A Mother's Requiem
'You come back to me,' she had told him. But he didn't listen. She wondered if he had known what was going to happen to him from the very start. Even if he had, he wouldn't have let on. That was his way. He always charged headfirst into a battle, even if he had no hopes of winning. And that was one of the many reasons she loved him.
Before his battle with Cell, Goku was as calm as ever. He had instilled false hope into her. Hope that he would win, and that life could go back to normal. He had been so happy, so gentle, so carefree. He had soaked up every bit of life that he could. Those three days were some of the best days of her life. When the time came for him to leave, she asked two favors. He granted neither of them.
And then he was gone, just like that. She wished things had ended differently. Every time Goku left for a battle, he took a piece of Chi-Chi with him. And every time, sooner or later, he had brought it back. Except for this time. This time, she knew he wasn't coming back. She wished she hadn't been so angry at him as he left. She never imagined that Gohan wouldn't be the one that she needed to worry about. She never dreamed that Goku would finally meet his match.
Cell had changed their little family in so many ways. In one way, Cell had provided the path for Gohan to become a man, to think for himself and to step out of his father's shadow.
At the same time, Cell had torn their family. He had taken away the one that they needed the most. She could raise Gohan on her own. But that was never how she had wanted it, nor how she had imagined it. Gohan needed his father. As much as she claimed to hate Goku's influence on her son, she was glad of it. He had gone almost everywhere with his father, gaining many of his positive qualities. Though she worried about Gohan now that his father was dead, he didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that Goku was gone. Not as bothered as she was.
How Goku had expected her to carry on, chin up, was beyond her. But she had to do it. She had to do it for him. She knew that his intentions were noble, they always were. Ever since she could remember he had always put the needs of others above his own, even when he was a small child. She knew it was selfish of her, but she wished he could be here with her. It was only right that he was here for this moment. He had never had the chance to know about his second son.
Every day, Chi-Chi wondered why things had happened the way they did. If they had known they were expecting a second son, would Goku have come home? Would he have wanted to be wished back, then?
Little Goten looked even more like his father than Gohan had. He had the same unruly black hair and innocent eyes. She hoped he would grow up to be like his father. She was going to do all she could to ensure that he did, and she was going to start by training him herself. His father was a good man. He had protected her through thick and thin. He had protected everyone. He had given her happiness, even through the bad times. And she simply couldn't have asked for more.