Thanks fire_starter, Simara, mimi sama (glad to know I'm worth
reading!), DBZjezzy15, p, divine-angel143, mxdrk, girlblitz, and baby-blue-
eyes4.
Sorry it was confusing nOy. If you have any specific questions, please e-mail me or review! Then I can answer them for everyone.
Hejah you've got to be my most enthusiastic fan. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
I'm sorry this is soooooooooooooooooo late, but these chapters are getting so long! And I'm applying early to two colleges plus a whole lot of other stuff - I have really been busy.
And guess what - as a treat you get a look into the mind of Goten.
Disclaimer: Would the owners of DBZ, etc. stand up? *sits down* See? Obviously not me! (ooooh, that rhymed)
*
Chapter 10: There's nothing like family . . . and friends
*
*
He winced as the sound of shrill ringing pierced his aching head. Groaning, he lifted his heavy head, blinking as he tried to orient himself. The grainy feel of charred wood crinkled underneath his fingertips. His coffee table? He frowned. What was he doing here?
The phone rang again and he put the concern aside in favor of stumbling toward the phone. His whole body was lead and the room tilted, his head feeling incredibly light-headed from how draining hauling himself across the room was proving to be. Collapsing against his kitchen counter, he grabbed the phone off the hook.
"Hello?" he rasped. Ugh, his mouth was definitely not supposed to be this dry.
"Morning sunshine. How was your night?"
It took Goten a second to realize who the caller was, and with that realization came the muddled memories of the previous night. He closed his eyes, as his head's ache intensified.
"Fabulous, thanks to you," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Good." Her tone made it plain that she reveled in his pain. "Just wanted to remind you that the barbecue is at 10. Wouldn't want you to be late." He growled, not able to hide his displeasure at the idea. "And don't even think of not coming." Her tone became more stringent. "More than one person would be very glad to hear about what you've been up to and their reactions . . . well, you probably wouldn't be very happy after they were through with you." Oh the joys of being the daughter of the richest woman in the world and one of the most powerful warriors in the universe. And of course, she did know his mother.
Goten's jaw tightened. He knew how much he'd hurt his mother with his disappearing act, but he had no wish to exact more pain on her. Just like his father.
"You know, this is considered blackmail," he grumbled without much spirit.
"I know - aren't you so proud of me?" she asked sarcastically, not really expecting an answer. "Remember, 10 o'clock."
He considered that as he hung up the phone, staring at it for a long moment.
"You have no idea," he finally muttered.
*
It was a gorgeous day. Bulma couldn't have asked for a better day if she had personally appealed to Kami - wait, she had. Dende had been more than pleased to make sure the day was nice, especially considering that he himself would be an attendant of the party. It had been a long time since he'd seen most of the Z-senshi (Piccolo dropped by every once in a while, muttering something about d* nostalgia and d* absorbing of Kami, and Gohan would swing by as well), and he still felt a degree of comradeship with the saviors of his home planet's population and Chikyuu's. Everyone was going to be there - Bulma had been absolutely insistent on that point and she'd proved that she had lost none of her fire with age. Tien and Chaotzu had consented to leave their mountain retreat; Krillin had brought his entire extended family, androids and decrepit perverts included; Yamcha had been imperiously informed that Bulma had taken the liberty of canceling his scheduled baseball game so he could come; even Oolong had been included in the invite! It went without saying that all Saiyans and mates were invited, though not all were expected to show.
Bulma beamed in utter delight, floating from guest from guest. Her barbecue was turning into a grand success! And she always did love group functions, especially when she didn't have to kiss up to anyone. She grinned, catching Tien launching into a story of back when he was a mercenary, to a wide-eyed Ubuu and Marron. Cute pair, those two were. Her eyes quickly darted to the rest of Krillin's 'family', observing 17 (who was nonchalantly leaning against an unoccupied table) with no little trepidation. She really did have to ask Krillin about the full story behind the android's reappearance.
The knock at the gate startled her. Cocking her head, she re-assessed her guest list. Everybody was here . . . but surely her staff wouldn't have opened the outer door for paparazzi?
With a jerk Bra came to attention. So much for not being late. "I'll get it Mom," she announced hurriedly, making her way to the entrance gate and leaving Tenshi and Pan behind blinking in confusion. She pushed the button for the gate to open and her hands went to her hips.
He managed a weak smirk upon seeing her frown. "My watch stopped," he said indolently, forestalling her question. She snorted and took in the fact he was wearing his usual black tank top, black slacks, and sunglasses. He seemed somewhat out of place however, in the bright sunlight. He didn't look quite as dangerous as he usually did - perhaps because of the listless air he was projecting or the unnatural pallor of his skin, though the thick spiked leather dog collar (with loop for attachment to a leash) around his neck begged to differ.
"Love the accessory," she said dryly. "But what happened to color?"
"They just didn't seem as vibrant this morning," he explained vaguely. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Like hell he was going to make her feel guilty for incinerating his drugs.
"How awful." The sarcasm couldn't have been more apparent if she had been in an anime.
"I also happened to notice that a certain black book of mine wasn't in one piece." He tilted his sunglasses down slightly, looking at her accusingly but with a striking lack of energy. "What if I had a date's number in it?" She made a rude noise in her throat.
"You're the 'one night wonder,' remember? It's not like you'd call them again." Suddenly feeling her stomach twist into a knot, she thumbed vaguely behind her to the buffet table and continued brusquely. "My Dad's over there; I assume that he'll probably be the best company." Wow, that was the first time in her life she'd ever been able to say that.
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes glinted with slight humor. "Oh I know. I can ki-sense unlike some people . . ." She scowled at his back as he brushed by her and sauntered off.
Jerk.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way back to Tenshi, only to be intercepted by a frenetic arm grab by her mother. Smiling charmingly at her daughter's boyfriend, Bulma dragged Bra out of hearing range.
"What the hell is Goten doing here?" she hissed. Bra blinked at her vehemence.
"I invited him. He's a Z-senshi, he deserved to be invited!" Well, deserved was stretching it, but still . . . Bulma took a deep breath and pried her hand off her daughter's arm, raising it to rub the tension building behind her eyes. Of all people . . .
"Okay, ignoring the whole swarm of difficulties involved in finding him, how'd you get him to come? And don't tell me he wanted to, because that is definitely c*," she warned, nearly identical shades of sea blue clashing.
"The same way you got Dad to come," Bra evaded simply. Despite her threat to Goten, she really had no desire to share the specifics of his current status with anyone. The remembrance of his vacant, so-like-Goku gaze still gave her chills.
Bulma froze, an expression of extreme horror freezing unto her face - an expression that was matched a moment later when her daughter understood why.
"Not that Mom!" Bra shuddered and spun away, shaking her head furiously. "I meant black mail, not - I so did not need to picture that! Ugh, I need mental soap!"
Bulma flushed, caught between chagrined relief and definite amusement at the fact she'd embarrassed her daughter. "If anything Bra, this should just convince you all the more of the importance of not being ambiguous."
Bra groaned inwardly. Leave it to her mother to get all technical at a time like this. "Whatever." Her eyes were suddenly snagged and she frowned. "I'll be right back."
Bulma frowned as she watched her daughter industriously walk off. "She never answered the question."
*
Goten was well aware of every eye trained on his back as he swaggered over to the buffet table. The sudden silence was deafening to his ears, at least as much as he could notice through the subtle pounding of his head. He leaned back against the table, too tired and drained to care if that would put too much strain on the already heavily laden buffet counter. Lifting his hand to secure his sunglasses, he noticed it was shaking badly. D*.
Last night had been hell.
Bra had come to the conclusion that he had just started sampling one of the drugs. In reality, he had actually mixed quite a few of the powders and tested them in obscene dosages. But hey, he was half-Saiyan, right?
He had learned early on in his drug passage that normal doses and even normal drugs were far too weak to influence his half-alien physiology. So he had taken to experimenting with stronger drugs, stronger doses, and unprecedented combinations. If he had been fully human, he would undoubtedly be dead. Even so, he danced precariously close to the edge - who knew when he would make a combination that was simply too potent? Yet still, he kept spiraling deeper, desperate for a few hours of mind release and perhaps, perhaps for the ultimate mind release.
