First of all I'm gonna give thanks to villiers7 for voting on my book!! Now let's continue with the book.
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In Your Dreams: Chapter 14

Goku found himself staring at the ceiling long after Vegeta had left the room. His mind was in a whirl, and he didn't quite know what to make out of what had just occurred. The prince had kissed him. The younger Saiyajin had never been kissed by anyone except ChiChi, and his ex-wife had NEVER been able to make him feel the way Vegeta just had. He'd experienced a strange fluttering in his chest, and his stomach had felt like it was full of butterflies... but in a good way. He'd been tingling all over.

So now that Goku had decided that he'd liked what Vegeta had done, he began to wonder 'why'? Why would the older man kiss him like that? He found it hard to believe that the prince actually cared for him like THAT; so why? Now, Goku knew that some people just liked the way that type of intimate contact felt, and they would do it with just about anyone to experience the effects. Yamcha was a good example. That man would chase after just about anything with a pretty face.

But was Vegeta like that?

Admittedly Goku didn't know much about the prince's private life. They hadn't spent much time together outside of their sparring matches and battle. In fact, he didn't have a clue how Vegeta interacted with others when he wasn't trying to kill them. Bulma had obviously seen the older man's more intimate side, but how many other people had?

Goku frowned and sat up. Speaking of which, how would Bulma react if she knew Vegeta had kissed him? Granted, the two were no longer an item as far as he could tell, but they had two kids together; there was bound to be some sort of jealously or resentment.

The younger Saiyajin sighed as he finally pulled himself to his feet and slowly trudged toward the door. He didn't want his oldest friend to be angry with him... or anyone else. He also wasn't sure how he felt about what Vegeta had done. Could he really be satisfied with the situation if it turned out the older man was just using him? He wasn't sure. On the other hand, if the prince had something a little more serious in mind... well, he wasn't sure how he felt about that either.

The entire situation was extremely frustrating.

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By the time Goku had gotten to the kitchen Vegeta was nearly done with his breakfast. He noticed there were a couple of untouched plates of food sitting on the table, and he assumed they were for him. The younger man's appetite had slowly been increasing with his growing ki, and it probably wouldn't be long before he was once again eating Bulma out of house and home. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty about that... among other things.

''Hurry up and eat, baka. We have training to do.''

Goku's eyes focused on the older man again, and it was only then he realized he'd been staring off into space. He blushed a little and sat at the table, where he quickly began to eat his breakfast. He couldn't help but sneak peeks at the prince though. His eyes strayed to the older man's lips, and he was surprised to feel the sudden urge to kiss him again, just to see if the feelings he'd experienced earlier had been a fluke.

But how would Vegeta react if he were to initiate the kiss this time? Goku knew the prince liked to be in control of every aspect of his life, and he wasn't sure if he'd take kindly to an invasion of his personal space without his consent.

Goku frowned. That wasn't fair though. Why should the older man be allowed to invade his space, but not the other way around? And besides, what if Vegeta wanted him to kiss him? Maybe that had been an invitation earlier.

''What are you frowning about?''

The younger Saiyajin blinked up at the other. He was going to do it. He was going to kiss him and see what happened.

Goku abruptly stood up from his seat, pushing his chair out behind him. The sudden movement made Vegeta raise an eyebrow at the younger man, but he made no other move. Good. At least he wasn't on the defensive or anything.

The younger Saiyajin moved around the table and came up on the other man's side, and he nervously chewed on his lower lip as he looked into the other's eyes. He was searching for any kind of warning or hint of anger from the older man, but all he saw was confusion... and maybe a little spark of anticipation. That was encouraging.

Goku placed one hand on the table and leaned forward slowly, giving Vegeta plenty of time to push him away if he didn't want this. The younger man's tail swished back and forth behind him when no objection was made and he pressed his lips to the slightly parted ones that were waiting for him.

The contact immediately sent a shiver down his spine, and his tail fluffed out due to the pleasant sensation. However, when a low rumbling growl suddenly erupted from Vegeta's throat, Goku tensed. Had he made the older man angry after all?

Just when he began to pull away, two strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him close again. For the sake of comfort Goku straddled the prince's lap, just as he had that day when the older man had simply held him. The close contact caused a mixed reaction in the younger man. Just like before, part of him wanted to fight out of Vegeta's confining hold on him, but the rational part of him knew there was no threat and that he was enjoying the contact.

