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I'm back with another chapter! Like I said, we're winding down to the end…of this story ^^ When this one is complete, I'll be jumping right in to the next one, and I am very excited for it! So, until then, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the read of Camaraderie.

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The following day brought a full round of goodbyes. In the Briefs' backyard, Kakarot's family was all huddled together, Kakarot hugging Gohan tightly wearing a sad smile on his face. He pulled away and patted the man's shoulders, the pride he felt for him shining through their bond so brightly.

"Now, you make sure you call us, okay?" he demanded gently. "I can't wait to see my granddaughter."

"Don't worry, dad," Gohan assured. "Videl and I are planning to come and visit sometime after Pan is born. We want her to see where she comes from."

The full-blooded Saiyan smiled widely at that, a goofy laugh leaving him before he said goodbye to Videl and his father-in-law as well. Chi Chi was in tears as she hugged her son and soon to be daughter-in-law. After, she approached her father, her hands folded together and she apologized to him for leaving. Ox King just gave his daughter a big hug and assured her that he would come and visit once travel opened up between worlds again. He also added a very true, "Besides, I've had many good years with you all to myself. I'm actually happy that Kakarot and the kids are free to go between the two places."

Goten was over by his uncle, thanking him for the training. He felt better prepared now to go to Saiyan home world. Raditz smiled, though Goten could tell there was a deep sadness. In a rare show of affection, Raditz wrapped his arms around the teenager leaving Goten feeling a bit awkward before he returned the gesture.

Cella jumped on her cousin's back, ending the random hug and told him to come back and visit. Tarble laughed over the scene. Then, Gohan joined them, and Cella hopped off Goten's back. Gohan and Goten exchanged a silent glance, and they smiled to each other. They shared a brotherly fist bump.

"Don't be a stranger," Gohan said.

Goten grinned and nodded. "Same goes for you."

"I'm proud of you for going after your dream."

Goten blushed, and the two of them looked over to Bulla, the princess hugging her grandmother and grandfather. His heart fluttered in his chest just seeing her so acting so vibrant even though he could tell she was sad they weren't all going with them now. She just met her family, just like Goten had just met his uncle and cousin. At least they knew, though, that this wasn't truly goodbye, not in the slightest.

Vegeta and Bulma were saying goodbye to their Earthling friends. It had been so long since they had seen them, and though Vegeta had been thankful for their presence, his mind had solely been on getting his mate back. Likewise, Bulma had been recovering from everything that she hadn't interacted with them much at all.

Maron hugged Bulma and said, "Promise you'll come visit?"

"I will," Bulma laughed lightly.

Yamcha looked to Vegeta and grinned. "Once travel opens up, we'll be looking forward to coming to Planet Vegeta again."

Vegeta nodded. After all, back in the day Maron and Yamcha had played a big role in getting Earth society to accept them despite the false claims of Bulma's fathers. The prince looked to Tien, Launch, and Piccolo. "You're all welcome to come, too."

Piccolo snickered. "No disrespect, but I have no desire to leave Earth. It's home, and even with the shield I refuse to abandon it."

"Fair enough," Vegeta replied before his son called him and Bulma over to her parents. "Excuse us."

Nappa was watching Vegeta and his family saying their goodbyes from a distance while Bardock was watching his own. It was so surreal getting ready to leave. Despite it only being a few weeks, so much had happened. The fact that they were going home was difficult to perceive. Knowing travel would be reinstated made everything all the better.

"The king sends his regards about Peppan," Nappa told the third-class warrior. His eyes were filled with emotion, but he quickly covered it up. "He knows that Raditz is planning to stay."

Bardock scoffed a laugh. "I'm surprised he's not ordering them all back. He's changed over the years."

"You would have known if you had kept in touch," the former general pointed out. "But I understand. You two always had a like/hate relationship."

"Whatever." Bardock crossed his arms and looked back over to his two sons sharing their heartfelt goodbye. "Did you tell the king about what happened with Cell and the battle on the ship?"

"I did," Nappa replied. "The royal family sees Peppan as a hero for protecting the prince." Bardock grimaced, and Nappa saw. "You should tell Raditz about it."

Bardock shook his head. "Trust me. He doesn't need a reminder of her. Not yet."

"Whatever you say," Nappa yielded before he left the man to join the Briefs. He had his own farewells to exchange.