The high had lasted for hours, but he had eventually crashed. It was then that he had realized the full implications of the bare charred table and the paper confetti in his kitchen. Bra had been right about the black book - Goten had been unable to contact his seller. His last seller had actually just recently been arrested so he had had to get a new one - thus why he didn't know the number by heart. Also, he usually bought enough goods to last him a few months in a single shipment, allowing him to have as little contact with a seller as possible. Of course this was costly, and Goten was less than pleased with the fact that Bra had destroyed several thousands of dollars of merchandise that would be hard to replace.
Desperate for something, anything, to relieve the beginning of withdrawal, he had made his way to the Fiery Pit. He had barely slumped his head unto his table after ordering the stiffest drink they had, when he'd been swarmed by questions. Apparently the teens' curiosity could not be contained after Bra's latest revelations. It hadn't been pretty, especially considering the fact his body was starting to feel the full effects of withdrawal. Raen, after fully registering his condition, had wisely shooed the other teens away, but Goten could still feel their eyes burning into his back.
In the end, he had gone home, finding the maxim 'misery loves company' not necessarily true. The cravings, shakes, near-hallucinations - it really had been hell, but he had blissfully succumbed to unconsciousness around 5 in the morning, slumped over his burned coffee table.
He took a deep breath. All the times he had imagined facing all the Z- senshi, he had been completely in control and untouchably composed - able to dispense scorn and bitterness and take their anger unruffled. He had definitely never pictured himself in this condition. He'd be lucky if he managed to keep even a semblance of poise.
Nicotine would help. His hand went to his pocket and quickly withdrew his already depleted pack. He quickly lit up, completely ignoring Vegeta's disapproving eyes, and took a long drag, closing his eyes to further enjoy the feeling. Mmm, he could already feel the 'calming' effects of the drug racing through his veins.
The noticeable clearing of a throat interrupted his savoring. No, please not her. Please just let her go away, he pleaded to Kami.
"Ignoring me won't make me go away."
D*.
He opened his eyes to meet the displeasure of his blue-eyed princess. "So I've noticed," he muttered sourly. Frowning, he reluctantly snuffed his cigarette in the small plate she held.
"The pack too," she commanded. He raised an eyebrow. "You can smoke to your little heart's content once you're gone. So fork it over mister." He made no motion to comply, so with an aggravated sigh she snatched it herself. Turning on her heel, she once again traced her way to her neglected boyfriend.
Goten's eyes followed her, appreciating the way her blue sundress accentuated her curves. "Commanding little b*, isn't she?" he mused aloud to her attentive father. "Like her mother, eh Vegeta?" The man stiffened.
"Don't mess with my daughter, brat," he growled in a warning tone, his abyss eyes fastened on her ex-protégé. Goten shrugged it off.
"Oh, I won't do anything to her." That she doesn't want, he added mentally, grinning.
Vegeta eyed him warily, feeling a sudden unease. He couldn't get over how much the boy, no man, had changed over the past few years.
He hadn't been expecting Goten to snap after Kakarrot's grand disappearance any more than the rest. He had always thought that Kakarrot's actions would lead to some kind of dysfunctional family, but he had been shocked when Goten was the one to finally crack - he had bet on Gohan, maybe even ChiChi. Goten had always struck him as far too much like Kakarrot to ever change.
When Goten had finally resurfaced and agreed to spar with Vegeta, he had learned just how mistaken his perception was. The boy, no the man, was violent, angry, sarcastic, bitter, resentful, insensitive, and hated Kakarrot with a passion - he struck Vegeta as a much younger version of himself. He'd never been so creeped out in his life, to borrow a Chikyuu phrase.
After all of his stubborn declarations of how everyone were morons for not thinking like he did, he felt strangely at a loss now that someone had finally agreed with him. He would admit to some preserve pleasure that Goten had done a complete about-face to become more like himself than Kakarrot, but it had been completely mind-boggling for him to watch that so- like-Kakarrot visage shape itself into a cold arrogant sneer and hurl words of hatred. Perhaps Goten had been able to read the image in his eyes - that he too saw Goku instead of Goten, for Vegeta had come the closest to being thrashed as he ever had in a sparring match with Kakarrot's youngest brat that day.
He had accepted the change though, without question or probing, which was probably why Goten had continued to consent to sparring sessions with him. He had frowned upon Goten's smoking habit, because it had decreased his fighting abilities, but that had been all. In the past year or so, their matches had become less frequent - Goten had seemed to be finally cutting all his ties with his past. Deep down, Vegeta actually was glad to see the brat again, but the way he was eying Bra made Vegeta bristle.
He felt a certain kinship with the one he grudgingly accepted had become like a second son to him, along with a certain understanding. The man was reckless now and dangerous in a way Vegeta had ceased to be. Thirty years ago, he would've been thrilled. But now he understood exactly why and how Goten could threaten his family. He would not let any of them become the man's victim, especially not his daughter.
As he fixed his eyes on Goten, he became aware of an approaching ki that was spiking erratically. Identifying it, his eyes noted Goten stiffened. Hmm, Gohan.
Let the fireworks begin.
*
Videl clutched Gohan's arm, pausing his forward momentum. "Calm down, Gohan," she murmured. He snorted. Calm down? His brother was here! Acting for all the world like he belonged! HOW DARE HE!
After shaking off the very shock of seeing his brother, he could feel pent-up rage begin to bubble up. He still had very strong memories of their last encounter . . . and he was not happy about it. Videl's hold tightened as if reading his thoughts.
"Gohan, you should be glad he is here." His jaw tensed.
"He has no right," he ground out, his eyes fastened on his younger brother, and began to very deliberately walk over to him. Videl was all but pulled along, cursing the fact she was not anyway near strong enough to stop him.
ChiChi made it to him first. Blinking back tears, she smiled warmly positioned right in front of her son. "Goten, it's, it's so good to see you," she managed weakly, trying hard not to burst into tears or do something else hysterical. She was a woman of violent emotion - anger, happiness, fear. But she didn't want to scare him off.
His mother.
Goten's throat closed; he'd totally forgot . . . And suddenly he found himself self-conscious: of his piercing, the black clothing, shorn hair, and most definitely that stupid dog collar. He lowered his eyes - he could not face her. Out of habit his hand strayed to his pack of cigarettes, only for him to remember he didn't have it. F*.
"Mom," the word was muffled and awkward.
She couldn't contain herself, with a sob she threw herself at him. Reflexively he caught her, but the feel, the reality of her made him ill. His face pale, he awkwardly patted her on the back. "It's, it's okay," he mumbled, wishing someone, anyone would take her away.
A moment later his wish was granted, and he realized the truth of another maxim - 'be careful what you wish for', staring into the dark eyes of his brother.
Videl moved the distraught woman into her embrace, where she quickly began to compose herself.
"Hello, Goten." The word flicked off Gohan's tongue, his eyes daggers. Goten immediately straightened, desperately readying himself for the coming conflict.
"Hello, Gohan," he replied, equally coolly. The tension in the air abruptly rose to a palpable level.
Videl coughed, her mind racing to figure out how to defuse the situation. "So Goten, we, well we weren't expecting you to be here," she said lamely.
Goten nodded, deliberately looking away from Gohan to Videl. The older man's fists clenched. Vegeta's eyebrow lifted. Hmm, this was going to get interesting.
"I was invited by Bra. She threatened to force me to watch -When Harry Met Sally- if I didn't come," he added glibly, amusing himself with his own quick thinking.
"Ah." She couldn't think of anything else to say without walking straight into no man's land.
"You have no right to be here," the feral growl accompanying the accusation warned Goten that Gohan would not be so easily put off.
"Gohan!" Both men jumped at the reprimand and turned to their glaring mother. ChiChi was back in control, a few hairs in disarray and her cheeks red, but back in control. "He has as much right as you do, to be here. He's Goku's son too."
