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► Act 1     Act 2     Act 3     Act 4     Act 5     Act 6     Act 7     Act 8     Act 9     Act 10 The Saiyan word for 'family' is 'circle'. 'Third circle' would refer to grandparents and grandchildren.
Saiyans use 'brat' or 'cub' as a general term for 'child' or 'kid'.
The Saiyan word for 'mother' is 'carrier'. 'Father' is 'source'.
The archaic Saiyan word for 'son' is 'surge'.
A defective Saiyan is a Saiyan that is weak and/or dependent.
Sakinuya is a pun on the Japanese word for 'snow pea'. Sakinuya is a Snow Saiyan, King Vegeta's mate, Vegeta and Tarble's carrier.
A 'cycle' is one day on Vegetasei. A cycle lasts 3.5 Earth days when orbiting Eyo, and 5.75 Earth days when orbiting Aro. (Aro and Eyo are property of Laci_Taleweaver. Used with permission.)
The Saiyan word for 'bed' is 'nest'.

___________




Trunks was nervous but hid it well as he gathered the reports and documents that Chronoa asked him to bring before joining in on the meeting.

The Meeting.

He hid a swallow as he double checked to make sure he got everything from the archives and his own office. The Time Patrol was growing but a lot of the threats they were facing were heavy hitters. Enough that it'd seemed reasonable to start recruiting more Saiyans into their ranks. But as more joined, they'd asked for others to join too, family of theirs, friends, lovers..... And really with the issues they were encountering with a lot of the corrupted timelines, it wasn't a bad idea. But then they ran into another problem: Saiyans were not only hierarchical, but also very territorial. It was inevitable that their Saiyan patrollers would start nudging out their fellow patrollers from areas that were once communal. Add in that they were also known and feared as conquerors and..... Well...

It hadn't just been the Saiyans to put in requests for said Saiyans to have territory of their own at Tik Tok. They'd eventually gotten enough that he and Chronoa had sat down and discussed it in depth before making a big decision. They would not only grant that new territory, but they'd also retrieve King Vegeta to have him be the leader in command for the Time Patrol Saiyans. They'd already picked up the King and his royal guards from that fateful day at Freeza's ship and Chronoa was hard at work designing a new 'space' to make the Saiyan territory in.


That actually was what this meeting was about. They were getting the King's input into exactly how the territory should be made and placed out. As the Kai for this realm, Chronoa could make basically anything and everything, but she still wanted some input on what was needed and where. The reports and documents she'd asked Trunks to get once he finished his previous mission would help support any arguments she might have for or against something requested, as well as to give them talking points on what might be needed and how she should start with designing the territory.

Okay, okay. Calm down Trunks. He'd stalled long enough. His mission was over and the meeting was well underway. It was more than time he joined them.

Double checking his bag to make sure everything was secure, Trunks gave himself a quick pat down to ensure he was presentable and headed off from the archive room to where the meeting was being held. He greeted the patrollers as he passed them, deflecting a few requests for later, and redirecting a couple of lost newbies. Getting close to the meeting room, he had to note that there was an increased Saiyan presence, which made sense. The majority of their Saiyan patrollers had been under the rule of King Vegeta, with very rare exceptions like Shallot and a few others who hadn't been. Since his arrival, those Saiyan patrollers had started to act.... Differently. Not bad, but.... It was getting harder to corral them and Trunks had had more than a few backtalk his orders and give him extra sass in the training sessions.

He should have expected that, honestly, as annoying as it was. Saiyans respected power and strength and King Vegeta was in the records as one of the strongest Saiyans to live. Of course they'd start deferring to him and his rule more than to Trunks' own orders. It was an issue he personally wanted to bring up in these talks to see what could be done about it. While he didn't mind breaking a few faces to reassert his own authority, Trunks wanted a guarantee that his orders would be followed and the missions completed without a break down or a revolt in the ranks.

Swallowing a sigh, he got to the door and nodded to the Saiyan guards that had posted themselves outside of it. He recognized them, a bit; they were part of the guard detail that they'd retrieved alongside the king, though Trunks couldn't recall their names at the moment. They didn't return his nod and the shorter one gave him a well hidden glare that Trunks chose to ignore as the half-Saiyan reached forward and knocked on the door.

Chronoa's voice echoed through, giving him permission to enter and he did so, announcing as he entered, "Chronoa, I've got the documents and reports you wanted."

He took the few seconds it took to shut the door behind himself to look around the room. Messy as always, there were stacks of paper everywhere and the odd computer that looked overloaded with tabs and readouts. Chronoa herself was just visible at the table where King Vegeta also sat, piled with stacks of paper that were almost taller than the short Kai herself. As for the King, he was busy reading some thick stack of documents, his chair flanked by another pair of guards that Trunks better recognized as part of the group they'd brought back with said royal. These two were the ones he most frequently saw with the King and he was damn sure one of them was named Toma but couldn't recall the other one's name just yet.

Taking his bag off, he approached the table, idly listening as Chronoa started to introduce him to the King.

