I do not own dbz.
Bardock followed Goten into his house. They were met in the living room by an excited Beta carrying a misshapen, lopsided lump of food on a platter.
"Goten look!" She cried happily, holding the food out to him. "It's done. This cake is much better than the last."
Bardock looked at her in shock. That was a cake! He looked to Goten to see his reaction. Goten just smiled warmly at her.
"Good job, Beta! It looks delicious." He replied while patting her on the head.
She grinned, "You just have to try it!" She said and then disappeared into the kitchen.
Bardock looked over to his grandson in disbelief. "That was a cake?" He asked incredulously.
Goten sighed and turned to him. "That's what she said it was. She can't cook very well, so just be nice. She's getting better."
They faced forward again in time for Beta to come back out with forks covered in the "cake". She handed one to each of them, then stepped back waiting to see their reaction. Bardock sniffed it and made a face. Goten elbowed him in his side. He shrugged his shoulders and stuffed the food into his mouth at the same time Goten did. He almost spit it back out the second it touched his tongue. It was the most disgusting thing he'd ever tasted. He felt his eyes watering and knew he must be turning green as he tried to chew the crunchy material. Actually swallowing it was not an option. Luckily, she was concentrating on Goten and not him. Bardock turned to see Goten having the same reactions as he was. Only Goten was hiding it better.
"This is great." Goten raved with his mouth full of food. "I don't think I've ever tasted anything better," he lied.
Beta clapped her hands together happily. She turned to Bardock, who nodded his head weakly in agreement.
"Wonderful," she exclaimed happily, "I followed your mother's recipe to the tee. I knew it would be good. Now you boys can't have any more until I put the icing on." She said in a singsong voice as she went back into the kitchen.
As soon as she was gone, Bardock and Goten spit the food out. "That was horrendous!" Bardock said horrified. "Is that what she's been feeding you?"
Goten knitted his eyebrows together and looked sadly at him. "Yeah. She can't cook to save her life. She can't even follow a simple recipe! I try not to eat here as much as possible or cook myself. The sad part is that she's getting better."
"God . . . " Bardock said sympathetically. "I had no idea. You poor, poor boy . . . hey, Callie is bringing food with her right?" He asked, fearful that only Beta was cooking.
Goten nodded his head. "Yeah. Callie has had the misfortune of tasting her cooking too, so she is bringing all the food. Beta has just that one cake."
"I don't think I can handle tasting that shit again without puking." Bardock said while shaking his head. "Has she ever eaten her own cooking?"
Goten shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about having to eat any of it. I already have that covered." He replied with a mischievous smirk.
Bardock was just about to ask what he meant by that when Beta came back into the room. She was proudly carrying her cake, which was now covered in a green, slimy substance. He shuddered, remembering the taste of it and didn't even want to know what she put on top of it. He watched Goten walk over and give her a kiss on the cheek, and then pretended to try and dip his finger in the food. Beta laughed merrily and swatted his hand away. Bardock shook his head. He had no idea his grandson was such a good actor. He deserved some type of award for just eating that disgusting food.
Just then, Callie and her family walked through the door. The men grunted to each other, while the women greeted one another enthusiastically. Bardock heard Callie feed Beta the same line of bullshit Goten had about her "cake." He wondered how Goten planned on getting them out of eating it. He did not intend to choke the shit down just to make her happy.
The six of them left shortly after that and began walking through the woods until they came to clearing. It was an old training ground that had been abandoned years ago when the Queen built the new facilities. There was a statue of her there, built shortly after her death by the king so no one would forget her. They stopped here and set up the little picnic they brought with them. It was fall in this part of the continent and the leaves were already turning color and littering the ground. It was rather beautiful, if one stopped to admire it, but no one usually did.
