Only Once

Silence.

"She… She's sleeping upstairs," Bra stuttered a little growing more anxious every moment as she watched the expression of Broly's eyes looking through her. He wasn't even blinking. "Do you want to see her?"

He refused to say anything.

"Listen Broly…" Her tone soft. She moved to touch him, but he growled angrily and pulled back from her. The action breaking his focus and creating a great crack in her heart. He just stared away to the side, his hands clenched tightly at his side.

Broly felt sickened with vile contempt, what the hell should he do now? Kill the brat, kill her, or destroy this entire world?

His rage fixated upon Bra. How dare she, she had done what she swore would not happen, and it was more painful than the moment he had been stabbed through his own heart. How had he let himself be tricked, her femine wiles, smarts, and looks had broken down his crafted walls. He had thought she could be trusted, the only time he had ever trusted someone, it was just like being in that filthy tub when he was thirteen, and yet it was worse because he now had a child… now he had a daughter.

What the fuck!? What was he supposed to fucking do now? He had to destroy it didn't he? He had made a promise to never hear the screams of children, especially his own. He would have to break the child, soon if he didn't it would only make him go mad with a living hell from his past. He gripped the sides of his face a strained expression as her felt only the pressure of his head between his palms and the world blurred into a gray color. This had to be a cruel nightmare, some fucking terrible sick joke being played upon him.

How could this be happening?

Bra fidgeted with her fingers, having seen that expression on Broly only twice at it was at his most stressed and pained moments. She was unsure for what she could say or do. This wasn't like her dreams or nightmares, and she just wanted him to just calm down and look at her.

"I can explain… if you'll listen."

He didn't answer his mind wracked with nightmarish images of children, until finally they settled and he found his sight again. He was on earth in Bra's house.

"You tricked me," his tone low and trembling with rage.

"It wasn't like that," Bra said defensively. "This happened because of what Geno did, I DIDN'T want this to happen anymore than you did. But the effects of the pill were stunted by Geno's serum that drained my body of ki. It affected the medication as well, it's why I got-"

Broly snapped, his eyes furious as he almost lunged at her but stayed just a few inches back. "I told you! I Warned you that I never wanted to have children, and you swore it would never happen! You fucking lying whore!"

"It wasn't by choice you asshole!" Bra yelled back at him. "Everything was fine until Geno nearly killed me! How in the hell was I supposed to know it would happen! AND! If you were so god damn adamant about not having kids, then why did you keep coming to my bed every damn night! I never made climb atop me and get me pregnant!"

Broly fisted in his hair nearly ripping it out by the roots as the truth was a slap to his own face. He threw his head back and screamed, he screamed loud and hard in fully cursing something in a language that was completely foreign to her. He didn't stop until he was heaving air, then did Bra feel safe talking to him. She swallowed first and tried again.

"Look, Bulla is here and she's alive and theres nothing that can change what happened," She had to at least reason with him. "I know you want nothing to do with her, so I won't force you to be a part of her life unless you wanted to."

"I don't give a shit about her," Broly sneered, his hands going to his side. Nothing but anger and hatred reflected in them making Bra feel as if the world around her was completely black. "That little piece of shit should just be eradicated, I will just end her existence!"

A mother's protective maternal instincts flared up, an upset, tired, and now angry half-saiyan mother came boiling over as she shoved her finger square in his chest. "Do not even DARE! If you ever threaten my baby like that again, you will regret it you asshole!" She screamed straight into his face as Broly's eyes, the fire and spirit burning into her eyes and that desire still burned inside of him. She was unlike any other female he had ever known, which was why this had happened to begin with…

"She is yours," He seethed, his eyes locking with hers. "If you desire the bastard so much, then keep it."

Bra glared determinedly at him, unmoved by his threatening gaze. "Perfect, I don't want her around a monster like you."

He laughed, "I am a monster, I never deny that. But I will crush that little half-breed someday for her own good. Consider it a parting gift to my daughter," He sneered at her nastily.

