CHAPTER 8:

Vegeta slung his jacket over his shoulder, his left hand stuck deep in his pockets as he kicked morosely at another rock on the ground. His head was swirling with so many conflicting emotions that he thought he would burst with the intensity of it. How could his life have turned upside down all in one night? The first shock being his supposed ‘engagement’ to Launch, then having the most intense and happiest experiences with a man he was head over heels for, and then discovering that the same man wasn't all what he claimed to be. Kami! It hurt too much. Wincing, he remembered the tortured look on Go.... "It's Kakarrotto, dammit!!" he admonished himself, angrily. To him now, Goku was gone and another person had taken his place.

"It is still me...Goku."

Perhaps, but Vegeta couldn't quite get used to that. Running weary hands through his hair and coming in contact with loads of hay still stuck on it, he began to dust them out absentmindedly. A flash of something red caught his eye, before he realized that it was his 'fiancé', running up to him at break neck speed.

"OH, VEGETA!!" she squealed, hugging him and crushing his ribs in the process. "I have looked everywhere for you!! All the guests have started leaving and I was hoping you would have at least stayed to help me with all the congratulations and stuff...

"Launch..."

"I mean...goodness, Vegeta. The least you could have done was stop by and greet the Izawa's. You know they are all big movie producers in Japan and ...

"Launch, I..."

"I was so worried,, Vegeta honey!!" she began kissing him on his face, dropping light kisses here and there, when she realized that not only was Vegeta not responding, he smelt of sex, his hair was filled with what looked like hay, and his suit was in disarray. Feeling her anger rise, she withdrew from him slowly and stared at the blank look that was etched on the man's face.

"Where were you, Vegeta?" she asked coldly.

Vegeta snorted in irritation, deliberately ignoring her and turned to head towards the house. His progress was blocked by Launch, who stationed herself in front of him.

"I asked you a question, Vegeta. Where were you? Is there another woman? Who is she?! And how dare you sleep around on our engagement night?!"

Her voice had gradually begun increasing with hysteria, and Vegeta had had about enough drama for one night. Stepping up menacingly to her face, he began yelling back at her.

"Listen up, ONNA!! I am NOT your fiancée!! I never proposed to you and I never will! Do you understand?! I never loved you and YOU have served your purpose in my life, so why don't you pack up your self and go look for the next available rich guy you can fuck around with, because it is over!! Got it?!! OVER!!"

Not looking at the pale and shocked expression on Launch's face, he pushed her aside angrily and stomped into the house, not giving a damn about the strange expressions he received from the few guests left or his servants. He stormed all the way to his room and slammed the door behind him with a bang, not wanting to see another human being for a long, long time.

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Kakarrotto had run out of tears. He had been laying on the hay for almost an hour and had not felt the need to get up or move a muscle. His head was pounding with the last biting remark from Vegeta.

"Goodbye...Kakarrotto."

~ I am so tired. ~ He thought wearily. Tired of trying to keep up with Vegeta's turbulent emotions. Tired of fighting his identity. Tired of living? Perhaps. He realized that without Vegeta, he was practically empty. For a few sweet hours he had experienced unimaginable joy and happiness, just being in his arms. He knew that Vegeta had feelings for him, but he had hurt Vegeta in return, by not really being honest. ~ Kuso! What did he want me to do? I couldn't just tell him I am a sorcerer on my first day at work. I might never have had a chance to really get to know him. ~

Sighing heavily, he stared at the new mother and foal as they lay quietly in sleep. The horse suddenly raised dark brown eyes to stare knowingly into the sad ones of the man that had helped her. "You must be really happy now." Kakarrotto said quietly. "I hope you are. As for me...I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

Slipping into his clothes, he looked at the tattered shirt, reminders of the passion that had been shared. Shrugging it on and nodding his head with a firm resolve, he decided he would leave tonight. He didn't want to have to face any one, not even Aoki and most especially not Trunks. Walking out of the stables, he took one last breath of the night countryside air, and shaking his head, he walked back to the house for the last time.

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Trunks was puzzled. Goku-san was never this late. He looked at his watch for the thousandth time. ~ Golly! It's almost nine thirty in the morning. Where is my sensei? ~ He had spent all night, while the party had been going on, drawing pictures for Goku to see. Just another one of the many things Goku-san had opened his mind to. He was pretty good at artwork and this time he had taken the time to draw a picture he had entitled 'My Family'. The picture had figures of his father and Goku-san both holding him up and standing in front of the house. Sighing wistfully, he wondered if it were possible for him to have two fathers....because he sure as hell didn't want Launch as a mother. He had really taken the time with this picture and he had hoped that Goku-san would come and look at it.

~ Hn...if he doesn't come down soon, I will have to go wake him up myself.~

And so deciding to wait for one more hour, he opened up his history book and began reading up on the Ming Dynasty.

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The instructor was terrified. He was surely going to die today. The rate at which his 'student' was punching and kicking, he was lucky to be alive at this point. He cowered in fear as Vegeta charged towards him again, nearly decapitating his head.

