A.N. Sorry for the huge delay! I haven't quit, just a mixture of distractions and some slight internet failure, leading to more distractions. Next chapter will be coming soon(er)!

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Chapter 29: The Price of Humanity

THUD!

Flats of knuckles collided with the inner casing of the warship's shell wall, and the owner exhaled an exasperated, heavy breath. Drawing his hand away, the other fist launched to strike in the exact same place, though still failing to leave even the slightest of marks in the toughest of metals. Gohan lowered what felt like a very heavy, swollen head, and felt himself shake with this new, uncontrollable emotion. To be frank, it had all been too much; meeting his mother, and then seeing how his parents had embraced his younger brother. He wasn't really sure what he felt brewing inside of him, especially when he'd seen how happy the three of them were. How idyllic they were, standing there like the perfect symbol of what a real family should look like. Then there was him, standing on the sidelines. Was it anger at the exclusion? Disappointment, when he'd expected something else. Something more?

"ARGH!"

Unleashing part of his pent up emotion in that loud cry, Gohan slumped forwards against the wall, heaving more heavy breaths as he struggled with duel problems. On one hand, he was trying to tell himself how weak he must look right now. How pathetically human, and therefore a total disgrace to his Saiyan Blood. If his father saw him like this, no doubt he'd be swift turn his back on such a sight. Or so Gohan told himself. But on the other hand, he couldn't stop what was only natural. He deeply wished he could be young again. He wished he was still a little boy craving the attention of his parents: To be trained by his father, and then nurtured by his mother. It hadn't struck him as an issue before, not even when Kakarot had first revealed the news of his mate and second son. Sure, as a child he'd craved what he didn't have, but he'd grown to accept his situation, and cherish what he did have. Gohan had never been a jealous person, and so in these past very few days, he'd mostly dealt with preparing himself for the hour in which he would finally meet his estranged mother and little brother. Together with other matters, namely sealing the bond with his intended mate. Only right now, did he wish that he could have experienced the upbringing, that Goten undoubtedly would. Only now, had all the emotional bricks came tumbling down on him.

"You really need to stop hiding things from me."

The intruder caught the young demi-Saiyan completely off-guard. How long had she been watching him, he wondered. Yet there was no doubt over who the silent intruder was, now that she'd spoken. Preparing himself for this next onslaught of emotion, Gohan took a deep breath before straightening from his slouched position against the cargo hold wall. Dark, troubled eyes slowly turned to face the young female. She stood with her arms folded, but wore a far lesser frown than Gohan expected. Still, it was very clear that she was disappointed with him.

'Not now,' he desperately thought to himself, knowing that an argument was no doubt festering. So his shoulder turned, allowing his back to seek the support of the wall once more.

As soon as her so-called 'mate' had stormed off, Videl had decided it was probably best to wait a moment before following after him. That plan hadn't exactly followed through for long though. Having to stand around like a spare rib, watching Kakarot continue to play happy family, had been awfully difficult to swallow. The fact was, Videl had been sourly reminded of her own father. Sure, Hercule had his annoying moments, and he still treated her like his baby girl sometimes. But that no longer mattered. For once in her life, she was genuinely missing him. Having lost count of how long she'd actually be parted from Earth, to Videl, it felt like months. She didn't just want to see her father again though, even if he wasn't related by blood. Hercule was still her father, the only father she'd ever known, and ever will know. He was also still capable of showing her that unique, fatherly love, that no other being could ever hope to replace. The type of love Kakarot had already been showing to his lively, hyperactive new son. So she kept her arms folded, and resumed her staring, even as Gohan clearly sighed and tried to avert her presence with his side-long stance.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" She gave him time to react, but knew he wouldn't. He regarded her a moment with his dark eyes, only to look away. So she continued relentlessly. "I mean… I think I know why you did it this time but… really Gohan. If you think lying to me is a way of protecting me, then you're wrong! When are you going to learn that?"

It annoyed Videl even further that Gohan still didn't even have the courtesy of looking her in the eye. It annoyed her because the sheepish look he briefly gave her, followed by the more sterner tensing of his jaw, just made her anger and frustration melt. 'Damn him,' she grumbled to herself, and heaved a loud sigh. As she approached, he kept his head down. Then, his knees bent, and he found himself sliding down the wall as she pursued further. Dark eyes remained lowered, remaining fixed on the floor, even as his muscles tensed slightly to the caring hand that rested against his upper arm. If he tried to speak, he feared that he might just explode with whatever was boiling in his tight chest. Videl sighed again, wishing she could be sterner with him. But not everything was about her, and right now, she could see that even if he wouldn't admit it, Gohan needed her.

