This is following my latest habit of posting smaller chapters. Again, I am ending this chapter where I felt the best stopping point was. I am also excited about getting to update again so soon! With my last update I made it well past 300 reviews! Wow! I never imagined getting so much feedback with this story, and I just can't thank you all enough!

In the darkness and up close, Vegeta's face was even more intimidating than Gohan remembered. Looking into that humorless glare of his, the adolescent was starting to rethink asking to speak with him in private. The ever-present scowl that was chronically sealed on Vegeta's face appeared as if it would rear back and bite at any possible moment, even in a pleasant mood. The man was absolutely unpredictable, and Gohan - who hadn't been exactly sure of which words he would use in the first place - stood still as he considered the situation.

Was it even worth asking? He'd probably just get blown off!

As if reading his mind, Vegeta suddenly stepped forward, unsheathing the whites of his teeth. "Well? What is it, boy!"

Eyes widening, Gohan was always torn between disdain and awe when this supposed saiyan prince addressed him. It was as if two worlds were pulling at his arms, trying to will him to follow two paths. The man had never even been kind to his own father, even after his death! And the way Vegeta held himself made Gohan want to both punch him in the face and grovel on his knees. It was confusingly amazing. 'And why,' One of the reasons in his head beckoned. 'Why does he always talk as if there's a stick up his rear?' Gohan didn't typically think of people with such a regard, but this man really had a way of getting under his skin. "I just wanted to ask for a rematch!" He snapped suddenly, feeling as the rage began to win its fight on his body.

"Oh?" Vegeta grinned. "It took you long enough, didn't it?"

"Yeah, well." Gohan could already feel the sweat at his temples. Vegeta really did have a talent for doing this to him. "In case you hadn't noticed, I've been kind of busy."

Letting out a forced laugh for effect, Vegeta stepped back to wave a condescending finger. "Do you really think I will accept that excuse? You know exactly where I live. I know you've sensed my ki when I've signaled for you."

Gohan raised his eyebrows, trying not to show his surprise. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but he really had noticed Vegeta's ki since the last time they'd met. It always seemed to stay in the same geographic area, and there had been certain days when it especially caught the boy's attention. Vegeta's ki would peak dangerously high, then rapidly deteriorate before rising back up again. Gohan always attempted to ignore it when these instances occurred, though it was difficult. The way Vegeta's power seemed to beckon him - mocking… taunting…

And now it turned out he really had been doing it on purpose? This guy really was a jerk! Krillin had been right about him!

"You haven't even bothered to show your face until I came to you." Vegeta scoffed. "Too afraid of getting your ass beaten, I see."

That did it. "I can't forgive you for what you've said about my Dad!" Gohan growled. The next thing he knew, before he could even register his actions, his closed fist was coming into contact with Vegeta's face. The saiyan prince didn't so much as lose his balance, having seen it coming. He did instigate it, after all…

Gohan's eyes widened. This wasn't the first time he'd lost physical control, and whenever that happened he was always immediately hit with an overwhelming sense of guilt. He dropped his face, backing away as if he couldn't trust himself to not do it again. "Mr. Vegeta… I'm… I'm sorr-"

"If that's the best you're capable of, I'm better off sparring with my infant son!" Vegeta hissed, his voice breaking into a croaky laugh. He put a hand to his cheek, grinning as if it tickled. In reality the skin was stinging with the threat of a bruise, but he'd never reveal this to Kakarot's boy...

Gohan snapped his head back up. Now that Vegeta looked closer, he could see sweat at the his forehead. The more he examined the kid, though, he realized that the sweat was covering his entire body. The boy was standing before him, grunting with hostile breaths, his eye nearly twitching in effect. Vegeta had taunted the boy, but he still seemed much too angry for the situation. He hadn't been that harsh...

And, wait – that wasn't even sweat… it almost looked like grease...

