Breaking Free

Breaking Free Chapter 6

I do not own dbz or anything affiliated with it. Sorry.



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.

"Oh, great. You just have to try it! Let me get some forks." 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 æcake.'
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. 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 sing song 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, 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 shit.

Just then Callie and her family walked through the door. The men just grunted to each other,
while the women greeted each other enthusiastically. Bardock heCallCallie feed Beta the same
line of bullshit Goten had about her æcake.' He wondered how Goten planned on getting them
out of eating it. He had no intention of choking 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 new
facilities were built by the Queen. There was still 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 war sti 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 was loving 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, 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 and sparred with each other a
few times and even shared moves and technic. 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 and those people long since gone. 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
more and 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 eight 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. Which 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 more friendly 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 Tavis became her
mate. 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 when her mate pissed her off. 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. An angle after so much death and pain. 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. æIt 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 no
where and Bardock had never heard of her æfamily', 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 knew where she was at.

Bardock began to panic as he couldn't dispute what his eyes told him. He must have been
staring pretty 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. Because she'd been here with them and they were third
class. 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 little Avis.

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. Life is a bitch.

******************************

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 her 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. They were 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 some kind of 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 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, 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 snaphis 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, then forced a little laugh.

Bra sweat dropped 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 said 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 disappeared. And the fact that no one in this half of
the universe could possible 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 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 oght.ght. Before he had a
chance to turn his head to look for her, she reappeared in front of him and punch 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
come in contact with 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, searching for your scent. 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 flopped
dejectedly 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,e sae 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 one she was
looking for. The one with her laptop computer 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
Provence that the little village she had called home for the last eight 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, Go-chan. 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 out for her.

"That's great!" Goten exclaimed, smacking his lips. "How æbout we go to bed." He said with
a suggestive wink of his eye.

Bra nodded her head eagerly. One last night with him was all she had. She was going to make
it something that neither one of them would soon forget.

The second they entered the room, Goten grabbed her and began kissing her like a starved
man. He ravished her mouth forcefully and Bra was soon caught up in his passion. She ripped
his shirt off of him and began to attack his chest with her mouth. Goten moaned aloud as she
bit one of his nipples hard. He began tugging at her shirt, making her pause so he could slip it
over her head. He grabbed her face, twisted it to his and claimed her mouth once again.

They fell back onto the bed, still locked in their heated embrace. They quickly shrugged off
the rest of their clothes and Bra moaned when their naked bodies finally made contact. She
grabbed Goten's head and pushed it into her bosom as he suckled hungrily on one of her
breast. Her body was aflame with desire and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, a
silent plea for him to fill her. He responded to her plea immediately and thrust into her hard,
making her cry out in ecstacy.

She was flooded with emotions as he pushed into her. It was almost as if he knew it was their
last time together as he strived to make her reach a climax. Every time was more powerful
than the last and she dug her nails into his back. She felt the tears coming as she knew they
would never again be able to have this together. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist
and pulled him closer to her, trying to become one with him. Goten groaned and buried his
face into the nape of her neck. His thrust became more desperate as he came closer to his
release. Bra couldn't think as her climax came crashing down on her in an array of bright light
that exploded in front of her eyes. Goten came with her and they cried out to each other.

He rolled off her and pulled her onto his chest. He sighed in contentment and stroked her
hair. Bra heard him yawn loudly and knew that the tea was beginning to kick in. 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.

"Go-chan." She whispered to him.

"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 your 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. He didn't understand what she was talking about, but he was
too tired to analyze it now.

"Good." Bra said and began to nibble at his chest.

All Goten could do was moan as he felt her tiny bites all over his chest. He felt himself
becoming aroused again, but his body felt too heavy to move. Bra climbed on top of him and
kissed her way down his chest to his arousal. Goten hissed when he felt her take him into her
mouth. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before and he moaned out loud at the sensations it
sent coursing through his body.

Bra continued to torture him this way until she felt him nearing his release. She stopped just
before he climaxed and he groaned out his displeasure. She smirked as she sat up and
positioned herself above him. He opened his eyes to watch her slid down onto him. Bra
gasped as he filled her completely. She sat still for a few moments, enjoying the feel of him
inside of her, then began to rock slowly.