Bra lost control, out of complete rejection of their daughter. She could only rear her hand back and attempt to slap him hard, but Broly caught her hand. He growled and wrenched it down. Bra uttering a cry of pain as she felt the pressure on her hand. Her eyes looked up and she saw the intense penetrating glare less than inches from her own face. She knew she had gone too far, but she had a limit to how much abuse she could take, but she also worried that he might actually kill her.

Broly hated that look of fear in her eyes, it only infuriated him. If he'd wanted to kill her he would've done so long ago and not forgiven her of so many past indignities. He snorted through his nose and released her hand as his eyes closed. He leaned back his eyes twitching as he tried to control himself. Did she not try to test his patience, which was already a hair away from snapping.

Not that it would resolve anything.

"Do not make me hurt you, Bra." His voice still thick with anger but controlled. Bra's emotion's settled quickly when she watched him calm down and he looked at her with the same eyes when they were together back on the beach just the two of them. It was a fleeting glance before his brows narrowed and his eyes became colder. "I do owe you something, but do not mistake my favor for you as a free pass to strike me. I have no problems hitting women."

Bra frowned at him, wondering just what in the hell went on inside that head of his. So he favored her? That was an interesting way of putting it, so why couldn't he just act civil about Bulla? There was no one here to threaten him, force him into anything he didn't want to be. The moment lasted for several moments as both looked at the other in silence, between their heavy breathing no one said a word.

"Broly… why can't you just accept Bulla?" She asked placing a hand against his chest. Broly felt his body react to her touch knowing exactly what might happen should she press further into him. He backed away from her holding his face in his right hand trying to block out her scent and image for a second so he could think.

"You will never understand. " He said avoiding her question coldly.

"Why can't you just-" Bra started but Broly had spun around on his heel and left the house. It was a blast of green energy watching the smaller shape become far larger but in a matter of seconds vanished into the evening sky.

"Daughter"

Bra sighed inwardly, "Yes daddy?"

"He is never allowed here without my presence, and if he ever touches you again I will kill him." Vegeta said scowling from the stairwell, he had heard the yelling and had remained back to observe, her daughter had come very close to being hurt and the moment she did he would've jumped in. Even with Broly's impressive jump in strength he was no super-saiyan God, and that was probably why the saiyan kept his wits.

"Yeah, that's fine." She said shaking her head as she turned to walk back towards her father. "Is she-"

"That is your mother's job. Don't ask me."

"Always happy I can rely on you dad." She laughed lightly, before leaning to kiss him on the cheek making him growl. "Thanks daddy."

"Damn girl, your sentimentality disgusts me."

Bra smirked at that. "That's never what mom says. You are always the one to-"

"Enough-! Do not ever repeat what your mother says in my presence." Vegeta snapped at her, his glare in his eyes but in the face of those blue eyes and image of his wife, there was little true anger in his gaze. His family had softened his cold exterior but hell if he ever wanted that to be known by anyone.

Bra kept walking up the stairs towards her room all the while she felt so much sadness, not for herself but for her daughter. Her father would rather kill her than be a father. Yet he did not act on it, he didn't even strike her telling her that he didn't want to hurt her and remind her of the other man inside of him.

Why couldn't he have just never returned?

[***]

Several days came and went, Broly never appeared.

He had dropped off the world's radar again.

Bra sighed as she settled in for bed, the evening a drain upon her. She flipped up the audio on her portable monitor to listen in on Bulla. She had expected him to return but clearly that wasn't on his agenda. Maybe he didn't care as much as he let on, with their daughter. Her mind still toiling over Broly, she couldn't just put him out of her mind after his sudden reappearance.

Rolling her eyes at the selfish asshole, Bra let out a wearing yawn and decided to catch up and some well needed sleep. Forgetting all about the audio monitors light she drifted off soundlessly to sleep.

Several hours later, the light on the monitor flared up, but Bra's exhausted body was too sound asleep and didn't hear the cracking of a window open coming through the speakers.

