking forward to things.
âItâs okay. She complained because itâs expected, but she understood. Videlâs a lot like Mom that way â gripes, but she doesnât really mean it.â Gohan grinned. âIâm supposed to take her out on the town to pay her back. She always looks so hot when we go dancing.â
==Is that what they are calling sex now?==
~~Go away Nail.~~
==Calm down, Piccolo. I think it is nice the boy has such a willing lover.==
Piccolo scowled. It was difficult enough to accept this boy â this young man - he considered his son having sex without having Nail rub it in.
âWhatâs wrong?â
Piccolo shook his head. âNothing. Donât worry about it.â
Gohan grinned. âPoor Piccolo. Whoâs bugging you? Kami or Nail?â
He smirked; Gohan had seen him do this too often. âNail, who else?â
âWhat about?â
âTrust me, you donât want to know.â
==Why not tell him? You know, Piccolo, I have never understood why you never made the young man your lover.==
~~Heâs like my son, you asshole!~~
âPiccolo, whatâs wrong? You look really pissed,â Gohan asked with concern.
âI think you should leave, kid. Nail and I are about to have a discussion,â he growled.
âSure,â Gohan laughed, rising from the ground, âkick his butt for me.â
Piccolo waited until his student was out of sight, seething at the damn-fool stuck in his head.
âWhat in the fuck is wrong with you!?â he finally shouted, so angry he couldnât maintain any kind of mental speech. âItâs bad enough when you give me crap about Goku and Vegeta, or anyone else who catches your roving eye, but you leave Gohan out of it!â
==Youâre just mad because you know you missed your chance.==
~~I didnât miss a chance, you asshole. It was never a possibility.~~ He could never think of Gohan that way. As far as he was concerned, Gohan was more his son than Gokuâs. ~~He trusts me; Iâm his teacher. The kid is more important to me than anyone else - I would never risk that friendship.~~
He could hear Nailâs sigh. ==Youâre too human sometimes, Piccolo. But believe it or not, I do understand â and agree with - your reasons.==
~~So why do you keep saying stupid things like that?~~
==Fine. I wonât ask you about Gohan anymore.==
~~Or Goku. Or Vegeta.~~
==Do you have to eliminate all of the good-looking ones?==
~~NailâŚ~~ he growled warningly.
==Okay, okay. Iâm sorry. Saiyans are off-limits. Got it.==
~~Good.~~ Piccolo returned to his meditating.
A few minutes later, the pest renewed his efforts to slowly drive him insane.
==PiccoloâŚI have a question â a serious question.==
Piccolo sighed. Nail apparently wasnât going to leave him alone today.
==I know you havenât been around any Nameks but Kami, Dende and IâŚyou know we normally live in colonies, right?==
~~So Iâve been told,~~ he answered grudgingly.
==So how can you stand being alone all of the time? Doesnât it bother you? I grew up surrounded by friends and family â a Namek who lived alone was rare. We are meant to have others around us.==
~~Kami lived alone for yearsâŚ~~
==Kami is weird,== Nail laughed.
Piccolo chuckled. He had to agree with the pest. ~~Youâll get no argument from me about that.~~
==Seriously, how can you stand it? Arenât you lonely? Why donât you ever have bedmates or lovers? Oh, quit growling â you sound like one of those Saiyan monkeys.==
Piccolo suddenly wasnât sure whether to be enraged or embarrassed â or just plain uncomfortable at his prying. ~~You know why; you were listening when I told Vegeta. My change to adult form was hell.~~
==You plan on staying alone for the rest of your life because of that? You arenât the first Namek to experience a difficult heat. Why donât you at least try?==
Damn it â why did Nail keep doing this to him? Why did he let him do this? Nail would bring it up and he would end up spending hours meditating, trying to answer the questions the other Namek asked. And he didnât have any answers. ~~What do you care anyway, Nail? Why are you constantly giving me crap? Why in the hell canât you let it go?~~
==Iâm not trying to give you crap. Believe it or not, Iâm really trying to help you.==
~~You sure as hell arenât doing a very good job of it. Did Kami put you up to this? Heâs usually the one who thinks I need his asinine guidance.~~ He was beginning to believe fusing with these two pains in the ass was a huge mistake. It wasnât like the power he got from them had done him much good in the long run. Maybe he would be better off weaker but without Kamiâs attempts to hen-peck him or Nailâs efforts to turn him into some kind of pervert.
==That chicken-shit old man? I donât believe his stories about why he left. I think he was so obnoxiously self-righteous he scared away any potential bedmates.==
Piccolo laughed at that, secretly hoping the old pain-in-the-ass was listening. Serve the old bastard right. ~~I swear Nail, you are worse than Vegeta. Have you ever stopped to consider I really might be asexual? Maybe Iâm not interested.~~
Nail chuckled knowingly. ==If that were true you wouldnât be spying on the Saiyans having sex. A lover would do you a world of good.==
Piccolo winced at that memory. Vegeta had noticed and given him a hard time the next day. It was one of the stupidest, most embarrassing things he had ever done. The reason he gave the arrogant prince â curiosity â wasnât the entire truth. Most of the people he knew were pairing up â hell, even Dende had a girlfriend at the moment â and he was feeling more alone than usual.
~~And whom would you suggest�~~ he asked sarcastically. After all, he had such a huge selection of potential partners.
==I would be willing.==
Piccolo scowled at the gall of the pest. ~~Sure. Let me just pencil you in. Right after you get the hell out of my head and into a body of your own,~~ he snapped.
