A Fight That Turns Into A Lot More

Author's Note: Hey everyone, welcome back to our story. I trust you're all doing well and making light in the current predicament we still find ourselves facing. With that out of the way, please enjoy this latest chapter. Shout out this time once again goes to cookielover435 as this person's influence is marked greatly on this chapter as I have written it.

Disclaimer: Anything in this story that is associated with Dragon Ball does not belong to me. Besides the story itself and the ideas used to construct it, everything you see that reflects Dragon Ball belongs rightfully to the respected owners/creators. This also means I'm not making any personal gain from making this story; especially in regards to profit. This story is strictly meant for the sole purpose entertainment and nothing more. Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter 28:

Left to handle this situation by themselves, Goku and Vegeta and Kefla started throwing ideas back and forth for how they were going to deal with this new endangerment.

Frieza was obviously taking this opportunity he had been given very seriously, and based on believed previous actions he was going to keep them all on their toes. Making sure that everything goes his way and that they could not possibly gain any type of an early advantage. And it was working. His unpredictability had kept his group of enemies discussing till nighttime, and even then he had not come up with anything satisfactory enough.

"I give!", Vegeta conceded defeat after getting another one of his ideas shut down. He took a spot not too far away from where Goku and Kefla where and seated himself. Leaning against the uncomfortable, but for now, acceptable arrangement support of a tree. Vegeta wasn't the least bit tired physically, due to all the adrenaline pumping within him and lack of any draining activity. However, in a mental sense he was quite evacuated of energy; finally giving in to the request of his mind to take a break.

Vegeta closed his eyes and rubbed his aching temples. "Sometimes," he sighed in frustration, "I being wonder about the idiotic logic of the cosmos."

Right across from him, Goku nodded, "me either, which is why I normally tend to ignore things that are, at least till now, far above me."

The other's words actually broke the tense atmosphere around them, as Vegeta couldn't help but laugh upon hearing what the other said.

"On the contrary Kakarot," Vegeta pointed our, "you don't tend to pay any attention to stuff of equal importance like this because it doesn't serve to spike your personal joy."

Although it was getting much darker now since night was settling in, Vegeta could see perfectly well the offended expression on Goku's face once he finished that sly comment.

"That's not fair," Goku said in defense. He pointed a finger at the other, "if my memory serves me okay, then you are quite the same as me in that regard."

Vegeta laughed again, finding great amusement at Goku's expense, "I have to admit your right about that."

However he abruptly turned serious when choosing his next words to say, "but at least I have changed. Of course there are slips from time to time but I can still keep myself in check."

Goku growled, he knew where Vegeta was leading this to, "I care about those I protect."

Vegeta returned the other's glare with one of his own signature ones, "I never said you didn't. You one up me in that department, although I will say that I'm coming very close to overcoming you on that. However, you tend to sometimes get me questioning."

Goku looked away, in part because Vegeta's piercing look, but also at the realization that the other was right.

"I didn't ask for such responsibilities, you know. Okay, some of them were by choice, but others were put on my shoulders without my knowledge and although I haven't come through in the most respectable ways, I've still proven time and time again that I care for all that is personal to me."

This was true, wasn't it?. Of course.

Nobody could doubt that Goku had an obvious sense of loyalty and personal attachment to all those he had grown close to, or even those he had minor connections with. And as previously mentioned, he had gone on time and time again to prove this was true. So what right did Vegeta have talking to him like this. Especially out of nowhere when they were trying to come up with a solution to the current problem that was just as much his as it was Goku's?

It just didn't make sense, however it did once Vegeta's next words cut into Goku's line of thoughts.

He didn't know if Vegeta could read minds, but it appeared that way to Goku with what the other said next.

"I'm not an simpleton like you Kakarot. And whether you wan't my personal opinion on the matter or not doesn't matter. You will listen as I say this, and even if you try to counter what I say that doesn't matter to me either. I was once like beings such as yourself so I know that you will try, but you will not convince me otherwise. You, Kakarot for all the value this sentence has, disgust me."