Broly pulled himself inside the window to Bulla's room, leaving it sparsely cracked as he entered. There with a bright candy cane night light on the far light giving off a dim pink glow throughout he room. His white eyes scanning around for it. His nose caught it first as he smelled her. His eyes missing the baby monitor as it was laying on its side the light against the wall missed by Broly, as he finally looked down at the crib, his brows furrowed together as he came closer.

Broly had been more than truthful about his distaste for their child, and that was the truth. He'd taken her betrayal more than personally and just stayed away. He had just simply stayed isolated in the wilderness walking around in his massive form aimlessly letting his mind try and push the thoughts of Bra from himself, but every time he did the image of a disgusting child came next and it would not go away.

After a tumultuous battle with himself he finally decided he needed to end it. He had an obligation as the things father to end its miserable existence. It was what had to be done, even if she would hate him for it, he could not allow a child to suffer like him.

It would be painless… after all it was his daughter

Surprisingly, Bra kept the child in a room isolated and alone. Having waited for Vegeta's energy signature to go to a state of rest he knew he had his opportunity. The child didn't mean anything personally, but what was flowing through its veins, his own blood could not be subject to the hell he had. Broly stopped one hand resting on the edge of the crib as he looked over the railing at the sleeping baby.

There she was. Bulla was on her back, wearing baby blue pajama's with horses and stars all over it. This was his and Bra's child. He couldn't deny it; starring him in the face. It was his daughter. Broly stopped his eyes just staring at the child, a range of emotions now whirled all about his mind in the darkness of his mind for several minutes.

Why could she not have been born like the others? Like he had been while being a lab rat, under the woeful service of one of his father's business partners. All of them were failures and flawed creations, he had born witness to dozens of them boy or girl he often couldn't tell. Staring down at the crib, Broly felt himself growing distant as if he was looking at her from yards away instead just a foot. His own rational mind had begun to break down around that time, he knew it well. His whole world had become a living hell.

Even without the threat of such a nightmarish life he still could never shake the impact it had upon him. It was a scar that poisoned his soul. No matter what anyone told him, it was something that he suffered through every night. He could never go back and undo all the images and nights that were had existed inside of him. He was forever tainted, and when he did die, he knew the fate that awaited him.

He had lived several years in hell while alive, what else could the afterlife bequeath him with?

Shaking his head, he looked down upon his daughter. She didn't know him and she was still helpless she would be unable to protect herself like he had. It was cruel it was unfair but that was the way of life, he would end her it was the only true gift he could give to both of them.

Bulla shifted in her sleep rolling onto her back her tail exposed gently flapping around in the crib. His eyes flickered for a moment as he looked down at her, strange she actually had a tail.

Broly reached down his fingers trailing over the brown furry object his finger thicker than the brown tail. His gentle pressure made Bulla relax against the gentle stimulation, her slight breathing made Broly's fingers curl around it but he did not pull up. He remembered well the day he was hoisted up to be greeted with a dagger to his chest.

The baby's tail wrapped around Boly's fingers holding gently onto the hand.

Broly felt a lump in his throat as he swallowed. How could this child act so calm around him? He grabbed the back of her pajamas and pulled her up. Her eyes blinked heavily as she yawned being woken up and looked into pure white eyes and a crowned head of yellow spiked hair.

She didn't react or cry, her blue eyes opened to look into his and he saw the soft emotion filled eyes of her mother. It was a cruel joke that she had to be born with such beautiful eyes… it made him look away from her.

Bulla squirmed slightly as she began to wake up, unused to be dangling from a massive palm above her bed made her uncomfortable. Her tail coiling around Broly's wrist to better hold herself upright and comfortably against the massive saiyan. Bringing her thumb up to her mouth she idly sucked on it while her soft blue eyes continued to block Broly's ability to look at her.

"You just had to be born with her hair and eyes."

Just down the hallway, Bra turned over in her sleep, her eyes cracking opening in her dark room. Had she just heard someone's voice. She yawned readjusting the pillow, had it just been her imagination or just a part of her dream. Then she heard static from the speaker and a grunt and Bulla's giggling.

Broly had come back, and in Bulla's room! Bra wasn't sure what she felt, Broly had sworn to kill her but clearly he was doing nothing of the sort? Was this this some sort of game to him?