He couldn't believe he had to say goodbye to them already, but at least Dr. Briefs knew this wouldn't be the last time. Trunks and Bulla both came to him, giving the old man a hug. In his heart, he knew he didn't deserve it, but he was thankful. It seemed there was no longer any bad blood between him and his family, and he would do his best to fix things with both his daughters. He had, at least, managed to bridge the gap between himself and one of his daughter's mates. That reminded him…

Tomaren was off, leaning on the side of the house, watching all of the exchanges as if her were an outsider. It broke the doctor's heart that Tomaren had been raised in such a vicious environment. Tough that part wasn't his fault, the doctor couldn't help but see his futuristic grandson who had come back to warn his parents about Cold. The doctor found himself walking over to the former assassin. Tomaren's eyes were glued to him, distrust reflecting in those dark eyes as Dr. Briefs extended his hand for a handshake.

The assassin didn't know what to make of the doctor, but he knew the man was also his grandfather like Nappa was. His eyes wandered to his father, Celen standing beside his mother. Tights looked only mildly worried, but Tomaren felt that the worry was more for him than towards him. Celen just smirked at him and nodded. With his father's okay, he took the doctor's hand and shook it. Dr. Briefs smiled at him before going to say goodbye to Bulma.

Bulma and Dr. Briefs stood across from one another, neither moving to bridge the gap. The scientist knew he had hurt Bulma so deeply, maybe beyond repair, and yet she still mustered up the courage to grant him a small but genuine smile. She nodded to him, and that was all the invitation he needed to march up to her and pull her in his arms. The two shared a chuckle when they heard their mother and Tights cooing excitedly over the fact that this was actually happening.

"So…you'll visit?" Bulma whispered the question with a bit of uncertainty.

"Of course we will," her father promised, his voice light and sincere. "You, Vegeta, and the kids are welcome here any time, too."

Bunny smiled at her husband and youngest daughter before looking to her eldest. "And what will you be doing? Are you heading back to Planet Vegeta, too?"

"Mm-nm," Tights replied with the shake of her head. "When Jaco showed up, part of the reason he came was to offer Celen and I our old jobs with the Galactic Patrol back. We want to get back to some sort of normalcy before we go back to Planet Vegeta." She looked to her brother-in-law and smiled. "Is that okay?"

Though he kept his stoicism about him, Vegeta nodded and said, "You don't my permission or anyone else's for that matter. Not even his." They both knew he was talking about his father.

"Take all the time you need," Nappa said as he joined them. His son looked over to him, surprise in his eyes before it flickered out instantly. The former general could tell that his son was starting to be less and less surprised each time.

"I promise, father," Celen spoke. "Tights and I will be back to visit Planet Vegeta very soon. I feel that we should speak with the king, tell him everything." And they would be back, though not to stay. He and Tights had talked at length the night before, the Saiyan willing to give up everything and live on Earth with her. After he met her, Planet Vegeta stopped feeling like home. He had a duty to his people and king, but that was as far as the connection went.

In their talk, they both admitted that neither Planet Earth nor Vegeta felt like home, at least at the moment. The couple accepted that they needed to adjust to this new universe. Another factor to consider was that Tomaren would be going to Planet Vegeta to see what it was like, to train the military. Neither parent wanted to overtax their boy.

Speaking of, Celen watched as his mate walked over to their son. Tomaren looked a bit taken aback, his crossed arms bristling under the force of tensed muscles. He kept his eyes on them. The Saiyan trusted his son, but he knew what he suffered. He would intervene if he had to, but for now he just let them be.

Tights surprised her son when she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him for the first time. Tomaren's dark eyes widened, fear inside with also a glint of familiarity. He froze in her grip, not moving a muscle to return the embrace or kill her. Tights did not mind that he didn't reciprocate. She just wanted her son to know she loved him. That was all that mattered.

Tomaren, though, was afraid of what he might do to the woman. He desperately did not want to hurt her, yet there was always something there. It terrified him and made him feel helpless, two things Tomaren had never felt before breaking away from Cooler. He didn't know what to do with it.

Celen noticed the terror in his son's eyes, and went to gently pulled Tights away. "Alright, enough," he drawled nonchalantly despite feeling a great deal of concern for them both. "You'll embarrass him."

He looked to his son and winked, and he could feel Tomaren's immense relief and thankfulness. Celen bit back a sigh. One day, he truly believe. One day, they would all recover. They were already free, after all. Now, it was time to heal.

Tomaren needed it more than anyone.

Tarble took a deep breath before joining his brother's family, hugging everyone aside from Trunks goodbye. They already had their emotional goodbye. This time, they just exchange a nod and understanding smiles.

