Chapter 7: The Missing Demi-Saiyan

Gohan flew at top speed over the vast forested lands west of Orange City. He was catching up with the Earth's rotation, as it was getting lighter outside instead of darker. The blurry sun appeared as if it was rising over the western horizon. Gohan could not see many details of the terrain or sky with the heavy cascade of tears pouring from his eyes. Negative emotions crashed against one another in the hailstorm of his mind. He tried to suppress the tendency to hyperventilate, though he struggled severely. Every few seconds, great gasping breaths forced their way from the distraught child. How could you, Mom? he thought. I did everything you asked. I tried so hard to make you proud, no matter what. All I ever wanted was to make you and Dad proud. Where did I go wrong? You weren't even honest with me…

The farther Gohan flew, the more he started shaking uncontrollably. Eventually, he had to stop, rubbing the tears from his eyes with a bare forearm. His shoulders fell as dark thoughts and feelings invaded his small being. He gradually lowered himself to the unknown terrain below, landing on a coarse sand beach by a lake. He could not see so much as smell the water and the fish therein. He collapsed on his rear, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes. They were falling faster than he could keep up with. Kami, please, let me wake up from this nightmare. It isn't right or fair. Bad things aren't supposed to happen to good people. All I ever try to do is be good and look where it's gotten me, he mused in misery.

He placed a hand over his heart and started rubbing the area. The young boy had not felt like his heart was breaking since he had seen the saiyans torturing his father. Yet, somehow, this feeling was much worse. Getting hurt by complete strangers was nothing compared to betrayal by a close loved one. Gohan loved his mother to death. He would do anything for her, he thought, but even he had his limits.

The longer Gohan thought about his stark new reality, the worse he felt about it. He raised his hands to his head, arching his back as a scream of devastation ripped from his throat. He did not even feel himself powering up as he wrapped himself in his pain. In fact, he was hardly aware of what had occurred around him until he felt dry dust blowing against his face and smelled smoke. His eyes popped open to the startling sight of a leveled wasteland. He gasped, his gaze panning the area. The lake was a parched indentation where life used to be and the trees of the forest all bent away from him, flat and splintered against the ground. It was as if an atomic bomb had detonated in Gohan's exact location. The child's mind went blank. What have I done?... he thought. Oh, gosh! I hope there weren't any people nearby… the poor animals. I need to get a grip. I'm a walking weapon now and I need to be more careful.

Gohan took a deep breath to try and steady his heart. It's okay, he reassured himself. I'll talk to Dad and we'll sort this whole mess out one way or another. We'll change Mom's mind together. His reddened face formed a look of determination and he blasted off again, heading for West City.

…

Piccolo was sparring with Goku in the forest outside West City when the latter's cell rang, distracting him and earning him a punch in the face. "Haha!" Piccolo laughed. "Better put that thing on silent before I put you in the hospital, Goku. It's best to eliminate all possible distractions before you spar."

Goku chuckled. "You're right," he replied, rubbing his jaw. He reached into his pocket and saw that Chi Chi was calling from her cell phone. He frowned, not wanting to deal with her right then. At the same time, he wanted his phone on in case Bulma called with news about Vegeta's condition. I'll just get back to Chi Chi later, he thought, putting the black-haired woman's number on silent for a couple of hours. They got back to sparring for another few minutes. The Namekian seemed to be on the verge of gaining the upper hand when suddenly the burst of a familiar ki in the far distance distracted him from a defensive maneuver. As a result, he got nailed in the face and went flying into a large tree fifty paces back. Leaves, dirt, and splinters flew into the air. Goku paused, giggling. "Talk about distractions."

Piccolo picked himself up and brushed himself off. "Goku, don't you feel that?" he asked, peering in an easterly direction. "It feels like Gohan is powering up. That kid has such incredible power."

Goku blinked in curiosity before closing his eyes to focus his mind. "Oh, wow! You're right, Piccolo. That's very odd. I thought Chi Chi wasn't going to allow him to train anymore. It feels like he's going all out," he said, chuckling. "What a little chip off the old block. I guess Chi must have changed her mind. Should we fly to meet him?" he inquired, cracking an eye to peer at the back of Piccolo's turban.

Piccolo shook his head. "I don't think that's necessary. He's moving in our direction. Maybe he's heading to Capsule Corp. It'll take him a while to get there. Let's spar for another couple of hours and then we can go greet him when he arrives. I hope everything's alright. I have a weird feeling."

Goku nodded. "Sounds like a plan. It's Friday. He probably finished his homework and Chi decided to send him for a visit. You know what? I'll bet Mrs. Briefs called to invite him to lunch. Can't wait!"

Piccolo hopped over the large tree trunk that he had leveled with his body's momentum and took on another defensive stance. "Yeah, well… we're still hours away from your next meal, so try not to think about your stomach too much while we fight. I know it's hard, being a saiyan and all," he teased.

Goku dropped back into his fight-ready pose, lowering his brows and grinning back at Piccolo. "You bet! Look out, Piccolo! I'm going on the offensive," warned the wild-haired Z fighter.

"Bring it on, monkey boy!"

They flew at each other in a flash of speed and light.

…

Mrs. Briefs was twiddling away in the kitchen all by herself when the house phone rang, grabbing her attention. Humming joyfully, she put down the soup spoon she was stirring a pot with and grabbed the phone off the wall, bringing it to her ear. "Hello and good morning! Briefs family residence. This is Panchy speaking, the wife of Dr. Briefs," she greeted in a proud tone, giggling to herself.

"Panchy!" came a panicked female voice from the other end of the line. "This is Chi Chi. Is Gohan there with you at Capsule Corp right now? Have you heard from him at all?!" she cried.

"Oh, Chi Chi dear! I'm delighted to hear from you again. No, I haven't seen Gohan since Sunday, but I'm looking forward to his upcoming birthday party. I've been meaning to ask you if you'd like to help me bake the birthday boy's cake. I know Gohan loves chocolate and vanilla, but also a bunch of other flavors. Has he requested anything special? I was also thinking we could try something a little more exotic, like chocolate mint or strawberries n' cream. What do you think? Do you think he'd like that?"

