Goku had had many a restless and sleepless nights in the past week. The same foreboding dreams would arouse him, his heart hammering in his chest. All hours of the night he'd spring awake, the covers slipping down off his bare chest as he grasped his head and glared forward at nothing in particular. Chichi's concern had been mounting as even her most powerful home remedies had failed to improve her darling husband's condition. In desperation, she had even begun calling the family doctor for possible advice, but even this couldn't stop her fretting for her two boys. How could Gohan possibly concentrate to his fullest if he was so distracted with concern for his father? And what of Goten? He's just a little boy still unable to cope with his own nightmares. Her only condolence was that Goku could never remember his dream to convey it to his youngest son and thus Goten's greatest of fears would remain as being put to bed with no dessert.

This morning, Chichi, with sunken, tired eyes, prepared breakfast over a hissing skillet while Gohan quickly gobbled down some toast as he was, as usual, running very late. Goten sat in a booster seat by his father, munching on oatmeal, but mostly just dictating yesterday's most fantastic adventures with the aid of his brightly colored spoon being swung about. Goku, putting his best attention efforts forward for his toddler, stared at the table with a tired face but still with a cheery smile and an occasional laugh at appropriate moments.

"Well, I just don't know what to do," Chichi said despairingly over the stovetop.

"Don't worry about it, Chichi. I'm sure it'll pass on its own," Goku reassured her.

"It's been nearly a week, Goku. Don't you think if it were going to it would have by now?" she argued grumpily as she placed a fat stack of fresh pancakes and French toast upon his plate. Goku was then too distracted by the luxury of food to respond, leaving Chichi to place herself heavily in a chair, slump over, and stare dazedly into her teacup. "
"I haven't called Bulma yet. Maybe she'd know a thing or two about it, you know, with how busy things get over there," she said half to herself, half to the surrounding space for anyone to reply.

"I bet she would, Mom," Gohan said, contributing his bit of optimism.

"And do I get to see Trunks!" Goten cheered from his seat, more excited to play than to concern himself with the problems around him.

"But I have so much work to get done here," she complained, worry renewing itself in her expression. A forlorn and disappointed moan instantly emitted from Goten.

"Maybe I could go ask," Goku said in an upbeat volunteering. "Besides, it'll give me a chance to catch up with the guys."

Just as Goten's face lit up, Chichi's face formed into a scowl as she stood up, slamming her fists into the table. "AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'D LET YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT! YOU'LL JUST WIND UP GETTING YOURSELF INTO ANOTHER ADVENTURE WITHOUT ME AND IT'LL BE YEARS UNTIL I SEE YOU AGAIN!" Goku instantly coward with a feared chuckle.

"I see your point, maybe you should just call."

Her face brightened again. "Now that's a better idea." She began clearing the table and promptly shooed Gohan out the door with a ten minute warning for class to begin.

Later that day in the high after hours when Gohan was long gone at school and Goku and Goten were long gone to swim and fish, Chichi picked up her phone and dialed the familiar number of her best friend. It had rung no more than once before her voice responded, "Hello?"

"Hey, Bulma, this is Chichi. I was wondering-"

"Chichi! Oh my gosh, you're exactly the person I've been needing to talk to," Bulma cut her off. "You know a lot of those home cures, I was wondering it you had any for soothing nightmares? Vegeta's been waking me up with them every night this week-"

"HIM TOO!" Chichi shouted in dismay.

"Yeah, I guess. Goku's having troubles as well?"

"Yes, and I just don't know what to do about it."

"Hmph," Bulma sounded with a firm resolve, "then I bet it's somehow related! Get over here right now and we'll figure this one out." She hung up the phone.

"Hello? Bulma?" Chichi questioned the dead air, a loot of gravest concern engraved deeply into her face. "Not again."

Disclaimer: like most everyone else on I do not own Dragon Ball Z.