Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Lost and Found: Royal Line Blues ❯ Search for a Cure ( Chapter 35 )

Uninvited but Welcome

By Trynia Merin

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z, Toriyama does, as does Toei and Funimation who give us these great DVD episodes! Don't sue me! This is fanficiton, not for profit.

A big thank you to Heiress, Bulma the babe, Dragon Radar, Nikki, and all you other wonderful people reading and reviewing this. I hope this part is worth the wait!  

Bulma's mind flashed down memory lane at the aerial view, remembering the first time she had set eyes on the small Son Pagoda. Vegeta's white boots tipped in gold touched down before hers, and he surveyed the Son homestead with a grunt of disdain.

"Dismal little shack. No wonder his mate is so bitchy," he mumbled.

"Vegeta, be nice… they don't know we're…" she trailed off. "Um how do you want to handle this?"

"We'll go right in and demand to see Kakkarot…" he sniffed. Still he kept his arm around her waist, glancing back and forth. His spiked hair stood more on end, and his teeth bared, hissing.

"What are you doing here?" grunted a familiar voice. Overhead levitated the tall green Namekian, his white cape whipping in the wind behind him.

"What does it look like, Namekian? I understand Kakkarot's ill. I'm making a house call," Vegeta said.

"It's okay Piccolo, he wants to help!" Bulma shouted.

"Really?" Piccolo demanded. "And where have YOU been for the past six months?"

"Finding a cure for Kakkarot, you dunce. I can't let him die on me when we've still got a score to settle," Vegeta snapped at him. "What kind of a fool do you think I am?"

"WE already have medicine," said Chichi, rushing out and glaring up. "What is HE doing here?"

"Oh, I'm hurt… I thought you'd be glad to see me, since I’m here to save your mate's ass," Vegeta sneered.

"Vegeta, knock it off! Chichi! We're here to help!"

"Mom, is that who I think it is?" Gohan asked, rushing out of the house. "Hey Bulma! Vegeta… long time no see!"

"Greetings, brat of Kakkarot. I've brought the Woman home safely… and your friends should be arriving soon… is Kakkarot still alive I trust?"

"No thanks to you!" Chichi spat, swinging her broomstick around in circles around her head. Piccolo landed behind Vegeta, who still held Bulma in his arms.

"Chichi it's all right… Vegeta's here to help, so relax!" Bulma said.

"Why are you holding onto Bulma, is she hurt?" Gohan asked.

"Hem… she's suffering from aftereffects of the long space trip if it's any of your business brat. Take me to see Kakkarot…"

"You've got a LOT of nerve suddenly showing up and demanding things, buster!" Chichi yelled.

"Mom, it's okay… he's here to help," Gohan said, grabbing his mother's hand lightly. "If he wanted Dad dead he wouldn't have come back!"

"I know you want him dead?"

"You think me that stupid?" Vegeta snorted. "Please… letting Kakkarot die by a cowardly virus is NOT the way that the Saiyan no Ouji vanquishes his rivals! Only in a matched battle can Kakkarot and I settle the gap between us!"

"Vegeta wants to help… you remember he promised to defeat Goku AFTER the androids?" Piccolo reminded them, moving between Chichi and Vegeta.

"True… but STILL…" Chichi stammered.

"Mom I'll be watching him. And so will Mr. Piccolo. They're alive… and we can at least let them in, right? Bulma's our friend…"

"I don't want him in my house," Chichi hissed.

"Chichi!" someone groaned from inside.

"Dad…" gasped Gohan.

"He is alive… out of my way," Vegeta snapped. Chichi moved aside as Vegeta flew through the door after Gohan, sweeping Bulma into his arms. Piccolo grabbed Chichi's shoulder before she could take a swing at them.

"I'll watch him, I swear," Piccolo grunted. "Let's go in together…"  

"Wipe your feet!" Chichi yelled. Vegeta stopped and rolled his eyes. He made a point of scraping his boots over the mat, and started to take them off.

"No it's okay… Chichi, I'm sorry about all this… but it won't hurt to let us look at…"

"Mom… he wants to see us all," said Gohan, zipping out of the back room. Vegeta and Bulma stood inside the door, while Piccolo loomed behind Chichi with arms folded over his chest.

"All right… this way. But no loud noises… and no ki balls in the house, got it?" Chichi sniffed. Putting Bulma down again, Vegeta followed Goku's mate through the living room, and into a small hallway. Bulma trailed them, followed by the other two.

"Uh," Goku groaned, voice echoing through the hallway. Chichi nudged the door open and beckoned them to the sides of the comfortable double bed. The tall Saiyan, his floppy mass of hair spreading over the pillow, occupied most of it. Covers were pulled up to his mid chest, and he wore a pair of flannel pajamas, from what Vegeta and Bulma could see.

