Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Once in a While ❯ Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Once in a While

This is another one of my…darker fics. There are adult themes in this story, so be mature. I don't own the DB/Z/GT characters (well, DUH!) or the songs "Once in a While" and "Sparkling Diamonds". The name "Satine" and movie "Moulin Rouge" belong to Baz Lurhmann.

By the way, ~*~* means a flashback, and * * * is just a change of scene or perspective. Some things may be difficult to understand until you read the flashback parts.

(I've extended the first chapter!)

Part One

Once in a while, she don't wanna call you

Speaking on the telephone

And once in your life, she don't wanna know you

You look around, the one you've found, she is gone

A young man with black hair was the last person to board the 9am flight to Singapore. He apologised to the fight attended, and found his seat in business class. His business partner shook his head.

"Late again, Son," the other man sighed.

"Sorry, Brett. I had to get something to eat." The young man sat down. "I can't believe I'm finally going home. One night in Singapore, and then it's back home to Japan. It's been so long."

"How long? We've been working together for three years, but you were posted here before that, weren't you?"

"Five years. I've been in India for five years. And let me tell you, I'll be glad to leave!" Both men laughed. "I wonder if they've changed at all. My friends, I mean."

"Do you have a girl waiting for you in Japan?"

The young man's usually cheer-filled eyes suddenly became full of sadness. His perpetual smile faded, and he looked at the floor. "No…"

The other man knew he had said something wrong. "Look, Goten, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Forget it." Goten turned to Brett, his business partner and friend for three years. He forced a smile, but he could not hide the heartbreak in his eyes. "Forget it."

~*~*~*~*~

<Five years earlier>

"Oh, my baby!" ChiChi sobbed, holding onto Goten and not letting him go. "You will stay in touch, won't you?"

"Of course, Mum. I'll ring all the time," Goten smiled at his mother, looking so much like his father that it made ChiChi cry even more. It had only been a couple of years since Goku had left, and never returned, so ChiChi wasn't ready to lose one of her beloved sons too.

"Okay, sweetheart. Oh, I'm going to miss you so much." ChiChi wiped her eyes, and let Goten go to say goodbye to everyone else.

Tears were twinkling in the corner of Trunks' eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hide them. "I'm really gonna miss you pal. Don't ever forget me."

"How could I ever forget a purple-haired pansy like you?" Goten willingly accepted the punch Trunks directed at his arm. "Just remember it's only for a couple of years. I don't know exactly. Besides, I've got your email AND mobile number. It's gonna be hard for me to avoid you!"

Marron did not try to hide her tears. She held Goten tightly, and sobbed onto his shoulder. "I can't believe this! Our trio…it's broken!"

"No, Marron. Not broken. I may not be around all the time, but you will always have my friendship…here." Goten pointed to Marron's heart. It made her cry even more.

Goten was finally able to detach Marron (leaving her with Trunks) so he could say good bye to his beloved niece. "Well, I guess I'll see ya around, Brat."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Jerk." Pan forced a smile, and gave her uncle a hug. "Look after yourself, Oji-san."

"You too, Pan-chan." Goten moved on from Pan, saying his farewells to Gohan, Videl, Bulma, Krillin, Juuhachigou and everyone else who had come to watch him leave. Even Vegeta managed to mumble something that sounded like a good bye.

But one person was missing.

Goten excused himself from the group, and wandered over to the viewing area, where people could watch the planes take off and land. But on this particular day, only one person stood in the area. Goten headed straight towards the young girl with blue-green hair.

"I-I have to go now, B-chan," he whispered, tears in his eyes.

"Well, go." She would not look at him.

"Bra, don't be this way. I explained it all to you. This is the opportunity of a lifetime! I can't just leave it. You must understand."

"I understand that you believe that your career is more important than the woman you claimed to love with all of your heart. I understand that I am second to this opportunity of a lifetime. I understand…"

"B-chan…" Goten put his hand on Bra's shoulder.

She violently shook him away. "Don't touch me, Goten. Just leave."

Goten knew that it was useless. He knew that he had hurt her beyond repair, and that she would never forgive him for that. Broken-hearted, Goten took one last look at the woman he loved. "Goodbye, Bra. I love you."

