Goku gave a deep sigh and looked down at the sleeping figure beside him. Her normally severe expression was replaced by one of passive tranquility. One could almost say peaceful, though Chichi was never that--not asleep, and certainly not awake. With a soft sideways smile the large warrior brushed a black strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She was beautiful, and everything he wanted in a...wife.

Goku's brow furrowed in frustration. That wasn't what he wanted to say. Chichi made an excellent wife, but there was something deep inside him that wasn't fulfilled by his peaceful, routine, everyday existence. And he had been starting to feel that absence more and more lately.

With a groan, the Saiyan sat up quietly in bed, his hand moving reflexively to his muscled side. His workout with Vegeta had been especially rewarding this afternoon. The smaller Saiyan had fought with a frenzy uncharacteristic of their daily routine. Goku smiled fondly at the remembrance. Once he realized Vegeta was out for blood, he'd given the prince the challenge of his life.

He winced again as he reached out his other hand to push back the light comforter and swung his legs down to the floor. It was a hot night, and Goku could see the shadows shot with moonlight travel across the floor through the open window. He was struck dumb as he realized he was again thinking of Vegeta. Shadows and light...

Sometimes he's so damn arrogant I want to pound him into the ground, but others...

The Saiyan was almost positive no one else had ever seen the other times. He's not only kinda friendly, but almost civil...Almost. There was still a hard edge to the prince that would not be softened, no matter how close the two of them became.

But, then again, he's got one on me, thought Goku, running his palm down over his eyes. He's the only one who can really piss me off.

He needed to get rid of some of this energy. Staying in bed would only promote his insomnia and inevitably wake his wife. He shuddered at the very thought. Placing his hands on his knees, the Saiyan went to push himself up. As his tall frame straightened, his back cracked angrily and the man paused in the very act of breathing.

Please don't wake up...Please don't wake up...Please don't wake up...

Turning slowly, the Saiyan was rewarded with the even breathing and unmoving back of a sleeping Chichi. His sigh of relief was audible as he contemplated her still form.

Thank Kami, Goku thought sincerely to himself, the last thing I need is her incessant questioning...I just need to take a walk. Vegeta's usually up at this hour. Maybe he'll want to spar again...

The warrior gathered his clothing together as quickly and silently as possible off the chair by the window before tiptoeing out to the living room to dress.

The Saiyan no Ouji was restless. He wasn't about to admit it to himself, but he found that he simply could not keep still. He sat, only to find himself pacing again a moment later. The feeling in his body was one of tense expectation. Growling, Vegeta embedded his fist into the rough bark of the tree beside him and smirked at the loud moan of protest it gave before toppling to the ground.

Weak, thought the prince disdainfully, relishing in the quick but fleeting pain the contact made on his knuckles. He hadn't powered up to hit that. He did it through sheer force of strength.

The Saiyan growled again, angered by his slipping self-control. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to breathe evenly, think rationally. Vegeta had tried meditating earlier, as a last ditch effort to put his body and mind to rest. He grinned in spite of himself. It hadn't worked. He had gotten...frustrated.

That idiot woman's going to kill me when she finds out about the gravity room.

His silent laughter stilled as he thought about the blue haired bitch.

They had come to a little "arrangement" a few months back. Each were too independent and neither one had interest in the other when it came to a relationship. The one thing they both had need of was a child. The prince needed an heir, and Bulma's biological clock had been ticking for years. One night of intimacy was all they had to tolerate of the other's company. It was agreed--she would raise the child and he would train him. Another few months and he would find himself a father...

"K'so," he muttered beneath his breath, crossing his arms over his chest. His life hadn't been this complicated since Freiza...

The prince jerked angrily. Where the hell had that thought come from? Vegeta shook his head, wondering at himself. This wasn't like him and frankly it was starting to piss him off.

The prince had not thought of Frieza in months. He had reminded himself of the hellish little creature often in the beginning, gaining strength through his intense hatred of the alien bastard. He had replayed the images in his mind--the beatings, the repeated rapes, the humiliation and degradation. But once he had another enemy on which to train his sights, he'd managed to push the thoughts of Frieza aside.

Another enemy.

Kakarott.

The prince clenched his teeth, his small body tensing. He still didn't know what to make of the tall man. He was Saiyan, but he wasn't. He didn't have the instincts, the animalistic qualities the prince associated with his people.

But he's strong, Vegeta admitted begrudgingly. And he's the only worthy opponent I have encountered.

