Goku twisted his fingers around each other as he watched his eldest type away at a computer in the med bay with a few doctors including Selarp. The teen had been scouring every bit of data in his search to reverse what that demented goat did to the beta. He leaned against Vegeta who was standing beside him as they waited for any news.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Gohan looked up from the screen to where Goku and Vegeta were sitting. The glow of the screen flickered on the glasses he needed to put on after so many hours of searching. "We've gone over everything on the disk I brought, but there is nothing about what was done to your vocal cords." Of all the things he found, details about his father's biology, the punishments Shiveria inflicted on him, he couldn't believe that the information about his vocal cords wasn't there. He had read through every file at least twice but it just wasn't there. The teen rubbed at his eyes both in exhaustion and frustration as he tried to stave off the tears in his eyes and finally admit defeat.
"So…there is nothing else we can do to fix this?" The prince demanded from the others in the room. His tail lashed the lashed as he growled.
"No, sire." Selarp looked down at the floor. "If the healing tank couldn't fix the problem, and without more information on what was done, I'm afraid we can't fix the Prince Consort's voice. I am truly sorry, your highness."
Goku let out a disappointed whine as he looked down as well.
"There has to be something else you can do!" Vegeta yelled wrapping an arm around Goku to comfort him.
"We can't, Vegeta." Gohan finally explained taking off his glasses. "We don't know what they did. If we start poking around….Vegeta, we're lucky what ever they did didn't kill Dad to begin with." Goku and Vegeta looked at him concerned.
"Explain now."
"I looked at the scans," Gohan said. "They injected something that froze his vocal cords. If they put the needle any where other than that one spot he'd have stopped breathing and nothing could have fixed it."
Vegeta's eyes widened as they darted to look at his mate who was rapidly loosing color in his face. The beta was quick to reach out and tightly hold one of the prince's arms as he trembled over the news. While he had faced death twice in his life, he was finally happy, and he didn't want to leave his family again.
"You're fine, Karo." The alpha immediately began to whisper to him as he gathered Goku closer to him. He could feel the younger saiyan bury his face in his chest as he threaded his fingers in wild spikes. "Everything's alright now."
Gohan came up on the other side of the shaken submissive to wrap his arms around Goku as well. The teen shuddered at the thought of how close he came to loosing his father again. He bit his lip as he rubbed a hand on the beta's shoulder, and his eyes lit up as an idea suddenly occurred to him.
"What about Bulma?" The younger alpha asked Vegeta with a small, hopeful smile growing on his face. "Do you think she could fix this?" The prince met his eldest stepson's eyes and a matching smile appeared on his face as well.
"If there is anyone that possibility could, it would be her. She is the most brilliant person I've ever come across." The older saiyan pulled back to look down at Goku. "Do you want to try and see if she could help, Karo? If nothing else, we could always use the dragon balls to fix your voice."
"Don''t forget Dende and Mr. Popo, their magic might be able to help." Gohan chimed in. Vegeta nodded forced to concede to that as well. Goku looked up and bite his lip, he hadn't the faintest idea how to answer.
He never wanted to return to Earth, not after wishing Vegetasei back. It was a realization he came to during his pregnancy. He missed his friends on Earth and could easily come and go if he wanted but he hadn't wanted to go back. Earth had so many things he wanted to forget and move past. Even if it meant fixing his voice was it worth it to risk seeing Chichi again? To see everyone from Earth now that they knew certain things?
"Dad?" Vegeta shushed the boy. He recognized that look in his mate's eyes. This was a lot for the beta to deal with. The news they couldn't fix his voice here was shattering, and it had to hit Karo harder than it did him.
"We'll deal with that when he's ready, Gohan." Vegeta said softly as he helped Goku get back on his feet. The submissive gave him a grateful look before he started to walk to the door. "He needs a little time to think." A sharp glare silenced the argument coming from Gohan. "This is more than a simple visit, Gohan."
+++VK+++
The beta remained in a somber mood for the remainder of the day, and no one could distract him from his thoughts. At dinner he was so deep in his thoughts, his food went untouched, and he left to go think in his room.
His mind was still going in circles as he sat in one of the overstuffed chairs by a window. He tried to focus on the stars in the sky that were slowly appearing after the suns had set, but his faint reflection kept interfering.
The submissive's eyes would drift down to his neck, and Goku had caught his hand moving to rub the skin over his throat more than once. Then he would catch sight of his smaller muscles and frame, and the beta would feel almost disgusted with himself as he took in the evidence of his time with the frost demon.