She did not respond. She just stared out the window, as a plane rose from the runway, and took to flight. She could not look at him. She could not let him see the pain he had cause her. She could not let him see her so weak.

Goten walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

"Oh, B-chan," Goten sighed. He was dreading what would happen when he got back. Would she have moved on? Would she have started a family without him? Or, had he scarred her so deeply, that she would never trust a man again? No one had mentioned anything about Bra in their messages to him. And if he asked, they never answered the question.

"Something wrong?" Brett asked.

"No, nothing."

Brett smiled. "Tell you what. When we get to Singapore, we'll go to one of those stripper joints. Check out some of the pretty girls. Sound good?"

"Yeah, whatever." There's only one pretty girl that I want, but she's a long way from Singapore. She'll always be too far away.

* * * * * *

Goten and Bra had always known and loved each other. He had been there on the day of her birth. "My little B-chan" was what he had always called her. Trunks' little sister. She filled that role for Goten also. He loved her as the little sister he never had. She called him "Goten-ojisan", just like her best friend did. As she was his little sister, he was her uncle.

Time passed, and they both changed. Goten started going through girlfriends faster than he went through T-shirts. Bra discovered boys, and they discovered her perfect figure. But Goten and Bra continued their original relationship. Brother, sister. Uncle, niece.

But one day, something happened. Something changed. Goten and Bra started to see the other as everyone else did. Goten was the attractive, but somewhat sleazy, guy with a cell phone almost glued to his ear. Bra was the beautiful Capsule Corp. heiress. Suddenly, everything was different.

~*~*~*~*~

Goten took several deep breaths. Ge-argh! What's going on? I've never been so nervous about asking a girl out! But I guess it is B-chan. And once Vegeta or Trunks finds out, I'm a dead man. Oh well. Here goes. He rang the doorbell.

Bra answered it. "G-Goten! What are you doing here? I mean…Trunks isn't here."

"Yeah, I…uh…know. I actually wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Sh-Sure." Bra moved aside, and the two of them went inside.

"Are you glad to be finished school?" Goten asked.

"Very!" Bra sat on a couch, and Goten sat next to her. "It's such a relief! No more stress."

"So, do you have a date for your end of school ball?"

"I've had plenty of offers, but I haven't found one that I want yet." Because the one I want is 13 years older than me.

"Do you have someone in particular in mind?"

"Maybe"

"So, why don't you just ask him?" Moron! You came here to ask her out, not help her ask out some other guy!

"Well, I guess I could do that." Bra took a deep breath. "Goten, would you take me to my end of school ball?"

Goten nearly fell off the chair. He couldn't believe it! Bra had just asked him out! He was the guy she wanted as her date. That meant…

"Bra…of course I will. I actually came here to ask you out!"

"Serious?"

Goten nodded. "And I was so worried you wouldn't want to, with me being 13 years older and all."

"I don't care about that! I've always loved you, Goten. Sure, you used to be like a brother to me, but…I guess I wanted you to be more."

"Well…that's what you've got." Goten touched his lips to Bra's, and they shared the first of many intimate moments.

~*~*~*~*~

Goten fell asleep on the plane. Brett let him sleep. He would wake him when they arrived in Singapore.

* * * * * *

"Ladies and Gentleman, we've started our descent. Could you please return to your seats, and fasten your safety belts. We'd like to thank you for flying with us, and hope that your flight was enjoyable. The weather in Singapore is warm and humid."

As soon as the announcement was over, Brett shook Goten awake. "Yo, Son! We're here."

"Mmm…just five more minutes, Kaasan, please," Goten grumbled.

Brett smiled. He was used to Goten's lazy nature. They had been friends - as well as business partners - for three years now. Brett often wondered how a Japanese man, who got through college on scholarships, and a rich little English boy could become such good friends, but he and Goten were.

Goten did not feel as deeply about their friendship as Brett did. Sure, Brett was a great guy, and fun to be around, but he had nothing on Trunks. Number one - there was no way that the two of them could spar. Goten would break Brett's frail human body.

Goten yawned, and opened his eyes. He smiled lop-sided grin. "Are we there already?"

