A Saiyan Way of Life

Title: A Saiyan Way of Life

Author: 2dragonkat

Summary: Sequel to my fic Alternate Reality. Life for the Saiyan family after Buu. Goku/Vegeta, Piccolo/Gohan, future Trunks/Goten.

Discalimer: ...sigh...yes I'll admit it, none of these characters are mine, I just hijacked them for my story. I'll give them back, I promise.

Rating: Mature for some chapters.

Overall Warnings: explicit yaoi, mpreg, angst, deviation from the DBZ plot but Uub will be present (just as a plot device), and bashing of various DBZ ladies.

AN: So the whole challenge fic thing was a bust. I'm so frustrated with all my Firefly stuff right now, I'm lossing my edge with it and it kills me...because I don't want to be an author that puts a fic on hiatus. I promised myself I wouldn't do that. But you're all not Firefly fans are you. Well today is your lucky day my friends because until I get Firefly rolling again or I start on something entirely new all my attention is devoted here. To DBZ. And it will be until things change. I'm actually almost done writing this entire story, just a couple more chapters to go. Right now it's looking like 11 chapters with two interludes and two chapters that are two parters...so technically we're looking at 15 chapter posted here...there could possibly be more, but not much.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I said last time that Chapter 5 was setting up for this one...well I'm doubting anyone will see this coming right now...seriously...I'm such a mean author (sulks)

I have to send out a warm thanks to my muse Juliesie. She is the one who keeps me motivated to write this. Love ya hun! And now you get to finally know what happens because you've been begging me to tell you...I hope you don't hate me after this.

Warnings for this chapter: hints at G/V but this time I'm letting all of you fill in the blanks...and some serious ANGST! people you have been warned (author runs away to cower and hide)

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Chapter Six – A Tragic Day

WC: 3,687

Vegeta stared silently out his bedroom window, just sitting quietly and watching the world outside. He was waiting. He knew it was going to happen soon, so he was waiting for it.

He sighed quietly, leaning against the window sill, eyes following the movement of the breeze in the trees and the flight of different birds. His house felt quite silent that day, more so than usual.

Gohan hadn’t been living with them for over a year now, since he had a home of his own now, and a mate to take a care of him. Goten and Trunks were getting older, nine and ten years old respectively, and while they still lived at home with Goku and Vegeta, they were more prone to going out on their own for the day or staying with Piccolo and Gohan for a night. He smiled though, because his boys were so happy, it’s all he could ask for, after the childhood he had had after being sold to Freeza.

After Trunks had been born Vegeta, while he wanted his son more than anything, had worried excessively that his son wouldn’t grow up happy or feel loved. Vegeta himself had had a kind father, strict, but Vegeta had always known his father had loved him. But his years with Freeza had nearly erased his memories of his father’s affection for him, so when Trunks came around Vegeta had doubted his ability to be a good father. But things had worked out, and now he that he had his mate around he felt even more confident in the future of his family.

Today he had sent Trunks and Goten off to spend the week with their brother. His mate was downstairs, watching TV Goku had said, and Vegeta was in their bedroom…waiting.

He was waiting for his heat.

He sighed again, closing his eyes, waiting for the heat to overcome him, and make him make the choice all Subs had to at the beginning of it…whether or not they wanted to have a cub. He opened his eyes, closing them tightly immediately before cracking them open, staring at the windowsill.

He was seeing red now…and his body felt so hot it was almost uncomfortable.

He leaned his head back, taking a deep breath, focusing inside his body and finding the build-up of his life energy. He hesitated, knowing his instincts wanted him to have a cub, since he had never had one. But he pushed the energy back. He was going to have a cub with his mate…but after their sons were grown.

The next time he went into heat, ten years from now, he was going to push the energy down and let himself get pregnant, with his lover’s child. But that would be then. Now he let himself fall into his heat and focusing on getting through this week.

He turned his head slowly when he heard a growl come from behind him. He slowly blinked his eyes, still seeing red, but the thing he saw most clearly was his mate standing in the doorway. Goku was staring at him, eyes dark…apparently he had smelt Vegeta’s heat and had reacted by going into his own.