"Kakkarot, what are you doing?" Vegeta snapped.

"Vegeta?" Goku moaned, blinking up at his Prince standing in an assembly with Piccolo, Bulma, and his wife and son. That scowling face glared down at him as the Saiyan no Ouji rounded the bed to stand right by his lone subject.

"I heard you screaming in my head, you clown."

"You're here… both of you… I'm sorry I’m still in bed… but I've been a little sick…" Goku said with a weak grin.

"Dad, they're here to help you…"

"Sweetie please take it easy! Your heart…" Chichi urged, moving over to sit next to him on the bed. She squeezed his hand tightly, rubbing her forehead against it. Vegeta blinked as her scarf shifted to one side and he saw a distinctive bitemark there.

"I wouldn't stand by and let you cheat me out of my satisfaction… honestly Kakkarot do you take me for a fool?" Vegeta snorted. "Now what's this bullshit about you getting a heart virus?"

"Here's the medicine we've been giving him. But it isn't working very well," Chichi sniffed, shoving a vial into his hand.

"This is dated for fifteen years in the future," said Vegeta blinking at the date. "Where did you get this?"

"That boy from the future gave it to me…" said Goku weakly.

"Yes… but why isn't it working!" Chichi yelled.

"That's why I'm here, you fools," Vegeta cut them off. "I've got something that might help him survive. But you'll have to stand back and let me work… and not question me…"

"What could YOU possibly do that…"

"Bulma… you remember the serum I gave you… it might possibly work, if it were combined with this medicine…" said Vegeta.

"Oh right," she nodded.

"Is there a place I can work uninterrupted?" Vegeta asked.

"My grandpa… Gohan's house…" said Goku quietly. "You're welcome to stay there… if Piccolo doesn’t mind…"

"That little shack?" asked Vegeta. "Fine. I'll work there. At least it's quiet and away from prying eyes…"

"I didn't think a Prince would settle for such accommodations," Chichi sniffed.

"I'll have to stay here… I insist that I remain till Kakkarot recovers," said Vegeta.

"We have the capsule house…" said Bulma.

"No, it's fine… they can stay. My Grandfather always taught me to be nice to guests… and Vegeta and Bulma are our friends, Chi…"

"Fine… but if you do anything to hurt my Goku or Gohan, I'll kick your ass!" Chichi yelled.

"Humph, I suppose I'll have to rely on the Namekian, I'm trembling in fear?" Vegeta smirked.

"Behave, you ass," Bulma snapped, jabbing him in the ribs.

"Whatever, show me this place…"

"I'll show you…" said Gohan. "Dad, try and rest. Mom… stay here with Dad…"

"And I'll be watching you," Piccolo said, glaring at Vegeta and Bulma quietly.

"Don't worry… I know you're here to help me, Vegeta," said Goku with a tired smile.

"Don't get any funny ideas Kakkarot. Just cause I’m helping you now doesn't mean…"

"Yeah, we know, we know. Save the speeches, and save my husband!" Chichi snarled at him.

"I was just going to DO that!" Vegeta barked back, storming out of the hut with Bulma and Gohan in tow.

Chichi buried her face in Goku's chest, sniffling. When she was alone, she let her emotions run freely. Goku's large hand reached up and weakly threaded through her dark hair.

"Don't worry Chi… he'll help us… it will be okay… trust me," Goku whispered.

"That's the problem… you trust everyone too much, you big dumb loveable lunkhead," Chichi wailed. She lay down next to him, losing control of her anger. Goku gave her that enigmatic smile as he stroked her hair.

"Shh, it will be okay…" Goku repeated over and over like a mantra. Finally he surrendered to another bout of sleep.  

"You're telling me Kakkarot grew up in this shack?" Vegeta asked, crossing the courtyard after Gohan. The child had taken the lead, quickly moving past them to open the twin wooden doors. Bulma's hand rested momentarily on the Son character painted in the red diamond emblazoned on each.

"Yes. Grandpa Gohan… who I'm named after… lived here with my dad for years…" said Gohan.

"So, how do you plan on helping Goku," Piccolo grunted.

"Simple, Namekian. I'm going to take this primitive medicine and enhance it…" said Vegeta with a smirk. "Unless you still think me fool enough to poison him…"

"I'll be watching you," Piccolo said.

"You'd best go back with your sire and dam, boy," said Vegeta to Gohan.

"Where are Krillen and Yamucha by the way?" asked Gohan.

"They're in a separate space craft, headed this way. Bulma and I came using a faster ship," said Vegeta quickly. Gohan and Piccolo glanced quickly at one another when they realized Vegeta had called Bulma by her first name instead of Woman or wench. By now they stood in the middle of the small hut, glancing at the neat but sparse accommodations. A Chinese box bed took up half of one side of wall. Opposite it was set a table and two chairs. Other cabinets and storage items were arranged in the far corner, while a cooking area and fireplace took up the fourth corner. Small round windows allowed daylight to cast strange round patterns on each wall.