The men stood back while the ladies set everything up. Bardock saw Beta lovingly set the cake on the blanket. He eyed the monstrosity warily, still confused as to how Goten was going to get rid of it. A few minutes later, he saw Callie set her son down in front of it and walk away. Avis squealed delightedly and dove head first into the cake, splattering it everywhere. He watched horrified as the kid began to shovel handfuls of it into his mouth. That's when it dawned on him. This was how he planned on getting them out of eating it. Sayians will eat anything when they are young, no matter how awful it is. He doubted they even had taste buds at that age, because Avis loved it. Beta saw him out of the corner of her eye, destroying the cake she had worked so hard on and screamed. She ran over to him and lifted him out of the mess. Callie pretended to be shocked and began to apologize profusely to her.
"Oh no, the cake!" Beta moaned. "That was the only one I brought." She turned Avis to face her and began to scold him. "How could you do that, Avis? I worked so hard on it. It was supposed to be for everyone. Not just you."
Avis only grinned and clapped his hands together. Beta sighed, "I can't be mad at you." She said, and then smiled. "Oh well, next time I'll just have to keep an eye on you, won't I." Avis laughed loudly and Beta set him down to finish what he started.
Bardock grinned. Now he could enjoy himself without having to worry about being forced to eat Beta's cooking. He turned to look at Goten, who winked at him. Bardock laughed out loud, thoroughly amused. They all sat down and began to eat.
They ate, talked and drank most of the day away. They got up, sparred with each other a few times, and even shared moves and techniques. Bardock couldn't remember a time when he was happier. Maybe when his mate and sons were still alive or when he went out with his crew after a mission, but that was long ago. Bardock didn't want to think about why his entire crew was dead, while he survived. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing. This was his family and friends now.
And, in spite of everything that told him she was wrong, Bardock found himself liking Beta increasingly more. So, the girl was mysterious and didn't like to talk about her family and past. They all had things they didn't talk about concerning the same issues. He was sure Goten never told her what happened to his family. He decided that it wasn't a good reason to not like her. His grandson was enthralled with her and she made a good mate for him, even if she couldn't cook.
She seemed to change everyone in the six months she's been here. Goten didn't drink nearly as much and was always in a good mood. The two of them were inseparable and it seemed as if she reciprocated his feelings as well. She was all he could talk about when they went out. Bardock was glad that Goten finally had someone. He never once mentioned Callie since the two of them got together. This was good for other reasons.
The strain between Tavis and Goten was lifted when he took Beta as his mate. Tavis no longer worried about Goten trying to steal his mate from him. The two of them behaved liked squad members should. Like brothers, not rivals. Tavis was more at ease around everyone too. He was not as standoffish and aloof. He still taunted Goten endlessly about his shortcomings, but it was done in a friendlier manner.
Even Callie was happier with her around. She was not as cold and hard as she was before Beta showed up. She had lost any female friends she might have had when she married Tavis. As Bardock understood it, Tavis had been very desired. Having Beta in her life was good for her. She now had a female to talk to and Beta would understand where the men wouldn't see a problem.
Yes, he liked her for all of the good she brought with her. She was like a light in their dark lives. She was innocent, sweet and strong. Beta was the perfect match for Goten and Bardock was glad he had found her.
Bardock looked around the clearing for everyone. He noticed Callie dragging Tavis off into the woods with a hungry look in her eyes. He shook his head and looked down at the sleeping boy next to him. "You might have siblings soon." He whispered jokingly to him.
He found Beta and Goten in the middle of the clearing. She was sitting on the statue of the Queen while Goten made an ass out of himself to make her laugh. He watched the two of them enviously, remembering a time when he would have done the same for his wife.
He looked to the statue of the Queen. It was carved out of white marble and the craftsmanship was excellent. It was almost life like. He half-expected her to turn to him and smile. He remembered the first time he had seen her. How he was struck by how beautiful and graceful she was. It had been when she'd come to take Pan away, but he had not missed how unique she had been. She was unlike any other creature he'd ever seen and he understood why the King went through so much trouble for her.
Bardock caught Beta looking up at the statue. She had the saddest, most haunted look in her eyes when she did. It was only there for a second, but he saw it and realization hit him like the world crashing down upon him. He looked from her to the statue and back again trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He saw Beta laugh and was struck with the similarity of her face to the Queens' when she did.
