Sorry! Sorry! Don't hit me, please! I didn't mean to be so late on this, I hit a bump and was struggling with how to go about the chapter, but I think that I have finally worked out all the kinks, I just have to get it down on paper-er-word doc. I haven't re-read this more than once or twice, so if you notice anything really confusing or bad grammar, please point it out, I would like to correct any whoopsies I get.

I'll figure out which prompt to use, but honestly, the challenge is over... I missed the deadline a few weeks ago, but oh well, I enjoy writing this story too much.

This is all experimental and all feedback is wonderful. PLEASE tell me what you really think.

Please, ask questions if you don't get it. I answer those that have a penname that I can pm the answer to.

Give me input on what you'd like to see, and maybe you might see it in this story or a different one depending one where I think it'd best be used. (And I give you credit for the story) Thank you all for helping me so far and I have considered a lot of what was offered, but I haven't made a total decision just yet.

Read and enjoy.


He felt like he was watching the event in a third person view. As a bystander instead of as himself. Of course, this was how most of his dreams always began. As a Saiyan, he dreamed differently then humans, much to Bulma's excitement and to his annoyance. It took three weeks for her to realize that he wasn't about to have a discussion over the differences of a human dream and a Saiyan dream.

But it was usually like watching as a bystander but understanding the thought process that went through his own head and they weren't dreams as much as they were memories. Memories that the brain wanted to reanalyze and it didn't matter how long ago the even was, if some part of his brain wished to reanalyze something, he had to sit through it.

This time he was watching something from long ago and it was surprising to him how much he had changed from his days under Frieza. He had once been callous, his heart hardened so he could kill without hesitation. But this memory made him realize how much he seemed to have separated from that part of his life and adapted to his life on earth.

He watched quietly as he zoned in on himself sitting in his favorite spot in the giant library the Briefs had…

Vegeta's head snapped towards the location of the large bang, turning away from his private studies in the thick of the book shelves that littered the library and made a labyrinth that hid him well when he wished to be unfound.

He cocked his head as he listened with his sharp ears for any following sounds. Living with the Briefs had proved that loud noises often meant trouble. There was the time that Briefs's experiment had blown and taken out half his lab- though no one was hurt in the incident.

There had also been the time that Bunny, in her usual airheaded ways, left eggs boiling on the stove. She had forgotten them when she had been rushed out of the room by Bulma when she had asked her to see her newest invention… and after all the water had evaporated from the pot, the eggs imploded. It stunk terribly, so Vegeta refused to even eat at the table.

And then there was Bulma. With more mood swings than he knew what to do with. His mother, who faded with time despite his impeccable memory, was usually pleasant and wonderful, proud and confident. Though, he did remember her temper as short as his, perhaps shorter. Though, again, she had faded with time. He could have imagined it.

There was a rush of feet, quick and heavy like someone was running with heavy emotions. His brow crinkled as he lifted his nose to the air, licking the air with his tongue subtly. It tasted and smelled heavily of salty tears and the air suddenly felt thick with unsettled emotions.

Another slam and he could hear the muffled whimpers of whoever was crying. He could almost smell her scent, hear her heartbeat beating erratically as well as hearing her distinct crying.

Bulma. Bulma had come into the library crying her eyes out and what was worse was the fact that she thought she was alone. She tried to make it seem that she was fine when she was upset to the point of hiding herself when she cried.

Apparently, she hid in the library. He muffled his groan as he ran his hands through his hair, and hoping she didn't hear him. Not only would it humiliate her, but he really didn't want to confront her. He knew nothing about crying girls and he would like to keep it that way.

His instincts were telling him to get out of there as fast as he could, but then again, he was curious to what had made her cry. He knew that she was a hard cookie to crack and make crumble. Believe it when he said that it had been his intention with more than half the things that came out of his mouth when he was with her were meant to make her cry. Yet she'd laugh and it would just roll right over her.

So getting her to cry was quite a feat…

And one that he didn't do, thus making him not only curious, but a little irate. It was his job alone to make her angry and cry and anything else that made her scream at him with a rage. His job, not anyone else's. And it looked as if someone was entering his territory and doing a better job at it.

Something he could not allow.

So despite his gut telling him to run for it, he followed his ears to where she was sniveling and stared at her for a while. Finally, when she noticed him, he felt his tail wave about nervously as he shifted in his spot. He felt nervous, like an animal approaching something uncommon for the first time.

