Title: Killing Me Softly
by: Ashley



He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair
and then he looked right through me as if I wasn't there.
But he just came to singing, singing clear and strong.



"So, if you had to choose between Juu-kun or my father, who would it be?" Pan tilted her head to the side. Her black hair fell to her shoulder and her eyes were glued on her friend.

Bra it her lip. She was quiet for some time before she answered her question. "Why am I being drilled for questions today?" She tried to laugh but no sound would come.

Pan shook her head. "Bra-chan, you don't know, do you?" She never took her eyes off of the other person.

"I don't know. I never really had to think about it. No one has really made me choose." Bra looked down at her lap. She couldn't face her friend. 'What if I pick Gohan? What will happen to Juu-kun? But what if I pick Juu-kun, will Gohan be okay? Do I love them both?'

Pan looked at her. Her face held no emotion,just an empty expression. "Bra-chan, I don't want to make it seem like I still hate the idea of my father and you. I don't like the idea
but since there's nothing I can do about it, I might as well understand what I can." Pan looked around for her coat. When she spotted it thrown over a chair she picked it up. "You've got to choose which one is more important to you. It might not be now but you've got to choose sometime. I just thought you would need something to think about. You know Juu-kun, he isn't going to wait forever. My father has too much patience for his own good, but it's wearing down. If both of them know about each other, and both do not like each other, you've only got so much time before you have to decide. You are gonna have to pick before you lose them both." Pan pushed a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "So who would it be?"

Bra looked up to meet her. Her expression was blank. "I don't know. I really don't. If I leave Gohan-chan, I could never live with myself, literally. If I leave Juu-kun, I could never look at him the same way again. This is just too confusing."

Pan tried to look supportive but she winced when she called her father 'chan'. 'Ugh... if I ever get used to this. What if my best friend becomes my mo... yuck!' She winced again at the thought. "I'll be leaving now. Sorry to make you think about things, but it's something you're going to have to face sooner or later." Pan walked to the door and held the door ajar. "Don't do anything stupid yet Bra-chan."

Bra had gotten up from the couch to walk Pan to the door. When she said her last words she stepped back. "What?"

Pan's gaze didn't waver. "I know what you're thinking. It's not time yet, don't hurt yourself more than you need to."

"How did you..."

"Why did you think I never told anybody about my little crush on Trunks? I know what happens between half-breeds."

"But you're not a half-breed."

"Makes no difference. Your father told me about bonds when I was following Trunks before." She smiled at the memory. "What he said was enough to keep me away from him. Plus, Trunks isn't my type. I don't see how Marron stands him."

Bra smiled kindly at her. "I wonder about that at times too." She walked closer to her friend. "I'm not afraid of it. I just wonder how it's going to happen."

"You are braver than I could ever be." Pan moved to give her a hug. "Take care Bra, don't do anything stupid." She walked out of the door and closed it behind her.

Bra watched the door close after Pan. She felt a little nervous now for some reason. 'Just great, now I'm paranoid about something stupid.' She thought about Gohan and Juunana. 'Who would I pick? What will happen to the other?'

She thought about her little argument with Juu-kun earlier today. It was so easy to get mad at him but making up was just as easy. She thought back to what he said earlier. "I told you I liked you," were his words. She wondered if he could ever love her. 'He must feel something for me if he sticks around this long,' she thought sadly.

Her thoughts drifted over to Gohan. It was hard to get mad at him so there weren't many making ups. He was sweet, considerate, nice, smart, cute, and he said he loved her. He was everything she could want, yet she wanted something more. Gohan didn't have the passionate, raw desire Juu-kun had around her. He had a subtle, more gentler, sweet sex appeal about him. 'I love Juu-kun, but didn't I tell him I loved Gohan too? Why can't I tell that to him? I can't live without Gohan now, but I want Juu-kun. I loved Juu-kun ever since he was there for me after my break-up with Goten. Gohan, I don't know! I fell for him so fast and I didn't want to. Juu-kun or Gohan, Juu-kun or Gohan...'

She gave up trying to decide. She wanted both. There was no way of choosing. If Juu-kun had said he loved her, it would've probably have made a difference, but not likely. What can you do when you love two men?

Bra held up a hand to her head. She would think more about this tomorrow. She slowly treaded her way back to her room. 'I've got to get away.' She thought about it more and more and decided she really had to get away. 'I'm not leaving this place tomorrow. I don't care what comes up,' she thought while changing into her pajama's.




Pan closed the door as quietly as she could. Her hands reached up to the lock and turned it clockwise. She stood there for a moment before turning around and walking away.

She fumbled in dark a bit. Her hand came up to her nose when she bumped into something. "Ouch!" She massaged her nose. Her eyes strained a bit to see what had caused her moment of clumsiness. Her hands went out and felt around something warm and fleshy. "Ubuu-kun?"