It was like an invisible dagger had been shoved through his chest and right to his heart, where it then proceeded to go right through without any remorse and cut it to pieces.

"...", Goku opened his mouth but no words would come out. Vegeta had driven him to complete speechlessness, the other's words were acting like a key to the prison that his vocal cords where not trapped in for who knew how long.

His eyes drifted downward, to the sleeping form that rested in his lap.

Kefla...

After accomplishing the task of attaining Super Saiyan 3, she had not been able to hold onto the lingering fatigue such an achievement had taken on her and after some odd hours had gone by, was ready to collapse.

Goku had offered to help her by taking a seat against one of the tress and allowing Kefla to lay her head on his lap and use it to cushion her head while the resting the rest of her form on the hard ground.

Either because she affectionately wanted to, or was too tired to argue, Kefla accepted his kindness and had drifted off to sleep not to long after taking position.

Blind to how that may have looked to anyone else, Goku didn't think much of it. Mostly because once Kefla needed help, his attention went straight to her and her alone, not taking into account anything else.

And now, this was the results of his uselessness.

At last, he was finally granted release to speak, "i-it's not what you think..."

Vegeta snorted, Goku's voice was pathetically weak by this point, "spare me. Sometimes Kakarot, I don't know whether I should-"

He was cut off by Goku's sudden snap.

"It really isn't I swear to you Vegeta..", Goku's voice trembled. He never like lying, but he needed to keep what he said in check. Besides, what he said next was entirely truthful.

"It wasn't like that at the begging," Goku continued, "you might share my feelings now, so if you where in the same predicament that I was in then you would definitely understand how it felt when I had to watch as the outcome I feared most happened right in front of me at the end of the Tournament of Power."

He clenched a fist, it didn't have to be this way had Frieza not been his usual self and stole the wish right from under them.

Frieza, and here that lizard was trying to cause more harm and devastation. Which of course would not stop if he were to win against them. His lust would have him keep going until everything there ever was is his.

With all the venom in him, Goku promised to himself that he would take great personal pleasure in Frieza's demise once he was able to get his hands on the other.

Under him, he felt Kefla stir. By how emotional Goku was getting it was possible that Kefla was somehow getting a read of this and would wake up to see what was wrong.

As much as he would have liked to talk with her about what was troubling, he didn't want her to share this kind of torment that he was feeling.

Which brought him to what he wanted to say next.

Calming himself down to the best he could manage, Goku placed a soothing hand on Kefla's back and began to rub. He wasn't sure, but it seemed to do the trick as within a couple of seconds Kefla was deep asleep once more, taking great comfort in the soothing back rub Goku was giving her.

Sighing with relief, Goku looked back up at Vegeta. The other was looking upon the scene with disgust.

However, Goku wasn't going to be affected this time, "she shared that same feeling during the tournament Vegeta. That sense of hunger for battle; to grow stronger while fighting against those who were stronger than her if that was possible. However, what I'm talking about is another feeling. Just like I did, she wanted to win the tournament not just for opportunity to have anything she could ever want through a stupid wish."

For some reason Goku found himself chuckling, "she had it buried of course for a time. Having battled her counterparts earlier, the primary thing on her mind was to literally destroy me. However, the more we fought, the more the other side of her came out. When she was backed into a corner and refused to give up it wasn't because she did not want to face the humiliation of losing to me. It was more than that. Like me, she didn't think that the others with her would make it through without her standing beside them. She was afraid not for herself, but for the bigger picture."

By this point, Goku was in tears, but he didn't bother to stop them. Despite how this looked to Vegeta, it felt pretty good to let loose for once on all that had build up within him.

"That was one of what has now grown to many things I was attracted to her for," Goku further explained, "though at the time I didn't know that what I had in terms of feelings for her was infact true..."

"Love", a voice softly said.

Surprised, Goku looked down upon recognizing the voice not to be that of Vegeta's but Kefla's.

"I heard most of what you said," She reached up Goku's right cheek, "and although you did not want me to feel any pain, I'm glad I did."

