3/29/19: Thank you for reading, friends. I could offer a thousand reasons why this story has been hard to return to, but I'm back and will keep this promise to finish.

Recap: Vegeta is contending with blindness and his son's traumatic mental breakdown. Trunks has "become" his father after witnessing memories from Vegeta's younger days. Vegeta and Gohan have restrained him to protect everyone. The family is reeling after a psychological-mystical rescue mission of Vegeta, who had been near death from depression and grief over Bulma's passing. The Namekian sage Piccolo and Ella, an empath and longtime family friend, are helping them.

Trunks wanted to crush the man's skull into to dust. The prince of all Saiyans wouldn't be mocked! And once again, he felt like an idiot. Here he was, restrained and trapped with a crazy person also calling himself "Vegeta." Fate kept him alive after the horrors of Frieza on Namek, and for what? Perhaps death should have been permanent, despite his vengeful desire to battle Kakarot again.

"Pathetic," the real Vegeta said. "You've become soft already, fraternizing with these low-class humans. What a piss-poor attempt at playing with my emotions. 'Yes, father. I'm just… so confused.' You thought I would fall for that garbage?"

"Me?!" Trunks bellowed. "I'm pathetic?! You miserable, nasty son of a bitch! You have me bound and drugged, standing by someone you say is Kakarot's son - who I know is a half-breed - and have the fucking nerve to call me low class?! Fuck you and the space ship you showed up in!"

"That's the spirit!" Vegeta said, laughing like a father would after winning a game. "I started to worry about my reputation, although I don't remember cursing that much at your age."

He knew that statement was a crock of shit.

Trunks spat at him. "If you're really me, from what I see, you are the soft one. You stayed on this awful planet and had a child, presumably with a human beneath your station. I planned to leave. You couldn't bring yourself to kill poor Kakarot either, apparently. His brat wouldn't help be helping you otherwise."

Though blinded, Vegeta's furious narrowed eyes clashed like fire with Trunks' defiant ones. The prince wanted to kick his ass for that insult. In the past, offenders who spat on him risked being dismembered viciously. Back then Vegeta didn't need much incentive to macerate bones and shred tendons after such disrespectful treatment.

However, this development could be positive. Trunks might be testing for personality similarities, he thought.

His attempt to trip my trigger shows doubt, perhaps. Vegeta cracked his neck, wiping spittle from his neck and face. "Oh, my friend, you'd be surprised about many developments. The irony is you think you're getting out alive with my memories in that body. Spit on me again, and so help me, you might not."

Visibly pleased after needling Vegeta, Trunks sneered. "Well then, which one is it? Kill or torture me slowly with more inane prattle?"

"You haven't mentioned the woman," Vegeta said. "Bulma, right? You're concerned. That's good. She has been helpful to you - sheltered you since you left Namek."

Awash in his father's most personal memories, Trunks felt Vegeta's internal emotional conflict over Bulma. He said nothing, though, searching for any vulnerabilities to exploit. He also moved closer to freeing his hand. One carefully positioned finger could blow a neat little hole between the man's eyes.

Vegeta appeared emotionless but was far from it. Discussing his wife like this burned like acid injected in his veins, but he had to work through the pain. "The first day after Bulma and I woke up in bed together, I wondered aloud, 'What hell did we just do?' I was vexed and appalled. She was unfazed, calling it a 'natural progression of events' and daring me to throttle her. Then she laughed, and we continued where we left off."

Shit. How could he know? Trunks' stony expression fractured from genuine horror. Is this some kind of time-travel thing here? This…can't be.

"She drove me up a wall with her intrusiveness, taunts, and demands," Vegeta continued. "Of course, she summed me up entirely as a giant pain in the ass. I was OK with that. I got what I wanted and saw firsthand whether she could live up to her boasting. She did, beyond anything I could ever imagine. I… was terrified of and angry about my feelings for her."

"Stop it," Trunks growled.

"Why?" Vegeta's breaths dragged with each recollection. Tears welled as his head fell. "You feel all of it now. You see how empty your life is. You see the horrible things done to you and what you did to others. You're asking yourself -"

"Stop it!" Trunks' left index finger cocked, gathering enough ki for a bulls-eye shot. He would set himself free afterward. He had to get out. "Enough! Enough!"

He couldn't bring himself to kill this man. He didn't recognize him. How could this be him? He didn't want to recognize him. But he wasn't him? Who was he then?

He wanted to scream. So he did, at the top of his lungs. Louder and louder.

"I loved her so much," Vegeta said, his voice broken from heartache. "She gave me you. She gave me you, Trunks! I didn't deserve either, and yet I became one of the richest men alive because of your love. But you -you, son - deserve so much more. You aren't me. Please come back to your family, your wife and kids. You bring so much good to this world. You aren't me."

