Rock Your World

Part 20:1 – Vegeta

I saw the ki blast suspended in the brat's hand, saw that it was aimed at my heart, could feel the energy was enough to be fatal. I didn't have time to power up, didn't have time to run. A prince faces his fate on his feet. I swallowed, in what I knew would be my last moment of life. I'm sorry, Kakarot.

A body slammed into mine, shoving me aside so that I sprawled in the dirt. I got back to my feet and looked up in time to see the white ki beam enter my lover's body, burning away muscle, skin and bone before exiting his chest. Kakarot gulped his last breath, then he collapsed with a thud, lifeless.

No…. Oh, gods, no….

"NOOOOO!" I screamed flaring back to Super Saiyan two and throwing my head back; pouring my depthless agony into my voice, into the tears that stung my eyes before leaving hot tracks down my cheeks.

Kakarot. Was. Dead. No, it wasn't possible. Not now that he was finally mine, after all these years I finally got to tell him I loved him and now…. It was all for nothing.

Finally I opened my eyes and looked again. Kakarot's body lay at the feet of his son, still smoldering from the singed hole through his chest. Through that pure heart that I loved more than life itself. The brat called Gohan was staring in disbelief, as if unable to comprehend what he'd done. Imbecile, I thought mutinously, If you shoot, obviously someone is going to d-die… I sobbed again, my face in my hands. Strangely, I felt no urge to attack the brat, only to crawl into a hole and die. Like Kakarot had died. Except I didn't deserve a death as noble as my lover's. Throwing himself into harm's way to protect the ones he loved. Noble Kakarot. Brave to the end.

I staggered to Kakarot's side, falling to my knees beside my lover and taking his bloodstained hand in mine. I heard the brat Gohan speak.

"I…I didn't… I…." his voice was choked, as if he were holding back tears, "I didn't mean to…"

Idiot. I thought, but my sorrow wouldn't let me voice the insult.

I ran my hand up my dead lover's wrist, my numb fingers encountering the thick blue band that was the ki-cutting manacle. The wretched thing that started this whole mess.

"It's your fault," I cursed at the cuff, grabbing it with both hands and wrenching it off, throwing the mangled strips of metal over my shoulder.

"I know…" Gohan sobbed, obviously thinking I was talking to him. As if! He's not worthy of my words. Not now…

I took Kakarot's broken body into my arms, placing him in my lap and burying my face in his wild, silky black spikes. I'm sorry…It should have been me… I should have died; not you, Kakarot…

I took both his wrists in my hands, one of them scarred by that vile manacle, and pressed his hands to my chest, barely aware of what I was doing, it was as if I were trying to reassure myself that my heart still beat. Or trying to get Kakarot's lifeless fingers to feel that it did. That blood still pumped through my veins because of his sacrifice. I froze suddenly, listening, feeling... It was probably just an illusion…

No… That's impossible… Kakarot's wrists, trapped in my hands, were still warm. There was a pulse there, faint, but still ticking against my fingers in time with Kakarot's shuddering heart. Wait. The brat blasted Kakarot's heart, didn't he? I looked up, hardly daring to believe it. There was a hole, through the middle of Kakarot's chest, slightly off to the right….

To the right….

The heart was on the left side of the body.

I was hard put not to shout my joy for the world to hear. Kakarot's alive! And yes, there, barely able to be felt, but it was there…. Kakarot's beautiful, warm ki signature. It had been gone, completely gone until I removed that foul ki-cutting manacle. Kakarot had been teetering on the brink of death….

"Shit," I growled. He still was. Just because he was alive didn't mean he'd stay that way. Not for long. Gohan stared at me as if I'd lost my mind, but I didn't care.

Then it hit me. Why isn't he breathing….?

"Double shit," I cursed, grabbing Kakarot's jaw and pressing his mouth up to mine, breathing into him, trying to get his seared lungs to fill.

"What are you doing?" Gohan demanded, wrenching me away from Kakarot's body so that I was standing.

No…Idiot! Please don't die…. Hold on…

"Imbecile! He's not dead!" I shouted, shoving the brat away and taking Kakarot into my arms again, kissing him, breathing life back into him.

"Wha -?" Gohan stammered. I ignored him, pausing only to gulp a breath and resume my effort to revive my lover.

Finally, mercifully, Kakarot's lungs expanded on their own and he took a breath, coughing, choking and pushing me away weakly. I stood up and stared at him desperately, willing him to come back to me, to live again.

"That'll be enough to hold him until…" I muttered, "Boy!" I snapped at Gohan. He flinched visibly, "Help me fly Kakarot to the Lookout!" It was only then that I noticed that everyone was still there. The woman Bulma and Kakarot's "Z fighters" were all still gathered around, staring in evident shock at the goings-on.

Whatever, it's not important. I need to get Kakarot to the little green one so he can heal him.

I looked back at Kakarot, making sure he was still breathing. He was, albeit shallowly, instinctively. He was unconscious, but at least he was alive.

"Vegeta what -?" the woman began, walking towards me.

"Shut up!" I shouted urgently. Can't she see I don't need a distraction right now? Idiot woman.

I hoisted Kakarot so that he was slumped over my shoulder, I felt a weak, dry breath whisper over my neck and I shivered.

"You coming, boy? Or do I have to carry him alone?" I snarled at Gohan, who seemed to snap out of a daze.

"Yes sir!" he said quickly, grabbing his father's other arm and supporting him on his own shoulder and mine.

Sir, heh. Far cry from bastard, I guess the kid's pretty shaken up….So am I.

We took off, flying Kakarot to the Lookout where he would, surely, be able to get better.

The freaky Popo creature didn't even blink – did he ever? – when Gohan and I showed up with the mangled, unconscious Saiyan supported between us. He just ran off quickly, hopefully to find the Namek brat.

The genie, or whatever he was, returned with the little Namek in tow, speaking to the green child quickly in that breathy, creepy voice of his. I caught the words "hurt", "dead", and "Goku" – seriously, was I the only one that called Kakarot by his real name? – before the little green one was led to me. Well, us; but I guess I'd have to do the explaining.

"Heal first, talk later," I barked. Feeling more in my element when giving orders.

The Namek nodded and placed his little green hands on Kakarot's ruined chest. I was impatient, tapping my foot and scowling as I waited for the wound on Kakarot's chest to recede. Finally the Namek brat stepped back mumbling something like "that's all I can do."

I watched Kakarot's face breathlessly, praying that it was enough to bring him back to me. Just when I was about to give up and go blow something up, Kakarot twitched, wincing and slowly squinting open one beautiful black eye, which wandered before finding me.

"Vegeta," he breathed, relief softening his features. He let go of Gohan's shoulder and wrapped his arms around me, pressing his lips to mine, voluntarily this time. He tightened his grip around my shoulders, then let me go, looking at me desperately, as if I might vanish if he looked away.

I smiled, kissing him again, not caring if the Popo creature, the Namek and Kakarot's son were watching awkwardly. Kakarot was alive, and for all I cared, the entire planet's population could have been there to watch us kiss.

For a moment ago I was sure I'd never get another chance to do so.

TBC