The Woods Are Lovely

by Malevolent Reverie

It was so twisted. He was twisted. Sometimes I was his daughter. Other days, I played the role of the hostage. But every horrible, gruesome night, I became a woman. Darkfic, non con, Goku/Bulla, sequel to "A Walking Shadow."

2. Falling

A/N: Holy shit I love this chapter. It's so long but I really, really love it. I know a lot of you skim but seriously consider reading this through because I covered some major things.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or anything affiliated with it.

-MalRev

[The Woods Are Lovely]

2: Falling

Snow brought a special kind of silence to the world. It was pleasant to wake up to the big tufts drifting past the window as they slowly danced their way to the ground. I snuggled deeper into my sheets, enjoying the warmth and forgetting where I was for a few moments. Mom would bang on my door and tell me to get up for school. Eventually dad would get involved and demand I go.

Trunks was there. I was going back to the old days when he was still living at home. We were so close; closer than I ever was to Shoppa. He'd tell me about a girl he liked and I'd give him advice, because I knew better than anyone else about how dumb girls were. We watched movies, talked about how weird our lives were and complain about being half-Saiyan.

The bedroom door creaked open. "Bulla, it's time to wake up."

My brother vanished in a puff of smoke and I was dragged kicking and screaming back to the shadows. The sheets smelled like sex and fear. Throbbing pain between my legs tortured me in tempo with the stinging in my behind. There was nowhere for me to hide so I hid my face. If I couldn't see him that meant he couldn't see me. It was a comforting delusion. A lie.

Everyone lies. Truth itself is a lie because there's always a facet—no matter how glaring the facts are—that will glimmer until you notice it. An inconsistency begging to be discovered. A snag in the new sweater I paid $50 for. Fine print in a contract. A jammed mechanism in the cold gun I'm wrapping my lips around. Hm. I could buy a gun.

Goku crossed the room and placed something beside me on the bed. He tapped my shoulder as if I hadn't noticed and I rolled my eyes before turning over to see what was so important.

It was a breakfast tray. There were two pancakes on a plate with strawberries as the eyes and a smile made of burnt bacon. A cup of orange juice rested next to a small vase with a wilting sunflower barely dipped in a puddle of water. I stared at all of it blankly, wrestling with fifty different emotions.

"I picked the flower yesterday," Goku said proudly, pushing the tray towards me so he could sit down. "It was perfect and I worried I wouldn't remember where it was. Chi-Chi used to make breakfast for Gohan this way when it was his first day back to school and he seemed to like it. Do you?"

God, how did he do this to me?

I nodded, covering my mouth to choke back sobs. If I cried he'd get bent out of shape and think he did something wrong. It was wrong but he didn't get that. He never would. He beamed happily and offered me a fork, practically bouncing with excitement. This was the epitome of love in his eyes.

When I was finished eating he kept gabbing while I tiredly picked out my clothes for school. It was gonna be really awkward being at OSH with Pan. She'd probably smirk and mock me the entire day. Did everyone know what had happened or was it just our group? Was Goku technically my guardian?

He finally let me be alone to put on my makeup in the bathroom. I unzipped my pouch and fumbled with my blush, trembling too much to put it on properly. I threw it back in the bag and tried putting on eyeliner but nearly stabbed myself in the eye. Furious, I hurled the whole bag onto the floor and stomped on it a few times for good measure. I'd be plain Bulla today.

I yanked my hair into a ponytail, glaring at my reflection. Something was missing from my eyes. It was the light that happy people had. I pulled down my eyelids to check and strongly considered smashing the mirror. I didn't want to see how horrible I looked. My makeup was ruined.

Goku knocked on the door and entered without my permission. He looked down at the bag on the floor and back up at me, brow furrowed in confusion. I waved him off, quickly turning from the mirror and smoothing the front of my shirt down. It was better to maintain a low profile at school from now on so no one would ask to hang out or be friends.

"You look pretty," he said as he picked up the bag. "I don't know why you use makeup. I don't know why any girl does. You'll have a good day at school and learn a lot. You don't need to waste your time putting this stuff on." He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "Because if any boy looks at you wrong, I'll snap his skinny little neck."

I giggled. It wasn't meant to be cute. It wasn't even meant to come out of my mouth. I thought of movies where the crazy person is thrown in an asylum and spends the rest of their life laughing at everything that happens. What else are you supposed to do?