Vegeta stood up slowly, walking towards Goku just as his mate was stalking towards him. They met in the middle of the room, growling at each other as their lips meet in an intense kiss. Blood dripped from the corner of their mouths since their teeth were harshly biting their lover’s lips, tongues lapping up as much of the tangy sweetness as they could.

Vegeta tore his mouth away from his mate, snarling at his roughness before shoving Goku away so the taller Saiyan landed on the bed. His mate looked up at him with startled black eyes, pushing himself up onto his elbows to get a proper look at Vegeta. The prince just growled, crawling onto the bed and knocked Goku back onto his back, looking down into his face and rumbled deep in his throat.

What many wouldn’t realize is that a mated Sub was in charge during a heat, not the Dom.

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Vegeta sat Goten down on the stool in the kitchen, rolling his eyes at his son’s dramatic whimpers and crying. He and Trunks had been playing outside when Goten had slipped after a rather rough push from Trunks had tumbled down a small hill, resulting in him banging his arm up rather good. But he was a Saiyan, so he would heal fast and he also had a very high tolerance for pain.

The boy just wanted some attention.

Trunks sat in a stool next to Goten, looking sullen, rubbing his nose on his arm. He hung his head, sniffing every few moments and looking up with wide wet eyes to his Papa. Vegeta knew his son was sorry for what he did, it was an accident so Vegeta wasn’t mad. His son was just being a little dramatic.

He wanted some attention too.

Vegeta sighed, ignoring both of them. He grabbed a couple of bandages and some disinfectant, gently grabbing Goten’s bleeding and bruised arm. He softly cleaned the wounds, finding they were rather superficial and would be healed in a couple days. He ignored his youngest son’s melodramatic reactions to his treatment and Trunks’ continued sniffles.

He stepped back when he was done and put away the extra supplies in a cupboard in the kitchen. He turned back to them, putting his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes as they turned large puppy-dog gazes on them.

They were so spoiled…through no one’s fault but his own.

“Come on,” he sighed. “Let’s go watch some cartoons or something…and stop being so dramatic, both of you. It’s sickening.”

They both lowered their eyes at his words but then changed expressions just as quickly and smiled at him, pulling him towards the living room. They sat Vegeta down in a large, comfy chair. They jumped up on either side of the prince, Trunks grabbing the remote, turning the TV on with a smile. They settled on a show, curling up and holding their Papa close.

Vegeta just sighed, closing his eyes and settling back, figuring he could get a nap in while his boys watched TV. He was just dosing off when his quiet time was interrupted.

“VEGETA,” Piccolo shouted, barging into the room with an unexpected bang.

Vegeta jumped out of the couch, his boys flying across the room with the force. He fell into a defensive stance glancing around wildly, looking for danger. “What is it Piccolo? What is it,” Vegeta asked, slowly lowering his stance at the look on Piccolo’s eyes. The Namek was panicked.

Piccolo ran up to Vegeta, panting hard, apparently having just rushed over to them. He grabbed his shoulders, shaking him a bit, eyes wild and unfocused. “Vegeta you have to come. I don’t know what to do. He won’t let me in,” Piccolo said, turning around and heading back the way he came, pulling Vegeta with him.

The prince turned his head, motioning for his boys to follow before turning back to Piccolo. He pulled the Namek’s hands off his shoulders and stopped him in his spot. “Calm down Piccolo, and tell me what is going on,” he demanded, glaring at his friend.

Piccolo panted before taking a deep breath, looking back at Vegeta with slightly calmer eyes. “Gohan,” he rasped, nodding when Vegeta’s eyes became worried.

“This morning, he woke up not feeling well and went into the bathroom. I went downstairs, figuring to try and make him some soup to help him. I waited for a whole hour before I went back upstairs to the bathroom. He had locked himself in and was shouting at me to leave…I think he was crying Vegeta. I tried to get in but he had blocked the door with a chi shield. I didn’t want to break in; worried he might get more upset, so I came here…the worst thing is…”

“The worst thing is what,” Vegeta asked anxiously, this time putting his hands on Piccolo’s shoulders.