He felt his pulse quicken and it suddenly became difficult to breathe. His mouth went dry and he searched blindly around on the blanket for something to quench his thirst. He found a bottle of ale and gulped it down. It has to be a coincidence, Bardock thought frantically. But the more he watched her the more similarities he saw. The coloring wasn't right, but if you did put the blue hair and eyes on her, she'd be a perfect match to the Queen. She would look just like the Princess.
The missing Princess. The same Princess that had gone missing the same night Goten found Beta. So many more things began to make sense. Of course, she wouldn't want to talk about her family, because she belonged to the royal family. That's why she just appeared out of nowhere and Bardock had never heard of her family, because she had made them up. That was why she couldn't cook, because she'd never cooked a day in her life before. And that was why she had little to no interest in the missing Princess; she already knew where she was.
Bardock began to panic, as he couldn't dispute what his eyes told him. He must have been staring hard at her because she turned and shot him a dirty look. A look he'd seen the King give. The narrowed eyes and pursed lips replicated the King's face flawlessly. It couldn't be a coincidence. No body on the planet looked like the royal family except for those who had their blood. And there was no way for anyone to resemble the Queen outside of her offspring. Bulma had been from another planet.
Bardock felt like his head was going to explode or he was going to pass out. Bra, Princess Bra, had been staying with them for the last eight months. She'd been sleeping with his grandson and eating at his home. He was a dead man. Him and what was left of his family were dead because they didn't know. He knew they would have an exceptionally painful punishment for Goten.
He felt as if he was going to be sick. Goten has been sleeping with her, had claimed her as his mate. The bite mark was visible to all. She belonged to him and he had no right to take her. No one did. No one had the right to touch the Princess. Dead. They would all be dead in a few weeks. They would find her here and slowly kill them all, even the baby.
The world around Bardock was spinning out of control. It would only make sense that he would die at the hand of the royal family after all they had done to him. They've already taken away his son, grandson and their children. Now they would take away all that he had left and finally kill him off.
The day had been perfect and she was sad to see it end. There had been only a few minor set backs, such as her cake being destroyed. Even that hadn't ruined her good mood, though. It was Bardock, at the end of the day that made everything go bad.
Sometime just before they left, she noticed him staring at her like he'd seen a ghost. The look he gave her sent chills down her spine and made her very uncomfortable. It was almost as if he was looking right through her. Bra didn't want to think of what that could mean. She had worked hard to gain his trust after she and Goten became mates. Now it was almost as if he was afraid to be around her.
They were all back at Goten's house now, sitting around talking. Bardock sat in the corner, saying nothing the entire time. He just stared at her. His eyes were wide with a look of disbelief and fear in them. It'd crossed her mind that he knew who she really was, but she could not fathom how he'd figure that out. She decided not to give that idea a second thought. He probably just saw how he was going to die or something like that. The old man was creepy.
Goten and Tavis were arguing again. Something about the facts of some old mission they went on. Bra laughed, those two never got along. Just then, Tavis' com. link went off. He groaned and answered it. After a few minutes of grunting, he turned it off and turned toward Callie.
"I have to go. There is an emergency meeting in town that all squad captains have to attend." He said bitterly.
Callie frowned. "This late? What the hell could be so important that you have to go now? It's already dark out. Can't it wait until morning?" She said irritably.
Tavis shook his head. "No. It's on direct orders of the King. I'm guessing it has something to do with the Princess, the spoiled little brat." He replied with venom in his voice.
Bra's mouth dropped open in disbelief. How dare he call her a spoiled brat. He had no idea. She opened her mouth to say something, but thought better about it when she noticed Bardock staring intently at her.
Goten laughed harshly. "Yeah, screw the fucking royal family. They're a bunch of inbred bastards anyway."
Everyone laughed and agreed with him. Bra was in a state of shock. She had no idea people felt this way about her family. Wait. Did he just call her inbred? She felt her temper begin to rise and had to fight to keep from exposing herself. What the hell did they ever do to them? They had no idea what it was like living in the palace, the pressures of ruling half the known galaxy. Granted she didn't like her father and brother much either, but they didn't have any right to say such things.