"Even if you thought you meant well, in the end, you're still hurting me. And you know, I thought this whole bond deal would actually change things." Strangely half-chuckling, she shook her head. "In fact, I really do wish I could still read your damn mind. At least, sometimes. You're so… secretive."

It surprised Gohan further how Videl suddenly lifted his arm, and ducked her head under the gap until his arm rested heavily over her slightly arched back. Forced to lift his gaze to her inquiring eyes by the fingertips that touched under his triangular chin, he tensed again upon seeing the tender forgiveness in those peering, cerulean depths. That uncomfortable lump in his throat, returned.

"You wanted to learn what being human is, right?" She asked plainly, though her voice quite soft. "You wanna know what I think? I think you're feeling pretty human right now. You're just not sure if you should let yourself feel or not."

Videl saw how his nostrils flared, and then how he tried to duck his head away to the side. She knew that she was right. That he was trying to avoid this conversation, but she would only refuse to grant him that retreat. Now when she knew that running away wasn't going to help. He needed to feel human right now, because being human was the best way to deal with this. Or so she thought. So her hands cupped his jaw line, imprisoning his eyes to the mercy of her stare once more.

"I've called you a lot of things, but I never thought you'd be a quitter."

"I'm no quitter," he quietly countered, almost growling the words. Again, she huffed a half-chuckle in quick response.

"Oh yeah? So why are you hiding in here, instead of being with your family? Do you have any idea what I would give right now, just to see my family again?"

"But I don't know who those people are!" He again countered, breathing increasing slightly as he suppressed a natural growl. "Look at my father. I've never seen him father so…"

He had to suddenly close his eyes tightly, shaking his head as he grit his teeth a moment. Yet the persistent Videl hovered over him still, pressing further for the emotional release he was so clearly with-holding. She knew what he wanted to say.

"And that scares you?"

Gohan didn't know how to answer that; for a moment he just breathed, struggling to nod his head, and then shake it, and then heaving an exasperated breath.

"I don't know!"

"Because you thought you could deal with this, on your own? Right?"

"I'm strong," he mostly told himself. Videl felt his clenching fist pull at the material over her back, but remained firm and confident, even as her mate seemed more bestial than human. "I can conquer this. I will conquer it."

"Conquer your feelings?" She canted her head to the side slightly, "I already told you, that's impossible. Besides, how can you even try to do that when you don't even know how you feel?"

"I know how I feel."

"So spit it out already. Isn't admitting something the first step to recovery?"

"I… I feel…"

"…Yes?"

"I feel so… so cheated!" He finally choked, much to Videl's own relief. She was there to catch him as he fell into the pit of his own emotion; to hold onto his shaking shoulders, at let him bury his face against her collar.

"Of course you do," she cooed, soothing her hand over his back. "And it's okay to feel that way."

Videl didn't exactly need to read his mind to know that he didn't quite agree with her on that, but neither did he try to return to his cold, exterior shell. He just sat there, accepting the warm comfort she was willing to offer him, in exchange for him opening up to her in this weak moment. She relished in these moments, adoring his honesty all the more. It made her feel strong, and that meant she could share the strength with him. Right now, she knew he would really need it.

"At least your mom seems like a nice woman. Heh, at least you don't have to worry about her jabbing your ass with weird drugs or…" She trailed off upon feeling how Gohan squeezed her against him, reminded her just how fragile she sometimes felt against his stronger body. "Er… right. I'll shut up."

Neither teen realised that another pair of eyes were upon them, as they nuzzled and caressed each other. The silent intruder stood with her hands clasped in front of her, dark eyes stinging as she witnessed the pain of her firstborn son. It hadn't just been Videl who had seen Gohan storm off. Even though ChiChi had enjoyed the joyful reunion between Goku and Goten, she had also been trying to prepare herself for a possibility of rejection from her firstborn. He could blame her for many things, or ask her why she didn't try harder to see him. Why she allowed herself to be considered dead. Then, the way he'd stormed off, only confirmed these fears. Before she could muster up the courage to chase after him though, the other 'Saiyan' female had beaten her to the chase. For a moment, ChiChi had been filled with joy. Had her little boy found himself a mate already? Did he have a family of his own? The mountain woman had smiled and beamed with the slowly contriving possibilities that formed in her slightly devious and wishful mind. There was so much she didn't know about her son, but so much she wanted to find out. So much catching up to do. Even if she had missed nineteen years of his life, there were so many more years left, that she so desperately wanted to be an important part of. So at last, she'd managed to leave Goten in the safe company of his father. Only, upon stepping through the cargo deck, she hadn't expected to be greeted by the sight she now looked upon.

