To Win A Royal Heart

by Kami Kaze

chapter 11

Bardock watched as a tear made it’s way down Goten’s cheek; the boy had made a mistake, and knew it. Bardock would have smirked, but the accidental information had quite frankly floored the man. “They are from earth…that doesn’t mean anything at all, really. Goku looks a lot like me, but, my son Kakarotto is still only a child, soon to be a young man. It’s sheer coincidence.” Bardock argued with himself, knowing that most likely he was correct; but for some reason, this disappointed him. When his small son had been sent to the other planet, Bardock, for reasons unknown to him, had thought that it would be the last time he ever saw his son, and that was looking more and more like the truth as time went by without word or transmission from the small pod that his son had been sent off in. Goku had to be at least a few years older than himself…there was just no way…

A cough brought Bardock out of his dazed musing, his eyes rising quickly to meet Goten’s. His eyes widened slightly as he realized just how tired and sick Goten was looking. Fatherly instincts kicking in high gear, Bardock cleared his throat and began to push Goten back. “You’d better lie down and get some sleep, you look like shit, kid. Believe me, you’ll need all the rest you can get, because this sickness is going to get worse.” He said while yanking the blanket up to Goten’s chin and tucking the blanket around the young man’s body.

Goten sighed, seeing he was off the hook for the time being; perhaps Bardock hadn’t heard him? Or maybe he simply didn’t care? He wasn’t sure; but what he was sure of, was that he liked his grandfather, and was pretty sure Bardock liked him in return. At this moment, he was treating Goten as if he were his own son. Or grandson. Goten blinked, watching Bardock for any signs that would indicate he had figured out what was going on, but saw nothing but concern in the man’s dark eyes. Suddenly the door to the infirmary was slammed open, two high ranking saiyan officers making their way into the room, their expressions angry.

Bardock stiffened next to him, grunting softly. “Looks like I’ve been found out, kid. I’m in deep shit now…” He flashed a feral grin to Goten, then looked back at the men as they came to a halt beside the bed. Goten recognized one of the men as General Kellek, one of the men he had first met when he and Goku had arrived. The General had also been the one who had given Bardock orders to stay on planet Vegeta.

“Bardock!” The general barked loudly, making Goten cringe. “What in the King’s name are you doing here? I thought I told you that you were to stay on Vegeta until you were fully healed? You do not have permission to be here!”

Bardock rolled his eyes, lifting his hand and bending it back and forth as if to tell Goten the man was talking too much. This earned Bardock a stern look from both high ranking warriors. “I’m here because I want to be.” Bardock stated, crossing his arms. “I heard Goten was sick, so I came to make damn sure they were taking care of him, which, by the way, they weren’t! I’ve never seen such a shabby recovery room before! The boy didn’t even have a blanket for fuck’s sake!” Bardock raged, standing. Both men took several steps backwards. “Now, I don’t see the harm in me being on the ship…I haven’t been given a mission, so It’s not like I’m out frolicking in a blood bath—"

“Not yet, anyway.” The general said with a smirk, his gaze flickering to Goten.

“Isn’t this the young man that tested the highest from the last batch of testings?”

Bardock nodded softly. “Hai. He has Keccitopitis…looks like he’s moving to the middle stage.” Bardock said, leaning over to examine a faint spattering of pink bumps on Goten’s forehead.

“Hn. He’ll be well soon enough. I’m sure he doesn’t need ‘Bardock’s nursing service’. I’m here on business for a week, you can stay until I do, then you go back to Vegeta, understood?” Asked General Kellek, frowning deeply at the scarred saiyan.

Bardock nodded. “Hai.” The two men turned and left, slamming the door behind them. Bardock then spun around to say goodbye to Goten but froze, finding the boy fast asleep; Smiling, he leaned over, tucking the blankets around the young man again,then turned and silently left the room.

***

Vegeta frowned, his eyes still closed in sleep. He was cold and wet, something hard pressed against his back almost painfully. Opening his eyes as he swam to the surface of consciousness, he hissed in pain as the dual glowing golden orbs of light shined it’s cheery rays into his sleep-blurred eyes.

“Shimatta!” He growled, throwing his arm up to cover his eyes. His mind spun as he tried to remember where he was…and why he was there; there must have been a battle, for his body ached like it never had before. He froze as a muffled groan sounded from behind him, the hardness against his back shifting slightly.

“Hate sleeping on the ground…” a voice muttered. Vegeta’s eyes rounded as memories from the night before came back to him, a deep scarlet flush spreading across his cheeks and down his neck. He swallowed hard, moving a hand under his body to lift himself up into a sitting position; he winced, pain shooting through his body.

“Vegeta?” Goku’s soft questioning came; Vegeta slowly turned his head, his expression neutral. Goku still lay on his back, both arms under his head, his masculine form stretched out upon the soft purple grass. His eyes shimmered in the morning light, but Vegeta was relieved to see something in the man’s eyes they both shared; Uncertainty.

“Goku?” Vegeta answered dryly, lifting his arm to rub it against his eyes.

Goku was quiet for a few moments, as if wondering what he should say. Vegeta smirked softly when the man finally spoke.