After they were finished with the Vegeta bashing, Tavis turned to Goten.
"I have to go now. Make sure my wife and child get home safe. If something happens to them, I'll blame you." With that, he took off.
Callie snorted indigently. "Asshole. I am perfectly capable of taking care of my child and myself." She stood up and swayed a bit.
Goten laughed and caught her before she fell. "I know you can, Callie, but you've had a bit to drink tonight."
Callie shoved him off and went to pick her sleeping son up. After she got Avis situated, she went and stood at the door waiting for Goten. He walked over to Bra and wrapped her in his arms.
"I'll be back in a few minutes." He whispered against her lips, and then kissed them softly.
Bra shook her head no. It wasn't that she didn't trust Goten. She just didn't want to be left alone with Bardock. "Don't leave me here with him," she whispered, motioning with her head in Bardock's direction. "He's been giving me that weird look all night long."
Goten frowned and looked at his grandfather. He was indeed staring at the two of them, but he didn't see anything threatening about it. "Lighten up, Beta. He's just an old man. He probably thinks you're hot or something."
Bra made a small noise of shock and disbelief and Goten laughed while pulling away from her. He turned to Bardock.
"Hey old man, you heading home too?"
Bardock snapped his head in Goten's direction. "No. I think I'll stay here and keep an eye on Beta for you. I want to talk to her." He said.
Goten frowned more. "What do you need to talk to her about?" He questioned suspiciously.
"Huh? Oh, I just wanted to know when I'd get some grand kids." He lied, and then forced a little laugh.
Bra was stunned and Goten put his hand behind his head and laughed while blushing. "Ha, ha! Lighten up, Bardock, jeez. You're going to scare her." He continued to laugh some more as he walked out the door and disappeared into the night.
Bra watched him go then turned to Bardock. She crossed her arms and frowned at him, determined not to be intimidated. "What do you want?" She asked coldly.
Bardock grinned wolfishly. "You know, I've seen that look before."
"I bet," Bra said. "I'm sure I've given it to you a dozen times." She turned away from him and began walking into the kitchen.
"I know who you really are, Beta. Or should I say your highness?" Bardock called after her.
Bra stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bardock. You're losing your mind." She said nervously.
"Yes you do. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't know how you managed to change your hair and eye color, but you still look exactly like your mother, Princess."
Bra turned to look at him then and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't about to admit to anything. Bardock went on.
"The kids may not notice it and I'll admit, I didn't either, at first. But I will never forget what the Queen looked like. And you, my dear, are a perfect replica of her. There are just too many parallels, Beta, for you not to be her. It can't just be coincidence that you show up, with no real past, the same night the Princess disappears. That no one in this half of the universe could possibly have the Queen's face. I know you are her. I don't know why you are here or what your family still wants with mine, Princess, but there are no denying the facts." Bardock finished.
Bra didn't say anything. She had no idea that Bardock had, had any dealings with the royal family. After a few tense minutes, she raised her hand, palm flatten, prepared to fire.
"So what are you going to do now, Bardock? Turn me in? I'm sure my father has a pretty hefty reward for the one who finds me." She said, her voice as cold as ice.
He barked out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Yes, death," he said. "As soon as he found out who I am and what you've been doing here on your little vacation, we're all dead. What are you going to do now that you know I know? Kill me?"
Bra smirked wickedly. "The thought crossed my mind." She said and began to power up.
Bardock didn't flinch. "You're going to have a hard time explaining that to Goten when he returns and finds me dead."
Bra shrugged. "I'll just tell him you attacked me."
"He won't believe that and you know it. Besides, it won't save his life, Princess. If you even give a damn about that." Bardock said.
Bra slowly put her hand back down, knowing he was right. She growled, "Don't begin to tell me what I care about, old man."
"Just like you cared about that boy, Zen?" Bardock countered maliciously.
He saw her face twist with rage and then she vanished from his line of sight. Before he had a chance to turn his head to look for her, she reappeared in front of him and punched him in the face. The force of her punch sent him stumbling backwards. He regained his balance and looked up at her. She stood in front of him, angrier than he ever remembered seeing her. Her body trembled with the force of keeping her power under control. Bardock raised a hand to his face and wiped the blood from his mouth.