No words were passed, mostly because Vegeta lost his ability to form words on his tongue when she grabbed him and cried shamelessly as she squeezed him as hard as she possibly came. Any sarcastic words or witty sayings left him and for once, while no one else looked, he hugged her, holding her as she just cried.

He cursed himself that day. He was getting protective and sentimental and weak…

And the worse part to him at that time was that he was allowing it to happen to him…

The dream suddenly ended, the image of him being hugged to death by a bawling Bulma disappeared and he was left it a world of white. Vegeta could see the white flash even brighter before him before awakening. Suddenly, he realized he didn't remember going to bed in the first place.


There was a stinging sensation on his side, making his muscles twitch around it. It wasn't pleasant and was a surefire way of bringing him from the recesses of his mind. He grunted as the objected was removed, leaving the wound open to the burning air.

"You're awake," said the deep baritone voice of Bora in a calm, but surprised tone, "Relax Vegeta, I am tending to your wound."

Vegeta gritted his teeth once the object- which he realized was a cloth drenched in healing poultice- was administered to his wound again. He was use to pain, but that didn't mean he was immune to it. His hands knotted themselves into the furs that made the humble bed to keep from attacking Bora.

"I managed to close the wound, but I thought it best to clean it so it wouldn't get infected." Bora told him, snaking one of his massive hands under Vegeta in order to lift him up to reach the other end. "It was very smart of you to slow the blood loss with the spear, though you lost a lot of mobility by it."

"So, he's gone?" Vegeta was always one for double-checking.

"No trace of him. That blast you made ate him entirely along with his ki technique." Bora paused, soaking the cloth before continuing, "I owe you my life, Vegeta-san. You saved me when I thought all was lost."

"Save it," Vegeta huffed, limp as his body refused to move after all the energy he had exerted, "You owe me nothing."

If anything it was the selfless act had been his saving grace.

He didn't realize he had drifted off again until he woke to the silent snores of the others around him. He blinked a couple times, taking in the time of night it was before looking around the small tent meant for only two. Bora and Uppa were sharing a bed, sleeping soundly. It was the rustling from the corner that brought attention upon the other Saiyan.

Goku was awake, staring at him with curiosity and confusion, not sure what to make of what had happened.

"How long have I been out?" Vegeta whispered, his throat dry from sleeping and his body still feeling quite heavy.

Goku perked, pulled from his musings that he had been in, to look at Vegeta, realizing he was awake.

"What?"

Vegeta swallowed, trying to wet his voice before restating his question, "Pay attention to your surrounds at all time, boy, even when your mind wanders. I asked of you the time. How long have I been out?"

"Oh," Goku blinked, "I can't tell time, Master Roshi hasn't gotten around to that, but the moon is on its way down from the sky. No light yet though."

Vegeta nodded before looking about, "Is there anything to drink?"

"Yeah, here," Goku said before taking a satchel from his clothing and produced a water skin. "Here, the water's not too cold, but it'll make you feel better."

He tipped it to Vegeta's mouth and the other Saiyan drank greedily. Once his thirst was met, he was able speak better.

"Where did you go?" Vegeta asked him.

Goku crinkled his forehead with a confused look, "I haven't gone anywhere since I came here."

"I meant, what where you thinking of?" Vegeta rectified his last statement.

"Then why didn't you just say that?"

"It's how the tribe here does say it. It's like asking to where your mind has wandered. Where did you go?"

"Oh, I get it, because it looks like your mind left your body, right? I see Bulma have that kind of expression all the time like her mind isn't with her body," Goku glowed, happy to understand what the other of his kind was telling him.

Vegeta had a way of making everything easier- just like his explanation to their Oozaru form. No one usually took the time to actually explain what they meant when their statement had a double meaning other than Bulma. Even Krillin would roll his eyes and say 'never mind' or the others would just change the subject.

"Correct," Vegeta nodded.

He was trying his best not to pry about Bulma, but the subject was hard to avoid. He wanted to know about her desperately now that he mentioned the blue haired girl.

"It doesn't add up," Goku shook his head, his face looking troubled again.

"What doesn't?" Vegeta asked as patiently as possible, the boy seemed to had grasped the idea of the statement.

"What you did for Bora and what Bulma said you did to her and Yamcha," Goku shook his head, arms crossed as he looked for guidance.

