A/N: I had this chapter written sometime ago and decided to post it before I start working on my others... (winces) Goddamn they're neglected, hehe...

Disclaimer: Kinoha doesn't own! If she did she wouldn't be about to tortur... eh, have a nice little chat with the lawyer tied... I mean, comfortably seated in her living room sofa...!

Warnings: Cursing and stuff.

Childhood: Part III – Father

Kakarotto opened the door and stepped inside, glad to be inside. For the clock was now nearly eight in the evening. He had stolen some more bread and that little side trip had taken nearly three hours, way longer than he had calculated. The night life of the streets was just beginning and that's when the east side showed its ugly side dangerous to anyone weak or slow: children and old were the usual victims. Kakarotto knew he was weak and slow and definitely didn't want to end up as some freak's plaything.

" Isn't it dangerous for you to be outside at this time, ey Kakarotto?" came a voice and the small boy froze. In the pillows lay a man dressed in cracked and bloodied armour, smirking slightly at him. The resemblance between them was stunning.

" Dad?!" Kakarotto whispered.

" No, it's monkey's uncle! Of course it's me!" Bardock snorted sarcastically and then smirked. " Well be living mighty fine off for a while..." he gesture weakly with his fingers to the table where sat a pouch full of money.

" Great for I was starving!" Kakarotto announced and carefully made it next to his sire. " You're injured..."

" It's nothing I haven't handled before... did ya get enough food, Kakarotto?" Bardock looked worried a bit but his son just smiled mischievously and produced a loaf from behind his back. Few bites had been eaten of it, though. Bardock sighed in relief.

" Good, I feared you'd run out of money..."

" I did... I stole today's food..." he admitted and waited for an angry outburst but instead his father laughed mockingly. " Really shoved it up those bastards asses, ey? Did ya make sure it was a first class seller?" Bradock smirked as Kakarotto nodded smiling, pleased.

" But I had help too... I've found a friend Dad! His name's Ve!" the young Saiyajin announced happily his tail waving around with his emotion. " I'm meeting with him tomorrow... I know I could bring him to meet you! You haven't trained me in a long long time! I wanna learn more...!!!" his son continued to blab and tel everything they had done and he had had fun and Bardock couldn't stop laughing for whole ten minutes after Kakarotto told him about their little bordello incident. Soon the little brat was dead asleep next to his sire and Bardock ate half of the loaf. It sure had been a close call this time with this purging mission...

" Oh good..." Bardock smiled at all his son had told him. Kakarotto didn't have any friends and he was unbelievably weak even for a third class and Bardock had to say he was secretly very proud the boy had managed to make it this far in life. His son was resilient survivor. He had the inner fire and spirit many great warriors lacked. He had come to conclusion the boy needed just time to realize his full potential and learn to fight. Just how many third class seven year old out run a battalion of first classes? Kakarotto may not have realized it himself but he was extremely skilled in acrobatics and his endurance was almost impossible.

He really looked forward seeing this friend Kakarotto had made for it took other to know another alike...

000000

The morning came and Vegeta was wide awake. Usually he really liked to sleep in in his soft bed but the day ahead woke him up long before everybody else. He squirmed out of his night clothes and fetched his rag clothes from under the bed where he had hidden them last night. Getting dressed he slipped outside into gardens... Normally servants who were ordered to wake him up feared for their lives for the prince was known for his quick temper and even quicker chi blasts. For the second time in row a servant was met with an empty bed to their relief and horror. The prince had been gone two hours ago since the clock hit six in the morning...

Vegeta stood now in front of Kakarotto's house, the latter almost jumping up and down in happiness. Kakarotto had once again retrieved to him the unknown prince and now they stood in front of his house in the cold morning air. All the mornings and nights were cold but just wait few hours and the hot day would hit fully on.

" My dad came back last evening! He little injured from the mission though...! You gotta meet him, Ve!" Kakarotto exclaimed and Vegeta nodded, slightly worried. This man was an adult and he just might recognize him. Before he could ponder and lament anymore Kakarotto had impulsively dragged him inside.

" Dad! This is Ve I told ya about!" He yelled and then silence fell and quiet snoring sound filled the room. Kakarotto's face crunched up and Vegeta knew this couldn't mean anything good to come.

" HEY OLD MAN WAKE THE FUCK UP!" the younger Saiyajin screamed his lungs out scaring the shit out of Vegeta.

" What the hell...?!" A man jumped up, looking disoriented and in a split second he had changed from second-ago-abruptly-awakened to mad-as-hell-for-you-ruined-my-sleep mode, " KAKAROTTOH!!"

Faster than Vegeta could comprehend Kakarotto was dangling from his father's grip in the air as the older man yelled at his son and his son yelled back at his sire. Obscenities and threats filled the air and Vegeta had never heard such a crude language used in his life!

" Uhm... hey! Oi! Hey you!" Vegeta yelled and the two turned to him. This was seriously starting to scare him. He knew he had a temper but that Kakarotto and his father possessed such fuses...

" What!" they spat in unison at him, angry for intervention in their argument

" I'm Ve?" Vegeta said crossing his arms. Bardocks face softened considerably from its infuriated expression and he dropped Kakarotto on the floor.