It was hard to tell which of the two took her words worse. Ill- concealed rage and bitterness played over Gohan's features, but the effect on Goten was instantaneously apparent.
"That b* is not my father!" Goten swore, his anger instantly roused to full furor. He rose from the table, the hands he used to raise himself cracking the wood with a brittle groan.
"Don't talk about your father that way!" she immediately rebuked reflexively, for a moment forgetting both time and place. She stepped away from Videl and directly into Goten's path.
"He's gone - for good, he's not coming back. He left you! The b* left you with nothing!" Goten hissed, trying to regain his aloofness and not yell in badly controlled rage. He had only a modicum of success. She looked at him for a long moment, pain flaring in her eyes, but at length she spoke.
"He left me you." Softness and tenderness in her tone was reflected in her eyes. Goten paused, the fiery surge of anger in him sinking into frozen wrathful obstinacy.
"No he didn't." The definite and cold tone turned her stomach to lead. "He left you Gohan, your pride and joy," he sneered mockingly.
Gohan growled, unable to contain himself longer. "Better pride and joy, than a complete b* of a clone!"
It shouldn't have hit him as hard as it did. But wounds cut deeply and Goten's ability to restrain himself was dramatically impaired. His ki flared visibly in his absolute rage, and he lunged for Gohan so fast that only five other people in the room saw him. HOW DARE HE!!!!
"SON GOTEN!!!!!!!!!" A blur of blue made its way unto the scene.
And all at once he couldn't breath and all he could see was the looming sight of Gohan, moving left?
It took him a second to realize that the lack of airflow was from Bra's powerful jerk on the ring of his dog collar, which was leading him steadily away from Gohan. Stumbling, he swayed on his feet, unable to resist her insistent wrenching to whatever destination she had in mind. She spoke not a word until they had reached it: the Gravity Room.
"Open," she snapped, the doors instantly obeying the command. Pulling her captive behind her, she used his stumbling momentum to throw him to the ground. And with barely a moment's pause, she launched into her tirade.
"Goten! Honestly I thought you had better sense than to get in an argument with your brother! And in front of your mother, no less!" He simply raised a hand to his raw neck, glowering malevolently at her from his sprawled position on the tile floor. Forget his mother, he could've thrashed Gohan! The prospect tantalized him mercilessly, now that it would not be realized. Violence always made a Saiyan feel better anyway, and Kami knew that was what he needed.
"You shouldn't have gotten involved," he ground out, not sure if he was warning her for the stunt she had just pulled or for the ones before it.
She gave a derisive bark of laughter. "Oh right, and let you make a mess of everything?" Bra took in a deep breath, picking her brain for the right thing to say. Finally she fixed him with her most piercing stare. "If you pulled your head out of your a* for just one second, you'd realize that not everything revolves around you or Goku." He snorted, receiving a glare in return. "You have no idea what's going on do you? The Z-senshi have lives, identities apart from fighting and Goku, a fact you have no knowledge over because you made assumptions and shut them out! For example, Marron's engaged. Yamcha's expecting a kid," she fired the facts off randomly. "17 got a job and happens to be getting along with Krillin."
Goten blinked, his eyes unfocusing as the thought-clearing effect of adrenaline wore off. Marron was getting married? Yamcha having a kid? How much had he missed? Emotions crashed down on him, throwing him into such a swirl, he felt he was experiencing an inner spin cycle. It didn't help that his brain was still fried. Shakily his hand went to his sunglasses, only to have his hand bump up against his bare nose. He blinked, his thoughts scattering to the winds. Where were his sunglasses?
With a long-suffering sigh, Bra stooped and retrieved his sunglasses, before presenting them to him. As he accepted the gift with a shaking hand and protectively brought it to himself, she was struck by the image of him as a child, protectively clutching a pet lizard to his chest in one of the innumerable pictures they had. She blinked, the shades were on, and the image faded.
"Why are you shaking so badly?" she asked abruptly, frowning. He managed a dry sarcastic laugh, though it sounded more like a cough.
"All the better to show my dependence, my dear." Man he really was screwed up - quoting English fairy tales. With a slight groan he closed his eyes, letting his form collapse unto the ground. Marron, the little girl with pigtails, she was engaged? Married, hitched, walking down the aisle. No matter the phrase, he simply couldn't grasp it.
Bra blinked again, the words registering. Withdrawal, she hadn't even considered . . . "Stay here, I'll be right back," she commanded unnecessarily. She left before a response could be made, not that it was actually forthcoming anyway.
"Why did you take him to my GR?" She nearly jumped out of her skin. Turning to her side, hand over heart, she glared at her father.
"Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" He snorted and waited for her answer, leaning against the shell of his GR with his arms in their usual positions.
"I put him there to calm down and I didn't want him to break anything in the house."
"Oh, you gave the little boy a time-out?" Her eyes darted to the man now approaching, narrowing at the sight of Gohan's still angered sneer.
"He's not a child Gohan!" she snapped.
"He's acting like one!" Gohan copied Vegeta's crossed arms pose.
"You're acting like a Kamid*ed child too!" she exploded, hoping vaguely that Goten couldn't hear her. "Honestly Gohan, even I know that you never compare Goten to his father in front of his face!" she expounded exasperated, not letting Gohan have a chance to respond angrily. With a deep sigh, she carefully tucked some of her disheveled hair behind her ear before addressing the older demi-Saiyan evenly. "Look, maybe he is behaving like a child Gohan, but he is a man and you have to remember and respect that. I don't want to argue with you. When he comes out, just leave him alone okay Gohan?"
The frown on Gohan's face never left, but he finally reluctantly agreed at the look of absolute steel in her blue eyes. He never was able to defy strong-willed women. Vegeta snorted, earning himself a dirty look from both half-Saiyans. "And I thought this party was going to be interesting," he drawled. Bra rolled her eyes and headed for indoor. She had to get something.
Gohan followed her trail with a frown. "Since when did she become Goten's caretaker?" he wondered aloud. Giving a small sigh, he gave the GR one last wary and slightly guilty look before wandering off in search of his infuriated wife.
"D*ed if I know," Vegeta muttered, none pleased.
*
His hand wasn't old. He examined every crack and crevice - it still had the firmness and definition of one who had just finished adolescence. But he hadn't.
It felt like she had all of the sudden grown up. As long as none of them started families or anything, it felt like they were all so young. Time was unimportant and its passing meant nothing. In a way, he could always pick up where he left off - not that he would chose to, but still . . . But marriage? Who would be next? Trunks?
He stiffened, feeling a sudden surge of vertigo. His breathing sped up as his chest constricted. How much had he missed? 17's reconciliation with Krillin, Yamcha's married years, Pan's graduation, all of Trunks' dates of the month - did he even still do that? Five years plunged upon his chest, settling like a small meteor right on top of his chest. Five years of nothingness - no real memories, no funny stories, no dramatic scenes.
He shivered. Was he really ready to give them all up? Did they have to be inextricably linked with his father?
The thudding of a small vial unto his chest nearly made him jump up in shock. He looked up at the blue figure above him, blinking from the sudden influx of natural light behind.
"The liquid's a prototype my Mom's been working on as her 'contribution to humanity.' It gets absorbed directly into the blood stream and helps end withdrawal symptoms." He stared at her blankly. Bra groaned. "That means drink it, you moron. When you're ready, come out." Without waiting any longer, she strode out.
Well that was certainly something. Goten's eyes strayed from the vial he held to the door.
Yes, she certainly was.
*
She knew that everyone was waiting for an explanation, but she was going to talk and be with her boyfriend! And if anyone tried to stop her, by Kami . . .
"What was that about?" She felt like screaming, but felt that since it was her dearly loved boyfriend who was asking the question, that would not be the right response.
"Remind me never to leave Gohan and Goten together in the same vicinity," she replied, slightly waspishly. Especially when Goten's strung out, she finished mentally. "I swear - that man's like rapid piranha." Tenshi and Pan looked at her weirdly, but Pan decided to ignore the comment.
