A/N: Hello, hello! My, my, you'd think nothing about your schedule changes when you're working a forty-hour job, but I was proven wrong! That's part of the reason why this is late, working forty-hours a week to get that moola for college (which I leave for in exactly 14 days). That's another reason this is late, most of my time has been spent with last minute loans and scholarships and whatnot. And just random things that get in the way of my writing! So, I hope I'm forgiven!

Answers for reviewers: Okay, these last bunch of reviews were awfully good at keeping me motivated when I was forcing myself to write, but some of you asked questions or suggestions, so I'll answer them here. If you didn't ask any, you can go ahead and move on!

Flashbacks: Ever since the very first days of writing this fic, 1/3 – ½ of the story was going to be flashback, because not only was this about Gohan realizing who his parents were, it was also about who he became on Frieza's ship. And personally, I always found flashbacks much more interesting than someone 'talking' about what happened. But, fine, if that's what you all want, I'm cutting back on the flashbacks. In all fairness, I will warn you that there will be at least one major flashback left. So, if you can't stomach the boringness of it all, you can click the back button and leave.

To Gozen V – Remember, this story is AU: Alternate Universe. Unless I say differently, it's safe to assume that nothing is the same :p. For those that are confused, so far the major changes are: Goku fought Radditz alone, and so he lost and Gohan was taken away. Radditz and Nappa died in the saiyan fight a year later. Vegeta went back to the station (remember, it took them a year to get to Earth, so it might have taken quite some time to get back and then leave for Namek), met with Daen for the last time, then went to Namek. He went straight to Frieza (which means that Dodoria, Zarbon and the Ginyu Force survived) and died. Goku went super saiyan and beat Frieza, but didn't kill him. Freiza is rescued, some time passes before he is fully recovered (remember, one or two years passed in the series before he showed up). Instead of traveling to Earth, he assumes that Goku died, and decides that the ultimate revenge is to take it out on Goku's son, whom he has. So, Frieza never goes to earth and is never beaten by Trunks.

As for Vegeta having met Mystic before, it's hardly meeting someone if they're unconscious :p.

That all? Alright, on with the story!

Chapter Nine - Kakkarot's Brat

Vegeta stared.

"He said he had killed two saiyans."

And stared.

"One was you, and the other was a super saiyan named Kakkarot!"

And stared.

"My father!"

This is Kakkarot's brat, he thought, his brain trying to catch up with such a large and unexpected revelation. He was vaguely aware that his mouth was open, and closed it so quickly his teeth clacked together. Not that he particularly cared. An open mouth was as good as a confession in some people's eyes, and the last thing he needed was for the other saiyan to make assumptions about Vegeta's knowledge. Even if they were true.

But how could this be Kakkarot's first son? From what he could recall of the brief time he'd seen the child, he had been weak, feeble. He thought the pathetic boy would have died within a week in Frieza's ship, a month if he was lucky. How could that weeping human child turn into the saiyan warrior in front of him, a saiyan in every way that counted? He spoke their tongue, possibly even wrote with it, followed the old order and understood one's place. His body was that of a seasoned fighter, nothing but muscle and scars to mark past victories and failures. Best of all, he still contained the ability to think for himself, an attribute painfully missing in his subjects and old companions Radditz and Nappa, who clung to his words day and night. He couldn't possibly be Kakkarot's son. Nothing that weak could grow up to be so strong…

"Oh this?" came Radditz's voice, his earlier thoughts coming back to plague him once again. "That was not Kakkarot. It was this little one right here. He may not look like much now. That would be his other half, I expect. But he has the saiyan temper, and he has a tail."

And he had been the one to tell Radditz to train the brat's 'other half' out of him. He doubted that Radditz succeeded in the month's time before all three of them left for Earth, but his successor, or quite possibly Daen herself, must have accomplished the original task because there was certainly nothing but saiyan left in the man in front of him.

If this is indeed the spawn of Kakkarot.

"I thought you said you didn't remember anything about your past," said Vegeta, steering the questions away from him for the time being while he gathered his thoughts together. Besides, he wasn't even entirely sure this was 'Gohan'. Kakkarot was an incredibly common name when the saiyans were alive. It was possible that if there were any other saiyans alive, they could be named Kakkarot. And if he wasn't related to this planet's Kakkarot, then the brat didn't need to have the truth. But if this was-

He's not!