"ONEGAI, Vegeta-sama!! Please, don't kill me!! We can stop for today if you like...hehehe...we don't have to continue...if you are too stressed out...that is..." finishing weakly, as he saw the death glare that was shot in his direction. Coughing, he straightened up and continued, "As I was saying, we need to put in more practice."

Vegeta didn't wait for the poor man to prepare himself. He began another flurry of punches and kicks that were so fast, the instructor had to cower again in fear. Sweat dripped off Vegeta's body in torrents, his training gi was soaked through and he didn't care. He would sweat the baka off, by any means necessary. He had learnt that Goku had left last night, because one of the maids had gone to clean up the room and had noticed the empty closet. Gone. Just like that. ~ Oh, gee, Vegeta. Were you expecting a goodbye love note or something?~ With a growl, he punched the nearby punching machine with so much power that it collapsed, giving the instructor even more reason to be afraid. This had been going on for hours now and the man felt he had to draw the line somewhere.

"Annoo...Vegeta-sama. Perhaps we could take a break now....we have been going at it for hours and ..."

"Fine! You pathetic piece of shit! Take all the break you want because you will not be coming back here again!"

"B...B...Bbut, Vegeta-sama, I ..."

"Leave now, before I decide to treat you like a real punching bag!"

Needing no further instructions, the man literally ran out of the room, making sure to get his dumbbells and training mat.

Vegeta slowly sank to the padded floor in exhaustion and collapsed onto his back, covering his eyes with one arm, and clutching the floor with his other hand in a death grip, he finally let the emotions out. Last night had been hell for him. All he had thought and dreamt about was that baka, Goku or Kakarrotto or whatever. He had soaked himself in the hot tub for over an hour, hoping that his scent would wash off him. ~ Hn...like that had worked. ~ If anything, the scent had grown even stronger. He was already missing the bastard. ~Kami! I loved...love you, Goku~

"Daddy?"

Vegeta jumped up and turned away from his son's questioning look, wiping the tears away quickly from his face.

"Trunks. What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you if you had seen Goku-san anywhere. He hasn't come down for lessons yet and I am getting worried."

Vegeta swallowed tightly. ~ Great! Just fucking brilliant! How was he going to tell Trunks that Goku-san had left and wasn't ever coming back. Oh, well...here goes.~

"Do you think he went for a walk or something, daddy?"

"Trunks... I have to tell you something." Vegeta began quietly.

Not listening, the boy continued, "Or maybe he went swimming or..."

"Trunks..."

"Oh, I know..." a smile lighting up the small face, "He probably went horse riding. He sure loves those horses!"

"TRUNKS!"

The boy finally shut his mouth at the pale and haunted look on his father's face. He had never seen his father look like this before and a shot of fear ran through him. Clutching the pictures he had carried along with him, he watched as his father turned away from him and leaned tiredly against the window. Something was wrong. Really wrong. And the boy was sure it had something to do with his sensei.

"Otousan?" he asked softly, "Where is Goku-san?" He had the pictures now clutched in a grip so tight, it nearly ripped the paper off.

"I am sorry, Trunks, but Goku-san has left."

For a few torturous moments, silence filled the large gym, as the words sank slowly into the boy's mind. ~ Left? Left where? He can't leave. We were supposed to play baseball today and Goku-san never misses a day of baseball! ~

Vegeta's heart was pounding. ~Kami! Say something! ~ He knew how close his son and Goku had become and hadn't taken into consideration how the boy would feel at this news.

Finally after what seemed like ages, Vegeta continued quietly.

"You will be getting a new tutor by next week, son. And I am sure he will be just as good as...."

"NO!! I DON'T WANT ANOTHER TUTOR!! I WANT GOKU-SAN!!" he suddenly blurted out, tears of anguish rolling down his cheeks.

"Listen to me, Trunks!! He has left and that is all there is to it!! He will never come back and you will have a new tutor, alright?!!"

"No!! No!! No!! It's not fair!! I l...l...l...loved h...h...hi...him..."he said, hitching back sobs.

~ So did I, son.~ "Life isn't always fair, Trunks. We all have to deal with that. I am really, really sorry.."

"YOU made him leave!! Goku-san loved me and he would never have left me!! You made him go away!!" spinning on his heels, Trunks ran out of the gym, dropping the pictures he had drawn in the process.

Vegeta watched as the son he had begun to get close to and comfortable with, ran away from him in anger and disappointment. Leaning down to pick up the pictures, he looked at them and felt a new wave of pain wash over him.

~My Family...~

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"Kono kusuri wa itami o yawaragemasu."[This medicine will ease the pain.] Kakarrotto smiled warmly at the elderly couple that knelt in front of the shrine doors.

Smiling back in gratitude, the couple walked slowly down the long stairs that led out to the main road. He grinned briefly at the little help he had given to the couple. He had known them since he was a little boy and they had always made him dinner or lunch whenever he had been too tired to walk all the way back to the shrine. ~ My, how the years go by.~ Stretching aching muscles,  he began closing down the shrine for the night.

