I do not own Dragonball Z.

Fear Inside - Chapter 1

Goten flew as fast he could over a path that he'd taken a million times in his life, a path that led to the city that housed the most prominent business world. West City. Home to Capsule Corporation, his best friend, and the love of his life, all under the same roof.

He cut through the crisp midmorning air and glanced down at his watch. He'd overslept this morning and was approximately forty-five minutes behind his intended schedule. It was almost ten a.m. and Vegeta would be finished with his morning workout in an hour. That was ok, though. It would be an hour well spent with the prince's pride. His daughter Bra and the reason he was up at such an ungodly hour of the morning. He'd never wake up this early for anybody else. She was the only person worth all the trouble and risks involved.

Goten put on an extra burst of speed and soared higher into the clouds. He knew by memory that this was the last stretch of forest before the city limits. Already he could see the vast metropolis on the horizon and the Capsule Corp. main building gleaming in the sun, calling to him like a beacon. He was almost there.

Ten minutes later, he touched down behind the building and looked around. There was no one in sight as far as he could tell. Both Trunks and Bulma would be in the office this morning, as it was a Monday. He checked the gravity room to see that it was indeed in use. Vegeta was definitely a creature of habit.

Feeling that everything was right with the world, Goten strode across the lawn and into the living quarters. The house was quiet as he silently made his way to the basement stairs that would lead him down and into the family's private labs. He knew this was where Bra would be. It was where she has devoted every available moment of her free time for the last month, working on her new invention. The new invention that took up most of the little time he got to spend with her in the first place.

Goten reached the bottom of the stairs and made a right, soundlessly walking through the brightly lite halls. He could have walked these halls with his eyes closed. He knew them so well. At the end of the hall was a door with a small pink nameplate that read 'Bra'. The nameplate was old, a relic from her childhood. He remembered on her 16th birthday she took it down from her bedroom door and moved it here, where it has stayed ever since.

Goten shook his head in spite of himself. He could hardly remember what he had for lunch yesterday, but recalling useless bits of 'Bra' information took no effort at all. It just showed that his devotion to her was deep and had been there for a long time. He pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Immediately his eyes fell on the room's soul occupant.

Bra had her back to him, completely engrossed in her work. She did not hear him come in. Goten stood back for a moment and relished the sight of her. She wore her red, static-free jump suit underneath a long white work coat. Her long blue hair fell in shiny waves down her back and gently swayed with her every move. Goten was captivated.

Slowly, he made his way to her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. Bra, who had indeed been engrossed with her work, jumped a mile high into the air at the contact and did the first thing that came to mind. She elbowed her attacker as hard as she could.

There was a sharp intake of breath, then her would-be attacker hit the ground with a thud. Bra spun around, instinctively lowering into a battle stance. All she saw was Goten kneeling on the ground holding his side. A delicate hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"Goten," she said kneeling beside him. "What are you doing?"

Goten grinned. "Apparently," he said while standing, "getting beat up by girls."

Bra gave him a mock punch on the arm. "Well Son," she said with a smile, "you shouldn't go sneaking up on people, now should you?"

Goten looked at her sideways. "And how many guys do you have sneaking up on you like that?" He asked with some seriousness to his tone.

She blushed and wrapped her arms around his waist. "None," she answered honestly. "What are you doing here so early anyway?"

Goten smiled, loving the feel of her in his arms. "I came to see you. Ever since you started work on that new thingy of yours, I haven't seen you as much."

This proved to be the wrong thing to say, as Bra's attention was turned back to her new toy. "Honestly Goten, I haven't been spending that much time on it. I just saw you last night." She said as she picked up one of her tools and began work once again.

"That was two days ago," Goten whined as he sat on a nearby stool, but she didn't hear him.

The two sat in silence after that, Bra working methodically on some circuitry and Goten silently watching her and waiting for his turn at her attentions. No more than five, maybe ten minutes passed before Goten's ire began to grow. This hadn't been what he'd come to do. He wanted to spend time with her, not her toy - what was that anyway? It almost looked like she was working on some kind of handgun. His curiosity peeked. Why would she be building such a thing?

He peered over her shoulder for a better look. On closer inspection, he saw that it indeed resembled a gun of some sort, but no firearm he'd ever seen had so many wires and microchips it in. Was this some new sort of weapon to use against an unforeseen foe? Curiosity finally got the best of him.

"What are you working on?" he asked breaking the silence.

Bra jumped, obviously having forgotten that Goten was there at all. "You really want to know?" she asked turning to him, one slender blue eyebrow raised.

Goten nodded once. "What's important to you is to me, B-Chan."

She gave him a sweet, shy smile and began explaining the more complicated schematics of her machine. Goten lost himself in the musical sound of her voice. She hadn't really answered his question, but instead was explaining what her current problem with the thing was. He knew that he could be of no real help to her, but he loved the sound of her voice and hearing her talk was pleasurable none-the-less.