“I…I think…I smelled…blood,” Piccolo whispered.

Vegeta let go of Piccolo dashing out the room. “Piccolo, take the boys and find Kakarot,” he yelled over his shoulder. “He’s meditating in the mountains. Then get back to your house and wait downstairs for me. I’ll take care of Gohan.”

He said these words in a confident, steady voice, but inside he was ripping out his hair in worry. He leaped into the air, flying as quickly as he could to Piccolo’s and Gohan’s home. Thankfully they lived only a few miles away so Vegeta touched down quickly. He slammed open the door, not stopping to close it and jumped up the stairs, feet barely touching the ground in his haste. He dashed into the bedroom, finally stopping in front of the closed bathroom door, where he could feel his eldest son’s chi.

He took a deep breath and knocked quietly on the door. He heard muffled sniffles behind the door and he knocked again, louder this time.

“G-g-go away, P-p-piccolo,” he heard Gohan’s unsteady voice, horse from crying.

“No Gohan it’s me,” he said, pressing a hand to the door. “Please son, will you open the door…and tell me what’s wrong.”

There was silence to his inquiry but his eyes brightened just a bit when he felt the barrier behind the door go down, allowing him to open the door. He did so, slowly opening it so as not to startle his distraught son. He walked inside, insides freezing at the sight before him.

Gohan sat before him, curled into a corner made by a wall and the bathtub coming together. He was white as a ghost, hands cupped to his chest like he was holding something. Fat tears were slowly making their way down his distressed face. He wore only a lose tank top, his pants were tossed to the other side of his room. And he sat in a rather large puddle of blood. He was trembling, staring at Vegeta with wide hysterical eyes.

“I’m so sorry Papa. I should have listened to you. I should have. But I didn’t. And I made a mistake. And now I…” Gohan rambled, watching worriedly as Vegeta hesitantly stepped closer.

“What are you talking about,” Vegeta said in a calm voice as his insides twisted at the scene before him, not understanding what was going on.

“You told me it was risky…when I wasn’t in…but I wanted to so bad…so I thought it would work…but it didn’t…and now…”

Vegeta slowly stepped closer, kneeling down when he was in front of his son, uncaring of the blood beneath his knees. He reached out a trembling hand and ran it through Gohan’s hair, looking at the young man to see if he would further explain because he still didn’t understand…

Gohan pulled his hands from his chest, shakily holding them out to his Papa, revealing he was holding something…something incredibly tiny…and bloody.

Vegeta gasped, staring at the bundle…it was a tiny fetus…a tiny baby.

Gohan had had a miscarriage.

Vegeta looked up at Gohan, eyes tearing as sympathy and sorrow flooded him for his son. Gohan had probably sat in this room, after the miscarriage, holding his dead child to his chest, confused and distraught…like any Sub would be at the loss of a child.

Radditz had said that miscarriages were very rare in their race, usually only happening when a Sub had an unsuccessful pregnancy outside of heat, or they were attacked and lost the cub in the fight, typically from a strike to the belly. Usually afterward the Sub was inconsolable, some going mad and killing themselves, their mates following soon after. Those who did survive usually never tried for children again. Those who made it through the ordeal, and later tried for another cub, were few and far between and it was only because their families and mates pulled them through.

And that was Vegeta’s duty now…to guide Gohan through this painful time.

He scooted closer, cupping Gohan’s hands with one of his own and wrapping the other around his son’s shoulders, pulling him close. He tucked the boy’s head under his own, purring for comfort and letting silent tears run down his face. He closed his eyes and pressed forward with his mind, finding the small bond the two of them had created over the years. It was a miracle they could even bond with one another because they were not blood related or mated, but they somehow had.

He let his mind gently touch Gohan’s, trying to enforce how much he loved his son, how sad he was for him, and how he was strong enough to overcome this tragedy. Gohan shook his head, crying into his shirt, pulling his dead child back against his chest. Vegeta felt his reluctance to move past this…this mistake. He pressed a little harder, flushing his son’s mind with his reasoning and love.