---------------------
Vegeta leaned back against Kakorrâs firm chest, feeling the answering purr of contentment. He felt⌠well, he wasnât sure how he felt. The past few days had been emotionally draining â it was almost too much effort right now to react to anything.
Kakorr had held him while he grieved. Vegeta had blamed himself for Roubaâs death for so long â as a child he only knew he had done nothing to save her. It took this journey for him to see the pride Rouba had â in him and herself. Standing up for what she believed in, even though she knew it would cost her life was a price she chose to pay. He knew now she would never have let him interfere â her teachings only ensured that.
No matter what he had said or done, he wasnât proud of what he had become under Frieza â he hated the lizard for making him into that monster, but there had been no escape. Rouba knew who he was, what he became, and had a vision of what he could be â she knew everything and was still proud of him. Somehow that comforted him more than anything Kakorr could say.
He had never admitted to anyone â including himself â how much he valued her opinion. But in that instant he saw her he realized he didnât want Rouba to think he was worthless or a monster. The realization that she didnât â that she valued him enough to fight for him â made him ache with something close to happiness. The feeling was almost solid â something he could cling to and wrap around himself. Rouba was proud of him.
With Kakorrâs patience he was starting to see how much she had done for him and how she had saved him from Frieza after all. Without her teaching and reinforcement, the lizard really would have destroyed him. Rouba was the one who taught him pride. She was the one who gave him the ability to resist the lizardâs mental attacks.
âShe gave you the book,â Kakorr said, curling his arms around his waist and chest.
âRouba gave me the bookâŚâ She had been the one to give him the motive to return to the past. Looking back, so many of the things that had anchored him and given him strength to survive difficult years had come from her.
::I wish we could have saved her,:: Kakorr said, wrapping his ki around them like a blanket.
::Maybe we could try againâŚ:: Vegeta said hesitantly. He didnât think they could â circumstances would be different this time, and the Kais would be sure to be expecting them. But he was torn by wanting to see Rouba one more time and dreading the thought of losing her yet again.
âYou want to go back?â Kakorr asked, surprised.
::I want to be mated.:: He had been discouraged at first, but he held a tiny bit of hope now. If Rouba believed it was possible, then he would as well. But it was still frustrating.
âWe will be, Vegeta. We have time. Weâre not going anywhere.â
Vegeta smiled sadly and twisted in Kakorrâs embrace so he could rest his head on his shoulder. He still felt tired and drained - the arms around him were safe and comforting. With Kakorr keeping guard he could close his eyes and rest.
He awoke to Kakorrâs gentle mental whispering of his name. Vegeta wasnât surprised to notice they had relocated. Kakorr must have used his transmission to bring them to a favorite spot by the river.
::Weâre being glared at,:: Kakorr said, amused.
Vegeta sat up and looked around. âTrunks?â The boy was glaring at them, arms crossed, tail twitching, an all too familiar scowl upon his face. Standing close behind him was Goten, equally unhappy, but apparently incapable of displaying the anger his own son was.
âIâm mad at you,â Trunks muttered.
âSo I can see,â Vegeta said. âAre you going to tell me why?â
âYou keep going away and no one will tell me what is going on. Everyone knows but me. Iâm not a little kid! Iâm almost 10! Why wonât anyone tell me?!â his son protested, frustrated to the point of anger.
âGohan says someone is trying to kill you,â Goten said in a little voice, staring at the ground.
âDid he say that to you?â Vegeta asked the youngest boy. If Kakorrâs oldest was telling the brats things before they were ready he would kick Gohanâs ass.
âNoâŚâ Goten said, kicking at the dirt.
âYou brats were eavesdropping again, werenât you? Listening to private conversations?â
Trunks frowned and came to his friendâs aid. âHow else can we find out what is going on? You guys donât tell us anything.â
::The brats are right, Kakorr. I think we should tell them.::
Kakorr agreed regretfully. ::I just wanted to protect the boys. But youâre right â they need to know. I made the mistake of not explaining everything to Gohan. Iâm not going to make the same mistake again.::
Vegeta nodded. âCome here, brats,â he said. âSit down. Weâll tell you what we can.â
Trunks and Goten sat side by side, tails tangled, a serious expression on their faces. Vegeta studied his son â his sons â and wondered when they had managed to grow up so much. Why hadnât he noticed?
Trunks was nearly the same age Gohan had been when facing Cell â and a part of him was afraid his son would have to face a similar challenge because of the Kais.
He sighed. Where should he begin? âYou boys know Kakorr and I are bonded, correct?â
Goten looked confused for a moment. âDo you mean my daddy?â
Kakorr grinned. âThatâs right. Kakorr is a special name that only Vegeta can call me.â
âWe have decided we want something more permanent and formal, so we are going to be mated.â
Goten brightened. âDoes that mean you are going to have puppies? Can we keep one?â
âStupid,â Trunks grumbled, smacking the back of his head. âOnly dogs have puppies. They would have little monkeys or something.â
âOh. Can we keep one of them then?â
Vegeta blinked, stunned. Puppies? Monkeys? âWhat are you talking about?â He looked over at Kakorr who was struggling not to laugh. ::Kakorr? What in the hell are they talking about?::
::Donât laugh. Donât laugh. Donât laugh,:: he heard Kakorr muttering to himself. Kakorr took a deep breath, flashed a grin, before pasting a serious expression on his face. âGoten⌠this isnât like the Celipas and the Chans â they mate and breed dogs.â
âAnd birds,â Goten added.