"Panchy, I didn't call to talk about the birthday party! Gohan is missing! Please, can I speak to someone else, like Bulma? It's urgent! My baby boy could be in trouble!" she blared.

Mrs. Briefs held the phone back from her ear and turned down the volume a bit before continuing the conversation. "Oh, don't worry, Chi. I'm sure he'll turn up soon. Are you sure he hasn't made any special cake requests yet? If it's something real fancy, I would like to get some practice in on the recipe ahead of time. You know what I mean? Also, are we bringing the cake with us to Dream Land or will we be having it at Capsule Corp before or after the trip, do you know? It's best to hammer out these details ahead of time. I have planned a lot of parties and the key to having one go off without a hitch is all in the planning and the organizing. Like I tell my husband all the time, if there are more than three people invited, you better keep everything organized or it could turn into a great big fiasco…"

"Panchy, please! May I speak to Dr. Briefs or Bulma?"

Panchy paused and checked the clock on the wall. "No, those two are still at work. Would you like me to ask them to give you a call as soon as they get off? They'll be over for a quick lunch, but I'm not sure they'll have time to chat until this evening. Oh, those two work so hard, I swear! I'm so proud of my daughter and my wonderful husband. Did you know that my hubby is working on this new project which could revolutionize the lives of housewives the world over? What's more, if he gets this new business deal with House Wonders, Inc., it'll be totally affordable for even the tightest of budgets!"

Chi Chi released an aggravated sigh from the other end of the line. "Panchy, please contact Dr. Briefs or Bulma and tell them that this is urgent! It cannot wait! Please, I'll do anything if you'd just…"

"Actually, they might be in a business meeting right now, come to think of it." She paused and cupped her ear, listening to the nearby hallway. "Wait, no… that's my daughter in the shower. She said she was running late, so I best let her finish up. I'm not totally sure, but unless there's an 'imminent ecological disaster', my hubby always requests that I don't interrupt business meetings. You see, the members of the board have high expectations for professionalism in their colleagues and they can be easily offended if…" Mrs. Briefs began, going on and on and on again as usual. Suddenly, she heard a click from the other end and the line went dead. She paused. "Oh, darn. Poor Chi Chi must have forgotten to charge her phone. Oh, well, I'm sure she'll call back when she gets a chance. What a lovely lady. She's such a good friend," the blonde mused to herself, putting the phone back on the wall. She returned to her cooking.

…

Vegeta released a whispered groan, his throat feeling sore like he had been shrieking at the top of his lungs for hours. His head was pounding. He felt like he was carrying an impossibly heavy weight in his brainstem. He moved a hand to cradle the back of his head as his right eye cracked open to a blindingly bright environment. The first thing he saw was a blurry mocha-brown half-masked face peering down at him. He did not recognize the eyes. "Welcome back, sir. My name is Dr. Along and I've been treating you for hypoxia. I see you have a headache. That's normal after what you've been through. Here, let me inject some pain medication into your IV. It may be too painful to swallow right now. But don't worry, we'll have you feeling better in no time," came the unfamiliar voice from the unfamiliar face.

Vegeta rubbed his eyes with his right hand, clearing up his vision somewhat, as the short-haired human turned around to retrieve something. When the person came back, the prince felt his left arm being touched. He would have recoiled somewhat, but he was too worn out and confused. "I'll turn the lights down, sir," the doctor said. "It'll help with the head pain." The intensity of the lights was soon reduced significantly. Vegeta gradually started to feel better and more alert as the medication came into effect.

He threw off the white blanket and sat up, much to the doctor's surprise. "Sir, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but my best medical advice is for you to remain in bed until Ms. Briefs has a chance to check you out herself. She knows more about your medical history than I do and that makes her more qualified than me to look you over and determine whether or not to give you a clean bill of health."

Vegeta ripped the oxygen mask off his face and glared at the overly-talkative doctor. He opened his mouth to start shouting, but nothing except a quiet whisper came out. In the end, it was almost a squeak, as a look of horror befell Vegeta's face in response to his own voicelessness. He brought both hands to his gullet and the the skinny human blinked. "It seems you've also developed a case of laryngitis. I just got over one myself. Your voice will come back once your larynx has healed from the coughing fits," Dr. Along stated, flipping out a clipboard and pen to take a few notes. "I'll update Ms. Briefs on this development. For now, I suggest you take it easy. Drink lots of fluids, sleep with a humidifier, avoid decongestants, and rest your voice for a few days. Also, I strongly suggest that you put your oxygen mask back on. It has a built-in humidifier and I don't think you've recovered from your hypoxia yet."

Vegeta was seeing red and he could not even bitch about it. Instead, he kept a sour look on his face and folded his arms angrily over his chest. Dr. Along finished writing notes and approached the bedside desk, placing a notepad and pen upon it. "Here, if you have something important to tell me or Ms. Briefs when she gets back, you can write it down. Is there anything you need that I can get for you?"

The angry prince grimaced and turned away from Dr. Along, shaking his head. He glanced down at the oxygen mask. His memory of recent events was fuzzy, but he did recall one thing clearly. He had made it to Mount Five Elements in time and, after all his efforts, the third-class saiyan had found him and fucked everything up at the last possible second. There would not be another blood moon on Earth for a whole year and Vegeta knew he was not going to survive that long. A blood moon was the only way to open the gates to Oblivion on a planet's surface. Otherwise, he would have to take an impossibly long trip to a distant part of the galaxy and he knew he did not have that long to live. While he was surprised to have survived the latest flare-up, he knew the next one would be ten times as brutal. Therefore, the royal's best strategy to complete his objective was to do whatever it took to prolong his life. Coming to a decision, Vegeta grabbed the oxygen mask and put it back on, breathing in the rejuvenating gasses.

"Thank you, sir," the doctor said, turning toward the clinic's exit. "Now, I'm going to send word to Ms. Briefs and bring you a water bottle to keep you hydrated. Try to rest and relax."