" Damnit dad!" he muttered but was ignored.

" I'm Bardock, Kakarotto's father, unfortunately..." he said and Kakarotto stuck his tongue at him and Vegeta realized this wasn't for real and this was just how they showed affection to each other: yelling, shouting, cursing. If he ever showed his tongue to King Vegeta he'd get spanked for it without mercy.

" Ya two put up quite a show yesterday I heard... that was one fine thievery I tell ya..." he grinned and ruffled their heads. Nobody had ever ruffled his hair nor touched him in such careless and affectionate manner. But at the same time it made him happy that someone thought he had done well and showed it in this way. His father sure hadn't been happy when he arrive fifteen minutes late after being absent the whole day... then again seeing his face red and all worked up after his day had been worth few slaps.

" I promised Kakarotto I'd teach him more fighting today. Ya wanna join and learn too Ve?" he asked and peered down at Vegeta his eyes piercing his very soul to the core. It was not malign and trespassing but firmly probing gaze. Vegeta realized Kakarotto had inherited Bardock's eyes though they didn't have the same effect. Yet. The prince was sure Kakaratto would grow up to intimidate many people with his fiery and penetrating eyes.

" Sure!" he chirped, suddenly anxious to see this Saiyajin's abilities as a warrior. The man had moved incredibly fast before, after all.

" Okay but let's eat first! C'mon, brats!" Bardock tightened his blood-red headband around his forehead and the trio set out to get some food to sate their appetites. Vegeta hadn't eaten any breakfast either so he gladly tagged along. Bardock bought them a simple breakfast that they washed down with milk on the market place. After getting fed Bardock and the boys headed outside the city. Walking for few hours the boys chatted and asked stupid questions from Bardock, they arrived in the plains that continued on for what seemed like forever, just outside the outskirts of the capitol.

" Whoa...!" Vegeta uttered as he gazed at the greenery spreading in front of him. He had only gazed through the palace tower's window at these lush meadows. The grass was soft and smelt fresh and some flowers here and there added their enchanting scents to the mix.

" What? Ya never been outside the city, Ve?!" Kakarotto asked while performing some basic warm-up stretches. Vegeta only humphed irritated and decided to follow the younger boy's example. He didn't have an idea how the third classes trained their cubs and suspected it to be far from his royal training.

" Okay brats! Warm up or be sorry. Doesn't matter to me if ya're stupid..." Bardock told them sharply, gaining a stern and commanding air to him without even meaning to. The young prince hardly kept his temper in check: nobody ever called him a brat or ordered him around like that, training or not! And how come the man implied he were stupid if he didn't warm up? He usually warmed up by sparring with Nappa until they moved on to the serious stuff.

" Hey Bardock... I've wondered why I'd need to warm up anyway like this?" he asked while mimicking Kakarotto movements which seemed to be quick stretches and turns including jumping up and down. Bardock glanced at him shortly, pondering while Kakarotto almost fell over.

" You dunno why? Ha, now---"

" Shut up brat." The adult Saiyajin regarded Kakarotto with such a withering look it nearly made Vegeta faint.

" Shutting up..."

Bardock sighed, running his hand through his thick spikes. " Okay, the basic need for warm up is simple. It warms up your muscles, relaxes tendons and joints, all together gets your blood moving. What's more important is that it makes the flow of your energy easier while you're not tensed up, ey...? It also prevents you from straining your muscles too much so they might get wounded for live... sparring is a good way to warm up as long as it' done slowly, but it's not a good option otherwise."

" How so?" Vegeta frowned. What was wrong with his usual method?

" Battle conditions."

" Battle... conditions...?" they small prince echoed unsurely.

" In battle you have to be in a top fighting condition immediately. No time for stupid warm up spars if the enemy is much stronger than you. You must be able to use every single ounce of your strength in that kind of matter right away and not after five minutes. And why so? Well, ya happened to croak by then. If you get your body used to stretching warm up you can always perform it in few quick movements and be ready to take on an army of assholes... that's why Ve." Bardock bit on hay end thoughtfully, speaking with many years of experience in the battle field. " In real battle you can't just 'say he wait a sec gotta warm up' y'know..."

Vegeta's mouth formed an 'o' in realization and he quickly warmed up.

" Kakarotto! Push ups and sit ups right now! Ve, I wanna see your abilities since I know my son's already. Spar, now!"

" How many?" Kakarotto asked from his sire.

" As many as you are capable of doing! Start now! C'mon Ve..." Bardock smirked and slid into his stance, showing his cocky attitude with his face and stance. Vegeta was glad the man hadn't taken his scouter with him for that'd give away his superior abilities right away. Vegeta assumed his own stance, confident he was stronger than an injured third class purger any day. Kakarott started grumbling on his task, determined to give everything he had.

Vegeta charged suddenly, thinking he had caught the low class off guard when the Bardock suddenly disappeared and Vegeta found him self skidding across the green grass, his mouth full of mold and blades of grass and his back smarting. His upper back stung like hell and Vegeta realized he had been jabbed there with an iron-hard fist by Bardock. Dazed and humiliated, he picked himself up aggressively and attacked again, yelling. Bardock only flashed him a superior smile and Vegeta made another crater to the meadow, tufts of greenery flying around.

