Royal Delivery

Chapter 4

The man's large hands came down and gently cupped the boy's chin sending the boy into a state of fear. Gohan's breathing hitched as he backed away from the touch. "I-I h-have to go" Gohan backed up a few more steps before he spun around back to the safety of his father's private office. The cub skidded down the tiled floor coming to a stop outside the office door. On tip-toes, with his small arms stretched out, he struggled to open the door.

Dark eyes laced with fear spun back to the hall as the sound of hard steady footfalls that echoed in the large corridor. The sound amplified ten fold against small ears causing panic and he hurriedly went back to his work. Eyes wide, the slick handle refused to comply. With his hands battling on, the sound of footfalls grew nearer. His heart pounded hard against his small chest. Gohan turned back to the hall. Breathing hard and fast he moved back to the door and pushed and hammered now demanding its safety, small fingers slip over the polished brass handle now covered in nervous sweat. "FATHER"

Gohan hammered on the door with everything he had commanding it to obey. Too scared to look back, he kept pounding on the heavy door, with the sounds of more footfalls heading his way. "FATHER" the pleading voice screamed

The door opened wide with his father standing strong, dark eyes narrowed down on the cub. "What's up with you boy?" Vegeta studied the terrified chibi who had now dashed behind him. Gohan's small hands gripped his father's red cape that hung off his powerful shoulders.

"My Lord I heard yelling. Is there something wrong?" A man called as other guards rushing to his side.

"No, everything is fine. Go back to your posts." Vegeta ordered as his young cub's stuck his head from under his father's cape only to have his fears amplified. His eyes went wide as they locked with dark cold pools of the chief of security. Gohan was too transfixed to move. He watched in slow motion as his father sent them all on their way. Vegeta closed the door. His son was now clinging to his leg. The royal father reached down and scooped his cub up and away from the tangled robes. "What's with you brat?"

Gohan said nothing. He just wrapped his small shaking hands around his father's neck for protection, his brush tail curling tightly over his father's wrist for added protection. Vegeta's eyes widened and a brow rose at how his cub was holding on to him so tight. The chibi's buried his face in the crook of his father's neck crying silently. Gohan had always been the most affectionate one of the cubs. The king blamed his mate for mothering the boy. Vegeta looked around his office no one was in sight. He relaxed some and brought the cub closer still and started to deep purr the boy to sleep. "I'll take you back to your papa." Vegeta whispered as he rubbed the boy's back.

Walking back through the long polished corridors Vegeta came to the grand staircase that led to his and his mate's private apartment. A few minutes later the king and his cub made it to the private rooms of the royals.

"Vegeta, has the meeting finished early?" Goku asked seeing Gohan curled up asleep against his father's chest.

"Not fast enough" Vegeta growled as he walked in. The meetings always gave him a headache.

"Turles has just left" Goku said as he closed the door.

"Humph" I'll take the boy to our room." Vegeta went to walk only to see his lavender hair cub with his small brush tail drooped and swaying nervously behind him. The royal cubs, like most cubs, don't have full control over their tails yet. They are not able to mask their feelings. This won't happen until around the age of ten. From Mirai's tail both parents could see he was anxious.

"Father" Mirai's soft voice called from the dark hall.

"Brat what are you up to?" Vegeta watched as the cub move closer into the light of the living room with his royal blues eyes locked on to what was in his father safe arms.

Mirai could feel his father's dark eyes on him, knocking him out of his thoughts. "Nothing I came out for glass of water. I'm thirsty."

"Thirsty huh." Vegeta growled. His eyes darkened as they watched the boy go slowly into the kitchen. Vegeta's face softened some as his mate elbowed him in the back

// Vegeta just let Mirai see Gohan // Goku purred through their bond as he hugged his mate from behind.

// Baka they are being punished. No visiting hours allowed // Vegeta growled

// Geta // Goku purred. They watched their cub walk back in even more slowly. Mirai lifted his head to see his brother's face which was now tucked against his father's chest.

"What are you staring at boy?" Vegeta growled softly. Mirai, running out of excuses to stay near his brother, looked up at his parents.

"Mirai, he is ok, see" Goku unravelled the tail like from Vegeta's arm and called the boy over.

