Once in a While

And that's all the time that it takes

For a heart to beat again

So give me a sign that a lover makes

You look around, the one you've found is back again

Chapter 4

Bra woke relatively early the next morning (especially since she hadn't gotten to bed until late). Goten was snoring on the couch, his belt, tie, jacket and shoes on the floor next to him. Against her will, Bra smiled. She had never expected to see this again – Goten's sleeping form. During the time that they had been going out, Bra had sat and watched Goten sleep on several occasions. It gave her an odd sense of security. A feeling she never experienced while watching Touya sleep.

Bra jumped at a noise from behind her. She turned, and there stood Estella, grinning.

"Scared you!" the little girl giggled. Bra simply shook her head.

Estella was the image of her father – brown hair, green eyes. Bra was glad of that, since it meant that she did not have to dye Estella's hair to prevent her from being recognised. The bright aqua hair colour of the Briefs females was not exactly common, which was why Bra had dyed her own hair. It meant that every time someone said, "Y'know, you look just like the Capsule Corp. heiress, Bra…", she could simply reply, "Yeah, a lot of people tell me that. I guess that's why my boss hired me."

"Who's that?" Estella queried, spying the sleeping man on the couch.

"Oh, that's one of Okaasan's friends," answered Bra. "His name is Son Goten. You can introduce yourself to him when I wake him up."

But Bra didn't need to wake Goten. He rolled over in his sleep…straight onto the floor. He hit it with a loud thump, then jumped up, very much awake. "Wha…? Oh, morning Bra."

"Yes, it is," was her smart-arsed reply. Bra gave Estella a little tap on the shoulder.

The four-year-old stepped forward. "Konnichiwa, Son Goten. I'm Estella Ono. Can you be my friend as well as my okaasan's?"

Goten raised an eyebrow to Bra. "Ono?"

"I was too lazy to make up a name – so sue me. I should have chosen a different one. I always get asked if I'm related to Yoko." Bra gave a little smile. "Estella, would you like to talk to Goten while I make some breakfast?"

"Sure!" Estella grabbed Goten's hand. "Come on, Goten. I'll show you my toys!" She led him to the bedroom that she shared with her mother.

Bra smiled as they left. Why does this image seem so right to me? But she knew the answer. It seemed so right because some tiny part of her still adored Goten. Some tiny part of her loved seeing him as a father figure to her daughter. I wonder if we could ever get it to work again. Bra shook her head. Of course it can't work. He's going back to Japan. I can't go back there. I can't go back to where Touya can get to Estella again.

With a sigh, Bra started to clean the table. Goten had left his cell phone on the table, next to his teacup. As Bra picked up the phone, she bumped one of the buttons. The last call Goten had made appeared on the screen. Trunks' Mobile.

Bra eyes widened in horror. She raced to the bedroom. "Um, Estella? Kaasan needs to speak with Goten for a moment. You stay in here, okay?"

"Hai, Okaasan," said Estella.

Goten left the bedroom, and followed Bra to the kitchen.

She held up his phone. "Care to explain this?"

Goten wondered what Bra was so stressed about. Then he read what was displayed on the screen of his phone. "Oh! I…uh…um…felt like calling Trunks last night. Y'know, to tell him I was coming back."

"You only thought of doing that last night? What a coincidence."

"Well, seeing you again reminded me that I hadn't told him."

"So you rang him up either in the middle of the night, or in the early hours of the morning."

"Yeah…" Goten knew his argument was failing miserably. He sighed in defeat. "Bra, I had to know what they thought. What they thought had happened to you."

Curiosity got the better of Bra. She raised an eyebrow, and allowed Goten to continue talking, and explain himself. She was slowly learning to let people do that. Hastiness had always been one of her lower points.

"At first, they thought Touya had killed you and Estella, then made it look like you'd run off. The cops found blood in the apartment. But Touya was found not guilty. Just after the trail, Trunks got an email…"

"Oh, he did get it! I wondered if he had, because I deleted the account I sent it from as soon as I had sent it." Bra looked Goten straight in the eye. "Did you tell him? Did you say where you were?"

"Yes," Goten quietly answered.

"I thought you might have. Well, I hope you enjoy seeing the bruises both my daughter and I are going to start bearing again." There was no anger in Bra's voice, but that made her comment worse. She sounded like she had been let down, and defeated. "What's India like? Do you think it would be a good place to raise Estella?"

