Only One Shot

Chapter 30: And life goes on...

The cold wind blew across the quiet, fenced off yard where eleven people stood in front of a memorial. Nearly three years had passed since the explosion of Club de Cortez, and like every year, they returned to the memorial they had built in remembrance. It lay at the site of the destroyed club, which was also the resting place of Rico Gaspar.

The men had their heads bowed while the women and children couldn't help but cry at the sight. A young child, nearly the age of three, held his mother's hand as she cried for the loss of her would be husband with confusion. One by one they placed their roses on the memorial and, one by one, they left.

Syracuse smiled at his friends, waving, as he got into his car and left to who knew where. Vegeta whispered his condolences and left with Trunks to their new home. Avon smiled a bit brokenly, as he had lost the main remnants of his family, and gave them a cracked goodbye before walking homeward.

Heiji made the signum crucis once he finished praying and took Nanami's hand, saying his condolences and goodbyes. Little Nanami gave her best friend words of comfort before leaving with her father to their new and safe home. Sharpner, though a bit awkward as he was once evil, said what he could before leaving for work.

Amon, the last one left, helped Videl up and brought her to the limo. Once the two children climbed in he got in and closed the door behind him, ordering the driver to take them home. Videl was still crying silently, but it had lessened to a trickle which was dabbed with a wet handkerchief.

The young boy looked up at his mother with confusion. "Mommy, does this mean that daddy is in heaven?"

Videl smiled at her son. "Yes Vincent, this means daddy is in heaven."

Avril just glanced at her newfound brother, saying nothing. Vincent, still looking a bit confused, decided to just sit back down and leave his distressed mother alone, letting his little tail move around for amusement. Amon rubbed Videl's back as she cried and held her until they reached the mansion she decided to stay living in.

Amon got out and helped Videl out, allowing the two children to clamber out into the open. "Avril take Vinny into the house to get ready for school okay?"

Avril just nodded and took Vincent's hand. He watched with hawk-like eyes as his two best friend's children walk up the driveway and into the house before looking at his best friend's wife. Videl was only sniffling now, her hand grasping the ring around her neck as always.

"You've lasted two years without him Videl," he said softly, "Let's try to make it three alright?"

Videl nodded and smiled with un-fallen tears still in her eyes. "I'll see what I can do Amon. You will come to Vincent's third birthday party today right?"

Amon smiled widely. "I wouldn't miss my godson's party for the world!"

Videl laughed a little and Amon smiled at that. He gave her a warm hug, ushered her into the mansion, and got into the limo. He watched in sadness as Videl finally went into the house and sighed. Rolling down the front window he told the driver where to go and watched the mansion as he left until it was gone from his view.

"Just wait a little bit longer Videl..."

XX

A young man poured over paperwork with slight frustration. His forehead was wrapped with bandages and his hand was set in a cast. Black, pointy once inch spikes sprouted from his head and he ran his hand through them with a closed eye sigh. A knock on the door broke him from his thoughts and he gazed at it with a grim look.

"Come in." he said roughly and bent back over his papers.

The door opened quietly and a young man came in, closing it just as quietly as it opened. "I like the new look there buddy. Somehow it just seems to suit you."

The young man glared at the other and began reading another contract. "I have to go in ten minutes so don't drag this out, I have things to do."

"Hey I'm just coming to visit! You don't have to be so harsh you know, you might scare the kiddies. I have some things to work out with the remnants of Cortez's family anyway so I won't be long." The visitor chuckled before sitting down by the window. "So, how have the rival gangs been since their deaths? I'm sure it's pretty hectic over there."

The young man piled the finished paperwork on top of each other and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his aching ribs and pain-filled stomach. "I was able to unite them after they found that the feud is over. They took it peacefully and, I might add, relieved. I guess they were tired of fighting after all these years. I sent Syracuse there to watch over them."

"Ah so that's where he's been disappeared to this year..." the visitor nodded. "Aren't you supposed to be out of here soon? I mean, you've been in this smelly place nearly forever."

"This 'smelly place' is keeping me in here for this field trip thing then I can go home and rest so don't worry your little head...though I don't like the fact that I'm missing it...again..." The young man said a bit sadly.

"Well I'm sure they can understand." the visitor said with a sigh then looked down at his watch. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere in ten minutes?"

"Yeah why?"

"Because if you do you only have three left."

"Nani!" the young man yelled and looked at the clock. "Kuso!"

The visitor laughed as the young man tore out the door before shaking his head with a low chuckle. "Sometimes I'm just glad some things never change."

(A/N: In case you don't know "nani" means "what" and "kuso" means "shit". Just felt like having him use those words :)

XX

Vincent gazed in awe at the large hospital they were taken to. For a field trip their teacher wanted them to visit the hospital and cheer up the patients sitting there. They were led to a room where many hospitalized people sat. His classmates wandered to those who looked interesting and he felt out of place as he had no one to entertain.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a man sitting way in the back away from everyone else. He looked bored and funny with his hospital scrubs on. Vincent wandered over there and stood in front of him, bringing the man's now intrigued gaze down to him.

