Author's Note: I promised myself when I first started writing this that the last chapter would be dedicated to Bra and Goten's wedding. Never have I been so wrapped up in a fic before and the response is more than I ever expected. If anything, I hope that any fic after this will be half as successful. I'd like to thank my reviewers one more time…I love you guys!!!
***
There is nothing more important in this world than love. Love for the two people who brought you into this world, for your siblings and family, for the people that are closer than family, and finally, love for that one person who makes your life complete.
The daughter of a Saiyajin Prince has high expectations; after all, Bra had been raised on the mantra, "Only the best for my princess." Boys had been showing up on her front porch for years, one look from Vegeta sending them scurrying away with dread. One boy hadn't been scared away, hell, he hadn't even registered her as a "girl" until she'd come back from Paris. Goten had always treated her as she was his little sister, but it only took one kiss for that to change. In one kiss, Bra felt her life become complete. A morning after that should have left her bitter; waking up to the taste of alcohol on her tongue, but Son Goten had the uncanny ability to make everything better. Bra knew that first hand, he had made her life better.
Love is never easy, especially when it seems like you spend more time apart than
together. No one ever said that the tears, the sleepless nights, and the pain would be easy but somehow they had worked through it. Bra had been terrified when Pan blasted Trunks across the front lawn, believing no relationship sacred, her confidence shattered. Yet Goten had helped her pick up the pieces and they moved on. Now she was standing at the alter, feeling a band of gold slipping over her finger, and gazing into the gentle eyes of the man who would never leave her. Goten was more than her night in shinning armor…he was her angel.
***
Life's Little Lesson
Chapter 10: Wedding Day
***
"Damn it all to hell, I'm not going out there until I find my other shoe! I refuse to walk out of this room barefoot and I sure as hell am not going to stumble out in one shoe."
Pan sighed as Bra screamed at her through the door. The blue haired Saiyajin princess had been high strung all morning…especially after learning, from her father, that her groom-to-be had gotten her pregnant.
'It's kind of funny…we'll be delivering around the same time. My cousin and her sister are going to…nope…never mind…that's not funny.'
Pan banged her head against the wall connecting the two rooms, barely registering her best friend's complaints and requests that she stop shaking the foundation of the ancient cathedral. Resting her forehead against the flaking paint, Pan cursed when she realized that a crack had formed all the way to the ceiling. Placing her hand behind her head in classic Son fashion, she mumbled an apology and stepped back.
"Sorry Bra, I guess I haven't gotten used to…well…the new me…"
"Don't worry about a thing…I was doing the same thing on my side of the wall."
Stepping out from behind the door, a quirky smile pasted across her face, Bra stepped up to the full-length mirror and laughed out-loud. Grabbing Pan's hand, she made her face the mirror and both burst into a fit of giggles. An identical red mark shone on their foreheads.
"Dende…it's just like old days. Come on, Princess, we've got to find your shoe before I cancel the wedding and lay waste to the reception buffet."
***
'Is he just going to stand there and stare at me? I mean…he could at least glare or threaten me…why does he just lean up against the wall and give me this blank look.'
Goten fumbled with his tie as he caught Vegeta's reflection in the mirror. The older, rather, not much older Saiyajin hadn't moved from the wall since he'd come into the room. Shaking his head in confusion as he remembered Pan's wish, Goten tried to take his mind off things. Marriage was the only thing that made sense; Pan had stopped talking to him, Trunks had been distant since the divorce, even Vegeta was more anti-social than usual.
'The only thing that keeps me sane is my angel…I'd lose it without her…'
Startled from his thoughts, Goten had to force his heart back down out of his throat after he realized Vegeta's hand was resting on his shoulder. Attempting to take a step forward, the vanity stopped him, and the young son of Goku turned around slowly.
"You're making a mess of that stupid ribbon, Boy. One would think that by now you'd know how to tie the damn thing properly."
Vegeta smirked and took the two ends in his hands, quickly tying them into a respectable bow. Taking a couple of steps away from the boy, Vegeta crossed his arms and looked away, allowing Goten to regain his composure.