"Makes me glad that Goten never did come to my graduation." Bra's eyes darted to Pan. "I invited him, but he refused on the grounds of my Dad's presence. I guess it was for the good." She gave a slight laugh. "I gave a hell of a fight over it though. When I finally calmed down, Goten wouldn't talk to me or anything." Her eyes fell in guilt, before rising to meet Bra's. "I'm glad that he'll talk to you though. You sure showed that you can handle him," she finished with a weak admiring grin.
Bra fidgeted uncomfortably as Tenshi chimed his agreement. She had done what was necessary, but she didn't feel like being congratulated for treating Goten like a dog. "Right," she murmured with a fake smile. "So how's your summer going Pan?"
For the next while she and Pan caught up, reveling in their old friendship. Bra watched the GR carefully out of the corner of her eye however, and was rewarded at last by the sight of Goten exiting. He warily looked around, catching her eye and giving a weak grin. Under her vigilant gaze, he proceeded to skirt Gohan and his mother to mingle with the other guests. Despite their evident discomfort, he said his greetings and avoided saying anything offensive in the least. It was actually almost amusing to him, seeing them fidget under his deadened gaze and try to talk like everything was all right. Sickening, but amusing.
After congratulating Yamcha, he congratulated Marron on her engagement, avoiding contact with Ubuu. Ubuu was more relieved than slighted by the action - he had little way of knowing that Goten held Goku much more responsible for his leaving to train Ubuu, than the boy himself. Still, the mere thought of the other male gave Goten a bad taste in his mouth.
He tilted his head, taking in the last group - Bra, Pan, and the boy who was undoubtedly Tenshi. This was going to be interesting . . .
"Hey Goten." He mentally shook his head at the strain underlying the statement. Trunks never was good hiding his emotions, at least from his 'best' friend.
"Hello Trunks. Nice party here," he said, unsettling Trunks with his casualness.
"Um yeah," Trunks agreed disconcerted, his tongue like lead in his mouth. Silence reigned. Inside Trunks cursed, how could he have nothing to say to Goten? Of course, he knew why. His dear friend was simply too d* unpredictable - and Trunks didn't want to start anything he couldn't finish.
Rolling his eyes, Goten took the initiative. "Your sister said that you sent her to the club. Interesting idea, but then she is a fascinating girl," he smirked slightly as Trunks started. A bell went off in Trunks head. Was Goten just making an innocent comment or, or what?
He settled for an indecisive nod.
"In fact, why don't we go over to her and get involved in an equally fascinating conversation?" This time the sarcasm was clear. Trunks grinned sheepishly.
"Why not?" Anything had to be better than standing awkwardly together silently.
Bra was the one to notice them approaching, stepping sideways to make an opening for the duo to join their trio. Both Pan and Tenshi's faces tightened upon spotting them.
"Glad to see that you're capable of civilized conversation Goten," Bra declared sarcastically, deciding to break the ice before it crystallized.
Goten shrugged. "I can be nice when I want to." In a way, her bluntness was refreshing - everybody else was dancing on tiptoe around him. Bra didn't believe in that - she believed in liberal usage of sledgehammers.
"Nice to see you again," Pan piped up, gathering her courage. "I've missed speaking with you," she continued more subdued, meeting Goten's eye. He gave an acknowledging tilt of his head, but it was enough.
Bra smiled and then took Tenshi's arm. "Goten, this Tenshi, my boyfriend. Tenshi, Goten," she introduced them. The two sized each other up with varying degrees of wariness. Forgoing caution, Tenshi tentatively reached out his hand.
"Um, nice to meet you Goten," he said with a weak smile. The man's eyes sharpened, but he grasped his hand nonetheless.
"Pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard so much about you," he returned smoothly, reveling in his power to intimidate. Tenshi gulped, suddenly painfully aware that the man in front of him could break every bone in his body with just a power-up and not even to full power at that. He let out a breath when Goten released his hand after a long second.
"Um, can't really claim the same here. So you're Pan's uncle," he asked cautiously. "Gohan's brother?" Pan, Trunks, and Bra flinched. Bra had never wished her boyfriend had more discernment than at that moment - though it could've been worse. Goten tensed lightly, then gave a sarcastic laugh that caused the rest to jump.
"Yes to the first, but I think the second is somewhat in question at the moment." His eyes traversed the party to rest on his brooding brother.
Bra snorted. "You're still his brother Goten, no matter what disagreements you have. It takes more than a difference of opinion to break blood ties. Just look at Trunks and I." The laughter to her comment was slightly forced. Goten didn't join in, his gaze lasering in on the blue- haired girl.
"It's more than a difference of opinion," he argued, sensing an opportunity for a verbal spar. If he wasn't going to get in a physical fight, this was the next best thing. "It's about the fact he is determined to see -our father- in this sublime light, which is a complete lie."
"Oh and your view of Goku is completely objective?" she shot back sarcastically. The others watched wide-eyed as the daughter of Vegeta brazenly challenged Goten head on.
"Mine's more realistic than his!" he asserted.
"That's c* Goten!" she told him bluntly.
He sneered. "And what would you know, you-"
Sensing upcoming crude language, Tenshi cut the man off. "Hey don't insult her!" For once, Tenshi's good sense was overruled by his protectiveness for his girlfriend. Unwisely in this case. Goten took a step forward, lazily rising his ki. You never broke up a Saiyan verbal spar. It was like getting in the way of food - never a good idea.
"Don't get involved baka weakling," he snarled in a feral tone. Tenshi took an involuntary step back.
Bra growled, feeling an unidentifiable pang upon seeing her boyfriend's withdrawal. Goten was going too far, threatening HER BOYFRIEND!
"That's it Goten. You're leaving," she suddenly announced and began to head toward the gate. He blinked, losing his whole threatening air. It didn't hit him until she had opened the gate and stood next to it, that she was completely serious.
"What happened to my 'inescapable invite'?" he asked, not having to really raise his voice now that everyone was watching the enfolding spectacle.
"It's just been revoked," she snapped. "You came, you saw, you managed to piss everyone off, and now it's time to leave." He stared at her for an indeterminable amount of time, before he slowly walked to the gate. Face to face, he silently challenged her, testing her resolve. She stiffened and forced herself not to flinch in the face of his unrelenting gaze. "I mean it Goten," she muttered with a tone of steel. Goten's eyebrow raised. Well this was unexpected.
"I think you have something of mine," he finally said, wordlessly bowing to her command. She raised an eyebrow. What could she possibly have of his? "Cigarettes," he reminded.
With a fluid motion, she went to a nearby table and retrieved his pack. Defiantly she strode back to the gate and whirled on him. And before his shade clad eyes, a flare of ki erupted in her hand.
"Oops," she said innocently, not even looking at the charred remnants.
His jaw tensed. "You seem to be making a habit of that," he observed dangerously.
"Better than some habits of yours I might mention," she replied sharply, warning him not to test her. His gaze lifted from her and locked with a man behind her.
"Nice to see you again brother," he called with mocking sweetness, before turning to leave. "And I'll be seeing you again soon, princess," he muttered only to Bra and strode off before she could answer.
"F*ing a*hole," she cursed, wishing the gate was a regular door so she could slam it. She settled for pushing the button to close it with extra vehemence.
"Bra!" Bulma, despite her shocked silent observation of the previous events, couldn't help the maternal reproof. Bra's back stiffened to rim rod straightness in a sudden surge of anger and embarrassment. How dare she reprove in front of Tenshi and all their friends!
But like so many times before, she tensed her jaw and took it silently, merely gliding over to resume her conversation with her friends.
"Déjà vu," Yamcha muttered under his breath, shivering for a moment. Vegeta scowled further. No it wouldn't be, Bra would never let that happen . . .
But his restless eyes rested on Bra for much longer than confidence warranted.
*
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*
IT'S DONE!!!!! HALLELUJAH!
I have never had this much trouble writing a chapter - I had most of the conversations decided on, but then I had to connect and, just ugh.
But it's done.
Anybody get the part about -When Harry Met Sally-? If not, rent the movie! It's great!
Don't ask when the next chapter will be out. It won't take as long as this one, but still . . . Also I might be getting a beta-reader!!!!! Yeah for me!