It had been almost three months since he left Vegeta's home and life was sort of getting back to normal for him. He remembered the day he had arrived back at the shrine and the quiet look of understanding his sensei had given him when he had said nothing. What was there to say really? That he had failed miserably in his first mission? That he had gotten involved with his clients personally? Kami! That he had fallen in love with another man? He knew that his sensei had a knowledge of everything. But the Old Master had left it all up to him.

He had barely been able to eat or sleep well since then. He could barely concentrate on his duties either. Some days would be spent daydreaming about that night in the stables and he would lose all track of time. Once he had given the wrong potion to the wrong customer and had nearly caused a catastrophe. At times, he would cast the wrong spells, creating total and complete mayhem. Sighing, he wondered why his sensei still put up with him. He had literally been a complete and total mess in these recent months.

"Kakarrotto!" he heard his sensei call him.

"Hai!"

Dropping the broom he had been sweeping the yard with, he ran up to his master and kneeling in reverence, looked into the warm, sea blue eyes that knew oh! so much.

"Kakkarotto, my son. I have a special request for you."

"What is it, sensei?"

"You are needed again. You are to help a sick boy get well again."

"Annoo...sensei...do you think I am ready to go back now? I mean I have made a botch of things the past few months..."

"I know, son. But now, you are stronger and wiser. You must be ready immediately. There is one waiting for you to take you to your destination."

"NOW?!!" Kakarrotto asked panicking. "B...But I am not ready!!"

"You were always ready." The sensei smiled softly, "Go now, child and you do not need to change into your darker form."

"I don't?" This was getting weirder by the minute.

"Hurry now! There is no time to lose!" The Old Master got up gingerly and walked back slowly into his quarters.

For several minutes, Kakarrotto watched the man disappear into his rooms, and then snapping himself up, he quickly ran to fetch his necessary items. ~ One is waiting for me. I wonder where I am going to.~

Running quickly down the temple stairs, he ran out onto the main road and then froze in shock as he saw a familiar person walk up to him with a smile on his face.

"A...A...Aoki?"

"Hai, Goku-sama. Are you ready to come back home, now?"

"H...H...Ho...Home?" Kakarrotto asked stupidly.

"Hai, Goku-sama. Master Trunks has taken ill and is close to death. We need you now more than ever. Will you come?"

Kakarrotto turned pale at the news. ~ Oh, no! Trunks! ~ Nodding fervently, he replied,

"Hai. I will come."

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Vegeta tapped impatient fingers on the solid oak table as another one of his employees blabbed on and on about the progress of one of Capsule Corp's affiliates. Stifling a yawn, he took another sip of his water, glancing at the watch on his arm. ~ Chikuso! Won't he ever finish? ~ He stared broodingly out at the Hong Kong skyline.

~ Three months. Three months of absolute hell. ~ he thought sadly. A new tutor had been brought and needless to say, Trunks had resorted back to his old ways. He was not cooperative at all. He would never answer questions and the cheerful smiles were gone. Trunks was beginning to look like a ghost of his former self. ~ Hn. And what about you, Vegeta? ~ Rubbing his chin in agitation, he tried to remember the last decent night’s rest he had gotten and came up with none. Sleep was impossible for him and as for food, he hardly ate any. He had seen the worried looks on his employees faces. Aoki had even advised him to slow it down for a while, take a vacation or something. That was the last thing Vegeta needed. He didn't want to be idle. He needed to move, to do something, anything but stay idle, anything but think about Goku. So, he had worked insane hours, burying himself into his work, traveling like a maniac, knowing full well how this was tearing up the fragile relationship between he and his son. But he couldn't face those accusing blue eyes again. He just couldn't!

He jerked alert when his cell phone suddenly went off.

"Moshimoshi."

"Ah...Vegeta-sama. This is Aoki."

Sighing in irritation, Vegeta snapped curtly. "I know who you are. I have only known you for what? Twenty-five years."

"Gomen, Vegeta-sama." Aoki replied sheepishly.

"Did you call me for something, Aoki?" after several seconds of silence.

"Ah yes...It is about Master Trunks sir."

"What about him?" Vegeta asked sharply, quickly giving a nod to his audience as he walked out of the room.

"It seems like he has taken a turn for the worse, sir. We have called a doctor to come by to see him."

"I thought we had been sending for doctors already."

"Well, sir....this is a special one. This doctor knows the cure for everything."

"What is so special about him?"

"For one thing, sir, he seems to have at least calmed the boy down. But, you are needed for a final say."

"Alright, Aoki. I am on my way. I will be using the private plane. So have Azaki pick me up. Oh and Aoki?"

"Yes, Vegeta-sama?"

"This doctor better be worth all this trouble. If not, I will have no other option but to fire you."

Both knowing that that wouldn't happen in a million years, Aoki smiled into the phone and said,

"Oh, it will be worth the trip, Vegeta-sama. It will be worth the trip."