Her deliberately slow rocking was driving Goten mad. Used to being in control, he grabbed
her hips to make her go faster. She took his hands off of her and placed them by his sides.
She wanted to be in control of this. She did not want this to be quick and chaotic. She wanted
this to be different from all the other times so she could remember it forever. She gently
rubbed his chest and stared intently at his face, burning into her mind his every reaction. Goten
felt his passion rise as he fought to not take over control. Instead, he took her cue and began
to roam his hands over the soft curves of her body.

Bra arched her body into Goten's hands as he ignited a fire over her skin. She always reacted
to him this way, no matter how he touched her. It was like electricity jolting through her body.
She looked down at him and caressed his face to get him to open his eyes. He looked at her
intensely and she felt like she was going to be swallowed whole. She returned his gazed just as
passionately.

"Goten . . . " She gasped out between moans. "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. He sat up abruptly, wrapping his arms around her and pushing
himself deeper inside.

"Beta . . . " He said softly against her lips. "I love you too. Oh Gods, 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.
Goten held her close, kissing her lovingly. He stopped ever so often to whisper words of love
and affection into her ear.

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.

When she was little, she often wondered how the universe came into existence. Her mother
told her once that there was a big explosion of particles and that's how it came into creation.
This was the only way to describe what happened at the end of their lovemaking. A violent
explosion of emotion. When they came together, it was like a furious force of nature ripping
her apart from the inside, then slowly rebuilding her with a piece of him.

Creation.

She didn't know how she knew, but she did. She could feel it inside and all around her. 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 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
laying 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 highjacking a
ship and leaving the planet. But she had to think realistically. There would be at least 50-80
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. It would just turn into another æZen' incident, only on a much
more massive scale. 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.


knowknow you won't understand, Go-chan. 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 of the west. She flew until she was too tired to
fly any more. She landed 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 placed her hand over her stomach, feeling the tiny Ki within pulsate with life. A fresh wave
of tears began to stream down her face as she felt it's already rapid development. A tiny life
inside of her, a gift created from Goten's love.

Grief washed over her at the thought of him and the knowledge that their child would never
see it's first day. Her father would kill it, but not before finding out who the father was. It all
came back to his death and she could not allow that. She could not go home pregnant. She
would not allow her father to kill her child and lover. Bra loved her baby, even only hours
after conception. That was why she was going to kill it herself.

Bra gritted her teeth and focused all her energy into the hand over her stomach. She had to do
it now before she backed out. With a cry, she let the concentrated energy flow into her
womb. It singed the skin on her stomach and her temperature began to rise as she cooked her
insides. She suppressed the natural instinct to power up to block out the pain. She wanted to
feel everything. It wouldn't be right any other way. She let out a shrill cry filled with the
torment and anguish of what she was doing.

Bra fell back into the snow as her body could take no more. She curled into a ball, holding her
tender stomach as she cried. The tiny spark of life was missing. As her body convulsed with
pain, she thought she might have gone too far and would indeed die. She sighed and closed
her eyes, awaiting death's blissful release. It seemed as if the heavens felt her sorrow too and
opened their eyes to cry with her.

She didn't know how long she laid in the snow, shivering from the cold. It could have been
hours, but she had lost all concept of time. Her body was slowly repairing its self and she
knew she wouldn't die of her injuries. 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 mountain top.
She took off her boots and threw them into the water, 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 some scented 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 die out of her hair, but eventually it turned back to its soft blue shade.
She washed herself from head to toe repeatedly, trying to get Goten's scent off of her.

When her skin was wrinkly as a prune, she climbed out of the water. She went and laid 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 their child together.
She pictured what the baby would have looked like and if it would have been a girl or a boy.
She pondered all of the different names they could have named 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 mindy fry 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. 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 the two of them got along. Even then it wasn't really
ægetting 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, 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, ran and threw her arms
around Bra.

Bra began to cry with Pan as she hugged her back. It had been so long since she saw her last.
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.

Their happy little reunion was broken up by Trunks. 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 all the more to have him yell at her
like that, after everything she'd been through in the last 24 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, then forced himself to sit up. He saw that Tavis was here too, looking into
the cup he drank out of the night before.

"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 contemplate the meaning. He pushed Callie off of him and got up.
He grabbed his pants, put them on, 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 whou'rou'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.

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