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The Burning Leftovers of Temporary Madness	By : KahlanN Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2168 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own DragonballZ, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Title: The Burning Leftovers of Temporary Madness

Chapter Number: 7

Author: Kahlan Nightwing

Pairing: Pi/V

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Angst, character death, yaoi

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z is the sole property of Akira Toriyama and all parties therein. I do not claim to own Dragonball, Z, GT or any of its characters. I am making no money from this story.

Summary: It's been 25 years since Vegeta left Earth, leaving behind a grown son and a lot of pain. Now an evil is threatening Earth and he is called to duty. But why did he leave, and what will he find when he gets back?

Archive: Ask first. I like to exchange links.

Website: http://www.geocities.com/dbcseries

Chapter 7

They are outside in pairs sparring when the Namek and I land in front of the house. All of them stop at our arrival and stare. I snort, waving a hand at the paused Trunks caught in a defensive pose against Goten. �You�re leaving your left side wide open, boy. I didn�t teach you to fight like that.�

The idiot ignores my comments, landing and walking past me as if I�m not there. I bristle visibly as he greets the Namek who is slightly behind me and have to rake my nails along the inside of my hands till they almost bleed. I hate it when people ignore me as if I�m of no consequence.

I turn slowly and deliberately, prepared to make a comment that will surely end in one of us being severely debilitated, but stop myself as I see the very uncomfortable position the third-class has been placed in. I smirk, folding my arms across my chest, and watch the entertainment.

The Namek has his arms folded and is practically radiating hostility as he stands off against the idiot, who still has his hand sticking out in empty air in the way of greeting that these humans practice.

�Um, are you okay, Piccolo?�

I almost chuckle as I can imagine just exactly what the Namek can say to that statement. He meets my expectations fully.

�Do you want the truth or would you prefer not to make a scene out here?�

I do chuckle then, getting a glare from the idiot as he turns to stare at me angrily. He must think I�ve poisoned the Namek�s mind. It makes me chuckle more.

Piccolo deliberately walks around the third-class idiot and approaches Goten and Trunks as they land to meet him. It looks as if Goten can contain himself as well as he did around me, and I�m proven right as he literally leaps at the Namek with wide arms.

Unlike me, the Namek accepts him with his own wide arms, hesitantly putting them around the younger man and mumbling something to him in low tones I can�t pick up, and don�t want to. I turn from the scene to my own problem, one that seemingly hasn�t lessened.

Gorika stares openly at the reunion of the two before she feels my eyes on her. She turns, wincing at the glare I�m giving her with a bewildered expression. Is she that daft, to not realize why I�loath her so much?

She sighs and turns to share a look with her father. I do not see how her father responds, nor do I wish to. �We have business to attend to.� My tone is crisp and delivered just as Marron exits the house with drinks for everyone; at least, everyone fighting.

�Oh, Vegeta, you�re back, and you brought Piccolo.� She beams, ignoring whatever tension is caused by time and circumstance and instead focusing on being a proper hostess. At least she has something to fall back on.

She hands out the drinks to those who probably need it more than the Namek and me; though I wouldn�t be above taking the idiot�s or his daughter�s�. Ah, but that would just be petty. Then again, who said I wasn�t petty?

We follow her back into the house, I preferring to conduct such talk indoors, where the whole world can�t hear it. We situate ourselves around the living room. Me in the chair I had occupied this morning, the idiot and Goten seated on the couch leaving a seat open for Marron on one side of Goten and Gorika next to the idiot, Trunks and Piccolo standing near one another along the wall behind the couch, whispering in quiet tones.

Once Marron and Gorika have come back with mine and the Namek�s drinks and I have taken a sip, I clear my throat. �So, we know it�s a big, dark thing. We know that only one person at a time has seen it. We know it was at both Western Capital and Satan City. We know anyone who sees it grows prematurely old and dies. Does anyone else have anything to add to that?�

Everybody exchanges glances and then shakes their heads. I give a long and tired sigh. �Right. So, we have crap to go on. We need some clues, anything at all, to tell us what this thing is, how it�s sustaining itself, where it came from, and, most importantly, how to kill it.�

Trunks speaks up then. �Pan saw it as she was coming home from school. It was�around five blocks from her school, seven to her house. Maybe we should start looking there.�

I nod thanks to my son, proud that he gave the information so we at least have a starting point. �Good. You and Goten check there for anything. Gorika and�� I wave vaguely at the third-class, earning myself a nice glare for not even deigning to call him by name, �will look around where Krillin saw it. You do know where?� This is directed at Gorika.