âAnd birds,â Kakorr agreed. ::Donât you dare laugh, Vegeta.:: âThe mating Vegeta is talking about is more like marriage. And Saiyan men canât have babies.â
âStupid!â Trunks laughed.
Goten turned and shoved Trunks. âIâm not stupid! Youâre the dummy who suggested monkeys! We arenât monkeys!â
Vegeta growled, instantly ending the argument. Kakorr was right â it was all he could do not to laugh. âYou are right boy â we are not monkeys â we are Saiyans. Something you should be very proud of.â
Trunks scowled and snapped his tail at Goten before looping them together again. âOkayâŚso you guys are getting married-â
âMated,â Goten corrected.
âWhatever. So why did you go away? And why is someone trying to kill you?â Trunks continued.
Vegeta smiled to himself. His son could be immature at times, but when necessary he could be very adult and direct. He shifted around and got more comfortable. âYou know I was very young when my home was destroyedâŚâ
The boys nodded.
âBecause of that, I didnât get to learn everything about Saiyan customs that I needed to. Mating is very rare â almost as rare as Super Saiyan was before. All I knew was it was important to do exactly right â otherwise it is dangerous.â
âCan anyone do it?â Goten asked, glancing at Trunks.
Kakorr hesitated. âNo. Everything has to be perfect for it to be performed safely. Once it is done, it canât be undone â Vegeta and I will be together forever. Mates canât divorce and they canât live without each other.â
Goten stared wide-eyed. âYou mean⌠you mean if the bad guys kill Vegeta youâll die too?â
::Damn it, Kakorr. You shouldnât have said that.::
Kakorr frowned. ::I know â but I just wanted to tell them the truth. Besides, it is already true because of the bond. I canât live without you.::
âThen⌠then I donât want you to mate, Daddy,â Goten sniffed.
Kakorr pulled his son into his lap. âI understand, Goten. Really I do. But donât you want me to be happy too?â
âNo,â the boy said in a tiny voice. âNot if it means you are going to die again.â
âBrat,â Vegeta growled, âWhat makes you think I am that easy to kill?â
Trunks glared at Vegeta, arms crossed. ââCos when you came back you were nearly dead â again.â
Vegeta sighed. âTrunks â that was an unusual situation.â
âI donât believe you,â Trunks said angrily. âYouâve got bad guys trying to hurt you and you wonât let us help. We can fuse! Goten and I are really strong! Gohan is a big weenie, but you tell him what is going on! Itâs not fair!â
âHey! My brother is not a weenie!â
âYes he is! Youâve said it yourself! He wears all those dorky outfits and doesnât want to fight. Weâre the ones who kicked butt when the ship came, not him!â
âGuys,â Kakorr said, âIt really wasnât normal. Vegeta is the strongest fighter there is. Itâs just that where we were we couldnât get anymore ki, okay? That isnât going to happen again.â
âI donât believe you,â Trunks muttered.
âI told you brat,â Vegeta said, âWe want to be mates. The only way to learn how was to go to the past. Thatâs where we were and why we couldnât get any more ki.â
âThe past? Really?â Goten asked, grinning. âThatâs cool.â
âNo lie?â Trunks asked.
âNo lie,â Kakorr said. âWe went back to Vegeta-sei before it blew up.â
âAnd there were bad guys there?â Goten asked, suddenly serious.
Vegeta scowled. âYes. They were there and took us by surprise. We arenât going to let that happen again. We will be ready for them this time.â
______________
The last few days had been spent in exhausting and intensive training. The boys had been eager, throwing themselves into training with a single-minded passion. Their mothers had protested at first, but Vegeta had convinced the women the brats would be better able to protect themselves this way.
Vegeta realized secrecy was only helping the Kais, and even though he found the decision difficult he decided to share what they had learned about the bastards with those who might be impacted by their actions. He had called something like a war council and once they had compared stories, the anger and disbelief was amazing.
Chichi had raged at the absent Kais, her ki rising to â for her - impressive levels. Bulma had started calmly sketching flow patterns and diagrams, but as the evidence grew she began muttering and cursing under her breath until even Vegeta was amazed at her language. They still didnât have any real answers about what had happened to the room, but a still shaken Piccolo was positive it had been caused by the Kais. The Namek had confirmed what he suspected â the lizard had dealings with the damn bugs.
It bothered him to see Kakorr so worried, especially since he didnât totally share his concern. He tried to explain this to Kakorr â they were the strongest Saiyans who ever lived; even Brolli would be nothing to them now. An Osekkai had been killed with ease â the Kais were no challenge. But Kakorr fretted and seethed - beings many considered gods were after âhis princeâ.
It was difficult for Vegeta to explain how he felt. For the first time in his life, he couldnât seem to tap that rage and anger that had driven him to do so many reckless things in the past. He didnât feel the immediate, insistent need to take the fight to them â which would have been impossible anyway.
Was this how Kakorr felt before? The foolish thought kept passing through his mind that if the Kais would only apologize, or just leave them alone, he could go through life content. He didnât seem to have that insane urge to go and destroy them.
Kakorr on the other handâŚhe was raging. The clearer a picture they got of the conspiracy, the angrier he got. First the Kais lied to Dende and didnât tell him Frieza was alive and on his way to Earth. It explained why they refused to help remove the brainwashing â they wanted Vegeta dead, either by his own hand or someone elseâs. They had even tried to make Kakorr kill him on New Namek.
