A/N:Thanks for the reviews, guys!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Gohan's eyes shot open when he sensed two familiar kis approaching his house. He sat up, waking Videl in the process. The woman groaned and turned to look at him.
"What are you doing, Gohan?"
"I'm sensing someone."
Videl's eyes shot open. "Who? Someone bad?"
"No. It's Vegeta and my brother. But I don't know – " the bell rang. He quickly got up and put on a pair of sweatpants and a black, long-sleeved threadbare shirt. Worried that something might be wrong, he jogged down the stairs and up to the door. All but wrenching it open, Gohan was prepared to see the scared face of his little brother and the angry but desperate face of Vegeta upon carrying bad news. He found quite the opposite. His brother was sleepy and Vegeta seemed extremely annoyed. "Uhm… Hello?"
"Gohan." Vegeta grunted.
"Good morning… to you." He said, a bit confused. "What's going on?"
"Vegeta panicked." Goten murmured.
Vegeta glared at him. "Shut it, you little insect." He turned back to look at Gohan. "Tell me, Gohan. Where is your father?"
Gohan quirked an eyebrow. "I… suppose he's at Mount Paozu with mom."
"Gohan, for a smartass, you're not much of an analytic guy. Goten lives with your Dad and he's here. Doesn't that tell you that I, perhaps, already went looking for Kakkarot at his house?" Vegeta growled.
Gohan rubbed his eye. "Yeah… I guess so." He sighed. "Is there something wrong with your senses? My Dad's easy to pick up… He…" Gohan stopped abruptly as he realized he couldn't sense Goku. "Wait." He searched harder, but couldn't bring himself to feel it. He should've been able to do so easily, even if his father was trying to hide. "I – I can't sense him."
"Thank heavens you finally realized." Vegeta growled. "Now, what about Bulma? Trunks? Bulla?"
Gohan searched for a bit, and then shook his head. "What's going on?"
"Oh, I know perfectly well where they are. I just enjoy visiting you at 5 in the morning to test how your ki-sensing abilities are doing." Vegeta said sarcastically.
Gohan rubbed his forehead. "What do you suppose we do? If my dad and Trunks are with them then there's nothing to worry about, Vegeta."
Vegeta was beyond frustrated now. "So Kakkarot suddenly disappearing doesn't worry anyone?" he growled. "Whatever. I only want to find my wife and my children and you two are going to help me or I'll…"
"Yeah, we get it." Gohan said. He sighed. "Let me go grab my jacket and we'll go to Dende's Lookout. Perhaps he knows something."
"Right. Hurry."
PAST.
"Deal." Goku said.
"And one more thing." The tiny prince said. "Nappa and Radditz should be able to see you as well."
"Oh, no." Bulma said. "We can't let that happen."
"Then deal's over." Vegeta said.
"Why do you want them to see us?" Trunks asked.
Vegeta looked at the floor. He didn't want to admit it, but he liked to consult his decisions with his companions. The last word was always his, of course. At first, he always took decisions by himself, but over time, he found out that Frieza's punishments over a wrong decision were nothing to look out for. So, he began to take decisions with the help of Nappa and Radditz. Nappa might have been a brainless oaf and Radditz just a thirdclass idiot, but they were older than him and perhaps a bit more reasonable at times. Besides, it would be less risky for him if Nappa and Radditz also stole things to repair the machine. He frowned and looked up at them, growling.
"Why don't you want them to see you?"
Goku swallowed. Vegeta might still be young but he still resembled Trunks… or Trunks resembled him, whatever. Besides, Radditz and Goku were very alike, and it was possible that Radditz had had a chance of seeing him before he went to Earth, meaning he'd remember his palm-like hair. And, hadn't Frieza said that he looked like his father? Then surely Radditz would see the resemblance, wouldn't he? Goku looked at Bulma and realized that she was probably having the same thoughts. They looked at each other and Bulma sighed.
"Alright. But I warn you, you might get a big surprise."
"Whatever. I'll go bring them."
"Right." Goku said. "Could you bring some food while you're at it?"
Vegeta glared at him. He couldn't even get enough food for himself. He turned around and left.
PRESENT
The three saiyans landed on Dende's Lookout. Piccolo was meditating. He opened one eye and grunted, putting his feet on the ground and turning to look at them. He nodded as a way of greeting Vegeta and the Saiyan nodded back.
"Piccolo!" Gohan exclaimed.
The namekian grinned. "Gohan. Goten."
The younger half-saiyan smiled and lifted a hand.
"Where's Dende?" Vegeta asked.
"Here." The younger namekian said, walking out with Popo stepping on his heels. "What a pleasant surprise, all of you. How have you been?"
"Fantastic. My wife and children disappeared from the physical plane and Kakkarot poofed out with them, so I decided to come pay you two nameks a visit. Care for some tea and cookies?" Vegeta spat out, glaring at them.
Piccolo rolled his eyes. "I see you are the same sweet, cheery man we have all come to know and love." He commented.
"What do you mean?" Dende said. "Bulma, Trunks, Bulla and Goku left? Where to?"
Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose. "As much as I'd love to answer that with a sarcastic comment to point out how utterly idiotic you can be, I think I'll accelerate the process because I really need to know where my mate is."
"We were hoping you could do an overall search of my dad and Bulma. We can't feel their kis." Gohan said, in an attempt to soothe the situation.
