Sorry the update is so long in coming, I've been extremely busy with work and this story has been giving me trouble. I feel bad about the cliffy, I think I may have lost a few readers through that, oopsie :p

Oh yes, someone pointed out that calling the other Goku and Vegeta Mirai wasn't entirely proper. I know it means future but I thought it would help to lessen confusion. And Mirai Vegeta sounds better than Parallel Universe Vegeta.

Vegeta awoke to the disturbing feeling of being two people at once and a heavy feeling on his chest as though someone were sitting on him. Two blurry figures leaned over him.

"Vegeta?" one said.

Vegeta frowned.

"Dad?" the other said, sounding worried.

What the hell? Vegeta thought.

"Think it's him?" the first figure asked the second.

"He looks confused," came the reply.

Another blurry figure entered his line of sight. Vegeta tried to focus on it.

"Is he okay?" the third figure.

One of the figures made a shrugging movement, "How's the other one?"

"Out cold," the newcomer said.

Other one? Vegeta wondered. Something tugged at memory. He rolled his head to one side and blinked to clear his head and his eyes.

Vegeta's attention snapped back to those hovering over him as his brain threw up name, "Goku?" the word sounded alien on his tongue.

The reaction wasn't what he'd expected.

"Holy cow! Dad, Vegeta-san just called you Goku," the third figure said in disbelief.

"Do you think it's brain damage?" the second figure asked.

Vegeta looked at the source of the voice, "Trunks?" he said.

"Yes?"

"That's Kakarot's department," Vegeta looked at the third figure as memories flooded back into his mind. Gohan, he identified to himself. He sat up and looked around. The Saiya-jin guards had since disappeared but Barick, who had probably dismissed them, still hovered close to the doorway looking uncertain. Beyond Goku and Trunks he could see Mirai Goku peering regretfully at a figure dressed in his clothes lying on the floor. The king.

Vegeta looked at his own clothes and found he was dressed in Royal armour once more, the blue medallion of office around his neck. He looked up as a hand appeared in his line of sight.

"Good to be back?" Goku asked as the Saiya-jin prince permitted the younger Saiya-jin to pull him to his feet.

Vegeta nodded, "I could do without the outfit," he said wryly.

"How'd you know that would work?" Gohan asked, "If we'd known it would we could have saved a whole lot of time."

Vegeta gave him a sardonic look, "I didn't," he said.

"You shouldn't have done that," an unsteady voice came from the splintered doorway. As one the Saiya-jins, save the unconscious king, turned and saw Ranorik looking pale leaning heavily on a hunk on broken masonry.

"Counsellor?" Barick looked surprised.

Vegeta gave a vicious grin, "Oh good, just in time for your comeuppance," he said.

"Shouldn't have done what?" Trunks wanted to know.

"Switched that way," Ranorik explained walking into the room but giving Vegeta a wide berth.

"Why?" Gohan asked suspiciously.

Ranorik paused, "It's a bit difficult to explain," he said. He appeared to think about it, "Imagine a circle and on the top and bottom are the two people being switched," he started.

His audience nodded, wondering where this was going.

"The top person is shot with the molecular gun goes down the right side of the circle and the bottom person goes down the left so they end up where the other one used to be, right?" the advisor went on, "The switch is now complete. But if you want to switch them back you have to reverse the process. You have to shoot the top person again, who is now actually the bottom person."

"I think I get it," Gohan said, "What if you shoot the bottom person?"

"You don't reverse the switch," Ranorik explained, "You complete the cycle."

"Meaning?" Vegeta growled.

"You may retained some of his memories and abilities," the advisor concluded pointing at the king, "And visa versa."

As one the other Saiya-jins looked at the king then at Vegeta. The Saiya-jin prince had gone very still, which was not a good sign.

"Can it be reversed?" Goku wanted to know.

Ranorik shook his head shooting nervous glances at Vegeta whose face was slowly twisting into a scowl, "I don't think so," he said, "All my work in this field has been experimental."

"Experimental?" Vegeta interrupted, "You used me as a guinea pig?"

"Um…ah," Ranorik gave a nervous laugh, "You see…" His protests trailed off in a stutter as Vegeta went SSJ 3 with a satisfied sneer.

"Vegeta!" Goku said sharply.

"Relax," Vegeta shot back as Ranorik keeled over in a dead faint, "I think the king over there will think of a much better punishment."

As if on cue King Vegeta stirred and sat up abruptly. His face mirrored his confusion and anger as he glanced around the throne room. As his eyes fell upon Vegeta however his face cleared as it became apparent to him what had happened. Barick gave his king a pitying look before backing up to stand against the wall.

The king noticed the scrutiny of the others and stood with as much dignity as he could muster. Vegeta gave a snort of disgust.

Goku gave the prince a sidelong look, "What do you want to do with him?" he asked.

Vegeta shook his head slowly, "Nothing," he said, "We're going home."

"Going home?" Goku sounded surprised, "We can't leave him as the king."

Vegeta gave him a critical look, "Why not?" he asked after a moment, "He is the king."

"But-," Goku started to say.