Gohan needed to move past this, not this second, but he couldn’t lose himself in sorrow. What would Piccolo, or his brothers, or his father do without him? If he gave up now he wouldn’t have a chance to try again, at a safer and more opportune time. Gohan continued to sob, but after minutes on end of Vegeta exhausting himself trying to comfort his son, Gohan slowly relaxed lowering his hands till they rested in his lap.

He looked up at Vegeta, still crying, but more aware of his surroundings. Vegeta smiled at him through his own tears and gently nuzzled his son’s cheek. “Everything is going to be okay, my son,” he whispered with conviction. “You can get past this.”

Gohan slowly nodded, looking sadly down at the fetus in his hands. Vegeta looked around the room, grabbing a towel that was within reach and holding it out to Gohan. His son stared at him, pulling the cub close to him before reluctantly settling the tiny thing into the towel. Vegeta sighed in relief, one big step down.

He gently wrapped the dead child up, setting it aside and turning back to his son. “Are you in a lot of pain,” he asked softly, he stroked his son’s cheek as Gohan shook his head. Vegeta tremendously glad Saiyans healed fast and had a high tolerance for pain.

He slowly stood up, holding on to one of Gohan’s hands in reassurance that he wasn’t going anywhere when his son murmured a misunderstanding to his movement. He kept purring, holding on tight as he reached over and turned on the water to the tub, wanting to clean his son up. He placed Gohan in the bath, washing away the blood and removing his shirt, then plugging up the drain so his son was settled in clean water. He left his son for a moment only to grab several towels from a small closet in the bathroom, using them all to clean up the spilt blood covering the cool tiles. When that was done he wrapped the towels together in one clean one, setting the bundle in a corner to be disposed of or cleaned later.

He came back to the tub, turning off the water because it was full and kneeling at the end Gohan sat in. His son had his eyes closed, breathing deeply, just trying to keep himself together. Vegeta smiled softly, grabbing some soap and shampoo, gently cleaning his son. Gohan watched his movements, relaxing further in the warm water as he was cared for. He nuzzled a strong hand whenever it came close to his face, producing his own quiet purr to match his Papa’s.

When Gohan was cleaned and calmed Vegeta drained the water and lifted his son out of the tub, setting him down on his feet before drying him. When Gohan was dry Vegeta slowly lead the quiet young man back into the bedroom. He sat him on the bed as he fetched some pajamas for Gohan. He dressed his son in a loose pair of pants, a big long-sleeved shirt, and some soft cotton socks. He went back to the bathroom to fetch the towel that held the cub, carrying it carefully into the bedroom. Vegeta set it on a low table next to the bed under Gohan’s watchful eyes.

When that was done he gently tucked his son into the bed. He realized with a start as Gohan looked up at him with sad, tired eyes that he had never done this for his son, he had never taken so much care of him. He had never bathed him or dressed him, like he did Trunks and Goten, since Gohan had been eleven when Vegeta took over his care.

He found he liked it…just wishing the circumstances were different.

He was about to stand up to go and get Piccolo when Gohan grabbed his arms with a surprisingly strong grip. He pulled Vegeta back to him. “Stay,” was all he said.

Vegeta nodded, climbing onto the bed on top of the covers, settling in front of his son, staring into his glassy dark eyes, smoothing back his hair. “Piccolo should be here Gohan,” he whispered, watching with sad eyes as the young man stiffened at his words.

Gohan shook his head furiously, eyes wide with fear. “No…no…Piccolo can’t know,” he whispered.

“Gohan, you can’t keep this from him. It wouldn’t be healthy for you or your relationship with him. He needs to know.”

“No he can’t.”

“Gohan, listen to me. He’s suffered as much of a loss as you have. This was his child too.”

Gohan closed his mouth at that and curled closer to his Papa, still worrying about telling his mate. Vegeta kissed Gohan’s forehead, pulling back so his son looked him in the eye. “Do not think Piccolo will love you any less for this. He loves you no matter what Gohan. You know that. He’s going to stand by you no matter what happens because he loves you,” he said, holding Gohan’s face so he could drive the point home.