Instant transmission brought us outside of OSH, where a lot of students were milling about as they headed to class. They didn't seem to notice our sudden appearance. I felt naked without my books in hand. Goku had plunged me back into the harsh world that was high school and I wanted to get away. But if I moved closer to him, everyone would know, and they'd talk.

They were swarming. My heart was racing. Couldn't I go home and be dumb like Goku? What was the point in going to school? I was afraid of seeing everyone again after my month from hell. There'd be homework and studying and I'd have to worry about keeping myself afloat socially.

"Bulla?! Is that you?"

I looked up to see a familiar face hurrying towards me accompanied by two other girls. Shoppa practically leapt on me and I saw Goku take a hesitant step forward. It bothered him when people touched me. Over her shoulder I could see Pan struggling to keep her eyes averted from her grandfather while Marron, Krillin and 18's daughter, seemed totally oblivious.

"Marron just started at OSH!" Shoppa said, releasing me. She kept her arm around my shoulders. "She was getting homeschooled but she only has two more years so her parents figured she might as well go to a normal high school. Pan didn't tell us you were coming back. This is such a great surprise!"

"Krillin and 18 moved back into the area?" Goku asked.

"Yeah it wasn't too long ago." Marron tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, daddy said he was gonna visit with Mr. Gohan and Mrs. Briefs. They might be at Capsule Corp if you want to see them. Dad's happy he can see everyone again."

Goku was already gone. I knew why. He was hoping he could head Krillin off and explain what happened. He wanted to lie and twist the facts. He'd mutilate them enough that the glimmer of truth would blind poor Krillin from seeing all the bad garbage around it.

Pan was suddenly talking. The weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "So Bulla, do you want to hang out at my house later? We were gonna make friendship bracelets and watch movies."

My heart was torn out of my chest. I couldn't feel it beating. Pan's house was the very worst place for me to be. I never wanted to see Gohan again and I had my doubts Goku would let me. He was still fuming over not getting to take my virginity, disgusting as it was. I shifted uncomfortably and Pan immediately backtracked to a new plan.

"We can hang out at grandpa's," she said. "What do you think of that? Me, you, Marron, and Shoppa, all together at grandpa's, watching TV and talking. Does that sound better?"

God bless her. She was trying to help.

"Yes," I blurted.

"Isn't there more stuff to do at Capsule Corp?" Marron asked offhandedly. She leaned past Shoppa to look at me curiously. "But I guess your dad is a jerk so that wouldn't work out."

Everyone laughed, including me. It was true. Dad always threw a fit when I had friends over and lurked around the corners to make sure we weren't doing anything suspicious. Goku would probably do the same thing for entirely different reasons. After all, Marron and Shoppa were in his preferred age group.

School wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. They all knew I was trying to get my bearings, especially Pan, and my teachers were likewise sympathetic. I was exempted from homework for the week, which was a welcome relief. The boys remembered me and gawked as I strolled through the halls with my friends. The girls whispered but I wasn't concerned. I never had been.

At the end of the day we all drove back to Goku's house in Shoppa's car. I was tentatively excited. Maybe Goku would be okay with my hanging out with my friends. They weren't guys and as far as I knew, none of them liked girls so we could all peacefully socialize.

"This is so cute!" Marron squealed when we were inside. "It's so little! I love little things!"

"That's probably why you're dating Tommy Higgins," Shoppa said.

Marron stuck out her tongue.

We all went in the kitchen and I made a few bags of popcorn that we poured into bowls. Pan wasn't mad at me; another welcome relief. She included me in their conversations and helped bring me up-to-date on what had been happening recently. I was growing more comfortable. She was making it much easier to settle in and I realized that Gohan was a good parent regardless of what he had done to me. Pan was healthy and normal despite what Goku had been whispering in her ear for years.

All of us went upstairs and put a movie on for background noise while we made friendship bracelets. It was ridiculously easy for Pan and me thanks to our quick hands. We slowed down to fit in with the other two girls. Marron knew but it was better that Shoppa didn't. Pan winked at me when Shoppa wasn't looking and Marron flipped us off as she struggled to untie a knot.

We were all sitting on the bed, shoving popcorn in our mouths and giggling over boys. I could feel some of the ice in my heart receding. I felt pleasantly warm.

The door banged open downstairs and everyone perked up immediately. Goku shouted my name and I began to tremble but only Pan noticed. She gently pushed my hands down so they were hidden in my lap and scooted closer, keeping an arm around my waist. My eyes were wide. I was prey.

