Tatoosh: No, long reviews will not get you banned. Ninny. I like long reviews, they tend to go in depth about things that I have either screwed up, overlooked, or done in such a way as to truly affect my readers. That last chapter even got a non-macro out of Lady Sakura-chan for once! *is extremely proud of herself for that one* I may have over-bad-guyed Trunks… he really isn't a complete ass. Anyway, he's not supposed to be… And he begged so prettily that I've decided to save Goten. All I need is the proper who… *evil grin* "A story is not just an exploration of how characters might walk the maze of events in their lives but a dream, a wish, hope for the triumphant solution of the maze." I like this, it's very true. However… considering my dreams, it is also quite terrifying.

Suisheu: Yes, Goten is following in his father's footsteps, in a way… he's hidden everything away so well that he's not capable of talking about what's wrong - except with Vegeta occasionally - so he's going to extremes to get away from his pain. "I know, I was expecting too much this time when everything took a good turn. *sighs* but fics aren't meant to be based wholly on life as it is... one could always hope." I know, I know, they aren't supposed to be wholly based on life, but if they aren't at least partially grounded in something real, they don't make a lick of sense. I'm glad you liked the depth and insight of personality *my muse is currently strutting his stuff*, but you don't need to cry for Goten… okay, maybe you do, but he will live. Once I find him a rescuer.

Lady Sakura-chan: *boggles* There's a comment! A comment! Wow! *grins hugely* I got a why-I-liked-it comment out of you! *marks said miracle down*

Everyone else: You're all getting lumped together because I don't have enough space, and a lot of reviews dealt with:

A bit of confusion over the beatings. So, let me reiterate: Trunks has confessed to beating Goku 3 times - when he first arrived (for being involved with his father while his mom was alive), after he got back from the mall the first time (he made Goten cry), and the time just before Goten came in looking for Trunks because his mum wanted to talk to him (for screwing his dad before his mother was even cold), and Vegeta admitted to once - for treating Goten like he'd treated Trunks for so many years. That leaves 2 beatings to be explained, the one in the shower, and the one where the assailant came from Vegeta's room and sounded exactly like him, which Vegeta swears he didn't do. Kuroichi is used to being beaten by his masters for failing to perform to their expectations, Vegeta is his master, so he believed that Vegeta did all the beatings except the two he knew Trunks did. You all clear on the explained beatings and why Kuro thought Vegeta did most of them now?

Let's see, what was I going to do with this chapter again? *wanders off to think* I got another Vegito fusion card. Vegeta must be the rarest one… and Gohan the most common. I've got 3 or 4 of Gohan now, 2 Gokus, 2 Vegitos… and not one Vegeta! *goes to find Vegeta so she can slurp on him* Actually, he tastes even better when mixed with Gohan….

Has anyone noticed that Vegito looks a lot more like Gohan than anyone else? Erm, sorry, you wanted story…. The a/n's already a half-page long.

Kuroichi purred, his whole body a sensitized mass of nerves, supercharged by the fingers ruffling through the fur of his tail. He was completely unable to move, to talk, his eyes half-lidded, sprawled face-down in Vegeta's huge bed. His purr only intensified when Vegeta asked him if he was enjoying himself, an act that caused the prince to laugh softly before dropping the tail. Kuroichi's mewl of disappointment quickly turned back into a purr as the prince snuggled down next to him, sighing with content.

"If I'd known the only thing I needed to do to get you back was tell you that, I'd have done it long ago," the prince confessed.

The purring broke off. "Huh?" The expression on the slowly raised face was pure Goku confusion, which set Vegeta to laughing again. Kuroichi, mostly still lost in a sensual haze, pouted. "What's so funny?"

"You are, Kuro." Vegeta wiped a tear from his eye, he hadn't laughed quite that hard in… a long time. "You looked so like Goku just then…"

"He's dead." Those words were so flat, so sure, and the purr didn't return when Kuroichi resettled himself in a coil of limbs around the prince.

"Yes, Kuro," Vegeta said, a little sadly. "There can be no doubts, this time. Goku was well and truly killed when you revealed yourself."

"Then why sound… upset? You have me now… forever. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Vegeta was quiet, trying to decide how best to answer that. At last, he opted for the truth. "It is, and it isn't. It is both incredibly complicated and so simplistic that I am not sure how best to explain."

"Go for the simple answer."

"I wanted to kill him." He could feel Kuro withdraw. "Ah, but that is the simple answer, Kuro. You forget, I never called that clown Goku."

"Kakarot. You wanted to kill him."

"No. I… I wanted Kakarot. Wanted him alive, well, and…" Vegeta sighed. "I wanted him to respect me as his prince, as he should. But it was always Goku who answered me… Goku who considered me an equal and a friend, a convenient sparring partner at very near his own level. Kakarot… his memories were well and truly gone, everything about our people forgotten. Only our lust for the fight remained, and that was tempered by his loss of memory and the simple fact that he'd become Goku, instead."

Kuroichi waited. The silence became charged with his tension, he finally broke. "You… never… wanted me?"

"I wanted to kill Goku. Even after he became my friend, I wanted to kill him. I wanted him to be Kakarot, a true Saiyan, I didn't want a simplistic, easy-going child in the body of a Saiyan warrior. When… when I lost my memory, I began to love him. When I regained my memory, I hated him worse than I ever had. I raped him, beat him, nearly killed him. I left him to die. I thought he would. I think I even hoped he would. He disappeared, instead, and I learned that I missed having him around."

Vegeta sighed, stroking his fingers through Kuroichi's wayward spikes. "I started looking for him. A year later, he returned… only to disappear again. And again, I found myself searching for him. Instead, I found the man he'd become. I found you. I miss the spars with… with Goku. I miss watching him eat like there will never be food to eat again. I even miss his smile and his laugh. I am sorry that I will never know what Kakarot really would have been like, had he retained his memories. I have you, I love you. It does not matter that you may never regain your Saiyan memories, or that you were once someone I vowed to kill. I love you." He smiled as he felt Kuro relax against him, the tail that had held a death grip around his thigh relaxing to begin stroking along his leg instead. "I want you, Kuroichi. Forever."

And on that bit of mushiness, I end this chapter. I know it's short, but if you read my live journal, you will discover that my muse, who was all full of ideas when the chapter began, was traumatized by a bad musical & having his playtoy taken away. My other muse is also traumatized, refusing to come out of the bathroom. So's you know, I will not be updating again for awhile - I've a week of tests and then back2back weekend classes.