Vegeta was worried about one thing, though. What would the Kais do to Kakorr if he died? Kakorr was special to them before â at the very least he was a prized pet. But that had changed. Kakorr had gone against the Kais and sided with Vegeta in all things. He had even gone as far as killing an Osekkai. What would happen to him now? He hated the thought of Kakorr being punished for his supposed disobedience or sent to hell â and he could see no other possibilities.
That was his primary motive for fighting and training now. The bond had linked their lives together permanently. If the Kais succeeded in killing him, Kakorr would die as well. He would not let that happen.
So they trained. Even Kakorrâs oldest â usually so unwilling to fight â was there everyday, sparring with an intensity that was awe-inspiring. The younger boys understood how serious the situation was, but it was their nature to treat it like a game.
More than once he had to stop and stare at the group. It was breath-taking and humbling to realize these people were there for his benefit. When it happened, he could only stare at Kakorr with wonder â how had this happened? How had he gone from being a murderous monster to someone who inspired such loyalty?
The only thing that frustrated him to no end was mating. He wanted it. He needed it. Because of the effects of their bond he couldnât even say he was delaying it to protect Kakorr. But he still couldnât understand why they had to wait. He had meditated on it in his spare time, replayed every word Rouba had said. What was wrong? He trusted Kakorr â nothing Kakorr ever did frightened or worried him â so why did she say they werenât ready?
And worse yet â he was sure Kakorr knew something but Rouba had said he couldnât tell. He could see it in Kakorrâs brown eyes every time he looked at him. Kakorr saw his silence as a form of betrayal; he didnât know Vegeta understood â Roubaâs word was law.
Vegeta watched his two youngest sons with pride as they sparred with Kakorr. Sons. The discussion with the boys had ended up continuing late into the night. In the middle of it, he had realized he wanted to formally claim Kakorrâs sons as his own. Goten and Trunks had been thrilled with the idea of being bonded brothers.
He glanced at Gohan standing beside him, studying the boys as well. âYou donât have to accept, you know. You are old enough to choose for yourself,â he told the teenager.
Gohan looked at him, obviously unsure. âIâm just kind of surprised you would want to claim me at all. Iâm too much like Mom â too human. I thought I wasnât Saiyan enough.â
âYou donât know your mother at all, boy â she is more Saiyan than you think.â He still hadnât made a decision on her latest suggestion. It was a compliment and it was confusion. Kakorr seemed eager, but he was hesitant. The idea was too much to absorb right away.
Vegeta frowned and slashed his tail in frustration. He couldnât deny being jealous of the brat years ago â but there was no easy way to make the boy understand he had no reason to feel that way any longer. âA lot has happened. I was⌠wrong.â He scowled when the boy smiled at him for that admission. âSure â go ahead â laugh.â
Gohan smiled. âThe great Prince Vegeta â admitting a mistake.â
He snorted. âDonât get used to it, boy. I rarely am wrong.â
âOh, I know, I know,â Gohan laughed. He stopped chuckling and studied Vegeta with the same intense eyes as his father. âSeriously Vegeta â are you sure? I know you and Dad are going to be mated eventually, and it only makes sense for Truten â they are practically brothers as it is⌠But are you doing this only because Dad wants it? Do you really want to claim me as your son as well?â
Vegeta growled, partly with annoyance and partly with embarrassment. âThis is my idea, not Kakorrâs.â
Why did it have to be so difficult to build a family? He didnât know if it was the bond, his scattered emotions since returning home, or if it was just a normal change, but he was really trying to be less of an asshole. Didnât the brat realize how difficult it had been just to raise the issue? Why was the kid questioning him about it? Was it so horrible to be his son?
âLook, if you arenât interested, fine,â he said, turning to walk away. âDonât worry about it.â This had been a stupid idea.
âVegeta! Wait!â Gohan caught his arm and stood in front of him. He just looked at the boy, unwilling to let the brat know how much this rejection hurt.
âWhat is it, boy? I have to get back to training.â
Gohan studied him and he began to wonder if the boy had the same ability to read him as Kakorr did. And then the bratâs face was lit by a smile worthy of his father.
âVegeta⌠I would be honored to be your son.â
He couldnât help himself. He grinned.
Gohan laughed. âYou do realize it goes both ways? If you can claim us, we can claim you â which means you are now subject to certain Son family traditions.â
âSuch asâŚ?â he asked suspiciously, concerned when Gohan displayed a smirk uncannily like his fatherâs.
âWell... thereâs something Iâve wanted to do for years⌠To thank you for everything youâve done for us. And now I can.â
Vegeta could only sputter a half-hearted protest when he was suddenly caught in a bone-crushing hug. âBrat! Brat! I do not hug!â
Gohan released him and grinned. âYou do now. Wait until I tell Mom!â He hovered, preparing to leave.
Vegeta smirked. âMaybe I should change my mind.â If the hellcat realized his recent sentimental weakness there would be no refusing her request. And he doubted Kakorr would help him in this.
âToo late now!â Gohan said, flying away.
Too late now. He grinned. Apparently he was stuck with a family whether he wanted it or not.
