Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. This is a nonprofit story.

This story is AU (obviously, it's fanfiction). Some characters will be OOC to different degrees (Sorry any Chi-Chi fans). Influence is mostly manga, but some of the anime. Names will mostly be anime as that is what most people are used to.

Chapter one: Second Chances

As the fog lifted from Vegeta's mind, slowly everything around him came back into focus. Lack of feeling from his body made him realize he had none. Just a formless mass of soul. Around him other souls waited, tittering amongst themselves as the queue slowly snaked forward.

Memories flowed back. Green Namekian sky. Frieza's killing blast to his heart. Baring his soul to Kakarot, that if it were not for the tyrant enslaving him at such a young age, he might have turned out much differently. Pleading with his fellow Saiyan to avenge the death of their race and destruction of their homeworld. Then utter darkness.

So he was dead. Millions of souls would no doubt rejoice at his passing in much the same fashion as he had done to them. Now he awaited his time of judgement. He wondered why they even bothered with the line for souls such as his. He had no illusions about where he was heading. The last prince of an extinct race, soon to join his kin in hell.

No, he corrected himself, not quite extinct ... yet. Kakarot and his halfling son still lived. At least for the moment. Frieza would surely be sending them to the afterlife as well soon.

Thoughts of the brat made him mentally scowl. So much wasted potential. He'd seen what the child could do, and at such a young age. The boy couldn't be more than 4 or 5. He still had chubby baby fat clinging to his frame. He'd developed almost a respect for the whelp on Namek. At the battle on Earth, he'd momentarily considered grabbing the child and whisking him away to mold into a true warrior as the boy's father had obviously been neglecting his training. It was only a fleeting thought, though. He had his own hide to save as he was barely able to drag himself into his summoned pod and escape.

A horned office worker nudged his vaporous form, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Hey! You're up. It's not good to keep King Yemma waiting."

Soon he floated before a massive desk. The giant, red judge of the dead regarded him with a critical eye. "So the last of the blood thirsty Saiyans finally stands before me. Let's get the formalities over with and speed you off to hell."

Opening a book, the looming ogre read some before speaking. "Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans. Purger of planets. Slaughterer of millions. Your ledger is far into the red. You'll have a long punishment in hell before your soul is cleansed and recycled for another try. My judgement is passed. Off to hell with ..." He paused startled, as the halo above the cloud shaped soul vanished. "Well now," he said pondering, "It seems you've been granted a second chance at life by someone's doing."

The last words the soul heard before everything went black again were "I wouldn't waste it if I were you. Get some black in your ledger before we meet again and I may reduce your sentence."

o-o-o-o-o

Darkness. All he knew was darkness and oppressive, airless entombment. The fire in his lungs drove him to claw his way out of the Namekian soil.

'Buried. I was buried. Someone cared enough to show me dignity in death. Probably that sentimental fool, Kakarot.' he thought.

Finally catching his breath, he stared at the distance in awe. 'What is this massive power I feel? There are two of them. One must be Frieza, but who is the other?' he wondered for a moment before everything shifted and he was staring at blue sky, green grass, and trees. The feel of the massive chi's was gone. 'Where am I now?'

Sounds filled his ears. Excited whispers and joyous shouts. 'This looks like Earth.' A glance around seemed to confirm his suspicions as he saw Namekians scattered around talking excitedly to the blue haired Earth woman and Kakarot's whelp. Somehow they were the cause of this with those dragonballs. His resurrection was a mistake he knew. No one would ever have willingly wished him back from the dead. However, he wasn't one to overlook a gift. He planned to put off his next trip to otherworld and it's waiting punishment for as long as he could. With a sigh he leaned back on a tree near where he had materialized. Perhaps they would all leave soon without noticing him. Then he could slip off to figure out what he was going to do with this life.

The chattering of the Nameks drew his attention again.

Guru, the torpid ancient father of the Namekians, was explaining to his offspring what had transpired. "This is Earth, my children. The Earth's guardian wished back everyone killed by that vile Frieza and his minions. Then the great Porunga was asked to bring us all here before our world was ripped apart."