"Bra, he's dead."

"Dead? Who?"

"Touya. He died just recently of a drug overdose. You're safe, and so is Estella."

Bra simply stared at the man that she had once loved with all of her heart. His words seemed too good to be true. Touya's dead? I can't believe it. That fucking bastard is dead!

"You're certain?"

Goten nodded.

Bra smiled. Truly. For the first time in five years, she was truly happy. She threw her arms around Goten. Why is it that Goten is the one to tell me this news? He's always telling me things. Like my own private news reporter. And this almost makes up for the awful news he brought me five years ago.

Goten stood, and held Bra close to him. This was the feeling that he had missed for five long years. Many things had changed in those years.

Bra was now a red head, but no doubt, when they went back to Japan, she would change it back to its natural shade. She was also a mother, to a beautiful little girl, who had experienced more than a four-year-old girl should have to. Bra worked as a stripper, a job which was very beneath her. Bra deserved so much more than her life had given her. Holding her in his arms, Goten wondered is he would ever be able to give her all that she needed and desired. And more importantly, if she would ever let him try. He knew that he had hurt her beyond words, but he too had changed. He now knew what meant the most to him – the woman in his arms.

"Did Trunks tell you when he'd send someone to drag me home?" Bra asked.

"Today."

"Really? I wonder who he'll be able to get."

"Well, seeing as I'm already here…"

"Goten…"

"B-chan, I told Trunks that when I came home today, I would be bringing you and Estella with me."

Bra wanted to be angry with Goten. She wanted to scream at him for making a decision without her permission. But she couldn't. The joy of being able to see her family and friends again was too great. And it was all thanks to Goten.

"…Thank you…"

"No problem."

Estella had wandered out of the bedroom to see if Bra and Goten had finished talking. Goten hadn't seen her Barbie collection yet! When she came to the kitchen, Estella stopped in her tracks. Bra and Goten were standing in the kitchen, holding each other.

"Um…Okaasan? Have you and Goten-san finished…talking now?" she snickered.

Bra and Goten broke apart. "Oh, uh…yes…we have." Bra walked over to her daughter and knelt in front of the young girl. "Estella, would you like to go back to Japan? And see everyone again?"

Estella's eyes filled with hope…and fear. "Japan?…but that's where Otousan is? I don't wanna go back there!"

Though Touya was dead, and Goten had never met him, Goten felt an immediate hatred for Bra's former husband. No child should have to fear going near their father. That bastard.

"Well, honey, I have something to tell you." Bra put her hand on Estella's shoulder. The four-year-old had always been wise beyond her years. There was no point in sugarcoating truth for her. "Estella, your otousan is dead."

"Th…that means…we can go home!" Estella hugged her mother.

"That's right, baby. You wait here, while I go start packing our stuff." Bra raced to the bedroom and started throwing things into the suitcases she had brought with her from Japan.

Estella and Goten stayed in the kitchen. The former stared at the latter, wondering just what had been going on between him and her mother.

"Are you really just my okaasan's friend?"

From the interaction Goten had seen between Bra and her daughter, he had worked out that it was impossible to lie to little Estella. She'll be a bright one when she's older. Brilliant and beautiful. It seems to run in the family. "Well, to tell the truth, Estella, we used to be an item. We used to go out together."

A pair of big green hope filled eyes stared at him. 'Estel' – Estella – Elvish for hope. "Are you going to be my new otousan?"

Goten stared back at the little girl in front of him. What she had seen and experienced made her seem much older than four. She could see things, and understand them.

Though she was not his true daughter, Goten would like nothing more than to raise her like she was. He could see himself and Bra as a happy couple, raising Estella together, with, perhaps, some more of their own. He could see them together, as if Touya had never existed.

Goten smiled at Estella. "I don't know if I'll be your otousan, Estella. That decision is up to your okaasan. But maybe one day I will be. Maybe one day."

The End

^-^ I'm evil, aren't I? Well, you can't always have a happy ending. And not all stories have a distinct start and finish. I wrote this fic as one of those (well, also 'cause I had a dream that was sort of like this).

I like writing "different" sorts of fics – in style and ideas. This is another style that I have tried – leaving the ending open. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.