The Wedding
Cell had finally been defeated, but at a price. Goku sacrificed himself to stop Cell from wiping out the rest of the planet. It was all for naught, because a bit of Cell survived and he could regenerate like Piccolo. Gohan took up the challenge to kill the bug android and emerged victorious with the help of Goku's spirit and Vegeta. A time of peace had come at last. The earthlings that Cell absorbed were wished back and there weren't any more known threats. It was time.
Mary stood in her bedroom, putting on her wedding gown. The gown was old-fashioned but also styled to show off her figure. The sleeves were made of lace with pearls in the stitching. The flowing skirt was made of white silk embroidered with crystals and pearls. The bodice had a sweetheart neckline stitched with pearls. Bulma styled Mary's hair into soft curls and Chichi helped put the tiara on. The veil was made of lace with crystal stitching. Mary's mother, Maggie, gave Mary a pair of white high-heeled shoes and helped slide the garter on. After everything was done and perfect, Mary looked like a princess, but she didn't feel too jolly. This wedding wouldn't be the same without the brother of the groom.
Chichi was pregnant with Goku's second child and she needed all the help she could get. Mary and Bulma accompanied Chichi to all her prenatal appointments and gave the woman moral support. It was a shame that the baby wouldn't know its father. Everyone seemed happy but the world was less bright without Goku in it. Even Vegeta missed Goku, though he would never admit it.
"So, Bulma, how did you and Vegeta tie the knot?" asked Mary, smirking at the blue-haired woman.
Bulma's face went bright red and she bit her bottom lip to hide her embarrassed smile. "Well, Vegeta wouldn't pop the question," she answered. "I think he was too shy or just didn't know how to ask. He kept stumbling over his words until I said them along with him."
"It must be a Saiyan thing," remarked Mary, straightening the veil. "When Raditz asked, he kept fumbling with his words and almost fell over. He did manage to get down on one knee, though, with Goku and Krillin's encouragement, of course. I'm actually surprised Raditz agreed to wear a tux for the wedding."
"What do you mean?" asked Chichi, who was sitting to rest her feet.
Mary smiled fondly at the memory. "Raditz acted like wearing a suit was like wearing a straitjacket. I think he went on strike to protest wearing a suit. However, after much taunting from Vegeta, Raditz gave in and put the suit on. We actually found one that would be tailored to fit him too."
"And little Gina?" asked Bulma, smiling at the thought of the baby.
"I think Gohan's carrying her down the aisle," replied Mary, giggling. "The wedding won't be too long since we have kids to think about. We should have done this a long time ago, preferably while Goku was alive. Then, Raditz would have chosen his brother as the best man." A shadow came across Mary's face as she thought of Goku.
"He'd be ecstatic to be here," said Chichi softly, placing a hand on her growing belly. "You know Goku always liked others to be happy. He never had a bad thing to say about anyone."
Mary found herself blinking back tears and she swallowed thickly. "We should get going." She changed the subject. "After all, it can't be a wedding without the bride."
That broke the tense atmosphere and the women began laughing. It was true that Goku wasn't there but he would always be in their hearts.
…
"I'm gonna be sick," mumbled Raditz as he paced in the men's dressing room. "I'm nauseous, take it or leave it."
Vegeta, Yamcha, and Krillin watched the larger Saiyan anxiously pace the room. He was damn near close putting holes in the ground. Vegeta hadn't seen Raditz this shaken up since Nappa revealed that it was Frieza that destroyed the Saiyan's home planet. The other Saiyan understood Raditz's anxiety. Vegeta almost fainted when he got married to Bulma. The battlefield was a lot easier than getting married. The monkey suit was worse. It felt like the jacket was choking Vegeta. There was no doubt that was how Raditz felt.
Finally, Vegeta had enough of Raditz pacing like a lunatic. "Raditz," the prince snapped, getting the other Saiyan's attention. "Calm the fuck down. We're doing this wedding whether you like it or not. Now, put your big boy pants on and let's go. We don't have all day." That sounded a bit harsh but it was Vegeta. He didn't mince words.
"You're right," admitted Raditz, shrugging slightly. "I can't put this off. I am a Saiyan warrior. I've been through worse. If I could survive Frieza all those years, I can survive walking down the aisle. If my oaf of a brother could do it, so can I. I'm not a coward." He glared at the other men, daring them to contradict him.
Krillin smiled slightly. "If Goku were here, he'd say that you need to get your act together. 'Come on, Raditz, you love this girl. You need to do this'. That's what he'd say." Tears welled up in the short man's eyes as he thought about his buddy.
"It should be Kakarrot that should be the best man," said Vegeta, thinking about the bumbling fool who sacrificed himself to save Earth. "I'm not cut out for human affairs." A small smile graced Vegeta's sharp features. "Damn fool had to be a hero, as always."
