Keep Me

Standard Disclaimers...

Exactly three months later...

The roar of the crowd was deafening.

His opponent was sweating, tried, tired, and losing steam fast. One eye was shut swollen by blood. The other was glazed over with the breaking point of his body and mind as he stared into the cool demeanor of the one that mocked him and all he'd come to accomplish.

He didn't openly scoff at him, but it did look bad.

He wiped the sweat from his face, wondering why someone thought today of all days would be a good day to have a bout. It was hotter than ever, and his shirt bit the dust about seven rounds ago and hadn't been picked back up. The scars on his arms and torso gleamed, badges of his many fights and survival. The gentleman before him hadn't anything of the like, and that gash on his forehead was probably new to him as well.

There was nothing more satisfying to see than one's ego taken apart when they knew nothing of the true art of fighting for one's honor.

"Take him down Vegeta!" someone screamed. "We want to see some real action!"

He cocked his head a little, smirked at the tired man, and punched him before he could back up. Down he went with a loud familiar thud, the blood from his nose oozing into his mouth as he lie knocked out before the world. The missing tooth wasn't part of the plan. Pretty boy was most likely going to think twice again before hopping into the ring thinking he would take it all because of the "undefeated" title in his name.

The announcer yelled that it was all over. The ref came, waved the flag, and declared it official. Vegeta hopped off of the edge of stage, ignoring the crowds mixture of cheering mingled with the jeers of those riding on the back of that novice being dragged off. He was more focused on his own little cheering section standing off to the side, consisting of Daikin, Goku, and his sleeping brat princess.

"You most likely redefined his ego and his face," Daikin smirked. "How's it feel?"

"Like any other time I wreck something. Satisfying." He put a light hand on his daughter's slumbering head, laughing a little when she didn't stir. "They're the ones paying money to see a good fight. I can't just opt to knock him out no matter how annoying he was."

"Oh, he was more than that. Wouldn't last fifteen minutes in a real fight."

"Now you're being nice."

"You still haven't told me what you plan on doing with it all."

"I'm using it for her mostly." Goku shifted her from his chest to Vegeta's arms, smiling to himself as Vegeta easily took her and held her like the precious bundle she was. Her dark curls framed her cherub face, the resemblance of her sire had he been female. Her smile was all Goku, and her tendency to coo and spittle against her little hand in her sleep was too adorable for words. Vegeta was already thinking about the first boy that tried to start something with her.

The boy was not going to live to think about it.

That wasn't for a long time. For now, he was determined to get that money and use it like he said. It would be for her, mostly, but there was a waiting house for them in a remote area much further than their current one. It was waiting to be opened, moved into, and made into a proper home; waiting for them to start their new lives and find some peace with their little unexpected treasure.

"She's not going to see the ugliness of the world for a long time," he said softly. "I've made many mistakes…and I've no right to think for a second I can make up for them. But I am going to make sure she has a good life…and whatever others come along will have the same."

"Not happening for a long while," Goku chuckled. "Now that we know what to look for, it'll be easier to keep the surprises to a minimum."

Vegeta smiled softly in agreement. As much as he adored his new little girl, they'd had enough issues with her arrival to steer them clear of any more right now. He gave Goku the once over, satisfied that he didn't look as worn out as he had a month prior. It surprised him just how much he meant it now when he said he'd protect them. The ferocity beneath it was intense, and more than welcome in the coming moments.

Daikin, only visiting to watch Vegeta fight in person, pointed out the next opponent coming towards them. Out of pure reflex he bristled. It lasted a second, nothing longer, but it was seen and accepted for what it was. His eldest child, looking well rested and more than willing to give him a good fight, sauntered up to him with a greeting on his lips.

Vegeta tucked their daughter back into Goku's waiting arms. "It figures I would have to fight my son."

"Yeah, well…it's probably best that we do this here and pretend we mean it, huh."

Possibly. He knew that there were others sitting around the stands acting as if they couldn't be seen. Vegeta had seen Bulma and Bra long before and stealthy avoided them and their glaring looks. They had a right to be angry but he would not allow that anger to reach the child that hadn't asked for any of this. "You're looking well." He wasn't going to talk about them. Not with Goku tense behind him.

"I am well," Trunks assured. "I've had a lot of time to think. Mom's pissed at me now."

"Because?"

"I'm not running the company. I don't want to, and frankly it's boring. I'd rather do something else," he admitted, "Something that I like to do and not something that I have to do."

"Good. You work things out with your partner in crime?"

