A/N: Sweet Jesus in heaven. This is a looong chapter. I'd apologize, except it was a lot of fun to write. I hope every moment makes the last scene worth it.

Everybody Loves Vegeta, Too!

Part Eighteen Springs into Summer

"Marron, where are you going?" Vegeta caught her leaving the house late at night again. She stood still in the open front door. One of her snow boots was already knee-deep in the pile of fresh January snow outside.

Her eyes narrowed. "Just goin' on a walk! Nothing special!"

"Why are you wearing gardening gloves?"

"Because it's cold outside," she said curtly.

"Are you going to go gardening in the snow?"

"N-no."

"Then why are you wearing gardening gloves?"

"They're warm."

He smiled. "What kind of trouble are you about to get into?"

"No trouble! I'm just going outside to enjoy my youth. Is that so wrong?"

"May I come along?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'll see you later, Uncle." She slammed the door behind her.

Goku's first six months away from Vegeta sucked. Hardcore.

When he thought back on what little he'd accomplished in a half year's time, it filled him with frustration.

Traveling underground pissed him off. Anya and Boris brought plenty of small firearms and machine guns for all of the prisoners, despite his protests. The weight of the weapons slowed down their small army so much that on a good day, they traveled more than a mile. Goku figured it'd take a hundred years before they reached the capitol city.

None of his plans to expedite their journey worked.

He tried carrying everyone's belongings on his back, but no one could keep up with his fast pace. He offered to teach everyone rudimentary martial arts to strengthen their stamina. Secretly he also wanted a reason to get rid of the guns. But besides Boris and Anya, everyone was too weak to make the time training worth the effort.

At his wits' end, he offered to carry everyone one-by-one to the end of the tunnel, but Boris vehemently disagreed with that strategy. "The men can't be separated," he insisted. Goku asked why. All Boris said was that it'd be too dangerous to be divided unless absolutely necessary.

So all summer, Goku made traveling above ground a necessity for himself. It was his only chance at reigning in his sanity.

Of course, he did the noble thing and retrieved food for his comrades every time he abandoned them. He'd instant transmit himself to Korin's Tower and gather as many senzu beans the cat had available. One bean kept everyone full for ten days, much to Goku's relief. Too bad the beans could only bring everyone back to their normal state of health—which was still unfit for traveling a thousand mile journey.

To spoil himself while in the normal world, Goku did things he couldn't enjoy under Boris' watchful eye. Like practice katas in the winter storm. Or simply go running. He wasn't given much time to himself, but what time he did have was precious.

A lot of his time was spent doing things for Vegeta. He'd promised himself to send the Prince a package before winter. Unbeknown to Boris, Anya offered Goku to take anything from her home as a gift if he so wished. She was empathetic toward Goku's heartsickness. Boris was not.

Originally Goku balked at the offer. But at the end of the summer, he walked through the raging snowstorm just to retrieve an old polaroid camera Anya mentioned was in her bedroom. After he found it, he traipsed another few hundred miles and discovered small villages outside of the storm's range. He took pictures of anything that reminded him of the Saiyan Prince. Which was everything.

The biggest village—populated by a whopping 20 people—actually had a shop that sold a variety of chocolates. After Goku bought enough to fill his knapsack to the brim, the shopkeeper showed him the amorous chocolates. He bought seven for Vegeta and seven for himself. It'd been so long since he ate real food, he wolfed down all his chocolates at the same time.

Five hours. It took five painful, torturous hours for the "effects" of the chocolate to wear off. When he returned underground, Boris gave him a tongue-lashing only rivaled by Chi-chi's. It was warranted, but Goku hated he couldn't explain his real reason for being so late!

One day in October, he tested his luck again and sneaked above ground while all the prisoners were asleep. He decided to be naughty. He ran to Anya's cabin and took naked pictures of himself with the camera. It was freezing cold with his clothes off. But he knew Vegeta would get a kick out of it if he snapped a good picture of himself.

Later he rummaged through Anya's drawers until he found gifts he thought Krillin's family would enjoy. Once everything was collected, he sat at Anya's davenport and penned a letter to Vegeta.

Writing the damn thing made him so sad, he almost hand-delivered it to the Prince himself. He just wanted to see him again. What could Vegeta do in the course of a year to change? And if he did change, did it mean his feelings for Goku would change as well?

But Goku knew if he showed up unexpected, Vegeta would throw a hissy fit. So he transmitted himself outside of Krillin's house and shoved his two wrapped packages in the mailbox. Even in that moment he could sense Vegeta's energy emanating from the second story bedroom.

When December came and Vegeta fell ill, he felt it. Even miles underground. So he went to Krillin's house to check up on things. Vegeta had a ghastly fever. It took Goku a long time to make the decision, but he transported Vegeta back to the underground tunnel across the world.

When he arrived, Boris looked appalled. "Who is this?"

"This is my Vegeta," Goku said, as if that explained everything. Most of Vegeta's body was swathed in a blanket.

"Why did you bring him here, boy?!" Boris peered closer at Vegeta's sleeping face. "Is he sick?"

"Yeah. He's burning up."

"Can't you give him one of the beans?" Anya asked.

"They don't help with ailments like the cold or flu." Or heart viruses, Goku thought bitterly.

Anya pressed her cool palm against Vegeta's forehead. "I bet Boris' soup could fix this. We have some saved in mason jars in our kitchen. Heat it up and it's good to go."

Even in the cold tunnel, Goku noticed Vegeta was sweating. "Okay. I'll be right back!" He powered up, and flew back toward the prison camp.

Unfortunately, he couldn't transmit them to Anya's shed without locking onto a ki signature. Once through the exit doors at the abandoned prison, Goku blasted through the snowy air. He raised his energy once more to envelop them both in a cocoon of heat.

When he arrived at the empty shack, he lit a raging fire and placed Vegeta in Anya's bed. Goku nestled beside Vegeta for an hour before he finally woke up.

"Kaka?" Vegeta asked him. He could barely keep his eyes open.

It'd been so long since Goku smiled, his chapped lips cracked. He'd missed Vegeta's voice so much!

He bathed Vegeta, then fed him with the soup stashed away in the kitchen cupboard. Goku lied and said Boris made it for him. It was close enough to the truth.

Vegeta was high on whatever medicine Android 18 gave him, which frustrated Goku. It made Vegeta mumble nonsensical things he'd never say under normal circumstances. Like how he'd loved Goku ever since they first met years ago.

After eating all the soup, Vegeta's fever broke and he fell asleep. Goku returned him back to Krillin's house without as much as a goodbye.

The experience broke his heart. Every night since taking care of Vegeta, he dreamed about him falling ill again. And every time the dream ended the same way: Goku would come running to save him, but was always a few seconds too late.

Weeks passed. For Goku, New Years was just like any other day. Before going to bed, he wondered if Vegeta was celebrating with Krillin's family. The thought of Vegeta smiling and laughing with them was strange. Knowing Vegeta, he was probably holed up in his room. Or out training.

An hour into his sleep, he awoke in a horrible fright. Vegeta was on the brink of death.

This time he didn't care if anyone saw him. He arrived smackdab in Krillin's living room and discovered Vegeta sprawled face down on the floor.

All his thoughts in that moment were surprisingly lucid. Before then, he'd never contemplated what he'd do if Vegeta died. Chi-Chi's death had filled him with harrowing loneliness. But if Vegeta was to leave him too…

Marron's crying interrupted the nightmare scenario in his head. "He passed out after he ate one of my cookies!"

Goku felt so relieved, he wanted to cry himself. The peanut allergy! Krillin saved the day by injecting the Prince with some kind of medicine. Vegeta gained consciousness again.

