Chapter 1: The Day Seattle Died

A/N: Sometimes it's just a thing I have to do. No pressure, just what I want.

"What do I say…" His voice soft and muted, for being one of the most powerful warriors in the universe he felt almost helpless in this single moment. He'd asked to do this himself because it was his best friend's, his closest comrade's mate/wife. To be tasked with the simple aspect of delivering a folded flag bearing the royal seal of Vegeta-sei and the dog tags that once accompanied the man with whom Broly had not just fought beside.

Of all the people to have done what he had done… "Why damnit, why wouldn't you let me do it. You had so much waiting behind for you, leaving me to handle all of this, you selfless bastard."

But he had to swallow what lingered of his anxiety, his pride and duty demanded that he do what was to come next. Raising a single hand and using a gentle rap of his knuckle, he knocked ever so modestly against the door. His breath stilled as he just looked straight ahead.

'Show no emotion, fight until your body breaks, then get up and fight until you bleed, once you've bled fight until you die!' It was their motto, the saiyan death korp. Where soldiers lined up to fight to serve their empire and do what was asked of the elite warriors of a proud warrior race.

Except, the softest, gentleless, and kindest saiyan found himself apart of that group. Not because of any privileged upbringing, or noble heritage, hell not even luck. It was because he was one of the best, because he would fight and die not because he was a saiyan… but for something more.

Something so much greater than himself, the proud Earth-raised saiyan. Son Goku.

Quick to smile, hard to anger, easier to get to the chow hall than to the battle. A man who would rather laugh and chat the night away than spend it drinking and dropping coin at the local whore house. Not because he already had a family, but because that was simply not his character. Even if it wasn't, he loved his family far too much to hurt them. His mate especially, he didn't know her very well. An occasional conversation, passing now and then. But beyond the face to face he knew nothing more about her than the average person who met her on the street.

Yet Goku had not taken the chance to withhold any part of what made her amazing, perfect, and someone worthy of all his attention, praise, and his heart. At first one might not care about the Earth-born saiyan's words about emotions that held no place for a saiyan. A tale of how she punched him through a tree on their first meeting and from then on he was absolutely… 'hmm what word did he use?'

Smitten. Yes, that described him perfectly, and while his relationship wasn't what one would call perfect, Goku did care about his wife and their only child named after the man who had raised him on Earth. A chubby little half saiyan who looked like his father and mother. Broly could've lost count if he wasn't so entirely bored with everything else to not listen to all of the amazing things this mate, this Chi-Chi could cook and do. It sounded practically divine by comparison to anything else he'd ever had beyond saiyan war rations which tasted only slightly better than dirt.

These were stories that Goku could tell would drown out the sounds of the radio as a means of passing the time, even though Broly knew he had heard them over ten times. They were a distraction from the day to day to such an extent that even he knew the stories just as well as the man telling them.

His favorite was a simple one, "Man Chi-Chi cooks this thing, I don't know how she does it, and most times I'm surprised by it because there's nothing like when my wife bakes a cake, it is the most delicious smelling thing in this world." There was almost salivation showing on Goku's face at the memory. It was just a memory but he spoke it with a reverancy of a preacher before a congregation. "It melts, literally melts in your mouth, and then she covers this soft baked bread in frosting almost a quarter of an inch thick, then she chops up other fruits and slathers on layers of ice-cream and… ugh! It's just right below having sex if I had a choice between the two, but if I ever had the option for a last meal it would be her cooking a cake."

Broly had often laughed at him, "Did you spark some wood while you were talking?" With the deep reverie he was speaking like the food he was talking about could be the equivalent of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Probably," Goku joked taking nothing to heart at the good natured jest. "But once we are all finished, I'm going to introduce you to my wife and we are going to have some cake and you will literally eat your own words when it comes to it." Offering a firm handshake to the other saiyan, an earthling tradition of a promise.

Broly gave a snort but took his hand and shook it, "If we live that long I will hold you to it, but you better have more than just that to talk up the big game you have been telling me this past half a year, you know."

"Trust me, Chi-Chi has never failed to deliver anything but the finest foods in this life of mine. But I've been compiling a list of things that I am totally going to eat once I get back home in a particular order." Withdrawing from his pocket something like toilet paper as he let it fall down from his chair to the ground. "Wanna see?"

"The hell else do I have to do, sure let me have it." Broly exhaled but laughed as he plucked the long laundry list that Goku had written up. His eyes skimming over the first couple but as he looked at these titles he had to look at Goku. "What the hell are half of these things? I've not heard of this one…. Or this one, the fuck I don't know like any of these…" Holding up the list in his hand with an accusing stare at his fellow soldier. "Are you pulling my damn tail? This can't be real, these foods do not exist."

