In Your Dreams: Chapter 4

After nearly an hour of waiting, Bulma was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw two specks approaching in the sky. A few moments later Goku jumped off the Nimbus in front of her, giving the cloud a little pat before sending it on its' way. Vegeta was right behind him.

The blue haired woman smiled at the younger of the two. "Goku, I'm sorry for earlier. I just get so carried away in my lab sometimes that I forget about everything else. I promise it won't happen again."

The Saiyajin just smiled in return and waved his hand at her, showing her that it was no big deal.

Vegeta, annoyed with the lack of attention, brushed past the two and headed inside. "Woman, I'm starving! Make yourself useful and retrieve your mother to cook us some dinner."

Bulma huffed and she and Goku both followed the prince inside. "I can make you something, you know!"

The older man threw her a look and scoffed. "I repeat, retrieve your mother! I wish to enjoy a meal without fearing that each bite may be my last."

"Argh! You're such an ass!"

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After a good dinner prepared by Bunny, Goku headed back to his room. The aging woman had been thrilled when she saw him, and after several rib-breaking hugs, she had set to work cooking a huge feast with a large assortment of foods. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to tell her that he could no longer handle the amounts of food he used to put away at one sitting.

A decrease in ki meant he didn't need as much fuel to feed all that energy. His body had grown accustomed to 'human' sized meals and if he attempted to eat anymore than that, he'd become sick. Bulma had been smart enough to figure this out on her own when Bunny had questioned him after he stopped eating so soon.

Needless to say, there were plenty of leftovers.

Now, with his belly full, all Goku wanted to do was get a hot bath and go to bed. Bulma had mentioned that if he felt up to it in the morning she would take him out shopping. Though he wasn't a fan of the mall, he had to admit that he did need a new wardrobe. His old clothes were too big for him now and he couldn't keep borrowing things from Vegeta.

After slipping into the attached bathroom and filling the large tub, Goku tossed his clothes aside and slid into the steaming water. He sighed as his aching muscles began to relax. He was no longer used to having so much freedom to move about, and all the activity today had actually worn him out. The very idea was depressing, but it was true. Though an outside observer might look at his body and see a young man in fantastic shape, he knew that he was anything but. He was in pathetic shape for a Saiyajin.

But that could be fixed. He had to stay positive.

The situation with ChiChi had thrown him for a loop, but now that he had had a little time to think about it, he wasn't all that surprised. Yes, he was upset, but she had moved on and it was time for him to do the same. Besides, he just wasn't suited for the position of domestic husband, and it probably wouldn't have been long before he'd fallen back into his old habits and spent his days away from home training. She deserved better than that.

Goku's eyes became half lidded as he sunk further into the water. He idly watched his tail create ripples on the smooth surface as he let his mind wander to other things.

Like is speech problem.

He wondered if perhaps Dende might be able to heal the damage. The Saiyajin had felt bad earlier when he had refused to let Bulma take a closer look at him, but he already knew there wasn't anything she could do and the constant pain that radiated from his throat had made him protective of that spot when it came to any sort of contact. Dr. Villa hadn't been entirely honest when he told the woman how he had acquired the injury. Yes, he had initially damaged his vocal cords when he'd torn a breathing tube out of his throat, but he had still been able to speak. His voice had only been raspy. However, the following 'tests' that had been performed on him over the next couple years had been what resulted in his inability to speak.

Electric collars had done a lot of damage. They had wanted to see what his body could handle when compared to the capacity of a human's body, and the voltage had just been turned up until he couldn't take it anymore.

Chemical tests had done the majority of the damage, however. Many substances had been injected into him over the years, and almost all of them had side effects. Not all of these chemicals had been injected though; some were literally forced down his throat. He could have sworn they'd made him swallow pure acid one day, because the pain had been excruciating. He'd been sure he was going to die, but instead he only lost consciousness. When he had woken up he'd been hooked up to an IV and had an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

That was the last time he'd been able to speak.

Adjusting had been hard at first, but he'd grown accustomed to the silence. After all, he certainly didn't have much to say to Dr. Villa and his crew. But now that he was back amongst friends he could feel his frustration returning. He wanted to talk to them, tell them things, ask questions, answer their questions... but he couldn't. Writing everything down just wasn't practical.

A shiver brought Goku's mind back to the present and he quickly realized that the bath water had cooled down. The Saiyajin popped the drain and climbed out of the tub, quickly grabbing his towel and drying off. After that he slipped on a large robe he'd found in the closet and trekked back into his bedroom. He was surprised to find two sets of clothes waiting for him on the bed. A set of pajamas and some jeans and a button-up shirt to wear tomorrow.