Hope you had a Happy Halloween.
'Til next time folks!
Nitte iz
Sorry it was confusing nOy. If you have any specific questions, please e-mail me or review! Then I can answer them for everyone.
Hejah you've got to be my most enthusiastic fan. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
I'm sorry this is soooooooooooooooooo late, but these chapters are getting so long! And I'm applying early to two colleges plus a whole lot of other stuff - I have really been busy.
And guess what - as a treat you get a look into the mind of Goten.
Disclaimer: Would the owners of DBZ, etc. stand up? *sits down* See? Obviously not me! (ooooh, that rhymed)
*
Chapter 10: There's nothing like family . . . and friends
*
*
He winced as the sound of shrill ringing pierced his aching head. Groaning, he lifted his heavy head, blinking as he tried to orient himself. The grainy feel of charred wood crinkled underneath his fingertips. His coffee table? He frowned. What was he doing here?
The phone rang again and he put the concern aside in favor of stumbling toward the phone. His whole body was lead and the room tilted, his head feeling incredibly light-headed from how draining hauling himself across the room was proving to be. Collapsing against his kitchen counter, he grabbed the phone off the hook.
"Hello?" he rasped. Ugh, his mouth was definitely not supposed to be this dry.
"Morning sunshine. How was your night?"
It took Goten a second to realize who the caller was, and with that realization came the muddled memories of the previous night. He closed his eyes, as his head's ache intensified.
"Fabulous, thanks to you," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Good." Her tone made it plain that she reveled in his pain. "Just wanted to remind you that the barbecue is at 10. Wouldn't want you to be late." He growled, not able to hide his displeasure at the idea. "And don't even think of not coming." Her tone became more stringent. "More than one person would be very glad to hear about what you've been up to and their reactions . . . well, you probably wouldn't be very happy after they were through with you." Oh the joys of being the daughter of the richest woman in the world and one of the most powerful warriors in the universe. And of course, she did know his mother.
Goten's jaw tightened. He knew how much he'd hurt his mother with his disappearing act, but he had no wish to exact more pain on her. Just like his father.
"You know, this is considered blackmail," he grumbled without much spirit.
"I know - aren't you so proud of me?" she asked sarcastically, not really expecting an answer. "Remember, 10 o'clock."
He considered that as he hung up the phone, staring at it for a long moment.
"You have no idea," he finally muttered.
*
It was a gorgeous day. Bulma couldn't have asked for a better day if she had personally appealed to Kami - wait, she had. Dende had been more than pleased to make sure the day was nice, especially considering that he himself would be an attendant of the party. It had been a long time since he'd seen most of the Z-senshi (Piccolo dropped by every once in a while, muttering something about d* nostalgia and d* absorbing of Kami, and Gohan would swing by as well), and he still felt a degree of comradeship with the saviors of his home planet's population and Chikyuu's. Everyone was going to be there - Bulma had been absolutely insistent on that point and she'd proved that she had lost none of her fire with age. Tien and Chaotzu had consented to leave their mountain retreat; Krillin had brought his entire extended family, androids and decrepit perverts included; Yamcha had been imperiously informed that Bulma had taken the liberty of canceling his scheduled baseball game so he could come; even Oolong had been included in the invite! It went without saying that all Saiyans and mates were invited, though not all were expected to show.
Bulma beamed in utter delight, floating from guest from guest. Her barbecue was turning into a grand success! And she always did love group functions, especially when she didn't have to kiss up to anyone. She grinned, catching Tien launching into a story of back when he was a mercenary, to a wide-eyed Ubuu and Marron. Cute pair, those two were. Her eyes quickly darted to the rest of Krillin's 'family', observing 17 (who was nonchalantly leaning against an unoccupied table) with no little trepidation. She really did have to ask Krillin about the full story behind the android's reappearance.
The knock at the gate startled her. Cocking her head, she re-assessed her guest list. Everybody was here . . . but surely her staff wouldn't have opened the outer door for paparazzi?
With a jerk Bra came to attention. So much for not being late. "I'll get it Mom," she announced hurriedly, making her way to the entrance gate and leaving Tenshi and Pan behind blinking in confusion. She pushed the button for the gate to open and her hands went to her hips.
He managed a weak smirk upon seeing her frown. "My watch stopped," he said indolently, forestalling her question. She snorted and took in the fact he was wearing his usual black tank top, black slacks, and sunglasses. He seemed somewhat out of place however, in the bright sunlight. He didn't look quite as dangerous as he usually did - perhaps because of the listless air he was projecting or the unnatural pallor of his skin, though the thick spiked leather dog collar (with loop for attachment to a leash) around his neck begged to differ.
"Love the accessory," she said dryly. "But what happened to color?"
"They just didn't seem as vibrant this morning," he explained vaguely. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Like hell he was going to make her feel guilty for incinerating his drugs.
"How awful." The sarcasm couldn't have been more apparent if she had been in an anime.
"I also happened to notice that a certain black book of mine wasn't in one piece." He tilted his sunglasses down slightly, looking at her accusingly but with a striking lack of energy. "What if I had a date's number in it?" She made a rude noise in her throat.
"You're the 'one night wonder,' remember? It's not like you'd call them again." Suddenly feeling her stomach twist into a knot, she thumbed vaguely behind her to the buffet table and continued brusquely. "My Dad's over there; I assume that he'll probably be the best company." Wow, that was the first time in her life she'd ever been able to say that.
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes glinted with slight humor. "Oh I know. I can ki-sense unlike some people . . ." She scowled at his back as he brushed by her and sauntered off.
Jerk.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way back to Tenshi, only to be intercepted by a frenetic arm grab by her mother. Smiling charmingly at her daughter's boyfriend, Bulma dragged Bra out of hearing range.
"What the hell is Goten doing here?" she hissed. Bra blinked at her vehemence.
"I invited him. He's a Z-senshi, he deserved to be invited!" Well, deserved was stretching it, but still . . . Bulma took a deep breath and pried her hand off her daughter's arm, raising it to rub the tension building behind her eyes. Of all people . . .
"Okay, ignoring the whole swarm of difficulties involved in finding him, how'd you get him to come? And don't tell me he wanted to, because that is definitely c*," she warned, nearly identical shades of sea blue clashing.
"The same way you got Dad to come," Bra evaded simply. Despite her threat to Goten, she really had no desire to share the specifics of his current status with anyone. The remembrance of his vacant, so-like-Goku gaze still gave her chills.
Bulma froze, an expression of extreme horror freezing unto her face - an expression that was matched a moment later when her daughter understood why.
"Not that Mom!" Bra shuddered and spun away, shaking her head furiously. "I meant black mail, not - I so did not need to picture that! Ugh, I need mental soap!"
Bulma flushed, caught between chagrined relief and definite amusement at the fact she'd embarrassed her daughter. "If anything Bra, this should just convince you all the more of the importance of not being ambiguous."
Bra groaned inwardly. Leave it to her mother to get all technical at a time like this. "Whatever." Her eyes were suddenly snagged and she frowned. "I'll be right back."
Bulma frowned as she watched her daughter industriously walk off. "She never answered the question."
*
Goten was well aware of every eye trained on his back as he swaggered over to the buffet table. The sudden silence was deafening to his ears, at least as much as he could notice through the subtle pounding of his head. He leaned back against the table, too tired and drained to care if that would put too much strain on the already heavily laden buffet counter. Lifting his hand to secure his sunglasses, he noticed it was shaking badly. D*.
Last night had been hell.
Bra had come to the conclusion that he had just started sampling one of the drugs. In reality, he had actually mixed quite a few of the powders and tested them in obscene dosages. But hey, he was half-Saiyan, right?
He had learned early on in his drug passage that normal doses and even normal drugs were far too weak to influence his half-alien physiology. So he had taken to experimenting with stronger drugs, stronger doses, and unprecedented combinations. If he had been fully human, he would undoubtedly be dead. Even so, he danced precariously close to the edge - who knew when he would make a combination that was simply too potent? Yet still, he kept spiraling deeper, desperate for a few hours of mind release and perhaps, perhaps for the ultimate mind release.