"Gohan?"

This new voice caught the two, nuzzling teens, a little by surprise. Both of them tensed, especially Videl, while Gohan canted his head in the direction of the peering woman.

"I don't mean to interrupt." Well actually, she did. As much she tried to maintain her polite demeanour, it was already slipping. "But we really need to talk." Dark eyes snapped to the young female, and the two women exchanged uneasy glances. "Alone."

Videl had to frown slightly; this woman certainly was pushy. But one look at Gohan, and she knew that he wanted this discussion. So she nodded, and leaned closer to impart her comforting words to his ear.

"I'll be outside."

Both teens stood, led by Videl who was first to find her feet. The two Earth-women formally nodded to each other once they were parallel to each other. By the time Videl had completely left, Gohan was both standing and moving away from the wall slightly. He no longer needed the support, not when his mate had gifted him with her own, unique strength. ChiChi hesitated a moment though. It was remarkable to be looking at her estranged son, who wasn't quite the image of his father, but certainly shared similar features. She had to sigh to herself. This was difficult, even for a brave albeit very sheltered woman, who was rarely scared of anything.

"I always wondered what you would look like." She started, finally making fixed eye contact, and stepping a little closer. "The last time I saw you, I think you were…" Only to trail off, breaking eye contact a moment to stare to the side in brief thought.

"Yes," she nodded, her smile fading slightly. "You were just ten." Following the statement, Gohan was forced to swallow back lightly, while his mother returned her smiling eyes to him, and even expelled a light, disbelieving chuckle.

"But you've changed so much." ChiChi advanced forwards, unleashing a light sigh as she stopped at an arm's length, to the side of her struggling son. He was actually finding it difficult to meet her gaze, and this alarmed him greatly. She, on the other hand, was determined to study the curious, burnt umber shade of his otherwise dark eyes.

"Well, I suppose even a Saiyan can't stay young forever. Your father certainly hasn't aged much but I… well." ChiChi shook her head, trying to get back on track. By now, she was more or less directly in front of him, allowing her a closer inspection with strict eye contact alone.

"You still have my eyes though," she declared quite proudly. "I remember, just before they… they…" then trailed off once more. Gohan knew what she was going to say in the blank space; 'before they took him away from her.' But she skipped over that, and continued with her smiling eyes once more.

"You looked so much like your father, until you looked up at me with those same eyes." Another forlorn sigh. "I knew it wouldn't be easy. There were times where I wanted to hold you or, just tell you everything would be alright."

Pausing yet again, ChiChi reached out, laying her gentle touch against her son's arm. He initially flinched, not used to the contact from this woman, yet her perseverance made him relax.

"I still do," she confessed, her voice quieter and a little more strained. The pure-hearted woman expressed her emotions far easier than Gohan, who did his best to keep biting back on the stinging pain he could feel in his sinuses. He had to swallow back more harshly this time, and wanted to re-pressed his palm against the wall for some much needed support.

"There's so much I want to know about you. So much I can still teach you, if you'd let me."

The gentler side of the mountain woman was a rarity, and Gohan should really be thanking his lucky stars that he should be greeted by this, as opposed to her other, very short-tempered and bossy persona. Or maybe it didn't really matter. Perhaps he would come to love her regardless, just as his father had. If he gave her the chance.

"Will you give me a chance?"

As he looked into his mother's expectant eyes, Gohan found himself lightly smiling, and granting her with a simple nod. It was all he could do, given that his voice felt non-existent right now. Meanwhile, ChiChi could hardly contain her happiness, and so as she squeezed her son's hands rather tightly, Gohan also found himself bombarded by a dozen questions firing at him, all at once.

"So! Who was that girl? Is she your wife? Oh Gohan! Tell me all about her! Where did you meet her? What's her name? Is she a Saiyan? Oooh! Am I a grandmother already?"


Outside, Kakarot was also getting in touch with his other, extremely rare gentle side. Goten was certainly a bundle of joy; very carefree and easily distracted, despite his upbringing and the conditions of his home planet. Right now, he was pointing out all the little things the planet had to offer to his attentive father. But behind the very human façade, was a strong ki frequency. ChiChi had been fond of the martial arts and hand-to-hand combat in particular, so Kakarot didn't doubt for a second that she'd neglected to pass down her knowledge to Goten. She'd often sighed to her mate, and wished she could've done the same for Gohan, even though that had been strictly forbidden.

"And this is Trunks!" Kakarot's attention was gained towards the lilac-haired boy who Goten now stood by, and they regarded each other with a light nod.