But... that shirt....

Goku moved forward and picked up the garment in question, and he couldn't hold back a laugh when he got a clear view of it.

It was Vegeta's pink 'Badman' shirt.

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Bulma's expression was solemn as she descended down the flight of stairs that would bring her face to face with Dr. Villa. People back at the lab would become suspicious if their leader didn't return soon, so she had to release him. She had a plan, but there was no guarantee it would work. Still, there was no other choice.

After what seemed like an eternity the blue haired woman reached the bottom of the stairs, and it only took a few more steps to reach the cell that held her three prisoners. The men were a little bruised and sore, but otherwise they seemed fine. That was a pity.

Upon seeing Bulma Dr. Villa stood from his seat on a bench and approached the bars that separated them. "You have some nerve; throwing me in here like this. I should have you arrested!"

The woman narrowed her eyes at him. "You drew your weapons on me! I only did what I had to in order to protect myself. The last time I checked, acting in self-defense was completely legal." She paused and glanced at the two guards. "Besides, I did some research. Those two have extensive records and are both wanted by police. Did you know hiring wanted criminals warrants jail time, Dr. Villa?"

The man grit his teeth. She had done her homework.

Bulma continued. "And don't think I didn't have a look around your lab on my way out with Goku. You may have blindfolded me on the way in, but you forgot to do so on the way out. I saw several endangered animals AND illegal substances in there..."

"What is it you want?" Dr. Villa snapped. He had been careless. Yes, he knew involving Bulma would be risky, but he never imagined things would turn out like this. He was looking at not only the demise of his entire life's work, but jail time as well. Right now his main priority was keeping her quiet.

"Just forget about Goku. He never existed. I want you and your 'people' to stay away from anyone with Saiyajin blood and I never want to see or hear from you again. Ever."

For a moment Dr. Villa was silent, and he eyed the woman suspiciously. "That's it? You're going to just let me and my men walk out of here knowing what you know?"

"If you agree to my terms, yes."

".....Alright. I agree then. However, I do still wish to know what happened to Goku."

Bulma smirked. "Just tell the boys back at your lab he died. Bad heart, you know."

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By the time Vegeta had finished his last round of 'after dinner training' and gotten cleaned up, it was nearing 11:00 pm. Usually the prince went to bed much earlier considering he was an early riser, but he'd lost track of time. His mind was in a whirl with the recent events. So much had happened in one day, after all. It was still sinking in that Kakarotto was back, and it seemed like the younger man would be living at Capsule Corp for awhile too. It was all so surreal.

Vegeta paused a few doors away from his own bedroom. When he and Bulma had decided that Bura would be their last child, it became obvious that there was no chemistry between them anymore. In fact, there hadn't been for several years. He enjoyed her company and cared for her, but she wasn't his mate. Bulma felt the same way about him.

So, in order to gain the space he felt he needed without actually leaving, Vegeta had moved his belongings to the west wing of Capsule Corp. There were six bedrooms on this side of the building, and after he'd claimed his own, the other five had remained empty and unused for years.

Until now.

Whether she'd done it intentionally or not, Bulma had given Kakarotto a bedroom two doors away from his own. Vegeta should have been pissed that his quiet little corner had been imposed upon, but he wasn't. It wasn't like the younger Saiyajin was going to keep him up with his annoying chatter all night. No, it might be nice to have some company now and then outside of his gravity room.

Having stopped outside of Goku's room while he thought, Vegeta was about to continue on to his own when something made him pause. The prince strained his ears, and after several quiet moments, he was just barely able to pick up a very faint whimpering noise. The older man took a few steps closer to his fellow Saiyajin's room and he quietly turned the knob and pushed the door open just enough so he could see inside.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light, but soon he was able to see a black tail hanging over the side of the bed. The appendage was curling and uncurling around itself; a clear indication that its' owner was upset. The body that was attached to the tail was also curled up in a tight ball, and Vegeta couldn't help but approach the sleeping man when another sound of distress drifted into his ears.

Soon the prince found himself at the bedside, and now that he could clearly see the other Saiyajin, it was obvious he was having a nightmare. Goku's entire body was tense and his fingers had dug themselves deep into the pillow that he clutched to his chest. His eyes were clenched shut and his jaw was tight as if he were gritting his teeth together. The now nearly constant keening was getting louder and a cold sweat was beginning to form on his skin.

Vegeta raised his hand, hesitating for only a moment before he placed it on Goku's shoulder. He gave the younger Saiyajin a light shake as he murmured his name under his breath.

The response was almost instant.