Goku finally managed to relax and lean into the prince when the other
s tongue wiggled into his own mouth, and once again, he felt a strange fluttering sensation in his chest. Odd, he'd never felt this way with ChiChi. What did it mean? Why did he react this way to Vegeta?

Suddenly, just like the first time he'd been this close to the older man, Goku was enveloped in a wonderful scent. He breathed it in deeply through his nose as Vegeta continued to plunder his mouth, and just as he was beginning to lose himself in the dizzying effects, a soft gasp caught his attention.

Goku's eyes snapped open and he looked past Vegeta to Bulma, who was standing in the entryway to the kitchen. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide; her expression that of pure shock.

The younger Saiyajin suddenly felt as if his stomach had just dropped out, and he yanked himself out of Vegeta's grasp so suddenly the prince didn't even have time to react. Goku's wide eyes darted to the prince and then back to Bulma, who had yet to move or even change her facial expression. He took this as a bad sign, and the Saiyajin suddenly felt like the worst friend in the world. How could he kiss the father of her children like that? He had no right!

Vegeta was still trying to recover from the mind-blowing make-out session he'd just shared with Kakarotto, and it took him a moment to notice the other Saiyajin's change in demeanor. When it finally did register that something was wrong however, Goku had already made a hasty retreat out the back door and had disappeared from view.

'The hell?'

''Wow! Who needs coffee when you have a show like that to wake you up in the morning?!''

Vegeta turned slightly and looked over his shoulder at Bulma, who was fanning herself as she walked into the kitchen and headed for the fridge. Had Kakarotto gotten upset because the woman had seen them? He'd already been told the younger man was shy about public displays of affection, but he doubted that would be cause for him to run the way he did, not to mention look so panicked.

So, maybe he thought Bulma would be... angry?

''So, I guess I don't have to ask how things are progressing, eh?'' The blue-haired woman smiled as she took a seat across from Vegeta and began eating some buttered toast. ''Why'd he run off though?''

The prince rolled his eyes. Wasn't she supposed to be a genius? ''I think the thought you'd be angry with him.''

Bulma blinked, and several seconds passed before she realized what he meant. ''Oh, no! He thinks.... Oh, no! I've got to tell him it's ok!''

''Don't bother. He's long gone.'' Vegeta muttered as the woman suddenly jumped up from her seat. His mood had changed for the worst, and his patience was running thin.

''Go after him then!''

''He needs some space, woman! I'll give him a couple hours to himself, and if he isn't back by then I'll go find him.''

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Goku flew as fast as he could for nearly an hour before he finally slowed down and lowered himself to the ground in an unpopulated forest area. He stumbled a couple of steps before he regained his balance, and he frowned when he realized just how much energy he'd burned during his emotional upset. He should have more control than that.

More control indeed. He never should have kissed Vegeta; especially not right there in the middle of the kitchen where anyone could walk in on them. As usual, he wasn't thinking. Stupid!

Goku ran his fingers through his hair as his frustration grew, and he found himself pacing around the wooded area. His little stunt had gotten him no closer to figuring out what Vegeta's intentions were, and now Bulma knew about it. He hadn't been able to tell what the woman was thinking, but he doubted it was good. Kami, Bulma risked her own life to save his and free him from that lab and he repays her by kissing the father of her children.

He was such a baka!

Goku spent the next half hour in turmoil, and he knew of no other way to release his nervous energy other than to spar. The trees were his opponents, and he demolished several of them with ki blasts and scarred many others with his fists until his knuckles bled. Animals fled for their lives as their usually tranquil home was thrown into chaos, and the sight of them finally made the Saiyajin stop. He let his arms drop to his sides and he breathed heavily as all the tension finally left his body.

Feeling as though he could finally go back and face Bulma, Goku waited until his breathing was back under control before he inhaled deeply through his nose. The Saiyajin nearly choked when he picked up a very familiar and unwelcome scent in the air.

It couldn't possibly be...

''Ahhh, there's my pet.''

Goku forced his suddenly trembling body to spin around, and his eyes widened when they fell upon the one man he'd hoped he would NEVER see again.

Dr. Villa.