He smiled and grabbed her in his arms. "How did it go with Bra?"

Pan shook her head in his grasp. He knew where she went but he acted like nothing happened. She breathed in his scent before letting out a deep breath. "Better than I expected."

Ubuu pulled her out of his grasp and held her at arms length. "You don't sound like it went that way. What happened?"

"Bra really likes my father but you know she's involved with Juu-kun. The girl is confused and it's sad to see her this way. I asked her a question and it took her forever to get an answer out of her. And when I did get one, she said she didn't know." She held a hand behind her head and looked at the ceiling.

"That's bad. I have a feeling that there is something even worse that you're not telling me." His narrowed his eyes slightly at her.

A deep sigh escaped her lips. She scratched her head lightly. "Something's gonna happen and it's not going to be good." She dropped her head and looked at him evenly. "I don't know exactly what is going to happen. I do know that it's going to hurt a lot of people. It's not fair. It shouldn't happen now."

Ubuu didn't press her any further for details no matter how much he wanted to know. He eyed his fiancée in concern. Whatever was coming was draining her. He stepped closer to her. "C'mon Pan-chan, you seem tired. Let's go to bed."

Pan nodded with sleep filling her senses. She let him pull her into the room to get to bed. 'I wish I could help you guys out, but there's nothing I can do.'




Goten walked cautiously to her door. It had been almost three years since he saw her last. He cringed on the inside. 'I hope she still doesn't hate me. I didn't know what I was doing then,' he thought a bit scared. Hesitantly he raised his fist to knock on the door. His eyes glanced down at his watch. This is early in her time frame. He heard a groggily voice ask who was there. A smile lightened his features. 'Maybe things can go back to the way they once were.'

"Bra-chan, it's Go--" He was cut off when the door opened.

"Gohan! I thought... Goten?" She stood there with a confused look on her tired face. She bit her index finger's nail as she stood there in an old shirt with her hair thrown about. "What are you doing here?"

Goten almost fell over. She looked even more gorgeous than he remembered her. Time was anything but mean to her. His eyes searched over her body before resting on her face. He smiled again until he remembered what she had called him first. "Gohan? Why would you think I was Gohan?" The smile left his eyes and was replaced by a hurt, confused look.

Bra smiled sheepishly at him. "Good morning to you too, Goten." She moved aside and gestured for him to enter her place.

He felt a little depressed that she hadn't called him 'kun' or something like that. "Yeah, sorry about that Bra-chan." He grinned at her and scratched the back of his head. "Um, why did you call me Gohan?"

Bra grinned at him again. Her eyes seemed to glow when he mentioned his brother's name. "Oh, Gohan-chan went away for a convention two days ago. He said he would be back today." She said nonchalantly.

Goten grew even more confused. 'When did she start calling Gohan anything but Gohan-san? When did she become friends with him?' "Bra," he said slowly, "is there something going on between oniisan and you?"

Bra resisted an urge to laugh in his face. There was a suspicious gleam in his eyes that she found funny. 'Serves him right. He is the one who dumped me for his ex,' she thought. She walked around him to get to a chair. "Gohan-chan and I are close, that's all you need to know. If you want to know anything else you go talk to him."

Goten bit the insides of his mouth. This is not what he had planned. She was suppose to fall right into his arms. She was suppose to still love him. So, why was this happening? He straightened his face and looked at her. "So are you seeing anyone? It's been a long time."

Bra wanted to sigh and roll her eyes but she pushed her thoughts aside. The question he asked struck a nerve within her. "I don't know how to answer that. I'm kinda with two people, but there's no commitment between either one of them." She played with her hands in her lap as she answered him.

Goten was even more mixed-up by her answer. He thought about it for some time before speaking again. "What's that supposed to mean? Who are you with?" He felt a sudden sickness in the pit of his stomach when the words were out of his mouth. 'Do I really want to hear this?'

Bra looked at him cock-eyed. 'Does he really want to hear this?' She sighed. She wanted to hurt him as bad as he had hurt her three years ago, but why did she feel as if she was letting herself down. 'Because your gonna make things rocky between Gohan and him. You're gonna hurt Gohan,' she thought. The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. Someone had to tell Goten, it might as well be her. "I'm with Juu-kun."

Goten made a face. "Juunana-gou?" He asked in bewilderment. He looked at her and noticed she wasn't kidding about it. "Okay. Then who's the other guy?"

Bra stood up. She looked even more tired than she had fifteen minutes ago. "It's Gohan-chan."

Goten felt a burning, heated fury rising up inside of him. 'When the hell had all of this happened and why was he the last to know?'




Marron knocked softly on his door. She didn't bother to call ahead, he knew she was coming sooner or later. She waited patiently for him to come and answer the door.

