Made it. Goku leaned against the porcelain, too weak to pull himself up. He'd heard his brother and Vegeta… they wouldn't be checking on him anytime soon. His body arched again, he let it. How long? It's been too long. I shouldn't be sick. I've been sick too long. Raditz really doesn't cook all that well… but I throw everything up. Even nothing… More dry heaves followed.

How long he was in the bathroom, he wasn't sure. He dragged himself back to the bed, barely managed to pull himself into it and pull the cover back over himself. When was the last time I had clothes on? Was it when Raditz put me to bed… when was that? How could I have lost track of time so badly? I have to…! He jerked forward, only to fall limply back against the blanket. No… I remember. Raditz said Vegeta took care of it.

His face twisted as he finally recognized what his brother had told him. Vegeta… paid all that off? No… that isn't good! How will I pay him back? I haven't got anything! Just… the house, which he doesn't need. Stark fear crossed his face, showing only for a moment before he lapsed back into the blankness that had become so much a part of him recently. Or my body. And that… he wants.

Goku looked back out the window. It had been so long since he had left the house. Raditz had said he would take him out today, let him watch the sparring. But his brother was downstairs, and the sparring he was doing with Vegeta was not the type Goku had any interest in watching.

I wonder if Chi-Chi… if she ever found out about Vegeta? It was bad enough I killed her… I didn't mean to do it, I didn't think it would hurt to leave for awhile, but she needed me there… and I was gone. If I'd just stayed home like I was supposed to, she'd still be alive. I would have known she needed to go to the hospital, that she wasn't okay like she'd told me. I wouldn't have killed her. I knew she was getting old, I knew she was sick… I just didn't think. There was so much blood… I never told anyone. The doctors… they told me what they thought had happened and I nearly died right there. I killed my own wife. I don't deserve to get better. I should be sick. I should be weak. But I don't deserve to die. That would be giving me relief, and I don't deserve to not suffer.

The noises from downstairs finally stopped. He barely noticed - he took care not to notice much these days. He knew they were coming upstairs, Raditz must have remembered his promise. He heard them speak, but couldn't process what they said. Vegeta was complaining about something, he had that whining tone going again. I wonder if he realizes that he whines?

The blankets were stripped off, he registered that only because someone picked him up. It took him a moment to realize it was Vegeta… and that he still had no clothes on. He began trembling… then reminded himself he deserved anything that happened. He needed to be punished.

"Well, that was… interesting," Vegeta said, calmly pulling on his clothes.

Raditz yanked his armor on. "Yeah. I'll go get my brother, then meet you outside."

"I might as well go with you. I have a claim to make, after all." Vegeta smirked at the irritated look his lover threw him, and followed an agitated tail all the way to the bedroom. He stopped short. "It stinks in here. When was the last time Kakarot had a bath?"

"A bath?"

"Yes, Raditz, a bath." Vegeta sniffed, carefully. "You have been taking care of him, haven't you bathed him?"

Raditz frowned. "I…" The frown deepened. "Um, no."

Vegeta ripped the blanket back, recoiled. "Well, he certainly needs one! You strip the bed, I'll give him a bath."

"But…"

"I want to bite a clean neck, Raditz," Vegeta snapped, collecting the limp, unresisting form. He took less than three strides before Kakarot began shaking. He scowled, and hurried to the bathroom to deposit him into the tub. Warm water seemed to soothe away most of the tremors, but the younger man still shook.

Vegeta soaped a washcloth, and, interested in only removing the stink from Kakarot's hide, set to work. The tremors stilled at his first touch, his arch-rival's body going so motionless he found himself checking to see if the younger man still breathed. "Kakarot?" The washcloth slid down the oddly-distended stomach - and Vegeta froze.

"Gods below!" he hissed. "You're pregnant!"

Kakarot passed out, falling limply against the back of the tub. Vegeta finished cleansing him in something of a daze, trying to figure out if it were possible he was the father, and deciding from the weakness of the young chi he could just barely feel, that the child was more likely Raditz'. Even so, he transferred a tiny amount of energy to the cublet, she was far too weak - her bearer had been too ill too long. He would not risk a full-blooded female dying - not even this weak one.

He took a good long look at Kakarot when he finally decided he had all the crud and smell cleaned off of him. It had been nearly eight months since he had last trained with the other, and the difference in his frame was noticeable. Oh, not that he had ribs showing, or anything like that… just that his body had definitely wasted away. He really did seem a shadow of himself.

Absently, Vegeta shampooed Kakarot's tail, noticing that it was still full and thick… and still brittle and dry. A sign of pregnancy, and he'd known that… as had Raditz. Neither of them had even considered the possibility when they had discussed Kakarot's condition. Even his strange mood was in keeping, although Vegeta hadn't ever been told stories where the bearer had been in this bad of shape.

He rinsed the shampoo out, gently, stroking and ruffling the fur. Absolutely no response, not so much as a quiver. He frowned, yanked. Kakarot barely responded, only opening his eyes slightly before letting them fall again. Vegeta sighed, yanked the plug out of the tub, and collected a towel. He rubbed the younger man down, lifted him out.

Vegeta nuzzled against Kakarot's neck, licked twice. Kakarot stiffened, whimpered slightly. Vegeta raised his head, the scent of fear taking him by surprise. He frowned, bent again, and bit.

Where am I? What happened? Vegeta said… said… no. He's wrong. Males can't get pregnant. He's wrong. I'm just sick. I've been sick for too long… I can't really be pregnant, can I? His thoughts trailed off as the nearby voices caught his attention - and the hands placed on his stomach.

"… very weak," Raditz said in a worried tone.

"Yes. A female, though. I've given her some chi, it would not due for her to die."

There was a long pause, warmth on his belly. "Yes, she accepts what's offered, doesn't she? I'll have to feed him more."

"No, bring him to Capsule Corp. tomorrow. I'll have Bulma arrange a room for him. He needs intravenous feedings for awhile, until he gets strong enough - and focused enough - to feed himself." A dry chuckle. "And as much as he hates needles, I'm sure that won't take long."

Needles!!!!?

"He hates needles?"

"Scared to death of them," Vegeta snorted. "He can be the next best thing to dead, but show him a needle and he'll be able to run away. And I do mean run. Not fly - he freaks out too badly to control his chi enough to fly."

"That's…" a pause, "pathetic." Another pause. "Whose is it?"

"I don't know. I think yours, from how weak she is. An older child should be stronger than that. But," a slight bit of doubt crept into Vegeta's tone, "considering how long he's let himself go to waste, I can't be sure. If she's mine, it's doubtful she'll have strength enough to survive the birth. We'll know in two months."

"Two months?" Raditz blinked. "Oh, she'll be born if yours."

"Yes."

A sigh. "Another… hmm… five if she's mine."

"What?" He felt one of the hands press more firmly. "The child is far too weak to be that far along."

"I haven't had him but the once."

A trace of fear. "Too weak. I've got to go. Bulma will have the room ready for you by 8am tomorrow. Have him there."

"Yes, Prince Vegeta." Footsteps going away.

I don't understand? His hand brushed against his stomach as he tried to focus. There… there is something! A little girl… I… how… the… what? How can this be? I'm male! Aren't I? The hand reached lower. Yep, still there. I'm a guy. So… WHY AM I PREGNANT? How did this happen? Guys can't have babies! Wait. Human males can't. And… I… am… not… human.