Jensen found himself waking up in a familiar room. It was disconcerting considering the last thing he remembered. Perhaps he'd been rescued. Perhaps Aster had been rescued. Everything had turned out well. He groaned a little as he tried to sit up. It was more of a task than he'd expected. He had been knocked out after all.
"Jensen? You're awake," said a relieved voice from beside him.
He knew it was Bra so he instinctively looked away from her. "What happened?"
"You were captured and taken to a lab. I don't know what happened to you while you were there, but Vegeta was able to find you and he brought you back here. You've been in and out of consciousness since then."
Jensen tried to piece her words together with reality, but it seemed almost impossible. He was missing a lot of information. Even more, he didn't feel like discussing it with Bra. "I have to go," he said climbing off the bed.
"Wait, Jensen—you just woke up. We just got you back safe and sound. You can't be leaving so soon."
Jensen looked back at her. "What part of 'I don't want to talk to you ever again' do you not understand?"
"Oh my god, Jensen, grow up! I've moved on. Everyone has moved on except for you."
He didn't feel like letting his anger erupt at her usual show of ignorance. "Then I'll just be the odd one out." This time when he made his way towards the door, he ignored anything else she had to say and continued on his way.
Once outside, he took off into the sky. The fact that he would never forgive her was a foregone conclusion. He was grateful that he was recovered enough to leave so abruptly. Likely, his body's accelerated healing was the reason behind it. He enjoyed the freedom of being able to soar through the air whenever he wanted to. After Vegeta taught him how to do it properly, it became his primary mode of travel and the world had opened up for him. He'd taken Aster with him everywhere; he could tell that she enjoyed it as well even if she didn't want to learn how to fly herself.
He had no idea what had happened to Aster. Glancing at his phone, he knew that she hadn't contacted him in all that time. Maybe she was recovering as well at her place. He could have asked Bra about it, but there was no way he going to have an actual conversation with her. He'd have an easier time with Auden. Besides, Aster insisted that her father held no ill-will towards him. He'd have to take his word for it.
He was already headed towards her place as was habit for him. He always wound up there as if gravity itself pulled him to that location. Lately, he would feel more welcomed there than his own place. Her father was so often at work that it was as if they had the place to themselves. He didn't even bother climbing the stairs once he got to the apartment and touched down on the familiar exterior corridor. He found the door soon enough but stopped short of knocking on it when he heard raised voices—it was a first. He had to check the number again to make sure he had the right one. He could hear Chi-Chi's sharp voice cutting through the door. Curiously, he stepped forward to hear a bit more clearly.
"I can't believe you went behind my back!"
"What are you talking about? I didn't know I needed to consult you for every little thing that I do," Auden retorted. Because of it's deepness, it was more difficult to make out the words.
"Little? This is not a 'little' decision. Do you realize what you just agreed to?"
"Yes—I do."
"Do you?"
"I said I did."
"No you don't or else you wouldn't have agreed to it."
"I told you—
"You don't need to be part of that world. It's dangerous. It's dangerous! This is silly! Why would you do this?!"
"Chi-Chi—
"Auden!"
There was a pause in their vocal sparring and Jensen thought that now would be the perfect time to knock before they actually started jumping down each other's throat. He wondered about Aster. He couldn't sense her, but if she was there, it likely wasn't such a pleasant place to be recovering.
"Hold on, there's someone at the door," Jensen heard Auden said.
Startled, Jensen looked at his hand mystified. His fist had been hovering over the door, but he hadn't knocked yet. Had Auden simply sensed him there?
"Seriously, Auden? You think I'm falling for that?"
A moment later, the door was being opened and Jensen found himself face to face with Auden who didn't look at all that surprised to see him. Maybe he'd known he was coming. Either way, it sent a shiver down his spine.
"That was quite a speedy recovery," he noted, looking at him pensively.
"Yeah, it doesn't take very long for me to heal. Is Aster here?" Jensen asked trying to sound as natural as possible though he was still startled. Nevermind the fact that he apparently knew that he'd been recovering in the first place.
The man looked at him for a moment too long and Jensen grew uncomfortable just standing there. Auden glanced behind himself, likely at Chi-Chi, and then opened the door wider. "Why don't you step in? We were just having dinner."
"What?" Jensen asked confused.
Auden stepped aside gesturing him inside.
"Auden? Who's that?" Chi-Chi asked from behind.
"It's Jensen."
"Oh, you're looking for Aster?" she asked instinctively, "You know, I haven't seen her for a while. I thought she would have been with you."
Jensen closed the door behind him. Nothing was adding up at the moment as he looked from Auden to Chi-Chi who was standing up now across the room. He watched as Auden looked up to the ceiling wearily before settling his gaze on Jensen.
"We need to talk. You and Chi-Chi—could you sit on the couch over there?"
"I really didn't come here for this—just tell me where Aster is and I'll get out of your hair," Jensen said not meaning to get between whatever argument they'd been having.
"Please, sit down," he insisted.
He seemed unrelenting. Auden didn't seem like the type who liked to draw things out like this, but today he was being annoying. With a sigh, he sat down and Chi-Chi joined him a moment later. They both looked at each other confused. Auden paced for a moment. Jensen tapped his foot. Chi-Chi crossed her arms with pursed lips.
"I suppose it's a good thing you two are here. I don't know why no one has told you, Jensen. And I was going to tell you today, well maybe later on tonight, Chi-Chi, but now is a better time than ever."
"The suspense is killing me. Just tell me," she said with a huff.
He stood there quietly for a moment longer. The silence became tense the more he drew it out. His expression was unreadable as usual, but Jensen could sense a degree of despondency.
"Listen," he began softly, "Aster won't be returning here. Her life was taken away by hired men at the small park behind the mall. Her body was…mutilated beyond recognition—there was no need for anyone to see that. I sensed it was her. I knew it was her. Those same men kidnapped you, Jensen, in service of a man who used to be your father's physician. He's dead as well. Vegeta took you back home."
"Auden," Chi-Chi said with surprise, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry."
Jensen wasn't even paying attention to the particulars. He was staring at Auden with disbelief. "So she's…she's just gone?"
He nodded solemnly.
Tears had already sprung to his eyes. "No…" he said weakly, "She's really just gone?"
