"Hey mom, where is dad at?" Goten asked.
"He is off training with Piccolo and Vegeta," Chi Chi responded. "You would think that I, his wife, were the least important thing to him."
"Oh but mom....I think he trains so that he will be strong enough to defend you if someone really bad shows up again."
"How much stronger could he possibly need to be?!" Chi Chi asked. "He is nearly damn invincible and there has been no threat presented to him he hasn't overcome!"
"Just as father grows stronger, any villain can do the same," Gohan said.
"What is the chance in that happening anyhow?" Chi Chi asked.
"Who knows," Gohan replied.
"I was wanting to go see Trunks today, if you don't mind," Goten said to his mother.
"Well, I DO mind! You need to be studying!"
"Please mom...."
"Absolutely not. Go to your room right now and study."
"But mom..." Goten began but was quickly silenced by his mother's glare. With that he turned away and walked towards his room with his head sank low. He shut his door and sat down on his bed and stared at one of his school textbooks. "Why is mom so stern about studying..."
I really wanted to see Trunks today...Goten thought deeply of his friend. He thought for a moment about leaving. Going to see Trunks even though his mother didn't want him to go anywhere. Though he was afraid of his mother, as almost everyone was because of her temper, he decided that that was what he was going to do. He was going to go see Trunks anyway.
Chi Chi stood silently washing dishes as she noticed that Goku had arrived from his earlier training session.
"Hey Chi Chi," Goku said as he walked in. "What are we having for supper?"
"Well after training all day, I bet you are awful tired," Chi Chi said. "I will cook you whatever you want."
"Great!" Goku said.
"Hi dad," Gohan said. He was sitting at the table.
"How are you today, Gohan?"
"I'm fine."
"Oh Chi Chi, where is Goten?"
"Oh he is up in his room studying," Chi Chi sighed.
Goku walked out of the room to go see his youngest son. He looked into Goten's room only to see an open window and no Goten. With a puzzled look, he returned to the kitchen.
"Goten's not in his room," Goku reported.
"WHAT?!" Chi Chi asked in a shocked voice. She went to look for herself, then continued to check all the other rooms only to realize that Goten had left. Chi Chi stormed back into the kitchen with an angered look on her face. She walked right in front of Goku and stared him dead in the face. Her mind clouded with worries and with irritations. Numerous things that were building up...and she just exploded with rage.
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Chi Chi shrieked.
"What do you mean?" Goku stared in amazement.
"You are the one who keeps doing this. Running delusions through my child's head the same way you did Gohan. Making them want to train. Making them not want to listen to me!"
Goku couldn't think of what to say to calm Chi Chi. He took the force of her anger feeling bewildered and misunderstood.
"You aren't the only parent here! I AM THEIR MOTHER TOO!"
"I never..." Goku started to try to defend himself but was only interrupted by Chi Chi's chain of accusations.
"Its is your fault...I want to raise my children to have a good life. Not a life they have to spend training all the time, not a life where they have to be in danger. If that means I have to take care of my kids away from you then dammit that is exactly what I am going to do."
"Wait a minute Chi Chi," Goku urged.
"There are no more minutes Goku. I am tired of this. We are through!"
Gohan stared in disbelief as his mother ripped his father apart verbally. He worried about what the outcome would be though it didn't take much to assure him of a negative outcome. He had never seen his mother this angry before.
"Nothing is going to change my mind, it is in the best interest of me and of my children if we aren't together anymore!" Chi Chi argued. "I want you to go find our son, bring him back here, then I want you to leave."
"But Chi Chi, lets talk this through," Goku said.
"I've tried that before but it never worked. Now go find him!" Chi Chi yelled. With that Goku realized that there wouldn't be anyway of getting back on her good side now. He decided to do as she said and go look for Goten. His heart felt crushed but at the same time he felt free.
"Ya know, I wasn't supposed to come see you," Goten said as he and Trunks walked through a forest near Bulma's house. "Mom was making me study. She said I couldn't come."
"Then why are you here?" Trunks asked.
"I just really wanted to come see you, so I left through my window without telling her."
"Oh my god, you are going to be in so much trouble when you go back home!" Trunks teased.
"Maybe I shouldn't go back home..." Goten suggested.