Goku reached up to place his hand over the one of her's that cupped his cheek, "yes. Kefla...though you have heard me express it before, I do love you. Truthfully, you are the first one that I have ever felt this kind of connection to. Not even with my own children have I felt something like this. Don't get me wrong I cherish them with my every being. However this is much different. This is-"

"Love", Kefla finished for him. They both laughed.

Removing the hand she had on his cheek, Kefla intertwined their hands before reaching up to kiss Goku on the cheek.

"I love you to Goku," Kefla smiled and began what she had wanted to say for a while just as much as he had wanted to say to her, "my heart holds no real limit to the genuine love I have for you. I regret ever once having the idea of killing you flowing in my mind. You could say it was in the heat of battle or that it was a Saiyan thing, but I don't care. Having one negative thought about you after all that you have done for me makes me feel as if I have done something really shameful."

Goku stirred, "but you have a right to now though. Vegeta is right, no matter how pure I believed it to be, I brought you back on a selfish whim."

Kefla cut him off with a firm stare, "no you didn't Goku, please don't say that or for one second believe it. It's a complicated mess but I know you meant well. I can understand that you were faced with difficult circumstances and that I was only one really crossing your mind when you were given the choice."

This time as she sighed, it was Kefla's turn to cry, "I still feel guilty about this, knowing that I'm someone not truly whole. That I am what was brought together by two individuals that needed a way out of dire fate that awaited them. I should have no right taking away their lives from them in such a manner, and yes, I could be constantly or forever hole anger for you Goku for unintentionally putting me in the spot where I have to live with this reality."

She looked back up at Goku, to find him crying right with her, holding her hand in the same death lock that she held her's in.

"However, just I have stated before" she continued with a heavy breath, "I love you Goku. I want to spend the rest of my days with you."

Kefla broke off, the next part was hard to say. Both Kale and Caulifla's faces where displayed in her mind and though they did not show any sign of emotion this did not take away from the guilt Kefla was feeling. However, Kefla was tired of all this, she was tired of feeling almost dead inside.

"I-", Kefla felt her voice choke up, "Goku, I want to live."

Having broken at this point, Kefla buried herself into Goku who was ready to close his arms around her. Bringing them both into a tight hug as they let it all come out at once.

This continued on for several minutes, even when the two began to settle down.

Goku and Kefla just didn't want to be separated from the plain of existence they had created for the time being. Only wanting to be with each other.

However, both were brought back to reality when they heard someone clear his throat.

Goku felt a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked up he found Vegeta kneeling before him.

The other sighed, "this was all a lot to taken in for you two I'm sure. So I think the best we can do is meet up tomorrow and discuss these matters further."

Nodding his head, Goku knew this was the best course of action for right now, "thank's Vegeta."

Vegeta returned the nod before turning, "I'll see the both of you in the morning."

Before he left Vegeta had one last thing to say. Turning his head he spoke, "this is a lot to take in for me as well Kakarot. I'm still not sure whether or not I agree in full, but from what I've seen you have made a pretty good case."

Goku didn't know what to say except, "I guess I was wrong in believing that I was on one side of the coin."

Vegeta smirked, "that you are, but don't beat yourself any further over it. Let myself be an example of what you are starting to realize that you are."

With that, Vegeta took off.

Goku watched him go before returning his attention right back to Kefla.

Not very surprising, she had fallen back asleep. And then this time, based on how much she had poured out, there was no likely chance that he could get her to wake up if he tried.

Though he never planned to, as he would be more than happy to carry her as they made their way towards sanctuary.

Goku had no problem with spending time outside especially when he had to, but he had no idea how Kefla would feel about the idea. Dealing with Saiyan women was a rare thing for him to deal with, but from what he had dealt with so far it was better not to take risks.

So just like Vegeta, Goku set off with Kefla in his arms.

And just like his rival, getting ready to continue taking care of the ones that he loved.

Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome to the end of another chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it and are ready for more to come in the future. Like always, if you have any ideas or requests for this story then by all means let me know and if any ideas are used for the story then I promise to credit you for them. Until next time my friends.