Bardock and Vegeta fought, or more like Vegeta attacked and got the shit kicked out of him. Kakarotto soon couldn't do any more of sit ups and push up and laid sweaty and panting on the ground. Bardock growl to get his lazy ass going and join in the spar, made him perk up.

Unnoticeable the time slipped by, the children doing their everything to even land a punch on Bardock and getting thrown around like rag dolls. Kakarotto seemed to be used to this and Vegeta soon envied the younger Saiyajin's stamina and ability to keep going despite the pulsating pain of strain and impacts in their muscles. No matter what trick he threw or how much he planned strategy the third class fighter was always a step ahead of him. None of his fine strategies taught to him by his father and Nappa worked on this Saiyajin.

Sweat and pain, rush of adrenaline and heavy breathing. Vegeta had never experienced so intense and challenging spar and he liked it much. Much more than he should have enjoyed being taught by a third class purger.

" Hyah!" Bardock shouted sharply and with a burst of energy sent Vegeta and Kakarotto flying ending the spar there as the two Saiyajin children couldn't muster any strength to get up and continue fighting.

The setting sun dyed the landscape orange and red and the only sound was hard panting and the rustling of the hay in the evening wind. Bardock eyed Ve with veiled eyes that revealed nothing of his emotions. There was no way this child was a third class unless his powerlevel had gone undetected but that was not likely. His strength, speed and combat strategies used were those of elites and the fluent use of chi was beyond normal for child of his age. His brow furrowed in thought.

Ve... he watched closely the hair that swept up like a flame and the angular, still childishly soft, face lines. He had seen that scowl somewhere. It was natural for those born with authority... his eyes widened. Could it be? The only child ever with such potent power in this age was...! His hard black eyes fixated on his son's fatigued form laying on the grass, painfully gasping for precious oxygen.

How could Kakarotto ever perform such a feat as befriending a royalty; the young prince of all Saiyajins?

There was no mistake about it. Bardock had seen the King in parades to know the boy who called himself a third class Ve, was actually the offspring to royalty of the planet. Kakarotto in the other hand had never seen the King's face nor anyone of the court in his short life so no wonder he didn't suspect anything. Ve spelled for Vegeta, the inherited name of royals throughout history for countless centuries.

He snorted in thought again and crossed his arms. He didn't know what kind of game the boy was playing and decided he should do nothing to reveal the prince's identity to Kakarotto or anyone else for that matter. He sensed the winds of change approaching rapidly; the wind picking up, changing direction. It wouldn't happen soon, it'd take years, ten or more, for the total changes and to uproar begin. He smiled. He wouldn't be alive then, he sensed it. The adult Saiyajin just couldn't picture himself that far in the future or a setting he'd fit. Funny. Always he had thought he'd live longer but his instinct told him death wasn't that far away. A year, give or take. His senses and instincts honed on mission knew this. His body was too scarred, mentally and physically, to survive any bad purges. Losing mate and sons and being on the brink of death more times than he dared to guess had granted him in return with power far above super elite level, but too many times. His soul was weary and spirit almost burnt; death, blood and loss had seen to that.

He had thought what kept him alive after this purge and it was now clear to him like the weather after a storm. It was for his son, his special son, and prince Vegeta... it seemed he had a job to do. Bardock had never believed in fate, but he knew it was there in certain cases and lives. Had he been younger he would have despised the whole concept but the last purge had given him an inexplicable insight and now he was grateful for the people of Kanassasei for their sacrifice.

He would give his everything; knowledge, combat techniques, loyalty and cunning. Oh yes, and a whole knew profession... they boys already seemed to have a knack for that anyway...! He didn't have any purging missions for next two weeks, anyways.

000000

" Shit shit shit shit!" Vegeta cursed to himself. The time had slipped past him and it was already seven in the evening! Pained, bruised and dirty he didn't know how he managed to sneak to his room, clean up and change into his night clothes. He was too tired even try to go and get dinner and explain where he had been in dinner time and why he hadn't showed up in the training grounds at nine and why he had missed his educational lessons too. Nappa and his father must be smoldering coals... he snickered at the thought.

He had had a taste of freedom, a breakout from the restricting chains he didn't even know existed, and there was no way he was gonna let the freedom and excitement go. Crawling under the covers groaning in pain he swore to never let go. He would rise to be king with his own conditions when the time was right; be a better king than his father; stronger, wiser! He knew there would be many beatings ahead from his father and various trainers but for the first time he had a friend, a beginning of loyalty and fun. A day ago Kakarotto had been a tool, Vegeta had claimed he didn't need any friends but now he had one... and he didn't want to let it go. Never had he realized how lonely he was until now...

He drifted to sleep, a small flame flickering in his soul; heart. Despite the pain and starvation... the word would change.

000000

A/N: Hookay... got little deep in the end but this is how the story goes! More about the 'Silver Alley' in the next chapter where the concept will be explained more thoroughly. Until the next time! Now, I'm gonna pounce on the chocolate and eat it all! JA NE!!