He wasn't alone, however. Several of the labs' guards were with him, and behind them were the vehicles they'd arrived in. The hi-tech machines were virtually silent, and that was why Goku hadn't heard them approaching with all the commotion he was causing during his spar.

Still though... how had they found him out here?

The scientist in front of him smiled almost mockingly. ''You're surprised. Did you think I hadn't prepared for the possibility of losing you? You're marked, Goku. I implanted a tracking chip inside you years ago. I was simply waiting for the right time to retrieve you.''

The Saiyajin stumbled back several steps when Dr. Villa moved toward him, and the clumsy movement only made the other man chuckle. ''What happened to the graceful creature I was watching only moments ago? You've become quite strong over these past several weeks.''

Goku growled and formed a ball of ki in his palm. That's right; he was stronger! They would not be able to take him back, not this time!

The Saiyajin's tail lashed behind him as his eyes moved over the many armed guards that were slowly encircling him. Despite having more power than he'd had in years, his overwhelming fear of Dr. Villa was making him clumsy; and he hated himself for it. He'd also used up a great deal of his energy already, but he would not go down without a fight.

Goku threw his glowing attack directly at Dr. Villa and immediately turned to run. He wasn't trying to escape, he just needed to put some distance between himself and the guards. He couldn't allow himself to be surrounded.

He heard the explosion his attack created upon impact, followed by several enraged yells. That made him smirk. Hopefully he'd killed someone. He normally would never have thought such a thing, but these men deserved whatever they got.

Goku looked over his shoulder, and just as he had feared, he was being pursued. His eyes widened when several of the men raised their weapons at him, and he jumped into a tree just in time to avoid the several darts that flew through the air. They were trying to sedate him.

The Earth-raised Saiyajin began traveling from tree to tree with an amazing display of stealth, balance, and grace. The branches served as a shield against the darts that were being fired at him, and it kept him out of reach of the men traveling on foot. This form of evasion was working well for awhile, and just when Goku thought he might be able to get away, the branch he was landing on exploded.

The Saiyajin cried out in surprise as shards of metal and wood lodged themselves into his legs, and he tumbled to the ground. He managed to tuck himself into a ball at the last possible second to avoid injury, but the damaged done to him was painfully apparent when he tried to roll to his feet. Goku stumbled and fell to his knees, and he winced when he looked down to see what the problem was.

Someone had fired a weapon similar to a shotgun; not at him, but at the branch he'd been aiming for. As a result he'd lost his foothold and now several metal pellets were buried in his calves. He couldn't run.

Black eyes darted upward, and he struggled to see the sky through the dense forest canopy. He could try to fly out of there, but he knew he didn't have much energy left to get far. He'd also noticed some flying crafts among the vehicles he'd seen earlier, and there was no doubt in his mind they would be waiting for him up there.

Panic began to descend upon him, and Goku could only crouch low to the ground and watch as several guards came upon him and surrounded him. They gave him a wide birth, and the fact they saw him as something dangerous gave the younger man a sense of satisfaction... but not much.

He heard several 'clicks' as the men cocked their guns and pointed them at him, and the Saiyajin's tail lashed as an armored white hover van pulled up and stopped behind the guards. Dr. Villa stepped out of the passenger side, still sporting that annoying smile of his. The man's previously clean clothes had dirt and grass stains on them now, proof of how close he'd come to getting hit head-on with Goku's ki attack.

The heavily breathing Saiyajin had become so focused on the scientist that he failed to notice one of the guards behind him had fired their nearly silent gun. He did notice, however, the painful sting when the dart penetrated the skin and muscle on his side between his ribs. Goku yelped at the sudden pain and quickly tore the dart from his side, and he threw it to the ground as he turned to growl at the man responsible. He knew his time was running short now that he'd been sedated, so he gathered the last of his dwindling energy and fired a barrage of small but potentially lethal ki blasts at the line of guards. With no time to get out of the way, the men could only raise their arms to shield themselves; and the shrill screams that followed after the Saiyajin's attack made impact proved that their attempts were futile.

When the smoke cleared many of the guards were on the ground, either withering in pain or unconscious altogether. Others remained on their feet, but had obvious wounds. The sight made Goku grin, but his victory was short lived. By now the sedative was taking effect, and his vision began to blur and his body was becoming heavy. The Saiyajin struggled to remain standing, but a wave of dizziness made him slump to his knees.