"Nope they are all real, and they are delicious. You see I actually had Chi-Chi take pictures of food and send them to me as a reminder of home… and a few other things." He said blushing as he plucked out a small series of polaroids and showed them to Broly.

"Let me see those!" Snatching them from the saiyan who held back a cheeky grin as Broly looked at them. "Let's see… prime roast beef with mashed potatoes and diced fruit salad…" It was the small title written on the photo but in the same measure there was a beautiful woman holding them in some revealing negligee. Hair unbound, and using the faintest scraps of white to hold back two bigger pieces of meat bound to her chest. The next one he flipped through was creamy garlic pasta, diced chicken, sauteed mushrooms, and italian bread. However the woman taking the picture was on a bed, her feet holding the camera as she posed with another several dishes of food spread over her body.

The next one-! Broly's nose flooded and his face went red. "That isn't for me." Broly sputtered snapping the polaroids to Goku who curiously looked, blinked, and snatched it up. "Uhhh, heh yeah… That's my wife."

Broly covered his face, acting like a boy who just saw a pair of boobs. The image of that woman who could cook such delicious looking foods spread eagle, a pair of fingers thrusting into her body as the other squeezed at her breast, the other one touched by a long pink tongue. "Hn, seems like you got yourself a good woman then."

"Ye-Yeah." Goku was blushing just as furiously, "Chi-Chi's an amazing woman."

Broly nodded looking away, "I have a question though." Not that it was anything of some great importance but he did want an answer to a now itch festering in his head. 'It's just a dumb question' "She have a sister?" Not bothering to look directly at Goku who was facing the other direction.

"Eh, no sorry she's an only child. A one of a kind." His tone sombering as he looked back at the small polaroids of her. "I love her so much and now I'm out here and she's back at home alone. We were only married for about two years and I still have so much I want to do with her, like it's waking up and finding your tail missing. There's just something that I can't explain but I want to be with her always and I know it's important that I'm out here but I can't stand being so far from my home."

"You've said that word before, what is love? Doesn't sound like something we saiyans believe in or is it some earther thing you are bringing back here."

"Hmm, I guess it is an Earth thing. Well Chi-Chi explained it to me like this. Love is when you will do anything for that person, you don't care about where they're from, what they are, and how good they look… you just want to be with them. You can't imagine being without this person in your life, where you share the good times and the bad ones. Where if you're separated you're missing that piece of yourself and you can't help but feel a void in your heart. Then if you deeply love someone you get married and then you promise to spend the rest of your lives together… and well that's what I have with Chi-Chi and I couldn't imagine being apart from her."

"An interesting way to see it, I can't say there is a real saiyan equivalent, but from what I can tell you shouldn't let her go… but have you mated with her?" Turning his head back to Goku who looked confused at him.

"What's mated? Is it like giving another person a ring and having a nice fancy ceremony and cake?"

"Heh, no not at all you ignorant fool." He laughed but in good nature as Goku recognized that tone. "No, mating is the deepest level of emotion a saiyan can share. But it's for one time, for life. If your Chi-Chi is strong enough you can bind your blood and spirit to hers and truly know her."

He watched the other saiyan learn of his people's method of attachment, the concept never a thought in his mind until he heard it. "How's it work? Have you done it?"

Shaking his head, Broly had not. "No, I haven't. But that's because there are no female saiyans left. But I think if that woman like the one you described, you should ask if she'd accept." The other saiyan sat more upright, sitting cross-legged on his chair as he looked at Broly, eagerness showing as he clearly wanted to learn more. "Just know this can not be undone, you will never be separated and should either of you die the connection and backlash of the failed link could cause significant harm to the living party."

"Shouldn't be a problem, I haven't died yet." Goku laughed brushing off any threat of his own mortality.

Broly didn't bother correcting that, he just continued. "You must flow your ki into your woman, share an affinity on all three levels, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Your thoughts and hearts must be wholly into the act, of course with Chi-Chi not being saiyan you might not require the next part but it won't hurt. You must do it during a full moon, and fill your mouth with her fresh blood from the wound with your teeth, drinking in her essence as your own. Then with your ki's linked you will share a deeper emotional connection to where you both will feel the other's thoughts, pains, and sense when the other is in danger even if you are worlds apart. It can't be undone, but should you do so you will experience one another like no other creature alive."

"So… just bite her?" He asked uncertain of Broly's true meaning. "I mean, I've bit her before when we get time to private train. But Chi-Chi doesn't like teeth, I don't think she'd really like it."