"But where would you stay, if you didn't go back home?" Trunks questioned.
"I don't know," Goten answered.
"You're parents are probably going to find you anyways."
"Yeah...what's the use in hiding," Goten sighed in a disappointed manner. "Hey Trunks...have you ever liked somebody?"
"What do you mean??" Trunks replied puzzled.
"I mean liked somebody...like more than a friend."
"I'm not sure..." Trunks replied. "Why are you asking such a strange question?"
"I don't know...just curious," Goten responded with a slight blush.
"You look a little red Goten," Trunks pointed out.
"I do...?" Goten said as he tried to cover up his face.
"Ya know Goten...I do like somebody," Trunks said. "Like more than a friend." Goten looked at Trunks with surprised eyes. Trunks smiled and leaned towards Goten. He gently placed his lips against Goten's and kissed him. Goten's eyes widened in shock as he stepped back from Trunks.
"What's wrong?" Trunks asked.
"N..nothing," Goten said glowing red. Goten's heart pounded as he thought about what had happened. He thought about the moment, the feeling, Trunks' lips touching his, the excitement.
"Nothing..." Trunks sighed with relief. He looked deep into Goten's eyes and then leaned forward for another kiss. He planted his lips against Goten's yet again and pulled him close in an embrace. Trunks felts so comfortable with Goten in his arms and also very happy.
The two let go and sat down to talk but were quickly interrupted as Goku appeared out of the sky and landed on the ground. Goten's happy look faded away because he knew why his father was there. With what had just happened, Goten wanted to stay with Trunks even more than before.
"Goten... I need to take you back to your mom," Goku said.
Goten lowered his head with guilt and was afraid of what his mother would do to him as punishment. "Are you mad at me dad?"
"Not at all son," Goku replied. "But you still have to go home."
"Can I please stay here for now?" Goten begged.
"I'm sorry Goten, but you have to go home," Goku said.
"Goten... go back home for now," Trunks said. "I'll come visit you."
"I'm sorry Trunks..." Goten said sadly. "I hope to see you soon."
"You should head home soon, Trunks," Goku said as he and Goten left on there way back home. With their speed it didn't take them long at all to get back home. Goku stopped at the door as Goten was about to walk in. When Goten noticed his dad's hesitation he stopped as well.
"What's wrong dad?" Goten asked.
"Nothing, Goten. It's just that I'm not going to be staying here anymore," Goku replied.
"What do you mean?!" Goten said with a worried look.
"Don't worry Goten," Goku said. "Just mind your mother and I will come see you often."
"But dad..." Goten started.
"Go inside," Goku said. "I love you son but right now I have to go. So I want you to go inside and don't worry."
"Okay dad," Goten said. He was worried but he decided it was best to follow his father's wishes. He hugged his father then stepped into the house as he watched his father leave with a wave.
"There you are!" Chi Chi exclaimed. "Where have you been!?"
"I wanted to go see Trunks," Goten replied.
"After I had already told you that you couldn't go?!" Chi Chi asked. "You need to study."
"But I study all the time," Goten said.
"That is no reason to leave when I say you can't!" Chi Chi said.
"Okay mom," Goten responded.
"Where is Goku?" Chi Chi asked.
"He left," Goten said. "After he brought me here. He said he can't stay here anymore."
"Oh.." Chi Chi sighed. "Well he's right! I don't need him messing our lives up anymore with his obsession of training and having you fight."
"I like fighting though," Goten said. "He trains for a reason mom."
"I know what you are going to say," Chi Chi said. "He's doing it to protect us, but by doing so he ignores us."
"Mom..." Goten started.
"Be quiet Goten. You are going to be grounded for going against my wishes today. No more training, no more visiting Trunks. You will stay here and study and go to school like a normal boy, and you will make normal friends."
"Mom?!" Goten gasped.
"Now go to your room right now."
"Why are you making such drastic rules??" Goten questioned.
"I made these rules to make us a better family, so I can have a son who obeys me."
"Please Mom, Trunks is my best friend."
"I said, go to your room!"
Goten turned angrily and ran to his room slamming the door. He lied down on his bed and cried. He was worried about his father and worried that he wouldn't be able to see Trunks anymore.