Dilated black eyes snapped open, and Vegeta was nearly startled off his own feet when Goku sprang up and turned on him with a snarl. The prince was so focused on those gleaming yet clouded eyes that he didn't even see the hand flying toward his face. He did, however, feel it when those clawed fingers dug into his skin, leaving four bleeding scratches on his cheek.

The pain brought Vegeta back to his senses and he caught Goku's wrists when he tried to repeat his attack. "Kakarotto! Snap out of it!"

The prince only had to wait a second for the other Saiyajin to stop struggling, and soon the only sound was that of Goku's ragged breathing. The focus finally returned in his eyes as he locked them with Vegeta's. His body slowly relaxed until he was kneeling on the bed again, and the older man was sure the only thing keeping Kakarotto upright was the grip he still had on his wrists.

Goku's gaze finally left the older man's and instead focused on his left hand. His eyes widened at the blood he saw before they darted to Vegeta's bleeding cheek. A hissing noise escaped his lips and the younger man finally pulled away from the prince's hold and darted into the bathroom.

Vegeta could hear the sound of running water and then Goku was back. He seemed to approach the older Saiyajin with caution, and when he was close enough, he placed a wet cloth against the minor wound.

Vegeta watched with a sense of fascination as Kakarotto fussed over the small cuts. He would pull the cloth away every few seconds to see if the bleeding had stopped, and if it hadn't, he would become increasingly aggravated. He kept shifting his weight back and forth, lashing his tail, and making small noises in his throat.

What bothered the prince the most though, was the fact the younger man's eyes would not meet his own. The black orbs kept darting around the room, to the wound he was treating, his feet, the bed; anywhere except his eyes. What was he afraid of?

Vegeta slowly reached up and took the other's chin in his hand, forcing the Saiyajin to look at him. "Kakarotto, it's alright. You were having a nightmare. I should have expected that kind of response."

Dark eyebrows lowered just a fraction, and the prince could see the doubt in his expression. He let go of Goku's chin and instead took the now bloody cloth from his hand. "I'm not angry with you."

All at once the tension seemed to drain out of the younger man's body, and he sighed in what could have been relief. Vegeta smirked and motioned toward the bed. "Go back to sleep. You'll need your energy if you plan on shopping with the woman tomorrow."

The prince walked back to the door, and he could hear the rustle of the sheets as Goku climbed back into bed. He paused just before walking out.

"If you need anything.... I'm two doors down on the left." Vegeta didn't look back too see if the younger man had heard him before he stepped out and shut the door behind him.

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Goku slept late into the next morning. He hadn't had the luxury of a full nights' sleep in a long time, and even after he'd woken up, the Saiyajin lazily lounged around in bed for nearly an hour before he finally decided to get up.

He took a quick shower and then dressed in the clothes that had been left for him. The jeans fit perfectly, as did the sneakers he'd found tucked under the bed. In fact, the pants even had a tail hole already cut for him. Goku couldn't help but grin when he slipped on Vegeta's pink 'Badman' shirt and buttoned it up. It made him wonder if the prince had actually been the one to leave it or if it had been Bulma.

After brushing his teeth, running his fingers through his hair, and smoothing the fur on his tail, Goku finally opened his bedroom door and quickly made his way downstairs. He'd stolen a glance at the clock right before he'd left his room and the bright red numbers read 10:45 am. The Saiyajin had forgotten that Bulma had wanted to take him to the mall today, and he hoped she wasn't upset about having to wait so long for him. He knew that ChiChi liked to start shopping early, and on those days she would go crazy if he wasn't up and ready to go by 7:00 am.

Goku was still fiddling with the collar on his shirt when he entered the kitchen. Capsule Corp was a big place, and he figured that was the best spot to start searching for the older woman.

Bulma looked up from her newspaper and smiled when the Saiyajin hurried into the kitchen. He looked well rested, but tense. She had no idea why.

"Hey, sleepyhead! I heard you coming down the stairs, so I set your breakfast out in case you were hungry. I've been keeping it warm since eight o'clock. Oh, and heeey! Is that Vegeta's famous 'Badman' shirt? You look better in pink than he does!"

The woman laughed at the blush that crept over the younger man's nose as he smiled and sat down across from her. She waited until he began to eat before speaking again. "Hey, don't worry about sleeping so late. You obviously needed it. I'm usually a late sleeper too, ya know. I was only up so early today because I heard Vegeta shouting about a malfunction with the gravity chamber. I swear that man breaks the stupid machine for attention!"

