Bardock massaged his temples with a groan.

The alpha was resting in his room in front of the fireplace after a long day with his youngest son. His heavy arms fell to rest on the armrests of his chair as he stared at flickering flames, the only source of light in Bardock's chambers. The gentle light was helping melt the stress form the last week that had built up on his shoulders.

The alpha was so angry with the people Kakarot ended up with in his life on Earth. He wanted so badly to go to the planet himself and show those ignorant fools what happens when you hurt his son. Unfortunately…there were three things stopped him from running to the nearest pod.

One, Kakarot still cared for most of his family and friends on that backwater mud ball of a planet. Granted most of the humans were supportive of the beta, but their lack of general knowledge on saiyans caused Kakarot some form of harm or discomfort. It baffled Bardock that his son's heart was so large and pure that he would still wish no harm on those people, but at the same time, the saiyan warrior loved that quality.

The second reason was Vegeta. The hot headed man was sure to come to Vegetasei to protest his punishment, and since the former prince isn't stupid, he'll be looking for Kakarot as well. Bardock wasn't sure why Vegeta would be looking for the submissive he claimed, but he did know that his son was terrified. Hopefully, Vegeta will try to do the right thing by Kakarot, but the younger saiyan was still going to get a beating.

Finally, there was Turles. That sly bastard had been almost stalking Kakarot as soon as touched down on Vegetasei. Raditz, Tarble, the guards, and Bardock had caught him numerous times skulking around the beta's wing of the palace, but he always managed to slip away before anything could be done about him.

Turles had tried several times to approach Kakarot. The dark skinned saiyan was somehow nearby whenever the beta left his chambers. He acted very charming towards his doppelgänger, but the look in his eyes made Bardock on edge. The dark lust swinging inside cruel eyes angered the older alpha, but he could never do anything to the other without leaving his son vulnerable.

Bardock hated that Kakarot knew the space pirate was after him, and his son was becoming paranoid. He couldn't rest easy without either Raditz or his father with him all the time now even in his own set of rooms. The two alphas were now taking rotations staying with the submissive all the time now, but Kakarot was still constantly looking over his shoulder.

When Raditz was looking after his brother, Bardock would go hunting for Turles. He was hard to track, and he would never stay in the same area as Bardock would if Kakarot wasn't with him. While the space pirate was determined to win the beta over, he was wise enough to do so extremely carefully.

The dominant growled at the thought of the dark saiyan. Bardock was at least four times stronger than Turles, but all that strength was useless if he couldn't corner his target. Every time he tried to get close to the pirate, he would either slip away or another saiyan would distract Bardock.

A heavy knock on his door broke the alpha out of his thoughts. He glared at the thick piece of wood that sounded another couple raps before turning his attention back to the flames. The person didn't wait for Bardock to snarl at them to leave before another male came walking in the room.

The green and black clad warrior ignored his uninvited guest as he slumped down in his seat and places a hand over his eyes. Heavy footsteps came closer to his location, and the rustling sound of clothing signaled that his guest has taken a seat across from his own. When nothing was said, Bardock's curiosity got the better of him, and he looked up.

"Bardock, why the snarling face? You look like you did when your eldest son let that pack of saber wolves in the palace for not being placed on Vegeta's combat team. What's troubling you, old friend?" King Vegeta chuckled at the surprisingly fond memory as he took in the other saiyan's features.

"More like what's not troubling me, Vegeta." Bardock sighed again as he tilts his head back. He pulled himself back up in his seat and rested his head on a fist. "I'm not sure how long I can remain calm without snapping and killing someone…like that pirate." He snarled out the last bit making the brown haired man look at him in surprise.

"Pirate… You mean Turles? What does he have to do with anything? From what I've heard and seen around the palace, he hasn't caused anything that would make you stressed." K. Vegeta (A.N. This is how the king is going to be identified from now on.) tilted his head. The thought that popped in his head made him snort in amusement.

"Unless, of course, he's after your son like every other alpha on Vegetasei." The monarch said that last bit as a joke, but the serious look on Bardock's face caused whatever mirth was there to fade away. He gave his friend an incredulous look as he moved to lean forward in his chair a bit.