"I don't."

"Then how do you know your father's name is Kakkarot?" Vegeta tried to keep the tone of triumph out of his voice, unsure if he had completely succeeded. If this brat couldn't prove that he was this Kakkarot's child, he didn't have to say a word and get caught up in this ugly mess that it would undoubtedly become if the wrong words were said.

The young man looked unperturbed by his words, however. "I do not remember the name of my father, or my mother," he admitted, but continued before Vegeta could interrupt. "However, the one who took me from my home world, my father's brother, Radditz, told me his name was Kakkarot. The name was confirmed later by Frieza after he had recovered from Namek." His words were said mechanically, his face blank and emotionless. But his eyes more than anything told Vegeta that he had not forgotten his original question.

Shit, Vegeta cursed. Kakkarot may be a common name, but Radditz? Any lingering doubt in Vegeta's mind was destroyed. His brain started functioning rapidly, trying to come to a quiet solution that would leave nothing changed for now and himself outside of this entire mess for later.

Mystic was obviously unaware that the family he was staying with was his actual blood family. Vegeta knew no one there ever called Kakkarot by his proper name. He doubted that the young man even knew that Kakkarot was a saiyan. His family also showed the same ignorance. Vegeta was positive that if such a discovery had been made it would have been anything but quiet. His and Kakkarot's mates would be chattering away on their phones or screaming or crying or whatever it was Earth women did when they were happy. Kakkarot would have most likely been running around the world telling everyone he met that his son had returned. And then Kakkarot's other brat would have been bouncing around, telling everyone he could see the 'happy news', just like his father.

What was also glaringly apparent was the Sons held no great love for their unknown son, and the feeling was mutual, if not returned with interest. During the party he had noticed the woman in particular kept her sharp eyes on him, as if waiting for him to do something wrong so she could complain. When she wasn't looking, Mystic had given her such a venomous stare that he was surprised she was still alive. How would those two react to the knowledge that they were so closely related?

Bulma had once tried to make him see things from the Sons' point of view, asking him how he would feel if his own son were taken away. A ridiculous question, to suggest that someone could kidnap a saiyan prince and get away with it. Not to mention that, should Trunks ever be separated from him, he'd be able to recognize the brat instantly by hair color alone. He wouldn't be mistaking every dark-headed child as his own, like Kakkarot's mate used to do.

"That's not the point, Vegeta!" she had screamed at him. "If your son was taken from you, how would you feel and wouldn't you do anything to get him back or to learn about his whereabouts?!"

Do they have a right to know, Vegeta wondered briefly, recalling his own thoughts at the time. As father and mother and son, don't they have a right to know that the one they have searched for for so long is right in front of their eyes?

Vegeta mentally shook his head. This was not a matter of what was right, this was a matter of what should be done. And what should be done was…. Shit. He had no idea. I shouldn't have to be involved like this! He carefully weighed his decisions.

He may not like Kakkarot as a person… his entire personality and mannerisms disgusted Vegeta on the best of days. But he did respect him as a warrior. Barely. Only recently, with the birth of his new son had Kakkarot given up his plan to search the universe for his other child. While the man was far from "getting over it", he had at least managed to put the matter to the back of his mind. And in Vegeta's opinion, Kakkarot's second child suited him far better than the hybrid in front of him. Kakkarot and his younger brat were innocent and childish, overly optimistic and relaxed with the world around them. How would he react to Mystic, a person stripped of innocence the moment he stepped foot on Frieza's ship, constantly on alert and watching all those around him with distrust in his eyes? No doubt he had been sent on cleansing missions, killing entire species and planets without thought or mercy. Kakkarot couldn't even understand Vegeta, even after facing the bastard-lizard himself. How could he even hope to understand his own son?

But Vegeta could. He had been where Mystic was. He knew that Mystic was driven by a darker force then those of humans or beings pretending to be human. The saiyan nature, the warriors code, the thirst that yearned for power, blood and victory. An itch that couldn't be reached, that told one over and over again that the way of life was to kill or be killed.

The only outcome he could see of revealing Mystic and Kakkarot for who they really were was chaos, not to mention quite a lot of crying on the women's part. It may change in the future, but by then it was hopefully not his problem anymore.