The high had lasted for hours, but he had eventually crashed. It was then that he had realized the full implications of the bare charred table and the paper confetti in his kitchen. Bra had been right about the black book - Goten had been unable to contact his seller. His last seller had actually just recently been arrested so he had had to get a new one - thus why he didn't know the number by heart. Also, he usually bought enough goods to last him a few months in a single shipment, allowing him to have as little contact with a seller as possible. Of course this was costly, and Goten was less than pleased with the fact that Bra had destroyed several thousands of dollars of merchandise that would be hard to replace.
Desperate for something, anything, to relieve the beginning of withdrawal, he had made his way to the Fiery Pit. He had barely slumped his head unto his table after ordering the stiffest drink they had, when he'd been swarmed by questions. Apparently the teens' curiosity could not be contained after Bra's latest revelations. It hadn't been pretty, especially considering the fact his body was starting to feel the full effects of withdrawal. Raen, after fully registering his condition, had wisely shooed the other teens away, but Goten could still feel their eyes burning into his back.
In the end, he had gone home, finding the maxim 'misery loves company' not necessarily true. The cravings, shakes, near-hallucinations - it really had been hell, but he had blissfully succumbed to unconsciousness around 5 in the morning, slumped over his burned coffee table.
He took a deep breath. All the times he had imagined facing all the Z- senshi, he had been completely in control and untouchably composed - able to dispense scorn and bitterness and take their anger unruffled. He had definitely never pictured himself in this condition. He'd be lucky if he managed to keep even a semblance of poise.
Nicotine would help. His hand went to his pocket and quickly withdrew his already depleted pack. He quickly lit up, completely ignoring Vegeta's disapproving eyes, and took a long drag, closing his eyes to further enjoy the feeling. Mmm, he could already feel the 'calming' effects of the drug racing through his veins.
The noticeable clearing of a throat interrupted his savoring. No, please not her. Please just let her go away, he pleaded to Kami.
"Ignoring me won't make me go away."
D*.
He opened his eyes to meet the displeasure of his blue-eyed princess. "So I've noticed," he muttered sourly. Frowning, he reluctantly snuffed his cigarette in the small plate she held.
"The pack too," she commanded. He raised an eyebrow. "You can smoke to your little heart's content once you're gone. So fork it over mister." He made no motion to comply, so with an aggravated sigh she snatched it herself. Turning on her heel, she once again traced her way to her neglected boyfriend.
Goten's eyes followed her, appreciating the way her blue sundress accentuated her curves. "Commanding little b*, isn't she?" he mused aloud to her attentive father. "Like her mother, eh Vegeta?" The man stiffened.
"Don't mess with my daughter, brat," he growled in a warning tone, his abyss eyes fastened on her ex-protégé. Goten shrugged it off.
"Oh, I won't do anything to her." That she doesn't want, he added mentally, grinning.
Vegeta eyed him warily, feeling a sudden unease. He couldn't get over how much the boy, no man, had changed over the past few years.
He hadn't been expecting Goten to snap after Kakarrot's grand disappearance any more than the rest. He had always thought that Kakarrot's actions would lead to some kind of dysfunctional family, but he had been shocked when Goten was the one to finally crack - he had bet on Gohan, maybe even ChiChi. Goten had always struck him as far too much like Kakarrot to ever change.
When Goten had finally resurfaced and agreed to spar with Vegeta, he had learned just how mistaken his perception was. The boy, no the man, was violent, angry, sarcastic, bitter, resentful, insensitive, and hated Kakarrot with a passion - he struck Vegeta as a much younger version of himself. He'd never been so creeped out in his life, to borrow a Chikyuu phrase.
After all of his stubborn declarations of how everyone were morons for not thinking like he did, he felt strangely at a loss now that someone had finally agreed with him. He would admit to some preserve pleasure that Goten had done a complete about-face to become more like himself than Kakarrot, but it had been completely mind-boggling for him to watch that so- like-Kakarrot visage shape itself into a cold arrogant sneer and hurl words of hatred. Perhaps Goten had been able to read the image in his eyes - that he too saw Goku instead of Goten, for Vegeta had come the closest to being thrashed as he ever had in a sparring match with Kakarrot's youngest brat that day.
He had accepted the change though, without question or probing, which was probably why Goten had continued to consent to sparring sessions with him. He had frowned upon Goten's smoking habit, because it had decreased his fighting abilities, but that had been all. In the past year or so, their matches had become less frequent - Goten had seemed to be finally cutting all his ties with his past. Deep down, Vegeta actually was glad to see the brat again, but the way he was eying Bra made Vegeta bristle.
He felt a certain kinship with the one he grudgingly accepted had become like a second son to him, along with a certain understanding. The man was reckless now and dangerous in a way Vegeta had ceased to be. Thirty years ago, he would've been thrilled. But now he understood exactly why and how Goten could threaten his family. He would not let any of them become the man's victim, especially not his daughter.
As he fixed his eyes on Goten, he became aware of an approaching ki that was spiking erratically. Identifying it, his eyes noted Goten stiffened. Hmm, Gohan.
Let the fireworks begin.
*
Videl clutched Gohan's arm, pausing his forward momentum. "Calm down, Gohan," she murmured. He snorted. Calm down? His brother was here! Acting for all the world like he belonged! HOW DARE HE!
After shaking off the very shock of seeing his brother, he could feel pent-up rage begin to bubble up. He still had very strong memories of their last encounter . . . and he was not happy about it. Videl's hold tightened as if reading his thoughts.
"Gohan, you should be glad he is here." His jaw tensed.
"He has no right," he ground out, his eyes fastened on his younger brother, and began to very deliberately walk over to him. Videl was all but pulled along, cursing the fact she was not anyway near strong enough to stop him.
ChiChi made it to him first. Blinking back tears, she smiled warmly positioned right in front of her son. "Goten, it's, it's so good to see you," she managed weakly, trying hard not to burst into tears or do something else hysterical. She was a woman of violent emotion - anger, happiness, fear. But she didn't want to scare him off.
His mother.
Goten's throat closed; he'd totally forgot . . . And suddenly he found himself self-conscious: of his piercing, the black clothing, shorn hair, and most definitely that stupid dog collar. He lowered his eyes - he could not face her. Out of habit his hand strayed to his pack of cigarettes, only for him to remember he didn't have it. F*.
"Mom," the word was muffled and awkward.
She couldn't contain herself, with a sob she threw herself at him. Reflexively he caught her, but the feel, the reality of her made him ill. His face pale, he awkwardly patted her on the back. "It's, it's okay," he mumbled, wishing someone, anyone would take her away.
A moment later his wish was granted, and he realized the truth of another maxim - 'be careful what you wish for', staring into the dark eyes of his brother.
Videl moved the distraught woman into her embrace, where she quickly began to compose herself.
"Hello, Goten." The word flicked off Gohan's tongue, his eyes daggers. Goten immediately straightened, desperately readying himself for the coming conflict.
"Hello, Gohan," he replied, equally coolly. The tension in the air abruptly rose to a palpable level.
Videl coughed, her mind racing to figure out how to defuse the situation. "So Goten, we, well we weren't expecting you to be here," she said lamely.
Goten nodded, deliberately looking away from Gohan to Videl. The older man's fists clenched. Vegeta's eyebrow lifted. Hmm, this was going to get interesting.
"I was invited by Bra. She threatened to force me to watch -When Harry Met Sally- if I didn't come," he added glibly, amusing himself with his own quick thinking.
"Ah." She couldn't think of anything else to say without walking straight into no man's land.
"You have no right to be here," the feral growl accompanying the accusation warned Goten that Gohan would not be so easily put off.
"Gohan!" Both men jumped at the reprimand and turned to their glaring mother. ChiChi was back in control, a few hairs in disarray and her cheeks red, but back in control. "He has as much right as you do, to be here. He's Goku's son too."
It was hard to tell which of the two took her words worse. Ill- concealed rage and bitterness played over Gohan's features, but the effect on Goten was instantaneously apparent.