"No! Surely he can't be so absurd to think that he could ever pursue a relationship with Kakarot! Does he have suicidal tendencies? Vegeta would never allow another dominant to so much as touch his mate." A dark glare came from Bardock, and K. Vegeta was quick to add. "Not to mention what you would do. Did he hear about that idiot that tried to come on to Kakarot in front of you? What did you do to him anyway?"

"Trust me…You don't want to know. It would probably give you nightmares, and you might actually have me arrested if you did." The spiky haired saiyan smirked in grim satisfaction at the memory. "All you need to know is that he deserved what he got, and at this rate, Turles is going to join him as soon as I get my hands on him."

K. Vegeta cringed at the gruesome image that appeared in his head. The brown haired saiyan know how vicious Bardock could be at times. They use to conquer planets together when they were younger. Some of those battles made the monarch question his friend's sanity at times, but few warriors were as capable as Bardock was.

"Where is Kakarot now?" K. Vegeta asked to change the subject somewhat so he could ignore the images of what would happen to Turles if he wasn't careful. "I know you and Raditz have been keeping a close eye on him. His due date is in about two and a half months." He muttered to himself as he stroked his goatee and thought.

"He's sleeping in his chambers. Kakarot's been so stressed with everything that's happened lately. I hope he manages to sleep through the night." Bardock looked over his shoulder at the door connecting his room with his son's. "Raditz is on duty at the defense grid tonight so I'm here to keep an eye on him."

Just then, a screen lit up along the wall disturbing the two alphas. Bardock grumbled under his breath as he got up to answer the transmission. K. Vegeta followed just behind him out of curiosity. With the flip of a switch, the female warrior, Tatoma, appeared. Seeing just who was with Bardock, the woman was quick to salute.

"Your Majesty! We've picked up an unidentified ship coming into the sector! It's your son!" Tatoma flinched from the massive growl that rumbled in the green and black clad dominant. She licked her lips as she hesitantly continued. "His…his ship landed in the northern sector. Our sensors show him and two others on their way here before they were destroyed by a power surge. Lieutenant Raditz and a few others have gone to intercept him, sir."

"I see. Thank you, Tatoma. Inform Nappa and the palace guards about this. Best to prevent what bloodshed we can." The brown haired saiyan looked as his friend out of the corner of his eye as he relayed his orders. The female warrior nodded with another salute to her king. "Good. You are dismissed." The screen went black within seconds.

Bardock was shaking and snarling as he paced in his room. The alpha was doing everything he could to keep his anger and ki from spiking so as not to wake his youngest son up. The timing was horrible. He was just starting to relax from his week, but now that was out of the question. Another growl shook his frame.

He couldn't even leave to go looking for the former prince! Bardock refused to leave his son unguarded, but he itched to beat Vegeta to an inch from his life. A hand came down on his shoulder, and the dominant glared at the king with a snarl on his face.

"Calm down, Bardock. There's nothing you can do for now." K. Vegeta was torn from wanting to see his eldest and keeping his oldest friend from murdering his cub. At the moment, Bardock was literally shaking with rage, and if he didn't calm down soon, he'll go super and alert the pregnant beta in the next room.

Bardock continued to snarl and glare at the King of all Saiyans as he stilled his pacing. His paternal instincts were demanding that he find the threat to his cub, and deal with it. Suddenly, the sharp smell of fear accompanied by a terrified cry pierced the cloud of his rage and made his head snap to the door across the room.

"Kakarot!"

~Just after the Capsule Corp. ship landed~

Vegeta took in a deep breath as soon as the door opened. He relished in the scents of his home planet for several long minutes before extending his senses to hunt for his mate's energy signature. His dark eyes snapped open as his head looked in the direction of the glow of a city in the far distance.

A smirk and a wag of his tail signaled his excitement to the two demi-saiyans behind him. Gohan and Trunks followed the other's gaze to the city. All three were eager to head out in search of their missing companions, but the sudden feeling of several kis ruined the good mood.

"Vegeta." Gohan called out to the pure blood. "I'm going against my better judgement, but you go on and look for dad. Trunks and I can handle the greeting party." The teen glared over at him with a dark look while the boy gave his father a confident smirk. Vegeta looked slightly shocked at the offer. "Don't make me regret this."