Juunana walked in from the back door sweaty and tired. He would shower later, right now he was thirsty. He turned in the direction of the kitchen. He was at the doorway when he heard a knock coming from the front door. 'Who could this be?' He changed directions and went to answer the door.

Marron smiled when she saw her uncle standing in front of her. Her smile quickly faded as a blush highlighted her cheeks. He stood in front of her without a shirt and sweat glistened his toned chest. She looked down at her feet in embarrassment. This was too weird for words. "Jiisan, you told me to come later and..." She trailed off when she saw him move aside.

"Come in. Sorry, I forgot about it. Let me get something to drink before we talk. You can go get something too if you want." He walked away from his niece to the kitchen to get some water.

Marron walked to a chair and sat down. "I'm okay. I can't stay long, but I have been thinking about this for too long."

Juunana quirked and eyebrow at her before smirking. "Marron-chan, you're still the same, eh?" He walked out of his kitchen with a water bottle in his hand.

Marron looked at him confused. "What?"

He sat down in front of her with his arrogant smirk still on his lips. "You could never tell anyone what you really wanted from them. It takes you forever to take what you want," he said cool and calmly. He pinched her nose and smiled at her before backing away. "Don't get mad. I just wanted to see your reaction." He smiled again at her reddening face. "So you came all this way because you're worried about Bra and I?"

"How did you know?"

He took a long sip from his water bottle before shaking his head. "Do I really look that dumb?"

Marron couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. She became more comfortable before looking at him in the face. "So now that you know what I want, no use stalling." The smile dropped off of her face and she looked serious. "Do you love her?"

Juunana laid one arm over his chest and looked at her funny. After some time he answered. "I don't know. I feel something for her."

Marron watched intently as the emotions ran across his face. She felt pity for her uncle but she wouldn't interfere with his problems. She just wanted to know what was happening so she could be there for him if he needed her help on anything. The latter wasn't probable anyhow. "So, does she love you?"

Juunana couldn't keep himself from scowling. "I really don't know." He let his words sink in before continuing. "Marron, I don't think this conversation is going anywhere. You'll be the first person to know if there is a change of plans." He sighed and got up off the couch. "I told you this yesterday, you've got to talk to her if you want to know anything. I am as lost as you when it comes to understanding her, but that's what I like about her." He gave his niece a small kiss on her cheek and his famous smirk. "Don't worry about me, keep an eye on that kid of yours."

She smiled and rose up off of her seat. "Bye Jiisan. I'll talk to you later." Marron headed for the door and smiled back at her uncle again before leaving. 'He's going to lose her if he doesn't tell her how he feels,' she thought before getting into her aircar.




"Bra-chan when did all of this happen?" Goten didn't take his eyes off of her.

Bra finally rolled her eyes at him. "Does it really matter? What are you going to do about it?" Bra crossed her arms defiantly.

Goten's eyes narrowed down at her. "What does it matter?! I find out that my brother is making the moves on my girl! He's too old for you! It's just sick!"

Bra's temper was slowly rising. She got up off her seat and glared at him. "First of all, when was I ever your girl? I believe we were through years ago. Secondly, I will decide who is too old for me. I am grown and I make my own decisions. You do not tell me what to do, is that clear?"

Goten self-consciously took a step back from her glare. "I care about you Bra-chan, you've always known that. But out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be my brother?" His eyes lost some of the anger tinge to it as he looked over her.

Bra shrugged her shoulders. "Would it have made a difference if it wasn't Gohan-chan? I'm with Juu-kun too, what do you have to say about that? Guess what," she walked closer to him smirking all the way. "I think I love them both. They mean more to me than you ever did. I don't know what I ever saw in you," she laughed lightly as she saw his face fall.

Goten could not believe what he was hearing. 'This is not happening. She cannot be serious. I thought she loved me!' He watched her longer. He knew whatever chance he had ever had with her was ruined. "I thought you loved me," he said softly.

Bra's face twisted with annoyance and guilt. "I did, but you never loved me." She looked up at him without the anger or annoyance anymore. "Juu-kun was there for me when you left. I fell for him that day. Gohan was there for me when I was feeling lonely. They were there for me when no one else cared. You obviously don't care. If you did care, you would have been with me instead of with her. Goten, you pay attention to everything but what's in front of you. Now that you finally decide that you care about me, what am I suppose to do? If you expect me to fall for you like I did when I was sixteen, you're wrong. I'm not that same person. I don't want to be that same person. If you came here to find things exactly the way they were when you left, sorry to disappoint you."

Goten didn't say anything. He turned around and headed for the door to leave. Bra's voice made him stop in his tracks before he turned the handle.

"Don't walk away mad just because you expected things to be the same as they were. You found a way to get over me once, I'm sure as hell you can do it again."

Goten felt embarrassed and irritated by the girl. "Bye Bra." He didn't wait for an answer. He exited the apartment and slammed the door behind him.