"I…erm…I mean…wha…"
"Your father was more fluent, I do believe. Then again, he was only fluent when he was fighting…then your harpy mother did the talking. Treat my daughter well and not only will I bless the child you created, but I won't destroy you."
Turning on his heel, Vegeta left the room without a sound, leaving his daughter's mate to sort his thoughts and lift his jaw off the floor. They'd be good for each other, they needed each other. Never underestimate a warrior…especially if his father was Son Goku.
***
"Come on Pan…it's my wedding day for the love of Dende! You're supposed to be happy…Goten's finally going to get settled down."
Bra mock glared at Pan, while the girl stared out the window, oblivious. Shaking her head and sighing with disgust, she spread out the yards of white tulle around her and sank to the floor.
"What you need is a boyfriend, or at least someone you can sleep with regularly. You've been spaced out since you moved in with…damn it Pan…I'm sorry. What's wrong sweetie?"
Large blue eyes softened as Bra rose to embrace her friend. The room was silent; the only audible sound was the mantel clock. Pulling away, face flushed and with tears welling up in her eyes, Pan forced a weak smile.
"Don't worry about me…my life's just messed up right now and…and I don't want to ruin your wedding. I'll buck up, I promise I won't do that again…we've still got to finish your hair."
"That's bullshit, Pan, and you know it. I haven't been your best friend since we met to be know that you're 'all right.' I'm locking the door and we're not leaving until you fess up."
Jumping up and beating her friend to the door, Bra slammed the door shut and turned the key…then promptly shoved the key down her dress. Turning around with a smirk identical to Vegeta's plastered across her face, she walked over and sat in a large chair.
"I can rip the door of its hinges…"
"You'll make this whole place collapse and I know you don't have it in you to fish the key out of my dress. If anything you'd be afraid of ripping my dress; now, talk to me damn it!"
'Shit…I'm so screwed…'
***
'Stop yelling in my head, Woman…it hurts like hell…'
'Bra locked me in her dressing room and is forcing me to tell her what happened. She's convinced herself it has something to do with either you or your bastard son.'
'Knock the door down, idiot!'
'I can't…it'll bring this whole thing down and then I'll really ruin her wedding, not to mention KILL PEOPLE!'
'I said to STOP yelling! Now calm down, Little One, just…'
'No, I can't tell her that we're…we're…mated, Bra would totally freak. For the love of Dende…'
Vegeta frowned when his mate abruptly broke their connection, his eyes glazing over with worry. His daughter was as headstrong as her mother, but with Saiyajin blood. Shaking his head, he decided to wait outside the room.
***
"You what?!"
Bra's eyes grew wide and her jaw hung slack. Strands of blue hair hung down in her face, escaping from it's half finished style. Pan bit her lip, drawing blood and everything seemed to grow still.
"It just happened…I mean…I can't say that I wasn't attracted to him but, I didn't think we'd ever…"
"I can't believe it…"
"Bra, I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to…I wasn't thinking…erm…he just…"
Pan's face grew red, her skin hot to touch, her eyes watered and threatened to spill over. It was worse then what she ever could have dreamed…Bra wasn't even talking to her. Slowly rising from the chair, she sank back down quickly after noticing Bra's reaction.
"What does my father do, Pan? Now don't keep me waiting…I really want to know. What is does he do?"
"Vegeta makes me happy! He makes me feel safe and cared for, like I'm the only damn person on the planet. Do you know how lonely I was the entire time I was married to your brother? I knew he was sleeping with Marron before we got married…hell, he'd slept with her the night of our engagement; but I thought that maybe I could make him stay with me…so I married him. All it got me was a painful bond…and my baby, Aiko was the best thing that ever happened to me before Vegeta."
No one spoke after that, the clock continued ticking and Pan could hear Vegeta's coattails rustling just outside the room. Her chest felt constricted and she swore that if she spent another minute in the room she'd die. Looking away, Pan jumped when she felt Bra's hands clutch her own.
"You never cared that I was dating your uncle…you had seen me in enough dead end relationships to know that we were made for each other. Pan, every time I saw you with my dad, every time I saw that look in his eyes when he watched you walk away I knew you two were meant to be together. That's why I convinced Trunks to sell your home…forcing you to move into the Compound."
