Author: Renegade Phoenix
E-Mail: renegadephoenix@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Warning: YAOI, Shounen Ai, violence, language, citrus, complete and utter AU
Pairing(s): Gohan/Vegeta, Goku/Chi-Chi, Yamcha/Bulma, Gohan + Videl, references to past Radditz/Vegeta, Radditz/OC (Keiko)
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing! *sobs in disappointment*
Author's Notes: As I've said before this fic came about because of a conversation SLH and I had over AIM. It kind of grew from there. And now my trolls seem to be waffling from this fic and my Gundam Wing fics. Anyway…enjoy and as always please give feedback. It pacifies the trolls and makes them more receptive to not hurting me, which is a good thing!!
Radditz in this fic is approximately 10 years older then Goku, which makes/made him six years older then Vegeta when Vegeta disappeared on his last mission.
//blah, blah// is thought.
##blah, blah## is telepathic speech.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Chapter Four: Surprise!
The small teen swayed slightly for a few seconds as the shock ran rampant through his already over-taxed system. "No," he whispered, suddenly looking like what he was, a young man in a situation that he had absolutely no control over. "This can't be…how long was I under? By all the Gods of Vegeta-sei, how long was I under?!"
The figure that had caused such an adverse reaction stepped further into the room. He spoke, keeping his voice soft and soothing. "Perhaps you should sit down, Lord Vegeta. You've been under the influence of cryo-sleep for quite some time. You should not push your body to do to much before it is ready."
Vegeta swayed again, his knees suddenly collapsing under him. Gohan and Goku made to move forward to catch him but Radditz was faster. He caught the young Saiya-jin before he could hit the ground.
"Radditz? Is that really you," asked Vegeta, his voice small, a vast contrast to what it was only a few minutes earlier. His eyes were wide with panic and made him look much younger then what he already appeared.
"Yes, Vegeta. It's me," replied the maned Saiya-jin, concern evident in his voice. He had never seen the younger saiya-jin like this before. The onlookers watched in shock as the slight teen seemed to burrow into the embrace of the older, larger man as his identity was confirmed.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Radditz looked down at the small figure of the prince with a frown. Vegeta was once again asleep, his body having been pushed to far with the shock of seeing the other Saiya-jin so changed.
The long haired Saiya-jin sighed. He just did not know how to tell the teenager that he had been missing, and unconscious, for over two decades. Radditz knew that Vegeta could, and often did, adapt to situations rapidly and with great success but something like this had the possibility of being something rather difficult to overcome.
He didn't look up when the door to the med bay opened to let someone in. "Gohan."
"Uncle Radditz, what are you going to tell him," asked the demi-saiya-jin in a quiet voice.
"The truth. Vegeta has always had the knack for knowing when someone close to him was lying." His eyes took on a distant look as he remembered one such situation that the Saiya-jin Prince had known that he was being lied to. The small Saiya-jin had been only a child of a few years but the effects of it had been devastating. It hadn't of helped that the King had been the one to lie to the boy. It had also been the last time that the boy had seen his father alive.
"But…"
"But, what, Gohan?"
"I don't think you should tell him yet. From what Bulma said, his body has been severely weakened from being under cryo-stasis for so long. She still hasn't figured out how the pod's limited resources could have lasted as long as you said they would have had to."
"I'll consider your suggestion."
The room fell into near silence, the only sounds being the soft hum of the machinery. It stayed silent for quite sometime until Gohan gathered his courage to speak. With a slightly uncomfortable look, he asked," Umm…Uncle…what exactly was your relationship with him?"
The tall saiya-jin looked up startled by the question. "What…? What do you mean by that, Gohan?"
"I saw the way that you were looking at him, Uncle Radditz."
The older man's facial features instantaneously became a study of blankness. "I do not know what the hell you are talking about."
"Don't lie to me. Like father I know when someone is lying to me. I guess it's a trait we Saiya-jins seem to have in common if what you say about Vegeta is true."
