When Goku opened his eyes to view the familiar ceiling of his sunlit bedroom, he was greeted by the hazy recollection of being kissed by Vegeta. He knit his brows softly in consideration of the fuzzy memory as he became more fully alert. Then he laughed it off.

"What an odd dream." Goku mused as he stretched his arms behind his head under the pillow and relaxed with a smile.

He couldn't imagine what possessed him to think about Vegeta like that, if at all. Then again, he had enjoyed the prince's company when they'd sparred on the night of the party, and he was disappointed to miss seeing the prince when his doorman refused Goku access upon his visit to the castle after the funeral.

Goku frowned in realization. His mind seemed to be constantly drawn back to Prince Vegeta; it was almost like he was obsessing about the other man. But kissing him? He still had no idea where the thought had come from. Either way, the time for dreams had ended and in the reality of a new day, Goku knew he had things to do.

He still had no idea how Bulma died, but now his instincts were strongly telling him that Prince Vegeta was part of the mystery. He'd have to try the castle again. He just needed to sneak past the rude, domineering doorman this time. That would be done easily enough.

As Goku sat up in bed with determination to get the day started, a soft knock sounded on his door, before it creeped open. He turned to see a black head of hair slowly inching through the small opening, until Chi-Chi lifted her head and smiled at him.

"Chi-Chi."

"Good morning, Goku." Chi-Chi whispered as she slipped the door closed quietly behind her.

Goku cocked his head curiously as Chi-Chi came to sit on his bed. "What are you doing?"

"Don't I get a good morning kiss first?"

Goku smiled and pressed his closed lips softly to Chi-Chi's. She pressed her hand behind his head, begging him not to pull away as she deepened the kiss. Goku gasped in pleased surprise, his open mouth allowing Chi-Chi to slip her tongue inside and explore.

As he grasped a hand around her waist and reciprocated with his tongue, Goku moaned along with Chi-Chi. A private morning visit like this was an unexpected occurrence. Chi-Chi's father lived here with both of them, and this was really against his rules for the unmarried couple, but Goku couldn't complain. He'd never been much of a fan of rules, anyways. Chi-Chi was always the one to adhere strictly to them.

Goku couldn't imagine what came over his fiancé, but he couldn't deny the pleasure of her soft, luxurious lips mingling with his. A shudder ran through him as their kissing ceased and they pulled apart, while Goku opened his eyes, momentarily expecting to see Vegeta's face. When he sighted Chi-Chi smiling sweetly at him, Goku blinked in surprise. His heart raced when he realized, to his astonishment, that for a split second he was actually hoping to see Vegeta.

"Dad is sleeping in this morning." Chi-Chi said. "He had a late night last night, so..."

Chi-Chi trailed off as she pressed her lips to Goku's cheek repeatedly, moving towards his jawline with each gentle kiss. Goku's eyes widened in surprise and he gasped when he felt the sensation of Chi-Chi's hand rubbing through the thin fabric between his legs. He panted as he tentatively reached a hand to cup one of Chi-Chi's breasts, wondering just how far she was willing to go. The sensations of her soft fingers gliding softly over his hardening shaft while her moist, soft lips continued kissing along his jawline and earlobes had him hoping she'd allow him to finally take her. They'd be married within the year anyways-and Chi-Chi was obviously feeling permissive. Goku's lips spread into a wide smile with those thoughts until Chi-Chi's lips lowered to the side of his neck, creating a different sensation that startled him at the touch.

Chi-Chi abruptly stopped her motions as she gasped and drew her hands and her lips in retreat. Goku furrowed his brow as he reached his fingers to his neck, stroking the rough, raw skin that was disturbed by that odd sensation from Chi-Chi's kisses. Chi-Chi furrowed her brows as well, before looking horror stricken when she looked at Goku's neck after his hand was withdrawn.

Goku's mouth fell open as he recognized the disturbed expression on Chi-Chi's face. "Chi-Chi?"

"Goku! Y-your neck..." Chi-Chi shook her head fervently in denial, "…those marks..."

Goku grasped Chi-Chi by the shoulders. "My neck? What abou-"

When Goku rose to his knees on the mattress and looked over his shoulder to his reflection in the oak dresser's mirror, he was rendered speechless by what he saw. Two identical punctures were on his neck, exactly like the ones Bulma's neck bore before she died. Except, he has absolutely no recollection of receiving them. He knew they weren't there when he went to bed.

Chi-Chi grasped his forearm tightly. "How did you get those marks?! Tell me! What did you do?!"

Goku's eyes widened at Chi-Chi's demanding tone. "I-I didn't do anything! I don't know…" Goku glanced disbelievingly again into the mirror, nearly expecting the marks to disappear as quickly as they'd appeared, "…I don't know...how I got them."

"We need to do something, Goku!" Chi-Chi was getting hysterical, "I won't let the same thing that happened to Bulma happen to you!"