Dr. Villa took advantage of his weakness and grabbed a hold of Goku's thrashing tail. He immediately felt the Saiyajin's body go ridged, and he tsked and knelt down next to the rapidly weakening man.

''You didn't really think I was done with you, did you? No, you're far too valuable to the entire human species. There are still so many unanswered questions about your race.''

Dr. Villa waited until the wounded Saiyajin had finally collapsed onto his side before he risked petting his hair as if he were some kind of pet. He looked into Goku's terrified eyes and smiled. ''There, there. If it makes you feel better, I plan on capturing your friend too. Vegeta was his name, correct? Yes, I think he could contribute greatly to my next form of study...''

By now the sedative had nearly done its' job, and Goku's vision and hearing began to fade out. He was only vaguely aware of someone picking him up and someone else giving instructions before he blacked out completely.

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Where was he?

Vegeta had been asking himself this question with an increasing amount of anxiety for the past four hours. The prince had begun searching for Goku after only a half hour after his departure, and though he had a weak ki signal to follow in the beginning, the other's energy had dropped and then disappeared very quickly. He'd been circling around the general area he'd last sensed the younger man ever since.

It was possible Kakarotto was just shielding his ki and hiding from him, but he doubted he would have kept it up for this long; not if he could feel that he was searching for him still.

''Fuck!''

Vegeta stopped in mid-air and clenched his fists in frustration. Something was wrong here! Something just didn't feel right, and his gut was always right when it came to these sorts of situations.

A sudden ringing noise caught the Saiyajin's attention, and he grunted in annoyance as he fished a small cell phone out of his pant's pocket and brought the device to his ear. Bulma had insisted he take it with him in case Goku returned to Capsule Corp before Vegeta arrived back, so he'd begrudgingly agreed to shut her up.

''What?!''

''Vegeta, you need to come back.''

The prince raised an eyebrow at the woman's strange tone. ''Did Kakarotto come back?''

''No... just hurry.''

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Within five minutes Vegeta had returned to Capsule Corp, and Bulma was waiting for him on the front lawn. She rushed up to him the moment he landed and held up what resembled an envelope, but it was made of metal and there was a strange seal on the back.

''I found it on the porch. This note was with it.''

The prince took the piece of paper she offered to him and read it.

''Inside the container is a message for Vegeta. The contents are meant for his eyes alone, and unless you never wish to see Son Goku again, no one else shall read it. A drop of Saiyajin blood on the seal located at the back of the device will open it. Vegeta, please act wisely and follow the instructions enclosed.''

Vegeta growled and crumbled up the sheet of paper, tossing it to the ground as he turned his attention to the metal envelope. He flipped it over and studied the seal for a moment before he ripped off one of his gloves and bit the tip of his index finger to draw a drop of blood.

Black eyes rose to meet concerned blue ones. ''Woman, you need to go inside.''

''But Vegeta! This could be a trap!''

''I'm aware of that! However, I will not risk Kakarotto's life should these bastards be watching from somewhere. I can handle myself, woman; so go!''

Bulma looked torn between anger and concern, but she finally huffed and turned to go back inside.

The prince waited until the front door had closed before he smeared a drop of his blood on the seal. The metal sleeve popped open with a small 'click', and Vegeta retrieved the handwritten letter inside.

''Meet me at the following location at 3 pm. Come alone.''

The Saiyajin frowned at the simple message and his eyes strayed down to the drawn out map below the words. He flipped open his cell phone and cursed when the clock inside read 2:45. After stuffing both the phone and the letter into his pocket, Vegeta summoned his ki and blasted off the ground, rocketing toward the location he'd been directed to.

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Oddly enough the map led Vegeta to a large building in the middle of the city. It was a strange place to hold someone prisoner in his opinion. The location wasn't exactly 'secretive'.

Still, as the Saiyajin landed in front of the grey structure and moved to the front entrance, but became obvious that the building was not occupied. It seemed to have been abandoned recently. It was in good repair, yet he couldn't detect any ki signatures inside... save for three.

Vegeta pulled open the large double doors and took a quick look around the structure's dark interior before he ventured a few steps inside. His nose crinkled at the strong scent of chemicals, and he soon realized that this was most likely the lab Kakarotto had originally been held at for so many years.

Kami, he'd been so close...

''Welcome, Vegeta.''

