Disclaimer: I don't own DB/Z/GT.


The Plan to Repopulate the Saiyans:

Chapter 7: Seven Years

"If there's anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now" (Douglas Adams).

*Seven Years Ago:

Her sobbing didn't cease for hours as she sat curled up in the corner of the cozy kitchen. The water in one of the pots boiled over, and she took no notice. She cried and she cried some more, long after the water in the pot evaporated to steam. She cried until there were no tears left to spill. Seconds ticked, and the short arm of the clock trudged onward, upward, and back down again. Day turned to night, and although he was gone forever, the sun still rose up into the sky to greet the following day as if the calamity of her loss hadn't happened. Months passed by, and the seasons changed. Autumn turned the forest leaves orange, red, and gold. The leaves dried out, and they dropped to the ground in the same succession that they always had. Soon the forest floor would be covered in snow. Time marched on, and as it passed, it brought new life into the world. And so it was that the cycle continued.*

Seven years, she thought. Seven long years had passed by. So much had changed in his absence, and yet, it was as if he was always there – just beyond her fingertips. Her heart throbbed in her chest. She'd been aching to see him all of these years, and now she was going to get her chance! She pictured his angelic smiling face, and she sighed contentedly. Oh Goku…

"M-Mom," Gohan stammered. "Are you alright? You don't look so well!"

"Am I alright?" she muttered, staring blankly at the palms of her hands.

Gohan cocked his head with a look of nervous uncertainty. His mother wasn't taking the news of his father's impending arrival as he had thought she would. He exchanged an anxious glance of with his younger brother Goten. Goten shrugged his shoulders, stuck out his pointer finger, and twirled it around his ear whilst making a funny face in response. Gohan chuckled. There was suddenly a loud bang as ChiChi smacked the palms of her hands down onto the kitchen table, causing the poor old furniture to shudder and creak. Gohan and Goten simultaneously flinched.

"Am I alright?" she repeated, her utterance a crescendo of volume. She suddenly threw her arms up into the air in celebration. "I'm fantastic! I've never been so happy in my life… aside from the birth of you two of course!" She hopped up and down ecstatically. "Goku's coming home!" she exclaimed.

Goten watched his mother in awe, a small smile creeping onto his chubby, little face. He laughed when she laughed. ChiChi glanced at Goten and froze. Her eyes widened with realization. She sprinted toward her youngest and plucked him up out of his chair, embracing him as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Oh my little Goten. You're going to meet your daddy!" she blubbered.

"I am?" Goten replied. "I am!"

She set him back down and rubbed the tears off of her face. "Oh no!" she shouted. "I need to stop crying! I don't want my face to be all red and puffy when Goku sees me!"

She checked herself over in the full-length mirror in the living room. She surveyed her face and body and spun around in a circle. She poked and prodded at her minimal wrinkles. She let out a little cry as she examined the bags under her eyes.

"Oh no! Goku's been dead for seven years!" She suddenly announced.

Gohan scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, yeah…"

ChiChi spun around to acknowledge her eldest child. "You don't understand! He's been dead for seven whole years! That's seven whole years that I've been aging and he hasn't!" ChiChi began to frantically pace around in a circle. "I must look like an old hag to him now. I need to get plenty of sleep… I need a facial! Oh Kami! I don't have anything pretty to wear!"

Goten appraised his mother with a skeptical look. He nudged Gohan on the arm and said, "Pst! Go-han!"

Gohan quirked an eyebrow. "S'up, Goten?"

"What's wrong with, Mom?" he whispered. "I think she's going crazy!"

Gohan waved off his brother's silly assumptions. "Nah, Goten. She's just really excited to be seeing Dad again."

"Oh! Well… I'm excited to see Dad too! Is that gonna to happen to me? Am I gonna go crazy too?" Goten asked with wide, naïve eyes.

"Yep, bro. Her crazy is totally contagious," Gohan replied with a laugh. "You better go hide before you catch it!"


*Seven Years Ago:

Vegeta halfheartedly threw a punch, then a kick, another punch. He paused, and his arms dropped to rest at his sides. He clenched his fists. They shook with fury. What was the point of training anymore? Kakarrot wasn't coming back – he was refusing to come back!

"Bastard!" Vegeta hissed through clenched teeth.

He wasn't coming back because he thought himself a danger to the world. He thought that the Earth and everyone who lived on it would be better off without him alive. He thought himself a danger-magnet. It made Vegeta absolutely livid.