"That b* is not my father!" Goten swore, his anger instantly roused to full furor. He rose from the table, the hands he used to raise himself cracking the wood with a brittle groan.
"Don't talk about your father that way!" she immediately rebuked reflexively, for a moment forgetting both time and place. She stepped away from Videl and directly into Goten's path.
"He's gone - for good, he's not coming back. He left you! The b* left you with nothing!" Goten hissed, trying to regain his aloofness and not yell in badly controlled rage. He had only a modicum of success. She looked at him for a long moment, pain flaring in her eyes, but at length she spoke.
"He left me you." Softness and tenderness in her tone was reflected in her eyes. Goten paused, the fiery surge of anger in him sinking into frozen wrathful obstinacy.
"No he didn't." The definite and cold tone turned her stomach to lead. "He left you Gohan, your pride and joy," he sneered mockingly.
Gohan growled, unable to contain himself longer. "Better pride and joy, than a complete b* of a clone!"
It shouldn't have hit him as hard as it did. But wounds cut deeply and Goten's ability to restrain himself was dramatically impaired. His ki flared visibly in his absolute rage, and he lunged for Gohan so fast that only five other people in the room saw him. HOW DARE HE!!!!
"SON GOTEN!!!!!!!!!" A blur of blue made its way unto the scene.
And all at once he couldn't breath and all he could see was the looming sight of Gohan, moving left?
It took him a second to realize that the lack of airflow was from Bra's powerful jerk on the ring of his dog collar, which was leading him steadily away from Gohan. Stumbling, he swayed on his feet, unable to resist her insistent wrenching to whatever destination she had in mind. She spoke not a word until they had reached it: the Gravity Room.
"Open," she snapped, the doors instantly obeying the command. Pulling her captive behind her, she used his stumbling momentum to throw him to the ground. And with barely a moment's pause, she launched into her tirade.
"Goten! Honestly I thought you had better sense than to get in an argument with your brother! And in front of your mother, no less!" He simply raised a hand to his raw neck, glowering malevolently at her from his sprawled position on the tile floor. Forget his mother, he could've thrashed Gohan! The prospect tantalized him mercilessly, now that it would not be realized. Violence always made a Saiyan feel better anyway, and Kami knew that was what he needed.
"You shouldn't have gotten involved," he ground out, not sure if he was warning her for the stunt she had just pulled or for the ones before it.
She gave a derisive bark of laughter. "Oh right, and let you make a mess of everything?" Bra took in a deep breath, picking her brain for the right thing to say. Finally she fixed him with her most piercing stare. "If you pulled your head out of your a* for just one second, you'd realize that not everything revolves around you or Goku." He snorted, receiving a glare in return. "You have no idea what's going on do you? The Z-senshi have lives, identities apart from fighting and Goku, a fact you have no knowledge over because you made assumptions and shut them out! For example, Marron's engaged. Yamcha's expecting a kid," she fired the facts off randomly. "17 got a job and happens to be getting along with Krillin."
Goten blinked, his eyes unfocusing as the thought-clearing effect of adrenaline wore off. Marron was getting married? Yamcha having a kid? How much had he missed? Emotions crashed down on him, throwing him into such a swirl, he felt he was experiencing an inner spin cycle. It didn't help that his brain was still fried. Shakily his hand went to his sunglasses, only to have his hand bump up against his bare nose. He blinked, his thoughts scattering to the winds. Where were his sunglasses?
With a long-suffering sigh, Bra stooped and retrieved his sunglasses, before presenting them to him. As he accepted the gift with a shaking hand and protectively brought it to himself, she was struck by the image of him as a child, protectively clutching a pet lizard to his chest in one of the innumerable pictures they had. She blinked, the shades were on, and the image faded.
"Why are you shaking so badly?" she asked abruptly, frowning. He managed a dry sarcastic laugh, though it sounded more like a cough.
"All the better to show my dependence, my dear." Man he really was screwed up - quoting English fairy tales. With a slight groan he closed his eyes, letting his form collapse unto the ground. Marron, the little girl with pigtails, she was engaged? Married, hitched, walking down the aisle. No matter the phrase, he simply couldn't grasp it.
Bra blinked again, the words registering. Withdrawal, she hadn't even considered . . . "Stay here, I'll be right back," she commanded unnecessarily. She left before a response could be made, not that it was actually forthcoming anyway.
"Why did you take him to my GR?" She nearly jumped out of her skin. Turning to her side, hand over heart, she glared at her father.
"Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" He snorted and waited for her answer, leaning against the shell of his GR with his arms in their usual positions.
"I put him there to calm down and I didn't want him to break anything in the house."
"Oh, you gave the little boy a time-out?" Her eyes darted to the man now approaching, narrowing at the sight of Gohan's still angered sneer.
"He's not a child Gohan!" she snapped.
"He's acting like one!" Gohan copied Vegeta's crossed arms pose.
"You're acting like a Kamid*ed child too!" she exploded, hoping vaguely that Goten couldn't hear her. "Honestly Gohan, even I know that you never compare Goten to his father in front of his face!" she expounded exasperated, not letting Gohan have a chance to respond angrily. With a deep sigh, she carefully tucked some of her disheveled hair behind her ear before addressing the older demi-Saiyan evenly. "Look, maybe he is behaving like a child Gohan, but he is a man and you have to remember and respect that. I don't want to argue with you. When he comes out, just leave him alone okay Gohan?"
The frown on Gohan's face never left, but he finally reluctantly agreed at the look of absolute steel in her blue eyes. He never was able to defy strong-willed women. Vegeta snorted, earning himself a dirty look from both half-Saiyans. "And I thought this party was going to be interesting," he drawled. Bra rolled her eyes and headed for indoor. She had to get something.
Gohan followed her trail with a frown. "Since when did she become Goten's caretaker?" he wondered aloud. Giving a small sigh, he gave the GR one last wary and slightly guilty look before wandering off in search of his infuriated wife.
"D*ed if I know," Vegeta muttered, none pleased.
*
His hand wasn't old. He examined every crack and crevice - it still had the firmness and definition of one who had just finished adolescence. But he hadn't.
It felt like she had all of the sudden grown up. As long as none of them started families or anything, it felt like they were all so young. Time was unimportant and its passing meant nothing. In a way, he could always pick up where he left off - not that he would chose to, but still . . . But marriage? Who would be next? Trunks?
He stiffened, feeling a sudden surge of vertigo. His breathing sped up as his chest constricted. How much had he missed? 17's reconciliation with Krillin, Yamcha's married years, Pan's graduation, all of Trunks' dates of the month - did he even still do that? Five years plunged upon his chest, settling like a small meteor right on top of his chest. Five years of nothingness - no real memories, no funny stories, no dramatic scenes.
He shivered. Was he really ready to give them all up? Did they have to be inextricably linked with his father?
The thudding of a small vial unto his chest nearly made him jump up in shock. He looked up at the blue figure above him, blinking from the sudden influx of natural light behind.
"The liquid's a prototype my Mom's been working on as her 'contribution to humanity.' It gets absorbed directly into the blood stream and helps end withdrawal symptoms." He stared at her blankly. Bra groaned. "That means drink it, you moron. When you're ready, come out." Without waiting any longer, she strode out.
Well that was certainly something. Goten's eyes strayed from the vial he held to the door.
Yes, she certainly was.
*
She knew that everyone was waiting for an explanation, but she was going to talk and be with her boyfriend! And if anyone tried to stop her, by Kami . . .
"What was that about?" She felt like screaming, but felt that since it was her dearly loved boyfriend who was asking the question, that would not be the right response.
"Remind me never to leave Gohan and Goten together in the same vicinity," she replied, slightly waspishly. Especially when Goten's strung out, she finished mentally. "I swear - that man's like rapid piranha." Tenshi and Pan looked at her weirdly, but Pan decided to ignore the comment.