Two pairs of teary eyes met and they jumped up to hug each other at the same moment. Neither stopped crying, or made an attempt to move even as the door swung open effortlessly and Vegeta stepped in. The spiky haired Saiyajin didn't step any further than the doorway, just leaned against it and looked away from the embracing girls. Chuckling softly under his breath, the Prince just shook his head. He knew she worried too much.
***
You never know how much that person means to you until you're separated for the first time. It's like your heart has been ripped into pieces, not just split down the middle in a jagged crack, but ripped out of your body and torn to bits. The world is dim and the only thing that makes it better is the knowledge that you'll be together soon.
Life never ceases to amaze…so much can change in an instant. A birth, a death…yet, there is a delicate balance to something that seems so routine and it's thrown off the moment your eyes met that other pair. When you meet your soul mate for the first time there aren't any fireworks, no music, no explosions, but it feels like you are complete. Everything is right with the world, you finally found what you were missing.
As Goten's lips found Bra's and they kissed as man and wife, further cementing the bond they'd formed the night before, everything fell into place. Even with closed eyes, he knew his niece had run to Vegeta and was crying against his chest and that the Saiyajin Prince was consoling her. That his brother and sister-in-law were so caught up in the joy of the moment they didn't notice anything else, and that his best friend was standing in the back of the Cathedral, arm linked with Marron's, wanting to congratulate him but afraid to step forward.
Life is full of lessons: lesson's of pain, sorrow, joy, and anger, but the most important lesson was love. Without love you were nothing, a soul can't function without love…the world can't function without love. That's what his father had tried to teach everyone…what he'd tried to tell Pan just moments before he disappeared, riding on green scales. Once you found love, you found yourself, and no matter how much pain you'd been through, how much sorrow you'd faced, your soul would be righted again. Everything was brighter, more vibrant, more beautiful, for now you saw it with two pairs of eyes instead of one. Love, of all things, was worth risking your life for. If you learned nothing else in life except that then you could be guaranteed happiness all your days on Earth.
In the heavens that night, it seemed that every star shone a little brighter and that the sky was a little darker. Souls had come together, amends made, and bonds made stronger. On that little blue planet, two races would lay side by side, forever affirming that love conquers all.
End
***
There is nothing more important in this world than love. Love for the two people who brought you into this world, for your siblings and family, for the people that are closer than family, and finally, love for that one person who makes your life complete.
The daughter of a Saiyajin Prince has high expectations; after all, Bra had been raised on the mantra, "Only the best for my princess." Boys had been showing up on her front porch for years, one look from Vegeta sending them scurrying away with dread. One boy hadn't been scared away, hell, he hadn't even registered her as a "girl" until she'd come back from Paris. Goten had always treated her as she was his little sister, but it only took one kiss for that to change. In one kiss, Bra felt her life become complete. A morning after that should have left her bitter; waking up to the taste of alcohol on her tongue, but Son Goten had the uncanny ability to make everything better. Bra knew that first hand, he had made her life better.
Love is never easy, especially when it seems like you spend more time apart than
together. No one ever said that the tears, the sleepless nights, and the pain would be easy but somehow they had worked through it. Bra had been terrified when Pan blasted Trunks across the front lawn, believing no relationship sacred, her confidence shattered. Yet Goten had helped her pick up the pieces and they moved on. Now she was standing at the alter, feeling a band of gold slipping over her finger, and gazing into the gentle eyes of the man who would never leave her. Goten was more than her night in shinning armor…he was her angel.
***
Life's Little Lesson
Chapter 10: Wedding Day
***
"Damn it all to hell, I'm not going out there until I find my other shoe! I refuse to walk out of this room barefoot and I sure as hell am not going to stumble out in one shoe."
Pan sighed as Bra screamed at her through the door. The blue haired Saiyajin princess had been high strung all morning…especially after learning, from her father, that her groom-to-be had gotten her pregnant.
'It's kind of funny…we'll be delivering around the same time. My cousin and her sister are going to…nope…never mind…that's not funny.'