He decided to play it safe. There wasn't enough time to come to a true solution. With the family being so close, it was only a matter of time before someone else made the connection and the truth came out. But he could deny the inevitable for the time being.

Vegeta mentally sighed before he grudgingly began to speak. "I was indeed on Namek," he said slowly. There was no use in saying otherwise since he had admitted to it earlier, "as was Kakkarot." The hybrid in front of him didn't move, or show in any way that this bit of news had affected him. Vegeta mentally nodded in approval. "However, before the battle between your father and Frieza could end, I was forcibly removed from Namek. I had no idea whether Kakkarot had lived or died." Well, that was true. When he and the other Nameks had been wished to planet Earth, Vegeta had spent the next year trying to find any hint of Kakkarot being alive or dead.

Mystic stared silently at his king for a moment before opening his mouth, possibly to challenge his facts. Ask how exactly he had been taken away from Namek. How did he know Kakkarot in the first place? And Vegeta was not going to have any of that.

"What happened after Namek?"

Mystic's mouth clicked shut, and his eyes narrowed in what could be considered a glare if he were gazing upon anyone else but his King. For one moment, Vegeta thought he was going to deny his thinly veiled order, instead demanding the information he wanted. Vegeta could see the moment when the boy decided to bite back his considerable saiyan pride, and began to speak.

He listened as Mystic told how Frieza had been found amongst the floating remains of planet Namek, barely recognizable and in pieces just large enough to somehow sustain life. "It was often said," sneered the young saiyan, "that we were lucky to have found him when we did. If we had found him a day or two later, he might have died." He showed no reaction when he was told about Frieza's recreation, how the feared tyrant became more machine than flesh and grew more powerful by the day in his recovery.

"When Frieza had finally healed from his 'ordeal', the bastard was more powerful then ever, which neither Daen nor I had thought possible. After Namek, he became more and more obsessed with saiyans, looking for any leads of possible survivors. If there was even a whisper of a saiyan on a planet, Freiza would destroy it himself. He never bothered to look for you or my father." Here, he smirked. "He was convinced you were dead."

"I don't understand why he never killed me, seeing as how I'm half saiyan at least. Daen never knew either, but she guessed it was because I was a soldier strong enough to do tasks average ones couldn't, yet not strong enough to pose a threat."

"After Daen died, Frieza always kept a watch on me. When I was on the ship I was always within his sight, and when I was on missions, one of his advisors would monitor my activities and give him reports, to make sure I never became anything more then 'a good pet monkey'."

"I'm not sure how long ago in Earth terms it was, but before I came here, Frieza and his entire army landed on a planet called New Namek. Apparently it contained whatever it was he was looking for on the original planet. Some mystic rocks called Dragonballs, I think." Vegeta's eyes widened, but Mystic didn't notice. He was staring off into the corner of the training room, as if that area was showing him the memories in his head. "It wasn't until most of the inhabitants were dead and five of the stones were gathered together that I learned what Frieza intended to do with them. He wanted to become immortal. And I realized then that the time Daen and I had waited for had come."

Silence. Vegeta stared expectantly at the young warrior, waiting for further details of what had happened next. But Mystic, it seemed, was finished speaking, still staring into the same spot he had been as he told his tale.

"And?" Vegeta growled expectantly, hoping to jar the boy into telling the rest of the story. Mystic turned his head, looking at his King with a questioning look in his eyes.

"And what, sir?"

"Did you kill the bastard?!" Vegeta yelled, not caring if such mannerisms were unbefitting for a king.

If anything, Mystic looked even more confused. "Of course I did, my King, otherwise I would not be standing here."

Vegeta growled at him. Impertinent brat! "How did you do it?"

Mystic was not able to hide his thoughts quickly enough before Vegeta managed to identify them. The boy felt panicked. Now it was Vegeta's turn to feel confused. Why would he be nervous about revealing how he had destroyed Frieza? "I demand that you tell me how you killed Frieza!"

He could just imagine the war that went on through the young hybrid's mind. Deny an order from his king, or reveal a secret. Daen did a good job, he thought sadistically. Finally, after a tense moment, Mystic's shoulder's sagged just the slightest bit.

"I became a super saiyan."