Goku could feel himself relaxing as Bulma rattled on about her morning. He was relieved that she wasn't upset with him for sleeping so late. The Saiyajin had just gotten so used to ChiChi being angry with him over every little thing that he supposed he was just naturally leery of women now.

Goku was about halfway through his meal when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he jumped at the sudden contact. He hadn't heard anyone coming.

"Hey, Goku! Long time no see, buddy!"

The Saiyajin blinked and looked up at Yamcha, who was beaming down at him. The scarred man sat down beside him a moment later. "Bulma called me last night and told me you were back. Oh, and don't worry, I know you can't talk. That's so crazy that you lost your voice when you gave your ki over to the dragon!"

Goku raised an eyebrow and looked at Bulma in bewilderment. The woman smiled and nodded. "I hope you don't mind, but I asked Yamcha to come shopping with us today... You know, to help carry everything. I told him about your time with the dragon and how you decided to just give that overgrown reptile your ki after nearly six years so you could come home. He was as baffled as me when I told him you lost your voice as a side-effect. I'm sure it's only temporary though."

After taking a moment to absorb what Bulma had told him Goku smiled at her and then Yamcha before turning back to his meal. The older woman was truly a thoughtful friend. She'd made up a completely different story to save him from having to deal with the pity of the others, and he couldn't have been more thrilled. He'd been dreading meeting back up with his family and friends, and he didn't think he could bring himself to tell them what had really happened in the past several years. It just wasn't something you wanted people to know about.

Bulma took a sip of her coffee in order to hide her smile as she watched the younger man happily go about finishing off his breakfast. She'd been worried he might have been upset that she'd asked Yamcha to come over and that she had altered the story behind his reappearance a bit, but now she was confident that she'd done the right thing. No one had to know what had happened to him; not unless he wanted them to know.

Yamcha laughed when Goku pushed his plate away and patted his stomach. "Man, I never thought I'd see the day when a single helping filled you up. And you know, it really wasn't fair that you didn't age like the rest of us before, but now you're a teenager again! I don't think I'll live long enough to see you get your first wrinkle."

The Saiyajin just smiled and gave an apologetic shrug.

Bulma finished off the last sip in her coffee mug before standing up. "Alright! You boys ready for a day of shopping?!"

Both men moaned.

"Move it!"

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It took longer to find a parking spot at the mall than it did to drive there, but they finally managed to find a spot. Unfortunately, it took another ten minutes just to walk to the enormous building after that. By the time the trio had stepped inside, both Goku and Yamcha were already winded.

Bulma inhaled deeply and placed her hands on her hips. "Mmm! I LOVE that mall smell!"

The woman grabbed a hold of each man's hand and dragged them along to the first of what would be hundreds of clothing stores.

"This place is great for casual wear! Look at this adorable shirt, Goku! It looks like it's your size too!"

Goku squeaked in surprise when a colorful garment was thrust into his face, and he had to lean back a little just so his eyes could focus on it. The shirt was sky blue with white fluffy clouds on it. Not only that, but there were colorful birds and airplanes crisscrossing everywhere.

The Saiyajin heard Yamcha snort in amusement behind him and he pushed the shirt aside and looked at Bulma with an expression that clearly said, "you must have lost your mind."

The blue haired woman frowned. "No? But why not? It's so cute!"

Goku huffed and folded his arms in front of him when Bulma held the garment up to him again to see what it would look like if he wore it, and Yamcha finally stepped up when he saw the Saiyajin's tail lashing behind him.

"Uh, Bulma.. Keep in mind that Goku may look young, but he's an adult.... and I doubt even a teenager would wear THAT thing."

"Hmph! Fine! What would you pick out then?" she asked as she begrudgingly placed the offensive shirt back on the rack.

Yamcha looked around the store for a moment before he gasped and grabbed a black shirt with white print on it. He spun around and held it up to Goku triumphantly. "Perfect! I should get one for myself!"

The Saiyajin read the shirt and rolled his eyes. The front read 'Chick Magnet'. Goku glanced around and smiled when he spotted a different shirt, and he plucked it off the shelf and stood next to the older man before holding it up to himself so Bulma could see it.

She burst out laughing immediately. "Oh, now THAT is perfect!"

"What is it?" Yamcha asked. He leaned forward a little so he could read the shirt. It read 'He's still a virgin' and there was an arrow pointing toward Yamcha with a picture of a laughing school girl. "Ah! Put that down before someone sees!"

The former desert bandit grabbed the shirt, balled it up, and hid it under a stack of clothes. "I think we should try another store."

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Two hours later....

"Bulma," Yamcha whined as he adjusted a few bags on his arm. "Are we almost done?"