"You're late, Trunks. The meeting started over an hour ago." Came Chronoa's stark reply. She'd had to deal with the King's demands, and snarky comments, and his holier-than-thou attitude, and honestly, Chronoa's 'paycheck' wasn't big enough to deal with the average Saiyan, much less a royal pain in the-

"Is this the kind of servants you have in this... City?" King Vegeta wrinkled his nose at the late attendee and went back to flipping through a stack of papers, making sure everything was accurate. "I would have mine beheaded if they were less than punctual."

Chronoa gave a nervous laugh at the King, and turned to the tardy Time Patroller, holding out her hands to receive the new papers.

Trunks paused in the act of pulling out said papers, just a few seconds worth as he digested that............those comments.

Turning to Chronoa with the kind of chilly smile that told her she lost her pudding privileges, he said, "I was on a mission. Remember? The one you asked me to do before the meeting? And that I reported in would take longer thanks to circumstances out of my control?"

He normally wouldn't talk to her like that, but that..... Her statement and then the King's dismissive statements just.... It riled him. Probably didn't help that he'd honestly been hoping to make a good impression on the King, considering their...... Technical relation. Taking a hidden breath, he got himself in control and handed the papers to her finally before pulling a chair out and sitting down. Setting his bag aside and adjusting his sword across his back to let it sit more comfortably as he sat, he looked at Chronoa and asked, "so, where are we currently in the discussions?"

He could see from the heavily littered map in the center of the table that it didn't look like they were reaching anything close to satisfactory yet.

Chronoa stared blankly at Trunks for a spell. "Oh, right. I did receive the memo. Things have been so crazy- It must've slipped my mind. M-my apologies." Chronoa staggered. "Anyways, we're deciding a good location for-"

"Haven't you trained your servants to uphold etiquette when in the presence of royalty?" King Vegeta interrupted. "And you even apologize to this rapscallion when he is the one who is at fault. Your people are so backward." The royal pinched the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes.

The Kai closed her eyes as well and took a deep breath. Of all the Saiyans and half-Saiyans she'd met, royalty took the cake AND the pie, and as far as dealing with royals went, Saiyans were by far the most finicky. "Trunks, this is King Vegeta of Vegetasei, the Third." Chronoa signaled for Trunks to stand up.

His nerves twitched but Trunks kept a calm face as he stood up to give the King a respectful bow. He also took the chance to introduce himself, "my name is Trunks. Commander and founder of the Time Patrol and Lady Chronoa's right hand man."

Though he wanted to, he resisted the urge to state his bloodline. No need to rile the King up further, not when they could probably still be civil, once all this stress of making a new territory died down. Besides, he still had to work with the older warrior in regards to the Saiyans in the ranks of the Time Patrol. Sitting back down, he turned to Chronoa, "you said you were still looking for a good location? What happened to the area by the mountain ranges?"

That had been the tentative primary location for a new territory or even a territory gate that led to a new one.

The King huffed. "If you had done your research you would know that the heart of Vegetasei was centered in the middle of a desert with a few water springs scattered here and there. It was surrounded by hills and tall rocks at best. These mountains Lady Chronoa showed me are too- Imposing. It would never do." King Vegeta waved his hand dismissively.

Chronoa forced a smile. "King Vegeta has- A very strict taste for details."

"Hardly." The King said flippantly. "I deserve the best you have to offer and I expect nothing less."

"That being the case," Chronoa continued, "we were looking to settle on the plains just north of Tik Tok-"

"Too many bodies of water." The older Saiyan interrupted.

"...I thought Saiyans enjoyed water." The Kai looked, exhausted, at the map.

"We do. Water is imperative to our survival. However, we are not used to having lakes and rivers permanently etched on these plains you speak of. It would disturb my subjects to always have the lakes brimming with life and water all year round."

Chronoa rubbed her eyes, "brimming with life all year round is a good thing. Your subjects wouldn't have to scavenge for food like you did in times of drought."

"It was our way of life and I intend to keep it that way." The King deadpanned.

'So this is where Father's attitude came from' thought Trunks and suddenly he was grateful for how his mother had clearly mellowed the man out so much. He looked over the map himself, seeing many fine locations like how Chronoa was. But clearly, there was a disconnect here. A thought came to him and he addressed the King, "I think I get it.... Saiyans are desert based, so constant access to water is actually detrimental, right? It happens on Earth sometimes."

He frowned, looking over the map again. The plains to the north would have been their best bet but with the lakes......

Frown still on his face, he looked to the Kai, stating, "sorry Chronoa, we might have to go with the gate idea at this rate, plan B."

Saiyans needed a lot of territory after all and now it was becoming clear, a very specific biodome to call home. So, the plan that they'd wanted to avoid would likely have to be done. Ugh, he could already feel his spine kinking up from all the paperwork headed his way because of this.

Chronoa tensed as she heard Trunks' suggestion.

The King raised an elegant eyebrow. "Heh! You are smarter than you look, brat." The King leaned back in his chair and continued, "a Saiyan's physiology would be altered if we had permanent bodies of water near us. As hard as we are to breed, our population would explode. We need to have Vegetasei's same settings, or as similar as you can possibly provide in order to maintain order. So what is this... Plan B? Have you been holding out on me, Lady Chronoa?"

Trunks sent her an apologetic look; this was going to be rough for both of them at this rate.

