Chapter Nineteen

Pan watched them in awe. This is what they meant to fight without rules . . . without restraint . . . It was almost beautiful . . . Her grandpa and Zarah were trading punches that could easily kill or maim if not avoided and they were batted away easily.

She hadn't realized they could bend that way. Zarah was really flexible and he seemed so loose, like he was having fun. Her grandpa seemed so serious but she knew when everything was over he'd grin and say "Same time next week?"

She winced the air left Zarah's lungs.

**

Goku lifted his brows in surprise as the young man still managed to throw punch despite the obvious lack of air in his lungs. A growing sense of excitement filled Goku as he kicked Zarah off his feet only to see him quickly rebound, panting as his air passage finally opened.

Ava's family had always been an unknown source of power, an ally only if it concerned those they considered kin. And now Pan had married into this elusive family, they would be more open to them than in the past, and that meant more sparring partners. Good ones if Zarah was anything to go by.

"Goku!"

**

Zarah grunted as he was sent to the ground with crushing force. He had thought to take advantage of Kakarot when his attention diverted from the fight at hand. With little effort Kakarot had deflected him while turning to confront the voice.

"Oh hey, Chichi," Goku grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Zarah took this opportunity to get his breathing completely under control.

"Goku, what did I tell you about sparring before a meal?" Chichi had her hands on her hips.

"Um . . ." A panicked look crossed Goku's face.

"Mom," Gohan stepped forward, "Just this once-"

A stern look stopped Gohan in his tracks. Her face lightened as she saw Ava and 17.

"Ava, 17, it's been ages since I last saw you," Chichi smiled.

Ava returned the smile slightly, "Do you remember our son Zarah?"

"Little Zarah?" Chichi scanned the group, "He's here?"

"I am not so little anymore," Zarah dusted off his pants.

"Well, look at you, you're all grown up. How's your sister?" Chichi studied the young man in front of her.

"She's a little worse for wear but she's still working," Zarah grinned and winked at Pan not caring her father was right there.

"Speaking of work," Chichi got a speculative look in her eye, "Do you?"

"He's the top inventor in Capsule Corp. second only to Bra," Bardock informed, making everyone look at Zarah.

Second only to Bra, Gohan had to reevaluate the young saiyan in front of him, but they say Bra is even smarter than Bulma!

Zarah fidgeted under the attention, "It's not a big deal."

Ava tilted her head, confused at why everyone was making a big fuss.

"Is this important?"

"Are you serious?" Chichi demanded.

"In saiyan terms, he's the second best fighter in the world," 17 patted Ava's hand.

"Oh," the implications spread over her face, "Forgive me, Zarah, I did not understand."

Zarah felt a load lift off his shoulders as approval shinned from his mother's eyes. He bowed his acceptance.

"So, you're going to marry Pan right?" Chichi smiled, expecting him to blush or turn away.

"I already did," Zarah laughed.

Ava and 17's lips quirked in amusement while Chichi fainted.

"Chichi!" Goku dove for his wife, "Sorry guys, we're going to have to cut this short. Zarah, we'll have a rematch."

"But dad-"

"Sorry Gohan," Goku adjusted his wife in his arms, "You know how your mom gets. I would like to stay on her good side right now."

Bardock watched his son walk away, "Kakarot forfeits. Goten your up."

**

Terry smiled as she fluffed her hair. Yes, tomorrow was the big day, the day where she and Zarah would finally consummate their undying love for each other. She would wear her sexiest red dress, not that she would wear it long, and they would go at it like a pair of rabbits, right there in his office.

She'd take off his belt first, then his pants, and shirt. She would already be naked, having stripped on the way in. He'd hold her close and tell her everything she'd been waiting to hear.

"I love you Terry," his voice would be slightly rough as he kissed her all over, "You're the only one I want . . . the one I need . . ."

Terry jumped as her egg timer went off.

She glared at the object that had interrupted her fantasy. It had seemed so real for a moment.

Oh well, tomorrow it would be real and she wouldn't have to wait anymore.

"I love you too, Zarah."

**

"I pass him," Goten winced as Gohan glared at him.

"Goten-"

"I am not going to fight him when I know I can't win," Goten cut off his brother, "Besides, I know him, you don't. There are worse people out there and I know he'll take good care of her. Better than I ever could."