Eventually, his mind drifted and turned in on itself. God, she's beautiful, Goten thought while watching her talk animatedly about the circuitry she was currently working on. Not for the first time he amazed at how such a gorgeous and intelligent creature as Bra could have agreed to be his. The relationship was nothing short of incredible.

He was there the day she was born and has watched her grow from a child to the ravishing woman she is now. She'd always been like a kid sister to him, the same way Pan was. He'd known this girl all her life and yet, he realized that he hadn't really known her at all. Not the real her. He'd known Trunks' little sister. The little brat that would always rat them out when they did something they weren't supposed to.

However, Bra was not a little kid anymore. She was, by definition, an adult and has been for sometime. Her transformation into womanhood had gone completely unnoticed by his dense mind and would still be if Trunks had been home that night almost a year ago.

Goten had come to his best friend, bored and looking for trouble. He'd been sorely disappointed to find that he wasn't home. Vegeta had taken him on a spur of the moment training trip. So, he had walked the quiet halls of his second home, debating on whether or not to get out his little black book and call one of his female friends for company. That was when he saw her and something inside of him twisted at the sight of her creamy pale skin against the red fabric of her pajamas. It wasn't indecent, simply a red tank top and shorts, something he'd seen her wear a thousand times before. He didn't know what it was - the time, the place, and the way the light seemed to shimmer around her - but at that moment, she was an enchanting goddess.

It also didn't hurt that she had a big bowl of Goten's favorite apple cinnamon popcorn in her hands, either.

So, he decided that there was worse trouble he could be getting into than spending the night picking on Trunks' little sister. He'd been wrong, so very wrong.

They had talked about everything and nothing at all that night and in the days that followed, he found that he couldn't turn his thoughts away from her. He loved the way her eyes sparkled when he made her laugh or the casual toss of her long, pale blue hair. He almost felt like a pervert when he'd close his eyes and imagine those luscious full lips pressed against his own.

Oh, he knew that he'd gotten into the thick of it when he found himself making up excuses to spend time with her. She was unlike any other girl he'd ever gone for. Usually, he chose ditzy girls so he could have more than one without worrying about one finding out about the other. Not Bra. There was no way to pull the wool over her eyes and he admired that about her. She was better than that anyway.

So, after months of agony over his infatuation, he finally got up the courage to ask her to be his. He'd been beyond delight when she reciprocated his feelings, but she also added, 'I don't want to be just another notch in your belt, Son Goten. Men like you never change.'

He was undaunted by that and determined to make her see that he could change - that he would change - for her. He took his precious little black book, the one he'd had since he was 14 and filled with the numbers and faces of his past conquest, and burned it in front of her. It was all the reassurance she needed.

Goten looked over at his woman now - she was still talking, more so to herself than to him - and smiled, remembering the way she had fallen into his arms that day and fulfilled his fantasies with their first kiss and he has never looked back.

He wasn't sure of the spell his enchanting princess had him under that he would go to such extremes as to burn his book, but he had no regrets. The last few months with her have been the best he'd ever experienced with a woman. She could be difficult at times, but it was worth it all. Their relationship was kept a secret from family and friends. A mutual agreement in case things didn't work out. They wanted this time to be about them and not about what their family thought about it. But as time went on, Goten began to realize that he was in love with her and wanted the whole world to know, regardless of the consequences.

That was why he was here so early today. He planned on proposing to Bra and then whisking her away for a private ceremony. Then she'd be his forever and there would be nothing anyone could do about it. That is, if he could get up the courage to ask her.

Just thinking about it made his palms grow sweaty. They never really talked about love and life together and he wasn't sure how she felt toward him. He knew that if he asked her now there would be no turning back and her answer could change the course of their relationship forever. But he couldn't go another night without her in his arms and wondering if she felt the same.

With a sudden burst of confidence, Goten pulled Bra away from her work and into his arms. "Goten," she said with a gasp, turning those dazzling blue eyes his way, "what are you doing?"

"Shh," Goten hushed her softly while pressing a finger to her lips.

He grabbed her hand, making her drop whatever tool happened to be there and pulled her close. Bra sighed and gave into his strong embrace, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck. They stayed that way for the longest time, Bra relishing the way Goten held her as if she'd fade away and Goten trying to get up the nerve to change everything.

Finally, he broke the embrace, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. They shined up at him with curiosity and something he thought could be love. It was all the encouragement he needed. One hand reached into his pocket while the other lifted up her chin and he bent his head slowly to take what could possibly be their last kiss together.

The kiss was slow and sweet and so much like the first one they shared that it made his heart flutter against his chest. As the kiss ended, he took a step back and knelt down on one knee. Everything from that moment on seemed to go in slow motion. He looked up into her eyes, allowing his own to show all that he felt for her. He watched as her eyes widened with realization and her lips parted in a silent gasp. The ring was out of his pocket now, clutched tightly in his shaking hand. His mouth opened with the words poised on the tip of his tongue and just as the first syllable left his mouth the world around him exploded into bright stars full of pain.