Then he turned to the King to explain, ignoring the 'brat' comment as he did so, "you've seen how we use gates to travel to separate areas, like the special training zones and to fast travel around Tik Tok?"

Trunks found a spare piece of blank paper and pulled it and a pen towards himself, drawing to help show as he explained, "what we can do is establish a gate here in one area and it will attach to a new land that Lady Chronoa will make. As a Kai, she has a lot of power of creation, so she can make either a huge territory or legitimately a whole new planet, so long as it resides somewhere here in her realm. Plan B is the making of a planet, plan A was for a large territory. But with what I'm seeing, it'd make more sense to just..... Basically recreate Planet Vegeta as best we can."

Finishing his drawing, he frowned and looked to the King, "we weren't holding out, it was just our last options. Creating the gate is one thing, making the territory... Rather the planet is another ballpark. It will take a lot of time and focus for Lady Chronoa to do, at least six months worth, longer if she's distracted. We were hoping to get a territory set up here by Tik Tok to let our Saiyan patrollers settle in as fast as possible."

It also meant a lot more work for Trunks too. With Chronoa focusing her power on making the planet and the gate and settling them in her realm, Trunks would have to take over all her paperwork and other daily functions to let her concentrate. Welp, at least he had a cot in his office.

The regal Saiyan considered this new plan. After a moment he slammed his hands on the table, almost a bit too hard, and stood up, leaning over the table. "It is satisfactory. Lady Chronoa, you shall recreate us a planet! In the meantime, any Saiyan recruits will be settled temporarily wherever you can accommodate them. I expect this project to initiate... Immediately..." The King sniffed the air. There was a familiar scent coming from... The pen Trunks was holding? King Vegeta picked up the pen and raised it to his nose. His eyes flew open and he looked at Trunks. An impossibly fast hand grabbed a hold on Trunks' wrist and the King pulled the hand towards his face. There was no mistake. The scent was vaguely Saiyan and... Similar to his elder son's.

King Vegeta locked eyes with Trunks, "just who are you?" He growled, shadows darkened his unmoving eyes.

Chronoa raised her eyebrows in surprise, "he's just my assistant, Your Maj-"

King Vegeta raised a finger in her direction without looking away from Trunks to silence the Kai.

Chronoa's mouth fell open. 'How dare he silence me!', she wanted to say, but in her infinite wisdom, she knew that would only make the situation worse.

"Where do you hail from?" The older warrior asked again.

Trunks was surprised at the action but only marginally at the questions. Damn, he'd known there was a possibility of this but he'd hoped to put it off for a while, until they knew each other better.

Still, he wouldn't back down.

Locking eyes with the King, Trunks repeated from before, "my name is Trunks. I am commander and founder of the Time Patrol and am also Lady Chronoa's right hand man. As to where I hail from, I don't think that matters, does it?"

That was a fear of his; secret and hidden deep in his heart. That upon learning of Earth and how the humans could crossbreed with Saiyans to create powerful halflings, that his home planet would become a target for greedy Saiyans eager to add more power to their bloodlines. Granted, it seemed to be unfounded so far from what he'd personally observed, but still. There was always at least one......

"It matters." The King rudely released Trunks' wrist and walked around the table. When he reached the lavender hair Time Patroller, the King gingerly ran his nose up the side of Trunks' neck. The smell there was a lot stronger, even through the mask of whatever chemical the boy had used. King Vegeta pulled away and quirked his eyebrow. "Explain yourself. Why do you smell like my oldest son?"

Chronoa stiffened at the other side of the table. She knew King Vegeta was Trunks' grandparent, thanks to Trunks himself when he told her, what she didn't know was how the King was going to react to this. Not to mention, how would the King react to Trunks being a half Saiyan.

She could only hope Trunks gave the King a satisfactory answer that wouldn't create more questions.

Trunks twitched at the act, trying to resist pulling away or turning his head. Father, for all he was a dick in the Chamber of Spirit and Time, had managed to begrudgingly teach him a few things about Saiyan culture. Exposure of the neck was a huge submission sign, one the majority of Saiyans would accept on sight, no questions asked. Forcing himself to stay still and not move also helped him keep his mind off the fact that his crotch warmed a bit at the contact. Ugh, fuck his weird body.

And honestly, he was tempted to dodge the question, to sidestep it with a vague answer. But the King had been trying his nerves and honestly? Telling the truth would be much easier anyway, even if the older warrior refused to believe it.

So once the King had pulled away, Trunks locked eyes with him and flatly stated, "because I'm his bastard."

There, quick and to the point. Yes, it hurt a bit to say, but hopefully it'd satisfy King Vegeta and they could get back to work with minimal interference.

The King seemed put back at Trunks' crude reply. He squinted and mumbled unintelligibly under his breath. Then realization struck and his eyes widened almost comically. "My... Third circle...?" He whispered softly. One eye shone with a hint of a tear, and the royal Saiyan wrapped his arms around his newfound grandson.