'So that's why I'm alive' was the first thought that crossed Vegeta's mind.

"Great Elder! We can't find anyone from Elder Caracol's village!" Moori, the Namekian elder cried.

With an evil smirk, Vegeta spoke from his relaxed position against the tree. "That would probably be the village I destroyed. The wish was for everyone killed by Frieza and his men. To bad I wasn't one of his men."

Looks of disbelief and anger crossed the faces of the Namekians. This monster that slaughtered their kind was casually looking at them with arrogance etched in every fiber of his body. Before they could decide on their next course of action, seven large stone balls crashed heavily into the ground beside the group.

Guru spoke in rattling breath. "I see the dragonballs have followed us from Namek. That is good. My time is at an end. Moori please step closer."

The eldest of Guru's children rushed to his side.

"When I pass you will become the great elder, Moori. The guardianship of the dragonballs will pass to you. In time their brilliance will shine again. Use them wisely. Find a new home where our people can live in peace." With a final shuddering breath, the massive body of Guru stilled, then slowly faded from existence.

Gohan stood beside Piccolo, quietly thanking Dende for healing his mentor. 'It's great to be back on Earth! I thought we were all going to explode with planet Namek!' His thoughts turned dark with worry. 'Daddy...'

Just then Bulma turned towards the trio, away from her intense search of the crowd. "Hey, where are Goku and Krillin? They aren't here!"

A look of worry crossed Gohan's young face. "Frieza killed Krillin. Daddy stayed to fight because of Krillin. He transformed into something new. All bright and gold and full of power. He said he will come back to Earth."

Bulma and Piccolo had startled looks on their faces, quickly followed by confusion for Bulma. "But if Frieza killed Krillin, where is he? Shouldn't he have come back to life?"

"It's because of the dragonballs. If you've been brought back to life before, you can't be brought back again." Gohan stared dejectedly at the ground. In their journey to Namek and battles there, the two had grown rather close. Gohan felt that Krillin was like a big brother, and he would miss his friend.

At this Dende spoke up in his quiet voice. "Is that how Earth's dragonballs work? You can only be brought back to life once? Our Namek dragonballs can revive you as many times as needed as long as it wasn't a natural death. But they can only bring back one person at a time."

Bulma and Gohan's faces brightened at this. Gohan jumped in the air with excitement at having his friend and battle partner back. "Yes! That means we can ask to use the Namekian dragonballs and bring Krillin back."

He danced around excitedly like the child he was. "Now we just have to wait and wish Daddy back to Earth as well."

Gohan turned to look at Bulma who had a faraway look in her eyes like she was concentrating on something. "Are you ok, Bulma?"

After a few moments, Bulma looked down at the boy with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Gohan. King Kai was just talking to me. He said that planet Namek exploded and that your father is dead." She took a deep shuddering breath to steady her nerves. "And we can't wish him back because he'd reappear where he died and since there is no planet there anymore he'd just die again. I'm so sorry, Gohan." She pulled the stunned child into her arms, sharing in his misery.

The group of Nameks had fallen silent as Bulma had began to speak of King Kai's words. Now they stood quietly with no one knowing what to say to comfort the pair. A deep voice flowed across the clearing in the silence. "You humans are idiots. Just use more than one wish. Earth has a check in station. Just wish Kakarot back there, then wish him back to life." Everyone had turned their stunned faces to look at Vegeta as he spoke.

Bulma gave a bright smile to the alien prince. "You're a genius! We can get Goku back!"

Vegeta turned his head away from her with a grunt.

Gohan bounced up to Vegeta in excitement, holding out his hand to the Prince. Vegeta swatted the boy's hand away. "Don't get the wrong idea, whelp. I'm not helping you out of kindness. I just want to see this Super Saiyan that your father transformed into for myself." With that he pushed off from the tree and stalked off.

Regaining her composure, Bulma turned back to the Namekians with a smile. "Since all of you have no home for the moment, you can all come stay with me. We have plenty of space."

