Part I

Chapter 1

"'The Saiyan Flu.'" ChiChi stood with her arms crossed, eyebrows raised at her youngest son who was still huddled under the sheet of his bed. "Of all the excuses I've heard from you, that one's by far the most original."

"It's true." Goten shrunk further under his sheet from the glare of his mother, who shook her head at the fact that a son of hers could have become so lazy.

"Son Goten, you should be ashamed of yourself," ChiChi lectured, "If such a thing existed, I would know by now. Your father's been gone with that kid for a year, and who are we to count on in case of disaster, huh? I think it's rather generous of Vegeta to take charge of your training. He didn't have to, you know."

Goten cringed at the mention of Vegeta, probably the last person he should see right now. His brother had warned him about Saiyan heat cycles, and the one that had hit him now was killing him. Good judgment and self-control were virtues that he could not count on, a fact he thought best not to remind his mother.

"Fine," ChiChi renounced, her arms falling to her sides, "I can't stand over you anymore, but if Vegeta asks where you were, you yourself can explain your 'Saiyan Flu.'" She turned on one heel and left, rolling her eyes as she closed the door of his room behind her.

Goten sighed wearily and curled back up into a ball. Coffee, food, and a long shower did nothing to help, nor did a senzu bean, and DIY only made it worse in the long run.

The summer had barely started, but despite the opened window and his electric fan on full blast, sweat dripped from his hairline, his face flushed and feverish.

Staring at Vegeta's perfect, muscular body through his scanty, tight spandex all day while trying to concentrate was asking too much, and Saiyans could sense these things. As it was he wanted him badly enough, and his dark regard and seductive smirk turned his knees to liquid. In his current state, he was dangerously close to pinning him to the wall or to the floor and...

The cramp in his loins then had him doubled over with a silent gasp of pain, a sharp reminder to avoid such thoughts. That was more easily said than done, especially since he could swear that Vegeta was purposely taunting him and standing closer to him than necessary to correct his techniques more than he ever had. No, he told himself firmly, that was his imagination.

He began to wish that he had someone 'safer', with whom he could just get it out of his system without making a fool of himself, but there was no such person. What a dumb thought. He limped over to his window to close the shade and curtain, then returned to bed, shutting his eyes.

"It looks like I chose the right time to show up," a strangely familiar voice said from the corner.

Goten nearly jumped out of his skin. "Wha-!"

He sat up in bed suddenly, his heart in his throat to the amusement of his mystery guest.

"What's the matter, Goten?" the voice inquired, its owner stepping out of the shadows, "You look like you just saw a ghost." His mouth curved up into an amused smirk.

Goten's mouth opened. He was staring at his own mirror image seemingly came to life. He could even feel his ki, equal to his own, and he smelled of the same tropical shower gel he used. He also wore his own yellow and green T-shirt with his name written on it that he'd just seen folded neatly in his drawer that morning, along with his favorite blue jeans and orange wristbands, and had his same shaggy hair spiked out in his Super Saiyan golden glow, large teal eyes and angelic face.

"Who are you?" Goten managed when he found his voice.

His apparent twin turned around to tap his fingers on the mirror of his closet door. "Don't you ever use this thing?" he asked, his smirk widening.

"I can see you look just like me," Goten said indignantly, "I asked who you are. I advise you to speak quickly." A glowing ball of ki formed in the palm of his hand, ready to fling at the intruder.

"Hey, easy." Calmly his double clasped his hand, easily absorbing his ki and putting it out. The hand was warm, as much flesh and blood as his own. "I thought it was obvious. I'm you."

Goten was shaking his head. "No way! I'm right here. How could you be me?"

Still lightly clasping Goten's hand, his strange doppelgänger sat down next to him on the bed, tracing the front closure of his red gi. The fingertips that grazed his feverish skin drew from him an unexpected shiver, which made his double smile. The latter's demeanor was not mocking or threatening, it was even friendly.

"It looks like we have a lot to talk about, Goten."

TBC in Chapter 2...