"I said enough." Trunks broke through his restraints, fully raising his hands to take aim. He stood across from Vegeta, bleary-eyed. "You had enough time to protect yourself. I'm done with it. You should have stopped while you were ahead."

Vegeta could have stopped him much earlier. He knew the pressure points. They were weak spots now. For better or worse, at that age the prince would have killed or harmed any captor within milliseconds of breaking his restraints. Then after finding Bulma, if the offender remained alive, he would deliver "justice."

"Killing me won't help, but I will not fight you, son. I have no desire to kill you to protect myself. I have… nothing left to lose."

Gohan had heard enough, too. "Vegeta, damn it, he's hesitating but that might change. You have to subdue him again. If you don't, I will. You can't risk your life again like this."

"Shut up and stay there! I am his father. This is not your call now." Vegeta appreciated Gohan's concern but couldn't tolerate more interruptions. The younger man felt their telepathic link snap apart, with no way to reach the prince in that manner again.

"What do you mean you have nothing left to lose?" Trunks fell back on his knees, distraught and trembling."You are OK with letting me kill you? You have just as much to lose. How dare you put me in that position to choose, father."

Vegeta crawled to embrace his sobbing son. "I knew you wouldn't kill me, just like you believed I wouldn't when you and Gohan were helping me before. I was every bit as dangerous. You've said all along that we'll get through this. Let's believe those words together."

"I'm sorry, father. I remember some events, but I'm unclear on others. What all did I say or do? How long was I out before this?"

"Doesn't matter." Vegeta held him tighter, remembering the bright little boy who proudly followed his papa everywhere. "It's fine. You're back. You saw parts of my life I purposely locked away. Any man with a good heart like yours could be driven insane."

"What happened to your eyes?" Trunks touched his father's face. "Are you really blind?"

"I am." Vegeta's hands beat the floor, drumming a code to integrate the room's chambers and allowing Gohan to re-enter the room normally. "You don't remember recognizing it earlier?"

Gohan bent down next to Trunks, who wouldn't look at him. "Hey, little brother. I always knew this cranky old bastard could bring you back to your senses."

"Liar," Vegeta said as he locked fists with Gohan, who smiled reassuringly. "I've never felt so insulted in my life. I will remember your lack of faith, boy."

Trunks looked like he had aged a decade. Gohan sized up both men, realizing that his friend struggled with depression too. But unlike his father, maybe Trunks never told anyone. His exposure to Vegeta's traumas - and possibly a genetic trait - may have kicked him over the edge. That's how it appeared now.

"Son, listen to me, let's get you to another different room," Vegeta ordered firmly. "You need to eat and get settled again. Sonali has been incredibly strong, much like your mother would be, but she and my grandchildren miss you."

"No." Feeling ashamed, Trunks shook his head. "I want to sleep. I'm tired and feel terrible. I know everyone has been by my side, but the kids shouldn't see me emerging from the worst of this. We've asked a lot of them since you became ill."

Vegeta reached for Gohan's arm, seeking to speak telepathically. "I don't -"

"I want you to step back, Vegeta." Gohan grasped his shoulder, steadying him. "It's OK. Think about what happened with you. This is what depression and trauma do. That's why he's withdrawing now. It's not permanent."

"What do you mean?" Vegeta tried not to appear hurt. "He needs to see his family, no to be hidden away."

He never wanted to hear "depression" again, especially not to his son. He would move heaven and Earth to keep Trunks from staying in that sinkhole he just left himself.

Wiping tears away, Ella entered thinking about Trunks' similar reaction to Vegeta's condition earlier. "They love each other so much," she said telepathically to Gohan. "They need each other. I'm scared for them both now. I wanted -"

"They will be fine," Gohan replied, reaching for her hand. "Trunks took a huge, brave risk. He and Vegeta can heal together now. That's how it should be."

"Let's not forget the jeopardy you faced," Ella said, sensing hesitation from him. "And what are you not telling me, young man?"

"Ella, before I ask this question, I want you to know I'm not accusing you. However, do you know Trunks had depression?"

"I could not confirm it," she said. "He has bottled many feelings. If you're asking, then you must believe it. That's why I had reservations about our plan with Piccolo to pull Vegeta from within his own memories."

"Why are you crying, woman?" Vegeta asked. "I know it's you. You sniffle and bawl like a truck horn. Stop that."

"Hush," Ella said, gently kissing his head. "I will not tolerate your troublemaking, you crusty coot. I do not care that you are as blind as a bat."

Vegeta smirked and said, "You know, I almost believe you - but I am not easily fooled. My eyesight will return, so stop fretting."