"Now that you mention it," Dende said "Piccolo and I stopped sensing Goku a while ago, but just thought he was going incognito because Chichi was mad or something…"
"Yeah, but if you focus really hard, you can see it disappeared completely." Goten said.
Dende and Piccolo closed their eyes. After a while, the younger one opened them. "You're right… It's as if they were… dead."
"Shut up." Vegeta growled. "Bulma left a note earlier saying that I shouldn't look for her because she was in another dimension or something…"
"And you believed her?" Piccolo snickered. "That woman is a problem magnet."
"Yes, namek, I believed her but I came here because I wanted to tell you about my day." Vegeta answered.
"Wait." Dende said. "I'll go to the center of the Lookout. It can locate any energy, anywhere. I'll be right back. Mr. Popo, if you'd be so kind…"
Popo smiled and nodded. "Certainly so."
The two walked away.
"Say, Vegeta," Piccolo said. "I thought you were too tough you love." He said, a playful smile on his lips.
Vegeta growled. "Love is for the weak. I don't love so shut your green, disgusting mouth, you namekian trash."
"Right. Then why is it so imperative to see your wife now?"
"Because…" he quickly thought of something and glared at the green man. "She left no dinner for me and I'm hungry as hell."
Goten snickered. "Right. C'mon, dude. We all know it already."
"I'm not your dude!" Vegeta screamed, blushing. All of them laughed. "SHUT UP!"
PAST
"Nappa, Radditz." Vegeta called. The two saiyans stopped sparring and turned to look at their little prince. "Come with me. There's something I'd like to show you."
Both of them landed on the ground and followed their prince.
"Is everything okay?" Nappa asked.
"I don't know." He admitted after a brief silence.
Vegeta was a bit nervous. He didn't know if Nappa and Radditz would be able to see them. What if they couldn't and they ended up saying that he was crazy as well? He knew they'd always be at his side, but he didn't want them to think that he was nuts. Of course, he knew they often thought he was getting madder by the second because of the situation he was forced to live in, but he trusted that they somehow considered that he had some little sense in him. Hi train of thought was broken suddenly when he seemed to crash into a wall. He staggered back a few steps and heard two growls behind him. Who were Nappa and Radditz trying to intimidate? He blinked a few times and looked up. His own growl formed in his chest. Dodoria.
"Well, well, well. What is the little baby monkey doing here?"
"Get out of my way, Dodoria." He growled.
"Why? I thought you'd be sleeping off those injuries." Dodoria laughed, crossing his arms. "You just can't do anything right, can you?"
"I said, get out of my way!" the tiny prince screamed.
"Such a loudmouth." Dodoria growled. "What if I teach you a little lesson?"
"Leave him alone, Dodoria." Nappa said. "That's enough."
"Oh, ho, ho. What will the two monkeys do? Rescue the little princess?"
Vegeta glared at him and tried to sidestep him, but Dodoria moved. It didn't help that he was so wide.
"Move, Dodoria." The prince growled. He would've fought and would've tried to kick the man's balls, but right now he was in too much pain and was too weak to complain. He just wanted to get this over with and get some sleep before Frieza or Zarbon wanted him to have another training session.
Unfortunately, before anyone could do or see anything, Dodoria thrust his foot forward and struck the little prince. Vegeta was sent flying backwards and crashed into the wall with a whimper. He slid to the floor and held his stomach, trembling. The earlier wounds reopened and began to ooze blood again. He closed his eyes shut. Radditz growled and was about to punch Dodoria, but Nappa stopped him with a glare. The younger Saiyan sighed. He knew that if he attacked Dodoria, it would only be worse for Vegeta. Dodoria laughed as he saw their faces and walked over to the tiny prince who lay huddled against the wall. He sent his foot forward again and struck his knee against the child's face. It didn't help that his massive knee was bigger than the tiny child's face. He screamed as his nose broke and his lips busted.
"I hope that teaches you to bow before your superiors, you stupid little monkey."
The child growled and tried to stand up, but Dodoria slammed his fist onto the prince's tail and he fell again on his hands and knees, screaming. The pink blob straightened up, chuckling and walked away, purposefully bumping his shoulder with Radditz's. Vegeta swallowed and took a look at his now broken tail. He gave a few deep breaths and got up on trembling legs. He leaned on the wall and tried to compose himself.
"Come on." He said breathlessly. There was one idea in his mind: Leaving that place as soon as possible.
Nappa and Radditz looked at each other as they followed their limping prince down the hall and outside.
PRESENT
"Vegeta," Dende said, reappearing before them. "I know where they are, but you're not going to like it."
Vegeta growled. "Spit it out."
"Apparently they travelled through time and space and they are currently in another timeline." Dende said. "That's why you can't sense them. They're out of this physical plane."
"As in... another timeline?" Gohan asked. Dende nodded.
"Why would they do that?" Gohan asked. "Did they go to the future?"
"No. They went back to the past."
"Why?"
"I don't know their reasons, but I can guess them." He said. He looked back at Piccolo nervously, communicating telepathically with the older namek. Piccolo's eyes widened and he looked over at Vegeta. "Vegeta, I think you might recognize this coordinates: 122.111.012 South." He said.
"Planet Frieza number one…" Vegeta said softly, too many emotions boiling up.
"When you were six-years-old."