When Vegeta walked up to his brother, Tarble felt his heart sink. How was he ever going to say goodbye to him?

"Vegeta…"

The older prince placed his hands on Tarble's shoulders, his grip firm and gaze hard. Tarble felt paralyzed in the moment until his brother's lips curved into a smirk. "I am so proud of you," Vegeta spoke with all the sincerity in the world. Tarble was speechless. "We will keep in touch, Tarble. We'll be back."

"I know you will," Tarble finally spoke, a smile on his face the conflicted with the saddened yet hopeful look in his eyes. He looked around at the yard and smile. "It looks like you'll have your hands full for a while."

Vegeta snickered. His brother was right, of course. With Raditz staying and Kakarot returning, not to mention Tomaren joining in, the army was about to get a major overall. In addition to that, even Goten had sought him out to speak with him about becoming a soldier in the army. Apparently, Raditz had spent the entire time in the chamber preparing Goten for such a position. His rival's son had guts; Vegeta would give him that. It was a large part of the reason that the prince had no qualms about the teenager's courtship of his daughter.

Tarble took advantage of Vegeta's thoughtful form, grabbing his unsuspecting brother into a hug. Vegeta had frozen at first, his arms extended out before he tentatively wrapped them around his kid brother. He remembered times when Tarble was little, sometime after he had finally held him for the first time. As much as Vegeta saw him like a brother, he also saw him as a son. He would miss him dearly and, for that reason, he gave into the embrace.

Afterwards, Tarble wiped away a lone tear that had escaped him, walking over to where Kakarot's family was. The young prince walked into another sea of chaotic goodbyes.

This was it.

Soon after, the Saiyans had returned to Planet Vegeta. The soldiers were all excused to return home to their families, Vegeta giving them an extended break considering they had made this sacrifice for them. When they got back, it was business as usual. Vegeta had Bulma show Kakarot where he and his family could stay while he went to speak to his father. Kakarot was planning to get their own home, but that would take time. Goten didn't mind, though. It gave him more time to wander around the palace and planet with Bulla, the princess thrilled that she'd get to show Goten everything about the life she lived.

Likewise, Trunks took it upon himself to show Tomaren around. This was after he got Thia settled. The princess was still overwhelmed by everything that happened with her brother. She couldn't believe he and her father had gone against the alliance like this. They still had no idea what was to happen, and though Thia was happy and content, there were still days she needed some space. She took to spending time with Bulma, the woman taking her shopping for all sorts of new clothes and belonging. Bulma wanted her daughter-in-law to feel at home.

So, Trunks took to showing Tomaren around the palace. Tomaren had been shocked when Vegeta had told his son to show him to a room closer to Trunks's. The assassin thought, for certain, that he would be left to fend for himself when he wasn't working for the army. Never did he think the prince would allow him to actually live among the royals.

"You're family, remember?" Trunks ribbed gently when Tomaren expressed his confusion. "And soon you'll be training the new recruits. You're free to do whatever you want as far as living is concerned, but while you're transitioning it's better to be with family. You went through a lot. We just want you to be okay. Plus, you won't have much of a commute which is always good."

Trunks winked at his cousin, and Tomaren just looked away. He still didn't really know how he should feel, being in a family. They hardly knew him, and yet they were looking out for him. It was a stark contrast to the world in which he grew up. It was a good thing, yet Tomaren's being seemed to protest it.

He was brought to the training grounds, surprised that they were outside. Having lived in a ship his entire life, this was also a new thing he'd have to get used to. If he thought about it, he rather enjoyed sleeping in trees when being on Earth. Maybe, just maybe he'd feel better if he hand around here more often.

"So, this is most likely where you'll be training new recruits," Trunks explained. "There are other training areas, and we also have the gravity room mom installed inside the palace. Here, though, it where everyone learns the basics. It's a small area, but it's outside so you shouldn't feel enclosed. There's a room over there that has different training devices to test them on different techniques and enough room for simple sparring as opposed to full-on battles. That's my dad's and Raditz's territory, though now I should say Kakarot's. You're welcome to go check out their training sessions, too, if you want."

Want… That was the word that continued to haunt the half-Saiyan. He had never wanted much in the past. Trunks was the first one to teach him that he could have his own desires in the first place. He was the one who showed him that he could have a choice where he didn't have to answer to anyone. Even with this new "job," he was being freedom to just wander around, be free, even though they knew him to be a killer. What if his instincts got the better of him one day? Did being family make everyone blind to what he truly was?