"What's with you?" Vegeta straightened his posture. This was getting weird…

"I… I don't know, I just… I feel…" Gohan glared. His ki was spasming, as if he was torn between anger and sadness. The kid backed away even more, looking at his own hands. "I can't… control myself lately…" He growled. "My temper's gotten so bad. I hate fighting, but lately that's all I want to do… I… I have urges…"

Vegeta's eyes widened. Oh no…

"I just… I feel like I need to..." Gohan lifted his head, losing his ability to hold back. "I can't sleep at night, Mr. Vegeta! It's all I can think about. The other day I broke the stove! I... I accidentally burned myself while cooking for mother, and I picked it up and threw it. Just like that! I couldn't stop myself!" Gohan seemed to be growing more desperate as he spoke, as if he had never verbalized these thoughts before. As if, now that he'd started explaining, he couldn't turn off his tongue. As if he'd been holding his breath for years and had only just remembered how the breathe.

Vegeta crossed his arms, looking him up and down as he spoke. The way Gohan sounded as if he was going to burst into tears at any moment, and yet such pleasure dripped from his tongue as he detailed destroying the kitchen appliance… The Saiyan Prince raised his eyebrows. Oh, jeez... "How… old are you, boy…?"

Gohan stiffened. He cleared his throat awkwardly, no longer about to make eye contact. "I'll be… thirteen in a couple months, sir…"

Thirteen? Now, that was an age Vegeta hadn't thought about in years. Suddenly images came flooding back to mind. Long forgotten sleepless nights in his pod, violent outbursts, the hunger. Vegeta twisted his expression as if he'd smelled something foul, slapping a hand to his face. "You're turning thirteen?"

"Y-Yes... why? Is there something wrong with that?"

"Well, I don't know, boy. You tell me." Vegeta pulled the hand down, stepping away from Gohan as if he thought the kid was carrying some type of infectious disease. "I don't know if your anatomy will take more after your human or your saiyan DNA. But thirteen years old? Either way, that's disgusting."

"Huh?" Gohan's face fell, his mouth dropping open. "What do you-"

"I don't care what you do in your own time, but it'll benefit you to blow off steam somehow! You should be proud of your saiyan ancestors, boy. You hear the voices, don't you? The voices telling you to fight? You're better off listening to them. They'll only grow louder if you ignore them." Vegeta was shaking his head now, still horrified as images from his own adolescence began to replay in his mind. Thirteen was an age he had been so happy to forget…

"Mr. Vegeta, I-"

"Say no more, boy." Vegeta was heading back for the house now. He had long forgotten about his plan on pestering Gohan into a sparring match. This night was just becoming too much for him to bear. "I don't need to hear anything else. Just remember what I said. And for the love of hell, make sure you shower regularly… Oh jeez... Thirteen…"

And with that, as a bewildered Gohan registered what he had been told, the prince of all saiyans disappeared back into the hut.

Her silhouette stood near the bathroom door, brushing her teeth with avid determination. Vegeta lay on his bed, shirtless and exhausted, the image of an ailed Chi-Chi playing over in his astonished head. He watched Bulma's figure as she spit into the sink and placed her toothbrush back into its cup, wondering once again what it had been like for her. He had left her for the majority of her pregnancy, and for the majority of the boy's first year.

He didn't remember Bulma ever being that frail – but then again, she did have a considerable amount of resources available. Her health obviously had been affected by the boy's gestation, though. There was proof of that in the way she'd passed out in Vegeta's bed one night. If he remembered correctly, she had developed some type of comorbidity from carrying child. In fact, it was due to her fainting spell that they had even been able to diagnose her with the condition known on Earth as pregnancy.

Clad in her thin night clothes, Bulma was now strolling back into the bedroom. She made eye contact with the saiyan, a smile forming at her lips. "I know I already said it, but I'm glad you came to see me tonight."

"Right." Vegeta sat up, having more on his mind than that. "Tell me, Woman… How do you think that family will hold up?"

"I don't know…" Bulma took a seat next to him, kicking her feet on the bed with a sigh. "They've been managing up until now, so I'm sure they'll make it through the night. But honestly, I'm thinking of going back tomorrow. I don't feel comfortable with Gohan being her only form of support."