Goku appeared in the open frame of the room, fists clenched with an angry scowl on his face. He checked the closet and headed around the house to sweep for boys again before coming back in the bedroom. Marron and Shoppa quickly moved out of the way when he started towards us but I knew he wouldn't risk doing anything to either of them. He reached out to grab my hair and I squeezed my eyes shut. I was going to be humiliated in front of everyone.

There was a resounding smack.

The other two girls gasped and I felt arms around me. I risked a peek to see Goku had recoiled, holding his cheek and staring at Pan, who was hugging me protectively. Her lip curled and I could have sworn I felt her growling a bit. Goku rubbed his face without blinking.

"Leave her alone," she said, "or else."

The blackness in Goku's eyes expanded and he started smiling. I'd been around him enough to know what that meant. I struggled out of Pan's grasp and took his face between my hands to make him look at me; just a distraction to keep him away from her. He didn't like when other people touched me. I knew how it was in his mind. I belonged to him and Pan was trying to steal me.

"Let's talk about this downstairs," I whispered, keeping my voice gentle and calm.

"Bulla, what are you doing? My dad won't let him do this." Pan pulled on the back of my shirt. "It's only grandpa. If you stuff some food in his face—"

"Grandpa" took a menacing step forward and I forced his eyes back to mine. He was mad. I was used to his spurts of rage but I didn't want him to accidentally hurt the other girls. I climbed out of bed and he regained control, grabbing a fistful of my hair to drag me out of the room and down the stairs. Pan chased us without hesitation. She screamed at him.

We were in the basement and the door was slammed shut then locked. Goku threw me against the wall and pinned my wrists, practically boiling with fury. I was so terrified that my knees were literally knocking. He leaned close and crushed his pelvis against mine.

"I never told you to bring them here," he said. "Why would you do that? You should ask me first. Do I not make you happy? What if one of them hurt you when I wasn't here?"

"I'm s-sorry, they're girls so I—"

"NO." He let my wrist go to slam his fist on the wall next to my head and grabbed my throat with his other hand. "No excuses. You're mine, Bulla. I waited a long time and worked really hard to make sure you were. I don't want these strange girls touching you."

"I've known all of them my whole life," I whimpered, pulling at the hand around my neck. "Please, Goku, you can't keep me away from them. I need girls to talk to, you know? There are things guys don't get. We were just making bracelets and talking."

His temper flared. "What do you talk about? Me? I hope you tell them I'm nice to you because I am. I try hard to be nice to you until you do rude, hurtful things that make me upset. I don't want you going to school. You're going to stay home and… and we're going to love each other. No more visitors."

I burst into tears and he shoved me into the wall, trying to make me stop. It was hard. My heart wanted to let it out and there was no way to swallow it back. I coughed as I sobbed and Goku backed away, running his hands through his hair and pacing back and forth. My legs were too weak to hold me up and I sank to the floor to curl into a ball while I cried. He hated tears.

The door was blown off its hinges. Goku had scarcely turned around before Gohan came walking down the stairs with Pan trailing furiously behind him. Two familiar faces came after: Krillin and 18, though they were much older now. Gohan strode forward with purpose and grabbed his father by the collar of his shirt while Pan rushed past him to get to me. She didn't touch. I was too fragile.

"Thank goodness you're okay," she said with relief. "I immediately went to get dad. I've never seen grandpa like that and I was worried he'd do something dumb. Are… are you okay?"

Suddenly, my emotions changed. The crying stopped. I giggled as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Krillin held his wife back with one short arm. 18 was staring at me in disbelief. Her eyes flickered to Goku and she rocked back on her heels. It was a mother's instinct to protect and comfort.

"You will respect my daughter," Gohan said coldly, inches away from Goku's face. "If she's here, all of this nonsense ceases. Bulla is Pan's friend and she doesn't like seeing her this way."

Goku was looking straight past his son to Krillin. He smiled weakly, attempting the charming smile that won everyone over. Krillin stared at him for a few seconds and 18 put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me before hiding his face in his hands and muttering, "oh my god."

"She loves me," Goku said. Defending his delusions.

"How do you figure?" Gohan pulled harder on his father's shirt. He wasn't in the mood for beating around the bush. "You are one demented son of a bitch. We all have kids around Bulla's age and none of us are very supportive of this, dad. Bulma can't stop crying and Vegeta stares at the wall all day. Capsule Corps' stocks are plummeting because Trunks doesn't want to bother with it."