"If you stay here, Bra, he'll die. Just like me, Callie, Tavis, Avis and anyone else who has encountered you. We'll all be dead. Is that what you want?" Bardock asked venomously.
"There is no way he'll find me. I made sure of it. If he could, he'd have done it by now. It's already been six months. He's not going to find me. I assure you." Bra said.
Bardock laughed. "If you'd had any interest in what's been going on, you'd know that he's already close."
Bra narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you talking about?" She demanded.
"There have been search parties in every city for the last six months," he said seriously. "They have been going through every house, literally tearing them apart. The King and Prince have even accompanied the soldiers on some of them. They are taking hundreds of families from their homes and torturing them in the dungeons to get information. Nobody is being released until you are found, Princess. The troops will be here shortly. I imagine that's what Tavis' emergency meeting was about. They'll be here if you don't go back. King Vegeta is determined to find you. He'll find you here in Goten's bed and kill him."
Bra stood in silent shock for a few minutes. Then she walked over to the couch and dropped heavily onto it. She really had no idea that he was going through so much trouble to bring her home, all those people being tortured because of her. She couldn't go home now. Not now that she had Goten, she couldn't leave him. But she had to. She couldn't let him die for loving her. He didn't even know. Bra felt her heart break as she saw she had no other options. To save his life, she had to go.
She didn't bother stopping the tears as they began to trickle down her face. She turned to Bardock. "I'll leave," she said softly, "but you can never tell Goten who I really am Never. The less he knows, the better."
Bardock nodded his head solemnly. "You have my word, Princess." He stood and went to the door. Before he walked out, he stopped. "You're making the right decision. We'll miss you, Beta." He said without turning around. Then he disappeared into the night.
Bra only let herself cry for a moment. Then she put on a determined face and got up. There would be time for a break down later. Right now, she had to figure out how much time she had. She walked into her old bedroom and got out her things. Four or five capsules of miscellaneous stuff like clothes and trinkets. She searched until she found the capsule with her laptop in it. Now all she had to do was hack into Trunks' personal files and find out what was going on. She knew she'd find what she needed in there. Trunks is a very organized person.
It only took her a few seconds to tap into his files. He had no real security on them. She found the one she was looking for quickly. Her brother had not changed at all. She opened the file and scrolled past all the cities and villages that had already been hit until she came to the Province that the little village she had called home for the last six months was located on. She opened it up and went past all the general information until she came to the intrusion date. Two weeks. She only had two weeks until they would be here. It was not nearly enough time. She would have to leave tonight.
Bra ignored the sharp pain that stabbed at her heart at the thought of leaving. She had to do this. There was no other way. She'd rather be alone and unhappy for the rest of her life knowing Goten was safe, than seeing her father kill him in a fit of rage. She packed her things back up and put them in a small sack that she would take with her. She only left one thing out, her sleeping powder.
Goten had been drinking all day and she knew he would want something to cure a hangover because he had training early in the morning. She couldn't afford him waking up when she left, so she was going to drug him. She just finished adding the powder to his tea when he came in. Bra felt her heart splinter again when she saw him. The thought that she would never again see his cheerful face was almost too much for her. She forced a smile onto her face. He bought it.
"I made you some tea. I thought you could use some." She said handing the cup out to him.
Goten smiled brightly and took the proffered cup. He wrapped his big arms around her and nuzzled his face into her hair. "How is it that you know just what it is I need?" He asked her lovingly. "I don't know what I would do without you."
Bra felt herself being torn apart inside as she watched him drink the tea. There was no turning back now. There was enough powder in there to knock him out for a full day. She'd be long gone by then. Back into the clutches of her father, to endure whatever punishment he had planned for her.
"That's great!" Goten exclaimed, smacking his lips. "How about we go to bed," he suggested with a wink.
Bra nodded her head eagerly. One last night with him was all she had.