Goku felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place as he weighed the decision to remain mute for the rest of his life or go back to Earth and have everyone he knew what he went through. There would be no way that his friends wouldn't be able to figure out that something had happen to him with the way he looked now.
Then there Chi-Chi...
He shuddered as he pushed the thought of his ex-wife out of his mind. Seeing that there was no way he was going to make a decision without some more time, the beta changed into his sleep clothes and pulled the blankets over his head to try and block out the situation. He was so distracted that he didn't notice when his mate slipped in behind him as he drifted off.
Dreamscape
Goku sighed as Vegeta settled behind him and wrapped him in his arms. He knew that the prince had allowed him as much time as he could, but now the alpha would demand an answer.
"Talk to me, Karo." His tone was gentle.
"I didn't want to go back." Goku said getting to the point. "I was so tired of trying to fit in there without realizing it. Chi-Chi is still there, Geta, I don't want to face her after everything. I don't even know what I did to her after I took Goten."
"So far as I can tell, nothing." Vegeta soothed and nuzzled his mate. "She knows I know everything, Karo. After Turles delivered Father's message, she tried to make Gohan go home and be human, admitting to her abuse of Goten in the process. The bitch slapped him and my instincts kicked in."
"What! She hit him?!"
"She didn't even leave a mark, Karo, and I broke her wrist for it. You're mine, Karo, nothing that woman can do will change that. If it will put your mind at ease you'll never have to see her again, I have no issue getting rid of her." The prince soothed his mate before he got too emotional.
"No."
"Karo, why are you defending her?" Vegeta moved so the beta could see his incredulous expression. "After everything she did to you, she deserves some kind of punishment!"
"She gave me my boys, and in spite of everything…Geta, I have my family now, I'm with my people with a mate who loves me. I just…I want to move on. There's no point in killing her." Goku sounded so tired at that moment, and Vegeta felt his heart being squeezed inside his chest.
"Alright, love. I won't do anything to the harpy…but if she shows her face, I reserve the right to defend you as I see fit." The alpha huffed, but a smile grew once he saw the relieved look on the submissive's face.
"Thanks, Geta. I know it's hard for you to let that go, but thank you." Vegeta nodded, but he still couldn't let his rage at the woman go.
'I'm sure Bardock would be happy to deal with her if I asked him to anyway.'
"Is there anything else bothering you about going back other than the harpy?" The prince asked trying to get back on topic.
"I don't want them to know." The beta said as his tail curled around him. "And they'll find out if we go back. One look at me is all they'll need to figure out something happened."
"Karo…"
"They'll think I'm pathetic and weak." Goku said cutting him off as tears began to fall. His hands fisted in the black material of his sleep pants. "I'm supposed to be the strongest, and then I get kidnapped and tortured before I was rescued." Vegeta growled softly and nuzzled his mate's mark pulling him against his chest.
The submissive did not resist as he slumped against the alpha's chest. Goku tucked his head under the prince's chin as he rested on a broad chest, and strong arms bracketed along his back and chest. He shivered once he felt the warm and wet sensation of Vegeta's tongue as it swiped over the bond bite on his neck. There was nothing sexual about the touch, all it did was help relax the younger saiyan further. He felt safe.
"Karo, no one, least of all your friends will ever think you are weak. You destroyed an army while you were a child, have battled countless opponents that you should never have been able to defeat and come out the victor. You are not weak, Karo."
"I'm sorry you keep having to do this." Goku said eventually as he leaned further into Vegeta's embrace.
"It's alright, I'll tell you that every day for the rest of our lives and after if that's what it takes." Vegeta purred. "It will get easier, Karo, you'll get through this. If you don't want to go to Earth, I swear we will stay here. We can find another way to get your voice back."
"I miss talking." Goku said quietly. "I miss telling the boys I love them, teasing my brother, talking with you outside of our dreams. I want my voice back, Geta. I know its our best option but….I'm scared, Geta."
"I know, love." Vegeta just held him and let the beta vent.
"I don't know if I can handle a month in a spaceship." Kakarot whispered with a shudder. "I could tolerate the trip to Namek because I could train the whole way there and it was only a week. The trip back here was hard."
"We don't have to take a ship, Karo, there's always instant transmission, which you still need to teach us by the way." Goku blushed at the tone in Vegeta's voice. He still felt a bit embarrassed that he had never thought of teaching any of his friends or family that technique.
"But I need my voice for that."