"You must think so highly of yourself," the Prince muttered.

Vegeta had half a mind to go around the Earth causing chaos until Kakarrot had no choice but to return. This wasn't the most realistic solution of course – considering Kakarrot's 11 year old brat was an ascended super Saiyan and he was currently not. The truth was that Vegeta just didn't care anymore.

He couldn't come up with a reason to even live anymore. It sickened him to think that he – the Prince of all Saiyans – would be reduced to a soft weakling, living out his days on the backwater mud-ball of a planet Kakarrot had once called home.

His goal in life had been to be the strongest Saiyan alive – to honor his father and the rest of his people. He wanted to repair the pride of his heritage by defeating the only other Saiyan alive – the Saiyan who had defeated the tyrant of his people. It had been his dream to defeat Freeza and avenge the Saiyan race, but no, fate had a sick sense of humor! Kakarrot had been the one to defeat the monster! Kakarrot had been the first to reach the pinnacle of strength that was passed down from Saiyan to Saiyan as mere legend!

"How can I avenge my people? How can I regain my honor? You're dead! You don't even have to be dead, but you choose to be dead! You son of a bitch!" Vegeta raged.*

7 years, he mused as he mercilessly assaulted another fighter-bot. With a single punch he smashed it to smithereens. He growled and made aim for yet another bot. Soon there would be none left. If only his son wasn't so lazy – always wanting to play those 'video games' with Kakarrot's brat. The weakling child should be in here training for the tournament not playing trivial games.

"But D-ad!" Trunks had whined. "I don't need to train anymore! I've got this! I can beat Goten easily!"

Vegeta's eye twitched in annoyance at the mere memory of what his son had said.

"I'll have none of those excuses!" Vegeta had countered. "No son of mine will slack off!"

Trunks crossed his arms indignantly. He got that from his mother. "Goten can't even go super Saiyan yet!"

Vegeta growled. "What does that matter!" he snapped. "Drop down and give me 10,000 more push-ups!"

Trunks looked as if he was about to groan, but thought better of it. Vegeta walked up to the control console and cranked the gravity up some more. "Now!" he shouted.

Vegeta smirked. His son would definitely beat Kakarrot's offspring at the tournament. After all, Goten didn't have his father around to push him to train. Goten was undoubtedly weak to the point of being pathetic. He was surprised that he'd even been taught how to fight at all. Gohan certainly wasn't up to the task now that he had become lazy and weak. Gohan had lost all interest in fighting shortly after Kakarrot's departure – much to Vegeta's annoyance. What type of Saiyan was he? Vegeta had made sure to voice his opinion on many occasions, but Gohan never seemed bothered by it.

So the next question was: if Gohan hadn't trained Goten, then who did? He'd inquired Trunks for the answer and Trunks replied that Goten's mom had taught Goten how to fight. That had given him a good laugh. Though, he would never admit it, the act of teaching Goten how to train had incited some of Vegeta's respect for the Earth woman – even if he couldn't stand her.

Vegeta cranked up the gravity as high as the machine would allow. He punched and kicked at the air with renewed fervor. So you're coming back for the day, eh Kakarrot? Well, I'll be ready for you!

Vegeta powered up past his normal super Saiyan state, and continue his exercise. You're in for surprise. I've become much stronger. I will fight you, and I will regain my honor!

Vegeta would never admit it to anyone – hell, he wouldn't even admit it to himself: he was equally as excited as ChiChi that Goku was coming back. He had been awaiting this day for what felt like eons.


A/N: Rukia-K1: I'm glad :) Chimera prime: gender bent Vegeta... that should be hilarious! SupremeRulerJinOfTheWind: Ah shucks, thank you! Fire Dolphin: Hmm... my favorite is the "Kakarotte Factor" by Echelon if you haven't already read it. Also, I have a Community on my profile dedicated to fem-goku stories daughterofrisingson: Oh yeah, Goku is totally clueless lol! I feel so positively evil muahaha! Kakarot Son: 1. Agreed, 2. Hm... I wonder where I'll take this next lol. I've got some ideas... SonGokuFTW: Thank you! :-)! Supersaiyaninfinitygohan: Thank you very much. I'm sure Buu doesn't have a problem with turning girls into chocolate and eating them though haha!

Next chapter Goku's back, and the 'tournament saga' officially begins! Yay! Now I just need to... um... type it... :-/