Trunks expected some kind of remark, but instead was hit with a wave of unease and distrust. He turned to see Tomaren standing there, in a daze, this lost expression on his face. The prince grimaced slightly, but managed to put on his best neutral expression. As much as he felt for his cousin, Tomaren needed him to keep himself together. The prince could rage about it later during training with his father.

"What's wrong?" he asked him, hoping Tomaren would tell him his thoughts.

Not so surprisingly, Tomaren did, and Trunks realized that he might be the only one the assassin would open up to, for a while anyway. "This is all very generous," the half-Saiyan spoke with an emotion Trunks couldn't quite pick out mixed with a tinge of fear, "but how am I supposed to stave off my instincts. My mother may not be here, but the urge to kill is still there. And what happens when she visits? I don't want to…"

The prince raised his hand to his chin, tilting his head down as he pondered this all for a moment before an idea hit him. He didn't know why it never hit him before. "You know," he spoke calmly, a patient smile adorning his features, "there's been a lot of strides in the treatment of Saiyan PTSD."

"PTSD?" Tomaren repeated. He had heard those letters mentioned on Cooler's based before, but he never cared to know what that meant.

Trunks nodded. "Post-traumatic stress disorder. Many of those who served under Frieza still struggle with it. There's still a lot in the trial phases, different medications and such, but you know something, it could work. I can work with you; both mom and I can. I'm a doctor, after all, and she's a genius. We can help you find a way to at least mute the instincts until you can completely fight them on your own. What do you say?"

It was too good to be true was what Tomaren had to say about it, but he kept his mouth shut. His cousin seemed to have quite a bit of faith in him. He actually believed he could snuff out his mission objectives. Trunks's comment about being a doctor, though, made Tomaren smirk. It was just like when he was fighting his father. Tomaren remembered Trunks telling him that Celen's story had been what prompted him to follow that path.

Both Trunks and his father seemed to have a whole lot of faith in him that Tomaren did not have in himself. He trusted them more than he trusted anyone else.

Tomaren nodded, accepting the help, and he could feel a positivity pouring off the prince.

Tights was pacing back and forth before the doors to the throne room opened. She looked to her mate who wore a tight smile. "It's going to be okay," he attempted to assure her. It didn't help that he wasn't feeling so certain at the moment, either.

As promised, a couple weeks after reestablishing themselves at the Galactic Patrol, Celen and Tights planned a trip to Vegeta. They really needed to speak with the royals about all that had happened. Despite their last meeting with the king, they were so unbelievably nervous. Even though he had been accepting of their help and changed the government and restrictions so much, Celen knew he and Tights had broken so many of the old laws.

The two entered the room, the king and queen sitting on their thrones. Celen knelt down before them almost immediately, looking down to the ground. Vegeta and Kalina looked to one another, perplexed, before their eyes landed on a timid Tights. She looked very worried, and the royals knew what was causing both hers and Celen's demeanor.

"King Vegeta," Celen greeted, "and Queen Kalina. I humbly apologize for the lies I told…how I misled you and-"

"Celen, stand," King Vegeta demanded, though his voice was missing its usual callous bite. Celen flinched, but he rose, pushing himself up off the ground. He finally looked up to the king and was surprised to see this soft glint to his eyes. "You and Tights influenced us so much. The entire Saiyan race is still alive because of you. Neither of you should feel afraid here. You were declared heroes long ago."

The Saiyan turned back to face his mate, both Celen and Tights looking completely confused. "H-Heroes?" Tights spoke. She had heard it mentioned when she was around her family back on Earth, but she didn't think it truly applied. "K-King Vegeta…we aren't…"

"You are," the king replied strongly. "You both gave up so much to make sure we survived, and truthfully most of us didn't deserve that loyalty. I, especially, treated you both poorly. Tights, I was going to have you killed. You owed us nothing, and yet here we are because of you and because of Celen. No matter what our laws were in the past, even if I would have held you to them then, they no longer matter. The two of you are family, after all."

Two pairs of dark, wide eyes were on the royals, the queen smiling at them. It made sense, in a way. Kalina and Nappa had always been friends. She always looked out for Celen, treated him like family. The king had still despised him, but he went along with her. Now, it was completely different. Bulma was their princess now, Tights's sister, something that they never could have anticipated from the very beginning. They were interwoven forever because of hers and Vegeta's union.

Kalina stood up and said, "You are both welcome on the planet at any time, and you are always welcome to stay here at the palace."

The king agreed, also standing up. His voice boomed as he approached the Saiyan. "Welcome home, Celen. It's good to have you back."