Pan banged her head against the wall connecting the two rooms, barely registering her best friend's complaints and requests that she stop shaking the foundation of the ancient cathedral. Resting her forehead against the flaking paint, Pan cursed when she realized that a crack had formed all the way to the ceiling. Placing her hand behind her head in classic Son fashion, she mumbled an apology and stepped back.
"Sorry Bra, I guess I haven't gotten used to…well…the new me…"
"Don't worry about a thing…I was doing the same thing on my side of the wall."
Stepping out from behind the door, a quirky smile pasted across her face, Bra stepped up to the full-length mirror and laughed out-loud. Grabbing Pan's hand, she made her face the mirror and both burst into a fit of giggles. An identical red mark shone on their foreheads.
"Dende…it's just like old days. Come on, Princess, we've got to find your shoe before I cancel the wedding and lay waste to the reception buffet."
***
'Is he just going to stand there and stare at me? I mean…he could at least glare or threaten me…why does he just lean up against the wall and give me this blank look.'
Goten fumbled with his tie as he caught Vegeta's reflection in the mirror. The older, rather, not much older Saiyajin hadn't moved from the wall since he'd come into the room. Shaking his head in confusion as he remembered Pan's wish, Goten tried to take his mind off things. Marriage was the only thing that made sense; Pan had stopped talking to him, Trunks had been distant since the divorce, even Vegeta was more anti-social than usual.
'The only thing that keeps me sane is my angel…I'd lose it without her…'
Startled from his thoughts, Goten had to force his heart back down out of his throat after he realized Vegeta's hand was resting on his shoulder. Attempting to take a step forward, the vanity stopped him, and the young son of Goku turned around slowly.
"You're making a mess of that stupid ribbon, Boy. One would think that by now you'd know how to tie the damn thing properly."
Vegeta smirked and took the two ends in his hands, quickly tying them into a respectable bow. Taking a couple of steps away from the boy, Vegeta crossed his arms and looked away, allowing Goten to regain his composure.
"I…erm…I mean…wha…"
"Your father was more fluent, I do believe. Then again, he was only fluent when he was fighting…then your harpy mother did the talking. Treat my daughter well and not only will I bless the child you created, but I won't destroy you."
Turning on his heel, Vegeta left the room without a sound, leaving his daughter's mate to sort his thoughts and lift his jaw off the floor. They'd be good for each other, they needed each other. Never underestimate a warrior…especially if his father was Son Goku.
***
"Come on Pan…it's my wedding day for the love of Dende! You're supposed to be happy…Goten's finally going to get settled down."
Bra mock glared at Pan, while the girl stared out the window, oblivious. Shaking her head and sighing with disgust, she spread out the yards of white tulle around her and sank to the floor.
"What you need is a boyfriend, or at least someone you can sleep with regularly. You've been spaced out since you moved in with…damn it Pan…I'm sorry. What's wrong sweetie?"
Large blue eyes softened as Bra rose to embrace her friend. The room was silent; the only audible sound was the mantel clock. Pulling away, face flushed and with tears welling up in her eyes, Pan forced a weak smile.
"Don't worry about me…my life's just messed up right now and…and I don't want to ruin your wedding. I'll buck up, I promise I won't do that again…we've still got to finish your hair."
"That's bullshit, Pan, and you know it. I haven't been your best friend since we met to be know that you're 'all right.' I'm locking the door and we're not leaving until you fess up."
Jumping up and beating her friend to the door, Bra slammed the door shut and turned the key…then promptly shoved the key down her dress. Turning around with a smirk identical to Vegeta's plastered across her face, she walked over and sat in a large chair.
"I can rip the door of its hinges…"
"You'll make this whole place collapse and I know you don't have it in you to fish the key out of my dress. If anything you'd be afraid of ripping my dress; now, talk to me damn it!"
'Shit…I'm so screwed…'
***
'Stop yelling in my head, Woman…it hurts like hell…'
'Bra locked me in her dressing room and is forcing me to tell her what happened. She's convinced herself it has something to do with either you or your bastard son.'
'Knock the door down, idiot!'
'I can't…it'll bring this whole thing down and then I'll really ruin her wedding, not to mention KILL PEOPLE!'
