Across Time: Book Two

A/N: I apologize for taking so long. This has been written for a long, long while but I still had to type it. I'm currently writing chapter five.

Chapter Two

"What does that mean?" Goku asked. He snuggled against Vegeta contentedly. There was nothing better than a happy ending and it looked as if there would be one after all.

"You mean 'ki'chin'?" He searched his mind for an accurate translation. "I guess it would be 'baby feline'. Er, 'kitten'."

"Awww! That's cute." he grinned. "Why don't you call me something like that?"

He gave an indignant look. "I do, Kakarotto."

Goku poked him in the side. "I doubt 'baka' counts as a pet name, Vegeta."

"Well, I don't mean it anymore. That should count for something."

"How would you feel if I called you midget man?"

"It's not true. I'm not as short as your weak little ningen friend." He folded his arms across his chest above Goku's head. "I'll come up with something new, then. How about 'carrot'?"

Goku scrunched up his nose in distaste. "I'm not sure I like being called a vegetable."

"You do know that's what 'Kakarotto' means, don't you?"

Goku laughed in embarrassment. "Um, I do now."

Vegeta smiled very slightly and ran his mate's soft hair. "How about I call you 'koi'?"

A happy face smiled up at him. "Works for me."

~*~

The two lovers spent breakfast feeding each other from their plates. That was when Sen discovered that Kilan really hated grape jam. After daintily wiping mouths, they cleared away their dishes and went off to be alone until the ceremony.

"Wait a minute!" A very short woman with darkly dyed red hair said. She was covered in tan leather from head to toe. "There's much to be done before you two are joined. Ours is not just a ceremony, it's a profound new way of life." The other people -- men, women, and children -- all nodded in agreement. Then a group of young women split into two. Sen was surrounded by one group while Kilan was surrounded by the other.

The woman smiled at them. "The name's Biran. I'm the boss around here. I've spoken to the Elder yesterday evening and he's seen into your hearts. Senneth and Kilandreau, you will both make fine additions into our family."

Kilan had been completely thrown out of his element. The eyes of so many people made him nervous. Then he was suddenly reminded of the public display he'd made the previous night at dinner and embarrassment rose to combine with it. Eventually, he mumbled something and looked down at his feet.

Sen, on the other hand, was extremely eager and excited. "I've got the perfect idea for my outfit! It's 'sexy virginal'!" He went happily with the women, the entire group chatting amiably. Kilan's girls had to practically drag him off for a fitting. His eyes followed Sen's retreating back and swaying tail until he was out of sight.

***

"Mr. Kilandreau, if you don't hold still I'm going to end up poking you again." Misti, the seamstress, said with frustration. "Birrie, can you please distract him?"

The older woman sat down on a stool out of Misti's way. "Kilan-- May I call you that?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Kilan, my ancient tribe had special customs when it came to our bonding ceremony. It's not just a public ritual -- it's a very private one as well."

He blinked at her. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

She clucked her tongue sadly. "All of the old traditions have been lost. Do you want to know why most commitments fall apart?" He opened his mouth to respond but she didn't give him time. "They aren't compatible. Why do people join if they can't even live together peacefully? Who knows. But I do know this: you and Sen are made for each other and I can give you the key to forever."

There was a desperate look of hope on Kilan's face, one that was overwhelming in its intensity. He stood completely still as he waited for her to continue.

Biran smiled wickedly. "First, you must allow Misti to do her job." He glanced down at the navy blue fabric pinned across his torso and groaned loudly. "Then we will talk."

For the remainder of the uncomfortable fitting, Kilan didn't move a muscle. What Biran knew was too important to jeopardize. If he had known her just a little better, he would have realized that she would have told him anyway.

"Let's get some lunch. That way I can tell you both together."

***

The table they'd come to claim as their own had been covered in white tablecloth. Fresh desert wildflowers had been placed into a crystal vase in the center of the table. Sen was already there chatting with a woman who was identical to Misti in appearance. Both had elaborately braided hair, faint freckles across their noses, and very thin bodies. The only difference was that Misti had on a long black dress while her sister wore a black skirt.

"Sen, I think if we make them any shorter we'll be breaking public decency laws," she was saying.

He nodded seriously. "You're right, Kristi. Absolutely right." When Kilan sat down at the only other chair at the table -- one that was exactly opposite Sen's -- the teenager looked up with a happy smile. "This is going to be great!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Kilan said in monotone. "Great."

Sensing that things could get really hairy, really fast, Kristi said good-bye and went off to finish sewing. Biran wandered over and took the recently vacated seat.