The men were quiet for a moment, unable to convey how they felt in words. Goku touched all of their lives, even Vegeta's though he was too proud to admit it. In Goku, Vegeta found another brother and a comrade in arms. Raditz found Goku as his true brother and the only family he had left, besides Mary and Gina. Goku was Krillin and Yamcha's best friend. He was always so good and full of light. Nothing would ever replace him.
In Raditz's mind, he could almost hear Goku's playful, light-hearted voice. "Come on, Raditz. It'll be easy. All you have to do is walk down the aisle, repeat a few words, slide the ring on, and you'll be golden."
The older Saiyan smiled, in spite of himself. "I'm ready," he said resolutely.
The other men in the room nodded and all of them headed out to the alter.
…
Raditz stood at the alter at the left side of the priest and waited for his bride. He knew he should had done this a long time ago but there was no use beating himself up over it now. Suddenly, the soft music came on and Raditz saw the groomsmen and bridesmaids walking down the aisle. Vegeta and Bulma went first with the woman's arm linked through Vegeta's. Chichi and Yamcha were next, followed by Krillin and Android 18, who preferred to be called Lazuli. The bridesmaids all wore matching lavender gowns and the men wore black suits.
When the men and women went to their respective places, the flower girl and ring bearer had their turn down the aisle. Well, Raditz couldn't say flower girl since Gina wasn't throwing any flowers. She was too young to hold the basket and throw the petals like she should. Gohan carried the small half-Saiyan girl down the aisle, wearing a grin and a black suit. Gina let out a coo of joy and she waved her arms at her father, who couldn't help but smile at his little princess.
As soon as Gohan and Gina got to the alter, the young boy handed the baby to Bulma, who took the baby and handed her off to Mary's tearful mother. Lastly, Trunks, who just turned two, walked down the aisle by himself, smirking at his grown up responsibility. In his hands were the wedding bands that would bind Raditz and Mary forever. He walked as proudly as a prince as he continued his descent. When he reached the alter, he walked over to his mother and stood next to her.
Finally, the music that Raditz and Mary chose played on the speakers and everyone turned their attention to the entrance of the church, where Mary stood with her arm linked through her father's. Raditz's heart began to race and his palms grew sweaty. Mary looked absolutely stunning. The white dress made her look like an angel come to earth. Her smile was small but confident. With each step, Raditz could see everything falling into place. He could see a house, siblings for Gina, and growing old with his mate, just like any other man.
When Mary reached the alter, she stood on Raditz's left side and her father lifted the veil over her head and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Now that they were closer, Raditz could see that both father and daughter were crying, but they were both beaming in absolute joy.
The priest smiled and opened his Bible to begin the ceremony. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" he asked.
"Her mother and I do," answered Andrew in a shaky tone, giving his daughter away to Raditz, who took Mary's hand and held it with conviction.
The priest told everyone to be seated and now the moment Mary and Raditz had waited for would begin. The couple faced each other and gazed in each other's eyes as they repeated their chosen vows after the priest.
Raditz said his vow first, as according to earth tradition. "I, Raditz, take you, Mary, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."
When Mary said her part, her voice didn't waver even though the tears did fall. "I, Mary, take you, Raditz, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."
After having said those vows, the priest turned to Trunks and smiled at the boy. "May I have the rings?"
Trunks puffed up with pride and handed the bands to the priest, who placed them in the middle of his Bible. Mary and Raditz took the opposite band and repeated their ring vows after the priest.
Raditz's vows were first and he meant every word he said. "With this ring I thee wed. With my body I thee honor and all my worldly goods I thee share."
Mary beamed when he slid the wedding band on her left ring finger. She took Raditz's left hand in hers and positioned the ring on his ring finger. "With this ring I thee wed. With my body I thee honor and all my worldly goods I thee share."
The ring slid home where it would remain forever until the day they died. Raditz smiled to himself and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with this woman who saw his heart and for who he was, who loved him even though he was a monster.
The ceremony concluded with the couple saying "I do" to the priest's questions and with the power vested in him, they were now husband and wife. Finally, the priest told them they could kiss and they couldn't wait another second. Raditz took his bride in his arms and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, promising his love and devotion to her. Mary wrapped her arms around Raditz's neck and the tears of joy flowed anew.
After the kiss ended, Raditz and Mary turned to face the congregation as the priest presented them. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Raditz Son."
The last name came as a shock to those in the pews because it was arranged that Raditz would take Mary's last name as his world didn't have them. Raditz felt his Saiyan pride well up in his chest when he held Mary's hand. She was his now. Now there was a family where there wasn't one. A broken family was now fixed. Raditz had a wife, a daughter, a sister-in-law, a nephew, and an unborn nephew or niece. Even though his brother was dead, Goku would always be there. Yeah, Raditz loved his brother, even if that tasted like vinegar in his mind.