The Saiyan no Ouji was obsessed and he knew it. He wanted the power. Needed it. Kakarott was an addiction that the Saiyan prince despised himself for having, but could not rid himself of even if he wished.

Vegeta sighed in aggravation.

"Damn you, Kakarott."

Goku started at the sudden use of his Saiyan name. Had Vegeta finally sensed him? He had been watching the prince for some time. He looked to the sky and blinked, realizing how far the moon had traveled. He had been watching the prince for a long time.

It hadn't been difficult to trace his ki once Goku took to the air and as he approached the area that held the other Saiyan, instinct told him to shield his ki from the other fighter. He had landed silently and watched through the trees at a distance, his Saiyan eyes finding no difficulty in covering the space between them. And there he remained--barely breathing, not a sound.

And I'm too far downwind for him to catch my scent. Goku's brow drew together in wondering confusion. He had been having thoughts like that frequently over the past few months.

Ever since I started sparring with Vegeta. That damn Saiyan is beginning to rub off on me. It was true. The more he thought about it the more Goku realized that his time with Vegeta was indeed bringing out his Saiyan side.

He would kill me if he knew I was hunting him. Goku laughed silently at the thought, not fully understanding its implications...

Vegeta stood inhumanly still, his breathing regulated and controlled. He knew he was being watched. He could feel it like an icy wind at his back. Every instinct in him told him to flee, to blast into the summer night sky and never look back, to leave whatever it was that wanted him. The prince had learned to trust his sixth sense, even when the remaining five were set against him. He could hear nothing out of place over the animal sounds of the forest and though the moon was bright enough to spar by, he knew his watcher was somewhere in the dark wood to his right. The Saiyan lifted his nose to the air. Nothing.

Come out, you bastard so I can have the pleasure of your screams before I kill you.

He knows I'm here, Goku thought with a strange rush of exhilaration. A sadistic grin played on the large man's face. One that any who knew him would have recognized instantly as distinctly Saiyan. The look of the hunter.

The presence to Vegeta's right disappeared and the prince tensed for the attack he knew would come.

Goku released the hold he had on his ki as he teleported himself to stand directly behind the awaiting prince.

Behind me! Vegeta tensed and spun to face his opponent, dropping into a fighting stance. The growl in his throat died with the shock that replaced it as the Saiyan's eyes grew wide and he saw--

"Kakarott?! What the hell are you doing?"

Goku licked his lips as he watched the prince react to his sudden presence.

Such grace. So catlike in his movements. I've never noticed what a fine piece of art you are, Vegeta...

Vegeta was irritated beyond words to find the taller Saiyan behind him. He had been itching for the fight, the attack, and his blood sang with the adrenaline he associated with battle.

"Stupid baka! I could have killed you!" The Saiyan prince adopted his trademark smirk as he released his fighting stance. "Not that I would have minded, Kakarott. I've been wanting to kick your pathetic Saiyan ass for a long time."

The larger man laughed, but it was a dark sound, one that made Vegeta's blood run cold. Goku slid easily into a defensive posture and beckoned the prince with a flick of his wrist.

"Alright. Come on, Vegeta, show me what you've got."

Vegeta had begun to doubt his senses. Kakarott never wanted to really fight, and the prince was hard pressed to get the man to power up at all. And yet, here he was, face to face with his rival and he could taste the power that was flowing freely from him. The Saiyan no Ouji snorted and bent his knees, preparing to fight, the battle lust crying out to be tempered and released.

Goku growled deep in his chest, savoring the animalistic desire to fight. The little prince was circling him and he was mesmerized with the fluidity by which the Saiyan moved. His tight black spandex outlined his beautiful muscle structure and the look on his face was one of lustful determination.

Oh, I am going to enjoy this, my prince...

There was a look in Goku's eyes that Vegeta could not place. His features were harder, his movements more toned and methodical. They had been sparring-the prince shook his head-no, fighting for hours and still the Saiyan no Ouji had the distinct impression that his long time rival was simply playing with him, batting him around like a cat does with its prey. The thought made his blood burn and he howled into the pre-dawn air, arching his back and letting the power rush unimpeded through his veins. His rage sent him beyond Super Saiyan--a level he had been trying hopelessly to obtain since he had known of its existence, and into the second level, his golden aura a testament to his anger.

The prince saw the other man pause in shock and smirked to himself as he attacked in full force, pounding his fists into the Saiyan's head and chest. He reveled shamelessly in his newfound power, laughing at the heady, almost sexual energy he was gaining. A well placed uppercut to his jaw propelled Goku backward into the forest and he grinned as he relished the sound of snapping trees and cursing grunts as the large man tried desperately to slow his crushing momentum.