"Stocks are way beyond Goku's comprehension," Android 18 said. She looked down at her husband and her face hardened. "A lot of things are beyond Goku's comprehension."

The cement was turning dark in small circles under Krillin. He was crying. He shook slightly and 18 leaned down to hug him around the shoulders. Pan helped me sit up and we watched Goku free himself from Gohan's grasp so he could walk toward his friend. He hesitated a few feet away and reached out toward Krillin. Mom told me they'd known each other forever.

Krillin looked up at Goku. They stared at each other. He wiped his eyes and shook his head sadly, turning his back and heading toward the stairs. Pan was fingering the edge of my sleeve.

"Krillin, she loves me," Goku said excitedly. He turned a few times, taking in everyone's facial expressions. "Why isn't anyone else happy? Bulla loves me. She wants me. I don't know why you all get so mad about it. Is Goten jealous? I thought we were joking when we said they'd get married."

No one moved or spoke. I shivered. Gohan glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

When Krillin turned back around, Goku beamed. He pushed past his friend and headed towards me, kneeling down a foot or so away. Despite myself, I curled my legs under my bottom and pressed closer to Pan. I'd gotten into the habit of not trusting men. They usually screwed me over. Literally.

He had a friendly face. Marron definitely looked more like 18.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I hope you know why I don't want my daughter coming here. She's your age and I just…" He paused and swallowed back more tears. "I saw your mother today and I couldn't do that to my wife. Do you understand?"

Of course I understood. What crazy person in their right mind would want their daughter hanging around a confirmed lunatic? I nodded rapidly and Krillin smiled. He turned to pat Pan on the head and rose to his feet, done with what he needed to do. Goku watched in confusion as his best friend swiftly headed up the stairs, dragging Marron along with him. She waved to me sadly.

Android 18 turned to Gohan. "You'd be better off keeping Pan away. He's on a slippery slope and I doubt he'll be able to differentiate between them for much longer."

"I'm not leaving Bulla," Pan said firmly. "I knew about this and I never said anything. Now I need to be here to help when she needs me."

18 smiled and left.

Gohan ran a hand through his hair and turned to Pan. "Come on, let's go. We need to check on your mother. She's been awfully moody today and the drama isn't helping."

"No. I'm staying with Bulla."

"Pan, for the love of god, get off the floor and let's go."

Pan hugged me tighter. "No."

"Fine, I'll stay here and watch her if it means that much to you."

I could hear her swallow and feel her heart beat faster. She was getting nervous. Gohan usually bent over backwards to do what Pan wanted. What was she upset about?"

"Do you really think it's any safer for her to be with you, dad?" Pan asked.

That was the icing on the cake. Goku suddenly wasn't stone anymore: he was laughing so hard he had to lean on the wall to keep from collapsing. I gawked openly at Pan. She knew about what her father did? Why wasn't she mad at me? More importantly, why wasn't she mad at him?

Gohan tried to save face. He straightened his tie and beckoned Pan. "Let's go. I don't know what you heard or who you heard it from, but I bet it isn't true."

It explained a lot. Pan felt guilty now. Not only had her grandfather molested and kidnapped me, but she knew that her father had more or less done the same things. She was trying to be there for me because it was her godforsaken family that caused all my problems in the first place. Thankfully someone besides Goku knew because he was absolutely useless with feelings.

"At first I was angry," Pan said, gazing at her father. "I was mad at Bulla for a while until I realized that none of this was her fault. It's you two. There's something wrong with both of you. Grandpa gave in to it but dad… you're just hiding it better. You're smart so you know how to. I just can't believe that my family can cause someone else so much pain. I can't believe you can stand here and yell at grandpa when you did the same thing without hesitation.

"Daddy, how can you go home and look at mom? She cares about you. I'm going to have a sibling soon and you're too busy fighting with grandpa over a girl who doesn't like either of you. I bet Vegeta could kill you, dad. He would if he knew what you did. He'd rip you apart if he knew you've wanted her just as long as grandpa has. No wonder grandma killed herself. She was living with a bunch of creeps."

Goku wasn't laughing anymore. He wasn't even moving.

Gohan strode forward to grab Pan by the arm and rip her away from me. He didn't look mad but he did look scared out of his mind. She screamed at him at he dragged her upstairs and the sound of her comforting voice disappeared a few moments later.

I slumped over on the floor again.