She glances at her father but he just looks away quickly. She nods, not taking her gaze away from her father.

I ignore the two of them and turn to Piccolo, masking most of himself in shadow. �You and I will go where Gohan saw it.�

The third-class�s voice speaks up then, causing both the Namek�s and my heads to swivel around toward him and glare at the topic. �Where did he see it?�

I glare stonily into the other�s eyes, my lips pressed as thinly as possible to keep from jumping up from the chair and throttling the man to Hell, or Heaven as the case may be. The gods have no sense of justice.

He stands abruptly, upsetting Gorika beside him and Goten on the other side. �He was my son! You could at least tell me that much!�

I stand myself, face red and mouth moving but impotent with my own rage. Before I can even collect myself, a cool voice interjects smoothly. �Where were you when he died, Goku? Where were you when they put him under the dirt in a wooden box? Where were you when he screamed for you to appear, when he cried out that he would do anything if you�d just show yourself? Where were you, Goku?�

The third-class�s eyes turn to the green shadow that has called him on everything that the Namek�s probably wondered for years now. I myself wonder it. No one moves; the whole group is still. Even I am, waiting for an explanation, reason, anything at all from the man we all called hero.

He just stares at Piccolo for the longest time, eyes sad and posture defeated, before turning and heading out the door. Gorika gives me and Piccolo a wide-eyed look before hurrying out after her father.

The rest of us are left to look anywhere but at each other. I can tell Goten is the most affected by his father�s silence. Marron is leaning against his shoulder, hand gripping his own so tightly their knuckles are white. Quickly, I move to where my son still leans near the Namek, speaking to the room. �Let�s go. We meet back here tonight. Do not get separated from each other. We can�t afford to lose any more.�

They all seem to blink out of their haze of thoughts and move outside, until it�s just me and the Namek left staring at each other, both left with the questions he did not answer. I give a grunt and turn away, moving toward the door. I am halted by a cool hand on my arm and I turn to look at the other with questioning brows.

He moves in closer and I find myself sucking in a breath. Since when did he think to�?

�I have a bad feeling about all this. I have a feeling that this is all somehow connected. He knows something.�

I regard the serious face before me, searching his eyes. �Are you sure that you don�t just want to believe that? To believe that he�s got some ulterior motive for not giving a damn anymore?�

He grips my arm tighter and I growl slightly, pulling back. He lets me go suddenly, eyeridges drawn down to shadow his eyes. �Do you wish to know why he looks at you that way?�

I quirk a brow, smirking. �Not really.� Then I frown. �What way?�

He smirks himself, which doesn�t make me any more pleased. �Like when you first came to Earth and tried to destroy his planet. Like you�ve done something evil.�

Thoroughly confused now, I wave a hand at the Namek to continue. Whatever could I have done to make that emotion revisit the idiot?

He folds his arms across his middle. �Bulma regretted what she did to you��

I snort and face away from the Namek, fully intending on walking out on him. Again his hand grabs my arm, this time pulling me almost into him. I literally spit in rage. �What the hell do you think�?�

�You are not going to run this time, Prince Vegeta!� My title on his lips is wholly mocking, calling in what it stands for. �You will face this or you�re no better than Goku running from his son!�

I still at his words; my eyes bore into his skull with all of the rage and hate of a lifetime. �Let go of me and start talking, Namek. And make it quick. We�re wasting time.�

He releases me, watching me with wary eyes as I simply fold my arms across my chest and stare at him, trying to hide the fluttering I feel running through my veins. It�s replaced by a burning sensation as he talks.

�She came to me, asking where you were, what you had done and said. Trunks wouldn�t talk to her, she said. He was silent and moody, treating her as if she was beneath him. She couldn�t get two words out of him and he moved out that morning, taking up permanent residence in his capsule house outside of Western City.�

He paused to take a drink of his water, finding words and obviously expecting me to interrupt. Well, he�d just have to be disappointed.

�I told her what you�d done and said, told her that I made you meditate, which she understandably found shocking.� I glared at that little input and tapped a foot impatiently. He just grinned maddeningly.