He used all the restraint in the world to avoid pulling Vegeta into his arms and never letting go. He'd dreamed of this moment too many times. Nevertheless, fate had allowed him to intervene just in time.

But there were over fifty people waiting and depending on him on the other side of the world. So he left Vegeta immediately.

Later that night he didn't bother attempting to fall asleep again. So much for a happy New Year.

On a gloomy morning in February, Trunks and Goten decided for the first time to grace everyone at breakfast with their presence.

"You two sure have been spending a lot of time together," Krillin said while piling his plate with scrambled eggs.

"Yep!" Goten shoved a short stack of pancakes into his mouth. "After school we're gonna spend even more time together. It's Valentine's Day!"

Vegeta's head throbbed. "I'll be damned. Is it really?"

"Yes!" Goten smiled at Trunks. "You have a lot planned later, right?"

Trunks peered at Goten over the rim of his coffee mug. "I do?!"

Marron sighed. Only Vegeta and Android 18 glanced at her to acknowledge the cry for help. Dramatic teenage sighs were all too familiar to Vegeta, and he assumed the same went for 18. "I don't have anyone to spend the holiday with," Marron admitted.

"You shouldn't be sad about that, Marron." Krillin squeezed her into a side hug with his left arm. "I can take you out tonight if you want!"

She slumped backwards into her chair. "Dad…It's not the same."

"You have all the time in the world to date boys. Be happy you're young and single." Krillin nodded his head at his own sagely advice.

"Boys. Right. Ugh." Marron lowered her head onto the table and groaned. "I'd rather throw up than go out with a boy."

"That's the spirit!" Krillin raised a forkful of eggs into the air.

18 and Vegeta exchanged knowing glances. Vegeta cleared his throat. "I'm going to spend Valentine's Day alone too."

"Aurg. That's even worse!" Marron fisted her blond hair.

The vein in Vegeta's forehead nearly burst. "Not everyone here is married or in a relationship where they know their boyfriend hasn't been crushed to death yet. If you're going to be sad today, I insist you let me be sad with you!" He stabbed the food on his plate with a fork. "So hurry up, go to school, then come back home so we can watch some shitty movie while I stuff my face with whatever chocolate I can scrounge from around this house!"

Marron stared at him. "Whoa. I—"

"It has be an awful movie, too. I'll even invite Piccolo over so he can join in on the misery. You're not allowed to be sad until you come home to me. Is that clear?"

Marron's face glowed. "Okay."

Vegeta tried his best to ignore the proud grin on 18's face.

How would Kakarot find a needle in a haystack?

In the middle of March, Vegeta flew to the forest near Goku's house. Even in the daytime, the forest floor was dim. Thick tree canopies blotted out most of the sunlight.

How the hell was he going to find one lost ring, let alone two?

Last year when he broke up with Goku he'd flung the damn things miles away. So they couldn't be near the outskirts of the forest.

Unless some stupid animal dragged them away to bury in their hovel. Or maybe both rings washed away in the rain. Perhaps they were buried under some random mound of dirt he'd never find.

The wind whistling through the trees taunted him. The gust was strong enough to fight against his every step on the forest path.

Using his eyes to find the rings was a no-go. He couldn't hear them, of course. Nor touch or taste them. What about smelling for them?

He never felt more stupid in his life after leaning forward and sniffing the air. What was he supposed to be smelling for anyway? His own scent? Goku's? His sense of smell had never been as heightened as the third-class'.

Yes. There!

When he focused, he could smell the distant, but distinct odor of gold. It wasn't strong; it wafted from a direction at least a mile west from where he stood. The smell was conspicuous among the natural aromas of pine needles, mud, animal waste, and water.

He ran. A few minutes later, he reached a clearing. Dividing the area in half was a narrow, bubbling brook. Nestled between two rocks sat the gold ring Goku gave him on their date.

"I can't believe it," he whispered. He picked the ring up. It glistened in the sunlight peeping through the tree branches. Before, he hadn't noticed the high quality of the band of solid gold. It weighed heavy in his palm, as if the meaning it held added to its physical presence.

What should've been an impossible discovery filled him with delight. Goku would be proud of him for sniffing out the lost ring like a bloodhound.

As much as I like this one…where's the other? The ring Goku had hand-crafted by Marron looked spectacular on his hand. And his dumb ass had thrown it away like trash.

He pocked the gold ring, then smelled the air around him again. Nothing else in all the aromas lingering in the forest was out of the ordinary. Marron's ring was lost forever.

It was the last day of March. Goku never called him.

At first, Vegeta was understanding. He had no clue what sort of trouble Goku was getting himself into with his new 'friends'. Perhaps the man couldn't even get to a phone. When he really thought about it, there had to be a logical reason he didn't hear a peep from Goku since his peanut butter cookie gaffe.

The longer Vegeta let his loneliness stew in his mind, the angrier he became. Didn't he deserve the effort of one phone call? Or another measly letter? Goku had been the one pushing for contact during their year apart in the first place!

His anger ebbed away and was replaced with fear. Maybe Goku was dead. Should he go looking for him? He wouldn't even know where to begin his search.

At the end of March, Goku spoke with Boris. "I'm going to the city by myself."

Boris huffed. "By yourself? Absolutely not."

Behind them, all the prisoners dragged their gear and weapons. Everyone carried small lanterns so they could see at least their own two feet in the pitch darkness. Goku groaned at the pathetic display. "Why not? At least I can check out what's happening on the other end!"

In the dim light he watched Boris' face twist into a scowl. "Son Goku." He placed his hand on Goku's shoulder. "Please try to be patient. I don't want you getting hurt if we split apart."

Goku sputtered. "I can take care of myself!" Boris' short chain on his freedom drove him insane. And Goku had managed to stay alive well before they ever met! Well, sorta…

"I'm serious," Boris said. "The closer we get to the city, the more dangerous this trip will become."

"All the more reason to check it out before we get there. I'll be back!" Goku dashed forward in the tunnel. Boris and Anya cried out after him.

Goku smiled. It was great to run again!

…But the farther he sprinted, the more the overbearing silence spooked him. The pitter-patter of his own feet didn't sound as loud as before. It was like the silence was swallowing him whole. He broke his stride to transition into a light jog. Great, now I can't hear myself at all.

The flame in his gas lantern flickered. Aw, screw this. I'm not going to stand here and get freaked out over nothing! In the darkness he extended his hand and sent a ki blast flying forward in the darkness. The entire tunnel burst into bright orange light. Much better! He poised himself to follow his self-made beacon. Easy as cake!

…Wait a sec…

The bright light revealed a crouching figure only a few feet ahead of him. In fright, Goku tumbled backwards. His lantern fell to the ground and smashed into pieces. The ki blast escaped him at rapid speed; eventually it disappeared and left him shrouded in pitch darkness.

"Eeeek!" Goku crawled backwards on his hands and knees. What the hell was that?! I don't sense anyone else's energy in the tunnel!

The figure slinked toward him. Instinctively Goku held up his hand in preparation for another ki blast. "Show yourself!"

The creature stopped in its tracks. It coughed a few times.

Goku squinted his eyes. "Vegeta, is that you?"

The dark figure stepped closer. "Kakarot?"

Goku inched closer. "How the hell did you get down here?" He ran toward Vegeta and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Are you okay?" Vegeta sported nothing but a light winter jacket. He had to be freezing.

"I'm fine." Vegeta's body was limp in Goku's embrace. "I found you by searching for your energy."

"Wow. That's incredible!" Goku cradled Vegeta's face in his gloved hands. He pulled him closer to press their lips together. "Ah, I missed you—"

Vegeta flinched. "Don't."

"What's wrong?"