"Vegeta, he- He formed a circle." The King separated and held Trunks at arms length. "I must know, was he the carrier? Did he finally settle down? Oh, goddess... Please tell me Bardock's brat did not knock him up." King Vegeta grabbed his hair and closed his eyes at the last part. Vegeta and Raditz's forbidden relationship had been one the King would lose sleep over. Vegeta had thought his source was in the dark, but the King had always known. He never once said anything, however. He always hoped this was a flame that would eventually die. "It was him, was it not? Do not tell me! ...Was it?"

Trunks was........ This was............ Huh?

'Third circle?' was all that echoed in his brain as he was hugged, resisting returning it both due to shock and..... A bit out of fear. This wasn't........... What? His confusion showed clearly on his face. And a small part of him had to secretly wonder..... How the fuck did King Vegeta think he was full Saiyan? His hair and eyes should have been the biggest giveaway about what he was. And formed a 'circle'? Did..... Did the Saiyans not know what a 'bastard' was? And Bardock..... Wasn't that Goku's father? Trunks had heard a few rumors about him, including something about a thousand mouths but the rest wasn't as easily translatable.

Shaking his head to regain himself, Trunks bit back a sigh and answered again bluntly, resigning himself internally to the rejection that was surely incoming, "no. He was not, in either way. Prince Vegeta was my father. My mother was someone else. They never married."

Granted because his own timeline's Prince Vegeta had died, but still. The point stood, as far as this Trunks Briefs was concerned.

King Vegeta made a silent 'Oh' with his mouth. "I am glad my surge saw to reason and did not take Bardock's brat as a mate. Mind you, I have nothing against Bardock, but I would have never been at peace knowing my son mated a defective Saiyan."

The royal regarded Trunks, taking in all the details of his face. "You even look like him... My Sakinuya."

Chronoa just stood there watching the Saiyans interact- Well, watching one of the Saiyans interact. The other one was too shocked to even react like a grandson meeting his grandpa for the first time would. She cleared her throat only to be ignored by the older Saiyan.

King Vegeta leaned in to sniff at Trunks one more time. As he pulled back, he made a face. "We must get oils better suited for you. You are, after all, royalty."

Trunks was..... Honestly torn. More of what the King said confused him, with 'surge' and 'defective Saiyan'. And who even was Sakinuya?

Carefully filing that name away for later investigation, Trunks shook his head, making a very painful decision. Since losing his mother and by extension, his own home universe, Trunks had been..... Incredibly lonely. Yeah, he was technically allowed to visit that one previous timeline, but it simply wasn't the same. By the Kais, this wasn't even his own grandfather, not with his home universe gone and so that particular timeline permanently sealed. So a small..... No, he lied, a large part of him badly wanted to go along with this, so happy to be so readily and easily accepted by a family member he normally would have never gotten to see.

But he couldn't. Not when he knew how vengeful Saiyans got when lied to and deceived. Especially when it was basically public knowledge already what he was around Tik Tok city and in the ranks. It just wasn't a common topic usually..... Until now. Trunks could see the two guards in the room shuffling a tiny bit in place, coming as close as they dared to hear every detail. Yep, no doubt about it; within the hour of this meeting ending, every last Saiyan would know all about this.

So, shaking his head again, he spoke, "no, you're misunderstanding. Prince Vegeta was my father. My mother was a human. They never married. I'm a half-Saiyan and as far as I know, I was never claimed under any royal rites or ceremonies."

Or however Saiyans did it. And ooof, did this bring back pain to his heart; even with all the time with the past timeline's Vegeta, Trunks still was unsure if his own timeline's father had even wanted him. Making himself focus on the now, dark worries could haunt him later, like normal, Trunks focused on King Vegeta, body tense and ready to move should he need to. And again, he had to ignore the warmth between his thighs; what even was with his body?!

The older Saiyan regarded Trunks. "Another species, eh? That brat of mine always went for the forbidden." The King waved his hand, "no matter. You are my third circle and that is cause for celebration. Lady Chronoa!"

Chronoa started as King Vegeta's voice boomed her name. "Oh! Yes?"

"I am quite done here. Is there anything else to consider?"

"Uh, no, actually. We'll place any new recruits in our bunker home until New Vegetasei is created, and-"

"You shall get started right away, I presume?"

The Kai's eye twitched. "Of course." Chronoa forced a smile and started gathering the papers.

The King turned to his grandson and smiled brightly. "We shall gather what few Saiyan subordinates there are in Tik Tok city and prepare a feast to welcome you into the royal circle! After all, my son's blood is my blood."

Trunks' face was quite the study of sheer absolute confusion. Just...... What was going on?

He...... He wasn't being rejected? No sneering, no putdown? No insults? Just.... Open acceptance? What?

Honestly, he wanted to just accept, so happy inside that he finally had family again that it just..... Why couldn't he?

But his anxiety reared its head and he shook his own, "wait..... I think......... I need to explain some more about this."

Trunks sighed heavily and rubbed his face before going on, "yes, I am the son of Prince Vegeta but not the one you think. I'm from a different timeline. The me for your lineage of your timeline also exists and is currently an over energetic ten year old that can't keep his nose out of trouble."

Or so he heard last time he spoke with the past timeline Bulma. Oh...... He should call her sometime soon. He'd been negligent about that for a while.....

The King was perplexed. He turned to Chronoa and asked, "is that even possible? Different timelines?"