"Understandable, what if I went and brought Bulma here? Or we could go to the lookout and have her meet us there?" the prince suggested. "If you don't want to see anyone from Earth, I'll make sure that happens, love. This is your choice." Goku purred and rubbed his head under his Geta's chin. "I will say that your friends all miss you, Karo. They all worried about you when you left. They probably want to meet Vegito and see the boys again."
"Trunks misses Bulma." The younger said. "He mentioned he wished he could talk to her and tell her about everything here. I'm glad I'm his tama, but I know he misses his mom. To be honest I miss her too, Bulma was family to me growing up. Krillin too, and Yamcha and Roshi."
"She misses you too, Karo. Bulma…she wanted us to be together, Karo, she gave us her blessing. No matter what happens, she will always care about you." They were silent for a while.
"I'll do it." Goku said quietly. "I'll take us to Earth. I need a day or two to focus and calm my ki down a bit more, but I can do it. I'll try and get us to the lookout, but I might end up wherever Piccolo is at. I can find his ki the best."
"I'm sure the boys will love to visit, but we will have to go over this with Goten. I don't want him to think we are taking him back to that harpy." Vegeta lightly scratched at the beta's scalp, and the sensation made Goku let out a deep purr.
"I want my father and brother to go with us." The younger saiyan murmured as he arched closer to the hand in his hair. While it still bothered him if others did this, whenever Vegeta or Bardock would scratch his scalp like this, it relaxed him into a state of mush. "I would feel better with them there with us."
"I'm sure Tarble would want to come too. He's mentioned how fascinating Earth sounds to him. I bet he'll beg to be included as soon as he finds out that we are going." The older saiyan chuckled at the image that popped up in his head at the thought. "Get some rest, love. We will need it when we bring this up tomorrow."
+++VK+++
"We're going to Earth! I get to see Mom, Grandma and Grandpa!" Trunks shouted jumping for joy almost knocking his breakfast to the floor. Goku smiled and ruffled Goten's hair seeing the uneasy look in the cub's eye. Vegeta saw this as well.
"We're going to see if Bulma or Dende can help fix Karo's voice. Once that is over, we'll visit and maybe get some things to bring back here before we return. I promise we aren't going to leave you, Goten, I doubt we'll even see your mother." The little cub smiled as his tail wagged before he continued to eat his breakfast.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Bardock snarled as his fangs came out. "You aren't going without me and Raditz, and that's final Kakarot!" Goku chuckled silently before helping himself to more food. He took some of the meat and cut it up into little bites for Vegito who was making a mess of his breakfast. "I mean it, you aren't going with out us."
"We planned to bring you already if you would let me finish. Karo wanted to introduce you to his close friends." The prince said slightly irritated his father in law wouldn't even let him finish the invitations. "We wanted you to come as well, Tarble."
"Really! That's great! There's so much I want to see and learn about Earth." The younger prince was very excited over the news.
"I can't imagine why." Raditz grumbled. "It's boring and crawling with weaklings." He flinched at the glare from his little brother. "What! The average power level on the planet was 0.5! You were born a 2 and were able to tear them apart. I just don't see what is so fascinating about Earth."
Almost immediately, Goten and Trunks glared at the long haired alpha. They missed several things back on Earth that Vegetasei just didn't have, and they wasted no time in telling the saiyans that had never been there or really looked at the planet just what they were missing out on.
"We have all kinds of stuff that isn't here." Trunks defended. "You guy don't have fun parks. Or dinosaurs!"
"Then there's capsule corp! Trunks' mom can do magic stuff! She put a huge house inside a pod the size of a bean." Goten huffed as he crossed his arms. "There is even better food there like ice cream and ramen!"
+++VK+++
"Is everyone ready?" Vegeta asked as the nine saiyans gathered on the balcony in Goku's bedchambers. Goten nodded and hugged his tama's leg tightly while everyone else nodded as well. Trunks wrapped himself around Goku's other leg as he smiled in excitement. Vegeta grasped at his mate's free arm while he held their youngest with his other. The remaining four adults grabbed onto the beta's shirt and shoulders.
True to his word Goku had spent two days meditating to calm his still agitated ki. He explained to Vegeta that IT was more control than power and for a large group it was especially important his control was spot on. It also seemed to give his mate a sense of peace the beta had been missing as he felt his control coming back.
"Alright whenever you're ready, Karo." Vegeta said giving his mate a kiss. Goku nodded with a hesitant smile before he placed two fingers between his eyes and shut them so he could focus.
Tarble, Bardock and Raditz watched in awe as they started to flicker a bit when the technique took hold. Before anyone could blink they vanished from the planet.