Mary leaned over and whispered into Raditz's ear. "Now, we're gonna go over to the reception hall and have our first dance as man and wife."
Raditz felt his blood freeze in his veins. He didn't know he had to dance. Now, he was going to be sick. Saiyans didn't dance, unless another person was shooting at their feet. However, he didn't falter. He'd been tortured by Frieza and destroyed planets and faced all that with stoicism. How was he supposed to dance?
…
Upon arriving to the reception hall, Raditz removed his tux jacket and Mary removed her high heeled shoes. Her feet were already aching and she wasn't even dancing yet. Luckily for Raditz, the first dance would be between Mary and her father. The Saiyan actually felt his heart warming at the sight of Mary crying happy tears as she and her father danced to a song that told the story of Cinderella and how one day she would be gone. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, except for Raditz, Piccolo, and Tien.
After the dance was finished, Mary wiped her eyes and went back to Raditz, who wrapped an arm around her waist. She smiled at Raditz and gave him a kiss on the lips.
"You know, now you get to dance with my mom," she said, sounding fiendish.
Raditz's face went an unhealthy shade of white and it looked like he was having a war flashback. "Oh, shit," he muttered, realizing how fucked he was.
With some prompting on Mary's part, Raditz went out to the dance floor with Mary's mother, Maggie, and they began to dance. Maggie had to lead because Raditz had no idea what the hell he was doing. This dance wasn't as emotional as Mary and her father's dance. Mary could hear Yamcha and Vegeta betting on how awful Raditz was going to be on the groom-bride dance. They kept upping the number until they were elbowed in the guts by Bulma and Chichi. To be honest, Mary actually enjoyed seeing this. She loved her husband but this was just too funny. The man had seen death and destruction and yet he was terrified of dancing.
At the end of it, Raditz only stepped on Maggie's feet three times. He didn't do too badly, even though he was so nervous that he was as stiff as a board. When he walked back to Mary, he held onto her as if to keep himself up. To add insult to injury, Mary smiled and told him it was their turn.
The two took to the floor and began their first (and quite possibly their last) dance. Raditz let himself be guided by Mary. The dance wasn't too long but he was counting the seconds as to when it would end. He kept looking down at his feet to see if he was about to step on her feet. He was stopped when Mary coaxed his face up.
"Don't think," she whispered. "Just follow my lead."
Raditz felt confident enough to let Mary lead him and was surprised when he didn't slip up or step on her feet. He saw this as training. He had to learn not to think too much when he was attacking an enemy or enemies. Dancing was just another form a training, maybe. He wouldn't tell Mary that because he never shut up about it when he got started and it exasperated her at times.
"See, it comes naturally if you don't think too much about it," she said, smiling.
Raditz returned the smile. "Of course, I'm a Saiyan," he replied. "Saiyans are great at everything."
"Of course," conceded Mary, raising her eyebrows for emphasis.
Raditz was proud that his wife finally admitted that Saiyans were superior beings. He would reward her for it later.
…
After the long party, Mary and Raditz went to the villa that Bulma's parents owned. Bulma reserved the place for Mary and Raditz to have their honeymoon. They were only staying for a few days because Mary couldn't stay away from Gina for too long. They were going to make the time that they had with each other. Immediately, they headed to the bedroom and subtracted their clothing. The man and wife fell back on the bed and surrendered themselves to loving passion.
When they were finally finished, about four hours later, Mary and Raditz collapsed on the bed and snuggled up next to each other, her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She murmured in joy when she felt his fingers running up and down the soft skin of her back. When she looked up at him, she noticed that there was a slight haze in his eyes. It seemed that he was absolutely blissed out. Mary couldn't blame him. Her legs were stretched in ways that should never be stretched, she did the cowgirl a few too many times, and there were bruises on her hips, waist, and legs. She also broke a few nails scratching up his back and she was pretty sure that her muscles were stretched out.
"Wow," she breathed, trying to slow her heart rate down. "Raditz, I don't think I can go another round. You're too primal for your own good."
Raditz smirked, proud of his work. "Saiyans," was all he said. "We have great stamina, in fighting and in sex."
"I can see—and feel—that," she commented, smiling.
Eventually, the two gave into their shared exhaustion and fell asleep. Raditz was happy that he had the woman he loved in his arms. They were now married, have lots of half-Saiyan babies, and rebuild the Saiyan race one baby at a time. He couldn't wait to begin the rest of his life with his chosen mate, his Mary, his wife. He wasn't sure about many things but he was sure that this was forever.