"It most certainly is!" Chronoa said cheerfully, glad to be part of the conversation on Time. "You see, there are several universes and-"

"But you are still Vegeta's brat, are you not? And your higher third circle is another King Vegeta?" The older warrior ignored Chronoa's rambling and focused on Trunks again. Whether this half Saiyan was of this time or not, the King didn't see the problem with it. Especially if this boy's timeline didn't exist. King Vegeta only saw the joy of having not one, but two grandchildren. And he was not going to pass that up.

Trunks paused from where he'd been using pens and some paperclips to try and build a demonstration to explain what he meant. 'Higher third circle'? What was that? ........So far.... It seemed to be in relation to himself and now to King Vegeta..... Was 'circle' the Saiyan way of referring to a generation? With 'higher' meaning 'ancestor'? Hmm. He'd have to ask about that.

But he was being rude, so he answered, "I am. I'm the son of Prince Vegeta from my timeline, and by extension, that would make the King Vegeta of my timeline my grandfather. By blood at least; again, I don't know if I was accepted in."

Or even wanted, the little devil in the back of his head supplied. Trunks mentally shot it with a ki beam and focused on the here and now. A different little devil made him say, "and since I've already said so much, I'll admit this too. Your timeline's Vegeta has two children."

Granted, he hadn't had a chance to see Bulla yet himself but still.

The King beamed at the mention of a third grandchild. "Do you... Do you think I can see them? After we settle you in as part of the royal circle, of course. I shall not take 'no' for an answer, I hope to make myself clear. Whether it is I from a different timeline or the same timeline, having a new added circle is cause for great celebration and I have waited so long for the opportunity to be a parent all over again." King Vegeta sighed. "I never thought I would see the day... What with Vegeta being obsessed with training and Tarble... Well, he is another story." The King placed his hands on both of Trunks' shoulders, "it would give me great joy to have you be an official part of my circle, forget timelines. Besides, like I said, I shall not take 'no' for an answer." King Vegeta winked at the Time Patroller.

Trunks had to reboot his brain a bit again. This was...... Honestly happening. He was....... Actually being accepted. Him.

Trunks took a moment to gather his thoughts, hoping he wasn't making a fool of himself as he went to answer, "I'll have to ask Prince Vegeta first but I don't see why not. I know ou.... I know his mate and extended family will be glad to meet you at last."

Wait, Trunks had an uncle?

No no, that was for later! For now, he had to continue the conversation. Swallowing hard, he had to nod in agreement, "I'd..... I'd like that too."

The Saiyan guards had managed to inch forward even closer, making damn sure they weren't losing out on a single detail to share later with their comrades.

"Excellent. We shall make preparations at once. We need food and wine! Lady Chronoa, have you-" The King looked around. The Kai was nowhere to be seen. "I shall tell Lady Chronoa to send all Saiyans a missive for the gathering. The next cycle ought to be more than enough time for preparations..." The King stole himself. He still wasn't sure how days and nights worked in this realm. On Vegetasei, the nights and days were very long but here... "Tell me, boy. How long is a cycle in this realm? I am afraid I do not know exactly how time works here."

Outside the room, Chronoa was quickly putting distance between herself and the two reunited family members. As soon as she heard the words 'great celebration', she quietly slinked her way outside. She had enough on her plate as it stood, and festivities for such an ungrateful race was not on her priority list. Trunks would have to manage that one.

Trunks smiled, a little embarrassed as he as he exposed some favoritism by answering, "oh, since I was the first non-Kai here, Chronoa set the day night cycle to what I'm used to and we kept it that way ever since. Back on Earth, it's roughly an even split twenty four hour cycle between twelve hours of light and twelve of night. And to bring it out further, we have a seven day week with twelve months of four weeks each, and they alter between thirty and thirty one days, with one month being twenty eight days. Again, she basically copied Earth's year cycle for me and we just stuck with it."

As for Chronoa, he wasn't surprised she ran, the traitor. Well, then again, he'd seen how the Saiyans in the ranks partied. It was a world away from Chronoa's preferred tea and dance parties. And besides, he kind of owed her anyway, spilling about Plan B of the gate plan before she'd apparently told the King about it. But now that he thought about it....

He looked at the King curiously, "how do Saiyan celebrations normally go? I've seen those in the ranks hold drinking parties," and once a, uh, very intense intimate party that he'd walked away from as soon as he walked in on it very very quickly, "but are the celebrations the same or do they differ?"

Trunks was honestly very curious about the planning and what went into one, but also..... He was hoping for a moment to slip away back home and make sure he'd taken today's pill. His body was acting weird again the longer he was around the King.

The King tried his best to assimilate Trunks' information about the cycles. He was familiar with hours and how they worked. On Vegetasei, Saiyans would use degrees, but he was able to do the math and calculate how many hours were a degree on Vegetasei. He wasn't king for nothing. A good leader of a space traveling race had to know these things.

So a cycle here was only twenty four hours. That wasn't long at all! That was around one fifth of the cycles on Vegetasei around Aro, and around one third of the cycles around Eyo. They would need more time to prepare. But that would be solved later.