Goku hugged Chi-Chi tightly. "It's alright, Chi-Chi. I feel fine."

"No!" Chi-Chi stubbornly pushed free from his hold. "Bulma said the same thing! I'm not listening this time." Chi-Chi's bottom lip trembled as she reached a hand to caress Goku's cheek with a settling breath. "I can see it now, too. You look pale."

Goku removed Chi-Chi's hand from his cheek and shook his head with a reassuring smile. "Don't be sil-"

At Chi-Chi's warning glower, Goku stopped speaking and lowered his head. Before Chi-Chi could speak again, a knock sounded on the door, much more abrupt than Chi-Chi's earlier knock. A gush of air rushed past the couple as the door swung wide open.

"What's going on in here?"

Chi-Chi wrapped her arms and clothing modestly over the indecently thin fabric concealing her chest. "Father!"

Mr. King's brows lowered in disapproval. "Chi-Chi, this is incredibly inappropriate. You know that."

"Ox, it's my fault Chi-Chi was in here." Goku said with an intentionally disarming smile. "Sorry about this."

Chi-Chi grunted in frustration. "Father, forget about blame. This is serious! Goku is…" she trailed off and looked at her fiancé with her brows furrowed in concern, "well, look!"

As Chi-Chi forcefully grasped Goku by the shoulder in an effort to display the bite mark to her father, Goku grimaced in pained surprise. "Ow!"

"Goku!" Ox exclaimed with wide eyes, "we need to have someone take a look at that!"

Chi-Chi nodded stubbornly. "Right."

Ox focused his gaze intently on her. "Isn't that the same wound that Bulma-"

"Yes, it is!" Chi-Chi said.

Goku groaned. "I'm sure it's not."

Chi-Chi placed her hands on her hips and glared. "How else would you explain it, Goku?"

Goku grit his teeth as he looked away with a sigh. He wished he had an explanation, but he was at a loss for how he had come to have such marks on his neck. Curiously, he eyed his reflection in the mirror again, before turning to see the concerned scowls on Chi-Chi and Ox's faces.

"I'm going to telephone Mr. Roshi." Ox said. "If anyone in this town has come across this sort of thing before, it would be him. He's been around longer than anyone here. Of course, he didn't recognize the marks on Bulma, but…" Ox shrugged as his eyes lifted to the ceiling pensively. "…if he doesn't recognize those marks, I'm sure he has to know someone who can."

Goku sighed in defeat as Chi-Chi nodded at her father with determination. As much as he hated the thought of being 'looked at', and potentially prodded by Mr. Roshi or whoever the older man might send, he knew there was no point in arguing. Chi-Chi would not give in when she had that look in her eyes. The only thing he could do was try to buy himself some time.

Mr. Roshi wouldn't be able to come immediately, so Goku would further investigate Bulma's death in the meantime. His thoughts returned to his original determination when he woke-his plan to return to Vegeta's castle. He had no logical explanation for why he wanted to go there, but his instincts were practically screaming at him that the prince would have the answers, or at least, the answers he sought could be found in the castle.

That would be true for the answers to both of his questions-what happened to Bulma, and now what was happening to him. As much as he hated to admit it, Chi-Chi and Ox might have been right about the similarity between his wounds and Bulma's. He certainly didn't want to end up the same as she had. It couldn't hurt to slip out and make that visit to Vegeta's castle before Mr. Roshi or whoever arrived to examine him. He would unquestionably be back before lunch time.

In the King home, a serious gathering had resulted from a slew of calls made from Mr. King to various people in an attempt to get to the bottom of the odd problem beginning to plague the town. Mr. Roshi sat hunched over a pile of documents, while Chi-Chi paced the room, nervously gnawing her thumbnail. Krillin Roshi and Yamcha Puar both accompanied Mr. Roshi to the home and sat quietly beside Mr. Roshi with concern etched across their faces. Mr. King stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring expectantly towards the door. When a knock finally came, a servant hurried to answer it for the party who held their breath in anticipation.

"Welcome," the servant said with a bow as the door opened, "Mr. King has been expecting you. May I take your hat and coat?"

Ox King exchanged a curious glance with Mr. Roshi when the gentleman entered the room, presenting to them with a domineering presence. He seemed irritated to be called upon, or perhaps that was his usual state. This was the man they had been expecting. After reaching out to several possibilities, he was the one found most likely to have an understanding of the situation. He was a scholar, not only medically, but also as a demonologist who had years of experience and came from a long line of a family that studied bizarre and rare conditions, both real and supernatural.

Mr. Roshi stood and politely bowed his head. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Piccolo."

The man pursed his lips in displeasure and eyed the others surrounding him in the room. "I'm still not certain for what purpose you wanted me to rush here, Mr. Roshi. I am a busy man, and only agreed to this at my Uncle's insistence. Let's make this quick."

