A/N: This is easily the darkest story I've ever conceived. And I've read darker, don't get me wrong, but still, a major warning is in order.

Trigger Warning: Attempted Suicide

Not just the mention of it, I mean it actually happens "on screen" so to speak so PLEASE if you're sensitive to that topic do not read any further. That's why this is rated M.

Vin's Curse

Chapter 1: The Aftermath

Goten walked solemnly down the street. He knew where he was going but he was still in a daze. It was as if he were on autopilot.

"You're thinking of her again, aren't you?" his girlfriend asked him mere moments ago as they sat together on a park bench.

"Yeah" he answered guiltily. "Can you blame me?"

"Goten." Marron started to speak before looking down. Goten knew what was coming but he was trying to fight it.

"After she went insane and almost died, you haven't been the same. You've been thinking about her constantly."

"I'm just worried is all."

"You and I both know it's more than that. It's been nearly a year. Tomorrow we can bring Trunks back and it'll be like it never happened. Everyone else has moved on. Why haven't you?" She glared at her boyfriend and he winced.

They both sat in silence for a few moments before she smiled and stood from the bench. "It's okay. You go to her."

His eyes grew wide and he couldn't stop a smile. "Really? You'll let me go?"

Marron frowned before sighing. "Goten. I'm breaking up with you."

Goten winced and his blood went cold. Actually, no, he felt fine. He expected to feel miserable but…

"You're okay with that. Aren't you?"

He nodded slowly. He was. He was perfectly fine with it. How come?

"Goten, I'll say it again. Go to her. She needs you more than I do right now."

Goten stood up, gave his ex one last kiss and then started running in the direction of Capsule Corp. He had this aching feeling that he needed to rush to be by her side.

He started running only by now he was slowed down. Down to a walk and that's how he got here. "Okay, so that's what happened before but what happens next?" He said to himself as he ran through the pieces of the past hour.

Suddenly his blood really did turn cold. He set a hand on his heart and squeezed at his shirt, eyes wide. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

He started running again before arriving and flying up to Vin's bedroom window.

He knew it seemed weird but they did this to each other ever since they were kids. Sure, catching her changing now would be different than when they were children, but he wasn't one to worry about what ifs. Especially when his stomach churned this bad.

He looked through the window and glared, the dusk sky made it hard to see. He could sense Vin's ki so he knew she was there but still, it was weak, and the familiar smell of iron that was strong enough to make him taste it made him nervous. Once his eyes fully adjusted and he saw what was happening, they grew wide and he forced the window open.

He flew to Vin's side and lifted her from the ground. She was covered in blood. Stabbed in multiple areas. He tried to sense the ki signal of a stranger to find out if this was a break in but when he heard her mumble in her dazed state his froze.

Slowly turning his face towards her he whispered softly "what?"

"Let me die." he heard her say. He swallowed something in his throat before glaring and tightening his grip on her.

"No." He said sternly, holding her and flying out the window and towards the sky. He would get Dende to heal her. The last thing he wanted was a hospital to keep him away from her.

He may not know a lot but he knew from a friend in school whose brother was sent to the hospital after an incident like this that they wouldn't let visitors see her. So no hospitals. No government workers of any kind. Nothing that would separate them. Not now.

He brought her to Dende and without explaining anything asked for him to heal her. Dende silently agreed before getting to work. Goten starred as he watched the stab wounds disappear. He prayed he was wrong about what caused this but something in his heart told him it was true.

"Goten." Dende asked.

"Hm?"

"What happened to her?"

"I - I don't know." his eyes darted from side to side. Why did he have to answer that question?

"Come on. Don't you have any idea? If someone could manage to sneak up on Vin in her house, think what they could do to Bulma if Vegeta's still asleep."

Goten swallowed. "Bulma and Vegeta will be fine. This was… Vin she…"

"Tried to kill herself." Vin answered, sitting up. Dende's eyes widened.

"Oh - Vin, you mustn't! All life is precious and must be held at the highest regard!"

Vin yawned. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She rubbed her eyes. "My life isn't, though."

""Vin you - !"

"Stop Dende." Goten interrupted. "Being yelled at isn't going to help her."

Goten looked down. He understood what she was going through. He felt it after he was told Gohan was dead back during Buu's attack.

Vin stood up and wiped her clothes off of the dust that she could wipe off, acting as though the blood stains didn't exist. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna go jump off The Lookout." as she walked by him, Goten grabbed her by the wrist.

"Wait." He said.

"Hm?" Vin turned to him. "Goten, why do you care anyways? I killed your best friend. You're supposed to hate me like everyone else."

"Stupid - you're my best friend, too!" Her eyes grew wide and he winced. Maybe calling her stupid went too far. He shook his head. No, this was the truth. Maybe telling her how she made him feel would help. Then again, that just seemed self-centered. How do you help someone who wants to die?

"Vin, you're… you're as much to me as Trunks is. Trunks can come back with the Dragon Balls. You don't need to worry about that stuff. Just move on. Your aunt and uncle forgave you, didn't they?"

Vin looked down.

"Didn't Vegeta tell you about him doing the whole majin thing before?"

"Yes. But he didn't feel the way I feel. That's all me. I'm a failure of a Saiyan for having these thoughts."

"You're half Tech-Tech, aren't you? Don't they have feelings like this?"

"Tech-Tech's are pacifists. I'm a failure as one of them, too."

Goten groaned. This was so difficult. If only there was a cheat sheet, a "How-To" article, on how to comfort suicidal friends.

Without knowing what else to do, he hugged her.

"Vin, I know this is selfish of me to think this could help you but, please, don't kill yourself. If not for your sake, but for mine. I…"

Vin tried to push him away but he was having none of it. In fact, he held her tighter. "I'm not letting go, I'm not letting you out of my sight, until you promise that for me you won't hurt yourself."

"Goten…" she continued to struggle only she was reminded that without Kazam's magic she was weaker than him.

"Vin. Listen to me. You're not allowed to die until after you grow old… with me." Those last two words were whispered and he felt a blush. When Vin finally stopped struggling, he pulled away and stared in her eyes.

"Vin, I'm sorry I never realized before how you felt about me. I'm dense. And Marron, she was just a fling. The real reason I don't want you to kill yourself is because I wanna be selfish and get to hold you every morning, noon and night."

Vin shook her head and pushed Goten away. "Listen to yourself! I killed Trunks and almost killed you. If it wasn't for your stupidly strong dad everyone would be dead right now!"

"Well, Vegeta would've killed you if Dad didn't get there first."

"Yeah, and he should of! I don't want to be alive anymore, can't you get that and you suddenly saying all that sweet and fluffy stuff makes me sick!"

Goten wondered if Vin knew she was crying. She must have with how many tears there were.

"It's not like you, Goten! It's too - too perfect to be you! You have to be making fun of me!"

He grabbed her arms and kissed her suddenly, remembering the romance parts of those comic books he used to read.

He expected her to calm down but instead she pushed him away with strength he wasn't expecting.

"Stop it! You can't just demand me like that! I'm not some hysterical crazy woman in distress waiting for a kiss to calm me down!"

Dende spoke up after a long silence. "You are acting pretty hysterical."

Vin started to breath heavy, sweating as if losing a lot of oxygen.

Goten's eyes widened. If only Trunks was here. He was always the smart one. He took all these special first-aid classes that Goten made fun of. This was.. It was a panic attack, wasn't it? Oh man. He made her have a panic attack. Maybe confessing that he wanted to be with her was too much. It was probably bad timing. Oh man he didn't know what to say anymore. How could he fix this?

He couldn't.