He thought he might be able to save face in front of people he didn't know that well, but he couldn't stop himself from crying. His eyes were burning and he couldn't hold his tears back at all. He found himself wrapped up in Chi-Chi's embrace. He'd never officially met the woman—just knew that she existed. None of it really mattered, however. She was just someone nice who happened to be nearby. He was a little embarrassed, but he couldn't seem to pull himself together. He remembered that moment at the park as those men cast their silly net and then that sound, that earthshattering sound thundering through his memories. He was certain now that it was the gun which had killed her. He'd blacked out before he could be of any use to Aster. Why, though? Why did it have to end like that? Anyone who believed in destiny or fate were only fooling themselves. In the face of senseless murder, it made no sense at all. He could see his future with her—he'd never felt like that with anyone else. Now…It was just a done deal. She was no longer alive. What now? What now? Maybe there was a grave. Maybe there was something. Maybe it didn't matter either way.
"What am I…supposed to do?" he found himself saying despite himself. How would she know? Why would she care? Reduced now to some snot-nosed kid asking incoherent questions, this had to be one of the worst first impressions he'd managed in his short life.
She'd been speaking to Auden, but then she paused and looked down. "Oh, sweetie, don't worry about that right now. Just take it one step at a time, okay? I know it doesn't seem that way now, but it does get better."
Hearing her talk brought a little more stability to his crashing mood. He decided now would be a good time to pull away from her or spend the rest of the day like that. It was slow progress, but he managed to do it.
"Do you feel up to eating something?" she asked kindly.
Speaking of food, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten something. It almost always seemed to be the case whenever he was visiting Aster. Rarely had he partaken in anything at home—it was too risky to do that if he was trying to avoid Bra.
"Sure," he said hoarsely though he wasn't certain about his appetite.
"Auden, go grab another plate for him," Chi-Chi said softly.
Jensen looked up just as he was moving towards the kitchen. Chi-Chi eventually led him to the table where evidently, they'd already been occupying before he'd stepped in. There was a nice spread on the table—far too much for just two people though surprising progress had been made with the platter containing a sizable grilled fish. He sat down beside Chi-Chi where Auden had apparently placed the new plate for him. Jensen couldn't read Auden's mood as he finally got a good look at him, but that had always been the case—why did he think now would be different?
"How long?" Jensen croaked. He cleared his throat and then continued. "How long did you know about all this?"
"Not long," he answered. "I think it was a couple days ago—it's been a bit of a blur."
"How did you find out?" he asked curious.
"It was just…something I felt. At the time, I was at the Briefs and Vegeta believed me when I told him that I thought something felt very off. I don't really know, to be honest, but my suspicions were confirmed when we got there."
"That makes sense," Jensen said almost to himself.
"Does it?" he said faintly amused by his statement.
"You were pretty close to her—you'd probably be the only other person who'd sense that since there were no powerful ki levels involved. Otherwise…" Jensen could tell Auden wasn't following him at all. He simply shook his head when he didn't feel like explaining further. "I'm just glad you were there."
"Right."
Auden left it at that as Jensen started adding food to his plate—it was quite the buffet before him, mostly seafood, a few starches, and quite a bit of vegetables he hadn't tried before. It was a nice distraction from reality. He supposed this was why it was a tradition for some to have a big feast after a funeral. This was far less intense than the funeral he'd been to—no body lying pristine in a casket, no ceremony, no dwelling on that which couldn't be changed at the moment. The fact that soon the miraculous dragon balls would be within reach remained in the back of his mind, anchoring his despondency. Surely, they could make another wish as well. He'd heard them talking about how they could make three wishes instead of just one.
The grilled fish was to die for. Maybe that was why so much of it had already been eaten—clearly, this was Chi-Chi's expertise.
"Auden, don't do it, please," Chi-Chi said likely resuming what they'd been discussing before. "I know a little more now, but that's still no reason to be acting this recklessly."
"I have to."
"Now you sound like my husband."
"I don't mean to. It might be reckless. It could be a stupid decision on my part, but right now, I don't think I have a better idea as to what I should do."
"Do you hear yourself right now? You really think insane, life-threatening, unnecessary training is going to make things better?"
"Chi-Chi," he placed his fork down as he looked at her exclusively—Jensen was only mildly interested. "I don't have anything else. I don't know how else I could ever motivate myself to keep living. I'd like to make myself useful for someone else to bring some sort of meaning to my life."
The table grew quiet. Chi-Chi seemed speechless and Jensen was unwilling to break the silence though the food still smelled wonderful as heated mist still rose from some of the bowls. It was clear to Jensen at this moment, that Auden was not taking this well. As much as Aster worried that her father didn't care about her as much as he had before, here was proof that she was completely misreading him. She apparently meant everything to him, above anyone else, above whatever person he happened to fancy at the moment. In a twisted way, Jensen knew that Aster would have loved to see this.
"I see," Chi-Chi said taking a deep breath. "If that's really the case, then I won't stand in your way. What about your job though?"
"I don't want to work there anymore. I'll have to find something else."
"Something else? You're just going to leave your nice, cushy job for 'something else'. I'm sure if you're training with Vegeta and you want to focus on that, then Bulma would understand."
"I'm sure she would, but I don't want to be associated with CC anymore. I've always hated that job anyway—it sucks the life out of me every time I walk through those doors. I only kept it so that I could repay her somehow. I don't need to do that anymore."
"Oh, I had no idea you hated it so much."
"That company is truly despicable—it would just give me some peace of mind if I didn't have to deal with it anymore."
"So you won't be working there anymore and you'll be training with Vegeta—how exactly are you going to be making money?"
"I'll figure something out."
Chi-Chi sighed exasperatedly, "The most reckless thing you've said yet."
"I've been living beneath my means so that I could always save a good portion of my salary for a situation like this. Don't worry."
"But savings doesn't last forever and it's not that cheap to stay here."
"With what I have, I could live here for another year easily. That's enough time to figure something else out."
"I don't like this," she said shaking her head. "Maybe I could get a job too. I don't want to just sit at home all the time. Besides, you keep this place too clean and you don't eat enough to make it worthwhile."
Auden looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm saying, I don't have enough to do. I could help, you know. Training with Vegeta won't be easy—I don't think you'd feel up to doing anything else once you start. And maybe…you know, maybe I could just do a little something to support your efforts."
"That's far too generous of you."
"I want to do it. Maybe I want to feel useful to someone else too."
"If you want to help me, then I won't stop you."
"Then we could get a joint account and we could pool our money together and we could get a house or something."
"Chi-Chi," he said with some surprise in his tone.
"Oh—was that too much?"