Mirai stood on tip-toe to stroke his brother's dark long mane. "Can I stay with him now that I have been good?" His eyes lit up with hope.

"I-I" Goku raised a brow back at his mate.

"You are being punished. You knew better than to leave the palace but you did it anyway. Do you think I should just forget it?" Vegeta growled feeling his defences slipping under his mate and the cub.

"No but I'll be good from now on father. I promise. Gohan and I will stay in the palace grounds." Mirai said hopefully as he moved closer pulling himself up on his father's forearms to get a better look at his brother.

Goku smiled at his unenthused mate "Vegeta that sounds good."

"You are always on the boy's side." Vegeta's frown deepened at his mate's eager eyes.

// Geta //

"Fine brat you're let off." Vegeta looked down at his son who was close to pulling his brother out of his arms.

Mirai looked up with his blue eyes bright. A wide smile slipped on his young face. "Yippee"

"But one step out of place, either of you…" Vegeta growled out only to be interrupted by an over enthusiastic cub.

"I promise father." Mirai bounced with his fingers crossed behind him.

"I'll take the boy to bed." Vegeta's frown deepened. He felt tired and defeated with his mate's soft laughter behind.

"I'm coming." Mirai said as he bounced along at his side

"I wish you were like this at bed time." Goku raised a brow as they walked back to the boy's room.

Mirai scrambled onto the bed where his father had placed his brother. "Chibi" Mirai whispered.

"Now don't wake him up. He's tired." Goku warned.

Mirai beamed back innocently. "I won't papa."

"Hmmm" Goku muttered suspiciously.

Mirai watched his papa leave to talk with their father and quickly turned back to his brother curled up asleep under the blankets. "Chibi" Wake up."

Slowly the dark heavy lashes lifted and Gohan looked up to see his brother leaning over him with a warm smile. "Mirai"

Mirai beamed as he moved closer. "Yep we're off the hook."

Gohan was confused as he watched Mirai climb under the blankets with him. "Hook?"

Mirai moved up close their tails entwined naturally under the blankets. "Yeah dad said we can stay together."

Gohan's eyes lit up "Yippee"

Mirai pushed his finger against his brother lips to keep him from saying anymore. "Shhh they think you're asleep"

"Oh" Gohan nodded as his brother looked back at the door.

Lying on his side with his head supported by hand, Mirai's blues looked down at his brother's dark shining eyes. "Why did you shut me out?"

Gohan asked clueless. "Out where?"

Mirai growled lightly. "At the meeting. You closed your side of the bond. Why?"

Gohan eyes widening as he remembered the events before he fell asleep. "I-I"

Mirai eyes widen with concern as felt Gohan's fear start to travel through their bond. "Did something scare you?"

Gohan eyes locked with his brothers. "I-I saw him."

Mirai frowned at his brother. "Him?"

"Burles" Gohan whispered as if the man in his nightmares could hear.

Mirai's brow rose in concern. "What did he do?"

"He cupped my chin." Gohan whispered nervously as he touched his own chin.

"I'll kill him" Mirai growled as his eyes darken.

"Mirai we can't kill. We're too little." Gohan frowned at his brother. Had he forgotten that they had this lecture with their father already?

"I'm not." Mirai's proud chin rose as his chest puffed out some. His blues looked back at his brother with a thought. "Did you tell dad?"

Gohan frowned "You know I can't." Gohan knew his father would want to ask questions. Questions that he wasn't ready to answer, nor did he know why he was scared of the man that haunted his dreams.

Mirai laid his head on the pillow as his brother curled up next to him. Mirai stroked the chibi's mane as Gohan moved closer. "You have been having bad dreams about him again, haven't you?"

With his head resting on his brother's chest Gohan closed his eyes. "Yes."

Gohan has been having nightmares for a few months now, ever since Burles became head of security. The man had always seemed to be around every corner Gohan was and the boy was starting to fear him. If no one was with him the burly man would try to corner the prince but Gohan had always been lucky enough to have his brother close by and now at night when Gohan's defences were down the younger cub's feelings would travel to his older brother through their bond. A few times he had his parents rush in trying to find out what was happening, as they try to calm their cub down from his nightmares. Mirai looked at the dark mass of black hair. "Stay with me. I will look after you chibi." Mirai's tail wrapped tighter around his brother's.