Gohan stared at him for several minutes before nodding slightly. “Alright,” he whispered. “You can go get him…I just…I just don’t know what to say.”

“Start with the truth Gohan. You love Piccolo so much you wanted to have a baby with him. And you took the risk of getting pregnant outside of your heat, which is very dangerous. You lost the baby and you need him to take care of you and love you, until you’re ready to move on.”

Gohan nodded his head, smiling softly in thanks, nuzzling his head under Vegeta’s chin, giving him a tight hug before pulling away. “Can you go get Piccolo for me,” he rasped out, settling down into the pillows. Vegeta nodded his head, leaving the room and sending Piccolo up right away.

Gohan stared at the bundle on his night stand, eyes tearing again as he remembered the pain and disbelief he had felt this morning. He sighed as the bed dipped behind him, giving a soft gasp as an arm wrapped around him from behind. He leaned back into his lover’s warm, strong body, stealing himself for telling the man he loved that he had been too eager, and for that he had lost their first child.

Piccolo kissed behind his ear, hand gently stroking his chest. “Vegeta said you wanted to see me,” the Namek whispered into his ear, giving it another kiss after his statement for encouragement.

Gohan sighed, burying his face into the pillow, not wanting to look at the towel holding his baby or his mate. He needed to just get the words out without any distractions. “I love you Piccolo,” he began.

“I love you too,” Piccolo whispered back.

“I love you so much. And when Pops told me I could get pregnant I kinda jumped at the idea. He told me to wait but I didn’t want to…I…I…”

“Gohan?”

“I got pregnant, outside of my heat, which Pops said was really dangerous…but I didn’t listen…”

“…Gohan…”

“…I…this morning my stomach started hurting really bad. I knew I was pregnant, I was gonna tell you today, so I thought it was natural…but then there was lots of pain, it felt like my stomach was ripping open, and…blood…and then I…and I realized the baby was dead…”

“…Gohan…oh Gohan…”

“I’m so sorry Piccolo…I lost the baby…and I freaked out…I’m sorry…but…”

“…but what Gohan?”

“I need you to be here for me Piccolo, please, I don’t feel strong enough to get through this. I need you to help me…please just love me…I need you.”

Gohan gasped as he was suddenly turned over onto his back, his larger mate hovering over him. He sighed as Piccolo gently brushed away his tears, leaning down to kiss him softly. Piccolo pulled back and stared intently into Gohan’s vulnerable face.

“I promise Gohan, we’re going to get through this. I love you; I’ll never stop loving you. We lost a baby, and that’s going to be hard to deal with for a while. But we’re strong and we can get through this. Okay, I promise. I need you just as much as you need me.”

Gohan nodded, crying more, partly in sadness and in happiness, pulling Piccolo down to hug him, holding his mate close as he cried. Piccolo shifted to lie on his side, cuddling Gohan close as they mourned their loss. He stared at the bundle on the table, knowing it was their dead baby.

He closed his eyes tight, reflecting on what he had just found out. He hadn’t actually believed that he and Gohan could possibly have a family of their own; he had thought it would have just been the two of them for the rest of their days together. He was asexual and no one had known for sure that Gohan was a Sub.

Now they knew they could have a child together, and while this was an awful situation right now, Piccolo held new hope for their future.

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OMG (author ducks under cover)

I'm so sorry. I have no idea where this plot bunny came from but I swear it was strangling me until I wrote it. So there it is people. As if I haven't already put Gohan through enough already (points at Alternate Reality). I'm such a mean author (bangs head against laptop keyboard).

Review, flame me, come after me as an angry mob...I don't care, I deserve it for doing this to poor Gohan. (sobs) I'm so sorry.

I'm gonna go let Gohan beat me up now for doing this to him. (hands lesh to collar around author's neck to Gohan and Piccolo) I am at your mercy gentlemen.

I promise I'll give shout outs next time, but I'm a little busy being punished at the moment.

TTFN