"All right, leave us…" said Vegeta, reaching for something in his belt. He clicked the button on a capsule, and the familiar vapor exploded into the room. When the smoke cleared Gohan saw several cases and boxes that appeared to be supplies and clothes.

"Our luggage," Bulma said. The Prince already set several boxes down on the table, pulling out vials and other accoutrements that were strange in design.

"That technology looks Saiyan," said Piccolo. Gohan glanced up.

"Is that some sort of mobile lab?" asked Gohan, pointing to one of the flat objects. "It looks like some sort of spectrometer…"

"It's a portable one. That can take a sample of any serum and analyze its constituent molecules… I had forgotten you'd inherited your grandsire's capacity for science," said Vegeta with a bit of respect.

"My grandpa was a scientist?" blinked Gohan.

"His name was Bardock as I recall. He was a third class, but his intellect was known among the scientific elite," said Vegeta, glancing at the equipment.

"Maybe you should watch mom and dad. I wanna know this…" said Gohan.

"Fine. But I'll be outside meditating," Piccolo said, striding out of the door. He closed it behind him, leaving the three in the kitchen alone.

"You're not much of a scientist, are you?" asked Gohan.

"I'm not some stupid oaf… I do know SOME things… a Prince must be well educated!" Vegeta snorted. "But since you wish to know, these devices are a portable medical lab in miniature. Bulma, give me the serum you've been taking…"

"Serum?" asked Gohan.

"Should we tell him?" asked Bulma.

"Tell me what? That you're going to have a baby?" asked Gohan, glancing at her with wonder.

"Hmm, the brat can sense ki very well. Impressive… have you been training with the green man?"

"Piccolo's taught me all sorts of things yes," said Gohan, glancing at the equipment with a scientific eye. "Who do you think showed me how to defeat you and Nappa…"

"Guys, enough of the past. We have to help Goku!" Bulma interrupted.

"Yes," said Vegeta, sitting down in one of the chairs. Gohan dragged up a stool, and Bulma realized she could sit down in the other one. All three regarded the various devices positioned before them.

"Why isn't the medicine working?" asked Bulma.

"It's designed for humans," said Gohan.

"Yes, brat you're correct. We full blooded Saiyans are immune to most viruses… but this virus… attacks Saiyan heart tissue alone… does it not?" Vegeta asked. "Do you have any blood or hair samples?"

"I've got some hair," said Gohan, handing him a piece or two that he'd brushed off his dad's shirt. Vegeta placed the hair on a glass slide, and inserted it under the probe of the spectrometer. A small beam vaporized it and fed it into the analyzer. Protein sequences were broken apart. Vegeta tapped keys, and a small molecule appeared on the little screen on the side of the curved squat device.

"There… this is Saiyan DNA. But this is alien DNA that's intercalated. Apparently this virus has been rewriting the Saiyan genetic code. How could it possibly…" he trailed off.

"That's what I'd like to know. It attacks humans too," said Gohan.

"but it's specifically geared to the heart muscle… you said the medicine wasn't working to help him, so whatever the virus' mode of attack is at the genetic level…"

"The medicine contains an anti virus," said Gohan. "A serum with a virus that attacks the virus…"

"But it's got human proteins in it. It won't work because Kakkarot's a Saiyan. And that small difference in proteins makes it useless," said Vegeta. "But luckily I have an answer. And possible ways to protect anything like this from attacking him again. His heart muscle must be extensively damaged. We have to both stop the virus and repair the damaged heart tissue…"

"How can we do that?"

"By the serum that I gave you, Bulma. It contains all sorts of growth factors. Combined with this medicine, after it's adapted to Saiyan genetics, will reverse the damage done by the virus," said Vegeta.

"How could you possibly…" asked Gohan.

"He has his ways. This technology's… from his home planet. So why wouldn't it work?" asked Bulma, choosing the right amount to divulge without telling him about the Race bank.

"Hmm, something's weird. How could you get your hands on Saiyan technology unless…"

"A space museum, boy," said Vegeta. "I will tell you more later. But now we must save your father's life… so I'll need your cooperation without question… since you're something of a scientist. And you, Bulma, I'll need your help as well…"

Together the trio huddled over the Saiyan medical equipment. It would take many hours to complete their task, but Gohan knew that Vegeta was not here to harm, but to help. Bulma wiped away sweat, feeling the band of nervousness loosen somewhat knowing that Vegeta was in charge. If only they could convince Chichi to relax as well. Also, what would happen when the craft bearing Yamucha, Krillen and the others reached Chikyuu? Shuddering, Bulma focussed on her new mate and Gohan working side by side instead.

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