Silence.

There, Kakarott. That should teach you not to challenge your Prin--

Vegeta's mental taunting was cut off by a roar that jarred the very bones in his body. A flash of brilliant white followed the inhuman sound; the Saiyan's eyes widened at the sight of the figure that emerged from the blast--a blast that had decimated everything in its wake.

Vegeta was almost sure that his heart stopped beating altogether.

"Oh, shit," he whispered, his surprise causing his unaccustomed power level to drop, his flaming hair once more adopting the obsidian sheen that was mirrored in his eyes.

Kakarott was done playing with the little Saiyan. The prince had taunted him and teased him with his movements, his smirk, and his velvety laughs of triumph. The large Saiyan's blood pounded in his ears and his skin tingled with electricity every time the other Saiyan had touched him. He had found himself drowning in the sight of his liquid motions, wanting to knead the muscles under that damned black spandex that showed him just enough to want more...

Lost in his thoughts, Goku failed to see the angry fire in the prince's onyx eyes until they melted into blue.

And then his world was converted into a haze of pain.

"Ka...Kakarott?" The Saiyan no Ouji could hardly believe that the sight before him was the fool he had been sparring with for the last year. Goku had surpassed all levels of Super Saiyan that Vegeta had ever seen. And the prince could taste the power in the cool dawn air.

Vegeta's eyes were fastened to the muscled form and he marveled at the golden mane that spilled down his back. Goku threw back his head and roared again, the surrounding mountains reverberating and screaming a response to his passionate outburst.

Flashing sapphires fell slowly down to devour the still figure before him. Kakarott licked his lips and growled deep in his chest, a low, rumbling noise that was audible in the misty morning. Slowly, deliberately, he began to stalk his prey.

Vegeta found himself stepping back instinctively before the approaching Saiyan. Cursing himself for weakness, the prince of Saiyans stood his ground. Kakarott's face was twisted into a distorted look of...what? He had seen this expression before on the other Saiyan's face, and still the prince could not place it. Growling at this infuriating turn of events, the Saiyan no Ouji screamed his own golden challenge to the sky and turned to meet his opponent.

Goku reveled in the amusing flash of emotions that found their way to the surface of his prince's face before they were masked by his pride. Awe, confusion, fear--consummated by his ready adoption of rage. He was delighted when the Saiyan prince accepted his challenge and he licked his lips in anticipation, the battle lust in his blood rushing down to kindle in his loins. He would have the little prince. The conqueror was about to become the conquered.

He would not give in. He would not allow him that satisfac--

"Ahh! Damn you, you low class, sorry excuse for a Sai--" The breath in his lungs was expelled by another bone crushing blow to his midsection. He was losing and he knew it. The pain in his side far exceeded anything he had ever felt in his life and while he knew his power was failing, the other man had hardly broken a sweat. Blood flowed in excess from multiple wounds on his neck and chest.

Kami, I know he broke at least three of my ribs on that last punch. Vegeta winced and dodged another volley of fist attacks, twisting swiftly in the air to strike out at Kakarott's back with his foot. Caught unawares, the tall Saiyan gave a grunt of pain and plummeted from the sky.

The prince didn't allow himself the grace of even a smile at his small victory. Kakarott was playing to win. To win what, Vegeta could not even begin to guess, but until he knew the stakes, he would be damned if he would give in that bastard of a Saiyan.

The Saiyan no Ouji took a breath, embracing the pain even that miniscule movement brought crashing down in waves. He had lost sight of Kakarott through the clouded haze and grit of the dirt the man had created with his heavy fall, but a quick feel for his energy level told him that he was still directly below him.

"I don't know what the hell kind of game you think you're playing, Kakarott," Vegeta bellowed down to the figure he knew to be there, "But it ends now!"

Not waiting for a response, Vegeta brought his hands together, gathering his golden energy to his palms. He released his anger, his humiliation, his hidden envy for the taller man. The months of trying to be better, only to be bested time and again by a brain damaged Saiyan. He hated this planet; every moment of existence came with the agony of knowing that he was the prince of a dead race.

Deeper, he dove deeper, dancing with his hateful little demons.

Freiza. Death at his hands. The unspeakable anger he had felt when he knew that Kakarott was the one to defeat him. Rob him of his rightful revenge. Payback for the abuse of his pride, the rape of his dignity, the annihilation of his entire species...