Afterwards, he held her close, sighing in contentment and ran his fingers through her hair. Bra heard him yawn loudly and knew that he would be falling asleep soon. She propped herself up on an elbow to look at him and trace his jaw line with her index finger. He looked up at her with half-lidded eyes and smiled. She ran her finger over his face, down his neck and to his chest where she traced his muscles.
"Goten," she whispered.
"Hm?" He replied sleepily.
"You know I would never do anything to hurt you, right?" She asked.
He opened his eyes to look at her then. "Of course," he said.
"Everything I've ever done or will do is in our best interest. I don't ever want to hurt. I hope you understand that." Bra said to him as she continued her hand downward to his stomach.
"What are you talking about?" Goten asked, confused.
"I just want you to understand that what I do is for the best." She said softly while trying not to cry.
"Ok," Goten said while yawning, his eyes sliding closed once again. He didn't understand what she was talking about, but he was too tired to analyze it now.
"Good," Bra said, "Goten . . . I love you."
The words didn't even begin to express how strongly she felt for him, but she had to let him know it was there. What she felt was something all consuming. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before, so she couldn't begin to describe it now. Shock played in his eyes for only a moment, then it was replaced with a profoundly, deeper emotion, one that Bra could not place properly.
Goten's eyes shot open at her words and his arms tightened around her, crushing her body against his.
"Beta, " he said softly against her lips. "I love you too. Oh God, I love you so much."
Bra's body began to tingle as she listened to him repeat those words over and over again. Her heart felt as if would burst with everything she was feeling right then and she began to cry. The knowledge that it would be her last night in his arms was too much. Goten held her close, kissing her lovingly. The experience from that point on was just as she wanted it, something she'd never forget. It wasn't something that could be described with words because it was all based on tremendous feelings. She had never really known he felt so strongly toward her. Everything she was feeling for him was returned.
She laid, curled against his body and enclosed protectively in his arms, still trembling in the aftermath. He slept peacefully, having passed out shortly afterwards due to the tea.
She didn't know how she could leave him now. It was too much. She didn't think she could survive without him. He loved her. The one thing she'd been looking for, for so long, was lying next to her. How could she walk away from this, from him?
She toyed with the idea of staying and fighting off the guards herself, then maybe high jacking a ship and leaving the planet. But she had to think realistically. There would be at least fifty to eighty soldiers in the area. They couldn't fight off that many and she was sure that her father or her brother would be with them. There was only one way to save him. She had to leave.
She wanted to sleep next to him this night, but she knew it would only make things more painful the next day. No, she had to do it now, before time ran out. She pried herself from his arms, stood and got dressed. She went and got her stuff from the spare room and the other miscellaneous junk she'd collected over the months. When she was finished with everything, she went back into the bedroom.
"I know you won't understand, Goten, but this is for your safety. I can't let you die because of me. Maybe the fates will bring us together again when the time is right." She said in a voice thick with tears. "Always remember that I love you."
With that, she ran out of the house without a second look back.
Bra flew until she reached the cold mountains to the west. She flew until she was too tired to fly any more. Landing by a small brook flowing peacefully through the range, she sat down in the snow, uncaring of the bitter wind that cut into her skin. She didn't care if she froze to death, perhaps it would be better that way.
Bra fell back into the snow, as her body could take no more. She curled into a ball and cried. She didn't know how long she laid there, shivering from the cold. It could have been hours, but she had lost all concept of time. It was freezing. The blood in her veins was beginning to freeze and each breath was more distant from the last. Her heart was slowing down and she began to will it to stop completely. She didn't want to live anymore. Not after all of this. Not if it meant a life without him.
She could see his face in her mind. He was smiling at her and she could hear his voice calling her name and telling her how much he loved her. No, she decided. She wouldn't die out here like this. Not now. She would live each day with what she's done and hope would be her reason for living. Hope, that one day they would be together again.
A thin sheet of ice covered her body and she powered up to melt it off. She stood, a little woozy, and began to walk down the mountain to warmer climates. She didn't have enough power to fly. It took several hours to walk down the mountain. Every step she took sent fresh waves of pain coursing through her. Her skin was red, chapped, frost bitten and it stung like crazy.