TBC
Gohan rose to his feet and prepared to leave. âAre you sure it is okay to leave them alone now?â he asked, running his hand through his hair. âDad seemed kind of freaked.â
Piccolo, still hovering, uncurled from his meditation pose. âTheyâll be fine. They just need to recover. Your father and Vegeta have had a rough time.â He could feel the Saiyansâ kis â they actually seemed calm and almost relaxed for the first time in days. âGo home, kid. Iâm sure Videl would like to see you.â
Gohan gave a sheepish grin. âShe wasnât too happy when you dragged me off for guard duty. We had a date that night.â
âSorry. I wouldnât have called you if I didnât need you,â he said. Gohan had been spending more and more time with the girl â he seemed much happier and more confident since they had begun seeing each other. After those difficult years since Gokuâs death it was nice seeing the boy actually looking forward to things.
âItâs okay. She complained because itâs expected, but she understood. Videlâs a lot like Mom that way â gripes, but she doesnât really mean it.â Gohan grinned. âIâm supposed to take her out on the town to pay her back. She always looks so hot when we go dancing.â
==Is that what they are calling sex now?==
~~Go away Nail.~~
==Calm down, Piccolo. I think it is nice the boy has such a willing lover.==
Piccolo scowled. It was difficult enough to accept this boy â this young man - he considered his son having sex without having Nail rub it in.
âWhatâs wrong?â
Piccolo shook his head. âNothing. Donât worry about it.â
Gohan grinned. âPoor Piccolo. Whoâs bugging you? Kami or Nail?â
He smirked; Gohan had seen him do this too often. âNail, who else?â
âWhat about?â
âTrust me, you donât want to know.â
==Why not tell him? You know, Piccolo, I have never understood why you never made the young man your lover.==
~~Heâs like my son, you asshole!~~
âPiccolo, whatâs wrong? You look really pissed,â Gohan asked with concern.
âI think you should leave, kid. Nail and I are about to have a discussion,â he growled.
âSure,â Gohan laughed, rising from the ground, âkick his butt for me.â
Piccolo waited until his student was out of sight, seething at the damn-fool stuck in his head.
âWhat in the fuck is wrong with you!?â he finally shouted, so angry he couldnât maintain any kind of mental speech. âItâs bad enough when you give me crap about Goku and Vegeta, or anyone else who catches your roving eye, but you leave Gohan out of it!â
==Youâre just mad because you know you missed your chance.==
~~I didnât miss a chance, you asshole. It was never a possibility.~~ He could never think of Gohan that way. As far as he was concerned, Gohan was more his son than Gokuâs. ~~He trusts me; Iâm his teacher. The kid is more important to me than anyone else - I would never risk that friendship.~~
He could hear Nailâs sigh. ==Youâre too human sometimes, Piccolo. But believe it or not, I do understand â and agree with - your reasons.==
~~So why do you keep saying stupid things like that?~~
==Fine. I wonât ask you about Gohan anymore.==
~~Or Goku. Or Vegeta.~~
==Do you have to eliminate all of the good-looking ones?==
~~NailâŚ~~ he growled warningly.
==Okay, okay. Iâm sorry. Saiyans are off-limits. Got it.==
~~Good.~~ Piccolo returned to his meditating.
A few minutes later, the pest renewed his efforts to slowly drive him insane.
==PiccoloâŚI have a question â a serious question.==
Piccolo sighed. Nail apparently wasnât going to leave him alone today.
==I know you havenât been around any Nameks but Kami, Dende and IâŚyou know we normally live in colonies, right?==
~~So Iâve been told,~~ he answered grudgingly.
==So how can you stand being alone all of the time? Doesnât it bother you? I grew up surrounded by friends and family â a Namek who lived alone was rare. We are meant to have others around us.==
~~Kami lived alone for yearsâŚ~~
==Kami is weird,== Nail laughed.
Piccolo chuckled. He had to agree with the pest. ~~Youâll get no argument from me about that.~~
==Seriously, how can you stand it? Arenât you lonely? Why donât you ever have bedmates or lovers? Oh, quit growling â you sound like one of those Saiyan monkeys.==
Piccolo suddenly wasnât sure whether to be enraged or embarrassed â or just plain uncomfortable at his prying. ~~You know why; you were listening when I told Vegeta. My change to adult form was hell.~~
==You plan on staying alone for the rest of your life because of that? You arenât the first Namek to experience a difficult heat. Why donât you at least try?==
Damn it â why did Nail keep doing this to him? Why did he let him do this? Nail would bring it up and he would end up spending hours meditating, trying to answer the questions the other Namek asked. And he didnât have any answers. ~~What do you care anyway, Nail? Why are you constantly giving me crap? Why in the hell canât you let it go?~~
==Iâm not trying to give you crap. Believe it or not, Iâm really trying to help you.==
~~You sure as hell arenât doing a very good job of it. Did Kami put you up to this? Heâs usually the one who thinks I need his asinine guidance.~~ He was beginning to believe fusing with these two pains in the ass was a huge mistake. It wasnât like the power he got from them had done him much good in the long run. Maybe he would be better off weaker but without Kamiâs attempts to hen-peck him or Nailâs efforts to turn him into some kind of pervert.
==That chicken-shit old man? I donât believe his stories about why he left. I think he was so obnoxiously self-righteous he scared away any potential bedmates.==
Piccolo laughed at that, secretly hoping the old pain-in-the-ass was listening. Serve the old bastard right. ~~I swear Nail, you are worse than Vegeta. Have you ever stopped to consider I really might be asexual? Maybe Iâm not interested.~~
Nail chuckled knowingly. ==If that were true you wouldnât be spying on the Saiyans having sex. A lover would do you a world of good.==
Piccolo winced at that memory. Vegeta had noticed and given him a hard time the next day. It was one of the stupidest, most embarrassing things he had ever done. The reason he gave the arrogant prince â curiosity â wasnât the entire truth. Most of the people he knew were pairing up â hell, even Dende had a girlfriend at the moment â and he was feeling more alone than usual.