�She then told me what had happened. I had seen everything from your point of view, but hers was slightly different. She�d meant to tell you after dinner. He and she had decided to tell you that night that they had feelings for each other, before they did something they both regretted. Despite what you�imagined, they both wanted to be honorable.�

I scoffed at that. �You forget a few things, Namek. Like when she told me. Wanted to gloss that over?�

He bared his fangs at me, making me start in surprise at his sudden vehemence. �I forgot nothing, Saiyan!�

We glowered at each other for several long moments before he took a breath and placed a hand to his temple. �I will never understand how you can constantly be like that.�

I glared at him, affronted without knowing the reason for it. �Like what?�

He opens his mouth, hot words at the tip of his tongue, and then snaps it shut to reconsider. �So hot-blooded all the time.�

I snort; a half-chuckle on my lips. �I can�t understand how you�re always so cold-blooded.�

The jab has hit its mark without me even intending it to. I didn�t even realize the double implications in that statement. And no, I won�t admit he has a point.

Luckily, he seems able to tell that I didn�t mean that one, for he continues. Either that or he knows he can get back at me with the tale. �She meant to tell you then, but things�got out of control. They escalated to a point she couldn�t stop, didn�t want to stop with the way she told it. Is it so hard to believe that she would still want you? That maybe she didn�t want to tell you like that?�

I look to the side, mouth tightly closed and throat constricting. It was hard to believe then. Hard to believe she wasn�t just� �So what else, Namek? Surely this has a point in connection with the idiot and this thing.�

He audibly rolls his eyes, don�t ask me how, and answers me in a slightly peeved tone. �Yes. She never got over you leaving like that. She never got over what you did and said because of her and the fact that she couldn�t control herself when it came to you. Did you think he wouldn�t notice it? That she regretted that and the way it happened?�

I shrug slightly. �Sorry. Never occurred to me to care about what he feels.�

There is a huge silence and I look back to see black eyes frowning into mine. My brow furrows. What does he want? What�?

My eyes widen. �He hates me for that?�

Piccolo shrugs, moving to the door and outside. I follow him on his heels, eager for this new turn in an old plot. �As much as he can hate anyone. She hurt and he blamed you for that hurt; because you left and never came back.�

I nod, slowing down and coming to a halt as I stare blankly at the ground. �When�he vanished�the thing appeared. And he never saw�� Suddenly I could see just where the Namek was going with this thing, what he was suggesting. �So�this �thing��. He knows about it?�

�Or of it. I just think we should watch him.� He turns to me, and we both share a look that speaks volumes. Neither of us has dealt with having to spy on one of the world�s protectors. �Talk to Gorika.�

I frown. �No.�

�Vegeta, you�re going to have to get over whatever toes she�s managed to step on. She can�t help what she is. You should judge her on who she is. As you wanted to be judged�.�

At the hanging sentence, whatever protest I had dies. It was a good maneuver. If I�m the strategist of the group, then the Namek must be the psychologist. He�s at least as good as me at mind games�. Of course, he�s had a sneak peek at me.

I shake my head still. �She�s too loyal towards him. I barely convinced her to show me where he was the first time.�

He looks me up and down before meeting my eyes and letting out a short bark of laughter. �What did she do to you, Vegeta?�

I swear I feel myself coloring at that question. It has been�quite a while for me. That was the only explanation. �Nothing!�

He shrugs, as if he suddenly doesn�t care. Not likely. �I�m sure you two can compromise. Offer her something she wants.�

�What?� My eyes must be bugging out.

He smirks, letting out a chuckle. �Surely she wouldn�t mind the Prince of all Saiyans teaching her some moves. She seems quite the young fighter.�

I smolder underneath his laughing eyes, cursing him for his quick mind. �I�ll talk to her. Let�s just start our inspection already and get it over with. I�ve become tired of you.�

He lets out a snort of laughter I�m able to ignore as I�m already flying toward our destination. Piccolo catches up easily and takes the lead, as he knows where exactly we are going.

<* �*�*>

My eyes are wide as we land right outside of Capsule Corporation. I know black orbs are glancing at me to gauge my reaction, but I carefully keep my face closed. The damn Namek already knows too much; no need to give him any more ammunition.

�He saw it here?�

My simple and bored statement causes the Namek to blatantly glare at me. �Yes-s.� His deep voice trails the sibilant nature of the word out till he reminds me of a snake. �He thought he sensed him and came over to talk�or at least see him. By the time he got here, he was gone. He told me he was inside the house�in their room.�

I tense, all my muscles clenching to the point of pain. �I�ll look out here.� Each word is bitten off with hatred. It was my and her room first�and she and he�.