“Do we leave today?” Goku cursed inwardly. That’s NOT what he had wanted to say. With a grunt, he pushed himself up, blinking rapidly up into the bright sunlight.

“Yes. We’ll leave after we eat…and…clean up.” He replied, looking away quickly. He didn’t know how to act around the man now; everything was much more complicated, much more….personal. Before it had been about him, and him only. Now…now he didn’t know what to think. He cast a glare over his shoulder to the spiky haired man who simply looked back at him blankly, then smiled.

“Vegeta, do you feel ok this morning?” Goku asked as he stood. Vegeta’s eyes lingered a little longer than they should have, his newly found emotions dancing circles around his head as his eyes raked down the larger man’s naked body. He frowned, cursing softly.

“Of course I feel ok, baka! How else would I feel?!” He snapped, dragging himself to his feet. He huffed and stalked off to the small tranquil lake that stood just feet from them, wading into the cool water quickly as if to conceal himself. Goku smiled softly and followed suit. They washed and dressed in silence, then ate a small meal of roasted bird before boarding their pods. Less than an hour after they had awoken, the saiyan prince and his bodyguard had begun their trip back to Frieza’s ship.

***

“So what are you saying, you’ve finished it? It works?” Vegeta asked, peering down at the small box in Bulma’s hand.

“Well…not exactly.” She answered, looking up at the growl that sounded from Vegeta’s throat. She took a step backwards. “Listen to me, Vegeta! This isn’t something that can just, like, “poof”, happen! Now let me finish, will you?” She asked, her frown deepening. She didn’t know what Vegeta’s problem was lately, but he was getting on her nerves with all his demands.

Vegeta’s eyes narrowed, his countenance cold and deadly. “Fine.”

Bulma let out a breath. “Ok. Anyway, as I was saying; it’s finished, but only to a certain point. You see, we still don’t really know how to work it; however….we do know WHAT it is…” she let her sentence hang in the air, her eyes lifting again to meet Vegeta’s, whose were round and wide at her statement.

“You know what it is…the box? Well what is it, woman!? If you know what it is, you must have an idea where it’s taken Kakarotto! Tell me, and I’ll go get him myself!” Vegeta growled.

“Well, that may be a problem, Vegeta.” Bulma said, crossing her arms and sighing, her brow furrowing slightly.

“And why is that?” Vegeta snapped, losing his patience.

“Well, not only would we have to figure out WHERE it took them, but WHEN it took them.” She replied softly. “It’s a highly advanced miniature time machine, Vegeta.”

Vegeta blinked at her, uncomprehending. “Kakarotto…and the brat…are in another time?” He asked unbelievingly, his voice wavering slightly. Vegeta turned away from her, his shoulders slightly hunched.

Bulma frowned, walking forward to lay a hand on Vegeta’s shoulder. “Vegeta, what’s up with you lately? Trunks has been really worried about you, and I’m beginning to worry too! You haven’t been yourself since this all started, and you’re just acting worse as time goes by. What’s going on?” She asked softly, panic rising in her chest as she recognized the pain and sadness etched in Vegeta’s features.

“I…” Vegeta paused, shaking his head, his eyes screwed shut tightly. “I don’t know.” He sighed, pulling out of her grasp. “It’s too hard to explain. And I don’t wish to speak about it anyway.” He said softly, staring out the window.

“Vegeta…” Bulma started before pausing. “You haven’t been sleeping well. I hear you get up in the middle of the night, and you never go back to sleep.” She was finally rewarded with a reaction from Vegeta. His shoulder jerked violently as she mentioned the problem, giving Bulma the insight that she was indeed right. “Well?” She asked softly, waiting.

Vegeta scowled, crossing his arms. He didn’t want to talk about this now…or ever, for that matter. His eyes jerked sideways to Bulma, then rolled heavenward, exasperated. If he didn’t say something, she would just keep pestering him. “I keep having dreams about him. I wake up, and I can’t go to sleep again. Big deal.” He said, shrugging a shoulder.

“What kind of dreams are they?” She asked, curious.

Vegeta spun, his eyes fiery with anger. “None of your business! I said I don’t wish to speak of it!” He spun on his heel and began to walk away, but froze as Bulma spoke again.

“Vegeta, wait…I think I can get a hold of him.” She said, not saying any more.

Vegeta paused, the turned back to her, his anger dissipating momentarily. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Well, the box seems to leave an imprint of the people who move through it…almost comparable to DNA; it stores this imprint as the person passes through. We have Goku and Goten’s imprints, and the imprints basically give us a map to where they have gone. However, the map is so advanced, it’s impossible for us to read. So while we can’t point to this and say “Goku and Goten have been sent here…”, we CAN take the trace, duplicate the trail, and use a hybrid tracker-transmitter to basically open a tiny time portal to send a real-time message to him. We can talk to him, and he to us.”

Vegeta stared at her, awestruck. “You…you can do that? Through time and space? I don’t believe it.” He said, his surprised expression turning suspicious.

“Fine by me, don’t believe it. But while you go do your thing, I’M going to be talking to Goku!” She said, turning on her heel and walking out the door.

Vegeta’s heart lurched annoyingly. “Wait!” He yelled, chasing after her.