~~And whom would you suggest�~~ he asked sarcastically. After all, he had such a huge selection of potential partners.
==I would be willing.==
Piccolo scowled at the gall of the pest. ~~Sure. Let me just pencil you in. Right after you get the hell out of my head and into a body of your own,~~ he snapped.
---------------------
Vegeta leaned back against Kakorrâs firm chest, feeling the answering purr of contentment. He felt⌠well, he wasnât sure how he felt. The past few days had been emotionally draining â it was almost too much effort right now to react to anything.
Kakorr had held him while he grieved. Vegeta had blamed himself for Roubaâs death for so long â as a child he only knew he had done nothing to save her. It took this journey for him to see the pride Rouba had â in him and herself. Standing up for what she believed in, even though she knew it would cost her life was a price she chose to pay. He knew now she would never have let him interfere â her teachings only ensured that.
No matter what he had said or done, he wasnât proud of what he had become under Frieza â he hated the lizard for making him into that monster, but there had been no escape. Rouba knew who he was, what he became, and had a vision of what he could be â she knew everything and was still proud of him. Somehow that comforted him more than anything Kakorr could say.
He had never admitted to anyone â including himself â how much he valued her opinion. But in that instant he saw her he realized he didnât want Rouba to think he was worthless or a monster. The realization that she didnât â that she valued him enough to fight for him â made him ache with something close to happiness. The feeling was almost solid â something he could cling to and wrap around himself. Rouba was proud of him.
With Kakorrâs patience he was starting to see how much she had done for him and how she had saved him from Frieza after all. Without her teaching and reinforcement, the lizard really would have destroyed him. Rouba was the one who taught him pride. She was the one who gave him the ability to resist the lizardâs mental attacks.
âShe gave you the book,â Kakorr said, curling his arms around his waist and chest.
âRouba gave me the bookâŚâ She had been the one to give him the motive to return to the past. Looking back, so many of the things that had anchored him and given him strength to survive difficult years had come from her.
::I wish we could have saved her,:: Kakorr said, wrapping his ki around them like a blanket.
::Maybe we could try againâŚ:: Vegeta said hesitantly. He didnât think they could â circumstances would be different this time, and the Kais would be sure to be expecting them. But he was torn by wanting to see Rouba one more time and dreading the thought of losing her yet again.
âYou want to go back?â Kakorr asked, surprised.
::I want to be mated.:: He had been discouraged at first, but he held a tiny bit of hope now. If Rouba believed it was possible, then he would as well. But it was still frustrating.
âWe will be, Vegeta. We have time. Weâre not going anywhere.â
Vegeta smiled sadly and twisted in Kakorrâs embrace so he could rest his head on his shoulder. He still felt tired and drained - the arms around him were safe and comforting. With Kakorr keeping guard he could close his eyes and rest.
He awoke to Kakorrâs gentle mental whispering of his name. Vegeta wasnât surprised to notice they had relocated. Kakorr must have used his transmission to bring them to a favorite spot by the river.
::Weâre being glared at,:: Kakorr said, amused.
Vegeta sat up and looked around. âTrunks?â The boy was glaring at them, arms crossed, tail twitching, an all too familiar scowl upon his face. Standing close behind him was Goten, equally unhappy, but apparently incapable of displaying the anger his own son was.
âIâm mad at you,â Trunks muttered.
âSo I can see,â Vegeta said. âAre you going to tell me why?â
âYou keep going away and no one will tell me what is going on. Everyone knows but me. Iâm not a little kid! Iâm almost 10! Why wonât anyone tell me?!â his son protested, frustrated to the point of anger.
âGohan says someone is trying to kill you,â Goten said in a little voice, staring at the ground.
âDid he say that to you?â Vegeta asked the youngest boy. If Kakorrâs oldest was telling the brats things before they were ready he would kick Gohanâs ass.
âNoâŚâ Goten said, kicking at the dirt.
âYou brats were eavesdropping again, werenât you? Listening to private conversations?â
Trunks frowned and came to his friendâs aid. âHow else can we find out what is going on? You guys donât tell us anything.â
::The brats are right, Kakorr. I think we should tell them.::
Kakorr agreed regretfully. ::I just wanted to protect the boys. But youâre right â they need to know. I made the mistake of not explaining everything to Gohan. Iâm not going to make the same mistake again.::
Vegeta nodded. âCome here, brats,â he said. âSit down. Weâll tell you what we can.â
Trunks and Goten sat side by side, tails tangled, a serious expression on their faces. Vegeta studied his son â his sons â and wondered when they had managed to grow up so much. Why hadnât he noticed?
Trunks was nearly the same age Gohan had been when facing Cell â and a part of him was afraid his son would have to face a similar challenge because of the Kais.
He sighed. Where should he begin? âYou boys know Kakorr and I are bonded, correct?â
Goten looked confused for a moment. âDo you mean my daddy?â
Kakorr grinned. âThatâs right. Kakorr is a special name that only Vegeta can call me.â
âWe have decided we want something more permanent and formal, so we are going to be mated.â
Goten brightened. âDoes that mean you are going to have puppies? Can we keep one?â
âStupid,â Trunks grumbled, smacking the back of his head. âOnly dogs have puppies. They would have little monkeys or something.â
âOh. Can we keep one of them then?â
Vegeta blinked, stunned. Puppies? Monkeys? âWhat are you talking about?â He looked over at Kakorr who was struggling not to laugh. ::Kakorr? What in the hell are they talking about?::
::Donât laugh. Donât laugh. Donât laugh,:: he heard Kakorr muttering to himself. Kakorr took a deep breath, flashed a grin, before pasting a serious expression on his face. âGoten⌠this isnât like the Celipas and the Chans â they mate and breed dogs.â
âAnd birds,â Goten added.