At the bottom of the mountain was a wide-open field and the brook she'd been following emptied into a small pond in the middle of it. She walked tiredly over to it and sat on a large, moss-covered rock. It was stifling hot here, a vast contrast to the bitter cold mountaintop. She took off her boots and threw them into the water, and then she dipped her sore feet in. The water was cool and inviting and she felt the sudden urge to take a swim. She had to get cleaned off anyway.
She built a fire near the lake, then stripped off her clothes and threw them in. She took out her contacts and threw them in too. She reached into her bag and got out the solution for her hair and soap for her body. After she had everything she needed she dove in. The water was invigorating on her sore, aching body and she glided through it for a while. It took several times to get the dye out of her hair, but eventually it turned back to its soft blue shade. She washed herself from head to toe repeatedly.
When her skin was wrinkly as a prune, she climbed out of the water. She went and lay down by the fire to dry off. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Goten and the short, but happy life they had together. She thought of what it would have been like to raise a child together. She pictured what the baby would look like if it had been a girl or a boy. She pondered all of the different names they could name it.
She considered these things until she thought she was going to go insane. Bra knew that she couldn't go on living her life if she kept thinking this way. It was going to kill her. So, she pulled her mind away from it and locked it away deep within her heart. It was still too new and fresh and she knew that it would take time before the door was fully closed, but for now she could at least pretend to be ok.
Bra got up and got dressed in some of the clothes she had brought with her. Now there was only one thing left to do. She took off the bracelet from around her ankle. Bra wasn't going to go directly to them, instead she was going to make them come and find her. She didn't know how far she was from the palace so she powered up and projected her aura out to her family. They would feel it if they were paying attention. It was only a matter of time before they came for her. It felt good to be able to power up fully without restriction, so she stayed that way for some time, reveling in the feel of undaunted strength. After she was done with her little power trip, she sat back down and waited for them to arrive.
Vegeta and Pan were in the study, playing chess. Both were concentrating hard on the board in front of them, it was the only time that they got along. Even then, it wasn't really "getting along". Pan was an expert strategist and was the only person who could give the King a challenge. So, they sat there, staring each other down, waiting for the next move.
Pan moved her rook to put him in check. "Check," she said while raising an eyebrow.
He had an easy out. She just wanted to get him on the run. Toy with him a little. Vegeta growled and moved his bishop to block her path while threatening a knight. Pan raised her other eyebrow in surprise, having not seen the move. Trunks snored loudly on her left, breaking her concentration. He had fallen asleep an hour ago. Pan shot him a dirty look and that's when she felt it.
She stood abruptly, her mouth opened in shock and knocking her chair over in the process. The resounding clatter startled Trunks awake and agitated Vegeta.
"What the hell is your problem, girl?" He questioned irritably.
Pan looked at him, her eyes wide. It had been so long since she'd felt it, but it was there. Like a beacon calling to her, distant but strong.
"Bra," was all she managed to get out.
She turned and ran to the window. Throwing it open, she leapt out into the night and flew toward the signal. Vegeta and Trunks exchanged confused looks for a moment, and then Trunks instantly took off after Pan. Vegeta opened his sense and felt his daughter calling to him also. He turned and went out the window, following the others.
They reached the mountain range a little after dawn. They found her standing tall and proud by a small lake. She had a determined look in her red, swollen eyes. Nobody said anything for a few moments after they landed. They just stood there taking in the sight of her. Pan was the one to first break the silence. She cried out happily, startling them all and ran to throw her arms around the missing Princess.
Bra began to cry with Pan as she hugged her back. It had been so long since she last saw her. She hadn't even realized how much she missed her. They hugged, cried and told each other how much they missed one another. Bra felt a great relief come over her at being in her friend's arms again. She had missed talking to Pan late at night and she couldn't wait to do it again.
Trunks broke up their happy little reunion. He screamed something unintelligible and ran to them. He stopped a few feet away and began to yell at her.
"Where the hell have you been?" He screamed outraged. All the anger he'd kept bottled up over the last several months came pouring out. "Do you know all the trouble you have caused? Do you know what we have been going through? Now you just come waltzing back here as if you never left. What the hell is your problem, you stupid bitch?"