The Prince rubbed his arm. "I came here to tell you something important."

Goku raised a brow. "I'm all ears."

"I've lost interest in you." He stared up into Goku's dusty face. "I thought about it a lot while you were gone. We're better off as friends."

Goku released Vegeta from the hug. His feet reacted faster than his brain, and walked him backwards into the dirt wall. "W—what do you mean? Better off as friends?"

"Kakarot." Vegeta scratched the side of his head. "We both know this thing isn't going to work out in the long term."

"We do? I don't remember having that conversation the last time I saw you!" Goku felt…frightened? This wasn't supposed to be happening. Especially not in this place.

"Come off it. It was fun while it lasted. But we've been through too much together to have a relationship like this." Vegeta looked up at him with a sad smile on his face. "Why do you think I wanted a whole year away from you? I needed space to think about all of this."

Goku bit his lip. "I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"Because I know you say a lot of things you don't mean."

Vegeta shook his head. "We're rivals. And friends. But we're not cut out to be lovers. We gave it a good shot, but it just wasn't meant to work out."

"Stop saying that!" Goku clenched his fists. Something's wrong.

Vegeta cackled. "Why are you holding onto a dead relationship, Kakarot?" He winked. "I'll tell you what. We can do it one last time. Right here in this cave. I'll even let you be on top."

"Wow." Goku frowned. "For a second there, I almost believed you were him."

"What—?!"

Goku punched Vegeta square in the jaw. The Prince flew backwards and collided into the opposite side of the tunnel. The earth around them shook. Dust swirled. A few seconds passed, and Vegeta was gone.

"Ugh," Goku growled. "I wonder where—" To his right, Vegeta appeared out of thin air. He opened his mouth and clamped his fangs down into Goku' neck. "AHH!"

"Die, human scum!" Vegeta bit down harder into Goku's flesh, and sucked on his blood.

"ARG!" Goku clawed at Vegeta's face. "Get offa meee!"

BANG! A brilliant flash of light filled the cave. Vegeta screamed, then slumped to his knees. A gaping, sizzling hole was in his forehead.

Goku spun around. Boris stood a few feet away holding a small handgun. Thin, wispy trails of smoke wafted from the tip. "That," Boris said, "is why the rest of us need guns."

Goku screamed at Vegeta's limp body. "What is that thing?!"

"A vampire." Boris kept his distance from Goku. "Do you feel any different than before?"

Goku rubbed the bite mark on his neck. Thick blood gushed from the wound. "Ugh. It hurts, but otherwise I'm fine." He dug around in his pack, found a senzu bean, and popped it into his mouth. Moments later the wound closed and left behind only dry blood as evidence.

Boris lined his gun up with Goku's chest. "Normally if you get bitten, you turn. Immediately."

Goku stared at the tip of the gun. Uh, is he going to shoot me now? "Turn? What do you mean?"

"You change into one of them," he said, motioning his gun toward the body on the ground. An uncomfortable silence sat between them. "Maybe you haven't turned yet because you're not…ehm…normal."

Goku smiled. "Yeah, I'm not a human."

Boris exhaled in relief. "I figured." He grabbed Goku's hand and pulled him away from the vampire. "I know you're stronger than me, but I've lived much longer. I know a thing or two about this part of the world."

Goku laughed nervously. Was Boris seriously about to shoot him at point-blank range?!

He turned his attention back to Vampire Vegeta, who was currently convulsing on the ground. Great, now I'll have the image of Vegeta getting shot burned into my memory for the rest of my life. "Did you…kill him?" he asked.

"No. They're immortal. He'll be fully healed again soon enough." Boris crept over to Vampire Vegeta and pressed the bottom of his boot flush against his cheek. "I should crush his skull before he wakes up. I bet he'd have trouble healing a wound like that."

"NO!" Goku shoved Boris away. The older man's eyes widened at the defiance. Goku placed a protective hand over the vampire's chest. "You can't shoot him again! It's cruel!"

"Goku, don't be a fool. That's not your lover. These horrible creatures invade your mind and take form of people you know to lure you into a death trap!"

"Well…maybe he didn't mean to do it!"

Boris rubbed his hand over his face. "Your heart is too soft for a warrior."

"Yeah, I've been told." He watched as the bloody hole in the vampire's head slowly sealed itself. "Aw, he's so cute! I'm going to keep him."

"Goku, you'll endanger everyone else!"

"Don't worry, I'll make him behave." Goku grinned at his new friend. I'm so excited to get to know you! "I have to ask…what's a vampire doing here? I just made the tunnel six months ago."

"It had to have come from the other end." Boris sighed. "So much for an ambush, eh?" He slid down to the ground. Goku had never seen him look so tired before, even when they were imprisoned together. "Ever since we began our journey, I had a horrible feeling about this place."

"What do you mean?"

"The closer we get to the city, the stronger I feel the presence of evil spirits around us." He grasped his hands together. "Please—do not leave us again, Son Goku. And never go down this tunnel alone."

"Uh, I don't think that's going to be a problem anymore."

"Thank you."

Goku shuddered at a sudden thought. "You don't think the whole city is…full of vampires, do you?!"

"I don't want to lie to make you feel better." Boris cracked his knuckles. "But vampires in this part of the world usually don't travel alone. Wherever this one came from, there's bound to be more." He glared at Vampire Vegeta. "Whatever we see at the end of this tunnel won't be pretty."

"Dammit!" Goku planted his hands on his hips. "I have a feeling the longer we wait, the worse this is going to get."

"Come. Let's head back to the others." Boris held up his lantern to his weathered face. "More vampires will come once they learn we've taken their comrade."

"Oh. My. God." Android 18 ran out onto the patio. It was a cool afternoon in April. In the grass, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Marron sat playing a game of spades. 18 stood before them with her fists raised in excitement. "You're not going to believe who just showed up at the front door!"

Vegeta arched his brow. "Why are you so excited?"

"Okay, I won't waste time letting you all guess. It's the Announcer guy! From the tournament! And TV!" She jumped up and down. "Oh my God. Vegeta, you're going to die once you find out who's with him."

"Oh? Will I?"

"Yes. YES!" 18 danced in a circle. "I can't believe it! He has a baby with him!"

"A baby? What's so exciting about that?" Vegeta was weirded out by 18's behavior. He'd never seen her giddy before. He wasn't sure if he liked it. Whatever tickled her would certainly be horrifying from his perspective.

"He's talking to Krillin in the living room now. As soon as I saw his kid, I knew who Mommy had to be." She grinned at Vegeta. "Don't you want to know who that someone is?"

He shrugged. "Not really. No."

18 slumped her shoulders. The glass patio doors slid open behind her. "Hey, guys!" a man yelled.

All four of them turned their heads at the voice. The Announcer walked out onto the lawn. Vegeta noticed two things: firstly, the man had shaved that horrendous mustache off his face. He looked years younger. And less like one of those creeps you see on How to Catch a Predator. Secondly, he noticed the baby cradled in the man's arms.

All the blood rushed from Vegeta's head. He extended a hand on the soft ground to steady himself. The baby had bright blue hair tied into a high ponytail.

Everyone knew the moment they saw her. Almost telepathically, everyone connected the dots in their heads and looked at Vegeta at the exact same moment.

For five seconds of his existence, he sincerely believed he had sex with Bulma all those months ago and knocked her up with another child. "Is that your kid?" he asked dumbly.

"Oh. Yeah. This is Bra. Say hello to everyone, Bra!"

The baby gurgled. Everyone's jaws dropped.

"Who's the mother?" Vegetahad to know. Even if every fiber of his being was screaming, 'Let sleeping dogs lie.'

