Goku's POV

My toes were numb.

I hadn't moved from the river since Vegeta left. The water washed over me as night fell and the half-moon light bleached my surroundings. A slight breeze tugged through my hair. I shivered. The air was chilly against my bare chest.

Now I couldn't feel my feet.

It was as if my whole body was an icicle on the outside, but inside I was burning up. The fire Vegeta stirred in my veins was strange but oh-so-intoxicating.

And now my whole body was numb.

I hauled myself out of the river and put my clothes back on. Chichi was probably freaking out by now. My poor wife. She was wonderful and all, but she honestly didn't understand me. Nevertheless, I really hoped she had saved some dinner for me. I was so hungry I could have eaten my own hair.

I walked home quickly, my stomach making the weirdest sounds. There was no way I could sneak back in without someone hearing the rumbles. Oh well. Maybe Chichi wouldn't be angry. I could always hope. Then again, I'm not stupid. As I expected, Chichi was sitting in the kitchen, arms crossed on the dining table, her head down. Wait. Was she snoring? I guess she had fallen asleep while waiting. I debated for a split second if I should wake her. But then I noticed the food. In front of my wife lay a large bowl of soup and two piles of sourdough bread and three large grilled fish and even a plate of mixed fruit. My mouth started to water and I moved stealthily towards my dinner. I unceremoniously grabbed a handful of bread and fish and stuffed my mouth. Then I remembered Chichi.

I sighed and picked her tiny body up and carried her upstairs. She was so soft and peaceful. It was during these moments that I loved her most. You know, when she wasn't yelling at me or smacking me upside the head with a frying pan. After placing her on our bed, I crept back downstairs. My food was waiting for me. It all smelled as delicious as King Yemma's fruit. In a matter of minutes I had devoured the entire meal. I sank into my favorite couch and let the food settle.

The house was quiet except for the gentle breathing of my family. Gohan and Goten were snoring slightly. Chichi always complained that they got that from my side of the family, being part ape and all. She, on the other hand, did not snore but she did hog the blanket.

I yawned. My body felt like a mountain. I hauled myself up the stairs to bed and flopped down next to Chichi where I promptly fell asleep.

My body was consumed by white-hot heat. The power of a Super Saiyan 3 burnt through my veins, bleaching my hair a vibrant gold. Every sense was heightened. Immediately, I felt the presence of something else. My spine tingled deliciously as fingers of ice spread through my being and I picked up on the distinctive scent of Vegeta. He smelled like the first snowfall of winter; crisp, clean, cold and beautiful. I could smell the prince everywhere, but there were no other signs of him. There wasn't even a sense of his powerful ki. …But that scent. It overflowed my keen sense of smell, and yet, I still wanted more. If he smelled this good, I wondered what he would taste like. My mouth started to water at the thought. Desire and raw energy hummed through my essence, driving me wild. Power and lust mingled in my body, and a delicious heat shot straight to my groin. I wanted, no- needed - Vegeta.

I woke with a start. The images that had flashed through my mind while I slept still played in my head. I rolled over to my side and found Chichi staring at me.

"What?" I asked, sounding harsher than I had intended.

"You… you were making a rumbling sound," she said. "Like, deep in your chest."

I wasn't really paying attention. I was too concerned with my erection that had made itself known under the sheets. Chichi hadn't yet noticed.

"It was like you were humming or something," she continued.

"Uh huh."

"It was really weird."

"Hmmm."

I turned back to my side of the bed and got out, my back towards my curious wife.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Mhmmm."

She huffed and started to get ready for work. While she dressed, I rushed to our bathroom and turned on the shower. What was happening to me? Such morning excitement did not occur on a regular basis. In fact, the only other time this had happened was during the first few days of sleeping next to Chichi. Kami, this was embarrassing. I was so hard it hurt. I stepped beneath the hot spray and instantly felt the tension melt away. My hand found its way to my belly button and moved slowly down. The memory of my dream- just the scent of the other Saiyan- overwhelmed all self-control and I gave in to my body's needs. After a few moments of intense pleasure I came into my hand. I let the hot water wash away the evidence, but the confusion remained stuck in my thoughts. Why was that dream so powerful? And why did it turn me on so much? I had never experienced something like that before. Especially not around… never mind. I resolved not to think about it again. It didn't mean anything, especially not after last night…

The shower lasted a short ten minutes before Chichi started yelling at me to stop hogging the bathroom. With wet hair and prune-y fingers I stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around my waist. My wife was looking at me with the hint of a smile.