"Hi my name is Vincent Gohan Valentine and I am from Gaspar Elementary School." Vincent said perfectly since he had been practicing his lines for this field trip. "I am here to make you feel better about being here so you won't be bored."

The man gave him an amused expression and helped Vincent sit on his leg. "Well hello Vincent Gohan Valentine! How did you know I was bored?"

"Because you looked like this." Vincent said truthfully and made the man's face just as the teacher passed by.

"Vincent Valentine!" the teacher gasped and the man laughed, waving it away.

"It's alright ma'am, he's just doing his job."

The teacher looked at the two of them and with a 'humph' turned heel and went to monitor the other students. The two looked at each other before bursting into laughter. When they finally lowered their laughter so as not to gain so much attention both had large grins.

"You're cool mister!" the young boy exclaimed with a glee, "Can we be friends?"

"Of course! And don't call me mister it makes me feel old...especially since I've been in the hospital for the last three years of my life. You can call me..." the man's eye twinkled mischievously, "You can call me GS."

"And you can call me Vinny! All my friends do!"

The man laughed. "Alright Vinny I will."

"Time to go! Children pack up your things!" the teacher called, rounding up the young children.

Vincent frowned. "Aww and we were having fun too..."

"Yeah time does fly..." the man sighed.

"Can I see you again?" the young boy said hopefully, "My birthday is today, maybe if the hospital lets you out you can go to my birthday party!"

The man looked almost stricken but fixed his face so fast the boy didn't even see his expression. "I'm getting out of the hospital and I highly doubt your mother would want...well I'll see what I can do. As for a birthday present..."

The man placed his hands around his neck and unclasped the necklace around it. He stared at it as if contemplating the consequences and began to place it around Vincent's neck. The young boy looked at it in awe at his present and the man smiled warmly at him.

"Sugoi!" Vincent exclaimed until his teacher fussed at him and told him to say goodbye so they could go. He frowned and looked up at his newfound friend. "I guess I have to go...bye GS!"

The man smiled. "Goodbye to you too Vinny."

Vincent hopped off of his lap and ran off to catch up, his teacher still fussing about him taking his time. The man watched with at first smiling eyes but when they were out of sight with tearful ones. He stood up, looking out the window at the sky with hope before turning to see his new visitors.

The man in the black suit bowed and faced him. "Are you ready to go Sir?"

The man sighed and nodded. "Just a minute, let me go change my clothes."

XX

Vincent ran inside the house and dropped his backpack, the dogs barking in happiness of his return. He smiled widely and entered the kitchen where his mother was cooking food with Syracuse who came back from wherever he was to help cook for the birthday party.

"Mom I had the coolest field trip! I met this guy named GS and he gave me a birthday present!" Vincent ranted on, "I wish I could visit him again but he said that he was finally leaving the hospital. I bet he was happy too because he'd been in the hospital for three years."

When he finished Videl dropped the, fortunately, empty plate she was holding when her eyes landed on her son and the words from his mouth finally came to her brain. "That necklace...where did you get that?"

Vincent gazed down at his necklace and looked up curiously at his mother. "I told you mom, a man at the hospital gave it to me. Why? Is that bad?"

Syracuse stared in stunned silence at the revelation and ran to the phone to call up everyone. Videl fell to her knees and hugged her son with tears. "No Vincent, it's not bad at all."

Vincent blinked at his mother; he couldn't figure her out at all. When Avril came into the kitchen five minutes later from riding the bus home to see what all the commotion was about and saw it, she broke down into tears as well for there, around Vincent's neck, was a necklace with an angel.

XX

At the site of the memorial a lone figure stood, looking down at it with a sad smile. He sighed and place his two roses on the inscription before looking up at the sky with a sigh. He looked down at the nudge of his legs to see the two large cats looking up at him.

He walked to the limo and got in after the driver opened the door then closed it behind him. He smiled at the two cats looking almost hopefully at him and rolled down the driver window, saying the four words that would finally set his and many others life's back on track.

"Driver, take us home."

As they drove off the slight breeze ruffled the flowers that lay across the grave of those who had died, moving them off of the beautiful inscription that they covered and revealing it to the world.

Here lies the resting place of fallen heroes who, with their deaths, have brought life.

May their spirits rest easy in the next world knowing that their souls will never be forgotten.

This is the last chapter of Only One Shot. All those who have been faithful in reading it I hope I have not failed you with this last chapter. I would make another but this chapter is just to beautiful in my eyes to mess with so it is the last one. I hope you have all enjoyed reading this story because I have many others for you that will come.

If you loved this story here is one to look out for: The Dragon's Knight