âAnd birds,â Kakorr agreed. ::Donât you dare laugh, Vegeta.:: âThe mating Vegeta is talking about is more like marriage. And Saiyan men canât have babies.â
âStupid!â Trunks laughed.
Goten turned and shoved Trunks. âIâm not stupid! Youâre the dummy who suggested monkeys! We arenât monkeys!â
Vegeta growled, instantly ending the argument. Kakorr was right â it was all he could do not to laugh. âYou are right boy â we are not monkeys â we are Saiyans. Something you should be very proud of.â
Trunks scowled and snapped his tail at Goten before looping them together again. âOkayâŚso you guys are getting married-â
âMated,â Goten corrected.
âWhatever. So why did you go away? And why is someone trying to kill you?â Trunks continued.
Vegeta smiled to himself. His son could be immature at times, but when necessary he could be very adult and direct. He shifted around and got more comfortable. âYou know I was very young when my home was destroyedâŚâ
The boys nodded.
âBecause of that, I didnât get to learn everything about Saiyan customs that I needed to. Mating is very rare â almost as rare as Super Saiyan was before. All I knew was it was important to do exactly right â otherwise it is dangerous.â
âCan anyone do it?â Goten asked, glancing at Trunks.
Kakorr hesitated. âNo. Everything has to be perfect for it to be performed safely. Once it is done, it canât be undone â Vegeta and I will be together forever. Mates canât divorce and they canât live without each other.â
Goten stared wide-eyed. âYou mean⌠you mean if the bad guys kill Vegeta youâll die too?â
::Damn it, Kakorr. You shouldnât have said that.::
Kakorr frowned. ::I know â but I just wanted to tell them the truth. Besides, it is already true because of the bond. I canât live without you.::
âThen⌠then I donât want you to mate, Daddy,â Goten sniffed.
Kakorr pulled his son into his lap. âI understand, Goten. Really I do. But donât you want me to be happy too?â
âNo,â the boy said in a tiny voice. âNot if it means you are going to die again.â
âBrat,â Vegeta growled, âWhat makes you think I am that easy to kill?â
Trunks glared at Vegeta, arms crossed. ââCos when you came back you were nearly dead â again.â
Vegeta sighed. âTrunks â that was an unusual situation.â
âI donât believe you,â Trunks said angrily. âYouâve got bad guys trying to hurt you and you wonât let us help. We can fuse! Goten and I are really strong! Gohan is a big weenie, but you tell him what is going on! Itâs not fair!â
âHey! My brother is not a weenie!â
âYes he is! Youâve said it yourself! He wears all those dorky outfits and doesnât want to fight. Weâre the ones who kicked butt when the ship came, not him!â
âGuys,â Kakorr said, âIt really wasnât normal. Vegeta is the strongest fighter there is. Itâs just that where we were we couldnât get anymore ki, okay? That isnât going to happen again.â
âI donât believe you,â Trunks muttered.
âI told you brat,â Vegeta said, âWe want to be mates. The only way to learn how was to go to the past. Thatâs where we were and why we couldnât get any more ki.â
âThe past? Really?â Goten asked, grinning. âThatâs cool.â
âNo lie?â Trunks asked.
âNo lie,â Kakorr said. âWe went back to Vegeta-sei before it blew up.â
âAnd there were bad guys there?â Goten asked, suddenly serious.
Vegeta scowled. âYes. They were there and took us by surprise. We arenât going to let that happen again. We will be ready for them this time.â
______________
The last few days had been spent in exhausting and intensive training. The boys had been eager, throwing themselves into training with a single-minded passion. Their mothers had protested at first, but Vegeta had convinced the women the brats would be better able to protect themselves this way.
Vegeta realized secrecy was only helping the Kais, and even though he found the decision difficult he decided to share what they had learned about the bastards with those who might be impacted by their actions. He had called something like a war council and once they had compared stories, the anger and disbelief was amazing.
Chichi had raged at the absent Kais, her ki rising to â for her - impressive levels. Bulma had started calmly sketching flow patterns and diagrams, but as the evidence grew she began muttering and cursing under her breath until even Vegeta was amazed at her language. They still didnât have any real answers about what had happened to the room, but a still shaken Piccolo was positive it had been caused by the Kais. The Namek had confirmed what he suspected â the lizard had dealings with the damn bugs.
It bothered him to see Kakorr so worried, especially since he didnât totally share his concern. He tried to explain this to Kakorr â they were the strongest Saiyans who ever lived; even Brolli would be nothing to them now. An Osekkai had been killed with ease â the Kais were no challenge. But Kakorr fretted and seethed - beings many considered gods were after âhis princeâ.
It was difficult for Vegeta to explain how he felt. For the first time in his life, he couldnât seem to tap that rage and anger that had driven him to do so many reckless things in the past. He didnât feel the immediate, insistent need to take the fight to them â which would have been impossible anyway.
Was this how Kakorr felt before? The foolish thought kept passing through his mind that if the Kais would only apologize, or just leave them alone, he could go through life content. He didnât seem to have that insane urge to go and destroy them.