"Yep, so get your lazy arse up, before the flight attendants drag us off the plane…actually, on second thought, that might not be too bad. One of those chicks was hot!"

Goten laughed, already recovering from his earlier depression. The two men collected their hand luggage, and got off the plane.

* * * * * *

The hotel where Goten and Brett were staying for the night turned out to be only a block away from the red-light district - much to Brett's joy. The bellboy had advised them that The Blue Lagoon was supposed to be one of the best stripper bars in the city.

"Hurry up, Son!" he urged. "I want to go to this Blue Lagoon place!"

"Heh, maybe we'll see Brooke Shields there," Goten mumbled. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

They walked towards the neon lights and huge XXX signs. Goten looked around him, and was glad of his Saiyan heritage. He wouldn't have dared walk down these streets as a normal human. He didn't know how Brett had the courage.

The Blue Lagoon was easily recognised by the huge sign - a neon coconut palm next to a neon lagoon. At the front door there was a poster, showing the girls that would be performing on that night.

"Oh, sweet Lord, look at these girls." Brett studied the poster. "Lisa, the lap dancer, Coco, everyone's favourite topless bar-maid, and…Oh yes! Satine! I've heard about her. She's supposed to be one of the hottest chicks alive, and she has this routine…this is gonna be great!"

Brett rushed in. Before following, Goten took a quick look at the poster, shaking his head at his friend's eagerness. He couldn't make out the face of the girl called "Satine" (it was obviously a stage name), but she had a great body.

Goten sighed. "I know I'm gonna regret this." He walked into the bar.

It was crowded inside. Very. Apparently, Satine was a huge attraction. Goten weaved his way through the cheering and drunk men, and the topless waitresses, to Brett.

"Oh, there you are," said Brett, not looking away from the stage. "Check out the two up there. Twins. Veeeeery nice."

"Hmm. Yeah." Goten already wanted to leave. He felt dirty. He hadn't been to a strip club since he was 21. Why did I agree to this?

The Twins left the stage, and the lights were dimmed further. A single spotlight focussed on a girl on the stage. She had flowers sprinkled threw her light red hair, and was wearing a silver bikini top, skirt, high-heels and cape.

"The French are glad to die for love…" Nicole Kidman's voice echoed through the club. The girl on the stage mimed the words, and as the music of "Sparkling Diamonds" started, she started to dance with perfect rhythm and grace.

"Damn. I didn't think she'd be this hot!" whispered Brett.

Goten said nothing. There was something strangely familiar about Satine. I did see "Moulin Rouge" twice. That might be it.

"A kiss on the hand may be…quite continental, But diamonds are a girl's best friend." The girl mimed so well, it looked like she was actually singing. She flicked off her cape and threw it into the crowd, then shimmied as she sang, "and we all lose our charms in the end."

Her shoes were the next to go, one of them hit a guy standing near Goten in the head, and he fell on the floor, unconscious. Yeesh! That girl is strong! I wonder if she plays baseball.

Satine twirled around a pole in the centre of the stage. "Cause we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl." Instead of blowing a kiss, Satine grabbed her skirt and ripped it off, revealing the G-string underneath. The audience howled louder. "Come and get me boys!"

Several men clawed their way onto the stage, but Satine kicked them in the face. Goten couldn't help grinning. Serves them right. Perverts. For a moment, Goten forgot that he himself was also…watching the show.

"It's coming up to the good part!" Brett shouted over the howls. "I've heard that she comes into the audience, grabs some lucky guy, and takes him onto the stage with her!"

"Oh, wow." Goten did not even attempt to hide his sarcasm.

But true to Brett's word, Satine jumped off the stage and into the crowd. She sauntered through the crowd, ignoring the hands that brushed across her breasts. Goten was now about ready to leave. He couldn't believe the way that these men were disrespecting the poor girl. But at that moment, a hand grabbed his tie, and pulled him forward. It seemed Satine had chosen him.

She got half way through miming, "Let's make love."

Goten would never forget that moment. That moment where only he and the stripper existed. The howls and jeers faded out of existence. It was only the two of them. He stared into a pair of blue eyes which he had known so well, and she stared into the coal black eyes of the man she had once given her heart to.

"B-chan…?"

Bra/Goten Nextà