"We'll just have to see how things pan out."
"You'll have to promise me one thing though."
Auden looked at her with a slightly tilted head.
"You have to promise me that you'll still talk to me even when you're training. I know it'll be hard—I know you guys like to be isolated and focused, but it would really mean a lot."
"Of course I'll stay in contact, why wouldn't I? If you had a phone, it would be even easier."
It was then that Chi-Chi started tearing up and Auden was looking at her concerned. It was perhaps the most expression Jensen had seen on his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing—just nothing. The way you said that—'of course'—like it was never a question in the first place. If only you knew…"
"I won't ever leave you, Chi-Chi. I won't ever go anywhere you couldn't follow. Unless you get tired of me."
Jensen was finishing up his second plate even though he hadn't been sure of his appetite in the first place. It was nice being in the presence of two people who were clearly attracted to one another. Even if he couldn't enjoy that feeling for himself, being near it was a nice consolation prize. Aster needed not worried so much about her father. She would always be his little girl. Denying someone companionship did nothing to help anyone.
The way they looked at each other because it seemed Chi-Chi was speechless again was quite intense. It was making him blush just witnessing it. He wondered if he shouldn't just leave now.
Jensen cleared his throat to get their attention. Auden looked first. "Um, well, I suppose I should get going—
"You can stay here if you like," he interrupted him. "I'm sure Aster wouldn't mind you staying in her room."
"You mean—are you sure?"
"I'm very sure. You've been in there plenty of times before. I trust you'll keep it in good condition."
"I will," he said in an energetic voice as if he was still trying to convince someone.
Auden gave him a brief nod and that was that. When he went to take his plate into the kitchen, Chi-Chi stopped him and insisted that she'd be cleaning the dishes tonight. Jensen didn't argue and quickly made his escape to Aster's room.
He could be near her again at least in his mind. He laid sprawled on her bed staring up to the ceiling thinking of the times they'd shared it in secret. He wouldn't mind staying this way forever or until they could get to those dragon balls. He'd forgotten to close the door and the walls were thin. While he couldn't hear what the two in the dining room were saying, he could tell they were talking again probably telling each other sweet things couples told each other when people weren't watching. It was cute. He didn't have to worry about Auden then. He'd be preoccupied and he had Chi-Chi. Something told him that without those things, it would be drastically different. Perhaps Auden wouldn't even be around right now. It would have been a tragic ending to a family that already seemed steeped in misfortune. Surely, their luck was due to change. But who was he kidding? Everyone always praised the people who were able to struggle and fight until things got better. No one paid attention to the ones who failed and never had a chance in the first place. That was too depressing. It was a reality that everyone pretended didn't exist.
Jensen tried to sleep but it was fleeting. Though he was getting increasingly tired, his mind wouldn't rest. The senselessness of Aster's death was difficult to get over. It almost didn't seem real. There was no other person like her. He was alone. Soft taps on the door caused him to look up.
"Are you asleep yet?" Auden asked with his voice traveling through the small crack between the door and doorframe—Jensen had left the door partially open, not brave enough in someone else's home to close it completely.
"I'm awake," Jensen confirmed.
Auden opened the door a little wider, but he didn't step in deciding simply to stand in the doorway. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. Hopefully, you're not in here blaming yourself for everything that happened."
Jensen shook his head no silently.
"If you have any questions for me or if anything seems confusing, I can probably help you with that."
"The details don't really matter to me," Jensen said, "But it is still a little confusing. Why were those men there in the first place, why did they need to capture me?"
Jensen found himself asking the man several more questions and Auden went into exhaustive details as to why things happened as they did. The senseless nature of the incident was still there, but now he understood how it fit into the bigger picture. Aster happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time through no fault of her own. It was sometimes easy to forget how many admirers his father still had to this day and how deeply loyal some of his fans could be. The record label was still making money off of his name alone as they came out with more and more posthumous tracks to the general public and sold other memorabilia. Who would have suspected that his own physician would betray him? His father never really had anyone who he could trust. He lived most of his life without that, without even a family to call his own. Maybe there was some good in finally being put to rest, at least for the time being. Jensen heard that Otherworld was quite peaceful. Maybe he was having the time of his life before they drew him back into the dark world of reality. His father would have him this time though he couldn't do much, he could at least be his friend.
"I hope that puts your mind at ease," Auden said after he finished.
"A little," Jensen admitted. While they were clearing the air and Auden seemed more sympathetic, he thought it was also a good time for a confession of an incident his mind would return to now and then. "Do you remember that time when you were texting me about Aster's whereabouts all day?"
"Hm?" he asked confused, "Oh, yeah, I remember that."
"I'm sorry for that."
Auden seemed completely lost and Jensen knew he'd have to explain further.
"I…accidently made you that way."
"I'm still not following."
"Didn't it feel weird, having that desire all of a sudden?"
"Well, I suppose it was quite intense, but it's not something I'm unfamiliar with. I didn't mean to scare you like that—it was just…I don't know how to explain it. But I apologize. Why do you think you had anything to do with that?"
"Because I know I do. I made you that way. Do you remember the dream in which I was in it?"
"Not really," he admitted, "And you're a bit of a reoccurring character there anyway. The fact that I was worried about her seeing someone so exclusively and so often is longstanding."
"Oh," Jensen said in growing realization. "Well, it didn't happen that long ago. That time when you caught me in your room, do you remember that?"
"Jensen, why don't you just tell me plainly what you're trying to get at instead of having me piece events together."
"Alright," Jensen said with a sigh as he sat up. "I have an ability I guess because of what I am, to manipulate the thoughts and desires of other people. Admittedly, I don't always use it for the best reasons, but I try not to inconvenience people too much. Anyways, Aster told me how worried she was about you dating Chi-Chi and asked me to do something about it. I'm not blaming her, but that was one of the reasons I decided to do something. It backfired. I can read people's minds as well, but not everyone. I can't read yours because you're too powerful so I also can't change your thoughts while you're awake. I waited until you were asleep. When it's through someone's dreams, it's not as accurate and I have less control. It ended up presenting in an unexpected way—it wasn't quite what Aster had in mind. Anyways, I felt bad about it and I just wanted to let you know that it was me."
"Jensen," he said after a long pause. His expression had gone from confused to perturbed as he seemed to slowly wrap his head around what was being said. "My mind is screwed up enough as it is—I really don't need your help. You knew that already, didn't you, or has Aster never told you anything about me."