Vegeta watched through irritated eyes as the puny human pushed a button on the wall and disappeared through the sliding door. He sighed and laid back down, pulling the blankets over his lower half. He tossed and turned a bit, eventually finding a comfortable position on his left side. Now was the perfect time to think in a quiet environment and come up with a new plan. He refused to let himself be thrown back into Hell. For the brief time he had been there after his death on Namek, it had felt like an eternity with every horror he had ever lived through repeated over and over and over. The gods were a cruel bunch, he decided, except one. Oblivion was the only immortal Vegeta would ever glorify.

The troubled prince fell into a light reverie as he thought through designs on how to reach his chosen god's domain. There might be another planet not too far away with a blood moon. If I can put myself in stasis until I reach it… except I don't know if the Capsule Corp spaceships have that feature. If only I could get my hands on a regular attack ball. I wonder if there are any more on this planet… What about Nappa's? I don't have the controller anymore, but I might still be able to find it somehow. I'm sure the Earthlings squirreled it away somewhere. Perhaps, the blue-haired woman will know…

"Vegeta!"

Speak of the she-devil, the prince thought, turning his head to peer at the two humans standing in the open door. One of them was Bulma Briefs wearing a white doctor's coat and a large towel twirled up in her wet hair. A few blue strands poking out of the terrycloth folds were still dripping from her recent shower. She ran over to Vegeta's bedside and tried to touch his forehead, from which he recoiled.

Bulma gave him a sour face. "Oh, don't give me that! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Me and Goku both! If you don't knock it off, I'll call Goku to hold you down until I'm done examining you," she snapped, folding her arms petulantly over her chest. "Speaking of which…" she added, pulling out her cell phone. She made a call and put it to her ear, waiting. "Goku!" she cried, drawing her brows together and meeting Vegeta's eye with a grin on her face. "Guess who just woke up. Yup, the Prince of All Jerkwads. Come up to the clinic. I might need your help with this one."

She ended the call as Dr. Along walked up behind her. "Ms. Briefs, I know doctoring isn't your main occupation, but we're not supposed to address patients that way. A good bedside manner is a must."

Bulma frowned and then turned to Dr. Along. "Oh… you're right. Sorry, I get why you're surprised, but I actually know this guy and, trust me, it's the best way to handle him," she replied, blushing. Her frown turned into a wide smile. "Oh, but Dr. Along, I can't express how grateful I am that you handled the situation so well in my absence. I feel a thousand times better now that I have some caffeine in me, too. You're a real lifesaver," she expressed, offering the precocious teenager a handshake.

Dr. Along gladly accepted it. "I appreciate that, Ms. Briefs. Well, I've given the patient my best medical advice to recover from his illness. I diagnosed him with hypoxia and administered oxygen. It seems to have done the trick, but he has also developed laryngitis and cannot speak, so I think it's important to treat him with respect and avoid ruffling his feathers unnecessarily. I don't know if you've ever had laryngitis, but being voiceless is one of the worst feelings in the world. It will give him a much easier recovery if his medical team makes an effort not to anger or upset him while he is healing."

Bulma's shoulders fell. Dr. Along was being as respectful as possible, but she still felt scolded. "Okay, you're right," she agreed, turning her attention back to Vegeta as she snapped on some latex gloves. "Vegeta, I'm going to need a blood sample to see if your oxygen levels are up enough. The good news is, you already have a cannula in your arm so I won't need to jab you again. All I need you to do is roll onto your back, show me your left arm, and stay still, please. Think you can handle that?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and complied, wanting nothing more than to get back on his feet as soon as possible. Bulma fiddled with the cannula in his arm, taking a blood sample. "Alright, Dr. Along. Can you rush this off to the lab downstairs for me and run the necessary tests? I want to make sure that…"

"Veggie-Weggie!" cried an annoyingly high-pitched and idiotic voice as the clinic door slid open once more. The orange-clad saiyan was back and he was in much too good a mood for Vegeta's taste. The prince was about to glare at him, but the intention was not realized as Goku moved faster than the speed of light to Vegeta's bedside and enveloped him in a big unwelcome bear hug, blankets and all.

Vegeta felt the oxygen from the tank squeezed from his lungs, his eyes bugging out.

"Goku, put him down!" Bulma shrieked, taking Dr. Along's clipboard and throwing it at Goku's head.

It bounced off and clattered to the floor. Dr. Along ran to retrieve it before squeezing in between Goku and Vegeta to push the larger male off the smaller one. "Sir, this patient is suffering from hypoxia and laryngitis. You need to refrain from touching him until his doctor, Ms. Briefs, says that it's okay."

Goku backed up a few feet as Vegeta collapsed back onto the bed, holding his sore throat. The third-class saiyan scratched the back of his head and frowned. "Hypo-what? Is that bad? It sounds bad."

"Goku!" Bulma interjected. "It means that he wasn't getting enough oxygen to his brain. Remember when you told me that he hacked up something after you saw him cough out blood? That was lung tissue. Vegeta has an internal injury. More than one, in fact. His larynx is swollen and his lungs are damaged. So, squeezing the air out of him is the very last thing you want to do right now!" she scolded, taking Dr. Along's place as she shoved the blood sample into her fellow scientist's lab coat pocket. "I got this. Go ahead and run that down to the lab for me. I'll keep Goku in line until you get back."

Dr. Along nodded and turned to leave the room. Goku looked worried. "So, he isn't completely better?" he asked, to which Bulma shook her head. Goku rubbed his chin in a moment of contemplation. "So… you're saying he has an injury inside his body, right? But he's not still sick? No fever or nothin'?"

Bulma glanced at Vegeta, taking advantage of the prince's discombobulation to place the back of her hand on his forehead. He jerked back, but it was long enough. "I don't think so. Right now, his biggest problems are lung damage and a swollen larynx. He can't speak until the irritation goes away. Might take a few days to a couple of weeks. But all in all, he should recover the use of his voice soon."

