A/N: I don't own DBZ. Rated R

Triangle of Kisses

Chapter 9

"Help me." Goten called out from under the thick foliage as the branches stabbed into his young skin. He was pinned down and his head was pounding from where he had hit it against a rock.

"Squirt, hang on." Gohan called back anxiously through the haze of the heavy rain as his grip again slipped on the thick smooth branch. Their heads snapped up to the sound of lightning snapping and cracking as it unleashed its whip across the darkening sky above them. Another powerful sound echoed. Their eyes widen in horror as they watched the massive tree that they were standing under start to fall forward moving shifting the ground beneath their feet as its roots pulled and ripped away from the ground.

Hearts pounded as it fell towards them. Gohan stood up and with a loud battle cry, he flashed in to gold. "Arrrrrrgh" With his body protesting as he flew up to meet the solid form attempting to crush his baby brother.

Trunks jumped away from a large tree root whipping out from under his foot. Quickly he moved back pulling at the branch that his friend was trapped under. "Goten!"

"Help me. I'm stuck."

Gohan, in gold form, held the tree back stopping it from falling on his little brother and from ripping away any more roots as Trunks feverishly worked away beneath him. "Hurry Trunks!"

"I am." shouted, forgetting his own torn skin as the branches carved its mark on the boy. He pushed through to reach his friend. Goten, with a sharp cut above his eye, looked up through the haze of rain to see a hand stretched out in front of him to take. "Goten hurry!"

"Hai!" Goten gripped his friend's hand waiting to pull him up, his boots slipping in the mud. With the mix of soaked leaves and snapped twigs giving him little grip he relied on his friend to help him with hands held tight they both pushed off to fly away.

Gohan felt the heat spread, threatening to engulf him once again even with the rain soaking him to the very bone. His powerful gold that danced around him became too much and until it flickered out sending the boy hurling back to the ground below.

"GOHAN!"

The tree gave way and fell towards the fallen boy, now lying unconscious on the ground below. Both chibis dived towards the teen as the massive tree threatened to crush him. Suddenly a shift in the atmosphere whirled around them forcing them back further. Appearing in front of them was the form of a brilliant gold flame. It ripped the threat away from his love with vengeance sending it a million miles away.

A blood coated Saiyanjin breathed hard, drenched and torn with battle scars landed at his lover's side, and with outstretched hands he lifted the prone body of his young mate into his powerful arms through heavy lashes, he looked at the younger form he fought to save.

"Father?" Trunks yelled as he and Goten approached the royal Saiyanjin. The man stood holding his koi close to his chest.

"Back to the house. Both of you!" He ordered. Both boys nodded as they looked over at Gohan now in Vegeta's protective hold. Vegeta looked back down at his love's dark wet lashes that were now closed and being showered upon by the large drops of rain. The prince's heart was pounding hard against his chest with the adrenaline of the close call as he walked off back to his home with the two young boys beside him.

Elsewhere another form pulled himself from the fallen rubble surrounding him. Battle scarred and bleeding, he limped away promising he would be back to take what was lost to him a second time.

As the small group emerged from the forest they watched as a yellow air car came into land skidding and breaking up the lawn in front of them. Vegeta, with both chibi's at his side, stopped to see Chichi, mad as hell, heading over to them screaming abuse.

Goten backed away behind the prince as his friend, who stood tall like his father at his side, watched as the screeching onna headed their way. The prince's dark eyes stayed fixed on the venomous woman as she cursed and growled out her insults at him, never once stopping to see who lay limp in the protective hold.

"GOTEN! Get in the car NOW! She bellowed with her hands on her hips. The boy shook his head and as he gripped on to the torn pant leg of his brother's mate.

"The boy will stay here!" It was statement not a request. Vegeta wasn't going to hand the boy over to the same onna that had belted into her eldest, his lover.

"GOTEN get in the CAR!" Chichi growled as her eyes stayed fixed on him. Goten, getting soaked further by the rain, backed further behind the prince shivering from his mother's words.

Chichi went to grab him when Vegeta stepped in front of her. "The boy stays!"

Behind them Bulma brought her plane down next to Chichi's air car. Vegeta's eyes never strayed from the onna in front of him. They could hear Bulma calling out as she complained about the rain. "Hey guys! Chichi, let's take this onto the porch and get the kids out of the rain."

Trunks stood firm at his father's side refusing to have his friend dragged away by the enraged woman. "Goten stays with me." He growled out in his royal confidence.

Chichi could feel her blood boil. She knew she had no chance with the two Saiyanjins, especially Vegeta. She gave them a threatening look. "Have the boy with that little slut in your arms. He has probably already affected the boy."

The prince growled showing his sharp canines. The taste for blood was in his sights.

"Chichi! Vegeta don't!" Bulma called as she rushed over hugging herself in the cold chill watching her ex ready to rip her old friend apart. Chichi glared back at the boy hiding behind Vegeta before storming off into her car to fly back across the dark sky in the same rage she arrived with. "I'll speak to her later. She didn't mean it Goten." Bulma called with warm smile.

As she hugged at her jacket she gathered her son and Goten moving the boy out from his hiding place behind the prince. In doing so she looked up to see her ex partners cut face. "Vegeta are you alright?" She asked jolting him from his glare at the retreating car.

"Let's get to the house!" His dark eyes turned to his home as he strode towards it with Bulma rushing the boys ahead. She looked at Gohan in Vegeta's arms every now and then. "Is he alright?"

"He will be." The prince said as he pushed open the door allowing them all to enter the home.

Vegeta didn't wait for anyone. He let Bulma fuss over the boys, herding them into the bathroom as if it was her own home. She knew it was best to leave her ex alone. He would call if he needed her. She concentrated on warming the boys and cleaning their cuts as both boys complained that they wanted to be with the prince and his mate. "No buts! Get into the bath now!" Bulma growled running the water and watching them reluctantly strip off their muddy clothes.

Down the hall, and behind closed doors, Vegeta was doing the same to his love, whispering comforting words to the boy even if he was still unconscious. With his lover the bed, the price moved to the ensuite and and turned on the shower as he stripped down. Once he had removed all his torn clothes he lifted the boy up and held him tight as he stepped into the large cubical allowing the heat from the shower to massage way and clean his tired warn muscles.

Looking down at the boy in his arms he whispered. "Ai Shiteiru." and kissed him on forehead.

The prince held the boy close as his shoulders started to shake, tremble. Giving into his fears, his tired body slid down the tiled wall collapsing to the floor of the cubical sobbing, crying uncontrollably with his love close to his heart. Salted tears of stress mixed with blood from his cuts travelled down, snaking a path, as he sat with his face buried in his lover's thick mass of black hair. He sat cradling and rocking him allowing himself to be free to cry out his pain. His heart ached and burned behind close doors with his love in his protective hold.

"I can't lose you."

TBC…

A/N: Ai Shiteiru I love you