"Ahh…her mom…" The Announcer appeared befuddled at the question. Even though he was wearing those ridiculous sunglasses, Vegeta could feel his eyes on him. Not only did they both know the last time they met were under horrific circumstances at the Tenkaichi Budokai, they both knew the answer to Vegeta's stupid inquiry.

"Yeah. Who's Mommy?" 18 blurted out in a half-laugh.

The Announcer coughed out his answer. "Bulma Briefs."

Marron shrieked. Piccolo collapsed into the grass. 18 cackled. And Vegeta…didn't do anything at all. "Oh," was all he could muster to reply with.

The Announcer burst into a loud, nervous laugh. "Uuh…"

"This is certainly awkward," Vegeta acknowledged.

"It is!"

"I didn't know—"

"That she was pregnant? I know." The Announcer used his free hand to push his drooping glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was sweating bullets in his suit. "It all happened pretty quickly."

"Obviously."

Crickets chirped in the grass. The dead silence would go on for an eternity if someone didn't speak up soon.

Deep inside, Vegeta wanted to feel angry. Did Bulma want to have another child with him but never mentioned it? Would he have stayed with her if she'd said she wanted another kid? Would the version of himself that existed before his whirlwind romance with Goku have been gung-ho about having another child?

With Goku absent, the thoughts crushed him until all that remained was an overwhelming despair. But he found the courage to break the silence on behalf of everyone else. "Congratulations. On both the baby and the relationship."

"Ha-ha! Thanks!" The Announcer grinned. "I hope it's okay I came over here. I actually need to speak with Piccolo!"

Piccolo pointed at his own chest. "M-me?"

"Yeah! Bulma said Gohan would know where to find you. He told me to come over here." He extended a hand toward Piccolo. Piccolo reached up from the ground and shook it awkwardly. "I wanted to know if you'd like to appear on my TV show?"

"TV…show…?"

"Yes. It's called 'The Announcer Hour'. We interview guests from a wide variety of backgrounds. Recently we had a woman come on who's dying to meet you!"

"Why me?!"

"She's in love with you, Piccolo. She has been for decades. Don't you want to see what she has to say to you?"

"Of course not! I'm not meeting some weirdo woman who thinks she's in love with me!" Piccolo yelled. "Are you insane?"

"We compensate our guests very well for their time. How does 50,000 zeni sound?"

"I don't care about mo—"

"He'll do it!" 18 yelled. "Piccolo. You're going on TV, and you're going to give that money to me. Right?"

Piccolo opened and closed his mouth. "But—but—"

"This is great! I even brought the release papers to make everything official!" The Announcer reached for his back pocket. "Ah, could someone hold—?"

"I'll do it." Vegeta stood up and reached out toward Bra. Abject terror crossed the Announcer's face. Vegeta didn't blame him, but he couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Come on. Don't be like that. You're going to be seeing a lot more of me in the future, so it's time to get used to it."

He handed the baby to Vegeta. "Thank you." He rummaged around in his pockets for the release papers. Under 18's hawk-like gaze, Piccolo finished signing all the paperwork.

Vegeta studied Bra's features. You're beautiful, Bra, he thought glumly.

Goku counted the days in his head. It was now May. Only one more month was left before he was supposed to meet Vegeta again.

"You humans are complete idiots!" Vampire Vegeta hissed. For the past month, he'd spent most of his time latched to Goku's back. He was just as useful as the rest of the heavy cargo Goku lugged down the tunnel.

The vampire wasn't as friendly as Goku hoped he'd be. At least the creature never attacked anyone else in the cave. But he made sure his irritation was publicly announced at all times.

The prisoners stopped to set up camp for the night. It was Goku's turn to stay awake and make sure no unwanted 'visitors' showed up. Excluding his vampire friend. He curled up beside the wall several feet away from the clamor of people pitching tents and unrolling cots.

Every night Vampire Vegeta did the same thing: stood in a corner away from everyone else and creepily watched them sleep. And every night Goku asked him the same thing. "Vampire Vegeta," he yawned, "come sit next to me."

Like every other night in the past month, Goku assumed he'd be ignored. But this time his 'friend' finally spoke up. "Why should I?" he spat.

Goku grinned. A breakthrough! "Because I like you. And I think you like me back."

"What would make you think such a stupid thing?"

"Because you haven't run away yet."

"You're keeping me prisoner. So I can't leave. Duh."

Ah, he looks so much like Vegeta. How cute! Unfortunately, he smelled nothing like Vegeta. Nor did he emit any sort of life energy Goku could detect. He doesn't hold a candle to the real thing. "You can leave if you want. But you'll make me happier if you stay."

Vampire Vegeta laughed. "Yeah right. You'll hurt me if I even think about running away."

Goku smiled. "Don't you have a normal version of yourself? Why do you still look like Vegeta?"

"Uh…" He was caught off guard. "I don't feel like changing back!"

"Why not?"

"Um, it'd be too hard."

"You must enjoy looking like that, huh?" Goku stretched his arms into the air, then folded his hands behind his head. "Why?"

"Shut-up, mortal. You couldn't possibly comprehend the reason with your pea-sized brain."

"It's because you know how I feel about him, right?" Goku nodded, as if agreeing with himself. "You know it makes me happy to see him again. Even though you're not really him. And I bet it makes you feel good reading my thoughts about him all the time."

Vampire Vegeta scoffed. "Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't!"

"Aww. I knew it." He stroked the empty ground beside him. "You're cute. Please sit with me. I'm pretty lonely—"

"Oh, I know all about your loneliness, big boy. I can read all the disgusting thoughts going through your head right now." Vampire Vegeta smirked. "Would you boyfriend be happy you're trying to get in another man's pants?"

Goku blushed. "I'm—I wouldn't—"

"You're thinking about it right now." Vampire Vegeta wagged his finger at Goku like he caught him pissing on the carpet. "You're trying to figure out if it'd count as cheating if I only gave you a handjob!"

"Th—that's not true!"

"You'd even bend me over if I let you!"

Goku shushed him. "They're trying to sleep, you know!" he said in a half-whisper.

Vampire Vegeta sat down cross-legged on the dirty ground. "Luckily for you, you're not my type at all."

Goku wiped the sweat from his brow. "That's fine with me."

"Don't get too comfortable." He smiled wide enough to expose his fangs. "I do enjoy making you squirm."

"Oh man," Goku grumbled. What the hell is wrong with this guy? The only reason he wants to look like Vegeta is so he can screw with my head!

Vampire Vegeta sniffed the air like a dog. "You're not human. And you're not weak like the others. What are you?"

"A Saiyan." When Vampire Vegeta stared back at him blankly, he smiled. "I'm an alien."

"How bizarre. What are you doing under here with these weaklings?"

"I'm helping them raid the capitol city."

"Oh are you." The vampire laughed. "Good luck with that. The city is filled with people like me."

"Aah…dammit. Really?" Goku slumped over. When was this nightmare going to end for him?

"Well?"

Goku scratched the back of his head. "Well what?"

"Don't you want to know why I'm in the tunnel? I've waited a whole month for you to ask me. But all you can think about is my body."

He loosened his collar. "Oh, yeah! You should tell me."

"I was sent to check up on you all. The tribunal in the city knew one of you imprisoned pieces of scum finished the tunnel. So logically one of you was a serious threat." He inspected his long fingernails, feigning boredom with the conversation. "I was told to kill whoever did the job."

"Huh," Goku said. "That's weird. You'd think they'd send someone stronger."

"I am strong!" He smashed one of his fists against Goku's shoulder. It ricocheted off the muscle.

"Haa, that tickles!"

"Shut-up! My bite is much worse!"