Apparently, the boy wasn't talking about the saying, but about something entirely different. Vegeta stared at him, trying to figure out what Goku had meant, but he had no clue as to what as going on and his head was beginning to pound.

"What?" Vegeta finally said, "What did I do to her? I told her I was leaving, that was all. As for the idiot boy, I shoved him and twisted his arm, so what? I do more playing hide and seek with you."

Now Goku was more confused, "Bulma said you just left without saying goodbye…" He paused as he tried to quote her perfectly on the next part since he had no clue as to what it meant, "But, she also said, you didn't leave before giving them the finger and you beat up Yamcha before telling him your last message."

"What!" Vegeta roared, suddenly sitting up in rage before falling back onto the bed with pain.

The other two in the tent jumped awake, but Vegeta only casted them a glance and Goku noticed the two where asleep again. Those onyx eyes that seemed to have put the other two under some sort of sleeping spell landed on him once again with a fire burning within them.

"That is not what happened," Vegeta growled lowly, baring his fangs, "I left her a letter and I did not relay anything to that liar!"

"But Bulma said-" Goku was cut off when Vegeta began to sit up again, knowing that it was too soon for such an open wound as that, "Vegeta, you have to lay back down or you'll hurt yourself worse!"

"Show me," Vegeta demanded, a hand immediately resting on his aching wound as the other hand held him up.

"What?"

Vegeta grunted as he winced, but managed out the next words, "Our race is telepathic. Not as strong as a Namekian, but we do just fine within our own kind. Show me your memories of her."

He was panicking internally with this information. He had thought that Bulma knew the truth by now and had settled with the idea that he was going to return one day. And if she thought he just gave her a big forget you and took off, then why did her parents not rectify her misconception. Unless the that human teen that she had brought home was far worse than he had originally thought. His mind was in a flurry of thoughts and he needed to know how Bulma was doing NOW.

"How?" Goku asked, not sure how he was suppose to even share his memories with someone. Until he had met Bulma, he had always thought he was just human with a tail.

"Shut up and open your mind, I'll take care of the rest," Vegeta rumbled before quickly overtaking Goku's mind.

Goku could actually feel the presence of Vegeta's consciousness as it swept through his mind, looking for certain areas of his mind, probing spots in his mind. It was a strange feeling, but one that felt familiar to Goku. He had experienced it before and the feeling was almost welcoming, despite how rough Vegeta's mind was behaving in his state of anger.

Finally Vegeta's mind drew back as he growled, "That's not at all what happened."

"I don't get it, if that isn't what happened, then what did happen, Vegeta?" Goku didn't like the idea of one of his friends lying to him. Was Bulma being untruthful about what really happened?

Vegeta hesitated for a moment before his consciousness touched Goku's. It seemed to flash through his head like he was a bystander, watching as all of it played out before him. His confusion grew even more as he watched what really happened opposed to what had been told to him. Vegeta had left a letter! Her parents had known of his leaving and had even said it was for the best. Yamcha was the thing that didn't add up. Bulma knew the difference of roughhousing and being beaten up. She was usually wrestling with either him or Paur until Yamcha angrily broke it up because he didn't like the idea of Bulma fighting, but she usually brushed it off and said that she use to play all the time with Vegeta.

He had twisted her arm and let bruises on her all the time- on accident mind you- but she always shrugged it off as a con of wrestling someone stronger than her. In short, she knew when someone was beaten up and when someone had been roughhoused a bit.

So… did that mean that Yamcha had lied?

Goku shook his head, it was all too much. Yamcha was his friend, wasn't he? He suddenly felt that the answer wasn't as straightforward as he had once thought. He looked to Vegeta now for guidance, as the older Saiyan usually had a well thought out answer.

"So… what now?" Goku asked, his turbulent thoughts apparent to Vegeta, "Bulma doesn't deserve to be lied to."

"No, she doesn't," Vegeta nodded, but then shook his head, "But we can do nothing, not without evidence. Best not confuse her on the matter, so until there is hard evidence to his deceit, no one should try to correct it."

"So we lie to her?" Goku's voice rose in an upset matter, "That's just as bad as what Yamcha did! I can't lie to her. Bulma's my friend!"

"As you assumed that Yamcha was your friend as well," Vegeta silently snarled as to not awaken the others. "You cannot tell her without making her life harder than it already is! If you do so, she will struggle between what she believes is reality and what is true reality of the situation!"