Bra looked at his retreating back. A small smile graced her features. She had always wanted to hurt him the same way he had hurt her two years before. Why did he suddenly come back for her anyway? She thought over the question again and again until the answer finally came to her. "Why can't she just leave me alone?!" Bra went back to bed to get as much sleep as she could. She's the only one who would do this. It was just another reason to hate her mother for interfering with her life.




Bulma didn't bother to call ahead. She sat at a nearby restaurant waiting for Goten to come back. He would probably get her daughter's infatuation off of Gohan. When she saw him coming she frowned. This was not the reaction she had expected. "Did it all go well?"

Goten did all but growl at her. "Did you know she's with Juunana-gou too?"

Bulma's frown deepened. "I didn't know," she stuttered.

Goten stood in front of the table. "Bulma-san, there is a lot you don't know about her. She isn't going to listen to you. From what I know, she is more than just infatuated with my brother. Just leave her alone, she'll talk to you when she wants. Don't make her even angrier at you than necessary. Trust me, I know. I don't even know why I agreed to do this. I should have known she would never forgive me." Goten smiled at Bulma again before departing away from her. He knew she was going to regret pushing her daughter too far, it was only a matter of time. Whatever he said, she wouldn't listen anyhow.



Marron made a sharp turn to her right. She drove up to a small complex of apartment buildings. She bit the insides of her mouth. 'Maybe this isn't such a good idea,' she thought as she got out of the car. Despite her thoughts she walked to the building and headed for Bra's place. When she stood in front of Room 195 she knocked lightly on the wooden door.


Bra threw the blankets off of her once again. 'Why the hell does everyone want to mess with me on my sleep day?' She walked groggily to the door. "Who is it, and if you're my mother or Goten go away!"

Marron smiled a bit embarrassed from the other side of the door. "Uhh, it's me, Marron."

Bra's face lightened up some but not by much. "Come in, it's open." She trotted to the couch to stretch out.

Marron let herself in and closed the door behind her. She tried to familiarize herself in the dark room. When she spotted her friend's form on a nearby couch she took a chair close by her. "So how have you been Bra-chan?"

Bra's eyes were heavy with sleep. She wondered briefly if this was going to be another interview on why she shouldn't be with Gohan. The thought quickly faded away. She knew Marron well enough to know she didn't give a damn about who she dated, as long as she didn't hurt... "Marron, are you here to talk about Juu-kun?"

Marron nodded her head impatiently. "Bra don't hurt him. He really does love you, but he has a hard time expressing himself with words. If you don't want him around at least break things off with him. It's not right to hurt him like that."

Bra waved her hand in dismissal. "Marron don't talk to me about things not being right, because I know. I love him, but what am I suppose to do while he finally decides what he wants from me. I didn't plan on falling for Gohan-chan, it happened. When Gohan entered the picture things just got complicated." Bra yawned before continuing again. "Juu-kun and I were having problems before any of this happened. He can't decide what he wants right away and I get frustrated too easily. I really do love Juu-kun, but I love Gohan too. You don't have to tell me about things. I know this isn't right." Bra hit the cushions of the couch hard. 'Why is this happening now? Does everyone want to give me a hard time or something?'

Marron's eyes narrowed slightly. A tired sigh escaped her mouth. "Bra, you know I love you like you were my own sister, but I'm worried about things. I was positive you and Jiisan were going to get married--"

Bra cut her off right there. "I've told you this since I was old enough to understand the meaning of that. I don't want to get married. I don't want a husband. I don't want to live happily ever after. I just want someone to count on and an occasional..."

"I get the point." She smiled at her face. Some things had not changed. "I forgot. I mean, that I assumed that you two would end up together. I just never imagined that--"

"I know what you mean, but things don't always go as planned." She was quiet for some time before finally speaking again. "Marron, I know you're worried about your uncle but this is confusing for both of us. You can trust me on this, things are going to get better for Juu-kun. I promise you that."

Marron looked at the other girl strangely. She wanted to warn her about something but she didn't know what exactly. "Bra, I've got to go," she rose up off of her cushy chair and walked for the door. "Just take care, okay?"

Bra rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be fine, I don't know why everybody is so stressed about it." She got up shakily up off the couch.

"And be careful around my uncle. Someone has got to worry over him since he's not doing a good job of it." Her hands reached for handle. "Take care," she said over her shoulder as she left.

Bra stood at the door shaking her head. She locked it before heading back to bed. 'Just great. I have two overprotective friends. Marron's worried about how I'm going to treat Juu-kun, and Pan is worried about how I'm going to treat Gohan. They don't even understand,' she thought as she climbed into bed.




Bulma sat at the restaurant looking at her daughter's apartment. 'I wish she would just listen to me sometimes. I only want what's best for her. I want to apologize but how can I when she can't stand to see me for more than five minutes without getting pissed off at me.' A low sigh escaped Bulma's mouth. She sat there stirring her cocoa. When she brought the mug to her lips a familiar head walked by. "Juunana-gou?!"