Elder Moori stepped forward to her. "That is very kind of you, but we don't wish to intrude. We will find ourselves a suitable planet, and then when our dragonballs become active again, we will wish to go there."

Bulma gave him a bigger grin. "That's great! I'll help you look for a planet, but in the meantime I insist you stay with me. We have tons of space." She turned and looked off in the distance. "I think I saw a farmhouse. Let me go ask them if I can make a phone call and I'll get my Dad to bring us some transport." She gave a wave and skipped off in the direction she thought she'd seen the house.

A little while later, Bulma was back with the group. "Ok, Dad is on the way. He should be here in half an hour or so."

Bulma turned in a circle, searching her gaze across the meadow. The Saiyan still scared her, but he'd done nothing to hurt anyone since they had gotten to Earth and had even helped out with the Goku issue. She couldn't just leave him to his own devices. Who knew what he would do. Spying the shape of black hair on the edge of the trees, she strolled over, stopped just close enough to be heard. "Hey, Vegeta. You can stay at my place too. I know you don't have anywhere to go. We have food and there is space to train. You just can't hurt anyone." She grinned wide. "Oh, and no touching me. I mean I know I'm irresistible but you have to keep your hands to yourself.

Vegeta snorted and closed his eyes. "Vulgar earth woman."

Her good deed done, Bulma made her way back towards the Nameks.

A tugging on her pant leg drew her attention and she looked down to see a depressed Gohan. "What's the matter, Gohan? Aren't you glad to be back? I'm sure your mother will be happy to see you."

At her words, Gohan's face seemed to grow darker. "I'm not so sure about that, Bulma. During the last year or so I've only seen Mom for the little bit when Daddy and I were in the hospital, then I got to go home while Daddy stayed there. Mom wasn't the Mom I remembered. She got mean and would hit me a lot. She'd call me filth with disgusting alien blood." The boy choked back a sob that was forming. "I don't want to go back Auntie Bulma. Can't I stay with you? Mom doesn't let me do anything but study until my mind is numb and I can't sit still."

He looked down and his feet and traced some lines in the dirt. Looking up at her he pleaded. "Please? I didn't even know my Daddy had family until the trip to Namek. I wondered why your parents were hugging and squeezing me so much before we left. Then you told me how they had adopted my Daddy after you found him. I didn't know I had a grandma and grandpa. I want to stay with them. It's like Mom wants to get rid of everything that makes Daddy who he is."

'Boy, I think he's reading to much into things. I guess I'll have to humor him for a while. He'll see that everything isn't as bad as he thinks in a bit.' Bulma gave the boy's small shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sure it's not that bad. We'll talk to your mother and I bet she'll let you come visit regularly."

Gohan frowned. "I don't know." But he didn't say anything more and sat down to wait for the coming aircraft.

Soon a distant hum was heard and Bulma jumped up from her seat. "That will be my Dad."

A large, yellow transport aircraft came into view. The Capsule Corporation logo decorating it's side. Everyone stood back as the large ship settled to the ground and the back began to open.

Rushing out of the plane before the ramp was barely down, a black haired woman in traditional garb bellowed one name, "Gohan!"

Said child started trembling at the sound of the voice. He knew what was coming and he really didn't want to face her. He'd much rather face Frieza again. All he could do was hope that she had changed some since he last saw her. 'Please, please, let Mom not be the mean person she was after the battle with the Saiyans.' Memories of the pain she had inflicted upon him for his disobedience in not returning to her as soon his father's battle with his uncle was over flashed through his head.

Upon seeing her son, Chi-chi swiftly steamed over and grabbed him by the ear, practically hauling him fully off the ground by it. Quickly looking she looked the boy over and noticing the muscles bulging under his baby fat, her face turned livid in rage.

"He's turned into a thug! I mean just look at him! Normal little 5 year old boys don't look like this! He's supposed to be soft and pudgy, not look like some steroid fueled freak! I won't have it! My baby is going to be a normal, shy scholar!" Chi-chi screeched to the world.

Everyone looked on in bewilderment at the outburst. Piccolo glared at the woman, fists clenching in anger at the treatment of his student. Not really knowing human customs, he internally debated on interfering with the boy's mother.