Goku looked encouraged and snapped his fingers. "I know! If Vegeta has an injury, it can be healed quicker with a senzu bean. I'll fly over to Korin Tower and get one! You take care of Vegeta."

"Uh, Goku…" Bulma began, but it was too late as he had raced out of the room and disappeared. The blue-haired scientist raised a brow. "Well, I guess a senzu bean would work. Yeah, that's good thinking." She shrugged and turned her attention back to Vegeta, shining a bright light in his face. "Hey, Vegeta, take off the mask for a moment and open your mouth as wide as you can." Vegeta gave her a death glare and laid back down, yanking the blankets over his head. Bulma groaned. "Come on, Vegeta. It's going to take Goku a little while to procure that senzu bean for you. I just want to see if you're well enough to come back to my place and rest. Unless you'd rather stay here in the clinic?" she offered.

Vegeta released a breathy groan and flipped the blankets off, rolling his eyes as he removed the mask and complied with Bulma's request. She smiled and shined her light down his throat, looking closely.

Bulma turned the light off and stepped back. "It's a little red, but not too bad. Let me…" she began, just as her cell rang. She picked it up. "Dr. Along? Oh, yes? Really… Well, that's not as bad. Alright, I'm going to put him on nasal oxygen and let him rest at home. That seems to be what he wants. Great, thanks for getting the results back to me so fast. You can go back to the front desk and ask to continue your orientation. I'll meet up with you this afternoon to introduce you to the next steps in the process. Oh, I'd be excited, too. You're doing a great job so far. I'll let my dad know. Okay, see you."

She ended her call and went to the supply closet, procuring a nasal oxygen cannula and replacing the other mask with it. The new item was far less irritating. It was a simple tube that went around Vegeta's head over his ears, delivering oxygen directly into his nostrils. He could easily eat while wearing it, though it was attached to a large tank that he was loath to have to lug around with him. Fortunately, Bulma did the lugging for him, taking hold of the ratchet it was on and rolling it along. "Alright, Vegeta, let's get you back home. My mom can take care of your needs while my dad and I are at work. At least, this way you can watch TV while you wait for Goku to bring a senzu bean."

Vegeta sat up again, yanking the blanket off and moving his bare feet to the floor. Bulma gasped, nearly dropping the tank. At first, the prince was not sure what had surprised her until he felt something soft brush against his left calf muscle. He peered down and saw the brown tail beside him. Then he reached down and picked it up, running his fingertips over the soft fur. He shrugged and stood up, heading toward the exit. He had to stop when he felt a tug at the nasal mask, as Bulma was not following with the ratchet. He gave her a look of irritation, which caused her to explode. "How can you just shrug like it's no big deal?!" she charged, pointing at the prehensile appendage accusingly. "No, Vegeta! I've been nearly killed by one of those damn things too many times to let this fly! Oh, this is just terrible!"

Vegeta looked at her like she had lost her mind.

Bulma growled. "Vegeta, don't look at me like that! I'm talking about Goku! He went ape more than once when he was a boy and it still haunts my nightmares," she charged, her face turning as blue as her hair while she peered down at the dreaded appendage. She swallowed, trembling in fear.

Vegeta snorted noiselessly and rolled his eyes, stomping past her to the desk by the gurney. He grabbed the notepad Dr. Along had left and started scribbling on it with the pen, shoving it in Bulma's face.

Bulma took it. "I can control it, Kaka can't. Calm your tits," she read, her face turning crimson. "Calm my what? Oh, you smart ass! This isn't funny! I bet you think you're a real comedian, Vegeta." She paused, the meaning of the note catching up to her. "Wait… you mean you can control yourself when you transform?" she inquired. He nodded, looking unamused. "Oh… well, that's… different…"

Vegeta rolled his eyes again, grabbed the ratchet from her, and dragged it behind him as he stormed out of the clinic. All he wanted was to eat something tasty and bury himself in a TV show while he waited for the foolish saiyan to return with the magical healing legume. Once he had eaten it, he planned to snatch the first interstellar spaceship he came across and get the hell off a certain backwater planet.

"Oh, Vegeta… wait!" Bulma cried, scrambling after him. She had to jog to keep up with his pace. "I'll come with you and let my mom know what's going on since you can't speak. Then I've really got to head to work. There's a meeting coming up… Ergh! I'm going to be late and I forgot to notify my dad!" she blared, grabbing her cell again. She typed up a text with her two thumbs, nearly bumping into a random cleaning robot as they moved at a hurried speed down the hallway. "Darn it!"

Vegeta ignored her and continued to the Briefs family quarters, ringing the doorbell. When Bulma caught up, she struggled to get her keys out, dropping them on the floor. She grabbed them up again, her head towel falling off in the process, causing her to groan. The flustered young scientist picked up the towel and threw it over her shoulder and then searched for the right key to unlock the interior door to her home. Meanwhile, her mother opened it instead. "Oh, Vegeta dear! You're back! Please, come right in and I'll whip you up something nice to eat. How does chicken noodle soup sound?"

Vegeta nodded, ignoring the younger female, and headed right in pulling the ratchet behind him.

Mrs. Briefs turned her attention to her daughter. "Oh, sweetums! Why don't you come in and blow dry your hair? We don't want you catching the sniffles like poor Vegeta here did," she remarked, taking the wet towel off her adult child's shoulder. "I'll go toss this in the laundry, 'kay?"

"Wait, Mom! I need to tell you something. Vegeta is on oxygen because his lungs were damaged from the coughing. Can you do me a favor and monitor the oxygen levels in the tank? Also, he has laryngitis and can't speak so maybe give him a notepad in case he needs anything. He can't tell you otherwise."

Mrs. Briefs looked excited. "Oh, I know just the thing for laryngitis! Of course, schnookums, I'll take care of everything. You go take care of yourself and then head right off to work."

Bulma looked relieved. "Thanks, Mom. I knew I could count on you," she replied, walking past her into their home. She ran her fingers through her hair as she headed down the hall to her bedroom.

