“Damn that Saiyan!” Shak'khi snarled, pacing as fast as her withered body would allow. He had taught the young half-breed how to shield himself better. She was slowly wearing them down with her relentless attacks, but she was almost out of time. She had to take over the little girl’s body before she was born.

She needed the girl’s body badly. Saiyans lived a lot longer than humans and were more powerful as well. The child was almost fully Saiyan, yet had enough human blood to make it possible for her to possess her.

Shak'khi growled in frustration and stalked over to a dark altar hidden in the corner. I swore I wouldn’t let it come to this, but it seems I have no choice, she thought as she knelt before the altar. She used one long fingernail to make a nick in her wrist and allowed a few drops of her blood to splatter across the black surface.

“Orrsu, hear my call and come to me. Grant me the power that I need to reach my goal.”

She was answered by an amused chuckle as a strange man appeared beside the altar. “My dear Shak'khi, and here I thought you didn’t need my help on such a trifling matter.”

Shak’khi growled. “I miscalculated the strength of that damn Saiyan!”

Orrsu just laughed again. “I’ll give you more power, but what do I get in return?”

“The child’s soul. She won’t have need for it once I’ve taken over her body."

“Very well, my dear, but if you fail, I will have your soul instead.”

“I won’t fail!”

“We shall see.”

Four half Saiyans and one quarter Saiyan sat at the kitchen table, watching hungrily as the full-blooded Saiyan cooked breakfast, grumbling about useless morons who couldn’t even cook for themselves.

He’d already microwaved four packages of bacon and three cans of roast beef hash, and was now boiling three cartons of eggs in a large pot. If he had just been cooking for himself, he would have scrambled them, but that would have taken too long this many Saiyans to feed.

He finished cooking breakfast and set everything out. They all commenced to stuff their faces until nothing was left but a single boiled egg. Gohan, Trunks, and Goten all reached for it at the same time. Gohan managed to grab it first, but was quickly tackled by the other two half Saiyans. Pan and Bra squealed in delight, deciding to join in the fun as well.

Someone finally managed to snatch the egg from Gohan, and he grabbed at the person, not being able to see since someone else had an arm across his eyes. The figure was too slender to be Goten or Trunks and wasn’t small enough to be one of the girls, meaning it could only be one person. Gohan’s assumption was proven correct when his hands slid down to the slight swelling that was apparently as much as a pregnant male Saiyan showed.

Vegeta oozed out of his grip like an oiled snake and finished off the egg in one quick bite. “You people are pathetic,” he said, leaning against the table with his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.

Then his eyes widened in shock before they slid up into his head, and he passed out. Gohan caught him before he could hit the ground, then turned when he heard a loud thud. Goten had also passed out.

“What the hell is going on?” Trunks snarled, kneeling beside his fallen mate.

“I don’t kn-” Gohan started to say before he felt a strange yanking sensation in his mind. He started to fall forward as his consciousness faded, but had the presence of mind to tilt himself back. He fell to the floor, Vegeta ending up sprawled across him.

Trunks felt the same thing and collapsed on top of Goten only a few seconds after Gohan had passed out.

Gohan suddenly found himself in some sort of misty void, facing a blonde human woman who was radiating with power. Vegeta and Goten were much closer to the woman, Goten standing a little to the side and in front of the smaller man. A little girl clung to Vegeta’s leg, his tail wrapped around her shoulders in an unconscious, protective gesture.

“Give me the girl, and I’ll leave you all alone. She’s all I’m interested in,” the woman snapped.

“She’s mine!” Vegeta snarled back. “Nobody touches what’s mine!”

“Who the hell is that?” a voice suddenly asked from behind Gohan. He glanced behind him to see a very bewildered Trunks.

“I am Shak’khi,” the woman said, glancing at them. “If your father wasn’t being so stubborn, I’d already be your half-sister.”

“If that’s the case, I’m glad he’s being stubborn, I can’t imagine anyone wanting you as a sister.”

“Impudent brat! I’ll see you punished for that!” Shak’khi seethed.

“Hey, you leave my brother alone!” the little girl clinging to Vegeta’s leg yelled, glaring at her.

“Brother?” Gohan repeated, confused. “Why does she think you’re her brother, Trunks?”

The little girl glanced up at Vegeta. “Papa, is Daddy always this slow?”

“Hmmph. Sometimes. He’s got so much useless information in his head, it sometimes drives out all of his common sense.”

“Oh.”

“Wait a minute!” Gohan said, sounding panicked. “You can’t be Pepper! You’re five!”

Shak’khi snorted. “It’s her astral image, you moron.”

“Don’t call him that,” Vegeta growled, his eyes blazing with anger. Gohan had long ago noticed that the prince’s attitude toward those he considered friends or family was “I can treat them like shit, but if anyone tries it, I’ll beat them into the ground before they can even blink”.

Shak'khi just sighed. “Look, give me the girl and I’ll go away.”

“There’s no way in hell you’re getting your hands on my niece,” Goten said, moving more in front of Vegeta.