She watched as the young looking cyborg entered Bra's apartment complex. She set the mug down at the table. How long has she been involved with Juunana-gou? This time, a tear slid down her cheek. When had she lost all contact with her daughter? Was she still mad about her graduation? More tears broke loose. "I said I was sorry Bra-chan, please forgive me," she whispered to herself.




Juunana looked at the door. 'Room 195,' he thought to himself. He traced the gold numbers with his index finger. He remembered when she first moved here. He had helped her bring in all of her stuff. They played and laughed that day. A wry smile came to his lips. It was May 19, when she had moved here. It was there first kiss and among other things. He smirked before knocking the door. He had to tell her now before it was too late.


Bra threw the covers over her head again. When the knocking wouldn't quit she got up off of the bed. She looked at it sadly before going to answer the door. 'Everyone wants to come see me on my day off,' she thought bitterly. She yawned as she opened to door to come face to face with him.

"Juu-kun..."

He stepped in and took her hand. This was going to be much harder than he thought. "Bra, I wanted to tell you something."

Bra looked at her hand in his and smiled softly. All thoughts of Gohan, Goten, Pan, Marron, Trunks, and her mother seemed to go away. She looked into his eyes and smiled again. Her smile faded quickly. Instead of Juunana-gou, she saw Gohan. "No," she said quietly.

Just a second ago she seemed to be glowing then it vanished. He looked at her face for some kind of explanation of what had happened. "Bra?"

Bra looked up to meet his eyes. The way they softened and the way he looked at her made her want to cry. "This cannot be happening," she mumbled to herself again. She didn't see Gohan anymore, just Juunana-gou. She backed away from him and sat down. "I'm sorry Juu-kun, I don't feel like myself today."

He stood over her and frowned. It was happening again. Everytime it seemed like he had her again, that brat would enter her mind. He crossed his arms and growled under his breath. 'Why didn't I think of it sooner?' He looked down at the woman with a fierce frown. "Bra-chan, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

She held her head in her hands and shook it every now and then. Her pajama shirt seemed to swallow her up and she rocked back and forth. "I'm sorry Juu-kun," she whispered.

He shook his head and frowned. "I thought you loved me," he said in a hushing tone.

She repeated over and over again. "I do! You know I do, how many times do I have to tell you?!" She got up off of the chair and stood to her full height. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Is that enough? What more proof do you want?" Bra forgot about being sad, right now she wanted to kill him.

He smirked. This is what he loved about her. Getting her mad was much more entertaining than getting her father upset. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. Just like usual she melted in his arms. 'I know monkeyboy can't do this to you,' he thought as he deepened the kiss.



Bulma was about to leave when she saw another familiar face go to the apartment building. "Gohan?" She thought about stopping him and asking him what was going on between the two. She decided it could wait. She sat back down and ordered another cocoa.



Gohan looked at the flowers in his hand. He managed to leave early from the convention. The guest speaker never showed up and many scholars returned home. Before he boarded his flight back home he managed to pick up something he knew she would like. Black silk roses. Before he knocked he heard her yelling at someone then silence. 'She could be in trouble,' he thought. He opened the door and decided it was probably the worst mistake he ever could make. The roses fell out of his hand on hit the carpet. "Bra..." he managed to get out.


Bra's anger at Juunana faded away in that kiss. It was replaced my a burning passion then by guilt. She broke away from him and looked behind her at Gohan. "I.. I... Gohan," she walked closer to him still trying to pick her words.

Gohan looked at her with hurt eyes. He shook his head slowly. He felt betrayed in a way, but he couldn't really. She never promised to be more than a friend to him. He looked away from her face. He loved her and he was positive she loved him too. He turned around to leave but she tugged on his arm.

"Gohan, please don't leave me."

Those five words alone meant the world to him. He was reminded of the first feeling he had for her. He wanted to protect her then and even more now. His eyes went past her to the cyborg that was keeping them apart. He hated Juunana-gou. There was no simple way to put it. He hated him and he wanted him dead. "Juunana-gou." The way that he looked at him made him want to kill him right now. He knew what he was thinking and it wasn't true. He gave him the same look in return. All he got was a glare in answer.

Bra rolled her eyes at the two. Her eyes were fixed on Gohan. The jealous bloodlust gleam in his face made her smile. She felt her face flush when he licked his lips wickedly. She walked over towards him and touched his arm lightly. She was disappointed when he noticed her and the gleam disappeared from his eyes.