"Makes me glad that Goten never did come to my graduation." Bra's eyes darted to Pan. "I invited him, but he refused on the grounds of my Dad's presence. I guess it was for the good." She gave a slight laugh. "I gave a hell of a fight over it though. When I finally calmed down, Goten wouldn't talk to me or anything." Her eyes fell in guilt, before rising to meet Bra's. "I'm glad that he'll talk to you though. You sure showed that you can handle him," she finished with a weak admiring grin.
Bra fidgeted uncomfortably as Tenshi chimed his agreement. She had done what was necessary, but she didn't feel like being congratulated for treating Goten like a dog. "Right," she murmured with a fake smile. "So how's your summer going Pan?"
For the next while she and Pan caught up, reveling in their old friendship. Bra watched the GR carefully out of the corner of her eye however, and was rewarded at last by the sight of Goten exiting. He warily looked around, catching her eye and giving a weak grin. Under her vigilant gaze, he proceeded to skirt Gohan and his mother to mingle with the other guests. Despite their evident discomfort, he said his greetings and avoided saying anything offensive in the least. It was actually almost amusing to him, seeing them fidget under his deadened gaze and try to talk like everything was all right. Sickening, but amusing.
After congratulating Yamcha, he congratulated Marron on her engagement, avoiding contact with Ubuu. Ubuu was more relieved than slighted by the action - he had little way of knowing that Goten held Goku much more responsible for his leaving to train Ubuu, than the boy himself. Still, the mere thought of the other male gave Goten a bad taste in his mouth.
He tilted his head, taking in the last group - Bra, Pan, and the boy who was undoubtedly Tenshi. This was going to be interesting . . .
"Hey Goten." He mentally shook his head at the strain underlying the statement. Trunks never was good hiding his emotions, at least from his 'best' friend.
"Hello Trunks. Nice party here," he said, unsettling Trunks with his casualness.
"Um yeah," Trunks agreed disconcerted, his tongue like lead in his mouth. Silence reigned. Inside Trunks cursed, how could he have nothing to say to Goten? Of course, he knew why. His dear friend was simply too d* unpredictable - and Trunks didn't want to start anything he couldn't finish.
Rolling his eyes, Goten took the initiative. "Your sister said that you sent her to the club. Interesting idea, but then she is a fascinating girl," he smirked slightly as Trunks started. A bell went off in Trunks head. Was Goten just making an innocent comment or, or what?
He settled for an indecisive nod.
"In fact, why don't we go over to her and get involved in an equally fascinating conversation?" This time the sarcasm was clear. Trunks grinned sheepishly.
"Why not?" Anything had to be better than standing awkwardly together silently.
Bra was the one to notice them approaching, stepping sideways to make an opening for the duo to join their trio. Both Pan and Tenshi's faces tightened upon spotting them.
"Glad to see that you're capable of civilized conversation Goten," Bra declared sarcastically, deciding to break the ice before it crystallized.
Goten shrugged. "I can be nice when I want to." In a way, her bluntness was refreshing - everybody else was dancing on tiptoe around him. Bra didn't believe in that - she believed in liberal usage of sledgehammers.
"Nice to see you again," Pan piped up, gathering her courage. "I've missed speaking with you," she continued more subdued, meeting Goten's eye. He gave an acknowledging tilt of his head, but it was enough.
Bra smiled and then took Tenshi's arm. "Goten, this Tenshi, my boyfriend. Tenshi, Goten," she introduced them. The two sized each other up with varying degrees of wariness. Forgoing caution, Tenshi tentatively reached out his hand.
"Um, nice to meet you Goten," he said with a weak smile. The man's eyes sharpened, but he grasped his hand nonetheless.
"Pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard so much about you," he returned smoothly, reveling in his power to intimidate. Tenshi gulped, suddenly painfully aware that the man in front of him could break every bone in his body with just a power-up and not even to full power at that. He let out a breath when Goten released his hand after a long second.
"Um, can't really claim the same here. So you're Pan's uncle," he asked cautiously. "Gohan's brother?" Pan, Trunks, and Bra flinched. Bra had never wished her boyfriend had more discernment than at that moment - though it could've been worse. Goten tensed lightly, then gave a sarcastic laugh that caused the rest to jump.
"Yes to the first, but I think the second is somewhat in question at the moment." His eyes traversed the party to rest on his brooding brother.
Bra snorted. "You're still his brother Goten, no matter what disagreements you have. It takes more than a difference of opinion to break blood ties. Just look at Trunks and I." The laughter to her comment was slightly forced. Goten didn't join in, his gaze lasering in on the blue- haired girl.
"It's more than a difference of opinion," he argued, sensing an opportunity for a verbal spar. If he wasn't going to get in a physical fight, this was the next best thing. "It's about the fact he is determined to see -our father- in this sublime light, which is a complete lie."
"Oh and your view of Goku is completely objective?" she shot back sarcastically. The others watched wide-eyed as the daughter of Vegeta brazenly challenged Goten head on.
"Mine's more realistic than his!" he asserted.
"That's c* Goten!" she told him bluntly.
He sneered. "And what would you know, you-"
Sensing upcoming crude language, Tenshi cut the man off. "Hey don't insult her!" For once, Tenshi's good sense was overruled by his protectiveness for his girlfriend. Unwisely in this case. Goten took a step forward, lazily rising his ki. You never broke up a Saiyan verbal spar. It was like getting in the way of food - never a good idea.
"Don't get involved baka weakling," he snarled in a feral tone. Tenshi took an involuntary step back.
Bra growled, feeling an unidentifiable pang upon seeing her boyfriend's withdrawal. Goten was going too far, threatening HER BOYFRIEND!
"That's it Goten. You're leaving," she suddenly announced and began to head toward the gate. He blinked, losing his whole threatening air. It didn't hit him until she had opened the gate and stood next to it, that she was completely serious.
"What happened to my 'inescapable invite'?" he asked, not having to really raise his voice now that everyone was watching the enfolding spectacle.
"It's just been revoked," she snapped. "You came, you saw, you managed to piss everyone off, and now it's time to leave." He stared at her for an indeterminable amount of time, before he slowly walked to the gate. Face to face, he silently challenged her, testing her resolve. She stiffened and forced herself not to flinch in the face of his unrelenting gaze. "I mean it Goten," she muttered with a tone of steel. Goten's eyebrow raised. Well this was unexpected.
"I think you have something of mine," he finally said, wordlessly bowing to her command. She raised an eyebrow. What could she possibly have of his? "Cigarettes," he reminded.
With a fluid motion, she went to a nearby table and retrieved his pack. Defiantly she strode back to the gate and whirled on him. And before his shade clad eyes, a flare of ki erupted in her hand.
"Oops," she said innocently, not even looking at the charred remnants.
His jaw tensed. "You seem to be making a habit of that," he observed dangerously.
"Better than some habits of yours I might mention," she replied sharply, warning him not to test her. His gaze lifted from her and locked with a man behind her.
"Nice to see you again brother," he called with mocking sweetness, before turning to leave. "And I'll be seeing you again soon, princess," he muttered only to Bra and strode off before she could answer.
"F*ing a*hole," she cursed, wishing the gate was a regular door so she could slam it. She settled for pushing the button to close it with extra vehemence.
"Bra!" Bulma, despite her shocked silent observation of the previous events, couldn't help the maternal reproof. Bra's back stiffened to rim rod straightness in a sudden surge of anger and embarrassment. How dare she reprove in front of Tenshi and all their friends!
But like so many times before, she tensed her jaw and took it silently, merely gliding over to resume her conversation with her friends.
"Déjà vu," Yamcha muttered under his breath, shivering for a moment. Vegeta scowled further. No it wouldn't be, Bra would never let that happen . . .
But his restless eyes rested on Bra for much longer than confidence warranted.
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IT'S DONE!!!!! HALLELUJAH!
I have never had this much trouble writing a chapter - I had most of the conversations decided on, but then I had to connect and, just ugh.
But it's done.
Anybody get the part about -When Harry Met Sally-? If not, rent the movie! It's great!
Don't ask when the next chapter will be out. It won't take as long as this one, but still . . . Also I might be getting a beta-reader!!!!! Yeah for me!
Hope you had a Happy Halloween.
'Til next time folks!
Nitte iz