"Enough!" the prince snapped suddenly, "Kakarot, I've had it! I'm going home and I'm going to wish my wife back and we're going to forget about this dimension and everything that happened here. We do not belong here and their problems," he pointed to the three native Saiya-jins, "Are not ours to solve."

"They'll kill him," Goku indicated his counterpart, his voice hardening.

"Yes, as I would have killed you, Kakarot, had I been king and had this been our situation," Vegeta countered bluntly, "You think there aren't dimension were Raditz killed your son or Cell won the battle or Buu destroyed the universe?"

Goku frowned and looked down, "I know that but this is different," he said, "We know about this one, we've seen it. Besides, aren't you mad? You usually go off pot about these things."

Vegeta had to give a smirk at that, "Go figure," he said simply.

"What could you do anyway?" Mirai Goku wanted to know, "I'm prepared to accept my fate."

"What about your wife back on earth?" Goku demanded, turning to his counterpart, "You have a choice to go back to her."

"You're one to talk," Vegeta interrupted, "You've made choices like that before, Kakarot."

Goku grimaced slightly, "How did this become about me?" he wondered.

Gohan shuffled his feet, "Vegeta-san's right, dad," he said, "It's his choice."

Goku looked up abruptly at his son's tone. Gohan's voice harboured an emotion it took him a moment or two to identify. Resentment.

"Son-," he started but was interrupted by the king.

"I believe you were leaving," he said meaningfully.

Goku glared at him but before he could say or do anything Vegeta strode the distance between him and his counterpart. Before the king could even think to back up the Saiya-jin prince had him by the shirt front.

"We are leaving," he told the king in a low growl, "But before we do I want to make one thing absolutely clear. You live because I choose to let you. If Kakarot's better half wishes to return to this dimension's Earth you will let him. You will disregard Earth. You will dismiss your counsellor and not appoint another. You follow the orders of your commander-in-chief, Barick. If you refuse I guarantee I'll have a change of heart."

"And once you leave I could do as I like," the king sneered. He clearly had a death wish.

Vegeta smirked and brought the king up closer to his face, "Thanks to your counsellor I now have the knowledge, expertise and time to make an inter-dimensional time machine at my disposal," he said then flung the king to the ground, "Think about that."

"You'd never bother to come back," the king countered, scrambling awkwardly to his feet.

"Perhaps," Vegeta agreed, "But he would." The prince pointed to Goku, who wore a stony expression. The king looked at him and blanched. It never failed to astound Vegeta how his rival could wear a seemingly bland expression yet convey his feelings with complete and inescapable clarity through his eyes.

The king growled audibly but his shoulders slumped slightly in defeat.

"What now?" Gohan asked.

"Going home," Goku answered even as Vegeta opened his mouth. The prince nodded once in agreement.

"I must thank you," Barick said quickly before they could make for the exit.

Vegeta gave him an even look, "You'll many choices to make from now on. The fate of this race could very well be in your hands," his expression hardened, "You had better make the right ones."

"I'll do my best," Barick assured him.

The Saiya-jin prince did not look comforted by this but, instead of commenting further, strode out of the throne room, leaving Barick with his thoughts. This was somehow crueller than harsh words.

"Don't doubt yourself," Gohan said as he passed the commander, "You'll do fine."

"I'd hate to disappoint," Barick admitted.

"That's what will make you strong," Goku told him. He clapped the new counsellor on the shoulder then looked at the king, "Your majesty," he added, by way of farewell. It was hard to tell whether he was mocking the other Saiya-jin or not. He looked at Mirai Goku.

"What will you do now?" he wondered.

His counterpart smiled, "I'm going home," he said simply, "To my friends and family. I have you to thank for that."

Goku shrugged, "All in a day's work," he joked with a grin, "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," his counterpart nodded, "I may even stick around here for a while, see that things go according to plan." He glanced at the king, who was sitting dejectedly on his crumbling throne, as he said this.

Goku nodded in understanding as he and the two half Saiya-jins made their way after Vegeta. To their surprise, Vegeta hadn't gone far. They found him walking slowly along the corridor leading away from the throne room. Instead of striding he was what one might call mooching along the hallway.

"Hey Dad," Trunks called by way of greeting.

"You took your time," Vegeta snapped, but his tone sounded half-hearted.

"You okay, Vegeta?" Goku asked. The prince ignored him.

"Did you find a time machine?" he asked Gohan instead.

"Yeah," the half Saiyan-jin confirmed.

"Good," Vegeta said shortly.

"You sure you want to go home so soon? I mean, this is your home right?" Goku questioned, "Don't you miss it?"

Vegeta paused and fixed his greatest rival with a hard stare, "No," he said acidly, "I don't miss it! I wish I did but I don't."

Goku scratched the back of his head in confusion as Vegeta continued down the hall.

"But-" he started to protest but the prince sighed and cut him off. He'd been expecting this.

"You're wrong, Kakarot," he said, sounding as though the words themselves caused him pain, "This isn't my home. Earth is my home. I know now….I know now…" he paused, "I was never meant to be king."

Thanks for reading, I hope to update sooner than last time :)