"So, you're Goten's dad." The boy stated, seeming lightly indifferent to the whole scenario. The royal child certainly had his father's eyes, except for the exotic, blue colouring. He also had his father's sharper nose and defined pout, but his mother's slightly softer jaw line.

"Where've you been all this time." It was hardly even a question, and furthermore, it amazed Kakarot how regal the fatherless Prince was. Clearly he'd been spoilt by his overbearing mother.

"Serving the King," the Saiyan simply answered. Bulma had made it very clear on the two occasions Kakarot had visited, that she wanted Vegeta to know nothing about Trunks, just as the son in turn would know nothing of his true father. The request was to be respected, especially since Kakarot didn't even know if the King still lived. It would of course be wishful thinking, to presume a Saiyan of so much raw power could be easily defeated.

"Huh? What's a King?" But Kakarot certainly didn't expect that answer from the dumbfounded boy.

"It's a princesses daddy!" Goten jumped, proud of himself for being able to teach the older Trunks something knew. "Like the evil Snake princess story! Her daddy was an evil demon King."

Trunks regarded Goten with a sidelong glance, then muttered a 'humph' sound. "So your dad's been serving a demon? Doesn't sound like a hero if you ask me."

"He is too!" Goten immediately countered, feet sliding into a fighting stance as he clenched his fists tightly.

"Nuh-uh!" Trunks relished the challenge, even lightly smirking as he closed his eyes smugly, and crossed his arms. "Heroes don't do bad things. Everyone knows that."

"Stop it, both of you." Two sets of young eyes, looked up at the towering form of the apparent Hero, as he folded his far broader arms, and glared down at them seriously. "A Saiyan knows when he does not need to fight with his tongue. If your words strike true, then you need only prove your point, using your fists."

Nodding in complete understanding, the clever Goten suddenly surprised Trunks with his well-aimed, chopping punch against the upper arm. The older boy even wailed slightly, as the harsh attack caught him completely off guard.

"Goten! What was that for?"

The proud laughter of 'Goku' rollicked above the two boys, and he even ruffled Goten's hair. The child grinned and laughed while a grumbling Trunks just rubbed his sore arm. It was a start, but Kakarot could see that he had much to teach the young boy. Both of them, in fact. He strangely felt obliged to impart some Saiyan knowledge to the young Prince. It was the least he could do, and the last ounce of respect he would ever show to the Royal family of his species.

"That's it son!"

Videl stepped out from the battleship then, wiping the back of her hand across lightly tearful eyes. Honestly, she wanted to be there with Gohan while he made amends with his mother, though she knew they needed to have the moment between themselves. Still, she couldn't help wishing she could have the same reunion. She was even wondering what it would've been like if her apparent birth-mother had been a little more honest with her from day one. Though it was pointless to think of such things now, when they could never, ever be.

"Who's she?" Goten was quick to ask, after giggling from his successful evasion from Trunks' counterattack. "Ow!" Though he wasn't so lucky with the next attack. "Hey, no fair!"

The two boys scrambled, with a chuckling and smiling Kakarot still watching over them. Briefly, he regarded Videl, smile lightly dropping, though his eyes remained calm. Even if his son wasn't paying complete attention, he answered the question nonetheless.

"She's a friend."

It was all Goten needed to hear, and so he quickly ran behind the safety of his father's legs to avoid Trunks. Then he escaped to run behind Videl, still laughing in his carefree way. Though she was a little startled at first by the young rather hyperactive boy, she soon learnt what a handful these two demi-Saiyans were. Trunks had retrieved his practice sword, and was now running in circles around Videl, chasing the swift Goten. It was all rather dizzy, though at least a smile was finally breaking the young woman's stoic exterior.

"C'mon guys," she managed to half-chuckle while trying to stop one of the boys. "Cut it out already." But in the end, it was she who had to move away, before the wild Goten could run between her legs again, or circle around her over and over. Much to the increasing annoyance of Trunks. At last, Goten was completely open for attack, and the two boys happily sparred while Videl came to stand by Kakarot, and fold her arms.

"They sure are… wild." She dryly stated, casting a side-long glance to the far taller man. He retained his proud smirk, even as he looked down at the young woman.

"What else would you expect from a Saiyan? Halfling, or not."

"Hmph," she lightly chortled, maintaining her indifferent stance. "So then who's the other one? Is this some kind of, half-blood retreat?"

"Somewhat," he lightly frowned, ignoring the other question entirely. "We should discuss our options soon. This planet can no longer be their home. Neither can it be ours."

"Right," Videl nodded, her tone remaining quite dry. "And here I was thinking I'd be the next human to be abandoned here."