"My boy!" The King laughed, "Saiyan drinking parties are nothing like celebrating a member of the royal circle. We have an unlimited supply of food and drinks for one, and in better times, only the high ranking warriors would attend. I am afraid exclusivity is counterproductive in the situation we are in. Not many Saiyans are around for me to be picky. There is music, food, sex, wine from the Goddess fruit, more food, hearty conversations... I expect to know all about you by the time the festivities are over. I only wish my brat could be present, but I am assuming he and his circle are far away and would not be able to attend? Also, how old is ten years old? Is that of age? And how old is Vegeta's other brat?"

Happy about the party, Trunks answered the questions first, "well..... I could ask him. They're in their own timeline right now, and Tik Tok resides in its own special realm of time. If there's nothing else going on that the Briefs have to handle, I bet they'd all love to come to a party."

The age questions threw him off but he answered as best he could, "no.... By human standards, ten years old is still a minor; he's a child. He's old enough to train with Vegeta and do some tournament fighting on his own, but he's not independent nor of age; legally that'll be when he's eighteen for the most part. As for Bulla..... Well, they were born........ Three months ago? Almost four? Yeah, just under four months ago. Way too young for any training."

Then the first half of those statements caught up with him and Trunks just....... Paused and blinked, a faint blush on his face, "Wait, what? Sex? Why would sex be there?"

He knew the Saiyans in the ranks were handsy and didn't care who saw (hell, that intimate party tried to invite him in before he ran off) but he didn't think that went for the whole Saiyan race.

King Vegeta nodded at Trunks' answers. So Vegeta's brats were too young to join the festivities. Oh, well. They would have their own party at their own time.

"Hm? Why not? Saiyans are very sex oriented creatures. There is always some kind of sex in adult gatherings. Have you not been to one?"

This boy had been seriously neglecting his Saiyan side and had probably been just focusing on his- What was it... Human side? What had happened in his life that would stop him form exploring his culture? Was his upbringing to blame? Did Vegeta's mate shield Trunks from his heritage?

Face going redder, Trunks admitted, "I, uh, walked in on one but I left before I could get pulled in. For one, I thought it was a private party and didn't realize that that was legitimately just.... A thing Saiyans do, and for two, you know, I'm the Commander of the Time Patrol. I need to stay impartial."

That was his reasoning and he was sticking to it, by the gods.

A snicker to the side reminded him they weren't fully alone and his blush stayed as he glanced at the guards then back at the King, "I'm not saying I haven't had sex. I just don't really have the time with all my work and everything else going on around here."

Plus, just......... Post apocalyptic world. Not the best place for good choices of potential partners. Nope.

"My dear boy. You have not lived until you have experienced a Saiyan orgy." The King patted Trunk's shoulder and made his way outside the office, signalling for Trunks to follow, the guards closely behind.

This young half-blood had much to learn in the ways of the warrior race. Take what you can, when you can, it may be the last chance you get.

King Vegeta made a silent oath to insure his newfound charge would learn how to be a proper Saiyan. The DNA was there, and Saiyan DNA was always the predominant one. Of course, whenever other species could breed with them. Thank the Goddess Saiyans couldn't breed with Icejins. The King shivered at that thought. He wouldn't put it past Frieza to take full advantage if Saiyans and Icejins were compatible. As it stood, Saiyans were compatible with VERY few species. Apparently, these humans were one of them.

Trunks followed, face now very red, "orgies are a common thing I take it?"

He knew what they were, he'd walked in on one but uh....... Actually joining one......... He wasn't so sure about that. But he still asked, "and I guess participation is mandatory?"

A large part of him was nervous but a small part was just......... Gleefully horny. And he could feel it showing, his lower stomach warming and a slippery feeling appearing between his thighs. Shit, did he take today's pill? He was pretty sure he had. Taken it after eating breakfast, just like normal. Right? Ugh, he needed to find a chance to sneak away and get home to double check.

Saiyans might be all about sex, but Trunks wasn't! .........Most of the time, anyway.

The older warrior stopped in his tracks. "Mandatory? Hmmm. I have never had to think about that. No Saiyan in his right mind would turn down a sex party, even more so if it is such an exclusive gathering like the one we shall have." The regal Saiyan paused and turned to look Trunks straight in the eyes. "I can smell your interest, cub. Us Saiyans are not very good at hiding emotions. It is both a blessing and a curse."

The guards behind them couldn't stifle a snicker at that bit of information. They were going to have a field day running this conversation through the rumor mill, like kids in a candy store, all you could eat. For free.

King Vegeta snarled at the two guards, "you best mind your post if you wish to keep your tails!"

That was all it took for the guards to sober up and protectively wrap their tails around their waist. There were a few things worse than death among the Saiyan race, and one of those things was the loss of a tail. It brought upon extreme humiliation. A Saiyan without a tail wasn't a Saiyan at all, he would be shunned by society for the rest of his life. Usually, this kind of punishment was reserved for the dregs of the community; Saiyans that broke a tail trust, thieves, Saiyans who spoke too freely to higher ranks... And, of course, guards who listened into the King's private conversations.

Trunks paused, processing what he'd just been told. Then he realized the last part and went red as he stammered, "I, I'm not – No, I'm not! I just.... My body's just......."

He groaned and said, "no, my body's just.... Strange like that. I'm not....."