Why are you doing this…

Oblivious to the fact that he had been discovered, Broly looked at the girl, seeing minor features from him. He couldn't lie that she was his daughter, even though she appeared more human than saiyan there was a key thing that overwhelmed him, as he looked at his daughter.

"Hn. You may be stronger than I was when I was born, despite how un-saiyan you are." Broly sneered. Bulla was only staring at him with bright wide eyes, her one thumb dropping from her mouth as she looked at the golden spiked hair all around him. "Though you are not the vile monster I expected, you still have no idea just how cruel your life will be if I-Arrghghh" Broly roared as Bulla grabbed one of his locks in her free hand.

She laughed and yanked. Hard.

"Release me!" Broly growled, the pain of his skin nearly being ripped from his head was intense as his other hand grabbed her wrist. Bulla only tightened her grip before the saiyan watched in mild horror as she brought his hair to her mouth. He realized incredibly that his daughter was very strong, and he did not lie when he said she might've been born stronger than him at that age. The legendary power flowed through her veins as well of that of a saiyan prince of the elite family she had a very powerful grandfather and father. The combination was hard to ignore as well as the pain of her nearly ripping his scalp clean off.

With a quickly shift of his power the girl's grip faded as she dropped down from the air into Broly's two hands his black hair now hanging around his shoulders. "You actually hurt me brat." He growled still feeling the pain of her grip on his hair, now watching as she brought her thumb back up to her mouth and just stared at him.

"I suppose you do have strength but, it won't be enough."

Broly brought one hand in front of her and began to form a ball of green ki appeared just inches from Bulla's form. Her eyes staring at the ball of ki curiously. Broly wasn't sure why he was hesitating, it had to be done… the orb grew bigger. Almost half the size of her body.

Bulla smiled having seen her grandfather play with ki before and wanting to touch it but of course she never could do that. Her palms reached out and without knowing it grabbed the orb while Broly fought with his own emotions inside. Broly's expression was shocked as he watched her simply take the energy, granted it wasn't anything impressive but she had grabbed a ball of energy that he himself would never have been able to control at such an age.

She lifted it up with her palms not truly understanding what it was she was holding but the glow was amazing and she laughed happily. Broly looked at her, amazed beyond words that despite her physical appearance had she not of had the tail she would've passed completely for human. Yet despite all of that she was saiyan underneath.

Finding it strange that she couldn't get the ball off her palms she shook her hands snapping Broly's attention back at the last second. "You little- Stop!" he yelled barely moving his head from the way as Bulla launched the ball of ki almost directly into his face, it missed firing back towards the window and exploded outside, the small burning crater almost a foot deep was there. Bulla upset at her lost toy began to burst into tears making Broly's ears twitch at the sound.

"Stop," Broly whispered as he tried to get rid of that sound of her crying, not noticing as Bra barged into the room.

"What are you doing here?" Bra demanded, in a flash snagging a crying Bulla from Broly's hand before he knew what was going on. Holding her against her chest, she brought her head down to whisper soothingly into her ear. "It's alright, there, there my little angel," She cooed, trying to get her to stop crying. "It's okay, everything's alright."

Broly scowled at her, his eyes looking at her narrowed while she rubbed Bulla's back, her tail wrapping around her mother's waist instinctively. Noting nothing wrong with her daughter, she glared back at him. Noting from now on she would have to keep Bulla in her room.

"What the hell are you doing here? What were you doing with my baby?"

Broly said nothing as he watched her hands soothe her tears, the annoying sound fading allowing him to remove his hands from his ears as he was heard the numbing crying become a mild whimper.

"Not what I intended." He answered looking back towards the small shouldering crater outside. She had taken a substantial amount of raw energy and without knowing it had nearly struck him with it. Just what kind of child was that? She was nothing… nothing like the others.

"Did you come here to hurt her? I swear if you-"

Broly's scowl deepened as he looked at her, he didn't want to say it. He saw the pain in her expression those eyes that once held so much control over him now looked at him with such anger it actually hurt. But he also couldn't lie about it.