Juunana felt his stomach constrict. The way she acted around him was almost too much to bear. He shook his head sadly at the two before him. 'Dammit! Why didn't I tell her when I had the chance? Why can't I tell her now?' He looked from Bra to Gohan and growled inwardly. 'Why the hell did he have to come and ruin everything between us?' He wanted to blast something. This was not suppose to happen to them. They were suppose to be together forever, not for two and a half years. "I'll be leaving now," he said in a hurt voice. We walked towards Bra and touched her cheek lightly before brushing his lips across hers. 'I love you Bra,' his mind screamed. He traced her hairline lightly with one hand and stroked her cheek with the other. "I... I... I have to leave now."He looked deeply into her eyes before walking away.

Gohan glared at the two the entire time. He felt like screaming at Bra that he was just using her to get her into his bed. He shook his head at Juunana-gou's obvious plan. He reached for Bra's hand and held it tight so she would look away from the door.

Bra felt like she was in a dream. With one look, Juunana made her want to leave the world and just go away with him. She knew her eyes were glazing over when she felt Gohan's hand on her own.

Her eyes looked down at their locked hands. The lusty passionate love that Juunana stirred within her was replaced by a passionate affection and desire for Gohan. She looked up to meet his eyes and felt the guilt hit her again. "Gohan..."

Gohan leaned in over her and pressed his lips against hers. When he felt she was just getting excited about it he pulled away. There was an almost vicious look in his eyes that it was sexy.

Bra felt her mouth water. This was the way she wanted him to look at her, but it was too much. How could one person make her feel this way? His cold fingers stroked the hair on her head in a calm manner. A low moan made its way out of her mouth.

Gohan smiled to himself. 'If I knew she would have reacted to me like this, I would have dropped the act sooner,' he thought. "Bra, you know how I feel about you, but how do you feel about me? I know you care for Juunana-gou, but who means more to you?"

'You are gonna have to pick before you lose them both... So who would it be?' Pan's words came back to her. The fact that she was still wishing for Gohan to kiss her again and the memory of Juunana's arms around her didn't make the decision any easier. It was some time before she replied to him, "I'm not ready to answer that. I love Juunana, I know that. And..." She stopped and looked up at him. 'I love you too. I just can't say it.' "And, I care about you deeply."

He sighed in hurt mixed in with fustration. 'I know she loves me, why can't she tell me?' He dropped his hand from her head. "Bra I didn't think I would fall for someone after Videl died, but the point is I did. I love you, and I know you feel the same way. If you can't tell me because of the way you feel for Juunana-gou, I'll simply have to fix that."

"Huh?"

He looked seriously at her. "Marry me."

"Gohan, I can't believe you said that."

His look didn't change. "Well what am I suppose to say? Bra I love you, I want to be with you, but you are so confused over that bucket of bolts that you get yourself mixed-up. I want you to be my girlfriend not girl friend! I can't imagine life without you now. You are all I think about. What do I have to do to make you realize that? I would die for you! I would do anything to make you happy! Now would the amazing walking scrap metal man do that for you?"

She shook her head sadly at him. "Gohan I can't. I have my reasons why I'm still attached to him."

His frustration level was rising rapidly. "Well are you more attached to him than me?"

"No. I wouldn't leave you if my life depended on it." Bra was shocked that her answer came so fast She didn't regret it though, she meant every word.

He smiled. "Do you mean it?"

She nodded her head without missing a beat. "I love Juunana, but I could never leave you."

He didn't try and push her any more. She would come to him, it was only a matter of time. And when she did, he would give anything to keep her. 'Would she leave him to be with me?' He pushed his thoughts aside and hugged her to him. They stood like that until she pulled away when a light knock came through the door.




Bulma figited. She kept repeating to herself that this was the right thing. She knocked softly and waited until the door was answered.

Her blue eyes looked up to meet black ones. 'Oh shit! This is not happening!' She felt herself panicking. "G-Gohan, where's my daughter?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow at the older woman. 'I thought Bra told her about us?' He nodded and motioned behind him. He closed the door after Bulma entered the apartment. His eyes searched around for Bra. His stomach began to knot up. 'Why didn't she tell me she had problems with her mom?!'

Bra examined her mother cooly. She was not in the mood to hear her bitch about her opinion on her life. She wanted to laugh at the old woman's expression when she saw Gohan answer the door and to find her in a men's shirt. She gave her mother a curt smirk to let her know she was enjoying her uneasiness. "Mother."

Bulma smiled as cheerfully as she could. After two and a half years she was still upset about what had happened. "Bra."

Gohan felt the tension in the air between the two. He shifted uncomfortably. "I think I should leave--"

"That would be best."

"Don't listen to her. Stay Gohan-chan." She added the extra emphasis on the chan to make her mother even more angrier. "This won't be long."

He looked between the two before going to rest on the couch. 'I hope this isn't going to be as bad as it seems,' he thought.

"Bra-chan..."