He didn't want to admit how much this statement pleased him to hear.

"I'm thinking of calling Dr. Plocks and seeing if he'll meet me all the way out there. If he says he can't then I'll offer to fly him, myself. My pregnancy with Trunks was hard, but I don't remember ever being that messed up from it. I swear, she didn't even know who I was by the time we left!"

Once again, Bulma's words were so pleasing that Vegeta had to fight the grin from his face. It was quite a relief to know that she hadn't even gotten into a condition like Chi-Chi's during his absence, but still… He found that the nagging sensation within wasn't going to completely cease. He had abandoned her during a time that was evidently so hard on an Earth Woman. But at least Vegeta could claim ignorance for his decision. From what he could remember, saiyan women didn't have any adverse conditions that came with pregnancy. If anything, they only seemed to fight better when carrying child. It was as if the surging hormones in their body only added to their strength! But this was Kakarot's second child - he had been fully aware of what was awaiting his wife when he decided he didn't want to return to life. Was he really that much of an idiot?

Vegeta, overwhelmed with the burden of empathy, placed his hands behind his head to look up at the ceiling. "I think going back would be a right thing to do." He grunted. "Perhaps they need to live in less solitude."

He felt arms on his chest, and he knew that Bulma was cuddling up against him. Her hair nuzzled into his skin, and she indulged in a tight sigh. "Did you just suggest that they move closer to us?" She teased.

"Kakarot has chosen to desert them. If his wife is going to be in a condition like that, it doesn't make sense for them to live somewhere that not even a physician can readily access."

"Wow, Vegeta…" Her cheek grinned against his pectoral muscle. "I always knew you weren't as selfish as you try to let on!"

He felt his cheeks warming, and the saiyan turned in a futile effort to hide his face. "I am selfish…" He grunted. "I already told you. I'm an asshole."

"Is that a bruise?" Bulma replied, putting a hand to Vegeta's cheek. "Where did that come from?"

An image of Kakarot's son punching him flashed through the saiyan's head. He closed his eyes, fighting back the grin. "Nowhere. Turn off the light, Woman. Let's get some rest."

"Bulma." She corrected. "Remember? I told you that I like it when you call me Bulma..."

"Alright, Bulma." Vegeta turned to look back at her. She was gazing at him, her features exhausted. Her eyes wide with admiration. She really was satisfying to look at. "Let's get some rest. You've got a long day of cleaning up after Kakarot's wife tomorrow..."

And, with that, she clicked off the light before snuggling back against him. He felt her head nuzzling back into his chest, her body seeming to sink into his own. Such a natural and right action, it was one that Vegeta couldn't imagine being without. It was strange to think that this was their first night falling asleep together since he had acted like such a fool. And, as if this was also on her mind, Bulma seemed to sink even deeper into his flesh. "Vegeta?" She said softly, a yawn threatening her lips.

"Yes?"

"Goodnight... I love you..."

All he could do was tighten his hold around her, feeling as his lips brushed against her forehead. The words sinking in, swirling in his ears, playing over in his mind. Even in the darkness his eyes were wide as he considered how to respond. He could feel her sinking even deeper into his hold, and he knew by her heavy breaths that she was quickly falling asleep.

Love...

She still... loved him...

After everything.

Even after he had abandoned her, leaving her to struggle in health much like Kakarot had done to Chi-Chi.

He was still loved...

Vegeta knew she was now asleep, but he pressed his lips against her forehead for another kiss. She let out a soft moan in response, curling into his form and taking in a deep breath. He grinned, closing his eyes again. He wasn't so sure if he deserved it, but he was very much loved.

I was aiming to keep Vegeta's interaction with Gohan a tad confusing - just as confused as he is at a time like this! I hope you enjoyed getting a little bit of insight into Gohan's mind, and that this chapter was fun despite how short it was. Thanks again for all of your continuing support. It keeps me going! Have a great weekend, and Happy Easter (if you celebrate!)