"Not unless you were with child." Gasping lightly, the young woman glared up at the Saiyan, to find that, fortunately, he was joking.

"That's not funny!" Kakarot just kept grinning however, reading the human female's thoughts rather well. He knew that the whole situation would seem odd to her, but she would also see that she had nothing to worry about. The simple fact was; Kakarot prided himself on taking care of his family.

"And they weren't abandoned," he again somewhat avoided further conflict by changing the topic. "Actually, they escaped."

Videl had to narrow her eyes somewhat, and fully turned to face the tall man. "And?"

He regarded her full also, frowning lightly as she pressed him further on the subject. Either it was a female tendency to be nosey as hell, or she shared the same traits as his own mates. Or maybe it was just a human thing. Either way, his jaw tensed slightly.

"Know this. We believe that, once mated, there is no escape. In the end, you will always be found. I just hope none of us will ever learn the downfall of this myth."


Meanwhile, in the underground caverns, Bulma had retreated to her small, enclosed personal space. Aside from the clothes she'd salvaged over the years, were various gadgets she was in the process of fixing, along with spare parts dotted here and there. Among them, was a very large engine piece in the corner of the room. She had salvaged it from a stray ship that had crashed on the asteroid sanctuary, and tried her best to fix it. After all, it had once been the vital ingredient needed for her escape, almost nine years ago. But now, it was just an abandoned wreck, completely burnt out, and regardless of that; fuel was a redundant resource. Glancing over at the abandoned object, the heiress sighed. It was bad enough that she had to watch ChiChi play happy families, without now remembering how she'd first bickered with the woman.

"We can't stay here," a very slightly pregnant Bulma had insisted. They had been hiding out in their escape spaceship, which was in fact the cargo ship destined for Earth. The bump was only just beginning to show, but she was unaffected by her condition as she lay on her back in the ship's engine core room. The engine was a little dodgy, but she knew she could fix it, along with the tracking controls.

"If I can fix this, then we can go home."

"This is our home," ChiChi had insisted rather sternly, hands on her wide hips. "If we go back to Earth, Vegeta will surely find us. He'll realise how we escaped, and then what Bulma? He'll take you back to his planet, wait for his son to be born, and then, he'll kill you."

"No… h-he wouldn't."

"Yes, he would! He doesn't care about you! That child," the mountain woman pointed to Bulma's stomach. "Will be taken away before you can even hold it. Believe me, I know."

"But they didn't kill you. You said Goku loves you. Something must have changed."

"Losing my son was as good as dying," ChiChi admitted sternly. "And my Goku is different. But that King, he's as rotten as his father. It must run in the foul blood." That had been enough to make Bulma wail, suddenly clutching at her stomach and quivering with ascending sobs. Foul blood. The same foul blood that now festered in her womb.

"Oh Kame, no! I want to wake up and be told this was all just a horrible nightmare. This place is horrible! There's no way I can give birth here ChiChi, I just can't! I don't even… I don't want this baby! ….OW!"

The brash mountain woman had slapped her new friend quite harshly across the cheek.

"Stop your whining and get a grip! You're going to be a mother in a few months, and you need to prepare yourself for that new adventure. Besides, that's a life you're talking about. You can't just get rid of it! Do you want to be a murderer?" The woman wailed again; she'd never really thought of it like that. The reality of her situation just hurt even more.

"But! But every time I look him.. her.. whatever! I'm just going to be reminded of you-know-who! He or she, will be half Vegeta! I don't think I can - OW!" Another slap, this time backhanded across the other cheek. "Damn it stop hitting meeee!" A sulking Bulma slumped her shoulders, now pressing her palms to both stinging cheeks defensively.

"Then stop feeling sorry for yourself, start thinking about the positives, and maybe I will."

"What positives? There are n- DON'T YOU DARE!" The former-heiress shrieked and shielded herself, as the mountain woman huffed and clenched her fists. Of course, she wasn't about to hit the exotic woman again, but she was going to talk some sense into her.

"If you don't want the responsibility, then fine. You can give the child to me. I will gladly look after it. But I am not letting you try anything stupid. You are having this baby!"

It was hardly the pep-talk Bulma was used to, but seven months later, and her healthy son was born. It wasn't the first time the two women would argue either, and this was inevitable, since they came from two entirely different backgrounds. But they had gradually formed a strange friendship, and now Bulma would be damned if she let ChiChi run off with her perfect Saiyan mate, meanwhile abandoning her one and only friend on the asteroid. The heiress knew what she wanted, and it was about time she made it happen.

To be continued….