"You're beautiful," she said under her breath.

That caught me a little off guard. I put my hand behind my head, embarrassed by how openly she was staring at me.

"Thanks," I replied with a shy smile.

"Have a good day, Goku."

"You too, Chi."

She headed into the bathroom to finish up make-up and whatever else she does in there. I sat on the bed and looked at the clock on the wall. 8:43 already? I only had seventeen minutes to get ready for training. No kids this time. Just me and Vegeta.

The idea alone made my breath hitch.

As I dried off and dressed, I contemplated how I could win the match. No distractions, no pauses- that was key. But that dream… I shook my head. Five minutes left with which I could scarf down breakfast. That was plenty of time with my lack of table manners. I threw on my gi and scampered downstairs like a wild animal. Gohan and Goten were already off at school, so the kitchen was mine for the taking. With only moments to spare, I stuffed my face full with bacon and IT'd to the training grounds. Vegeta was sitting in the branches of one of the last remaining trees on the edge of the makeshift field. He was hardly surprised when I appeared just a few feet from him.

"It's about time," he scowled down at me.

"Hello to you too, 'Geta," I said cheerfully, hoping to hide the twinge of anxiety I felt being so close to him after my dream. He narrowed his eyes at my use of that nickname.

"Whatever."

The prince jumped down in front of me, arms crossed, looking royally pissed off, as always.

"Looks like your clothes are all clean again," I pointed out.

Vegeta gave me withering look before taking to the sky. Wasn't much for words today, I guessed. He was so high up that I had to find him by his ki instead of sight. It flared brilliantly as he powered up to Super Saiyan 2. I wondered briefly why he was so intent on fighting at his peak. Before I gave any serious thought to his actions, I let my energy propel me above the clouds and next to my opponent. Vegeta rippled with power. Without hesitation, I became a Super Saiyan 2 as well and met him in the air.

I matched him blow to blow as we fought for what seemed like hours. By the time we both let our powers fall to a normal Super Saiyan, the sun was directly over our heads. I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow and studied the other man. He was breathing harder than usual.

"You okay?" I asked.

I was answered with spit on my boot. Apparently, the prince was upset. My eyes wandered over his small yet muscular body. Vegeta was tense. Not only was he breathing hard, he trembled with the exertion of our fight. I looked closer. He had dark semi circles beneath his teal eyes.

"Vegeta, are you sure you're fine?"

"Keep out of my business, Kakarot," he snarled.

I floated closer to him. His aura radiated power, anger, and exhaustion. I could smell his sweat and blood on his skin. It was intoxicating.

Without thinking, I reached out to him and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Get the hell away from me!"

Vegeta blasted backwards like my touch had burned him. He turned his back to me and powered down as he dropped smoothly from our sparring match. Even as he walked away from me and towards the stream I showed him last night, the prince still managed to keep his arrogance and dignity. Like the curious man I was, I followed him to the river. The sun warmed the back of my neck as I strolled after Vegeta.

"Kakarot," he said, without turning around.

I stepped closer.

"Yeah?"

No response. He stood silently at the edge of the water, fists clenched. Then, without warning, he spun around to face me.

"This earth! It's so quiet!" His voice rose in pitch with his anger.

"What do you mean?"

"It's too calm! Where is the glory of victory in a peaceful world?" he yelled.

Then I understood.

"How can you bare it, Kakarot?" he continued.

I sat down on the rocky shore and looked out over the waterfall's cliff and to the grassy plains below. Vegeta, still standing, growled low in his throat.

"Saiyans are meant to fight, to strike down empires, to raze planets! Not lumber around and train without purpose!"

"Vegeta, I know. You forget I'm a Saiyan too," I said softly.

He stepped forward. His energy was so mixed up, but underneath all his fury and pride and exhaustion was pulsing desire. I sifted through his confused emotions to find the prince wanted war, violence, adrenaline and something… something else.

Oh.

I couldn't stop the blush that formed on my face when I realized that Vegeta also craved sex. Though I understood his powerful lust for blood and action, it was the equally powerful lust for his more… physical needs that surprised me. The very thought brought back the memory of my (also very physical) dream.

"Kakarot…"

I craned my head to look at him, the blush still present on my cheeks. Vegeta cocked his head slightly to the left, as if to study me better. His dark, narrowed eyes stared at me with an unreadable expression.