Meanwhile, Vegeta had already flopped down on the living room sofa and grabbed the remote. Mrs. Briefs closed the interior door and headed straight to the kitchen to prepare the prince's meal. "Alright, Vegeta dear, I'm going to make some nice hot chicken noodle soup and peppermint tea with honey and lemon. It'll have your throat feeling better in no time. Oh, and before I forget," she said, fiddling around in the kitchen. She came into the living room with a few items in one hand and a TV table in the other. After setting the TV table down beside Vegeta, she placed a round silver metal item on it and a notepad and pen. She tapped the top of the silver item, making a dinging sound. "Just tap the call bell if you need anything and write whatever it is on the notepad, alright? I'm at your beck and call."

Vegeta lazily nodded as he turned the television on and started flipping through the numerous channels, taking the neatly-folded velvet couch blanket down from the backrest and pulling it over his body. Mrs. Briefs smiled in delight and returned to the kitchen to go about her culinary objective.

…

Over an hour later, Goku was almost back to Capsule Corp with a bag of senzu beans in his pocket when he spotted someone flying in from the opposite direction. He reached out with his mind and detected his son's energy. Ah! Goku thought. Gohan's here. I'll greet him just as soon as I deliver a senzu bean to 'Geets. He went Super Saiyan to speed up his pace, zipping down to the back porch of the Capsule Corp compound. To his surprise, Vegeta was out there lounging on a fancy new hammock that Goku had never seen before. He appeared to be taking a nap. Goku powered down to normal as he landed. "Hey, 'Geta! I got a whole bag from Korin for training," he announced, reaching into his pocket.

Vegeta's eyes snapped open and peered at Goku, looking mildly irritated that his nap had been interrupted. Mrs. Briefs emerged from the interior carrying a tray. "Vegeta dear, I've got your second helping of peppermint tea and that strawberry-banana smoothie you asked for," she declared, approaching the side of the hammock and offering both to him with a smile. After he had sat up and taken them, Mrs. Briefs noticed Goku's presence. "Oh, Goku! You're a little bit early for lunch. Can you wait about fifteen more minutes, dear? Everything's still in the oven, but it'll be done real soon."

Goku placed a hand behind his head. "Oh, that's no problem, Mrs. Briefs. I just got back from Korin Tower and I…" he began, pausing when he felt his son's powerful energy signature near him.

Mrs. Briefs looked past Goku and gasped. "Oh, Gohan! What's wrong, sweetheart? You look upset."

"Daddy!" Gohan cried as Goku turned around to meet him, tackling his father around the waist with tears pouring from his eyes. He started to sob uncontrollably. "It's just horrible! What Mom told me… Are you really not going to be living with us anymore? She's making me live with a man I don't even know and I'm scared! I'm afraid that Mom has lost her mind! What are we going to do?!"

Goku nearly dropped the bag of senzu beans. When he regained his composure, he placed his free hand down on his son's head. When he glanced up, he noticed that Piccolo was hovering just over the railing, a stunned look on his green face. A sweat drop appeared on Goku's forehead. "Uh, well… Gohan, to be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are. Maybe we should go talk about this in private. I…"

Mrs. Briefs gasped again. "Oh! Goku dear, are… are you having problems in your marriage?"

Goku turned his head to her and frowned. "Well… I only just learned about it a few days ago, to be honest. I would have told you all, but Bulma and I were busy trying to find Vegeta. It's…" He sighed. "I'm not sure what's going on. I haven't spoken to Chi Chi in person ever since the Sunday barbecue."

"Vegeta!" Gohan charged, rage overtaking the sadness on his face. "This is his fault! Where is that jerk?!" The kid's eyes darted around and then widened when he spotted the aforementioned warrior on a brand new hammock literally five paces behind him. The prince froze like a deer in headlights.

"Uh, Gohan?" Goku began. "What do you mean? This is between your mother and me."

Gohan rounded on Vegeta, who looked almost as confused as he was surprised. The boy powered up. "No!" Gohan cried. "If it wasn't for Vegeta and the other stupid saiyans, our family never would've been torn apart in the first place. It is his fault! Fight me, Vegeta! I'm not afraid of you anymore!"

"Gohan!" Goku shouted, grabbing the boy's wrist to restrain him from charging at Vegeta. The startled prince flipped backward over the hammock, ripping the nasal cannula off his face and causing the tank and ratchet to clatter to the floor. The smoothie splattered on the ground and the teacup shattered. Meanwhile, Piccolo came to help Goku restrain the angry child. Gohan fell to his knees, screaming. Goku side-glanced at Piccolo with desperation in his eyes. "Piccolo, can you please help me move him away from here before something else gets damaged?!" he pleaded, dropping the senzu beans.

"Sure, Goku," Piccolo replied, kneeling down to wrap his arms around Gohan. Together, they flew off with the distraught child in custody. Vegeta and Mrs. Briefs stared out after them with open mouths.

Once Panchy got over her shock, she glanced down at Vegeta in a smoothie puddle on the ground. He was still staring into the blue sky in disbelief. "Oh, Vegeta dear, I'm so sorry!" she cried, rushing over to clean up. "I'll make you a new smoothie and cup of tea. Do you need a change of clothes?" When she got closer, she realized it was just his bare left foot soaking in the spilled smoothie. He lifted it and looked at the pink liquid dripping from his heel. "On second thought, I'll get you a wet washcloth," she said, picking up the plastic cup, discarded straw, and the larger pieces of the broken ceramic teacup. She sighed sadly. "Oh, that poor little boy. What a mess for a young child," she lamented.

Vegeta shook his foot off and stood up, walking around the hammock to the bag Goku had dropped. He picked it up, took a bean out, and popped it in his mouth. As he chewed, he recoiled at the slightly bitter and fishy flavor. He had to force himself to swallow. After a few moments, energy coursed through his veins and the pain in his throat vanished. The prince coughed lightly a few times to clear his throat. "Perfect," he said to himself. "Now, I can focus on my next objective." He turned toward the back of the campus, looking around for the Gravitron. "Wait, where is it? Oh well… I'll just ask the blue-haired woman or her father when they get out of work. It might be in the shop. I'll need it in top shape for a final trip into space. Better not rush them or they might fuck up an important component."