"Don't Bra-chan me! Why did you tell Goten to come and see me? What the hell was that all about? When will you get it through your head that I do not need your help running my life. You gave that right up two years ago. I've went twenty years without a mom and I can go the next twenty without one too. I want you to leave me alone Bulma-san. I've worked my way to get to where I am now. I don't need your help. I don't want you help. I could care less about what you think of my life. You have to understand the fact that it's mine and not yours. If I want to be with Gohan then I'm going to be with him. If I want to stay with Juunana then I'm going to stay with him and I don't give a damn what you have to say about it!"

Bulma wanted to cry, but not in front of her. She only wanted to help her, that was all. She squared her shoulders and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Bra, don't call me my first name. Call me kassan. I just want to--"

"I can call you whatever the hell I want to call you. You were never my mom, so why should I give you that respect?" She smirked again at her fallen face. "And what do you want to do? Help me? So in other words you were trying to help me by not going to my graduation. You were helping me by going to work that day even when you don't work. You were helping me by not listening to me when I needed to talk to someone. You were helping me by being somewhere else when I needed you most. And lets not forget how you helped me by bringing the second person who I don't give a damn about back into my life. You were a real help weren't you?"

"Bra, there's no reason for the sarcasm. I am sorry, okay? How many times do I have to say that? I know I wasn't the best mother in the world but I do care about you. I only wanted to relieve you of the infatuation you have for Gohan and Juunana-gou. I just--"

"No you just did not say that," Bra said between gritted teeth. "You did not say relieve, did you?"

"Bra, you are just confused. I think--"

"Me confused! Ha! You think wrong! I am going to stay with them. I am trying to move away from two years ago. Two people who I was suppose to trust my life with betrayed me and then come back into my life and want to pick up where things used to be. Why should I want to listen to that? I don't trust you or Goten. I don't want to even see you. Understand this mother since you obviously don't understand me, I don't like you. I like you as much as a person can without hating them. Don't try and do any favors for me. Don't try and think for me because I'm not going to listen. The only reason that I don't hate you because I do have some respect for the woman who gave me life." Bra walked away from her mother to open the door. "I think you should leave now."

Bulma hung her head in disappointment. She was positive this was the last time she would see her daughter. She gave a glance to Gohan and mouthed, 'take care of her', before leaving.

Bra looked at the door. She didn't feel the satisfaction that she wanted to feel. She walked away from the door and went towards Gohan.

Gohan eyed her skeptically. "Bra, I-I never knew. Why didn't you tell me?"

She breathed in deeply. "It was my problem, not yours." She breathed in again. 'I wonder how long it's going to be before I finally lose it,' she thought. She sat down next to Gohan and smiled sadly. "I don't want you to worry about me, okay? Everything will work out for the best, trust me."

Gohan raised his eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Bra smiled wistfully. "Go to Ubuu's. I think Pan has something to tell you." She stood up and pulled him up with her. "Go!"

He smiled wearily. He had a feeling of dread when he looked in her eyes. She was trying to get rid of him so she could do something. "I don't want to leave you Bra."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's okay, but I want you to leave me." Bra dragged him to the door and pushed im out. "Gohan, I hope you know, that I.. I... I really like you. You mean the world to me."

Before Gohan could question what she meant she closed the door. He was going to knock but he knew what she would have done. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the staircase. His eyes took one last glance at the door before leaving to meet with his daughter.


Gohan walked away from the apartment duplex towards Ubuu's complex. He was lost in thought as he walked. His head jerked up when he felt someone nudge at his shoulder. "Hm?"

"Excuse me," came a deep male reply.

Gohan heard the recognition in the voice. "Ototo?"


Goten turned around from the bus station. He didn't feel like leaving now. 'I should talk to oniisan, maybe he will tell me why he took my girl away from me?' He headed for the direction of Gohan's house.

He walked swiftly down the sidewalk occasionally apologizing to the people he bumped into. He did this for the past twenty minutes until someone stopped him. He felt the heat rush to his face. "Oniisan."

Gohan looked at his brother. 'I wonder if things went as bad with Bra and him as they were with her mother.' "Where are you headed to?"

Goten shrugged. "I was on my way to see you."

Gohan nodded. "You wanted to talk about Bra, right?"

"Particularly Bra and you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why did you go after my girlfriend? You knew I liked her. I can't believe you would do this to your own brother."

Gohan felt his anger rising. He pulled Goten aside to a nearby park. "First of all, she was not your girlfriend. If she was anybody's she was Juunana-gou's. Secondly, I can't believe how you treated her! Goten you left her for your ex-girlfriend. What did you expect for her to do?"

Goten ignored him. "I liked Bra. She knew that! She loved me!"

He sighed. "Well, I love her! Bra's the type of person that actions mean more than words ever could. And you said it yourself, she loved you. Keyword, loved."