"Sure." Goku rubbed his neck, remembering the horrible bite the vampire gave him a month ago. "Alright. So you failed your mission. And you know I wouldn't hurt you if you tried to leave. Why stay? Don't you want to tell all your other vampire buddies about us?"

Vampire Vegeta tapped his knee. He rocked back and forth, impatient. "I know you want to get back to your home. To meet this Vegeta fellow. Maybe if you help me…I can help you leave sooner."

Goku looked over at him. "What do you have in mind?"

"I used to be a regular guy, you know. A human. I lived in the capitol city. But years ago a single vampire visited and…that was the end of that. Everyone turned." His face softened. "The tribunal over our city—the ones that imprisoned you all—did nothing to help."

"You want me to turn you back into a human?"

"Naw." The vampire's eyes wandered toward the group of prisoners settling into their cots for the night. "It's impossible to turn back after being bitten. And no one trusts vampires. We all live a pretty meaningless existence in the city. We hate it there, but it's not like we can live anywhere else in peace."

"I'm sorry," Goku said. "How can I help, though?"

Vampire Vegeta fiddled with the zipper on his jacket. "If you mortals are really going to take over the city…It would be cool if you guys could help us be…normal again. Not physically, but socially. If we had human leaders that cared about us, maybe the rest of the world could be convinced we're not so bad."

Goku sighed. "Of course I'll help you!" He held his friend's hand. "But can you promise me something? When we get out of this tunnel, can you make sure no one in the city hurts us?"

"I…can try my best to make that happen."

Goku smiled. "I knew it was a good idea to keep you around, Vegeta!"

"I'm not Vegeta!"

Vegeta wiped the blood from his mouth. He hadn't enjoyed the pleasure of having the complete shit beat out of him in a long time.

It started out as a humid day in June. Piccolo and he flew to an uninhabited gorge north of Krillin's town to spar. The Namekian impressed him—his fighting was vastly superior compared to when they first started fighting last summer. How many years had Piccolo held all this untapped potential? When Goku returned, Vegeta would insist they sparred with him together. That is, if he ever returns.

Soon their rough tumble attracted the attention of a few unwanted 'guests'. Vegeta sensed Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu flying up to greet them. "Hey, you two!" Yamcha flew eye-level to Vegeta. "What's going on over here, hmm?"

"You're so nosy, Yamcha. We're sparring," Vegeta said out of breath. He was still recovering from Piccolo's last punch.

"And you didn't even think to invite me? I thought I'd be at the top of your list for a beating," Yamcha teased.

"I didn't think you'd want more after the last time. You were pretty sore after that."

Yamcha blushed. "Listen, dude. We just came to kick your ass."

Vegeta raised his arms in the air, leaving himself completely open for attacks. "Sure. Four against one sounds good to me."

Tien spoke up. "Heh. You bet."

The Prince didn't want to admit it, but all four of the fighters were giving him a run for his money. Even little Chiaotzu's psychic attacks were giving him trouble maintaining control over his own limbs.

Two other large energies sped toward him. Who the hell is it now? The distraction earned him a kick in the ribs from Tien. A bone in his chest cracked. "Shit!" he yelled.

"Yoo-hoo! Over here!" Krillin and 18 flew into the middle of the foray. Everyone froze in their fighting stance to stare at them. "Hey, boys. Looks like you're having a lot of fun out here!" Krillin said in a gleeful tone that put Vegeta on edge.

"Awesome, Krillin's going to join! You too, 18?" Yamcha said between pants.

"I can't believe this guy over here," she said, motioning toward Vegeta, "never asked me to fight with him. And he's been living in my house this whole time. Shame on you, Vegeta."

"I didn't know you wanted to," Vegeta said. He spat a slurry of blood and saliva from his mouth.

"I haven't fought in a while." Krillin stretched all his short limbs away from his body. "But I can't miss out on this. How does six against one sound, Vegeta?"

Vegeta pouted. What the absolute fuck! Do they want to kill me?

In the past, a situation like this would have enraged him. He'd see it as a chance for all of Goku's friends to finally take their vengeance against him.

But when he stared deeper into all the eyes watching him, he couldn't find a trace of malice. The longer he studied them all, the more an overwhelming sense of joy filled him. The same proud eyes Goku gave Vegeta during their spars were now looking back at him twelve fold.

They all came here to see me. He grinned. "Sure. I'll fight you all. You'll regret it, though."

Krillin pumped his fist in the air. "Alright!"

One hour. That's how long Vegeta held his own against all of them. 18 and Krillin gave him the final blow, which sent him crashing into the face of a cliff. He couldn't move a muscle.

"Vegeta?" 18 asked. Piccolo and she landed beside him in the giant crater he made. "Are you okay?" she said while giving him one final kick in the shin.

The Prince rolled his tongue around his mouth. He hadn't experienced fresh pain like this in years. He held out his hand and spat four teeth into his palm. "I'm fine."

Piccolo laughed at his pain. "Do you think Goku will still like you now that your princely face is ruined?"

"Fuck you, Piccolo." Vegeta smiled before passing out.

Goku spoke to Boris and Anya about Vampire Vegeta's wishes. Anya came up with a brilliant plan to take over the capitol city. Unfortunately, Boris hated it.

For weeks he fought with Goku and his wife. He gave reasons why it wouldn't work. Vampire Vegeta still held a grudge against Boris for shooting him, so he ignored everything the man said and encouraged Anya to go through with it. Anya begged her husband to trust her.

By the end of June, Boris acquiesced.

Goku was thrilled. But there was still the problem of actually getting tothe capitol city at faster than a snail's pace.

Going off Boris' calculations, they were only a quarter of the way through the tunnel. Goku wanted to pull his hair out. He hadn't seen the light of day since December.

He couldn't imagine what the real Vegeta thought of him now. He'd broken his promise to call him in the spring. For all the posturing Vegeta did to appear as aloof toward relationships, he remembered every single word spoken to him by people he cared about. Goku didn't doubt for a second Vegeta was pissed off at him for not keeping his word.

"We're never going to make it there at this rate," Goku announced. The prisoners around him groaned. They were used to his complaining. "And we're out of senzu beans!"

"It's not like we can run the whole way like you," Anya piped in. "Or fly!"

Goku blinked. "Fly?" He stopped in his tracks. Several men behind him bumped into his back and teetered backwards. "Fly! Fly!" He jumped up and down. Could he really do it? For over fifty people? "Hey everyone—we can fly there! I don't know why I didn't think of this before!"

Boris rubbed his temples. "Anya just told you we don't know how to fly!"

"You don't have to learn anything," Goku said amid the protests. He walked backwards through the tunnel, pushing everyone out of his way. "Now everyone just hold hands!"

Vampire Vegeta clung to Goku's back. "I'm not touching anyone else."

"What is he up to!" snapped one prisoner.

"Trust me," Goku yelled.

All the prisoners locked arms with one another. An apprehensive look came over Boris' face. "What are you going to do?"

"Just hold on tight." Goku spread his legs apart, then held his hands in front of his face with splayed fingers. Slowly, he gathered the energy around them until it collected in his palms. Everyone in the cave shuffled around nervously. A few minutes passed. "Okay, I think this is enough," he yelled. "Don't be scared, okay?"

Anya screeched. "Don't be scared of wha—"

Goku pushed his hands forward. A large gust of energy swept through the tunnel. Everyone screamed as they were lifted off their feet.

"Goku—!" Boris choked out.

The great force swept everyone forward at a blistering speed. Goku flew behind them all, pushing the energy with his hands so the group continued to travel forward. "Trust me!"

Vampire Vegeta buried his face in the back of Goku's jacket. "What are you doing?!"