"No…I guess I knew, but I wasn't thinking."
"And if she really had an issue with what I was doing, she could have just—it's too late for all of this anyway, isn't it," he said catching himself. He grinned subtly. "That's why you felt confident enough to tell me all this now. Otherwise, you would have happily kept it to yourself."
"Umm…well…"
"Not to mention, I've never heard of anyone who could do the things you say, but after what I learned about Vegeta perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised. I mean, a doctor wanted to use you for his experiments because he knew there was something he might find there. Listen, Jensen, I don't know what to make of any of this."
"I'm sorry," Jensen said hopefully.
"I'm…sure you are," he said shaking his head. "No, I'm not going to worry about this. I don't actually know if I can trust you, but I just don't feel like worrying about it. I know you and Aster were close and I'll just leave it at that."
"Wait, you don't think I did anything to Aster, do you?"
"I don't know anything, Jensen. I just don't," he said wearily.
"I swear, I would never do anything to hurt her."
"It's alright—you don't have to try and convince me of anything. I just wanted to see how you were doing and you seem to be well enough considering so I think I'll take my leave."
Auden didn't trust him. That stung a little, but he supposed he couldn't blame him. All he had was his word and he'd already admitted to doing things behind his back. He wondered if he should have admitted anything at all.
"I hope the night is kind to you," Auden said before Jensen could say anything further.
"Well, you too," he replied when he couldn't think of anything else to say.
It was better to just leave things as they were or risk making it worse. Just as he suspected, Auden was too spent to put up any real resistance, but that fact didn't exactly make him feel much better about anything. After Auden left, he laid back down on the bed basking in her scent. Eventually, such traces of her would become faint and disappear, but it allowed him to cope somewhat for the time being.
Having children in the house again wasn't exactly something Vegeta was thrilled about. At the very least, he wasn't directly responsible for them though he'd been tricked into watching them quite a few times. Pan was always rushing off to work and Bra wasn't very patient with children. Machi was the mischievous one even though no one would agree with him on that point. She smiled and giggled easily. She always had her arms raised wanting to be held and she would curl right up in someone's arms. She would be warm and welcoming knowing that one's heart would fall victim to her effortless cuteness and then she'd start making her demands. If you didn't obey her will, she'd become a complete monster, destroying eardrums and annihilating patience and good will if not the person themselves. Jr. wasn't nearly as diabolical. He kept to himself most of the time. He both adored attention and hated it. When he had something to say, the whole world had to know about it, but if he didn't, he would become pouty and quite unmanageable until he was left alone. He was very independent even when it was inconvenient for everyone and even when he didn't exactly know what to do. He clearly didn't know the advantage of winning the affections of others. He seemed almost incapable of smiling and hated being hugged or held. On the other hand, Vegeta had had plenty of full-on conversations with the boy whose comprehension levels were impressive for one so young.
At the moment, he found himself on the balcony—the same one just outside the bedroom where Bulma spent quite some time when she wanted to think. Flowers decorated the corners giving off a fresh, sweet scent and a single two-person table sat off to the side. Every once in a while, the two of them might share a quiet nightcap that sometimes led to other nighttime activities. Earlier that day, Bulma informed him that the preparations for traveling to New Namek would be finished by tomorrow and that it was best that he made the trip. He could take others if he wanted, but she knew that he wouldn't do well being trapped on a ship with anyone for several weeks. He wouldn't be using a particularly large ship—it was very barebones and only had the essentials for decent living in the interest of the highest speed possible. This meant that there wasn't a built in gravitron or a jacuzzi or a separate bedroom. Despite the ship being able to travel five times the speed of light, it would still take a little over a month to reach the planet.
The sliding door behind him was carefully opened. He expected Bulma, but instead Pan joined him near the railing.
"If you want me to watch the kids, I can't. Find someone else."
"No," she said with a laugh, "I didn't want to ask that this time anyway. I already know you're going to be leaving tomorrow. Bulma let me know and then I kinda let everyone else know."
"Hm, news travel fast. Saves me the trouble."
"You sure you don't want to take anyone with you?"
"I'm sure."
Pan sighed exasperatedly. "But I've never been to New Namek before and you know I'm familiar with space travel. We did it all the time when I was younger."
"I'd rather you were here just in case something might happen in my absence."
"No, you mean I'll just get in your way."
Vegeta didn't even bother looking towards her. "I'd just rather go alone, nothing to do with you or anyone. There doesn't need to be a lot of ceremony. It's one round trip. You'd be stuck in a tiny room with me for two months."
"That doesn't sound like the end of the world. Maybe you could tell me a little more about yourself or something like that."
He sensed her nervousness and it was already giving him a headache. Imagine dealing with that unfiltered for weeks on end. She'd likely ask him uncomfortable questions about his past that he'd rather not speak on to someone like her, someone he honestly didn't spend too much time with.
"Now that we know where New Namek is, this doesn't have to be a once in a lifetime trip. You can do it all on your own with other people as some sort of joy ride on a later date." He was getting a little irritated and he wasn't entirely sure that he'd kept it from coloring his tone.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said with a tinge of disappointment.
It was then that he heard Machi's shrill cries coming from inside. They both looked at the same time. Pan gave him a knowing look before rushing back in the house. Saved by the bell, it seemed. He'd have to let Auden know about his departure if he didn't know already. That was the only thing that made him just a little anxious. He hoped Auden would be okay for another couple months.
He'd spoken to Bulma about Auden. The conversation had started out civil and then very quickly became heated. Vegeta had never before directly told Bulma what to do, but he'd eventually made her promise that she would no longer make contact with Auden after telling her that it was for his own good and that if she really had his best interest at heart, she would agree with that. He'd made his case. He'd told her what Auden had told him and she had no rebuttal against Auden's account—those things did happen and she'd been trying to smooth things over with him for the longest time. Still, it was painful to see the hopelessness in her eyes when he told her that Auden did not owe her forgiveness. It wasn't something that could be forced upon someone or something to actively convince someone to do. That person had to do so on their own terms if at all. Bulma began to see things his way, but she wasn't happy about it and she was currently locked in her lab drowning herself in distractions. She was angry at him as well, but that was something he knew would be the case making such a bold request. She just needed time to cool down.