He trailed off, face burning and only getting worse as his body warmed further; as if he'd been excited to get found out. Kais, why was he so weird?!

And of course, within the next hour, this would be all through the rank and file. Great, just great. He'd probably have to break bones to get the Saiyan Time Patrollers to listen to him again without jeering and Medical was already on his case for previous incidents similar. Ugh, even more paperwork in his future now. Great.

King Vegeta chuckled and raised one gloved hand to trace Trunks' cheek much in a way as lovers would do. "There is no need to deny it. I, myself, am eager for the celebration. It has been a while since I have had company in my nest. I would not be opposed to sharing it with such an exotic specimen."

Since he was revived, King Vegeta hadn't had the opportunity to connect with another Saiyan, mostly due to his rank. A royal would never lower himself to be intimate with a lower class soldier, and so far, the King had only recognized third class Saiyans in Tik Tok City. Sleeping with another species was out of the question as well. Even though Trunks was only half Saiyan, he was still the better option in his opinion, and as with any Saiyan, the King desperately wanted to get laid.

The Royal withdrew his hand and started walking towards a small garden outside the building. He could smell the arousal in his grandchild, so that wasn't an issue. The issue was if Trunks would accept his invitation for a more private reunion after the main festivity.

........What?

..................Huh?

Trunks' face was once again a study of various emotions; internally, he was also incredibly confused. Mostly he still wanted to turn the older man down, to insist again that this wasn't how Trunks normally was. But.... Well, the other part of him wanted to lean into the touch with a welcoming purr. And now he was fully convinced he hadn't taken today's pill, because he was basically a hot, slippery mess between his legs. What was with him today?!

He should turn the King down firmly, and make it clear that this wasn't happening. But.......... Well.........

Trunks already knew that Saiyans practiced incest. Prince Vegeta had explained it to him, among a few other things, so long ago when they'd trained together in the Chamber of Space and Time to defeat Cell. The King's actions (and some he'd observed previously in the ranks) only further confirmed this. And...... There was no two ways about it, Trunks was lonely too. Lonely and horny. It'd been a long time since he'd last shared his bed with anyone and his toys, custom made as they were, just weren't cutting it lately. Maybe..... Maybe this wouldn't be so....

He saw the King moving ahead and snapped from his stupor to follow. His jumbled thoughts trailed behind, trying to untangle themselves as they went. Hopefully by the time they reached wherever they were going, he could form a proper sentence again at last.

The older warrior was silent for the rest of their walk. He would stop to observe flowers from time to time, even lowering himself to smell them, their aroma filled his already full nostrils. He would also watch with child-like awe at small critters scurrying to and fro, trying to escape the trespassers.

They neared an imposing droopy tree with a small wooden bench underneath, secluded from any wandering, uninvited eyes.

"Keep your distance." The King commanded his royal guard with a rise of his hand.

The guards obedientley took their posts, backs towards the bushy tree.

"Come with me." The King stretched his hand towards the bench, urging Trunks to follow. As he sat down, the King sighed. "Vegetasei was an unforgiving planet. It was rare to find quiet places like these, brimming with life of all kinds." King Vegeta picked up a small flower that had fallen from the blooming tree and twirled it in his fingers. "What do you call these?" He asked his grandson.

Trunks was grateful for the question, listening to what the King said as he sat down on the bench next to him. Leaning over, he looked at the flower and smiled, "it's a flower from the Weeping Cherry tree. Lady Chronoa likes them, so you'll see a lot of them around Tik Tok."

A breeze slipped past them, knocking a few more of the flowers down. Trunks smiled and stretched out a hand to catch a few that drifted to him, unaware that a few fell in his hair at the same time. Looking at the flowers with appreciation, he admitted, "there's one by my home too. It's nice to sit under when I have free time and relax there."

His tail came out of hiding, slipping out from under his coat to rest next to him on the bench, the tip wagging a little as he relaxed from the earlier tension.

The King chuckled, he brought a gloved hand to Trunks' hair and removed a few stray flowers that had become stuck in his lavender hair.

"We never had this exuberant and peaceful foliage on my home planet. We had man-eating trees and poisonous thorn brushes." Another breeze danced around the garden visitors and King Vegeta inhaled the air. "It almost puts me on edge with how serene it is. As Saiyans, we would have to constantly check our backs in case there was danger lurking around, and those who didn't often times ended up as a meal. Brutal planet. Worthy of a warrior race."

The royal plucked another flower that fell on Trunks' hair. As he took the flower, he gently dragged it across his grandson's cheek. "You are beautiful."

Trunks nodded at the explanation, shivering a little at the light touches to his hair. He'd heard small bits and pieces from Prince Vegeta before and he'd read up on the rest after founding the Time Patrol. Planet Vegeta had truly been the definition of a brutal world. It was no wonder the Saiyans were as strong as they were, considering where they came from.

He, uh, got another blast of confusing emotions at the stroke of the flower and the comment. It wasn't like he hadn't heard it before, a lot of people weirdly thought he was a girl at first which had lead to some hilarious and awkward first encounters. But.... Something about hearing it in this situation.......