"As I was saying earlier, there are ways to ensure that you stay together. Do you have any sort of connection with each other?"

Again, Kilan was confused. He knew that they had to have some sort of link or they wouldn't still be together after all that had happened -- or had nearly happened -- to them. His mate, on the other hand, was nodding sagely. "I feel it in my bones," he said.

"How come I don't?" Kilan asked moodily. He was glad when one of the kitchen staff brought out a pot of stew. It successfully overshadowed his question. They each drew portions from the large pot into bowls and returned to their seats. For a few minutes they busied themselves with eating (at least, Kilan did) until he saw Sen's sympathetic eyes gazing at him. "What?"

Biran leaned across the table and lightly rapped on his skull. "You're hard-headed." Sen giggled behind his hands while Kilan looked offended. "For years you've been keeping strict control over your mind. Sen tells me that your home life was a little..."

"Rough," he said. "Extremely rough."

"Well, you've built up fortress-worthy defenses around your mind, my friend. Sen can physically feel the bond you have because he's completely open to it."

He knew she was right. Over the years, suppressing his thoughts and emotions, as well as making sure the cold behavior of his parents didn't affect him, had closed off his mind to outside influence. If there was one thing he wanted most in the world (besides Sen himself) was to feel the true depth of his love. "Tell me how to fix it," he pleaded.

Biran smiled and spooned up some of her stew. "Go on, eat. There's no sense in letting it become cold."

Eventually, she told them about the process to break down Kilan's mental barriers. "The public ceremony's fairly simple. When I ask you questions, you respond to the best of your ability."

"Can I say something extra?" Sen asked. "I've been thinking about it for a little while."

"Of course. The ceremony isn't set into stone." Biran set her spoon into her bowl and leaned back in full satisfaction. "The girls should be completely finished around sundown. They're the best -- and the fastest -- seamstresses for thousands of miles. The ceremony is set to begin an hour after that, followed by dinner and dancing."

Kilan finished soon after but Sen had taken the entire pot for himself after he was sure everyone had eaten and was currently devouring the remainder. "What do we do until we need to get ready? Anything?"

"Within reason. I guess the only thing off limits would be something that would result in Sen's loss of virginity." The teen coughed on his mouthful and reached for his glass of water. "Can't wear white if you're not a virgin," she grinned.

A little while later, Sen suggested they work at opening Kilan's mind a little more. The two sat in the new room they shared with only two candles for light. "Visualization is the key," Sen said. "If you imagine your mind open, it will be."

"You sure about that?"

"Pretty sure. Close your eyes and we'll see."

For Sen, it was a simple process to feel the frustration flowing from Kilan in waves. His heart went out to him and he visualized himself bridging the gap between them and settling inside his beloved's head.

He imagined that Kilan's mind was like a stone tower with no windows or doors. Nothing could leak out, but neither could anything enter. Sen studied the tall and sturdy walls from all sides and angles and found no cracks. "Not going to stop me," he said with absolute determination. Conjuring up the image of a sledgehammer, he went to work on knocking a hole in the nearest wall.

Three swings later, defenses were crumbling. It didn't hurt that Kilan was more than willing to let him in, either. He tossed aside his tool and squeezed through the hole he'd created. In the very center of the square tower sat the phantom form of a little boy. His face was buried in his knees and fierce sobbing wracked his body. Sen realized that it was the child form of Kilan when the boy looked up. He could never mistake the eyes he considered so beautiful.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. The boy sniffled and regarded him silently for a long while. When he spoke, his voice was filled with hurt.

"I'm not s'posed to cry, you know. Father says only sissies and girls do that." He rubbed his eyes with his fists. "I know, but I still do it. Am I bad?"

Sen pulled the ghostly boy into his lap and held him close. "Of course not, Kilan. Everyone needs to do it sometimes."

He nodded but didn't look convinced. "They never spend time with me. I can't go outside and play or anything. Will you be my friend?"

"I sure will. And when you feel like crying, I'll be right here to hold you, okay?" He kissed him on the forehead. "I love you, Kilandreau."

Kilan's adult voice spoke to him from some far off place. It bounced from the walls and entered his ears, where it settled firmly over his heart. "I love you with all my heart, Senneth." The little boy smiled.

~*~

"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that he was you." Goku said in a strangely wondering tone of voice. "Your mind was as closed off as his was."

There was no response. Vegeta had retreated inside himself a while ago. Goku knew there was no reaching him when he was this way -- and he had tried many times. Better to leave him be for now, and carefully piece together his shattered self-worth tomorrow.