He saw the defeat in the boy's eyes as he glanced away, his posture slumping as he resigned to the fact. Vegeta was actually silently impressed the younger- supposedly dumber- Saiyan had understood what he had meant. Vegeta knew he had a habit of using big words (Not like anyone was going to discourage that habit).

"Then what should we do?"

"Give me sometime, Goku," Vegeta sighed, his eyes becoming heavy, "Wake me after the sun just reaches over the mountain tops, I need to get my healing session. I should be well enough by that time to get to the top."

"The top of Korin's tower?" Goku asked, remembering what Bora had told him.

"A little higher than that," Vegeta nodded, closing his eyes as he began to drift.

"Hey, Vegeta," Goku added a moment later, finally having gathered his courage.

"Hm…" Vegeta was barely awake, but tried his best to listen.

"Could I ever become as strong as you are? You handled Tao like he was nothing. I don't think I could have taken care of that situation as cleanly as you did. And I…" Goku paused, his voice stuck for a moment before he turned his head to look away from Vegeta's form, "I don't want to feel helpless like I did. What if you hadn't been there? Bora would have died and Upa would have been really sad. I want to protect my friends."

Vegeta nodded, a tired eye opening as he glanced at Goku, "There is not much I can offer you now, but climb Korin's tower after I leave and try to obtain the sacred water from Korin. By showing your dedication to your goal, you will gain more strength than you have now. Enough to even defeat a man like Tao. Do not forget, we are Saiyans, a race of fighters… We are naturally stronger than humans… We grow in power when we face opponents stronger than ourselves. You will become strong soon enough, don't you worry…"

Vegeta's eye closed and too soon Goku could hear the soft purring like snores come from his kinfolk's throat. Goku smiled. He had been upset about being so useless in the fight and even more upset because even he could tell something was wrong with what he had been told by Bulma, but after one conversation with Vegeta, everything was better.

When he had first met Vegeta, the other male had seemed tense around him, almost expecting Goku to attack him. Also, he had been in a rotten mood, but Goku knew why now: he had left that night and was upset about it. When he had met him again, Vegeta was still scowling at him, but had come to teach him about his ancestry and birth rite: the Oozaru.

It had been a month of nights following that Vegeta and he trained to awaken his consciousness even when in beast form. After a while, they played before even beginning the training. Vegeta played all sorts of fun games with him, like a more Saiyan version of hide and seek, wrestling, and even tracking. Vegeta opened up quite a bit towards him, allowing Goku to see what Bulma had seen in the usually stoic alien.

He had been sad when Vegeta said his training was finished and disappeared once more. He had taught him so much and Goku was grateful. Learning to master the Oozaru state meant that he hadn't put his friends in danger during the World Tournament because not only had he known to avoid looking at the moon, but when Jacky-chun had accidently forced his gaze that way, he was able to keep his wits. He had stepped out of the ring purposefully because of it, but he felt it better to protect his friends and the innocent people in the audience than try to continue in such a large form.

Finally at ease, Goku closed his eyes and soon was asleep.


Vegeta felt that morning came too early, but he woke without complaints when Goku coaxed him awake. Bora and Upa too were already up and with worried looks as Vegeta used Goku's smaller form to keep himself standing.

"Are you sure that you can fly that far, Vegeta?" Bora asked, looking at the wound that was already staining the dressings.

"I must," Vegeta breathed heavily. He felt terrible, but knew he'd feel worse if he didn't get there in time for his session. "Once I get there, I'll be treated immediately, so don't worry about it. I'll be down as soon as I can to offer you solace about my current state of health."

With that, he took to the air, hovering barely above the ground as he fought to get his bearings before shooting up into the sky. He was already seeing spots in his vision, but he'd be darned if Kami had to come down to look for him like a lost child. He was eighteen and he was to be treated as such.

Picking up more speed and pushing himself as far as he could, he barely noticed it when he pasted the Korin's tower. His eyes became tunnel-vision as he focused only on looking for the lookout. It had been record time reaching the top, but Vegeta didn't have time to pat himself on the back and he landed safely on the tiles, immediately he crumpled to the ground, breathing hard as his hand went to put pressure on the wound. He could barely make out the sounds of panicked footstep approaching.