"Show me." Mystic looked up at him in surprise, as if no one had ever asked that of him. It was only a moment before Vegeta realized that no one had probably ever asked this of him. Living side by side with Frieza, becoming a super saiyan was something you'd want to keep secret if you wished to live much longer. No wonder he had not wanted to say how he killed Frieza. Old habits were hard to break. "Show me you super saiyan form," he said again.

"I would gladly do so, King Vegeta," said Mystic, who looked like he'd rather do anything but. "Unfortunately, these ki blockers prevent me from doing so." He raised his arms and for the first time Vegeta noticed the silver band, so tight on his wrists they looked like they were made for him. He vaguely recognized them as the devices Bulma had given him to take over to the Son house when the new saiyan had just arrived. Opening his senses, he was shocked and appalled to realize that the power level of the man in front of him was as low as a human's! He glared at the blockers, knowing exactly where they came from and who had made them in the first place.

The party was still going strong when Vegeta finally made his way back. Then again, considering this particular group was known to keep a gathering together until the dead of night, it wasn't that surprising that nothing had changed in the hour Vegeta and his new 'acquaintance' had left. Vegeta surveyed the room quietly, trying to locate a certain someone with blue hair, a genius IQ and who just happened to be his mate. He couldn't see her anywhere. Not even Kakkarot and his woman were in sight! Just as he was about to extend his senses and locate their unique ki, a deep voice interrupted his train of thought.

"When are you going to tell them?"

Vegeta whirled around, and bared his teeth upon seeing the owner of the voice. 'Namek,' he growled in his mind. He didn't know what it was about this particular alien that set him on edge, but his defenses always went up around him. Perhaps it was because he regarded the being so dangerous. Besides the fact that he was the strongest fighter on this planet after Kakkarot, himself and their brats, the Namek was masterfully cunning and fast, which could easily make him an equal in a serious fight.

Vegeta wasn't afraid. He was merely cautious.

"When am I going to tell who what?" he finally managed to spit out. The Namek didn't even bat an eye at his tone. In fact, his eyes were still closed, meditating in the exact same position he had been ever since the party started. Vegeta's glare intensified. The least the blasted Namek could do was look at him when he was speaking to him!

"When are you going to tell the Sons that Gohan has miraculously found his way back to Earth?"

If Vegeta hadn't already surpassed his quota for the day, he would have gaped openly at the green man. But after all the surprises he'd just recently been through, only a lesser man would repeat such embarrassments. Right now, the only indication of his surprise (to the knowing eye) was the increased intensity of his glare. Damn know-it-all Nameks.

How did he even know? Vegeta eyed the Namek suspiciously. Did he perhaps hear our conversation?

"I'm not going to tell anyone anything," he finally said, unconsciously crossing his arms defensively. That was the truth, after all, and really, the best decision at this point in time. But the Namek remained blind to Vegeta's gestures, his eyes still closed and head bowed, as if he were a statue that just happened to talk.

"So he's going to tell them then," he said, as if that were the only other option. Vegeta snorted.

"I see no reason why he would do that."

"And why not?" Finally, a hint of curiosity in the Namek's monotone voice. Vegeta smirked.

"Would you want to acknowledge the fact that you were related to them?" He laughed, as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world. Really, who would want to realize they were related to a bitching harpy and an idiot saiyan who was in denial of his heritage?

"He doesn't know." It wasn't a question, but Vegeta saw fit to answer anyway.

"No."

One black eye opened, though nothing else had moved, and the Namek stared at him. Vegeta didn't blink, purposely staring right back. Just try and find what you're looking for, he practically radiated. Try to find that answer so everything makes sense in your logical little world.

After several moments of silent staring, Piccolo finally closed his eye, resuming his previous state of immobility. Only when Vegeta had turned his back to renew his search did he speak.

"You better know what you're doing."

Vegeta turned back, not that the Namek would have noticed. "This is best for now. Nothing good would come of them knowing right now."

Vegeta was halfway across the room within a second, looking for his wife so that he could order her to remove the thrice damned ki-blockers from a fellow saiyan. As such, he never heard Piccolo's reply.

"I hope so Vegeta. Otherwise it's all going to end up as one big mess."

A/N: Tada! Next chapter, school for Mystic! I have no idea when it will be up, seeing as how I'm off to college at the end of the month and I have no idea if I'll be able to write a chapter before then or do one quickly at college. We shall see….

Until next time, Review!!!