'I said to STOP yelling! Now calm down, Little One, just…'
'No, I can't tell her that we're…we're…mated, Bra would totally freak. For the love of Dende…'
Vegeta frowned when his mate abruptly broke their connection, his eyes glazing over with worry. His daughter was as headstrong as her mother, but with Saiyajin blood. Shaking his head, he decided to wait outside the room.
***
"You what?!"
Bra's eyes grew wide and her jaw hung slack. Strands of blue hair hung down in her face, escaping from it's half finished style. Pan bit her lip, drawing blood and everything seemed to grow still.
"It just happened…I mean…I can't say that I wasn't attracted to him but, I didn't think we'd ever…"
"I can't believe it…"
"Bra, I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to…I wasn't thinking…erm…he just…"
Pan's face grew red, her skin hot to touch, her eyes watered and threatened to spill over. It was worse then what she ever could have dreamed…Bra wasn't even talking to her. Slowly rising from the chair, she sank back down quickly after noticing Bra's reaction.
"What does my father do, Pan? Now don't keep me waiting…I really want to know. What is does he do?"
"Vegeta makes me happy! He makes me feel safe and cared for, like I'm the only damn person on the planet. Do you know how lonely I was the entire time I was married to your brother? I knew he was sleeping with Marron before we got married…hell, he'd slept with her the night of our engagement; but I thought that maybe I could make him stay with me…so I married him. All it got me was a painful bond…and my baby, Aiko was the best thing that ever happened to me before Vegeta."
No one spoke after that, the clock continued ticking and Pan could hear Vegeta's coattails rustling just outside the room. Her chest felt constricted and she swore that if she spent another minute in the room she'd die. Looking away, Pan jumped when she felt Bra's hands clutch her own.
"You never cared that I was dating your uncle…you had seen me in enough dead end relationships to know that we were made for each other. Pan, every time I saw you with my dad, every time I saw that look in his eyes when he watched you walk away I knew you two were meant to be together. That's why I convinced Trunks to sell your home…forcing you to move into the Compound."
Two pairs of teary eyes met and they jumped up to hug each other at the same moment. Neither stopped crying, or made an attempt to move even as the door swung open effortlessly and Vegeta stepped in. The spiky haired Saiyajin didn't step any further than the doorway, just leaned against it and looked away from the embracing girls. Chuckling softly under his breath, the Prince just shook his head. He knew she worried too much.
***
You never know how much that person means to you until you're separated for the first time. It's like your heart has been ripped into pieces, not just split down the middle in a jagged crack, but ripped out of your body and torn to bits. The world is dim and the only thing that makes it better is the knowledge that you'll be together soon.
Life never ceases to amaze…so much can change in an instant. A birth, a death…yet, there is a delicate balance to something that seems so routine and it's thrown off the moment your eyes met that other pair. When you meet your soul mate for the first time there aren't any fireworks, no music, no explosions, but it feels like you are complete. Everything is right with the world, you finally found what you were missing.
As Goten's lips found Bra's and they kissed as man and wife, further cementing the bond they'd formed the night before, everything fell into place. Even with closed eyes, he knew his niece had run to Vegeta and was crying against his chest and that the Saiyajin Prince was consoling her. That his brother and sister-in-law were so caught up in the joy of the moment they didn't notice anything else, and that his best friend was standing in the back of the Cathedral, arm linked with Marron's, wanting to congratulate him but afraid to step forward.
Life is full of lessons: lesson's of pain, sorrow, joy, and anger, but the most important lesson was love. Without love you were nothing, a soul can't function without love…the world can't function without love. That's what his father had tried to teach everyone…what he'd tried to tell Pan just moments before he disappeared, riding on green scales. Once you found love, you found yourself, and no matter how much pain you'd been through, how much sorrow you'd faced, your soul would be righted again. Everything was brighter, more vibrant, more beautiful, for now you saw it with two pairs of eyes instead of one. Love, of all things, was worth risking your life for. If you learned nothing else in life except that then you could be guaranteed happiness all your days on Earth.
In the heavens that night, it seemed that every star shone a little brighter and that the sky was a little darker. Souls had come together, amends made, and bonds made stronger. On that little blue planet, two races would lay side by side, forever affirming that love conquers all.
End