As Kakarotto awoke the next morning, he basked in the comfort and warmth that just being with his mate always brought him. At times, it was hard to remember that he had ever been tricked into marriage by Chichi. His sons, Gohan and Goten, were the only positive that had come from their relationship, and because of them, he couldn't regret his marriage, no matter how bad it had become in later years. It had been hard on them at first, but as Chichi began to slip up and show her true nature more and more often, the boys began to understand what their 'tousan had to endure all those years. Finally, the situation had exploded when Bulma had found out about Chichi’s latest scheme to keep Kakarotto under her thumb. It had surprised the genius scientist that she had missed all the signs that Kakarotto had been in an abusive relationship with Chichi, rather than the loving, if not exactly peaceful one, that she had always believed.

Kakarotto smiled remembering Bulma's confrontation with Chichi. It had been almost worth the emotional pain his marriage had caused him to see the harridan brought low. Bulma had been enraged to hear that her dear friend had been treated as something beneath contempt, unless Chichi had wanted something from him. Bulma's parting words to Chichi before packing off Kakarotto and his sons to Capsule Corp had been "take a good long look Chichi, because I'll make sure it's the last you'll ever see any of them again!" The expression on Chichi's face had been priceless.

Slowly, so as not to awaken his beloved koi, he stretched his sleep cramped muscles. It was something he had come to enjoy, this early morning peace, in the year he had been mated to Vegeta. When they had arrived at CC that first time, Vegeta, as usual, had been in the gravity chamber. The first they had seen of him had been at dinner that night; to say that the no Ouji had been surprised at the news that they would be staying for the foreseeable future would have been an understatement. However, as Bulma went on to explain what had happened, the mask of indifference he commonly wore was quickly replaced by overwhelming rage. The three demi-Saiyans, Bulma and Kakarotto had quickly backed away from the Ouji, as bright yellow sparks began to gather around him. With no visible effort, Vegeta had abruptly turned super Saiyan, and it had taken everything the others had to restrain the Ouji, to prevent him from taking off to "put that Onna out of our lives forever!" Eventually, it had taken the combined efforts of Kakarotto and Gohan in SSJ3, to safely stop the Ouji's plans of retribution. At the time, it had amazed Kakarotto that the other Saiyan had cared, but as time went by, he and Vegeta became closer and closer, until one day during a spar the tension that had always been between them finally became something more.

 The tall Saiyan touched his lips as he recalled the first kiss they had shared in the middle of that spar. They had both been shocked at first that there could be such passion between them, although Kakarotto had always known that the other Saiyan could be extremely passionate. The look on Vegeta's face, though, had been almost vulnerable, as if he expected the taller Saiyan to reject him. Kakarotto had always known something connected them, that it turned out to be passion, and perhaps, even love had been the only surprise.

Suddenly a voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Hmmm, Kakarotto. What are you thinking about so hard?" Vegeta questioned in a sleepy voice, as he lazily stroked his mate's tail that had wrapped around the Ouji's waist, as always, during the night.

"Just old memories. How we got together, our first kiss, how much I love you." As he said this, he turned so he could look into his koi's eyes. It was amazing how much love was in those obsidian orbs. He once again vowed to himself that nothing would stand in their way. They would find the lost ones in cryo-stasis, and the repository of their race's combined knowledge that had been sent with them. His Ouji's and their fathers' dreams would become reality!     

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