Mr. Roshi stuttered in surprise. "B-but Mr. Piccolo, from my discussion with your Uncle Kami over the phone, I was under the impression that you were willing to stay-"

"Then you were under the wrong impression."

Chi-Chi stepped forward and smiled at their surly visitor. "Would you like some tea, Mr. Piccolo? I can make some, and then we can discuss the situation." When Piccolo frowned silently back at her, Chi-Chi's eyes filled with desperation. "Please. My fiancé's life may be in danger, and you could be the only one who can help him."

Piccolo's brow furrowed. "Life in danger?" He directed his attention to Mr. Roshi. "Does this have to do with the dead woman with wounds on her neck and a severe loss of blood?"

"Yes." Mr. Roshi sighed. "Miss Brief died mysteriously, and now Mr. Son exhibits similar wounds, according to Mr. and Miss King here."

Ox King nodded and stepped forward eagerly. "He does. Please, Sir, agree to give it a look at least."

Piccolo frowned pensively before meeting Mr. Roshi's gaze. "Where is Mr. Son?"

"Chi-Chi," Mr. King gestured towards the stairs, "go find him."

"No." Piccolo grunted. "I'll need to see the corpse first."

Chi-Chi gaped. "The…corpse?"

"You mean," Mr. Roshi gulped, "Miss Brief?"

"Yes."

The others looked warily around the room, exchanging dubious glances before looking at Piccolo with skepticism. They were speechless as Piccolo stared at them impassively, until one finally spoke out.

"Miss Brief," Krillin chuckled nervously, "is already laid to rest beneath the ground."

This visibly alarmed the visitor. "For how long?" At everyone's dumbfounded stares, Mr. Piccolo spat impatiently, "her body needs to be exhumed immediately!"

Mr. Roshi's eyes bulged. "Mr. Piccolo!"

Yamcha stood to his feet. "Have you no respect for the dead?!"

"You can't be serious!" Chi-Chi yelled irately.

"I am serious. If this turns out to be what I suspect, this is very serious."

The group eyed one another warily, unsure what to do from here. This was certainly not what any of them expected to find upon meeting their renowned expert on the subject of mysterious deaths. But the intensity of Piccolo's insistence was impossible for any of them to shake, in spite of how tasteless the task seemed.

"I'll," Mr. Roshi finally began while looking at the others in search of agreement or permission, "I'll have to make a few calls to make this possible. If you'll excuse me."

As Mr. Roshi strode hurriedly from the room in search of a telephone, Mr. King stepped forward and placed a hand softly on Chi-Chi's shoulder. "You'd better go up and let Goku know about this, Chi-Chi."

Chi-Chi nodded and headed for the stairs without another word. As she traversed the steps, she worried how Goku would react to the news. She was still stunned over the idea of exhuming Bulma's body from the ground. She didn't want her late friend disturbed from her rest to be dissected after having her life taken from her so early. Chi-Chi was sure Goku would feel the same way, but when she finally reached his door and knocked to hear no answer, she furrowed her brows, concerned by his lack of answer.

"Goku?" She called as she opened the door and stepped inside.

When Chi-Chi was greeted by a vacant room, she gasped. Quickly, her brows lowered into a glare. Knowing her fiancé deserted the house at a time such as this, when he knew he would be needed, angered her. It was late afternoon and dinner would be soon, though, so she was certain his rigorous appetite would draw him to return shortly from wherever he had gone.

Slowly, she descended the stairs, until she was faced with the confused expressions of everyone sighting her solo status. "He's…gone."

Mr. King knit his brows tightly. "Gone?"

"Gone where?" Krillin asked with his hands on his hips.

Chi-Chi shrugged and raised her palms in defeat with a sigh.

"Surely," Mr. King smiled, "he'll be back in time for dinner."

"Yes." Chi-Chi nodded and smiled as Mr. Roshi returned to the room. "You'll all stay for dinner. We'll have the cook make plenty of food for all."

"Well, then that's settled." Mr. Roshi said with a smile. "My sister runs the cemetery, so I was able to finagle a way in. We've been given permission to extract the casket as early as this evening."

"Good." Mr. Piccolo reached for his hat and coat. "I won't be eating. I'm going straight to this cemetery to see if there is anything to this." He turned to Chi-Chi with a glower. "And when your fiancé returns, make sure he stays put. I intend to see him next."

"W-wait!" Mr. Roshi hurried to retrieve his own hat and coat as Piccolo hurried for the door. "Mr. Piccolo, I'll come with you!"

As the pair rushed out the door into the brusquely windy twilight, the others frowned solemnly and looked at one another. The eerie business of unearthing the casket of a dear, recently deceased friend was not something in which any of them were anxious to be involved. However, their dinner would be fraught with anticipation, both of Goku's safe and timely return, and of the results of Mr. Piccolo and Mr. Roshi's findings at the cemetery.