With a violent cry, he tapped into his very core, his hands glowing with unfathomable strength and power. This was no longer a fight between friends, or even enemies. This was a battle between Saiyans.

"Fi..."

The air around the prince hissed and crackled, alive with power as he brought his hands over his head.

"...nal..."

He gave himself up to the pain, screaming his wrath to Kami, pouring everything he had left into his last word and thrust his palms down toward his nemesis--

"Flash!"

Goku could not remember being in this much pain.

"What the hell..." The large Saiyan groaned at the sound of his own voice, his sensitive ears ringing with the small vibration. He closed his eyes, fighting the overwhelming urge to pass out. His body felt unnaturally heavy as he went to push himself into a kneeling position, drawing his knees up for support.

Vertigo descended on his beaten form with a staggering vengeance.

Breathe, baka... Deep breaths slowly restored him to his senses, though his eyes remained closed until the rushing in his ears had sufficiently dulled to a low roar.

What the hell happened?? It was then he remembered. Goku had been enraged by the blow Vegeta had managed to get in through his inhuman defenses. He had been bruised, but far from broken and ready to put the little prince in his place when he heard the sound that would haunt his waking dreams and his nightmares for years to come. The cry that found its way out of the Saiyan prince's throat seemed to be wretched from his living soul--it was a cry so full of emotion and rage that Goku found himself screaming with him. He screamed even as the blast engulfed him, even as he felt himself falling into blinding darkness with his prince.

Goku cringed at the memory, fingers going instinctually to his raw throat. His eyes snapped open, the nails of his hand raking the barren ground beneath him as he pivoted to his feet, ignoring the bombardment of nausea that bordered his consciousness.

He had to find Vegeta.

"Oh, Kami..." The hoarse whisper found its way past his lips as he gazed down at the still form of the proud prince.

Damn your pride, Vegeta...and damn me for trying to prove my worth to you the only way I knew how...

Kneeling on the earth beside him, Goku had never felt such self-loathing. The body of the Saiyan prince was battered and limp, his normal colour drained, pale, and tainted with angry purple bruises. His brow was still twisted in an expression of absolute pain.

"He must have burned himself out," Goku mused quietly, feeling for the faint, yet steady energy level that proved to be the only sign that the prince was even alive. His fingers tingled as he brushed aside a stray shock of Vegeta's black hair from his face, finger tips sliding down to trace the hard line of his jaw. The Saiyan's eyes flickered with lust and yearning even as his human side retracted in disgust. Goku licked his lips, his thumb going from Vegeta's sharply angled chin to caress his slackened lips. He purred softly at the touch...how he wanted to taste those lips...

"Goku!"

"What happened?"

"Is everything alright?"

Gohan was sure that Vegeta and his father had finally killed each other. The awesome energy he and the others had felt could only mean that the two of them had decided to end it--no more words, no more fake smiles, just a fight to the death that the self proclaimed prince had always vowed would be the way it ended. And thus he found himself flying at a break neck speed, flanked by Krillin and Piccolo, toward the source of the blast.

"Come on, guys! We gotta find 'tousan!"

Goku's back stiffened and if he had still had his tail, it would have bristled. He pivoted with a snarl, baring his teeth, his body placed protectively before the fallen prince. This was his rightful win, and if anyone thought to stand between him and his prize, he was going to kill them.

Gohan swallowed thickly and stared at his father in shock. The look on his face was so primal, so...aggressive, that he wondered fleetingly if he had managed to hit his head again.

"O...tousan?" The boy flinched as he felt the heavy, comforting hand of his mentor on his shoulder.

"He's fine, Gohan. They need to be alone." Surprise had even won through Piccolo's calm façade at Goku's initial reaction. Tapping into his link with Kami, he had been able to see a glimpse of the reasoning behind the Saiyan's actions.

"Is he going to kill him?" Krillin finally found his voice and managed to form coherent words enough for an entire sentence. Three pairs of eyes tore themselves from the growling face of the kindhearted man they thought they knew to rest on the bleeding Saiyan behind him.

The Namek actually blushed when he heard the response from Kami.

"No...that's not something we have to worry about."

He'd be damned if any of them were going to get near his prince. With a wary eye trained on the dumbfounded trio, Goku knelt by Vegeta's side, gathering the small figure in his arms. A weak whimper escaped from the Saiyan no Ouji's lips as the bones broken earlier were moved and repositioned. The tall Saiyan flashed them all a glare as he straightened, daring them to interfere. Human reasoning succumbed completely to Saiyan instinct as Goku teleported them both to a safer, secluded place.