The blue haired woman laughed as if he'd made a joke. "Of course not! We've just barely covered the first floor! This mall is six stories high!"

The older man felt like crying. "Can't I at least drop all these bags off at the car? They're getting heavy!"

"Lucky for you this mall has drop-off stations. Come with me. We'll lock all this stuff up in storage and come back for it later."

Bulma led the two men over to what appeared to be another store, but when they stepped inside, it looked more like a post office. She walked up to the counter and smiled at the woman working there. "Hi! I'd like to rent a storage area for the next several hours. The man I brought to carry the bags is tired."

The employee threw Yamcha a mock pout. "Oh, you poor baby! Don't you worry, you can leave all those heavy bags here."

Goku sweat dropped as the woman, who was no bigger than Bulma, came around the counter and took each and every bag away from Yamcha, and she walked back around the counter and disappeared into the back. A moment later she returned and handed Bulma a key. "Ok! It'll be here when you're ready for it!"

"Thanks!"

Yamcha cast the employee a fearful look and turned to follow Bulma out. He pulled Goku close and leaned down. "She was freakishly strong..."

The Saiyajin just looked at him.

"No, really! Those bags were really heavy! She's not human!"

"MmHm."

"Goku!"

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Several MORE hours later...

By the time they'd reached the forth floor the trio had had to deposit their bags at three different storing stations. Goku now had more clothes than he'd ever owned in his life and he wasn't even sure if his closet was big enough to hang it all. Bulma had insisted on buying anything she caught the Saiyajin's eye lingering on for more than a second though, saying that he deserved to have some nice things. It was a little awkward, but it would be nice to have choices when it came to his daily outfits. Goku had even found a store that sold gis and other workout clothes, and he quickly jumped on the opportunity to get some in his size.

Clothes weren't the only thing Bulma bought for him though. She'd let Goku pick out some items for his room too. Since his bedroom had hardwood floors, the Saiyajin picked out a couple of throw rugs to brighten it up. He also picked out new bed sheets and a comforter. What really caught Goku's interest though were some pillows. He'd come across an entire aisle filled with colorful pillows made from fuzzy ultra soft material, and he couldn't keep his hands off them. The Saiyajin had hummed as he rubbed his cheek against the soft material, and when Yamcha came around the corner looking for him, Goku pressed the pillow against his face so he could feel it too.

"Hey, are you about do----Mmmmm! That's nice..."

Needless to say, between Yamcha and Goku, they left that store with an entire cart full of those pillows.

However, now it was getting late. Even Bulma, a seasoned shopper, was beginning to tire. Yamcha's complaining was louder than ever, and Goku, who still wasn't used to so much activity, was practically dead on his feet.

"Ok, guys. I think that's enough for today. Let's go pick up all our things and go home." Bulma said as she stood up from the bench they were all sitting on. She waited for her shopping buddies to get up too, though they were much slower about it. Yamcha was the first to get back on his feet, then Goku. The Saiyajin took two steps before he decided that it wasn't happening, and he parked himself right back on the bench.

Bulma grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back up. "Come ooooon. The sooner you get up the sooner you'll be able to get back in bed with all your new pillows."

As tempting as that sounded, Goku's body just wouldn't cooperate, and the Saiyajin went limp and made the same sound a disgruntled two year old would make when they didn't want to do something.

The blue haired woman dropped his hand and sighed as she turned and looked at Yamcha for help.

The ex-fighter's shoulders slumped. "Ok, I guess since he saved my ass about a dozen times I can help him out THIS time."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's SO big of you."

Yamcha completely missed her sarcasm. "I know, I know. I'm a great guy." He turned away from Goku and knelt down. "Come on, I'll carry you to the car."

The Saiyajin scrunched up his nose at the idea of someone carrying him. He wasn't some woman!

The older man grinned over his shoulder. "Oooor, I guess we could just leave you here and pick you up tomorrow..."

In less than a second Yamcha felt Goku jump onto his back and he laughed as the younger man wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He hooked his arms under the Saiyajin's knees and pushed himself to his feet. He was surprised at how light Goku was... and how good he smelled.

The scarred man blinked at that last thought. Since when did he notice how another man smelled? Or rather, when had he ever liked it?

"Hello! Earth to Yamcha! Move it! And don't worry about carrying any bags; I'm just going to put everything into capsules."

Yamcha looked up and gave a small 'eep' when he saw how far away Bulma already was, and he rushed to catch up as quickly as possible without jostling his passenger too much. Goku had rested his head on his shoulder, and judging from the deep and even bursts of warm breath he could feel tickling his neck every few seconds, the Saiyajin was already asleep.

To be continue...