Vegeta looked at the bag. These will come in handy, but I better make sure to tell the old man to install a stasis unit just in case they don't last, he inwardly brooded, shoving the beans into an oversized pocket on his cutoffs. He buttoned it shut and then hopped back onto the hammock to finish his nap.

…

"Okay, Gohan. Please, try to calm down so we can talk about this. Everything is going to be okay. I need you to trust me on this, Son," Goku spoke reassuringly, hugging his child tightly to his chest.

The boy was still wailing and clutching his father's orange gi top with his hands. Meanwhile, Goku mouthed a silent word of appreciation to Piccolo, who was floating nearby. The Namekian nodded, wanting to offer any support he could to help Gohan recover from this latest emotional trauma.

"M-Mom wants me to call that guy P-Papa Cardinal like he's some kind of dad to me. I hate him! I don't want to live with that creep, but I don't have a choice. It isn't fair! And he's trying to enforce all these stupid new rules like I'm not allowed to lock the bathroom door when I go in or even close my bedroom door anymore for privacy. Plus, when I start school, I'm not even allowed to talk to girls for some weird reason. They didn't tell me why. I don't understand why Mom is doing all this to me!"

Goku drew his brows together in anger. "Did you say that Chi Chi told you to call her new love interest 'Papa Cardinal'?" he asked, hoping that he had simply misheard his son's words.

Gohan nodded into his father's chest. "I said I'd rather call him Mr. Cardinal and he said that would be inappropriate because he's paying for school. They're going to hold that over my head from now on!"

Piccolo pursed his lips and peered down in contemplation. "Goku," he interjected, speaking up, "I don't ordinarily like to interfere in private family affairs, but frankly it sounds like she's trying to erase your role in Gohan's life. I know you normally prefer to let your wife… or, rather, soon-to-be former wife, take the lead in all affairs concerning Gohan's upbringing, but you may have no choice but to take a stronger role if this is what she has in mind. In other words, you're going to have to stand up to her."

A thoughtful look befell Goku's face. "I hate to admit it, but I think you might be right, Piccolo. I guess it was just easier to trust Chi Chi to make the right decisions before. I mean, geez… What has gotten into her?" he replied with a sigh, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the envelope and removed the letter from Chi Chi, handing it to Piccolo to get his assessment. "This is the only communication I've had with her since Sunday. I got home to a mostly empty house and that letter was waiting for me."

Piccolo took the letter and scanned it, his face gradually morphing from thoughtful to heavily concerned. "As a Namek, I admit this is a little difficult to understand. Namekian relationships aren't nearly so complicated since we never share parenthood with each other. My suggestion is for you to seek counsel from an Earthling who understands how this stuff and the associated laws work. A smart one… perhaps Bulma or Dr. Briefs?" he proposed, handing the letter back to Goku with a small shrug.

Goku nodded his agreement. "Good thinking. I really had no clue how to approach this at first. I mean, it was Chi Chi's idea for us to get married in the first place several years ago. And now she just up and changes her mind? I wouldn't be so bothered by it if it only affected the two of us, but now Gohan's caught in the middle and he didn't ask for any of this. I swear, the older I get, the more complicated life becomes," he declared with an embarrassed chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

Piccolo nodded. "Well, what do you want to do with Gohan in the meantime? You're not planning to send him back to Orange City and that so-called 'Papa Cardinal' guy, are you?" he inquired worriedly.

Goku raised a brow and then peered down at his son. "Gohan, did you finish all your homework?"

Gohan released his hold on his dad and backed up, sniffling. He nodded his head. "Yes, Daddy, I did. It's all done until school starts at the end of summer. I was so happy when I finished, but then Mom dropped this bombshell on me. My head is reeling right now. I think I'm getting a headache."

Goku smiled proudly. He reached down and rubbed the back of Gohan's head. "No worries, Son. I think it's time you got a big break. How about we go back to Capsule Corp for lunch and then maybe pack up for a big camping trip this weekend? How does that sound? You can bring Dende if you want."

Gohan swallowed while rubbing his eyes, a small smile gracing his lips. "Are… you going to make me apologize to Vegeta, Dad?" the little boy inquired, a mildly guilty look on his face.

Goku raised a brow in thought, recalling what had just gone down on the Capsule Corp deck no more than ten minutes ago. "Vegeta… Let me think. No, I'm going to apologize to him myself on your behalf. But if you decide to make an apology of your own, I'll be extra super proud of you. Okay? So, don't sweat it, Son. I'm sure we won't get much more than a 'Hmph' out of him anyway. On that note, I think we ought to head back now. I want to make sure Vegeta took his senzu bean. Come on, you two."

Gohan blinked, sniffing one more time. "Why did Vegeta need a senzu bean, Dad?"

"Hmm?" Goku replied, breaking his inner train of thought. "Oh, Bulma said something about Vegeta having lung damage. I figured a senzu bean would fix that. Anyway, let's get back for lunch!"

The trio started to fly back to Capsule Corp, Gohan with a contemplative look on his face.

…

Chi Chi was shaking, so upset that she was struggling to hold herself together for her future husband's sake. Mr. Cardinal kept one hand on the wheel of his vehicle as he placed the other on her knee to offer some emotional support. As soon as he did, she became undone and started sobbing into her open hands. The red-haired male reached up and patted her back. "Not to worry, dear. We'll find him. I'm sure there are only so many places a boy his age could have gone. The authorities will help."