"Heh, then don't worry about it, it also might not work since she's not a saiyan but since you two had a child… I suppose it's possible. Just remember what I said about its consequences." Broly shook one finger at him in warning. "It's not something to take lightly at all."

"I know, if I die she probably will too. But Chi-Chi's a really strong woman I don't think she would. She's far too stubborn, she'd probably find me and bring me back before that even happened."

Somehow Broly didn't laugh that off, "How would she pull that off?"

"Well, Chi-Chi would probably find me on the other side, yell at me for not coming home and then threaten whoever with a full size cast iron skillet until they let me go. She'd probably whack me a few times for good measure too."

Broly snickered covering his mouth as he actually found the image hilarious, imagining a woman beating the specter of death into the ground to drag her dead husband back to the world of the living because he forgot to come home.

(Back to the present)

However he had laughed at the idea before. It wasn't as amusing now, he hadn't asked Goku do what he had done. The damn fool had… 'No, no I can't blame him. It wasn't him or me, we both just… damnit why did it have to be him?'

Keeping his hand tucked respectfully against his chest as it was the only momento left of him. His last act of service…

He refused to allow himself to shed any tears, there was no place for crystal water. His name would be engraved upon the battleplate of the prince and carried down the line of the saiyan race until it vanished from the annals of history. It was glorious a legacy that could be given to him. But even the honor he was given would not make this feeling that washed inside of him fade. It still roiled and tossed all around inside of him, refusing to let go of the last few moments of that terrible battle, it had decided their fates.

Closing his eyes would never allow him to forget it, there was so little to feel after it and it was the reason why he had come here. To deliver the last possessions of his friend to the woman whom he'd never met but shared a history with. Knowing her better than he did his own mother, more than any other woman or person, save the man who had shared her history with him.

His apprehension faded as he heard footsteps approaching the door, the world began to slow in his mind as no matter how much he had built up the willpower to tell her the truth without becoming emotional he found the words escaping his tongue. 'You're a saiyan. You went through that damn war with a new collection of scars to add and you did it alongside her mate. You owe it to him. You promised him!'

Forcing himself to regain his composure, sucking in a full breath of air the hardened warrior thought he had seen everything. Done what was necessary to prepare himself for this, the twist of the door handle was going frame by frame in his mind as he looked down at it. Small beads of sweat formed as he stared at it with such an intensity…

'What are you doing?!' The flashback sending him careening back in time to the moment where everything had gone to hell. A day he lived every single night in his dreams alone.

Broly had just yelled at Goku, the fool had gotten back up. How in all creation was the fool even standing? Refusing to let himself be outdone, the battered saiyan stood up, blood covered half of his face, his right arm was broken and was hanging by nothing more than a few tendons and bone. The boots had been burned away by the surface leaving charred and blackened toes that had gathered enough solid rock around them to no longer keep burning for brief periods but the skin had fused together leaving no articulation between his toes.

Pain was pushing him to the verge of collapsing but he couldn't, his pride refused to let him fall over like a newborn calf. He could hardly see, but as he righted himself he saw Goku standing, his entire shirt blasted away leaving nothing but bare flesh of his chest. Numerous cuts, gashes, and lacerations littered his entire torso. Broly knew that he had to be worse off than him yet he was standing up acting as if he wasn't even affected.

"Get down damnit, this is suicide." Broly told him, trying to take a step forward but his knees buckled and he fell onto a single knee. 'How… You can't be standing. Goku… you were never this strong before… So why? Why are you doing this?'

He turned to look back at Broly with a smile on his face, just like how he remembered meeting him. So innocent and untouched by the horrors of battle and war, like a farm boy being drafted to serve in an army far from home.

"Do me a favor… I know it might be a little selfish. But take care of my wife and son. Be there for them, look after them, and make sure nothing bad ever happens to them. Would you do that for me Broly?"

'No… No!' "You fool you can't do this, I'll do it! You have a mate, a child, and a world that I would die to live on. I'll throw myself into the grinder one more time." He got to his feet despite both of his knees shaking like a leaf. He could scarcely look beyond at the damnable fool. No matter his body's objections he refused to just fall over! He dragged his foot forwards, he didn't have the ability to raise it any higher.

Those eyes, that look in his friend's eyes stuck with him. "You can't do this Broly, I can. I can end this battle… please let me do this so I know that my wife and son will enjoy this universe… Even if I can't be here with them I trust you. My friend."

'Please no!' Broly reached his one good hand out which Goku grabbed, and stepped forward and embraced him. "Don't… Don't be an idiot." Broly told him as his saiyan brother held him tightly. "You always said that I'd end up killing myself. I guess it's time you get to say I told you so." He joked to which Broly shook, grabbing his hand tightly.