"I don't think it's any of your business, what the hell kind of relationship I had with him before he disappeared. It's not like it could be continued even if we did have anything between us. Have you forgotten about my mate," snarled Radditz angrily.
"No, I haven't forgotten about Aunt Keiko. I just think that you should figure out your feelings and intentions for him if you are so dead set sure on being his guardian because if not I'll get father to take him in."
Before the bigger man could reply to his nephew's statement the sound of Vegeta stirring on the bed made them both look down. The lithe prince almost instantly snapped awake only seconds after giving them the small warning.
"Radditz. Human. What the fuck are you two doing here," snapped Vegeta, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. It seemed the vulnerable and scared teen was no longer present and the flame-haired youth was once again back to being hostile and belligerent.
Falling easily back into the role of the vassal speaking to his liege lord, Radditz replied as he saluted, "Prince Vegeta, I was simply watching over you while you slept."
Nodding once, Vegeta sat up. "Fine. Now report. I want to know everything that has happened since I was last heard from, as well as the status on my scouter."
"I'm sorry Vegeta, but I cannot do that at this moment. The physician in charge has declared that you are to rest and that knowing what has happened since your disappearance may disrupt your recovery."
"What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine and I demand to know what it is that has happened."
"I cannot."
Growling in anger Vegeta swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Fine. If you won't tell me, I'll just threaten someone until they tell me what the fuck is going on."
The smaller saiya-jin started to move towards the door when he felt someone grab onto his arm. He turned with the intent of ripping Radditz's arm off but paused when he saw that it was the tall human boy that had accompanied the simpleton earlier that day. "GET. YOUR. HAND. OFF. OF. ME. NOW."
"Vegeta, I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to do that to anyone. It wouldn't be right."
With a dark chuckle that surprised even himself, Vegeta said, "Not right? Not right?!" His voice began to take on a slightly hysterical edge. "Was it right when that blue-haired bitch took apart the one means that I could get truthful information from? Is it right that no one will tell me a goddamned thing about what has happened to me? I mean it's only my life that we're discussing. Obviously I should have no say in what is going to happen in it, like usual. So don't tell me about what's right or wrong, you have no idea what either is."
"Vegeta..."
"Shut up Radditz. I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses at the moment. The only thing I wish to hear is what the fuck has happened and how long it's been, but obviously since I won't be hearing that, I don't want to hear another fucking word from your mouth," said the small saiya-jin with massive amounts of venom. "You're a traitor, Radditz, nothing more then a bastard who's betrayed me."
Face paling considerably Radditz nodded once rather stiffly. "If that is how you see it, my lord, this lowly saiya-jin will remove himself from your presence immediately."
"Then leave. I will call for you when I decide that you have redeemed yourself in my eyes." Vegeta turned his back to both of the other men in an obvious gesture of dismissal. "Take the boy with you."
Gohan watched as his Uncle stalked out of the medical room with a look of hurt in hidden in his eyes. Shaking his head, the taller youth turned towards Vegeta. "That was unnecessary."
Masking his surprise that his order about the boy's departure had been ignored and that the human would say such a thing, he looked over his shoulder at the other teen. "Of course it was. He disobeyed a direct order."
"He is only concerned for your welfare."
"That's not the issue."
"I think it is. He did it only because the doctors fear that to much strain could do you more harm then good. They only asked that we wait a few weeks until you were back at your 100 percent before you were told."
"I need to know what has happened and the abilities that you all seem to possess."
"Why is knowing about our power levels so important to you?"
Vegeta once again looked away from Gohan and stayed silent. A few moments passed without him speaking and Gohan audibly sighed. "Fine. Have it your way. One of us will be to around to take you to the dining room when it's dinner time. I suggest that you rest between now and then. I would also suggest thinking about maybe why he would obviously go against "a direct order" to possibly incur your wrath, but I don't think that would do anything. See you in a few hours."
The demi-saiya-jin turned and walked out of the room with the door sliding shut and locking leaving the flame-haired prince alone with his thoughts.