When he would be leaving for New Namek tomorrow, it wouldn't exactly be a warm goodbye from her. Now Pan was upset for not wanting to take her along. He was sure Bra wouldn't be happy about him leaving either. Still, for whatever reason, he felt exceedingly confident that things would work out in his favor. There was no reason to think it wouldn't. Actually, he was in a good mood. He'd be seeing Malachi again. Secretly, that was the thing that he was most looking forward to over all else.
He woke up early the next morning. He barely slept for more than two hours. The anticipation had gotten to him. It felt like an eternity had passed since Bulma began the near impossible task of locating a lone planet. The sun hadn't even come back up and he was ready to leave. Technically, it was the next day. Bulma who had joined him late at night was just as restless. There was no point in waiting anyway. The sooner he left, the faster they could get everything done. One wish would be used to revive both Aster and Malachi, the second one would be for getting rid of the new disease gripping all of Earth's population, if that was even possible, as for the third wish, there wasn't anything else pressing enough. Vegeta didn't really have his hopes up for the second one. The wishing dragons could cure physical wounds, but he'd never heard of them curing diseases. Wouldn't they have used that to cure other diseases that killed Earthlings on a daily basis? Still, it was worth a try.
Bulma gave him a brief kiss before he boarded the ship much to his surprise. Maybe she wasn't as upset with him as he'd thought. He felt right at home sitting down at navigation console. It was quite a bit sleeker and updated from the older ships he used to operate. The controls were simpler and he had less buttons and levers to push. In fact, he only pressed one button for the system to do the rest on its own as it lifted off the ground effortlessly and quietly. He felt the elevation increasing rapidly—a feeling different from simply flying on his own since he wasn't exactly propelling his body forward. He couldn't quite describe the feeling, but it was a familiar one.
Eventually, he was surrounded by the deepest darkness that went on forever and ever. The only thing that he could see were the twinkling stars always so very far away. And it was quiet, it was incredibly quiet in a way that could only be experienced off planet. Even the usual noises of the engine were quieter than usual. There wasn't much to look at, but he was wide-eyed all the same at least for the first half-hour. Eventually, he settled down in his well-cushioned seat and began to daydream as he usually did under such circumstances. While Bulma didn't have much in the way of amenities on the ship, she'd installed quality speakers, a monitor built into the front windows which could be used for viewing movies or taking calls, and hundreds of capsules containing various items and activities which could stave off the inevitable boredom.
Vegeta, almost certain that he would be making this trip, had also gathered some of his favorite things long before. Terri had published another sequel to her ongoing series and he'd purposefully abstained from reading it until now. Sure, he would probably finish it within a couple of days if not sooner since he had so much time on his hands, but he was looking forward to that along with quite a few titles he'd been meaning to get to but hadn't been in the mood for reading. Then there were a ton of music artists which had been on back log he'd yet to get to. Judging from reviews and a better understanding of his own taste in music, he knew he was in for a number of eargasms. Not to mention that he could still do some light exercises and stretches even if it wasn't with the gravitron—there were ways to make that just as impactful as the high-intensity training. In short, he would be spoiling himself. The sort of solitude that he would be experiencing was something he hadn't known he'd been missing. It was nice in small doses especially if he had something to constantly occupy himself with. No one would bother him. No one would interrupt him. Soon Malachi would be back again.
He also had one special word document that Malachi had created right before he passed. Vegeta had merely glanced at it before. He'd been incapable of reading it in all this time fearing the raw emotions he might feel if he did so. Even after reading the first few sentences, he could hear his voice in his head reading it to him. It hadn't sounded academic at all, but deeply personal written for an audience of one. Perhaps, as the ship drew closer to its destination, he'd finally be able to read it in its entirety or have Malachi explain it to him. He knew that was a bit cowardly, waiting until he was alive to read his last written word. It was difficult enough accepting his death, he did not want to become trapped into a downward spiral of despondency. Better to leave well enough alone and move on for the time being.
He had all the time in the world, and he planned to ease his way through whatever material he'd brought along. For now, he allowed the quietness to calm his often crowded mind. Whatever issues he had back on Earth would have to wait. He couldn't do anything about those things now. He was in space and far away from it all.
He felt like he was waking from a month-long daze by the time the ship alerted him to the landing it was making. There was no need to control the ship manually as its smart auto controls set the lightweight ship down with expert precision. When he climbed down the steps from the exit, he found himself in a desolate part of Namek, but that was unsurprising. Namekians lived in small villages strewn about the planet and spread far apart. He shot off into the air heading towards the most prominent ki signature—that had to be the grand elder. If not, well, he could always ask around.
Soaring through the green skies brought back memories, many of them unpleasant. When he'd first set foot on a planet very similar to this one, he'd been a different person. He hardly recognized that person now. Never in a million years did he think things would turn out as they did or that his own philosophy would change so drastically. Not to mention that even though he'd put on a brave face thinking that immortality was the answer to all his problems, he couldn't actually imagine a world without Frieza. Ever since he was born, that creature had always been part of his life and ruled over everything, controlling every event that ever occurred. Frieza had been an eternal menace and it was a fool's errand to try and defeat him, but he'd tried anyway. He'd failed in the end. Frieza had proved too powerful for him to conquer. Even if technically he could take him on now at his current level, Frieza remained undefeated in his mind, a nightmarish figure that would always haunt him. Perhaps if he saw him again, his fear would hamper his ability to fight. And it would be a crushing fear as his mind and body experienced the brutal defeat and senseless death he'd received. That trauma was still present and he shivered even as his visage flashed through his mind. Frieza was gone in reality, he had to keep reminding himself, but he was also always right around the corner.
Vegeta landed a little ways from the village so that he could walk through the entrance rather than coming from on high like an invading force. He wanted to seem as harmless as possible. He was sure Moori and the other elders would recognize him though. As he walked down the road through the central part of the village, he could feel many curious onlookers from afar and while he didn't exactly smile, he made sure he wasn't wearing his usual scowl.
"Vegeta!" Moori called out from the distance as he stepped out the front door. "We haven't seen you in ages!"
Clearly, he'd been informed of his arrival by the time he made it to the main dwelling. Namekians did have huge ears and they'd been chattering excitingly amongst themselves for a while now.
"Since the Big Gete Star," Vegeta noted.
"Ugh, don't remind me! I'm glad that nightmare was over. Did you bring anyone else with you?"
"Just me."
"That's too bad—I would have loved to catch up with Bulma again. How's she doing by the way?"