Goku beamed. Yes. Yes! FINALLY! They covered miles of ground in seconds. All their screaming and the whistling of the wind nearly killed his eardrums. Desperate to end the madness, he increased their speed through the tunnel. "We're almost there!" he yelled in the din.

After a long hour of yelling, they approached a bright light. "Goku, watch out!" Anya yelled.

Goku focused on the light and saw it was actually a thin wall of snow. Everyone burst through the slush, their yells suddenly muted. When Goku opened his eyes, he laughed. "We made it!"

They all hurdled through fresh, crisp wintery air. Tears welled in Goku's eyes as they readjusted to natural light again. Hundreds of feet below them sat a snowy canyon. Within its walls lay a sprawling city with a medieval castle at its center.

"Freedom!" screamed one of the prisoners. Everyone cheered in response.

"This is so awesome!" Goku cried.

"Hey stupid," Vampire Vegeta growled into Goku's ear. "We're still falling."

Goku looked down. "Oh."

All the prisoners screamed again, this time in terror. If Goku didn't act quickly, the fall would kill everyone. Months being underground robbed him of his ability to act quickly on his feet. Shit, I hope this works! Using his hand, he gathered energy below them. Their descent slowed the closer they approached the earth. Boris was the first to crash-land into the snow. All the prisoners followed in succession, rolling to lessen the impact.

Goku gently landed on his feet. "Everyone okay?"

"I think so," one man muttered. After a few minutes of collecting themselves and dusting snow off their clothes, everyone stood up from the ground.

For such a huge city, Goku thought it was oddly quiet. It didn't look technologically advanced, either. They were surrounded by buildings made of worn black stone. Many were dilapidated and falling in on themselves.

Energy emanated from the huge castle in the distance. There are people in there, but who?

"Where is everyone?" Anya whispered.

"They're watching us." Boris pulled a large machine gun from his pack. "Get ready to fire on my signal!"

Goku whipped his head around. Whatever presence Boris felt was lost on him.

Vampire Vegeta squeaked. "They're coming!"

Hundreds of shadowy figures poured from the buildings like rats. Shrill screams filled the air.

Oh boy. "Vampire Vegeta, do something!"

"Um, okay!" He ran toward the impending black swarm. "Hey, uh—"

"Hurry up!" Goku screamed.

The vampire's spine stiffened. Goku's yell placed the fear of the gods in him. "Stop!" He held both his hands in the air. "It's me!"

One vampire skidded to a stop only feet away from Boris. His black cloak billowed around him. He glared at Vampire Vegeta. "Whuh?"

All of the other creatures halted themselves and tumbled over in the snow. One vampire child rolled onto her back and landed at Boris' feet. He pressed the tip of his gun to her forehead.

"Yorick," screeched another vampire man waist-deep in snow. He flailed his arms in the air uselessly. "You better have a good reason for stopping us!"

Goku grabbed Vampire…er, Yorick's shoulder. "That's your real name? Yorick?"

Yorick pulled away from him. "Goku, shut-up!" Once again he rose his hands in the air to get everyone's attention. "Hector, listen to me. They mean no harm."

"I swear," whined Hector, "once I get out of here, I'm going to kill each and every one of you!" His blond hair bounced on his head as he clawed against his snowy prison.

Goku relaxed his fighting stance. This was what they were up against? These guys can barely walk straight. He cleared his throat. "We're here to stop the tribunal!" he yelled.

All the vampires stared at Hector, who Goku presumed to be their leader…the guy who couldn't even figure out how to get unstuck from the snow. "Oh, really?" Hector asked. "If that's true, then drop the guns!"

"Goku," Boris groaned, "you're going to get us all killed."

"I don't think so." Goku smiled. "These guys aren't so bad. You won't be needing any guns against them."

Hector cackled. "You don't think we're bad, huh? I'm the baddest of the bad! I make mortals cower in the night!" Hector managed to wiggle out from his trap. He slid down into the white slush face-first. "Aaah, it's too cold! I hate this!"

Boris held his hand out toward the prisoners to signal them to lower their weapons. "You may be right, Son Goku. They don't seem very intelligent."

"I hate being outside," whined the little girl vampire near Boris. "The light burns my skin. It also makes me itch. I hate itching!"

A low hum of complaints rose from the crowd of vampires. "Come on guys," Goku yelled over the noise. "I'm kinda in a hurry here. I was hoping I could get this over with today."

Hector cleared his throat. When he stood up, Goku noticed the vampire had a good foot on him in height. "Come here, little boy," Hector said.

Goku looked around. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, you! You're the only little boy here!"

"I'm a grown man…"

Hector stomped through the snow. He placed a claw on Goku's forehead. "Mmhmm. Oh, my. Yes, that's very interesting. Wow."

Goku blinked. "Um. Can I help you?" These guys sure are weird…

"I was just reading your mind."

"You have to touch me to do that?"

"No," Hector confessed. He lowered his hand. "I saw your plan." He pointed at Anya. "Are you sure about her?"

Goku grinned. "Yes! Can you help us?"

"Sure. Why not." Hector shoved his entire fist into his mouth.

"Oh, uh, you don't have to do it like that," Goku stammered. He witnessed Hector pull one of his own fangs straight from his gums. Blood dribbled down his chin.

"Jesus," muttered a few of the prisoners.

Hector laughed. A large gap stood out in his once-perfect smile. "I hope you're ready for this, lady." He walked to Anya, then placed the pulled tooth into her open palm.

She smiled. "Thank you!"

Boris looked away from her. "Let's storm the castle already, Goku."

Hector shook his head. "It's impossible to get inside the castle. There are all sorts of curses and traps we can't get past. You'll have to find a different way to get to the tribunal."

"Are the traps only for vampires?" Goku asked.

"I'm not sure."

"I think it's time to check."

Half an hour later, all the prisoners and vampires gathered before the ancient castle in the middle of the city.

"Don't bother with the front door," Hector said gravely, "it's loaded with curses, and besides, it's too heavy for a normal person to—"

"I got it open!" Goku yelled. A giant swath of snow curled behind the door once he pushed it all the way open.

"What the—" Hector stepped backward. "What the hell are you?!"

"Don't worry about that. Let's go!"

Yorick grabbed onto the back of Goku's parka. "W-wait!"

Goku looked over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I…um…"

"I've got to hurry, Yorick! What is it?"

"This is if I don't get to see you again." He threaded his fingers into Goku's hair and smashed their faces together. His cold tongue pushed past Goku's lips and invaded his mouth.

Goku couldn't stifle his moan. Shitshitshit. When Yorick got a bit too acquainted with what his gums tasted like, Goku pulled away. The disappointed expression on Yorick's face—which was ostensibly Vegeta's face—made Goku shudder. This was too weird. "The real Vegeta will kick my ass if I kiss you. I'm sorry!"

"Goku," Yorick whispered, "I assumed—back in the tunnel, when you had all those thoughts about me—"

Goku reddened. If he got any hotter under the collar, he'd melt right through the snow. "They were just thoughts!" he blurted.

A tinge of red stained Yorick's cheeks. "Oh."

"You'renicebutIreallyhavetoleavebye!" Goku rushed headlong inside the darkness of the castle. Whew, glad I got out of that one!

"Goku, wait! It's too dangerous to go alone!" Anya yelled behind him. He ignored her plea. The whole group of prisoners trailed behind him.

"I've got to hurry!" he yelled. Without a second thought he ran up a flight of stone stairs.

"Goku—the east wing," Boris panted.

"I sense it too." Goku spun right on his heel and careened down a black corridor.

Toward the end, a dim light shined beneath a door. He skidded to a stop. Following his lead, all the prisoners halted behind him. "Hush!" Goku whispered.