Bardock nodded his understanding, "Goten passes and Gohan is up."

Gohan eyed his opponent coldly.

Zarah grinned at Goten, "I'll put in a good word to Bra for you. Pan . . ."

Pan felt her heartbeat accelerate as she read the message in his eyes, one more and you're mine.

"I have a question for you Zarov-"

"Zarah," he corrected Gohan.

"Why Pan?"

Zarah met her eyes, "She's perfect . . . I will have no one else."

Gohan felt a little of his anger dissipate.

"Why didn't you tell her what she was getting into?"

"I tried-"

"Did you?"

Zarah met Gohan's eyes.

"I didn't want her to get away."

Gohan felt his lip curl, "So without a thought to her feelings you married her without her consent. What if she hated you?"

"She doesn't," Zarah cocked a hip as his anger started to build, "I would feel it if it were so."

"Oh," Gohan was sarcastic,"What were you planning to do when she found out? What if she hated you for it? She is not one to stand by while others make decisions for her."

Doubt flashed in Zarah's eyes followed quickly smoldering anger.

"She will grow to love me as I love her."

Everyone's eyes widened at hid bold declaration.

Gohan's eyes narrowed, "What if she doesn't? What if she resents your every breath-"

"Then I will make her love me!"

"Make her?" Gohan chuckled darkly, "Now you sound like Dikon-"

Gohan never had a chance to finish his sentence as Zarah's fist flashed across his jaw. Fury raged through the young man as he glared dangerously at his father-in-law.

"I would not hold her against her will," Zarah's words were carefully controlled, "She can break our union at any time. It's her choice. I have not yet marked her as mine . . . but I am hers, I have allowed her to mark me as so. There will not be another."

Gohan's adrenaline was pumping as he got to his feet.

"Why are you fighting then? I don't understand."

"He is proving his worth," Ava snarled as she was restrained by her mate, "You dishonor him by comparing him to Dikon. Pan was willing every step of the way and I've yet to hear a complaint from her."

17 tightened his arms around his wife and started to whisper in her ear to calm her down.

Pan was visibly torn. What her dad had said was true, she didn't like being told what to do and she hated things that make her feel weak . . . but she didn't hate him. He was a jerk, yes, but . . . she had seen other sides of him that intrigued her.

Zarah laughing with his dad, Zarah protecting her from being run over by his parents, Zarah protecting her from his sister . . . Zarah lying on top of her . . . Zarah pulling her to him with his tail . . . Only one thing was clear and that was she need time to think about this.

"I did not think to mention it since Pan seemed to accept it," Bardock was apologetic.

Gohan turned to Zarah

"Fine it's her choice," Gohan slipped smoothly into a martial arts stance, "But you give up your obsessive pursuit of her."

"I will not," Zarah snorted, "She will be mine."

"You will, if I have to make you."

**

What followed was not a battle, for a battle one needs two equal or nearly equal opponents. What transpired was a massacre. Zarah was an accomplished warrior but he only punched in as super saiyan. Gohan was not only super saiyan two but he had his true power released by the Supreme Kai, earning him the title of mystic. There was no comparison between the two power levels and Gohan was just mad enough not to care.

**

Vegeta's head snapped up as he felt two power levels soar and a third flare in response.

"Fuck," he exited his gravity room and blasted into the air, "Trunks."

**

Pan gasped and flinched as Zarah was thrown about like a rag doll. From what she could tell, her dad was only holding back enough to not break bones. Zarah had managed to get in a few good hits here and there, however, they didn't faze his opponent. He was already sporting a black eye.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she knew without looking it was her Grandpa B.

"What will you do Pan?" Bardock asked grimly as he watched Gohan slam Zarah into the ground for the fifth time.

"I don't know," Pan paled when Zarah knocked her dad off his feet which only served to piss him of more.

"You had better decide then," the hand left her shoulder.

Videl nodded, she didn't have anything to say. She had never seen Gohan display this amount of hostility before and it scared her.

"He's doing this for you, you know," Zarah's mom turned to her.

"He's doing this for himself," Bardock scoffed.

"No, he does this for the both of them," Ava corrected, "For the chance of happiness."

"Ava, do you want to go?" Zarah's dad was concerned at his wife's distress..