I whirl away from the house and the Namek, preparing to stalk around to Mrs. Briefs�s garden, where I know nothing but flowers exist. I hear the gruff voice behind me and I almost ignore it, but his words catch me despite myself.

�You�ll never know if you don�t find out, Vegeta. And�� His pause makes me stop and slowly turn, trying to glare down the eyes that bore into me with purpose. �Gohan trusted that you knew what you were doing when you left. Despite Trunks adamant stand that you were staying gone, he believed you�d come back. He told me to tell you hi, in fact, and that he understood.�

Damn! I hate it when people are right! Can�t I be my stubborn, mule-headed self for once and go my own way? I know that�s not possible, especially not now, but I�d like, just for once, to feel as if I�m not being manipulated to concede my pride.

Though, in reflection, the last time I did that, I said that Kakarott was better than me. Looks like the universe is out to prove me wrong no matter what�.

I actually throw back my head and laugh at the whole situation in general. I hear a snort of displeasure and it only sends me into a riot of laughter. I feel tears prickling the corners of my eyes and realize if I don�t stop now I may well laugh myself to death. And that�s not the way a Saiyan warrior goes.

I finally manage to stop, and it is abrupt, making the silence louder than my laughter had been. Piccolo frowns at me, obviously worried about the state of my sanity. I have to say, it isn�t very good. My job may be to hunt down wanted people and kill them, but this �job� just comes a bit too close to what I pushed down inside me on all the other jobs.

I blink, wondering where exactly I had been in my mind that I didn�t notice the Namek right in front of me, reaching toward my forehead with a green hand I know will be cool; almost soothingly so.

I jerk back, a half-growl on my lips, and he pauses, considering me. �You weren�t answering me.�

I step back from the close position he has taken near me. �I�m fine. It�s nothing. Happens sometimes.�

He frowns lightly, looking into my eyes for a long moment; then seems to shrug his shoulders, though I can tell he�s just filing it away for later. �Come on then. Let�s get this over with and get back.�

I give a short nod, following him into the house without another protest. The front door opens soundlessly, surprising as that is to me. I expected some sort of creaky noise, like one of the horror movies these humans liked to watch for entertainment; at least something to give the jittering in my stomach purpose.

We enter the living room fully and I find my eyes drawn and locked onto a dent in the wall on the staircase. That�s where I was thrown back by him. He�d knocked on the door and had it thrown open by me, throttling him by the throat and, hopefully, coming near to killing him. He�d thrown me against the wall; right where the dent still was as evidence.

And why hadn�t it been repaired? Surely she hadn�t wanted such a reminder of me everyday�for twenty-five years.

I find myself before the dent without conscious thought, reaching out gloved fingers to lightly brush the area. She left it there, knowing what it represented? Why?

As if the silent one behind me can answer my question, I turn to him, pinning him with a blank look I know he can guess is anything but blank. He just returns the gaze and passes me, heading up the stairs without touching anything, as if he is a ghost.

I look briefly around the room, noting that a ghost has indeed been here. Everything is polished and dusted as if people still live here, still talk and eat and go about their daily lives. I doubt I�ll find the other houses surrounding Capsule similarly up-kept.

I follow the Namek up the stairs, noting that he�s taken them slowly enough for me to catch up with him on the top landing. Again I see that everything is as clean and neat as if someone is here everyday to do such things�. �He comes here and keeps it looking like this.�

It is not a question, but Piccolo nods and answers as he heads toward our�the bedroom. �According to what we could read of his ki. It usually went up when he was here. If anyone tried to catch him though, he�fled.� The last word is bitter and harsh, and I agree wholeheartedly with its tone.

I follow the Namek a bit slower, making a show of looking at pictures on the walls that have been there for years. Finally he stands before the door, turning to me and seeing my obvious, but hesitant, reluctance. He turns to the door, as if speaking to it.

�Gohan and I both came up here after he�d seen it. We found nothing, but neither of us had wanted to move anything. Perhaps you could find something.�

I can feel his eyes turn back toward me as he waits for my response to that, but I am blankly looking at the wall, as if the white color of it is absolutely fascinating. I do give him something�for Gohan. �Perhaps.�

He opens the door and I turn at the sound unwillingly. I don�t want to go in there. I won�t go in there. So why do I find myself at the threshold, staring into a room that I once recognized�

�And still do?