"Goku—if you go in first, Anya and I will cover you if they have weapons." Boris held his gun vertical to his body. "Don't worry."

"We're not going to shoot anyone today."

Boris sighed. "If they shoot first, I'm going to do what I need to do."

"I won't allow it." Goku walked toward the door, leaving Boris behind to curse him in the darkness.

It was unlocked. He pushed it open.

Goku's eyes scanned the room. In the center, several white-haired men in judicial robes sat gathered together. They hovered over a round table made of rock.

"It's my turn to roll for the skill challenge!"

"Fine, but you can't cheat this time and claim a six on the die is actually a nine!"

What in the world? Goku broke past the entrance and fully entered the room. "Uh, hello?"

All the men jumped in fright. "Who the hell is that?!" one of them said, pointing a gnarled finger at Goku's chest.

Goku blinked. "What're you guys doing? Playing a game?"

"You're interrupting an incredibly important session of Dungeons and Dragons." The tallest man at the table rose. "How did you get in here?"

"I just walked in through the front door," Goku said. He pointed his thumb behind his shoulder. "It was easy."

"That's impossible." The man gazed past Goku's shoulder. His droopy eyes widened at Boris' face. "You…It's you!" He stumbled backwards. "I thought I banished you to that hell beneath the earth!"

Boris leapt out from behind Goku with his gun pointed straight at the old man's heart. He fired. "Die, Chancellor!"

"No!" Goku jumped in the path of the bullet. It cracked into the side of his skull. "OW!" He clutched his scalp. "Goddammit!"

Boris and the prisoners cried out. Anya rushed toward Goku and cradled his aching head. "Goku, why did you do that? Are you okay?"

"Ugh! That hurt like a son of a bitch!"

"Goku!" Anya clicked her tongue while waving her own gun in the air. "I've never heard such language come from your mouth. I thought you were a good boy!"

"Aw, I'm sorry. That just really hurt!" Goku peeled the crushed bullet off his scalp, and flicked it to the floor. "This is why using guns is bad! And cowardly!"

The man Boris called Chancellor approached them. "Now this is interesting. I take it you're the one who finished off the tunnel six months back. I'm surprised my vampire didn't finish you off in that death trap like I asked." He twirled his beard around his yellow fingers. "How did you even make it alive through the city?"

Goku rubbed the tears from his eyes. A light bulb turned on in his foggy mind. He did know this guy. "You're the one who sent me to that stupid prison!"

"Yes. And you're the idiot who destroyed the priceless painting we owned."

"It was an accident!"

The Chancellor stared at the prisoners, who all lowered their guns to the floor. He chuckled. "You should've escaped underground when you had the chance. Now all of these fools are going to die with you. They even put their guns down since they know there's no hope for them."

"No one's dying today." Goku walked toward the group of old men. "I'll give you one chance to leave this place."

The Chancellor laughed. "Or what?"

"Or else you end up with the fate as everyone else in the city."

The men around the table giggled. One of them even rolled a twenty-sided die to calculate his hit rating for his next turn in the game.

"That's impossible," the Chancellor said. "Every single entrance into this castle is sealed away to those miserable cretins out in the snow."

Goku cracked his neck. "Are you sure about that? I'll give you one more chance to surrender."

"Your men won't even attack me." The Chancellor smiled at Goku's somber face. "And you're too stupid to finish me off. I can tell by the dull look in your eyes."

Goku sighed in resignation. "Fine then." He turned to Anya. "Are you ready?"

"I am." She crouched down to the floor and gently placed her gun on the flagstone. With careful steps, she walked toward the Chancellor. She stretched her closed hand toward him.

"The old woman? What's she going to do?" The Chancellor's deft fingers crawled into his robe.

Anya squeezed her palm. A soft gasp escaped her lips. She looked down and opened her hand. Hector's vampire tooth clattered onto the floor. Blood trickled across her fingers.

The Chancellor reeled back. "No—"

She lunged at him with her fangs bared.

It was sweltering hot by the first day of July. Vegeta still hadn't heard word from Goku. He was supposed to be back by now.

That night, after everyone in Krillin's house went to bed, he flew to the rooftop and found a comfortable, flat spot to sit on. The muggy heat from earlier in the day had cooled down. He carried his sketchbook up with him, but he knew he couldn't draw in this state.

He closed his eyes and searched the planet for any indicator of Goku's presence.

Two hours passed. He felt nothing.

Something bad had happened to Goku. That much was undeniable. Can't he at least transmit himself here to tell me what's going on?

Vegeta curled himself into a ball. He thought back to the impromptu barbeque Krillin threw back in June. The moment he heard Tien make a throwaway comment about how he and Goku argued like a married couple, he knew his fate was sealed. Finally, all of Goku's friends approved of their relationship. It was time for them to make things official and mate.

His body was telling him it was time to mate as well.

He'd never talked to any Saiyans about this part of the mating process: the biological changes that came with it. But as a prince he'd overheard a smattering of gossip from young women around the palace. At the time their opinions held no value to him. As a man and as prince, he naturally would hold power over his future partner.

Vegeta raked his memory.

He remembered women complaining about a pain during the days leading to their official mating union. They never described it as a physical pain. Now he understood why.

Every night since that party in June, he longed for Goku. Especially the night there was a full moon. What he experienced transcended sexual frustration into psychic despair.

Vegeta needed Goku curled next to him in bed at night. He needed to see him laughing again. He needed to hear his stupid jokes. He needed to know he was safe. He needed to look into Goku's large, obsidian eyes and take pleasure in how they lit up at his presence.

Then there was the need Vegeta hated the most.

One day he dropped Pan back off at Mr. Satan's house and accidentally called her his daughter. The word rolled off his tongue like he'd been saying it for years. Piccolo was there to smugly point out the Prince's blunder.

Vegeta wanted to carry Goku's child.

It didn't end there. He had a fantasy where he had a daughter, and she looked just like Goku, and every day Goku would happily take care of them both, and Vegeta would cook for all of them, and they'd all train together, and—

All the nonsense bouncing around in his head had to be the hormones talking. He prayed to every god in the universe that the disgusting thoughts would fade away. Perhaps he'd feel mental clarity after however long it took him and Goku to settle into a normal routine after mating.

If they ever got around to mating. That depended on whether or not Goku was still alive.

At least the kids were out of school again. His four-hour morning sessions with Marron in the studio had resumed. And Trunks had graduated. Vegeta heard through the grapevine that Bulma gave him a hard time for never bothering to apply to colleges. The Prince sided with Trunks on this matter—as an adult he could do whatever he wanted with his life. And with the enormous amount of time he spent with Goten, Vegeta assumed they'd try living together soon. On Goku's behalf he'd have to put his foot down. Goten was still underage.

He felt off. It was like the rest of the world was moving on without him.

Grumbling, he pulled out an old pack of cigarettes. It smelled like death to him. He dropped them and flew down off the roof. Maybe it wasn't healthy to think obsessively for hours at a time.

The next morning he skipped breakfast and immediately went to Marron's studio. When Marron showed up with a plate full of food and a glass of orange juice for him, he'd already completed a large sketch on the wall.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

He glanced over his shoulder. "Yes. Do I seem…not okay?"

"You have some charcoal on your face." She smiled. "And you do seem different. It's because Uncle Goku hasn't come back, right?"

He wiped his cheek with his shirt sleeve. "Yes."

"I know he's okay. I can feel it."

I can't feel anything. He kept his thoughts to himself and nodded solemnly.

Someone knocked at the front door to the basement. Both he and Marron stared up the stairs. Rarely were they bothered while working. "I'll get it," she said, handing off the plate of food to Vegeta.

A dull pain gathered between Vegeta's eyebrows. Maybe I should do something about these goddamn migraines.

