Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.
Author's notes: The prologue is short, and this isn't much longer. So I'm putting them out at the same time. I don't consider the length of chapters, just the common themes.
Chapter 1: Home
Vegeta awakened in a cold sweat, sitting up, mouth open in a silent scream. He quickly realized that it was just another recurring nightmare, and tried to gain control of his breathing. He looked down beside him, expecting to see Bulma fast asleep. But Vegeta was never that lucky. She laid there, wide awake, concern plainly written on her face.
"Another nightmare?" she asked quietly.
The Saiyan bit back a curse. He despised showing weakness or fear to anyone, but he found it difficult to hide all his feelings from the woman.
"What are you doing awake, woman?"
"I just now left the lab," she answered sleepily.
'If the lab wasn't in her home, I'd call it her second home,' thought Vegeta. This was really the reason the two were able to stand each other. Both were immersed in their own obsession - Bulma for her inventions, and Vegeta for his training. This made the time they did spend together bearable - almost (though they were loathe to admit this) pleasant.
Vegeta rolled out of bed, ignoring Bulma's gaze, and threw on his clothes. There was no way he could sleep anymore tonight. He had to think - away from the oppressive walls of the building he still had trouble seeing as home.
Bulma shrugged and rolled over, pulling the sheets over her head. She knew she could not get anything out of him - not when he was like this. In a matter of minutes, she fell asleep.
Vegeta flew - away from the house, away from the city, into a small clearing in the nearest woods - the one place he could escape from everything, even his ego and ambition. He lay on his back and stared at the starry sky, immersed in thoughts of the distant past. His eyes scrutinized the sky until he found the star - the one Planet Vegeta had once orbited - home. He had spent months determining its position in the earth's sky, and a night rarely passed when he did not seek it out. He did not feel homesickness, or even loneliness. Only a profound sense of loss.
Vegeta sighed in frustration as his reverie was interrupted by the sense of a familiar ki approaching. Vegeta continued to stare at the star of his lost home.
"What possessed you to follow me, Trunks?"
The teenager sat at his father's side. "I wanted to see what was upsetting you."
"Who asked you?" came Vegeta's angry retort.
Deciding not to press the subject, Trunks changed the subject abruptly. "Where is it?"
"What?" Vegeta asked wearily.
"Home."
Vegeta felt his son's penetrating gaze, and countered with one of his own. Trunks reluctantly broke the link and turned his eyes back upward.
After a few minutes Vegeta broke the tense silence. "Do you see that bright star near the three in a row?"
"Yes. Is that it?"
"No. It is the faint star to the right of it."
Trunks squinted. Only Saiyan eyes could make it out without a telescope. "It seems so far away."
"It is," whispered Vegeta.
Trunks again looked at his father. "Is that what's wrong?"
Vegeta was filled with the sudden urge to let go of his most well-kept secret, a desire akin to loneliness. And why should he not tell the person he trusted the most, his own son?
"Trunks, let me tell you a story . . ."
Author's notes: The prologue is short, and this isn't much longer. So I'm putting them out at the same time. I don't consider the length of chapters, just the common themes.
Chapter 1: Home
Vegeta awakened in a cold sweat, sitting up, mouth open in a silent scream. He quickly realized that it was just another recurring nightmare, and tried to gain control of his breathing. He looked down beside him, expecting to see Bulma fast asleep. But Vegeta was never that lucky. She laid there, wide awake, concern plainly written on her face.
"Another nightmare?" she asked quietly.
The Saiyan bit back a curse. He despised showing weakness or fear to anyone, but he found it difficult to hide all his feelings from the woman.
"What are you doing awake, woman?"
"I just now left the lab," she answered sleepily.
'If the lab wasn't in her home, I'd call it her second home,' thought Vegeta. This was really the reason the two were able to stand each other. Both were immersed in their own obsession - Bulma for her inventions, and Vegeta for his training. This made the time they did spend together bearable - almost (though they were loathe to admit this) pleasant.
Vegeta rolled out of bed, ignoring Bulma's gaze, and threw on his clothes. There was no way he could sleep anymore tonight. He had to think - away from the oppressive walls of the building he still had trouble seeing as home.
Bulma shrugged and rolled over, pulling the sheets over her head. She knew she could not get anything out of him - not when he was like this. In a matter of minutes, she fell asleep.
Vegeta flew - away from the house, away from the city, into a small clearing in the nearest woods - the one place he could escape from everything, even his ego and ambition. He lay on his back and stared at the starry sky, immersed in thoughts of the distant past. His eyes scrutinized the sky until he found the star - the one Planet Vegeta had once orbited - home. He had spent months determining its position in the earth's sky, and a night rarely passed when he did not seek it out. He did not feel homesickness, or even loneliness. Only a profound sense of loss.
Vegeta sighed in frustration as his reverie was interrupted by the sense of a familiar ki approaching. Vegeta continued to stare at the star of his lost home.
"What possessed you to follow me, Trunks?"
The teenager sat at his father's side. "I wanted to see what was upsetting you."
"Who asked you?" came Vegeta's angry retort.
Deciding not to press the subject, Trunks changed the subject abruptly. "Where is it?"
"What?" Vegeta asked wearily.
"Home."
Vegeta felt his son's penetrating gaze, and countered with one of his own. Trunks reluctantly broke the link and turned his eyes back upward.
After a few minutes Vegeta broke the tense silence. "Do you see that bright star near the three in a row?"
"Yes. Is that it?"
"No. It is the faint star to the right of it."
Trunks squinted. Only Saiyan eyes could make it out without a telescope. "It seems so far away."
"It is," whispered Vegeta.
Trunks again looked at his father. "Is that what's wrong?"
Vegeta was filled with the sudden urge to let go of his most well-kept secret, a desire akin to loneliness. And why should he not tell the person he trusted the most, his own son?
"Trunks, let me tell you a story . . ."