"Kakarrrrrot," he repeated, rolling the r's as he took a step toward me.

Vegeta's voice was gruff and low, like the first warning rumbles of thunder before a storm. His eyes locked on to mine. I got up slowly and carefully and backed away from that intense stare. Unfortunately, I lost my footing on the slippery rocks and fell on my butt into the shallow river.

"Vegeta?"

I couldn't help the slight tremor that crept into my voice. I would never have admitted it to anyone, but I was a little afraid of him staring at me like I was his prey. Often in battle, the older Saiyan would stare me down as an opponent, rival, or even enemy, but never like he wanted… to eat me.

And yet, I kind of liked it.

"Vegeta?" I said again, the strength slowly returning to my vocal chords. "What are you doing?"

"Hunting."

He said it so softy, I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly.

I regained my composure as he advanced forward again and I quickly stood up to my full height. There was no telling what was going on in that plotting mind of his, but I wasn't about to stick around and find out. The whole situation was getting too weird, not to mention the lingering effects of my dream were now stirring again between my legs. What in the world was happening to me? I placed two fingers to my forehead, stepped out of reach from the feral-like prince, and IT'd to Bulma's. I figured Vegeta wouldn't dare follow me here.

"Goku?"

It was relief to hear a voice that wasn't filled with anger.

"Bulma!"

She put down her doohickey and took off her goggles and set aside some dangerous looking tools. It looked like she was building another gadget in the middle of her kitchen.

"It's a pleasure to see you! How are you? How come I haven't seen you in over a month? Where have you been? Oooh, I can't wait to show you what I've invented now! Too bad Trunks is still at school. He would have loved to see you. Hey- why don't you stay for dinner? I'm sure we could pull enough food together to feed your Saiyan-sized stomach!"

"Bulma, hey, slow down!" I laughed as all the tension from moments earlier left. "I just came here to take a break from sparring."

"Oh. Oh, well, yes of course," she said with some disappointment.

"But you know me- I can't say no to a free meal!"

She smiled at me and took a hold of my arm.

"Come- I have to show you something."

Bulma led me down the big halls of her giant castle-like home. I couldn't imagine living here. It was way too big. I preferred smaller, cozier settings. The persistent woman dragged me through her house to the lower level where she kept her science-y stuff.

"Well, Goku," she started. "I had some time on my hands for the past few months and I tried my hand at making something a little less… mundane. So here you have it, Goku. A memory extractor virtual explorer! Or, as I like to call it, my 'M.e.V.e.'."

I didn't really understand what she was saying, so I placed my hand behind my head and smiled sheepishly.

"Or, in English, it's a machine that can take any memory and recreate in your mind… or in someone else's mind. That way you can enter into the mind of someone else. Unfortunately, it only works between like species."

The gears in my head were turning, but nothing had clicked into place yet.

"For goodness sake, this invention will allow you to see Planet Vegeta for yourself! You can explore your home planet!"

"But, Bulma, I don't get it. Planet Vegeta was destroyed over fifty years ago."

"And yet there is one person whose memory it still lives in."

Then it dawned on me. Vegeta. He had all his memories about the planet. Years of memories were stored in his brain. And even if couldn't recall them now, they were all safely tucked away in there. Bulma's invention could let me see my own planet- maybe even my own father!

"Bulma, that's incredible!"

We had reached one of her experimental rooms with a sign that said "WARNING: RADIATION LEVELS HIGH". She opened the door and flipped on the light. Before us were two strange pod-like machines. They were over ten feet long and five feet wide. It almost resembled a bed, save for the strange wires and suction cup-looking things that were tangled near the head of the pod. Each capsule was decked out with dark blue plush lining and metallic blue casing with CapsuleCorp written on the side. It all looked very impressive.

"So, what do you think?" Bulma prodded me with a finger.

"You're a genius!"

She smiled in appreciation and gave me a quick one-armed hug.

"Oh Goku, I know you've wondered for so long about where you come from. I thought this could answer some of your questions."

I was surprised that she knew of my curiosity. There was hardly anything I thought about more than my heritage. But I refused to talk to anyone about it. If someone brought up the subject I quickly shut them down. Maybe Bulma had picked up on my feelings?

"Anyway, the only way it works is with Vegeta," she continued.

"How are we gonna convince him to do this?" I asked.

"Well, I was thinking that we might not… tell him, exactly."

"What? How is that going to work?"

She smiled coyly. No doubt she had a plan in mind.