You know what I say

You know what I say? Screw the disclaimers! It's a chaptered story, and every other chapter has had one. Isn't that enough??? Um, what are you doing? Legal- Wait a sec! What are the handcuffs- No, no, wait! Bring the handcuffs back! I don't need the straightjacket!

A.N. - The jury is still out on the dream girl issue... That's ok. For now. Vote, people! LOL Pretty please? And didn't I say I'd be moving faster? Sheesh. Ferget it.

I was rereading the story, and we seem to have two different stories on what's happened since Bulma's death. I'm surprised no one's flamed me for that one. J In case you planned on it and haven't gotten around to it, yet, it's intentional. Just acknowledge that it's two completely different people, each telling the events from his own perspective. And if you have no clue what I'm talking about, I overanalyze things.

If Tomorrow Never… - Ch. 4 - Future Calling

Sunrise. It was one of the few things Vegeta liked about this planet. The atmosphere made the colors vibrant, and they flourished. Thinking about the vibrancy of the colors made his mind wander to another bright color. Specifically green.

Why were these dreams haunting him? Why now? After 10 years of nothing, he never would have expected nightmares about those times onboard Frieza's ship. Honestly, considering recent events, he never thought he'd think of her again. There was nothing, no one left to remind him of his past failure.

Except himself. And, albeit unknowingly and unwillingly, his son.

'That's why you're staying with me,' he thought, watching Trunks sleep, 'I know the consequences otherwise.'

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the familiar morning noises of the waking household. He heard Chi-Chi moving toward the kitchen. That meant it would be, oh, 2 seconds until Kakarotto started his ritual whining.

Right on time he heard, "But, Chi-Chi, I'm HUNGRY. Pleeeeaaaase???" followed by the similarly ritualistic slamming of the frying pan upon the baka's head. No wonder the spiky-haired Saiya-jin was so brain-damaged.

Vegeta shook his head. No, he didn't have to be in the room to know this one. Over the past two months it had been enacted almost every day.

Waking Trunks, Vegeta, too, got ready for breakfast. Before he went to the table, though, he stopped by one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a small bottle.

"Hey, Vegeta, whatcha doin'?"

"Kakarotto. Remember this? It's that medicine that kid gave you. I suggest you take it now."

"But, Vegeta, I don't feel sick at all."

"You will be feeling worse than sick if you don't take it now, Kakarotto. And I'm not talking about the heart virus," Vegeta finished the sentence with a growl. Not wanting to put up with the other man this morning, he sat Trunks in his chair and took his breakfast outside. As Gohan generally volunteered to feed the brat, he was fairly confidant in leaving him.

Vegeta thought as he ate. It was funny how the others hadn't noticed the change in Kakarotto's ki. True, the change was slight and they had other things to worry about, but… Did this mean Vegeta was getting soft, focusing more on the people and not the battle?

No, he decided, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what that little fact did mean.

***

The next few weeks passed quickly. Goku had taken Vegeta's suggestion regarding the medicine. Actually, Chi-Chi was the one who took the suggestion seriously, but the end result was the same. After a few days of the treatment, Vegeta was surprised to find himself relieved that Kakarotto's ki had returned to normal.

Vegeta's dreams still haunted both of the Chikyuu-bound Saiya-jin at night. Since the time they had woken Gohan, however, the dreams were a little less frequent. Less frequent, but more disturbing. So when a mysterious figure, likely a bored altruistic dream-walker in Vegeta's opinion, began arriving at the end of the dreams, assisting Vegeta's fights against the ghosts and calming the small girl who still starred in the worst nightmares, Vegeta welcomed his or her presence. Off-hours visits from Kakarotto became less common, something both decided was a relief.

Everyone, including Vegeta, had stepped up his training in a last-ditch effort to prepare. The day before the androids fated appearance, the Z Senshi gathered once again in Goku's front yard.

As they talked, each wondered about the events of the next day. Would the future haunt them? Was the destruction from the boy's time inevitable? Would they survive this fight?

Not one asked the questions. Not one had the answers.

And far away from the gathering at Goku's, two sets of shadowed eyes carefully watched a hidden cave from the nearby forest.

"Is this it?"

"Yes. It's almost time."

"Will they succeed? If they don't…"

"If they don't, we step in and finish the job. They'll never know what hit them."

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All right. That's it! I think the presence of a healthy Goku will change things. Remember to vote for Dream Girl! J Oh, yeah, sorry for the short chapter, guys!