Bra began to cry in earnest at her brother's tirade. It hurt even more to have him yell at her like that, after everything she'd been through in the last twenty-four hours. Trunks stopped his ranting when he saw her drop to her knees, cover her face and cry harder. They stood there speechless as Bra's cries changed from happiness to sorrow in seconds. Vegeta, who said nothing or moved the entire time, went and picked her up. He cradled her to his chest like she was still a little girl and without a word took off for the palace.
Goten was woken up by someone slapping him hard across the face. He groggily opened his eyes to see Callie above him. Her eyes were a mix of anger and worry as she stared down at him. He shook his head and tried to sit up, but his body felt like lead. His head was pounding so he laid it back down, closed his eyes and groaned. He hadn't realized he'd had so much to drink last night. His eyes snapped back open when Callie slapped him again.
"Goten, get up!" She yelled in his ear.
Goten winced and growled. "I'm fucking awake! What the hell do you want, woman?"
"God Goten, we've been trying to get you up all day. What the hell is your problem?" She said.
Goten became confused. "What do you mean you've been trying to get me up all day? What time is it?" He said, and then forced himself to sit up. He saw that Tavis was here too, looking into a cup on the nightstand.
"Look outside, its dark already. We've been here all day trying to get you up. When you didn't show up to practice or turn up at all, we came looking for you. Goten, you've been sleeping all day! This is the first time we've been able to get you up. We thought you were in a coma or something!" Callie replied.
This only made him more confused. "Where is Beta?"
Callie stiffened noticeably and got a pained look on her face. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tavis tense also.
"What? What is it? Where is she?" He said becoming concerned.
"Goten . . . " Callie started slowly.
He didn't like the sound of her voice. "Is she all right? Where is she?" He tried to get out of bed but Callie held him down.
"We can't find her. Nobody has seen her all day. Goten, she's gone." Callie said softly.
He sat there for a minute letting the words sink in. She's gone. It repeated in his head over and over again. He just couldn't comprehend the meaning. He pushed Callie off of him and got up. He grabbed his pants, put them on, and then started out of the room.
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Callie. She can't just be gone. She was here last night. Where would she go? I know she didn't leave me. It's not possible. She's got to be here somewhere." He ranted.
"We looked in every possible place. Asked everyone we know. No one has seen any trace of her. It's like she just disappeared. Goten, all of her stuff is gone . . . " Callie began but Goten cut her off.
"No, Callie. She wouldn't leave me. Not after last night. You don't know what you're talking about." He said angrily.
He was almost out of the room when Tavis stopped him. "Goten, you might want to see this." He held the cup up for him to see.
Goten waved it away. "Why would I want to see that? It's just a cup."
"Did you drink out of this last night?" Tavis questioned, frowning. Goten nodded his head. "Well, it might explain why you were out for so long. Look."
He held two fingers up. They were both covered in a white powder. Goten stepped closer to get a better look.
"What is it?" He asked frowning in confusion.
"I think it's sleeping powder. It's the only reasonable explanation as to why we couldn't wake you up. Did she make this drink for you?" Tavis asked.
Goten nodded his head, stunned as the implications began to become clear to him.
"She obviously wanted you out, Goten. There's enough residue on the cup alone to knock someone out for a while. It seems clear that she left you." He said, but his voice wasn't condescending at all.
Goten took an uncertain step back as he realized what was happening. The room suddenly became hot and crowded and he started having difficulty breathing. He could hear Callie saying something to him, but he couldn't make out the words. She drugged you, all her stuff is gone and she left you, Goten, kept repeating in his head until he thought it would explode. It just didn't make any sense. None of it!
"Why would she leave me?" He whispered mostly to himself. He shook his head, as if to bring the answer forth.
"Oh Goten, I don't know why. I'm so sorry." He heard Callie say, her voice laced with worry and sympathy. He turned in her direction.
"I don't need your pity, Callie. I don't care if she left. I'm going to find her and bring her home!"
With that, he turned and stormed out of the house.