The prince growled low under his breath as his eyes fell upon a figure walking out from the shadows. He instantly recognized the man as Dr. Villa. The human was accompanied by two large guards, as seemed to be the norm for him.

''If you think those two buffoons can take me down, you're sadly mistaken.'' Vegeta snapped as he folded his arms over his chest. He watched the small group carefully for any sudden moves. He knew that physically these humans were weak, but their technology could be dangerous, even to him. They reminded him of the Tuffles; a technologically advanced race that had given his own people a run for their money so many years ago. Oozaru had been the only thing that enabled them to wipe the Tuffles out, and their casualties had still been great in numbers.

Dr. Villa smiled 'kindly'. ''Oh, believe me, I know. I'm actually here to compromise with you.''

The prince raised an eyebrow. More like blackmail, he was sure.

The man continued. ''I'm sure with your heightened sense of smell you have already detected Goku's scent on me.''

He had.

''I'm sure that's evidence enough that I have him in my possession again. Honestly, I'm surprised you left him so vulnerable...''

Vegeta could feel the vein in his forehead throbbing as he struggled not to blast the human into a million pieces. ''Get on with it!''

Dr. Villa raised two hands in a calming gesture, which only proved to piss the Saiyjajin off even more. ''I wasn't trying to offend you. I'm offering to take you to him IF you agree to my terms.''

''Which are?''

The man held his hand out to the side, and the guard to his left placed two metal rings in his palm. ''These are ki restrainers. I developed them long ago when I first became aware of Saiyajins and other beings who displayed great amounts of energy. I thought they would be handy in case the Earth ever needed to control you... in case you became a threat.''

Vegeta eyed the shiny devices with an obvious distaste. They weren't anything new to him. Not only had he allowed Bulma to use him as a guinea pig when she was developing the same technology, Freiza had possessed similar objects as well; just in case any members of his army got out of line... and they had.

''And I suppose you want me to put those on? Then, once I'm as pathetically weak as you are everyday of your life, you'll take me to wherever it is you're holding Kakarotto. There, I too will become one of your little pets to experiment on, and the only thing I get in return is the thrill of being bunk mates with Kakarotto. Am I right?''

Dr. Villa threw his head back and laughed, clearly humored by Vegeta's 'to the point' response.

''Right you are! Though, if you had let me explain all that, I wouldn't have made the deal sound so raw.''

''And you also would have babbled on for who knows how long. Tell me; what if I refuse this 'deal' and just kill you right now?''

The human's expression became serious once again, and all traces of humor left his face. ''Then you will get nowhere. There are other scientists at our new lab ready to carry on my work without me. Goku, or as you call him, Kakarotto, will be out of your reach forever. I assure you, there will be no security slip-ups like with Ms. Briefs EVER again.''

Vegeta stood in silence as he mulled the situation over in his head. If he were to put on those ki dampeners no one would be able to detect and follow his ki. On the other hand, he was sure Bulma already had every member of the Z Senshi on the phone and aware of the situation. When his ki disappeared from their radar, they'd be looking for him. He was sure that they'd be able to find him one way or another. Hell, if it came down to it, they could simply gather the dragonballs together and wish both he and Kakarotto back to Capsule Corp. Gathering the balls could take awhile though, and there was no telling what kind of hell he'd go through before they arrived. Based on the images he'd seen flying around in Kakarotto's head, it would not be a fun vacation.

On the other hand, Vegeta could refuse this deal and simply gather the dragonballs himself. Then he could wish Kakarotto be brought to him. But then, these men responsible for the younger Saiyajin's pain and torment might disappear again, and he very much wanted to find their current lab so he could destroy it and kill them all.

So, his decision was made.

''I agree to your terms then.''

Dr. Villa nodded. ''Very good. First, please empty your pockets.''

Vegeta rolled his eyes, but complied. He dropped his cell phone and the crumbled map on the floor.

''Alright. Put these on. Simply clamp one around each wrist. Your ki will drop quickly, so do not be alarmed.''

The prince caught the two ki dampeners when the man threw them to him. He immediately secured the first one around his left wrist, and the only visible sign that he'd felt anything at all was the slight twitch of his eye. Vegeta slowly inhaled a deep breath through his nose to steel himself for the sudden weakness that was about to wash over him, and after a small delay, he secured the second band around his right wrist with a small...

'click'.

To be continue...