Marron ran so fast back down the stairs, she nearly face-planted once reaching the bottom. "Vegeta!" she squealed. It was the first time she didn't call him her uncle. "There's a lady that wants to see you!"

He tilted his head. That can't be anything good. He passed the plate of breakfast food back to Marron and ascended the stairs.

The woman was unfamiliar to him. She wore a light-blue pencil skirt and puffy blouse. Unnaturally bright-red hair sat on her head in a high bun. "Mr. Vegeta?" She extended her hand. Slowly, he shook it. "My name is Lauren Mays, but you can call me Laurie. I actually work in the marketing division of Capsule Corp."

"Hi," he said. He hoped this lady didn't expect him to recognize her after he'd lived at Capsule Corp for two decades. Only Bulma made the effort to remember the employees' names in that giant place.

"Bulma Briefs told me I should visit you." Laurie grinned. Vegeta widened his eyes when he noticed one of her front teeth was made of gold. "I heard you're an amazing artist."

He blushed. "What?" He hadn't talked to Bulma in over a year. How the hell would she know about his artwork? Which one of Goku's big-mouthed friends had ratted him out?

"I know this is totally out of the blue, and totally last minute," she said, holding her hands cupped together in front of her chest. "But I was wondering if you'd like to show your work in one of our galleries in West City." Before he could respond, she blurted out another string of words. "Another artist had to drop out of the show, so we need a replacement for this Friday night. All you'd have to do is accept sponsorship from Capsule Corp! And we'd compensate you, of course! You can choose whatever you want to show in the gallery!"

Vegeta stepped backwards. "Um. I don't think so."

Laurie's face fell. "I can give you more information if you—"

"No. I'm not interested in showing my work publicly." He looked away. "Sorry."

"Oh. Well…I suppose I understand." She smiled, but her eyes were sad. "I'm sorry for interrupting you."

"It's fine."

Laurie exhaled. She extended her hand again. "It was nice meeting you Mr.—"

"WAAAIT!" Marron barreled up the stairs and out the front door. She shoved Vegeta out of the way and extended her hand toward Laurie. "He'll do it! He'll do it!"

Vegeta and Laurie gaped at her, bug-eyed. "Excuse me?" Laurie said.

"He'll be happy to do it!" Marron caught her breath. "He's just shy. Right, Uncle?"

"I'm not shy," Vegeta scoffed.

"Just let her take a look at your work. Please?" Marron's eyes were wide and sparkling.

"No."

"Do it for me!"

"I won't."

"Do it for Uncle Goku. Don't you think he'd be thrilled to see your work in a real gallery?"

"He won't…" Vegeta paused. He wanted to say Goku would never be back to witness such a thing. He also didn't want a bunch of strangers ogling and analyzing his art. What if they called him a pervert? "I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing it."

Marron sighed. She turned to Vegeta with her eyes closed. "Uncle Vegeta. I respect you. Immensely." She opened her eyes and looked intently enough at Vegeta for him to feel as if she was peering into his soul. "But I can't let you walk away from this opportunity. It's not going to happen again. Please. Just let her look at your work, then make a decision."

Vegeta massaged the tension in his forehead. For some reason, all the women he knew had strong sway over his life decisions. "Fine."

This isn't happening to me.

Vegeta leaned against a light post. It was seven o'clock Friday night. Across the street was a large gallery glowing with warm light like a beacon in the twilight.

Inside, dozens of his paintings, drawings, and sketches were lovingly mounted on alabaster walls.

It was filled with at least a hundred people at the moment. Among them included all of Goku's friends.

He couldn't step foot in there. It was impossible. Not with all of those eyes on him. And on what he made.

Laurie had been kind. She didn't mind his short temper, or the fact he said as few words as possible around her. But she fought him on his decision on which pieces to show to the public. She'd loved all of his pictures of Goku, and insisted at least the giant paintings of him go up in the gallery.

He agreed on the condition he wouldn't show up opening night.

Heat rose to his temples. Would Goku's friends think of him differently now? Maybe the whole event was a horrible idea to begin with. After they saw what kind of art he made, would they think of him as a basket case? Had he destroyed all the work he did gaining their approval for the past year?

And what about all of these people he'd never seen before in his life? Who were they? Why did they come to see his work? How had they heard about it? The glass entrance to the gallery allowed him the chance to spy on a few faces inside the building. Several men in business suits were holding glasses of wine with serious looks on their faces. A few women were laughing to themselves. What the hell was going on in there?

Vegeta's phone buzzed in his pocket. Shit! He looked at the caller ID. Right before it rang for what he knew to be the last time, he answered. "Hi Marron."

"Uncle Vegeta, I can see you across the street. Stop being silly and come inside already."

He gulped. "I can't."

"Why not? It's your big night. This only happens once."

"I'm too—" Vegeta coughed away the word he intended to say.

"Don't be scared. I promise if you come inside, you won't regret it," Marron said in a sing-song voice.

"Why do you say that?"

"Just trust me." The dull roar of the gallery crowd muffled the next few words Marron uttered.

"What did you say?" Vegeta asked. The call dropped before she could repeat herself.

He held his breath. Okay. I'll go in. But the moment someone recognizes me, I'm leaving.

Once he entered the gallery, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. It was crowded. People were taking pictures. Are they allowed to do that? Familiar pictures that spent months in Marron's basement were splashed all over the walls for the world to see. It was too vulgar for Vegeta to take in all at once. Instinctively, he hovered his palm over his brow to shield his face. As if the gesture would disguise him.

For fuck's sake. This place is huge. He scuttled over to a small painting of Krillin that managed to escape the attention of any large crowds. Most everyone in the room was fascinated with a wall-sized illustration of Goku he did not want to face at the moment. He figured once everyone finished gaping at that drawing, they'd invade the only corner of the gallery he found solitude in. Before then, he planned on being miles away back at Krillin's house.

The Prince bounced up and down on his heels, which clicked on the floor. He'd dressed up. A little. Even though he hadn't intended on anyone seeing him.

In the gallery lighting, the Krillin painting looked pretty nice.

"Ah, Vegeta—I'm sorry I'm late!"

Vegeta turned around.

Goku stared back at him. His innocent eyes were wide in wonder.

Vegeta blinked. First, he studied the cast on Goku's right leg. Then he noticed Goku was balancing himself on two crutches. And then he realized what Goku was wearing. He was dressed to the nines. He wore a starched, blue uniform decorated with medals that glinted in the gallery light.

They stood for a while just looking at each other. Goku opened his mouth. "Wow, Vegeta…you gained weight."

Vegeta heard a strange moan. It came from his own mouth. "You…you…I thought you were dead."

Goku smiled. "Nah, I'm still kickin'." He looked down at his cast. "Heh. I take that back."

Vegeta couldn't see much past the tears in his eyes. "I thought you were dead this whole time, and the first thing you say to me is that I'm fat?"

The stupid smile on Goku's face widened. "It looks good on you." His expression turned into a leer. "Especially from behind."

Vegeta ran to him. "Kakarot!"

The loud clatter of Goku's crutches falling to the floor echoed in the room. Vegeta didn't care he was supporting all of Goku's weight, or the fact Goku was letting him.

Goku crushed him between his arms. "Aw, sweetie," he sighed.

"Kakarot!" The name slipped from him over and over again. He buried his face in Goku's chest.

"Don't cry, Vegeta." But in his grasp, Vegeta felt Goku's back heave. Goku dried his wet eyes on Vegeta's shoulder.

He slid his fingers into Goku's hair. It was the same. Of course it was the same. He started crying again.

He felt the eyes of the gallery patrons wash over him. He couldn't find it in himself to care.