"Ok" Gohan nodded as another thought coming to his mind. We will become strong with Turles and Nappa training us."

"Yes then when I'm bigger I'll get Burles" Mirai growled his promise in his best royal tone to his brother.

"Then we will both get Burles." Gohan growled back. Both boys' eyes turned to the door.

Mirai and Gohan look up to see their papa at the door. "Gohan did Mirai wake you?"

"No" Gohan said in his most innocent voice.

"Hmmm. Time for tea. Then bath. I want you both into bed early." Goku watched his boys scramble off the bed and pass him through the door to the dining room where Vegeta was waiting to start his meal. Both chibi's took their spot at the table next to each other and between their parents. With their tails entwined they started to eat the large feast that was placed out in front of them.

After tea the cubs were in the bath as their papa washed them. "We can play tomorrow." Mirai asked as his arm was being soaped up.

"Yep we could go to the pond and see how many guards are down there to soak." Gohan chuckled with his papa washing his back.

Goku stopped in mid scrubbing and turned so he could see his son's dark eyes with his stern ones. "Gohan. I hope you haven't?"

Gohan small brow rose innocently as he shakes his head. "No papa, only a little."

"Gohan" Goku frowned

Mirai looked at his papa's disappointed face and looked back at his brother's clueless expression. //Baka don't say that.//

Gohan looked back at his brother as his papa scrubbed hard on his back. //Oh//

"What's this about soaking guards?" Both boys turn to see their father walking in and tower over them waiting for a reply.

Mirai's blue widened not wanting his father to be upset again today. "Nothing father."

Goku looked up from his work at his mate. "Nothing Vegeta the boys won't be doing any of that. Will you?"

"No" Mirai said with his brother nodding in agreement.

"I don't want any more reports about you two." Vegeta growled out with a smirk on his face, watching his cub's expressions change from worried to realization that they had been caught out.

"Yes father" Mirai nodded his head in time with his brother as their eyes locked at their father's. Goku tried to hide the smirk on his face from the cubs he looked up at the fake glare Vegeta was giving the boys.

"Good now finish up and into bed." The boys nodded, worried in the knowledge that their father knew of their little game at the pond. of soaking as many guards as they could

Goku played along with his mate making the boys think they were upset with them. "You heard your father, out and bed."

"Yes papa." Both boys climbed out of the bath and got ready for bed.

"Come on you two." Goku and Vegeta watched the boys scramble under the covers of their large bed. The adults moved over to the bed. "Get some sleep. It has been a long day. You scared us both." Goku explained as he moved a lock of hair from each of the boys' faces. Both sets of eyes watched their father approach the other side of the bed.

"It's not safe out there. You could have been taken." Vegeta explained as he sat on the bed next to his eldest.

"Why would they want to take us papa?" Gohan asked as looked up at Goku sitting next to him stroking his hair.

Goku smiled as he continued soothing his cub and tried to explain. "Gohan, you are both very special to us, but to others you are very valuable in lots of other way."

"Valuable" Gohan frowned trying to understand.

"Yes, so you stay inside the gates. I forbid you both to go past those gates again." Vegeta looked at each of his boys as he said this.

"We promise.' Mirai reassured his parents as they kissed them both before standing to leave.

"Good now sleep." Vegeta's face relaxed from the long day as he watched his boys curl up into one another under the blanket.

Goku purred as he watched his sons' eyes close before turning off the soft glow of the lamp. "Good night Mirai, Gohan sleep tight."

"Come it has been a long day. Let's get some sleep before the brats wake us again in the morning." Vegeta said as he waited for his mate to follow him to their room just up from the boys'.

"It would be nice to have the cubs in bed with us." Goku said as closed the door.

"Huh" Vegeta was thinking the opposite. He liked his blankets and his mate to himself.

"But I'm so tired." Goku sighed

"I hope not too tired." Vegeta smirked as Goku gave him a playful hit in the arm.

"Geta."

TBC…