Finally, Bulma spoke in defense of the boy, the nephew that she'd grown extremely fond of over the trip. "Normal boys run around, play, and have fun. Normal 5 year olds aren't doing senior year physics. What you've been forcing him to do isn't anywhere near normal. He's had fun learning martial arts and having adventures. I'd say he's a perfectly normal little boy."

Fuming, Bulma crossed her arms and stared at the woman. 'Damn. I guess Gohan was right. Hopefully this is as bad as she gets.'

Chi-chi glared at the blue haired woman before continuing her screaming rant. "Are you saying I don't know how to raise my child? I don't see you with any children, so you have no right to say anything about how I raise my son! No more martial arts! No more fighting aliens or having adventures! Just a normal life of books and more books! Bowing down to his mother's will. That is how a proper child should be raised!"

Bulma stared dumbfounded at the insane woman before her. "Hey!" she shouted, "I don't have to have a child to know that what you're doing to him is wrong! Everyone can see it!"

Chi-chi ignored her and continued on with her rant, punctuating each sentence with a smack to Gohan's free ear. "Oh, that husband of mine! I would never have married him if I knew he was some sort of alien freak! I will not have my son be one, too, I'll beat it out of him until he has no will or thoughts other than his studies! The only thing he should ever think about is his books! That's it! Bars on his bedroom window and he will be locked in until it's time to send him off to university! He'll study day and night! Only short breaks for sleep and meals, he doesn't need anything else! I will mold him into what I want! Then after he graduates as a great scholar, he can get a high paying job and I'll live like queen I was destined to be!"

'What the hell?' thought Bulma. 'What type of woman did Goku marry? She didn't seem like this at the tournament. Why would he stay with her if all she wanted was to mentally and physically abuse their child?'

Straightening to full height, Bulma started moving to intervene in the abused being rained down upon the boy. Steps away she was abruptly brushed aside and Chi-chi was hauled into the air by her throat. Confusion brushed over her mind as she recognized the form of the Saiyan Prince holding the woman away from the child. Anger and killing intent radiated from his very being.

Vegeta could feel the rage growing inside him as he held the woman by her fragile neck. "How dare you!" he hissed. "This boy is of Saiyan blood, even if he is a mongrel half-breed! He deserves to be treated with respect by you pitiful humans. His potential is far beyond what you weaklings could ever hope to accomplish, and you want to kill it and force him to be some lap dog that's less than human." He shook the woman like a rag doll.

A glance at the quivering child on the ground fueled his anger higher. No Saiyan would ever grovel on the ground again if he had any say in it. "You're wanting to do worse to him than Frieza did to me! To kill his spirit and drive him out of his mind! Saiyans MUST fight! It's torture to prevent it!"

Gohan scrambled to his feet, tears streaked down his face from the previous pain. In a stuttering voice he spoke, "Please, she's my mom." His voice dropped to a whisper, "Please don't kill her."

Disgusted, Vegeta tossed the woman to the ground several feet from them. He still snarled with rage. "I won't allow it! He's the closest to kin I have. He shall learn of his heritage and how to harness it. I'll make him into a true warrior," he spat. Then in one swift movement, and with a surprised gasp from Gohan, he hauled the child over his shoulder and flew off into the distance at great speed.

Giving a low growl, Piccolo concentrated for a moment. Feeling for the chi of the departing Saiyans he then launched himself after them.

Chi-chi's ragged gasps for air were the only sound to pierce the air for a few moments as her lungs sought oxygen.

Bulma turned to her with fire in her eyes, and paused only a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking. "See! You're a horrible mother when even a psychotic alien monkey with a great dislike for Gohan can't even stand to see how you treat him."

'I sure hope Gohan will be alright.' Then she turned on her heel with a huff and marched into the waiting transport, calling for the Namekians to join her so that they might make their way to her home and their temporary living quarters.

Glancing at each other over the scene that they had just witnessed, the aliens made their way onto the aircraft, being careful to give the gasping black haired woman a great deal of space.