They had already checked the Orange City Library, Gohan's favorite location. They had notified the police, called the Son family house phone numerous times until the voicemail box was full, called Capsule Corp and had a very useless conversation with the ditzy Mrs. Briefs. Chi Chi had then called the Kame House and chewed the ears of Master Roshi, Krillin, and Launch off, though none of the three claimed to have seen Gohan since Sunday. Lastly, she had called Goku's cell, but he was not answering. Currently, they were driving to Mount Paozu to see if they could catch Gohan there in person. The young mother was keeping her fingers crossed, but the fear gnawing at her heart would not subside. Suddenly, the waterworks halted as a thought occurred to her. She turned to Mr. Cardinal. "Do you think it's lunchtime in West City yet? Maybe, I can reach Bulma or her father if I call again."

Mr. Cardinal glanced at his wristwatch, doing the time zone calculations in his head. "Yes, I think lunch will be starting soon if it hasn't already. Go ahead and give it another try, my dear."

Chi Chi grabbed her cell, dark circles starting to form under her eyes that had her male companion expressing concern. She dialed the Briefs family residence again and put the phone to her ear. "Mrs. Briefs? Hello?" she began when she heard the line pick up. She had hung up on the blonde before, so she was feeling a little guilty. Intuition told her Mrs. Briefs likely would not remember, though.

"Oh, Chi Chi! It's you again. I was just about to serve lunch! If you're anywhere in West City, feel free to drop by. I've got lots of tasty options today since we're having some saiyan guests. Plenty of food to go around. Did you sort out the little problem you were having earlier, by any chance?"

"No!" Chi Chi blared before catching herself, clapping a hand over her mouth. She blushed and took a deep breath. "I mean, sorry about before. I'm out in the country and was having connection issues. Anyway, are Dr. Briefs or Bulma available for a quick chat yet?" she inquired, adding the little white lie to smooth things over. "Gohan's still missing and I thought maybe they could…"

Mrs. Briefs giggled. "You know that family of mine. They're late for lunch. I guess the meeting is running over. Oh, but Gohan did drop by. I'm not sure where he is now, but he went to have a chat with his dad and their big green friend in the turban. I'll have 'em give you a call when they get back."

Chi Chi froze. "Wh-What's that you say? You saw Gohan? With your own eyes?"

"Yup! He was out on the back porch. I'm sure he'll be back for lunch soon. You know saiyans!"

Chi Chi slapped a hand to her heart, forcing herself to calm down. She covered the speaker of her cell and whispered to Mr. Cardinal, "He's in West City. What's the quickest way we can get over there?"

Mr. Cardinal stroked his red mustache, thinking. "Let's take my private jet. I have it in a DynoCap," he replied, slowing down and turning around on the mountain road that they were driving on. "We'll be able to use it when we're out of the mountains. Just need some flat land for a safe takeoff, like we saw when we passed those farms thirty minutes back. I even have a robotic pilot, so we can rest."

"Perfect!" Chi Chi replied in a whisper, reaching over to give the man's hand a squeeze. She turned her attention back to the phone. "Alright. Thank you so much, Panchy. Unfortunately, we won't be there in time for lunch. Just have Gohan give me a call when he gets back, alright?" she politely requested.

"Sure thing, Chi!" Mrs. Briefs replied. "Will chat again soon. Kisses!"

"Bye!" Chi Chi returned, ending the call and putting her phone down. She leaned toward Mr. Cardinal with a relaxed sigh. "You're a lifesaver, Rust. I don't know what I'd do without you. I just can't wait until we're married. We're going to make each other the happiest people on Earth, I just know it!"

Mr. Cardinal flashed her a supportive smile as they began to descend the winding mountain road. It took a little while, but Chi Chi eventually snapped out of her romantic reverie when her anger returned to the surface. She sat straight in the passenger's side seat and stared straight ahead, her brows knitted. Boy, oh boy, am I going to give Gohan an earful when I get my hands on him again. How could I have raised such a rebellious delinquent who runs away from home like this? It's unbelievable! I'll have to think up a good punishment, so he won't even think to try something like this again. How embarrassing! I go on and brag to my future husband about what a great kid I've got, and then this insanity happens. I'm really going to have to keep a better eye on him… and maybe have Rust install some bars on that bathroom window in the process. The young mother's inner thoughts became so intense that she did not even realize when she had released a worried sigh that got Mr. Cardinal to notice her melancholy.

"What are you feeling now, my dear?" Mr. Cardinal asked, grabbing her attention.

Chi Chi frowned. "I was just thinking… I'm pretty sure this is the naughtiest thing my son has ever done. I can't let him get away with it. What kind of punishment do you think is suitable?"

A sober expression overtook Mr. Cardinal's face. "Well, I'm not normally one to champion any form of physical discipline of children, except in the most extreme of circumstances. I believe this may very well be one of those circumstances. I would think no less of you if you decided to take a belt to that boy's backside. If you really want to set him straight, you may have no other option. But then again, you know him better than I do. What do you think would work best to get the point across?"

Chi Chi's shoulders fell. "For a normal child, I'd agree with you. But remember, I told you how Gohan was taken for a year and received very intensive martial arts training from his kidnapper. I'm afraid that he's much too strong physically for a belting to have the effect we're hoping for. I know! May 21 is Gohan's birthday party at Dream Land. I'd hate to go that far, but maybe if I forbid him from attending… Do you think that would be too cruel?" she inquired, looking to Mr. Cardinal for approval.

"Not at all. As my father always said, if you play foolish games, you win foolish prizes. But remember, such a punishment should be tempered with the promise of reward. Perhaps, we can offer to reinstate this birthday party later if he straightens himself out in the next few months. It won't fall on the actual day he was born, but it doesn't really matter. As long as he can earn his prize back, he'll be motivated."

Chi Chi peered over at Mr. Cardinal with love and devotion in her eyes. "My dear, you're such a wise and compassionate man. I only wish I had met you earlier in my life, but better late than never! Promise me we'll have lots of children together and keep a happy home as long as we live!"

Mr. Cardinal reached over to hold her hand again. "You have my word. I leave the number of children entirely up to you, though. I'll be satisfied with anything you give me, my love."

Chi Chi felt her heart melt and pulled his hand into her chest.