"Yes," he spat out going to the window, not sparing her a glance.

"Then why didn't you? You had ample time, was that whole show some type of joke. I swear Broly if you even think about-"

Broly looked back at her shaking his head. "I couldn't, she's different." Interrupting her, his eyes going to Bulla then back to Bra. "She… Damnit," he left to the outside of the room he couldn't say why, because truthfully it should've been easy for him.

Bra emerged a few minutes later from the room as Bulla settled down quickly and fell asleep again, she closed the door quietly behind her and saw Broly sitting on the railing. One hand on his face the other gripping his shredded pants tightly in a fist.

"Why did you come back?"

He kept his head buried in his hand as she stood just a few feet from him. He tried staying silent, thinking of anything and everything that made him angry with her. But his nose picked up on her scent.

What in the hell had she done to him, he couldn't even stay angry at her.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't lying to me," He said through his teeth.

"That's a lie, I heard the explosion and what you said to Bulla. What's the real reason," she told him, her voice becoming softer and quieter. She didn't want to wake her daughter. "You don't have to hide it from me."

The tone and hurt in her voice directed towards him made his eyes shut.

"I can't have children." His voice matched hers.

"You can have children; Bulla is right there. Why is it a problem?"

"Why do you care?"

"I care because Bulla is right there," She said placing her hands on her hips. "I can't undo what happened with us, and Bulla can't go back, besides my father won't let me use his hand as a grip for anything anymore, believe me."

Broly felt his lips twitching into a smirk. How he could imagine that little scene but he forced a scowl back onto his face, he couldn't let her words trip him up.

"Bulla," he said simply. "Why that name?"

"Well, I had planned on naming her Bunny after her great grandmother," She said smirking. "But she has a portion of the names from every female in the house."

"Forget I asked." He snorted.

"Why what would you have named her?"

"I would certainly pick a better name for my daughter than Bulla."

"Well if you were around you could've helped me pick out a name." Her eyebrow raising as she smirked knowingly at him. "Besides I thought she was my child?"

Broly grinded his teeth together as she had him there. He only glared at her, but a triumphant glare was in her blue eyes. The same brilliant shade of blue that went down to his daughter. How the hell did her genes win out over his?

"Whatever, I shouldn't care at all." He said looking back away for him.

Bra moved closer, deciding to talk to him openly about everything before her sensitive sense of smell was hit square in the face, coughing she backed away waving her hand in her face.

"Holy, moly! When is the last time you bothered to properly bathe?" Broly shrugged looking away from her, as he hadn't really paid attention to his own odor though noting he was fairly ripe.

"There are only so many water sources that I can use." He growled, "besides I've not worn a change of clothes in months."

"Well, why didn't you just ask for any. Hell you could've just taken some."

"I don't believe I was welcome here, after last time." He said angrily.

"Ugh, fine then," Bra said in exasperation. "You are going to shower, grab some new clothes and come downstairs we need to talk, and like adults, do you understand me?" Her eyes giving him a challenging gaze as he waved her off.

Fifteen minutes later, Broly came down the stairs, wearing a pair of baggy shorts a towel over the side of his shoulder. Sensing for Bra he noted she was off in the bathroom to his side. Scowling, that she now dared make him wait he walked towards the living room.

His eyes stopped as he noticed something on the small gathering of pictures he hadn't seen when he had returned. They were more recent ones, of Bra and Bulla, and her parents though only in one of them was Bulla anywhere near Vegeta. Broly smirked at that, thinking the prince couldn't stand his own child was superior to anyone he would've had. Though he stopped on the earlier pictures of Bra and Bulla, when she was so small and wrapped in a white blanket. She had grown up so much in a short time and he didn't even know it.

Bra's hand stopped on her cheek as she saw Broly looking at the pictures on the table, his hand touching the one where it was just she and Bulla just a week out of the hospital. He hadn't sensed her, it was obvious by his expression having learned to read it many times before.