"That's not the point. She was mine and brothers don't recycle girlfriends. She's too young for you anyhow. Plus, you've only been widowed for a year. Don't you have any respect for Oneechan?" He looked at Gohan in disgust.

Gohan felt like smacking some sense into his younger brother. "I've moved on Goten. Bra has to. Just because we're with each other means nothing. I don't even think about the age differences. If I'm not mistaken, isn't she eleven years younger than you?"

"Well at least I'm not twenty-three years older than her! It's sick! Gohan just stay away from her!"

Gohan shook his head. "I will do whatever I want! I love her and if you can't accept that then I don't have nothing else to say to you." Gohan stared at his brother long and hard before walking off to Ubuu's.

"You'll regret it later on! She still loves me! It's only a matter of time before she comes back to me oniisan!" Goten yelled at his brother's retreating back.

Gohan tuned his brother out as he walked the short distance to Ubuu's place. 'I can't believe the way he's reacting about Bra being with me,' he thought.


Gohan knocked on the door lightly. "Ubuu, it's me Gohan," he said from behind the thick wood.

Pan heard her father's voice and went to answer it. She remembered to act cooly around him. "Hello tousan."

Gohan smiled uncertainly at his daughter. "Hi Pan-chan." He walked in the apartment and looked around before looking at her again. "Bra told me to come and talk to you about Ubuu. Is everything okay?"

Pan wished she could scream at Bra. 'I don't want to tell him yet. Why did she have to go and do this to me?' She inhaled deeply and crossed her arms.

"Pan, everything is okay, right?" He didn't like the agitated look she gave him from when he asked her last. "Pan, honey?"

Pan blew up at her hair. "Everything is alright dad."

"Then why did Bra..."

She smiled slightly. "He finally proposed. I didn't want to tell you until later, but thanks to my father-stealer friend I'm telling you now."

Gohan went and pulled her into a hug. "That's great! I knew he was going to do it soon!" He hugged her tighter until something else she said came back to him. He pulled back and looked at her. "Why did you call her a father-stealer?"

Pan shrugged. "I'm just playing around. I know you like her, but that doesn't mean I like it. I still think you're robbing the cradle..."

"Pan, don't--"

"It's true. I'll accept whatever fling you two have but that doesn't mean I will like it anytime soon. She likes you, and you like her, that's all that matters right now. Believe it or not, I'm actually mature enough to understand some things." She smiled sincerely at her father.

Gohan smiled at her. "Thanks Pan."

She shrugged. "Don't thank me yet. You are going to go through hell for the next few days."

He looked at her strangely. "Huh?"

Pan looked away from him. "Dad, did Bra seem a bit frustrated and upset today?"

He thought back to Juunana-gou, Bulma, Goten, and Pan went by there today. There were probably more who made her a bit uncomfortable, but that's all he knew right now. "Yeah."

Pan nodded. "So who do you think would be the strongest between you two? I mean mentally not physically."

"Pan, what does this all have to do with Bra and I? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Just answer me dad."

Gohan began to panic for some unknown reason. "I guess it would be me."

Pan looked back at him. Her eyes were a bit glossy. "That's what I thought."

Gohan felt his stomach do jumping jacks. "Pan, what's happening? Tell me?!"

She smiled wry at him. "You'll find out in the morning."

"Pan, is it important!?"

She pulled on his arm. "You'll know in the morning. C'mon, don't you want to meet your new son-in-law?"

Gohan protested a few more times before finally giving up. He would stop by Bra's on the way home. 'Bra, please be safe,' he thought.




Bra looked at the envelopes in front of her. One was to her mother, her father, Trunks, Juunana-gou, and finally Gohan. She put the finishing touches on his letter. Gohan's was the most important. Everyone else would find a way through this, he would be the only one to have doubts about going on. She shook her head. 'I should have told him I was suicidal to begin with and this bond doesn't help me any,' she thought sadly. 'No one understands me and I am always in the way for someone. This is the best solution. Things will be better this way,' she spread the envelopes where they could find them easily. She picked up the knife and headed towards her room. She looked around her apartment for the last time, hopefully. Her bare feet hit something soft. 'This must have been what he brought for me.' A low sigh escaped her lips as she picked up the black roses. She wasn't afraid to do this. She was afraid of hurting him. She unlocked her door so it would be easy for them to find her. She walked to her room and laid down on her bed. Her hands fingered the blade slowly before closing her eyes and jabbing the blade swiftly into her abdomen. A sharp intense pain shot through her before everything went black.


I don't own DBZ/GT. I also don't own "Killing Me Softly", Roberta Flack does.


I didn't want to say anything but I have to so some people won't get confused. This was my fav part and it came out faster than I expected. EVERYTHING will be explained in part 4!! I promise, and there's gonna be a surprise. Thanx 4 readin', bye
--Ashley

e-mail me if you wanna know what really happens ahead of time... Trunkslover2004@cs.com