"No," she smiled sadly, "I would not miss this."

17 slung an arm around Ava's shoulders, "Hey Goten, what crawled up your brother's ass and died?"

Goten shrugged, "He must be really mad."

"Obviously."

**

Zarah felt sweat drip down his temple, or was it blood, as he flipped Gohan over his head. He quickly rolled and tried to jump to his feet when Gohan grabbed him by the neck. He's so fast and strong, Zarah gasped for air, One day, I'll ask him to spar with me . . . if he doesn't kill me.

Desperately, he swung his legs into his opponents belly.

Score, now to get some air.

Gohan kicked Zarah's stomach.

Or maybe later.

"Give her up?"

Zarah's features hardened and miraculously he could breath normally.

"No."

He didn't get a chance to reconsider his word choice when pain drove all thought from his body.

**

"Trunks!"

Trunks glanced over his shoulder to see his dad coming up fast behind him.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?" He demanded as soon as his father was level with him, "I have been getting weird readings all day and now it feels like Gohan is trying to kill Zarah."

"He might be," Vegeta winced.

"Why?" Trunks demanded, "And why isn't anyone helping him?"

"Trunks, we can't interfere," Vegeta purposely slowed down forcing his son to copy to keep talking, "Remember when you told me Zarah was too impulsive?"

Trunks nodded.

"He is paying the price now. Don't worry, I don't think Gohan will actually go as far as to kill him. Come, you should go back to work."

"Are you sure?" Trunks bit his lip.

"If I wasn't I'd be there right now."

**

Zarah lifted his face from the ground and shook the dirt from his hair. He was going to be feeling this tomorrow, his body already felt like one long bruise.

He winced as a foot pushed his head back to the ground.

"Give up, you will not defeat me."

"I don't need to beat you," Zarah grunted as his head was pushed deeper into the earth, "I just need you . . . to pass me."

"You will give up long before I even consider passing you."

Gohan was frustrated. He had been pounding Zarah for about three hours now and, though he boy had lost all mobility, he still refused to give in.

Zarah flicked his tail out so he wasn't lying on it. he was in enough pain.

The movement drew Gohan's eyes, his tail . . .

"I remember how much it used to hurt when someone grabbed my tail," Goku squeezed Radditz' tail mercilessly.

Zarah was almost pleasantly numb at this point. Give him another few minutes and he'd even be able to move again.

Gohan's foot came crushing down on the gently flopping limb.

Zarah's whole body arched in silent agony and his mouth opened in a silent scream.

Gohan watched Zarah curiously as he went limp suddenly and started to pant.

Oh god, Zarah squeezed his eyes shut trying to put a stop to all the whimpers in the back of his throat. Tremors racked his body as all the sensitive nerve endings in his tail tried to inform his body of it's plight. Just breath, he panted, the pain will go away if you just breath . . .

The foot came down again.

**

Ava and Bardock paled.

She turned to her husband shakily and buried her face into his chest.

"I can't watch this anymore," everyone could hear the tears in her voice.

17 wrapped his arms around his wife and took off without a word.

Videl and Pan glanced at Bardock worriedly when a scream tore the air in two.

**

"Ms. Briefs?

Sasoli blinked back tears. If she could feel her brother's pain from here then how intense it must be there. What is Gohan doing to him?!

"Ms. Briefs, is something wrong?" The CEO asked her, hoping she would say yes and they would reschedule their inspection.

"I'm fine," she forcefully pushed her emotions back, "Now let's continue our review of your security systems . . ."

**

Gohan jumped at the intensity of Zarah's sudden vocalization of pain and was attacked with guilt when the young man started to whimper openly. Zarah had lost all semblance of the indifferent warrior and was now curled in a fetal position. The sound had knocked the red mist from Gohan's eyes and he realized what he had done.

"Gohan! That's enough!" Bardock's voice rang out.

"Do you give her up?" Gohan felt compelled to ask one last time.

"Gohan!"

"Not now Videl," Gohan's every sense was trained on Zarah.

There was a long pause.

" . . . no . . ."

Gohan looked at him with disbelief for though the voice trembled with a hint of tears there was an underlying determination still present.

"Dad . . ."

Gohan met his daughter's eyes and saw the plea in them.

"I'm done."

He walked away.

End of Chapter Nineteen