And thus the small talk began between them with Vegeta doing remarkably well keeping his growing irritation in check. He was going to be asking him a big favor and he was almost completely sure that Moori knew that he was here for a wish. Moori was a good-natured sort and was apparently missing some of the things he'd gotten into while on Earth at Bulma's compound. They'd gotten to know the Brief family quite well. Vegeta humored him and went into exhaustive details as to what had been happening on Earth since then. After all, how else was he going to find out? Namek was a bit of an isolated planet by choice. While they had decent technology, they were peace-loving and didn't want to get involved in interstellar politics. Since the last time he'd been there, they'd set up satellites that would shield them from most radars. It was partially why it had been so difficult for Bulma to find their planet. Moori apologized for the hassle they'd gone through just to find their planet and he gave him the means of contacting him again if they could figure out how to use certain frequencies. Moori gave him a device that would work in that way. Vegeta was sure Bulma could figure something out if she had a device to tinker with. The idea of keeping contact with another planet began sound even better in his mind as he thought about it. They could keep each other updated on the events happening there and thus be better informed and more able to protect themselves. Earth was also a planet that would do well to isolate itself from invasions. They'd iron out the details later, but the idea of having a network of planets that always stayed in contact with one another and perhaps even protected each other whenever danger cropped up was something he'd be willing to spearhead if there were willing participants. Besides, Earth could certainly benefit from satellites that made it invisible to radar tracking.
"I know you came here to make a wish," Moori said abruptly changing the topic. They'd been talking for hours by then. "I've talked your ears off enough."
"Malachi, the man who was used as a vessel for that alien I was telling about—he's no longer alive. I would like to wish him back to life along with Aster Tyga, a little girl who was caught up in the crossfires of internal conflicts on Earth. And—
"You want to see if you can get rid of that artificial disease that's taken hold of the denizens," Moori finished.
"Exactly. And if it isn't too much of a bother, could you ask to bring Malachi here and then bring Aster back on Earth."
"I'm not sure about the disease, but it's always worth a try. As for the first one, that will be easy. I'll make sure to get all the details right."
"Thank you."
Moori laughed a little hysterically at this and this time Vegeta did not hide his annoyance as his scowl returned. "A Saiyan thanking me! What has this world come to?"
"Can you just get on with it already!" Vegeta spat embarrassed.
"Of course, of course," Moori said though his smile never left his face.
At least someone was being entertained. Vegeta was just anxious to get this over with. In his gut, things had begun to feel wrong. The plan was going too smoothly. Would he really be able to see Malachi in a few moment's time? There was something permanent about his death. Seeing his dead body placed into a coffin, having an entire ceremony over his death and then having another more public one later on made it all seem so final. Somehow wishing him back didn't feel the same as wishing others back. The pain that he'd felt since his departure felt like a lasting one. Could it so easily be erased? Would he eventually have to confront it or simply pretend it hadn't existed in the first place once he was brought back? Either way, if he ever saw Malachi again, he was going to knock the shit out of him, peel him off the ground, and force him into his space ship where they could spend all the time in the world together without any distractions or interruptions. Or…something like that. It still sounded too good to be true.
Vegeta walked outside with Moori to the central part of town where the giant dragon balls had already been gathered for their convenience. Moori spoke the magic words in his native tongue and the powerful wishing dragon sprang forth. It had been a while since he'd seen the dragon up close. Light energy shot up into the sky eventually revealing the gargantuan dragon, the skies darkened, and Vegeta could hear the waves of the surrounding waters crashing angrily onto land. All the nearby Namekians had stepped out of their homes to see the spectacle play out. Porunga looked down at them from on high with its red eyes. Vegeta felt small and insignificant in its presence.
"Think wisely and I will grant three wishes within my power," the dragon bellowed at them.
"See? It's good a thing we discussed what the wishes were before we summoned him," Moori said looking back at him with a smile.
"Brilliant," Vegeta stated humorlessly with crossed arms.
Moori chuckled before turning back to the dragon. In his native tongue, he began with the first wish which was hopefully the one about reviving Malachi and Aster. After a moment, the dragon began to speak, the pit in Vegeta's stomach grew deeper.
"Aster has been returned to Earth, but Malachi is unreachable. It is beyond my power now to bring him back."
"What do you mean unreachable?!" Vegeta demanded in frustration.
"He is neither dead nor alive and thus unreachable."
"How does one even reach a state like that?"
"Either through some extreme emotional catalyst or having their essence destroyed after their departure from the living. I cannot tell which would be the case for this particular person. Now what is your next wish."
Vegeta stood there stunned as the ground seemed to disappear below his feet. He was glad Moori was the one stating the wishes because he would have found it difficult to concentrate any longer.
"Hmm…" the dragon rumbled once Moori was finished, "Even though the disease is not natural it is well beyond my power to cure it, but for consolation, I will heal all Earthlings of their physical injuries."
His eyes glowed red once again and Vegeta could only assume that at that moment quite a few Earthlings were experiencing some form of relief even if the future for all of them seemed rather bleak.
"Was there anything else you wanted?" Moori asked him with sympathetic eyes.
"No, that was all." Vegeta did not feel like coming up with some silly spur of the moment wish—he just wasn't in the mood.
Moori spoke a few more words to Porunga.
"Your wishes have been granted. Farewell," the dragon bellowed before returning to the dragon balls.
Once the show was over, Vegeta felt weak and deflated. All that work, all that anticipation only for it to end like this. God, why did that boy have to be so weak? What emotions had he succumbed to once he'd arrived in Otherworld? What danger had he gotten himself into? What felt like months on Earth might have been years in Otherworld. He might have spent years in Hell. It could have been a somewhat pleasant experience, or it could have been one filled with suffering depending on what sort of punishment he'd received from Yemma. He really had no idea. All he knew was that Malachi was gone. Even saying it in his head…
"Vegeta, I'm sorry you couldn't get all your wishes granted," Moori said cutting through his darkening thoughts.
"Yeah," Vegeta said distantly, "You've been extremely cooperative, and I appreciate that. I'll have Bulma look at your device so that we can all stay in contact from now on."
Moori seemed to be studying his face much to his annoyance. "I'm sorry for your loss as well."
Vegeta scowled and then turned on his heel in the direction of the ship. "We'll speak again soon enough. Until then."
He eventually shot off into the sky, flying at unnecessarily fast speeds almost breaking the sound barrier just to make it to his ship that much sooner. To be honest, he wasn't sure why he'd volunteered to be the one doing this tip anyway. He didn't enjoy visiting Namek. Too many unpleasant memories would surface. He knew he'd probably have to deal with those nightmares again. In isolation, it would be much worse. It would be more like torture. But he hadn't intended to make the home trip alone. A month by himself wasn't so bad. Two months alone wouldn't be a good idea.