"Oh Vegeta," he heard the old voice of the Namekian sigh as he felt himself lifted up, "I would have fetched you, you know."

He didn't reply. He had blacked out not a moment later from the exertion he had forced upon his body. He had tried too much too fast and had known he probably had been bleeding out for the last ten minutes or so as he forced himself to use all the ki possible to get to the top. But at least he knew he was safe in the arms of his mentor.


Blearily, Vegeta's eyes opened once more to see the familiar setting that he had become accustom to calling his room. Groaning, he took the finely made fur pelt blanket and pulled it over him. He felt like he had been hit by a truck, and believe him when he said he knew the feeling. Plowing into planet Earth felt very similar to being nailed by a semi-truck, he was sure.

"I'm glad you're awake," his mentor's amused chuckle followed the statement, "You gave Mr. Popo and I quite a fright landing as you did. I suppose I should keep more of an eye on your ki if you are going to get wounded like that when on the surface."

"I'm not some little puppy that needs to be followed around; I'm an adult. If I thought I was in over my head, I would have found a way to contact you," Vegeta grumbled, reaching to touch his side to discover the wound was closed and fully healed.

"It was already scarring when I began healing it," Kami mentioned, "So there is some traces of the scar tissue remaining."

"That's fine." Vegeta didn't mind a permanent reminder of his deed.

He felt the smooth scar tissue with the tips of his fingers and smiled slightly, though no one saw because of his fur blanket hiding his appearance.

"So, would you mind telling me how you came to be gravely wounded?" Kami asked, Vegeta could hear him pulling up the only seat that he had in his room.

Quickly, Vegeta retold everything that had happened, Kami quietly listening as he did. Popo only interrupted the retelling once and that was because of the meal he was bringing in for Vegeta. After that, he too sat in while Vegeta finished telling the story.

Kami nodded when Vegeta came to a close. His eyes were closed as he meditated quickly on all that had been said.

"I see." He started, opening his eyes and giving the teen an approving smile, "I am very proud of your courage and honor, Vegeta. You have come a long way from the boy I brought here and yet I still see so much potential in you. Your people are a greater race than the Kais let on, or perhaps they had forgotten with time the accomplishments your people can garner."

Vegeta blushed at the high praise of his sensei. It wasn't often that Kami said such flattering words. The man was kind, but he didn't flatter people very often.

"As for the situation with Bulma," Kami continued, grabbing Vegeta's attention again, "I will trust in whatever decisions you make concerning the problem. Remember to keep a level head about it because every decision you make does not only affect you but-"

"Everyone else around me. I know." Vegeta nodded, "That is why I struggle at what to do. I know that if I just expose him as a liar without hard evidence, Bulma will have a difficult time figuring out who to believe. I want it as straightforward as possible, but would I be putting her in danger if I expose him without being around to protect her? The liar, while not as strong as me, could bully a normal human easily…"

Kami 'hmm'ed at the circumstances placed before him. He closed his eyes, crossing his arms as he once again meditated on the answer. He was Kami after all, the guardian of Earth. He was an expert of figuring out how to make everything work properly.

"I have a feeling that there is only one being on this entire planet that could help you find what you are looking for," Kami finally spoke as he pulled from his deep thoughts. "And that is Paur."


A/N:

I know I don't usually add footnotes, but I felt like I have to explain a few things. Goku and Vegeta have a different relationship than in the canon. Vegeta has been around Goku more and he believes that Goku is his responsibility because of their Saiyan blood. Sure, Goku doesn't remember, but he's all that Vegeta has that's even close to kinfolk on Earth. Goku grows a lot by having another Saiyan around that shows him it's okay not to be a human. He shows him being a Saiyan isn't a terrible horrible thing like the canon Goku thinks when at King Kai's world. He's being introduced into a Saiyan culture that isn't entirely about killing like the canon adult Vegeta would think.

Goku probably idolizes Vegeta at this point. He just saved Bora and he actually cares for other lives. Hell, Vegeta takes the time to listen to Goku, where as I notice most characters just roll their eyes where Goku is concerned. If Goku is unsure, he knows Vegeta will have an answer. In my story, Goku probably feels as if Vegeta's the only person who will give it to him straight without watering it down or will explain it several times till he gets it right- other than Bulma who does the same thing for him.

I hope that I was able to show this development of character between the two and I wanted to write this out before anyone had to mention it or be confused by it.