Gohan and Vegeta stared each other down in silence. Trunks watched from the sidelines as the oldest of the three clapped a hand down on the taller saiyan's shoulder. A look of understanding was shared between the two. The pure blood gave his stepson a nod and took a few steps back.

With a powerful surge of super saiyan energy, the former prince launched himself in the sky. He wasn't going to pass the chance of getting to Kakarot like this. His lean form cut through the darkness as he got closer to the palace. Vegeta's sharp eyes landed on a balcony in a secluded part of the castle.

He lowered his ki and quietly touched down on the jasper stone with a soft tap of his boots. Vegeta walked over to the door looking inside the dark room. He could make out the shadowy shape of a bed with a person sleeping on top of it. A gloved hand reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it.

His heart raced in his chest as the door swung silently open. Vegeta stepped inside and shutting the door as he did so. The alpha remained still as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the room. He felt like some kind of thief as he took in the cozy features of the room with a pleased smile on his face. This place definitely suited his mate's new status.

Plush carpet muted his steps as he came closer to Kakarot. Vegeta could feel his fingers and tail twitch with the desire to touch his mate, but he didn't want to wake the other just yet. The former prince finally stopped at the head of the bed, and he just drank in the sight and sweet scent of the sleeping beta.

He was alone for once. Goten was staying with Tarble tonight so Kakarot could sleep without interruption. At the moment, the submissive was in so deep a sleep that he didn't sense his nighttime visitor creeping closer to him in the darkness.

Kakarot was shirtless and facing him as he slept on his side. The sheets and blanket had slipped down to cover everything below his hips. His form was curled around the swell of his belly that was exposed to the hungry gaze of the alpha. The submissive's black tail and one hand rested on the taunt skin of his waist while his left hand rested palm up by his face.

Vegeta took in the soft looking skin and hair of the younger saiyan. The sweet scent of his pregnant mate made the former prince's mouth water with desire. He wanted to roll around in that smell, letting it coat every single inch of his body. A chestnut tail fluffed up as it swayed behind the dominant.

Slowly so he wouldn't disturb the beta, Vegeta moved to sit on the edge of the bed. His tail stretched out on top of the blanket to get as close as possible to the submissive. As much as he wanted to crawl into bed and hold Kakarot as he slept, he was content for the moment to watch.

A soft moan had Vegeta's member stiffening slightly as the large form shifted closer to the scent and heat of the dominant that sat beside him. The former prince held his breath as Kakarot's hand stopped half an inch from the alpha's tail. The tip of the furry appendage twitched at the heat coming from the other.

Vegeta couldn't resist the temptation to touch the other male, and he moved to pull the glove on his right hand off. Calloused fingers hovered over the hand by his mate's face for a few long minutes wondering if the touch was worth the risk of waking Kakarot up, but another soft sound from the beta made up his mind.

The alpha gently trailed the pads of his fingertips down the inside of the arm closest to him. The skin he touched was softer than the last time he came in contact with the taller saiyan. His eyes followed the trail he made with his fingers, and he swallowed a groan that wanted to come out. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop the purr building in his chest to save his life.

Vegeta's touch grew firmer as his hand glided over the smooth skin to rest on the left side of Kakarot's face. He cupped the cheek and brushed his thumb just under a closed eye. The feelings of relief and regret washed over the dominant in a confusing mixture as he continued to touch his mate.

The alpha leaned over to gently brush his lips against Kakarot's. The beta was safe and lacked the scent of any other dominant other save for his family. Vegeta's purr grew louder as his mate sluggishly followed after him once the older saiyan pulled back. A smug grin grew on the awake male's face as a whimper escaped pink lips.

Kakarot made a more coherent sound as Vegeta pressed their mouths together with a firmer touch. The scent of cloves and the warmth of the alpha's touch started to pierce the fog of sleep. The beta's fingers twitched on his belly at the wonderful feeling, and a soft sigh came out when that hot mouth pulled away.

Dark eyes fluttered open and hazily took in the form sitting on the edge of his bed. The rough hand on his face brushed under a half lidded eyes as another set of dark eyes met Kakarot's. The submissive nuzzled into the hand on his face without thought. Once the scent and features of the alpha came into focus, the younger man's eyes flew open.

Vegeta directed a smile at the beta on the bed, and Kakarot froze under the dark eyes of the former prince.

"I've finally found you, Kakarot."