Nothing�s been changed. I stand in the doorway, staring at the same bedroom I left twenty-five years ago. And somehow�it seems�wrong that she and he�that they didn�t even bother to�. It was as if, in here, I had just been�

�Power down, damn it!�

I let out my breath in a rush as a stinging slap to my cheek makes my head jerk to the side and rings in my ears. Despite what I know is the Namek�s cool hand, the struck area is far from cool, heated by the friction of palm on cheek. The voice that barely precedes the hit makes me blink and focus in on the room and the man before me.

I raise fingers slowly to my cheek in shock and brush what could well be a bruise if he�d struck any harder; then let them slide off my face as rage replaces my surprise. �What the hell�?�

�Do you want a repeat of Kame Island? Here?�

I snap my mouth at the slightly panicked tone he carries. I had blanked out�again, so I can hardly blame him for his alarm. However�. �You slapped me.�

He stands down; secure I�m actually here now, folding his arms across his chest and looking none-too-happy. �How observant.�

I growl low as I step well into his comfort zone, glaring up at him and watching him squirm with irritated aggravation. �You�re pushing it, Namek.�

He merely snorts, managing to hit me with most of the air he exhales. �I�d say you�re the one who�s pushing it�Saiyan.�

Narrowing my eyes, I take in his form before me. I�d just love to start something with him, love to smash my fist against his flesh, feel the smack of cool skin on hot, hear his cry� I find myself stepping even closer, so our bodies brush. He tenses, eyeridges rising as I do not respond; just stare into black eyes as he stares into mine.

We must have stood there for five minutes before he blinks, his voice coming out stiff and hoarse, as if from disuse, or extreme discomfort. �We should be searching�.�

I blink also, my eyebrows lowering as I step away. And just what in the hell am I doing? I mentally shrug, putting it to my brief venture into psychosis. I feel strangely chilled by the space between us now. �Right.�

He moves to the side of the bed; what was my side of the bed. Would it be�?

�I can�t��

�You have to.� His voice is even, and I have a feeling it�s because mine was far from it. He does not look at me, but my eyes lock onto him. What had it been like? Gohan had married, had a child, had a life outside his mentor and sensei. Now he�s dead. He was holding it together; surely I could also.

His next words confirm that he thinks the same. �Whatever control you had before, you need to regain, Vegeta. Check the nightstand she used; I�ll check his.�

I nod silently, cursing the burning shame I feel. Doesn�t he understand? I�ve been feeling for so long it�s�

�It�s only natural to continue this way, isn�t it?�

I turn at his voice halfway to the nightstand my feet have carried me to unwillingly, wondering that he has finished my thought in his own musing. He has opened the drawer on his side and is idly riffling through the little there without looking at me.

�Hn.� It is an agreement; I know his vocabulary about deep, intrinsic things is the same as mine, monosyllabic grunts. I slowly pull open my drawer, about as eager to look in it as I was to watch Gorika look at her baby stuff.

The first thing I pull out is a worn book with an elegantly designed, purple-colored cover. I run my fingers briefly over the cover before opening it to a random page.

My eyes bug out and I hear a muffled thump as well as a harsh gasp from myself as the book falls from suddenly numb fingers to hit the bed.

�Vegeta?�

I again jerk away from the Namek�s hand on my shoulder. Why does he insist on touching me to get my attention? And why must I keep blanking out? Damn it! I need sanity too much to lose it now.

�Read it.� I gesture down at the journal with a hand that shakes. Kami, I need�

�I can�t.� He holds the thing in his hands; open at about the same page I was on. He slowly moves the book toward me so the pages are facing me. I wince as I see that I am indeed still same.

�It�s Saiya-go.� The Namek blinks and I continue. �It�s in my native tongue. I haven�t seen it in writing in about fifty-five years.�

He brings the book back to his face and studies it. �Well surely you taught her��

�No. That isn�t her handwriting.�

A/N: Sex scene? I said it *may be* in this chapter. It is definitely in the next. I�m sorry for the cliffhanger, but seriously, even I didn�t see it coming. And obviously, nobody came�. Yes, I know, saddening. Do not fear! There will be coming�and the cliffhanger will be solved also. I�m as eager for the hentai stuff as the rest of you. Darn plot! Always getting in the way! Lol

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The Burning Leftovers of Temporary Madness