"I can't be away from him..." Goten said to himself. "Mom can't keep me from visiting him...I love him."
Later at Dr. Briefs' compound.
Having nowhere else to go, Goku decided that he would ask Bulma if he could stay over at her and her parent's compound. He walked up to their house and knocked on the door only to be greeted by Mrs. Briefs.
"Oooh Hello Goku!" Mrs. Briefs said.
"Hi Mrs. Briefs," Goku said.
"What brings you here?"
"I needed a place to stay and I thought that you guys might let me since you have such a big place."
"Well you know we have that extra building that we are letting Vegeta stay in."
"Vegeta is staying here??"
"Why yes he is. I'm sure you could stay in that building also," Mrs. Briefs said.
"Why aren't you staying at your house?"
"Chi Chi wanted me to leave," Goku informed.
"Oh Goodness. You poor thing, why?"
"I'm not really sure," Goku said.
"Well let me get Bulma, you wait right here." Mrs. Briefs said.
Mrs. Briefs walked back into the house for just a minute to get Bulma. She informed her daughter what had happened and urged her to avoid the subject. She didn't want Goku to have to think about it more than he already was.
"Hey Goku," Bulma said as she opened the door again. "I hear you are going to be staying here for a while."
"Yeah."
"That is going to be cool," Bulma said. "We haven't had the chance to really hang out since we were kids."
"Yeah I know what you mean," Goku said with a slight chuckle.
"Well, I will take you to the other building, so that you can get some rest," Bulma said. "You think you are going to be okay staying with Vegeta?"
"I don't think it will be too bad."
"Well he is a hard one to get along with," Bulma reported.
"Ha ha ha, I'll keep that in mind."
Bulma and Goku talked to each other as she walked him to the building that he would be staying in. She walked in to see Vegeta for a moment and told him that Goku would be staying here with him. Then she showed Goku in.
"You don't have a problem with me staying here do you Vegeta?" Goku asked.
"Do as you wish," Vegeta said.
"There is a spare bed over there that you can sleep in," Bulma said as she pointed to an extra bed. "This building is equipped with everything you will need."
"Thanks Bulma," Goku said. "It's really nice of you guys letting me stay here like this."
"No problem," Bulma said. "Well I'll leave you boys now."
"Talk to you later Bulma," Goku said with a wave as she walked out.
Goku walked in and sat down on the bed. He looked across the room at Vegeta, who was lying on his back on the other bed.
"So Vegeta, what is it like living here?" Goku asked.
"It's okay. It is a place to stay, better than nothing." Vegeta said. "Why aren't you at home with your wife Kakarrot?"
"She told me not to stay there anymore," Goku said.
"You two had an argument?" Vegeta asked. "I'm surprised the woman decided to stay with you this long."
"Hey, that is an unfair thing to say."
"Maybe it is, but I think she was the unfair one for throwing you out," Vegeta said.
"It's not her fault," Goku said.
"Just like you Kakarrot," Vegeta said. "She got angry with you because of all the training?"
"That was part of it," Goku said. "She says I'm ruining the children's lives."
"Didn't you tell her about the tremendous power we felt?"
"No...I didn't want to worry her," Goku said.
"Well, I guess it all works out for the best. Someone like you wasn't meant to be a family man." Vegeta said.
"I guess you are right Vegeta." Goku said. "Right now I should only be worried about protecting everyone anyhow. With this power that is approaching Earth."
"This power is stronger than any we have ever felt Kakarrot," Vegeta said.
"Do you think we will be able to overcome it?" Goku asked.
"What are you acting so weak for?!" Vegeta asked. "We are saiyans!"
"I think we are going to need Gohan and Goten though," Goku said. "But Chi Chi refuses to let them train or fight."
"They will come to you Kakarrot." Vegeta said. "Even if they don't, the rest of us will be strong enough to fend off any enemies."
"Do you realize whose chi this power resembles?" Goku said to Vegeta.
"You mean Frieza?" Vegeta said.
"Yep," Goku said.
"Well right now we should worry about getting a good nights sleep so we can train hard tomorrow," Vegeta said.
"You're right." Goku said as he lied down to go to sleep. "Goodnight Vegeta."
Goku was answered with silence. His happy nature kept him from worrying too much about what had happened and he went to sleep.