He didn't want anyone to see him crying. To this day, it was still deeply embarrassing and a fate worse than death. Of the times when others had seen him do such a thing, he'd wiped them from his memories. The sooner he was in his spaceship, the sooner he could allow himself to freely shed tears without the fear of someone walking in on him and judging him. He'd been taught early on to hide certain emotions, that it was unbecoming of a prince to reveal such vulnerabilities and those harsh lessons his father had imparted on him had stayed with him throughout his life even when it no longer made sense to uphold them. Even if it was often to his detriment. He wasn't a prince anymore anyway. It shouldn't matter. Yet it did. It was also liberating, very liberating as he cried in his intense, hidden grief.
When he'd had his fill, he silently took out the storage device which held Malachi's document detailing his ongoing thoughts and understanding of the Instant Transmission technique. Vegeta remembered the moment he'd mentioned the technique to him. Malachi was capable of creating his own techniques and thinking outside the box, so he posed him a question which had stumped him to this day—how does one learn that particular move which doesn't take ki to use. Vegeta doubted Malachi had ever stopped thinking about it since that time. He read the first three sentences again: This is silly, but I'm bored with nothing else better to do. The only thing I can contribute is my three theories on how IT might work though I am not in the right state of mind to try to them out myself. Maybe it could help a certain Saiyan Prince who likely loses sleep over the fact that he can't seem to figure it out—in the grand scheme of things, it's painfully insignificant but I've been foolishly drawn into this inane mystery so here's my two cents.
"Yeah, but I see you've written a 200-page essay on this 'insignificant' topic," Vegeta said out loud as if he were speaking to someone.
"Only because I knew you'd like it," Malachi replied.
Vegeta turned, startled, to the source of the voice. In the second seat which sat in front of the other console, sat Malachi with his dark, shoulder-length hair shiny and well-groomed, porcelain skin and dark clothing. He looked nothing like he had in the days before his passing, but how he'd seen him when he was first introduced to him. It felt like another time.
"B-But…you're not real," Vegeta said confused.
"We both know that," he said with a grin. "There's no way I could be on this ship right now. I'm just a figment of your imagination."
Vegeta knew it even before he said it and he didn't care. The man was practically sparkling—of course this wasn't really him.
"So you wrote all this just for entertainment purposes," Vegeta asked.
"I like the idea of you reading something I wrote. The same way I can't help but feel honored knowing that you might listen to my music. Like I said, I was bored. I hope it helps you."
"That's yet to be seen. This might have been a monumental waste of your time."
Malachi chuckled at this but gave no reply.
"How has it been in Hell?" Vegeta asked despite himself.
"You would know, wouldn't you? You've been there before."
"How would you know that?"
"Because I'm not real and you're only imagining what I might say and also doing a terrible job at it."
Vegeta frowned at this. "And yet somehow I've accurately captured how annoying you can be."
"Don't think I forgot about our little deal by the way. I tell you about myself and you do the same. I'm pretty sure you know far more about me than I do about you. I don't mind really, but I was always curious, always wondering about you."
"Maybe were you here right now, I might have been more forthcoming, but you chose to screw everything up."
"Hm, well, apologies for not living up to your expectations, your highness."
"Malachi," Vegeta said slowly, "What happened to you?"
Though Malachi had been looking at him, now his gaze turned to the stars beyond. "In life, there was nothing left for me there. I'd become a burden to everyone around me and I ruined everything that I touched."
"Why do you insist on painting the worst picture of yourself?" Vegeta said with gritted teeth. "You do that even when everyone around you says different. How can you ignore all the people who adore you even to this day, even without you being there?"
"I don't know, Vegeta," he said looking at him once again. "I do tend to focus on my faults rather than my strengths—it's a bad habit of mine. Despondency and guilt are such a familiar, inescapable sensations that I often find myself drowning in it and pretending as if it isn't happening. I got quite good at pretending. I think I fooled almost everyone."
"Almost."
Malachi gave him a knowing look. "Once upon a time, someone I truly cared about died and ever since I've felt guilty about not being able to do anything about it. Why did I deserve to live over that other person? I couldn't understand it. I was too young to understand it and the only other adults around me only sought to use me for their own gains and I learned from them that it was better simply to treat people that way even though it felt so unfulfilling in the end."
"You never mentioned that before, but I always suspected that was the case. No one I've met who knew you in the past, knew anything about your time at the orphanage. You never talk about it in your interviews or biographies. You only told me on that day, information that was far more exclusive than I even realized. But even then, your memories were unreliable. At the time, even if you had wanted to share more, it would have been impossible. When I heard that story from Quint, I wondered to what extent you'd restructured the past in your mind. I suppose I'll never really know."
"Is it really so important? None of it matters now," he replied with some defensiveness in his tone.
"It matters to me."
"And why is that?"
"Because…living a life in which you were never able to find true peace, that is a waking nightmare of mine. Because settling on Earth didn't have to happen for me. Meeting Bulma didn't have to happen. In fact, at the time, I wasn't looking for any of those things and now that I have those things, now that I've been allowed those luxuries, I realized that my former station in life was utterly terrifying. And you never quite found that sort of thing before you died, not entirely."
"Perhaps in another life I might do such a thing. Perhaps never."
"It was Dende's doing. He sought to punish you and I know it must have made things worse for you, made you think even less about yourself than you already do. Now it seems as if you've given up. What would Bra think? She's barely holding it together."
"She needs to know what the pain of loss feels like. Maybe then she might mature and grow as a person. She might learn to think past herself knowing that not doing so led to my demise.
"How could you say that!" Vegeta said angrily, "I don't need to torture my daughter in that way in order for her to learn!"
"She would eventually suffer some kind of loss. You can't go through life having not experienced that. It's impossible, unless your own life is unfortunately shortened. Most of us will lose our parents at some point as they age naturally. Most of us will lose some close relative or a friend at some point. That's how life works. So, yes, one does mature from suffering, but only out of necessity and not because of some perverted enjoyment out of it. That's what I mean. But I'm sure you knew that already."
"I don't know what I'm going to do. I have to tell Bra. I have to tell everyone. Malachi?...Malachi?"