"We made one cute little girl, you can admit that." She teased. Broly snorted through his nose, knowing she had caught him looking, but kept looking at the pictures, she could've poked at him for all of his words about the bad things about their daughter but she knew that wouldn't work. She opted to try something different. "That was us, on the day we got home, she was such a handful back then. Everything upset her, she would cry and refused to sleep for days. My dad complained she was louder than me and my mother."

"Hn". Broly looked down at that picture his hand touching the frame realizing just how strong she was. "She is very powerful."

"Well of course, do you think it was just you who was strong in this house?" Her eyes playful, as he cast her an annoyed look. "And you helped quite a bit."

Looking away from the pictures and Bra. He refocused himself.

"I should leave,"

"What, we need to talk first."

"After everything I've done and tried to do tonight. You want me to stay here and talk?"

"I want to speak seriously to you, we're both adults and we've calmed down, but seriously Broly, we need to talk with what happened between us and about tonight."

Broly blinked in surprise; he had expected the latter but what was there between them? He frowned, not sure what to say in response. Why did she care what had happened, was there any point dwelling on it? They had a fling and that was all…

But it seemed that she disagreed and maybe he wasn't telling the whole truth to himself either.

"I don't know," He answered truthfully. "But to answer one question… no it won't happen again."

"So where does that leave us?"

He sneered at her, "What does it matter, you don't need me and I have nothing to offer you."

"That isn't true," Bra said gently, knowing that she might be pressing her luck but she had to try. What was life without a little risk? "But I never said I wanted anything from you. My grandparents and mother don't dislike you, and for my dad… well he hates everyone and you also have a daughter. You could at least give it a chance for Bulla's-"

"No. You and I both know that it will we can never be together. You've seen what a monster I am, I don't deserve anything-"

"Broly, wait." Bra said, making Broly freeze and his expression shift at her tone. He knew she was going to say it, a request for him to be a father to give things a chance. He watched her blue eyes as she walked up to him. Of course as she touched his chest, he could feel his blood beginning to rush throughout his body.

"I just want you to be careful, okay?" She told, him watching his dark eyes gauging her question carefully, his brow raising in response as she continued, "You might feel that you have nothing, but I want you to at least know that I am here as a friend for you. I can't force you to stay and I won't… but please just be safe and see me every once in a while?"

She knew this would probably be the last time she might ever see him, he had no more reasons for staying and shared no desire to be with her or her family. It pained her heart to watch him leave but she couldn't change him, she could only hope he might show back up one day, but she thought that would be a false hope.

Broly was left speechless at the emotion she gave him. He'd been through hell, battles, violence, and nearly death and now someone was there to just offer him a hand, to welcome him home freely. There was someone in the universe who actually gave a damn about him selflessly.

It was something he didn't deserve.

He swallowed bringing himself from his daze.

"You don't give me orders… those days are over." He said growling.

Bra cracked a small smile. Knowing he wasn't being completely serious. "The offer still stands… Just be safe."

"Annoying half-breed."

"Thickheaded jerk."

Broly felt her hands wrap around his back and she embraced him, causing him to freeze. She hugged him gently, comfortingly as Broly's own hands held her back.

"You are too sentimental." He said rolling his eyes as she laughed against him.

"I'm part human," She reminded him, before shifting her yes up to him "stay safe okay?"

Broly exhaled shaking his head before pulling back from her, "The universe needs to be safe from me…." He growled stepping away and vanished before she could offer a response.

Bra sighed shaking her head, she looked back to all the pictures of her family and the one of Bulla and her. Each one showing the man a reason for them to try to have a chance at something. If not for each other, but for their daughter. But he refused to accept her, he refused to be swayed by what was inside. She doubted whatever had happened to Broly could be undone and he would never be able to accept being with her and their daughter. If that was the case, then nothing would change his mind.

Though as fate would have it, she couldn't have been more wrong.

The End

A/N: Thanks Zugra for putting up with my story and your reviews, they really helped me keep working. Hope the ending wasn't too unexpected.

I can always do a sequel, if people want to see Broly as a father for his new daughter. If you guys want me to try. But I finally finished a full Broly/Bra fic, can knock that off the bucket list.

R&R

MB