Gohan cringed uncomfortably at their banter, especially with Trunks there, but he understood. Ella's taunts could tear Vegeta to pieces, and the prince treasured her for that. Besides his wife and daughter-in-law, no one did it better. He needed to feel somewhat normal again, because his family's ordeal was far from over.

Trunks felt foggier as they brought him to his feet. All of the energy he had earlier, which almost blew apart their home, seemed to vanish.

Vegeta felt his son's' energy level waver sluggishly, knowing it would soon become dormant. "Let's get you into the rear bedroom, son. It's more comfortable."

Gohan nodded, recognizing what Vegeta felt. "Hey, you're still feeling aftereffects from the drug we used. It will wear off soon. At least let Sonali see you. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

Ella promptly left to find her, passing by Piccolo's watchful eyes. She snorted, expressing annoyance with his silent warning. He honestly respected the old nurse even more after her sacrifices to help Vegeta. But he had no problem reminding her that a right time may never come to reveal her Tuffle identity. Emotions would run high for a while. Telling Trunks had been enough, he believed.

Sensing Piccolo's presence, Vegeta stopped as Gohan and Trunks left. "Namekian, we have an overdue conversation."

"That's a lie," Piccolo replied, following him out. "We never stopped having one, whether we liked it or not."

"I am furious about you allowing Trunks to risk his welfare, but... I can offer thanks for giving everyone hope. I am back now."

"You are rightfully entitled to your anger, Vegeta, and my support does not end here. I will help in any way as Trunks reconciles with his experience. You too, starting with your blindness. We must go to the Guardian's Lookout for Dende to help heal you."

Vegeta placed his right hand on the wall, guiding himself along the damaged floor. He sensed almost everyone's energy levels in the house, of course, and if necessary could find them quickly. But he never accepted the status quo. No reason to give death or other unpleasant outcomes a helping hand.

"You seem to believe this might not be permanent," he said somberly.

"Of course not." Piccolo appeared surprised - almost offended - by the suggestion. "I thought you believed the same."

"I said that to reassure my family. I damned near blasted a hole in that astral plane space - or whatever you call it - to save my son and Gohan. What if this is something like a punishment?"

Piccolo pulled his cape over his shoulders. "Well we can't find out by speculating here."

"Dad?" Sonali walked up to Vegeta, who immediately took her hand. She hugged her father-in-law, reminding that she wouldn't blame him. "I told you I can get through this, but that was terrifying."

Hearing her profound fear hurt Vegeta deeply. He pushed thoughts aside about the times Bulma worried about his welfare like this - and hers. He straightened himself, appearing more confident for Sonali's benefit.

"Trunks' senses have returned, but he remains somewhat disoriented. I know it's hard, but please try not to be frightened. He won't hurt you. He needs you with him right now more than me."

"I'll come with you," Ella said, rubbing Sonali's back as they approached the rear bedroom. "I believe I can keep him calm now with my empathic abilities."

Sonali stopped her, shaking her head. "I trust what Vegeta says."

"I understand, dear," Ella replied, but it was difficult. The idea of Trunks enduring another dissociative episode like that unnerved her, although she didn't show it then. Having him go down and Vegeta relapse would be everyone's worst nightmare. She couldn't let that happen under her watch again.

Sonali's stomach tied in knots. Gohan stood over her half-awake husband as she entered. She covered her mouth, withholding a sob, as their friend brought her closer. She had waited patiently and bravely for this reunion. Her right hand landed upon Trunks' left.

He offered his familiar easy, loving smile. Satisfied with their reunion, Gohan left the room.

"Baby, I knew you weren't ready to leave us yet," Sonali said, running her fingers through her husband's hair.

"Are you sure about that, beautiful?" Trunks asked sleepily. "You aren't hiding it well."

Weariness lined his face differently, Sonali noticed. Vegeta looked similarly when depression over Bulma's death captured him. She sighed, preparing for their next trial.

"I'm fine, although I'm pissed about these grey hairs your adventures have given me."

"How about a kiss then? How long has it been?"

Sonali kicked her shoes off to climb in bed. "Almost three weeks, and I'm not kissing you until your teeth are brushed thoroughly."

"I'm so tired, baby," Trunks said. "So tired. There's so much. I almost feel like father and I have switched places."

"That's kind of what happened. But as I told you before of this all started, as well as to Vegeta, you cannot carry the hardest parts of your troubles alone. Can you discuss some of it? I'm here to listen."

Trunks' mind drifted, recalling Vegeta's account of the woman who slaughtered children over fears about their father's future. His half-siblings were brutally denied love and happiness, unlike him and his sister.

Perhaps he felt survivor's guilt.

"Not right now," he told his wife. "Just stay here with me."

Let me know what you think in the comments if you can. They always help with my perception.