Malachi was no longer sitting there. He'd vanished from his vision. In that moment, he felt immensely tired. It was as if he'd spent the entire day training under an impossible amount of gravity. Instead, he'd just been sitting there talking to himself like a raving lunatic. He fell asleep promptly even as he still heard Malachi's fading voice somewhere in the distance.
Good night, Vegeta. There's a secret there in my last written exchange to you. Find it. That technique has always been in your reach and I have brought you much closer to understanding it. Find it.
He'd been in and out of sleep and he hadn't been keeping up with the passing days. It was already easy enough to do that while in space, but now there was the added grief that he was still feeling. He read the unpolished essay on and off not really understanding what he was reading but that he was making progress. If there was really some secret there, he likely would miss it. But he knew there wasn't a secret. He knew that for a fact. It was just a thing that he told himself as if Malachi in the state that he was while writing this would have had enough energy and care to add some obtuse secret hidden between the lines. No. It was a ridiculous notion.
It took him who-knows-how-long to finish the confusing read that often left him feeling as if he had both discovered how to unlock the universe and how to do absolutely nothing with a lot of run-on sentences. His dreams were a baffling jumble, and completely incomprehensible. He also felt like he was losing his mind though he'd had no further dialogue with Malachi. He felt as if he would sleep for days before waking up and it was during one of these episodes that Bulma tried to contact him. He was abruptly drawn out of his sleep when the ship started alerting him with increasing fervor—a nice and annoying feature that Bulma had installed on the ship. His eyes must have been bloodshot as he wrestled himself out of his impossibly deep slumber and he sat up with blurry vision looking for the button to accept the transmission.
"Oh! Vegeta, are you alright? Did I wake you?"
"Don't act all concerned now. You're the one who put in that damned alarm!"
Bulma could barely contain her smile. "Well, it worked didn't it? Also, I'm sorry 'cus it looked like you were really asleep."
"What do you want?"
"What do you mean, what do I want? You haven't contacted me in over a month! I thought something bad had happened. I've been trying to keep everyone calm all on my own. Aster's here, but Malachi isn't. And Auden's been acting even more weird than usual now that she's back—not that I went to visit him or anything, but Chi-Chi's been telling me things."
"I made it to New Namek, had Moori deliver the wishes to Porunga, was told that Malachi was unreachable and that he couldn't do anything about the disease—though he did heal everyone of their physical injuries."
"Wait, wait, unreachable?"
"He's neither living or dead so his essence is unreachable."
"Oh no—did someone kill him while he was already dead? I heard that could happen, but I've never seen it before. How could that happen?"
"I don't know what happened. Nobody knows. The dragon couldn't tell me anything. Maybe Dende could speak to someone who might know more."
"Don't worry, Vegeta, I'll get that bastard to talk to me. I need to know the details. That's the very least he can do."
She was already tearing up and he really didn't want to watch her cry, but he did, resisting the urge to end the transmission right then and there. He could feel his own tear ducts burning again.
"That poor boy," Bulma said when she could speak again, "It's always something, isn't it? He always seems to be suffering. No matter what. He can't even die in peace. It's not fair."
"Enough, Bulma, there's nothing else we can do."
"I know, but it's just shitty."
He found himself staring in a daze at the screen before him and noticing the tiny pixels. He felt as if he'd learned something in that moment, but he couldn't figure out what. Maybe he'd officially lost his mind. It had been long time coming and he had had a good run…What was it? How could he know something and not know what it was at the same time? It was brain-numbing really.
"Hey, Vegeta—Earth to Vegeta, are you alright?"
He barely registered her speaking. "What was it?" he said under his breath.
"Seriously, Vegeta, look at me—you're making me worried."
"What?" he said sharply not taking kindly to her interruption. It felt as if he was on the verge of figuring out whatever information he had unconsciously deciphered.
"I knew it was a bad idea to send you out there alone. I should have contacted you sooner—
"Wait, I think I have it," he said climbing out of his seat.
"What are you—
"Watch this," Vegeta said with barely contained excitement.
In a moment, he felt his body burst into a different location instantaneously. He performed the technique a few more times to make sure it hadn't been just a fluke. Without even the need to place fingers on his head, he had done it. At least, he thought he'd done it. He remembered Goku describing it as if he was traveling extremely fast through time and space. This felt more like teleportation. He didn't feel like he was running to the next location, but that he was simply appearing at that location. Whatever the case, he'd done it or done something similar.
"You can finally do it!" Bulma said realizing what she was being shown. "Now you can stop wearing me to death about it."
Vegeta teleported back to the seat feeling far too accomplished to be affected by Bulma's slight jab. "Finally—and out of nowhere. I guess I'm getting something out of all this isolation."
"So that means you can just teleport back here, right?"
"Yes, and leave your spaceship unattended. I don't know if I'd try something so long distance so soon. I just learned it today. Might need some practice."
"But I don't get it. How did you just 'learn' it all of a sudden?"
"Malachi told me—I mean, I read it in some document that he wrote right before he died."
"He was always in that room typing on something," Bulma said thoughtfully. "And I heard that slip up," she said in a quieter tone. "Sometimes I do that too…Imagine he's here to talk to and then I bounce ideas off of him as if it isn't just me bouncing my own ideas off of myself. I know he's not real. I know he couldn't possibly be there, but it's nice sometimes."
"Didn't even need to be locked in a room by yourself for weeks."
"Maybe I was locked in my lab for a while. Maybe I bought a cute little Malachi plushie to cope with all the grief. I mean, I swear I can't shop anywhere without seeing some Malachi memorabilia—Quint really went all out trying to profit off the man. I couldn't resist after a while. I would hide it anytime someone came in, but I guess I can just keep it out in the open now. He's not coming back anyway. I guess you want to get back to your sleep right about now."
"Not really. I'm wide awake now. How long has it been anyway?"
"You make me so worried sometimes," she said with a sigh, "If you made it to New Namek in the estimated time frame then it's been two weeks since you've been traveling back. Look at the GPS, how much time do you have left?"
"Two and a half weeks," Vegeta said after a moment of switching to a different window after clicking through a few menus.
"Sounds about right."
"What time is it where you are?" he asked curious.
"Midnight. I couldn't sleep so I called you."
"I can't wait to see you again," he said unabashedly, mirroring Malachi's confidence when it came to such situations.
"Me too."
"Stay here a while with me."
"I will, for as long as you need."
AN: Way too much crying in this one. Maybe I should stop killing off characters so much.^^;