…

When Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo returned to Capsule Corp, Mrs. Briefs had already set the picnic table outside and was busy delivering the many different lunch dishes to it. A light whirring sound could be heard in the background as a cleaning bot worked on the smoothie mess behind the new hammock. Vegeta was the first one there and he was already devouring his meal as if he had never been sick to begin with. Goku smiled, finding that to be an encouraging sign. "Hey, Vegeta! Sorry about earlier. It was just a little family issue that kinda spilled over. I promise it won't happen again," the orange-clad saiyan declared bashfully as they touched down on the patio, rubbing the back of his head.

Vegeta shot them both a momentary judgmental look before turning his attention fully back to the meal. In other words, he did not seem to care in the least. Gohan was staring at the deck and shuffling his feet, softly echoing what his father had said. "Yeah, sorry, Vegeta…" he murmured, wiping his nose.

When Mrs. Briefs came back out with a pot of soup, she noticed that they had returned. "Oh, Goku and Gohan, welcome back! Gohan dear, your mama wants you to give her a call after lunch. She sounded a bit worried," she informed them in a light tone, placing the pot in the center of the table. "Anyway, boys, feel free to get started. I'm sure my hubby and daughter will be along in a bit to join us. Oh, Gohan! I have an important question to ask you about your upcoming birthday. Don't let me forget!"

Gohan nodded, shuddering a bit at the mention of his mother. "Yes, Mrs. Briefs," he uttered, taking a seat at the picnic table right next to his father. He yawned a bit, only just realizing how late it had to be in Orange City now. It was technically hours past his bedtime, but in West City, it was high noon. "Hey, Daddy, I'm really tired but I don't sleep so well in the city. Did you encapsulate the house by any chance and bring it with you? I thought after lunch I could go find a spot out in the countryside."

"I didn't," Goku replied, "but I'm sure the Briefs could lend us something. Do you want to go camping as I suggested earlier? Maybe Piccolo could take you as soon as you're done eating. I might have to catch up because I do need to get in contact with your mom about this whole mess. You just let me worry about everything, though. Okay, Son? This is my mess to clean up, not yours. Understood?"

Gohan bobbed his head. "Thanks, Dad. That makes me feel a little bit better." He turned to Piccolo. "Do you mind, Piccolo? I might have to catch up on sleep first, but then we can fish and hunt and spar the weekend away. Could you ask Dende and his brother if they'd like to come along, too?"

"Sure, kid," Piccolo replied. "I wouldn't mind having a break from the big city myself. I'll go ask the others." He hopped down from the patio railing to the Capsule Corp campus grounds, as some of the Namekians were recreating outside. They could hear the children's laughter from the picnic area.

"Thanks, Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan cried after him, starting to feel better slowly but surely.

All three saiyans were silent as they ate. It was not long until Dr. Briefs, Bulma, and Mrs. Briefs joined them as well. The conversation between the Briefs and the Sons remained light at first, but eventually, Goku nudged Bulma gently and leaned over to whisper, "Hey, Bulma… Are you going to be terribly busy for the rest of the day? I have something important I need to talk about with someone smart enough to have some insight. Either you or your father will do. When will you all be available?"

Bulma raised a brow, turning her attention to Goku as she lowered her fork. "Um, let's see… We get off work at five. Can it wait that long?" she asked in a low tone as Gohan and her parents were chatting about the upcoming birthday at Dream Land. She glanced at Vegeta at the end of the table. As usual, he was rapidly stuffing his face and taking no notice of or even the slightest interest in their conversation. She had to remember to give him a checkup before the day was out to make sure he was okay.

"Yes, that's alright," Goku replied. "As long as we talk before the day is over." Goku also took notice of Vegeta and his eyes shot open in realization. "Oh, hey! Vegeta, did you get your senzu bean?"

Vegeta paused, flashing Goku a light glare for interrupting his meal. He swallowed his mouthful. "Yes," he said tersely before launching himself right back into chow time, paying Goku no mind.

Goku smiled. "Good. Eat up, 'Geets! You have a lot of weight to gain back."

Vegeta snorted, ignoring Goku's unwelcome critique. Meanwhile, Mrs. Briefs giggled. "Oh, you leave that up to me, Goku. I'll keep making his favorites until he's back to a hundred percent."

Goku returned a look of delight to Panchy. "Great idea! I'm glad we can count on you, Mrs. Briefs."

Piccolo jumped back up over the railing. "Hey, Gohan," he interjected. "We're on for camping tonight in the mountains between here and Ginger Town. Dende and a few other Nameks are interested."

"Yay!"

Bulma blinked and glanced at Goku. "What's this about camping?"

Goku smiled. "Gohan finished all his homework, so we've decided to go camping for the next couple of days to celebrate. Is it okay if we borrow a few camping supplies from you, Bulma?"

"Of course! Hey, Mom, can you get them all set up?"

"I certainly can, sweetums! I'll pack tents and sleeping bags and meals, anything they need."

"Thanks, Mrs. Briefs!" Gohan chimed.

Mrs. Briefs chuckled. "How many are going?"

Piccolo answered, "Gohan, me, one other Namekian adult, and three Namekian kids."

"And I'm catching up with them tomorrow," Goku added, holding up a finger. "After I attend to some business. I can't wait! It sounds fun. Don't forget to pack supplies for s'mores!"

"You got it," Mrs. Briefs agreed. "Just let me take care of everything."

Vegeta was the first to finish eating, as he had been the first to start. When he was done, he stormed back into the compound. His next initiative was anybody's guess. After lunch, Gohan went to play with Dende, Piccolo went to meditate, Bulma and Dr. Briefs returned to work, and Mrs. Briefs left a few bots in charge of the clean-up so she could throw together the camping supplies and encapsulate them.

Goku, on the other hand, locked onto Vegeta's energy signature and followed it to his bedroom. The door was open, as was the door to the bathroom inside, and the lights were on. Goku glanced in to discover Vegeta applying shaving cream to his face. "Hey, Vegeta," Goku greeted, knocking lightly on the doorframe. Then he started poking his fingers together bashfully. "Can I talk to you real quick?"