The mention of him had Trunks looking backwards. "Somewhat. We still don't see completely eye to eye, but this isn't a situation anyone can really voice their opinions about without looking at both sides of the coin." He looked back at his father, and then at Goku staring at him quietly in a way that made him mourn the death of that lively spirit two months ago. "Everyone is still a little raw about the situation, but what is done can't be undone. You did what you had to, and if you hadn't…well, I'd hate to think about it."

"Yeah."

"Did you decide on a name? You didn't answer my email."

"I changed it…and I haven't gotten around to messing with my contact list," Vegeta sighed. "But yeah, she's got a name. I'll let Kakorrot tell you while I go deal with your guests."

Trunks let Vegeta slip past him, approaching Goku smiling shyly at him. Trunks' reaction was the less severe of everyone's. His initial shock had only morphed into silence, but he came around to support them when they needed it the most. Telling everyone had been the nightmare Vegeta knew it would be. One person or two in their corner was better than none.

Vegeta walked quickly and quietly to where he knew they would be waiting. He found them perched against the wall of the entrance to the arena, minding the fight half heartedly. The fighters were both novices of equal rank, so this was going to take a while. It was just as well. It gave him more time to contemplate explaining how he'd explain defeating his boy, which Trunks was half expecting. The semi finals were just about over.

The finals between he and the sons that hadn't spoken to him directly in quite some time were about to commence.

Goten turned his eyes away from Vegeta. It wasn't a show of defiance or disregard. His anger had not completely abated, but his shame was clear and present. Vegeta wanted to shove his face into the wall just to get him to understand that it was normal to feel that way. He didn't have to put on an air of politeness for his sake. They didn't like one another and probably would never come to that point. It was a sad way to look at things, but Vegeta was a realist.

Gohan, on the other hand, did look at him. He met him head on, the slight glare softening itself into defeat and acceptance. It wasn't acceptance for how it all happened, but that it had and there wasn't much anyone could do about it. It could have gone so many ways. Left, right, up, down…Vegeta could have stepped back and ran like most assholes tended to do. But he hadn't. He'd stayed. He'd done the responsible thing.

THAT was the piece that was so hard to fit into the mold Gohan had known for most of his life.

"I just…wanted to say…that I'm glad you helped him," Gohan said. "And…that I'm sorry for blowing up the way I did."

"Don't apologize for something you don't mean." Gohan bristled and Vegeta held up a hand to stop him. "You're not sorry you blew up. It was to be expected. Don't lie to yourself and apologize for something everyone was entitled to. The truth can be an ugly thing, Gohan. You don't have to hear it from me to know."

That was true enough. Gohan sighed and looked at the dirt floor scuffled with shoe prints and cigarette butts. Vegeta was the epitome of such an expression. Things happened. Terrible things, good things…odd things that had them wondering about their lot in life and what it all means. Everyone had been so focused on that awful truth that they forgot about their own issues…their hidden guilt about certain things and what happened in the dark as that piece of it came to light.

The fights that had broken out; the side taking, the name calling…

Even now as they stared at one another, sides were changing, shifting, warring…

"She didn't ask for this," Vegeta said. "And I don't believe for one second that we're going to be friends for her sake. I've never asked anyone anything…and I'm not about to now. I'm telling you…if you plan on being in her life, do it now. Don't bring our shit on her head. It's bad enough that it even happened, but I will NOT make her pay for it."

"Vegeta…"

"I mean it. If you can't respect that, then leave us alone. People have a reason to hate me and I accept that. I accept all I've done and the wrongs I've done. I'm not about to let Kakorrot suffer because he made the choice to do something most will never do."

"Yeah well, we didn't know the whole story," Goten said softly. "We only heard one version, and not the entire truth. We are really sorry about...everything."

"I don't need apologies." He'd heard enough of them in this lifetime to make him sick. "Go straighten things out with your father. He was not aware it could happen and I'd been here too long to think about that like I should have…he wasn't forced into it like most of you think."

Their obvious guilt of jumping to the wrong conclusions reflected on their cheeks. Someone only had to yell one thing and all hell broke loose. There was no rape, no forced conception…no pity child. Just life, and it took them a little too long to realize that this shit happened on a day to day basis all around them.

That whole thing of never happening to one's self? It just blew up in their faces and left them disoriented.