Kakorr on the other handâŚhe was raging. The clearer a picture they got of the conspiracy, the angrier he got. First the Kais lied to Dende and didnât tell him Frieza was alive and on his way to Earth. It explained why they refused to help remove the brainwashing â they wanted Vegeta dead, either by his own hand or someone elseâs. They had even tried to make Kakorr kill him on New Namek.
Vegeta was worried about one thing, though. What would the Kais do to Kakorr if he died? Kakorr was special to them before â at the very least he was a prized pet. But that had changed. Kakorr had gone against the Kais and sided with Vegeta in all things. He had even gone as far as killing an Osekkai. What would happen to him now? He hated the thought of Kakorr being punished for his supposed disobedience or sent to hell â and he could see no other possibilities.
That was his primary motive for fighting and training now. The bond had linked their lives together permanently. If the Kais succeeded in killing him, Kakorr would die as well. He would not let that happen.
So they trained. Even Kakorrâs oldest â usually so unwilling to fight â was there everyday, sparring with an intensity that was awe-inspiring. The younger boys understood how serious the situation was, but it was their nature to treat it like a game.
More than once he had to stop and stare at the group. It was breath-taking and humbling to realize these people were there for his benefit. When it happened, he could only stare at Kakorr with wonder â how had this happened? How had he gone from being a murderous monster to someone who inspired such loyalty?
The only thing that frustrated him to no end was mating. He wanted it. He needed it. Because of the effects of their bond he couldnât even say he was delaying it to protect Kakorr. But he still couldnât understand why they had to wait. He had meditated on it in his spare time, replayed every word Rouba had said. What was wrong? He trusted Kakorr â nothing Kakorr ever did frightened or worried him â so why did she say they werenât ready?
And worse yet â he was sure Kakorr knew something but Rouba had said he couldnât tell. He could see it in Kakorrâs brown eyes every time he looked at him. Kakorr saw his silence as a form of betrayal; he didnât know Vegeta understood â Roubaâs word was law.
Vegeta watched his two youngest sons with pride as they sparred with Kakorr. Sons. The discussion with the boys had ended up continuing late into the night. In the middle of it, he had realized he wanted to formally claim Kakorrâs sons as his own. Goten and Trunks had been thrilled with the idea of being bonded brothers.
He glanced at Gohan standing beside him, studying the boys as well. âYou donât have to accept, you know. You are old enough to choose for yourself,â he told the teenager.
Gohan looked at him, obviously unsure. âIâm just kind of surprised you would want to claim me at all. Iâm too much like Mom â too human. I thought I wasnât Saiyan enough.â
âYou donât know your mother at all, boy â she is more Saiyan than you think.â He still hadnât made a decision on her latest suggestion. It was a compliment and it was confusion. Kakorr seemed eager, but he was hesitant. The idea was too much to absorb right away.
Vegeta frowned and slashed his tail in frustration. He couldnât deny being jealous of the brat years ago â but there was no easy way to make the boy understand he had no reason to feel that way any longer. âA lot has happened. I was⌠wrong.â He scowled when the boy smiled at him for that admission. âSure â go ahead â laugh.â
Gohan smiled. âThe great Prince Vegeta â admitting a mistake.â
He snorted. âDonât get used to it, boy. I rarely am wrong.â
âOh, I know, I know,â Gohan laughed. He stopped chuckling and studied Vegeta with the same intense eyes as his father. âSeriously Vegeta â are you sure? I know you and Dad are going to be mated eventually, and it only makes sense for Truten â they are practically brothers as it is⌠But are you doing this only because Dad wants it? Do you really want to claim me as your son as well?â
Vegeta growled, partly with annoyance and partly with embarrassment. âThis is my idea, not Kakorrâs.â
Why did it have to be so difficult to build a family? He didnât know if it was the bond, his scattered emotions since returning home, or if it was just a normal change, but he was really trying to be less of an asshole. Didnât the brat realize how difficult it had been just to raise the issue? Why was the kid questioning him about it? Was it so horrible to be his son?
âLook, if you arenât interested, fine,â he said, turning to walk away. âDonât worry about it.â This had been a stupid idea.
âVegeta! Wait!â Gohan caught his arm and stood in front of him. He just looked at the boy, unwilling to let the brat know how much this rejection hurt.
âWhat is it, boy? I have to get back to training.â
Gohan studied him and he began to wonder if the boy had the same ability to read him as Kakorr did. And then the bratâs face was lit by a smile worthy of his father.
âVegeta⌠I would be honored to be your son.â
He couldnât help himself. He grinned.
Gohan laughed. âYou do realize it goes both ways? If you can claim us, we can claim you â which means you are now subject to certain Son family traditions.â
âSuch asâŚ?â he asked suspiciously, concerned when Gohan displayed a smirk uncannily like his fatherâs.
âWell... thereâs something Iâve wanted to do for years⌠To thank you for everything youâve done for us. And now I can.â
Vegeta could only sputter a half-hearted protest when he was suddenly caught in a bone-crushing hug. âBrat! Brat! I do not hug!â
Gohan released him and grinned. âYou do now. Wait until I tell Mom!â He hovered, preparing to leave.
Vegeta smirked. âMaybe I should change my mind.â If the hellcat realized his recent sentimental weakness there would be no refusing her request. And he doubted Kakorr would help him in this.
âToo late now!â Gohan said, flying away.
Too late now. He grinned. Apparently he was stuck with a family whether he wanted it or not.
TBC
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