His mind filled with confusion as he felt his body fly across the room and smash into the nearest wall. With a groan he began to pull himself up only to have his body yanked from the debris for him. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that a bus hadn't hit him it was something much worse.

"You dare." Vegeta said, his voice soft and full of malice.

Goten frowned at the Saiyan Prince, cursing his luck. Of course, Vegeta would finish his training early today. The bastard probably knew he'd been here the entire time. His resolve hardened. He would not turn tail and run. If he did so now, Bra would be lost from forever.

Getting his legs back underneath him, he smacked Vegeta's hands away. "Why do you always ruin everything, Vegeta?" He asked coldly.

Vegeta said nothing but his rage showed plainly on his face. Goten was taken by surprise when he struck again, this time with a well place elbow to his throat crushing his Adam's apple and bringing him to his knees. His eyes filled with tears as he spit up blood. The wind was knocked from his lungs and he realized with horror that he couldn't draw in another breath. Vegeta had crushed his windpipe with one blow.

With a snort, Vegeta kicked Goten savagely in the ribs, sending him skittering across the floor. Today was not his day, he decided as he stalked toward Goten's inert form, and beating the crap out a Son would make him feel better about destroying the gravity room again. Besides, the brat had no right to touch his daughter, let alone think about asking for her hand without his permission. The kid needed a few lessons in respect and he was more than happy to teach him.

Bra stood back still in a daze from what she thought Goten was going to do. He might have proposed to her if her father hadn't come in and ruined the moment. It seemed as if Vegeta wanted her to be single and alone all her life and the thought made her blood boil. In his eyes, there would never be anyone good enough for her, but he never bothered asking her how she felt. Now that she finally found someone she could see herself with for the rest of her life, he wanted to kill him. All the other times he scared her boyfriends away, she'd stand back and let him, waiting to see if any of them would stand up to him. Of course none of them did. They weren't stupid, but she was tired of letting her father run her life like this. She simply wanted to have a normal relationship for once and felt that it was high time she let him know.

With her face set in grim determination, she charged at her father, jumping on his back. She didn't really have a plan on how to stop him, fighting wasn't something she liked to do, but something was better than nothing, she supposed.

"Stop it, daddy!" she yelled in his ear.

Vegeta stopped momentarily, turning his head to look behind him at his daughter. "Not now, Bra. Daddy is busy. Get off."

"No." Bra replied firmly. "I'm not going to let you hurt him. He's my choice. Not yours."

Vegeta growled, her words making him even angrier than before. The last thing that he wanted was to be related to the Son family. He knew inevitably that the final choice was hers and there would be nothing he could do to stop it, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun and scare the shit out of the boy.

He shook himself hard, trying to shake her off of him, but she held strong. "Fine," he ground out, "you can come with me." And with that, he started moving toward his prey again.

"No!" Bra cried and looked around for a way to stop him. Never before has she wished for her brother more than she did right then. Trunks would have had a way to stop him or at least do something stupid to divert his attention, although at this point she doubted that even if Freeza showed up her father would care less.

Come on, Bra, she thought to herself, you're a resourceful girl! Think of something!

She was becoming desperate and thinking that maybe biting his ear off would do the trick when they passed by one of the support beams. Acting fast, she snagged one of her legs around it, pulling them to a halt. Quickly, she wrapped the other around it too and locked them together. They weren't going anywhere.

Vegeta fumed when he figured out what she had done. "Let go," he growled.

"No. Not until you promise not to hurt him." Bra responded.

"No." Her father replied stubbornly.

"Fine. I'm not letting go until you do," she said being just as stubborn.

"Suit yourself." Vegeta said and began moving forward again.

Bra cried out as her legs stretched painfully, but she refused to let go. Her father wouldn't seriously hurt her, she knew, so all she had to do was hang on until he tired out. She may not be a fighter but she was just as tough as the rest of them and planned on hanging in there.

Vegeta ground his teeth together when he realized that she wasn't letting go and that she was starting to choke him. He needed to a figure out a way to end this quickly without ripping off one of his daughter's legs. He was sure that wouldn't go over well. Looking around he saw Bra's machine she'd been working on for the last month or so. With so much time being put into it, he was sure it was some kind of weapon of destruction.

Meanwhile, Goten was finding that his injuries weren't as bad as he first thought them to be. After the initial shock of having the wind knocked out of him, he realized that he could still breathe. His throat was sore and swollen but was already beginning to heal up. He took a grateful breath and watched as the dots began to fade from in front of his eyes. Vaguely he wondered why Vegeta wasn't stomping his head in when he heard Bra scream his name. Turning in the direction the voice came from; all he saw was a blinding white light. With no time to move, the beam hit him square in the chest and everything went black.