"Shit…" He moved and grabbed them by their wrist or shirt with no give to his grip when he dragged them out into the open. "You people and your stubbornness make me look like a fucking saint." He headed for his mate, conversing with Daikin about something. Trunks was already headed for them, surprised at what he saw but not stupid enough to get in the way. Vegeta dragged them until they were half way there, stopping abruptly and swinging around them to shove them forward. "Just go, damn it!"

"Vegeta, wait a minute—"

"Grow some balls," he snapped. "Go do it now. I've got a match to warm up for. And don't let me catch you upsetting him!"

His retort shocked them. It shocked him the first time he said it. Vegeta did mean it. He wasn't going to put up with them upsetting Goku in any way. He walked off, sure that they would go see Goku. It would take them a few moments, but they would go and some fences would be mended.

He walked back to the fighter's waiting area and listened. Being a saiyan did have its perks, and spying by way of hearing was a plus in this case. Like he thought, they did wander over. It took a moment too long for conversation to start. It did eventually wander into awkward stumbling and struggling to say something more than the obvious, but it was better than not saying anything at all.

They'd waited a whole month before telling the others. Goku wasn't up to it or doing much else than caring for their daughter. His delivery had been taxing on his energies and he'd lost more blood than expected. She was large for a first, and the birth canal had torn. Of course there was the explaining that once it formed it would never go away, which was another issue for Goku to contend with. It was a lot to deal with, and getting sick later didn't help anyone. Goku was miserable, their daughter unaware of her bearer's plight, and he was caught in the crosshairs trying to deal with it all.

There was no way Goku could have handled a confrontation then. Vegeta didn't even want him to handle it when it did happen. Goku, despite his simple nature, did have something he had admired secretly for a long while. He had a drive to face anything head on and take what was given for what it was.

Goku's return from seclusion was of no surprise to anyone that knew him. He did that when he was training, and they'd seen him last when his stomach was starting to pronounce itself. They'd assumed that the gathering was to celebrate his return and his newly reformed body, but seeing Vegeta and their child behind him had caused all thoughts of celebration to die quickly.

That day killed something inside of his mate. Goku wouldn't say so. Vegeta knew, and it pained him to remember the nightmares that plagued him for a solid week. Goku wouldn't allow their daughter out of his sight or venture outside past the shoreline. He was destroyed by their reactions.

Vegeta had been expecting it. It didn't hurt him like they thought. He hurt more for Goku because he was unwittingly naïve about his race and all it was capable of. Humans assumed too much, and if the talking animals were not conviction enough, humans didn't quite know shit about anything. They assumed everyone was like everyone and when it was proven wrong, they reacted like hell had risen.

His son slipped to stand aside him, the fight before them over with a lucky punch. The guy went down like lead and the crowd erupted. Goku wasn't paying attention. He was minding their slightly fussing daughter now annoyed with the noise and looking for her midday meal. Goten and Gohan were still with him, looks of realization hitting them. Daikin shook his head at them and their dismal knowledge of life.

Vegeta had the distinct feeling that their child would not see many of the others until she was much older.

That was fine by him.

"Yamcha said he'd swing by later with gifts," Trunks mentioned. "He's set on spoiling his goddaughter."

"Oh?" Yamcha was the other surprising twist in this drama. Once he'd heard the initial gist of it, he'd hopped on their side without question. It might have had something to do with his travels, his experience, or the speech he'd delivered stating that 'all of you are not as fucking innocent as you make yourselves to be', but his support kept Goku from shattering completely. "Where is he anyhow?"

"At work. I swung by before I came here."

"And just who's here that you know about and I don't?"

"Same people," Trunks snorted. "Mom, Bra, and I think I saw Krillin somewhere. Videl isn't here. Pan isn't here. No one else is coming or wants to be found."

"I figured."

"Do you think they'll ever come around?"

"I don't expect them to. I will never expect it." It kept people from being disappointed. "If they do, it's up to them."

"And...Do you plan on doing this again?"

This? No. Not this. Not this situation where they were trying to remain as they were when in fact they were not. Vegeta let his gaze linger on Goku. They would not repeat this, the here and now, but some piece of him knew that there would be another child down the line.

Possibly another son.

"Dad?"

"We'll leave that up to whatever decides to happen," Vegeta said. "I'm not saying yes or no."

"Why?"

"Because the definitive of deciding something before it has happened equals the opposite and things turned on their ear. All I want right now…is one thing for him, for myself…and for our daughter."

"Which is what?"

What any sane person who was lucky enough to have someone like them in their lives. "I want them to keep me."

For as long as time would allow.

The END.

I think. I might do fillers. :D Depends on the reviews I get!