Shak'khi laughed and held out her hand, sending out a blast of lethal energy. A sudden energy shield deflected it.

“You’re more powerful than you were, but you’re still not powerful enough,” Vegeta said smugly. The mental shield he had created was surrounding himself, Pepper, Goten, Trunks, and Gohan.

Shak'khi just stared at him slack-jawed. Then she glared at Pepper and Goten. “You’re tapping into their mental energy aren’t you?”

Vegeta shrugged. “I know how to use it, they don’t.”

“Well then, I’ll just have to use my full power,” she said.

“Shit!” Vegeta spat as she prepared an even stronger blast.

He didn’t have energy to stop it, so he desperately drew on the link he had with Gohan, taking most of his mental energy as his own.

Gohan gasped as, for the first time since he had claimed Vegeta as his mate, he felt the other man’s thoughts and emotions fill his mind. He finally knew exactly how Vegeta felt about him.

Vegeta threw the energy into the shield, managing to block the attack.

“Damn it!” Shak'khi screamed.

“Hmmph. I told you you weren’t powerful enough,” he said smugly. Then he cursed as he began to fade back into the real world.

“Papa!” Pepper yelled, her eyes wide with terror as she tried frantically to grab onto his disappearing form.

Vegeta’s eyes snapped open. He was in the kitchen, lying on top of an unmoving Gohan. He felt a weird numb feeling radiating through his pouch.

“Hey, are you okay?” Bra asked, kneeling down to look at him.

“I’m fine. Take Pan to your room, now.”

“But-“

“Now!”

Bra swallowed and nodded, doing as he had said.

Vegeta closed his eyes and passed all of the mental energy he had gathered on to Saiyan closest to him physically. Then he staggered to his feet and went to his room.

Pepper gasped as an incredible amount of energy filled her. The tiny body her mind had created for her couldn’t handle, so she grew, becoming a young woman.

“You’re mine now, girl,” Shak'khi gloated, thinking nothing of the girl’s transformation. Goten tried to step between them, but Pepper herself shoved him out of the way.

“I’m not yours and never will be,” Pepper growled. Goten stared at her in shock. She looked almost exactly like a female Vegeta and her voice was a lot like his as well. It was spooky.

“Pepper, stay away from her!” Gohan shouted.

“No, Daddy. Papa gave me what I need to fight her. He believes in me. I won’t let him down.”

“Yo, Pepper,” Trunks called. “There’s something else you need.” She glanced back at him, then smiled when she felt his energy join her own. “Thank you.”

“Least I can do for my little sister.”

Pepper nodded. Then she leapt at Shak'khi, going on the offensive.

Vegeta knelt in the middle of the bed and slid his hand into his pouch, getting it firmly under the warm body of his daughter.

Pepper and Shak'khi attacked each other viscously, kicking, punching, and shooting energy blasts. The three half Saiyans below watched in sick dread, wishing they could help her and wondering what had happened to Vegeta.

Pepper managed to pound Shak'khi down to the ground. She began to form a energy blast, but it fizzled as all of her power faded away, leaving her once more in the form of a five-year-old.

“Finally, you are mine,” Shak'khi whispered, getting to her feet and stalking toward the girl.

“No!!” Gohan screamed, unable to stop what was about to happen to his daughter.

Then little Pepper disappeared, only to be replaced by an extremely pissed and much more powerful Vegeta. He slammed a fist into her face, sending her reeling.

She snarled and rushed toward him, but was suddenly stopped by a young, cultured looking man. “You’re too late, Shak'khi my dear,” Orrsu said. “The girl has now been born. She’s out of your reach.”

“Nooooooo!!!!!!!!”

“Yes, I’m afraid. I was looking forward to such a young soul, but I suppose you will do.”

“No,” Shak'khi whispered, backing away from him. He grabbed her arm and they disappeared. With nothing to hold them there, the four Saiyans faded back to reality.

Epilogue

Gohan watched as Vegeta fought against invisible enemies in the yard, waiting for him to finish his morning training.

“What do you want, Gohan?” he asked, not even bothering to turn and face him.

“When...when you used my energy to strengthen that shield, I...I found out how you really feel about me.”

“Oh,” Vegeta said, holding perfectly still.

“I’ve been wondering ever since we became mates,” Gohan said quietly. “Do you have any idea how I felt when...when I found out that you really do love me?”

Vegeta sighed. “I have an idea. Look, I’m not good at showing emotion. Never have been. I could maybe change that if I wanted to give it the effort, but I’m not even going to try.” He finally turned to look at him. “I’ve changed a lot from when I first came here, mostly for Bulma. I can’t change anymore without becoming a different person. I wouldn’t do that for Bulma and I won’t do that for you. If you don’t like me the way I am, then that’s your problem.”

Gohan smiled. “I like you just the way you are, Shadow. I wouldn’t change you for the world.”

He wrapped his arms around Vegeta and pulled him close for a passionate, loving kiss.