It reignited the warmth in his lower body and made his tail shiver pleasantly, leaving Trunks much confused and blushing again as he mumbled a thanks. How else was he supposed to react to that?

King Vegeta wanted to say 'too beautiful to be a warrior', but he wasn't sure how Trunks would react to that. Many Saiyans would take that confession as a challenge. His mate, Prince Vegeta's carrier, had been a beautiful Snow Saiyan, not suited for battle or hard labor. He had gorgeous white hair and striking red eyes. His body was fragile looking but he could pack a punch if need be. The King chuckled again at the memories of himself trying his best to piss off his mate if only to have him fight back. Their ever infrequent 'love quarrels' would alight passion inside the King's heart.

Until Tarble was born... Taking away his mate's life force.

King Vegeta shook his head to dispel that sudden dark memory, and cautiously leaned in, his nose touched alongside Trunks' cheek. He inhaled, taking in Trunks' unique scent mixed with Vegeta's scent.

"Will you do an old Saiyan good and join me in my private chambers, after your ceremony?"

At the slight touch to his cheek, Trunks gave in a bit and leaned in to the gesture a bit. It gave a very weird form of comfort to be sniffed, probably some Saiyan instinct again, but he accepted it gladly either way.

He paused at the question, considering it. From what he knew of Saiyans and what he'd learned since being with the Time Patrol and just recently, that could only mean....

Could he? Would he?

.......Why shouldn't he? ........Alright, as leader of the Time Patrol he had to stay impartial, but as Trunks, alone and by himself, well, Trunks could do as he like, couldn't he?

Still weighing his options, Trunks pulled back to lock eyes with the King and ask, "is that an invitation?"

"Certainly." The King whispered and leaned in again, burying his face in Trunks' neck, sniffing and leaving a trail of chaste kisses.

His tail came up to wrap around Trunks'. It took hold of the lavender tail to help ground his grandson. King Vegeta figured he would have to be assertive but gentle with this one. He had no clue as to what Trunks was taught by his human carrier, and the King wasn't risking any chances. Last thing he wanted was Trunks bolting out of his sight.

"Is this alright with you?" He asked, placing more kisses on the side of Trunks' neck.

Trunks let out an embarrassingly sharp gasp at the kisses, his body shuddering pleasantly in response to them; another happened at his tail being wrapped, sending wonderful sensations up his spine. He hadn't had his tail back then, with Prince Vegeta, so he'd known even less about it till recently. Though he had finally gotten the kink corrected......

He was so drowned in wonderful sensations that he almost didn't hear what his grandfather said. But the words finally trickled in and he hesitated to respond, still stunned by wonderful waves of pleasure and-

His comm beeped.

OF COURSE IT FUCKING BEEPED.

Annoyed, Trunks leaned away from King Vegeta to pull it out of a coat pocket and see what message he got. What he saw undid all of the King's recent work as Trunks growled, which turned into an incredibly annoyed groan before he one handedly chose a stock response and sent it back. Putting the comm away, he looked apologetically to the King, "work calls. Some newbies just...... Yeah. They did newbie things."

The way he said it suggested someone was going to be put through the wringer until they fell apart at the joints. Shaking his head, he focused on getting himself under control before speaking again, "I've got to go but I'll message you when I'm done so we can meet up and get to planning this celebration."

Oh, but first. Trunks moved forward, turning his head and bumping up the King's chin with a cheek before gently taking hold of some skin at the jaw line and giving it a nipping kiss. Prince Vegeta had trained him to do that and later confirmed what it meant; it'd been one of the few things he hadn't lied about during their time in the Chamber. It was a close familial way of expressing love and, if the situation called for it, full agreement.

That cheeky move done, he untwined their tails and stood up, ready to leave, but first asking, "I'll see you later, King Vegeta?"

The King barked out in laughter at the sudden kiss. Memories of a smaller Prince Vegeta flitted across his mind. The small prince would always say his farewells in this manner. It wasn't an uncommon way of saying goodbye, but it was rather sweet and child-like, very much unlike a ruthless warrior. Prince Vegeta stopped doing it when he came of age and started focusing almost all his time on training to become stronger, something the King had a hard time getting used to. Adult Saiyans would make this move while they were being playful with each other, however, none would dare do that to their King. Not even the King's mate would do so. It was considered too forward, so of course, the Saiyan by the name Bardock would do it all the time without regards for his life.

The King smiled again at the fond memories that kiss brought him. "You know where to find me. Trunks." King Vegeta replied and he watched Trunks stand up, ready to leave.

Trunks' tail waved cheekily at him before sliding back under his coat. Faint fabric shifting suggested it had wrapped itself around his waist, out of the way and out of sight. Checking himself over to make sure he was presentable, Trunks turned to smile at his grandfather, "of course. I'll see you later, King Vegeta."

He bowed politely, then took a few steps forward to be in the clear before taking off, taking the easy route of flying back to his office. After he dealt with the mess of whomever the Fuck thought it'd be a great idea to fuck around in system and so royally fucked up the mission quotas and objectives, he'd definitely make sure to call and see if that invite was still open.

It'd be nice to be with family again, truly. ► Act 1     Act 2     Act 3     Act 4     Act 5     Act 6     Act 7     Act 8     Act 9     Act 10