"I can't let you do this, you have a reason to fight, to live."

"I also have a reason to not look back, I know I can stop this. I believe that I can end this battle but I also know what it will cost me."

Broly clenched his eyes shut as Goku squeezed his hand tightly. "I'm glad that we became friends, it's why I'm trusting you to take care of my family."

"You should do it yourself, I'm a saiyan, I'm not you!" He said, his entire body shaking.

Goku smiled and looked to the horizon, "No, but I know you… and goodbye, friend." Goku then pushed Broly backwards. The momentum sent him tumbling away, collapsing onto the ground leaving him just enough time to see Goku surround himself with his ki aura and take off into the air and with the darndest smile on his face as he unleashed a war cry and charged headlong back into battle.

Broly watched the explosions ripple all across the landscape, where he had once thought himself stronger he never would've imagined seeing Goku charge headlong into a group of elite warriors that months ago would've mopped the floor with him. So Broly watched, he saw Goku take one down, a green body scarcely up to his knees was thrown from the clouds, dropping lifelessly as they splashed down into the water. It shocked Broly to see the saiyan able to even beat one, but he was only further shocked to view him not stopping.

A second soon joined him, a flash of red and white went skyward and vanished from sight their landing and unceremonious death missed through the veiled dirt and fog. Only moments later he spotted a third spiraling down into the ground with a thunderous crash. The fourth almost exploded in the air leaving the last elite member a blur of purple to square off against him… Goku seemed ready to achieve the impossible but from nowhere a beam came from the tyrant. The emperor of this universe hadstruck Goku. The explosion engulfed the sky and all Broly saw after that was nothing but ash.

His friend had been slain in a blinding flash of light and no matter his desire to stand up and seek to avenge his death he could not muster anything more than a pathetic cry as his eyes shed tears as a single scrap of orange cloth fell down and landed just feet away from him.

All that his friend had been, his courage, strength, and determination wasn't enough and his hopes were dashed away like a breeze that carried the piece of cloth upwards into the air and far away. "NOOOO-!" Was all he could cry as he watched from nowhere their prince come racing in, having seen his chance and send a deathblow to the back of the alabaster lizard's skull. It should've been a cry of victory, a herald of a titanic battle that saiyans had partaken in.

That they stood up against forces and might unmatched and like true warriors had overcome it. But he found no such victory pumping in his veins, all that filled him was the grief and anguish of seeing the only person whom he'd come to call a friend or even the closest thing to family he'd ever had die for nothing.

Watching their greatest enemy fall from the skies, the purple and alabaster snake that walked upright with his head twisted at an extreme angle only signifying that his great overconfidence had been overcome.

A panicked cry came as the final member of Frieza's elite guard suffered from a surprise attack led by two more saiyans, Goku's brother and the personal guard of the prince. But Broly remained on the ground his eyes now shut, a pain greater than the physical gripped him tightly, forever haunted by the moment where he was not strong enough. He wasn't able to reach out and do what his friend could.

'Why? WHY DAMIT?!'

But as the door to the small residence opened, Broly's eyes looked squarely at the woman he'd only seen in pictures and knew better than any other. A modest woman by comparison to what he had viewed on the small polaroids left behind in Goku's wall locker.

A modest bun of hair, a tight little yellow dress and white handkerchief wrapped around her neck for when she worked in the garden as the traces of dirt were still lightly smeared around its edges. A small frame, yet it wasn't dainty, she wasn't some weak woman. The toned shape of her wrists and the callouses visible by her knuckles were missed by those who did not see that there was a fighter beneath those clothes.

Broly looked at her but could not speak, his voice refused to utter the greeting he had repeated over and over. But she looked at him, those soft brown eyes, they stared into his black ones. She knew what he was even if he did not say it. Tucked tightly against his chest was all the answer one would need - the flag, and the silver and charred dog tags bearing the name Son Goku.

Her hands reached up to her face, as she looked horrified. Broly took a knee in front of her and bowed his head. "I'm sorry…" Was all he could tell her, but it paled to what he felt gripping his heart.

Chi-Chi broke into a wail as Broly caught her before she fell to the ground, the massive saiyan holding this woman tightly as she sobbed incoherently. Crying for the man she loved, damning him and everyone else for him no longer being with them.

He said nothing but squeezed her tightly, his own nose buried in her neck as he too felt himself begin to shed tears. Telling himself no matter what he wouldn't let himself break again, but with the torment of his best friend's love crying and screaming he could not hold himself back anymore. He shared with her misery for almost fifteen minutes as they both cried neither able to speak a word to each other except take the smallest of comfort from total strangers who both had lost someone dear to them.

R&R

Kerghan