Finally allows me to upload the next chapter yay :D Been trying to upload this thing since 1/29/10 and it kept giving me processing errors. Anyway, I know this chapter is short, and I can't gurantee they'll get any longer either :( I also realize Goku is mad OOC, but thats what happens when you love someone you cared deeply for.
I would like to thank ultimatedragonballzfan, DBZfreak82, and simba-rulz for your reviews :D
Anyway, enjoy ^_^
Disclaimer: I do NOT own DBZ. If I did well...I don't so what does it matter?
Chapter One
It had been a month since Chi-Chi's funeral and even still Goku could not bring himself to go to Mt. Paozu. Bulma and her parents had been kind enough to allow him and Gohan to stay at Capsule Corp, though that did bother him a bit. He had never really depended on someone to take care of him, not since the death of Grandpa Gohan, but he knew for his son's sake, they would need to stay. After all, he may have been the world's saviour twice over but he knew next to nothing about how to care for a baby. Though he was slowly learning, Mrs. Briefs insisted he learn even though she and Bulma took care of the baby most of the time.
The once happy-go-lucky Goku looked down at said baby nestled within his arms, his little fluffy brown tail curled tightly around his father's wrist. He was confused, to say the least. How had something so small, so weak and defenseless caused Chi-Chi so much pain to the point of where it had killed her. It just didn't make any sense to him, she had seemed so happy when she found out she was pregnant, at the time he didn't know what that was, and now that she was gone he often wondered if she knew that she was going to die giving birth to their son.
Bulma came down the stairs quietly, trying to rid herself of the last remnants of sleep. It was early, even by her standards, so she was surprised to see her best friend sitting on the couch with his son in his arms. Her face saddened a bit, the death of Chi-Chi had really affected Goku, and she had noticed it almost instantly. His smiles were few and far between and eve those she could tell were mostly forced to satisfy the recipient. The famous Son Grin was no where to be found and he even ate less, though he still ate enough to fill three people instead of five. Poor Goku . . . I wonder if he'll ever recover from such a pain staking blow. But she knew his wound, so to speak, was not physical. It was an emotional wound that for all she knew would never fully recover.
"Good morning Goku, what are you doing up so early?" She spoke softly, hoping to draw him out of his thoughts in which he seemed delved in to.
Goku heard someone softly call his name and turned his head, "Oh Bulma . . . morning. I . . . didn't sleep well last night."
"Oh okay." More nightmares I guess. That was another thing she had noticed, he had nightmares. More nightmares than a normal person should have. "Would you like some breakfast?" She saw him nod and went to busy herself with preparing breakfast. Her mother came down soon, most likely when she began to smell the food being prepared, and began to help her daughter with breakfast in which her father appeared not long after.
As she cooked Bulma let her thoughts wonder, in which most of them revolved around Goku. A month, that's all it had been and yet for some reason it felt like an eternity for everyone. Some of the changes in her best friend she had noted instantly, while others were noted over time. He was no longer carefree and always had a distant look in his eye, always seeming to be deep in thought. He was no longer the boy she had grown accustomed to knowing, as the boy she once knew never gave any thought to anything and this thought saddened her greatly. Breakfast was prepared shortly as her thoughts wandered and Bulma took a plate of food to him. Even after a month of living at Capsule Corp. he still didn't eat with her and her family at the table.
"Smells good Bulma."
She smiled at her best friend though it went unreturned, as usual she thought. She found herself missing his smile more and more, that carefree, goofy ass grin of his. "Well, hopefully it tastes as good as it smells." She set the plate on the small coffee table in front of the couch and turned to leave when she felt his warm hand wrap around her slender wrist.
"May I ask you a question Bulma?"
"Ehh? Go ahead Goku, you don't need to ask permission."
He sighed, he really was not used to these types of things. Life had always been good to him and now it seemed as if life had turned its back on him, betraying and cutting him to the core. "Is it my fault that Chi-Chi is gone?"
Bulma's eyes widened in shock, such a blunt question and definitely not one she was ready for, especially so early in the morning. "No . . . no it's not you're fault Goku. Why would you even say that?"
"Because I'm the one who got her pregnant . . ." His reply was barely audible and his eyes were downcast.
"Life is strange that way . . . maybe this was to ensure you would be a good father."
"But am I?"
She smiled at him and leaned down to hug him. "I think you make a great daddy for little Gohan." Bulma kissed Gohan on the forehead and released Goku from her hug before heading back into the kitchen to make herself a plate of food as well.
Goku watched her figure retreat back into the kitchen, perhaps she could . . . no, he chided himself for even beginning to contemplate such a notion. He would never do such a thing again, with anyone, and surely not his best friend. He would not risk her life for himself. After all, he never knew his mother or father, only Grandpa Gohan and even that was short lived. He looked down to his snoozing son, My son . . . At least his son would have a father.
And now Chapter One comes to a close. Not sure when I'll get around to doing Chapter Two but just know that I will be working on it and this story isn't on hiatus yet :)
And remember, reading without reviewing is a FF crime :D
