2. Deadman Walking
A/N: I don't own DBZ.
Gohan looked into the eyes of little Marron Chestnut and knew, just knew he was screwed.
He can see why Krillin is absolute putty in the hands of the blonde, pig-tailed three-year-old.
Those bright, innocent eyes are incredibly difficult to say no to.
Piggy-back rides around the island. Piggy-back rides above the island. Sweets before dinner. Sweets during dinner. Sweets after.
Pushing back her bedtime an hour.
Two.
Three.
And 18 had told him that Marron was to be in bed at 8 o'clock.
18's exact words: "Marron is to be in bed at o'clock, a firm 8 o'clock."
Yet here she is dressed in pink pajamas, with matching bowties in her hair, eating her… well he honestly lost count of how many bowls of ice cream she had had.
Not that it really matters. This baby sitting gig went down hill long ago.
"Gohan?" She called out called out to him, wiping the ice cream from around her mouth, "Can you go blonde like in the videos on TV?" She's pointing to a still image of his younger self on the television. There appears to be a commercial for a documentary about the mysterious fighters from The Cell games.
"Hmm…go blonde?" He repeats, ignoring the commercial. Then it hits him, "Oh! You mean Super Saiyan."
Sure, I could but the resulting release of ki would destroy Kame House. Which, if I weren't screwed before…
She tugs on his hand, interrupting his train of thought, "Can you, Gohan? That way we can match," she says gesturing to her hair, "and we can be like brother and sister!" Finished Marron, with hopeful merriment shining in her eyes.
"Yeah Gohan, go blonde for us." A voiced intoned from behind the young half-saiyan.
He then turns around. He sees 18 dressed in an elegant sleeveless black dress with a similarly colored choker with a decent sized gem same color as her eyes. Her arms are crossed under her chest, her stilettos dangling from her fingers. She doesn't look happy. Next to her is Krillin dressed in a red dress shirt under a black sport coat, with matching dress pants and polished black shoes, his hand in his growing hair. The formerly bald ex-monk is wearing a look on his face that says: Oh no! Gohan, what are you doing?
"Mommy!" Screamed Marron, as she ran to her mother.
Formally dressed blonde discards her shoes from her hands, then sweeps her daughter up into her arms as she closes the distance.
"Hey bug, looks like you've had a good time with Gohan tonight, huh?" Said Krillin to his daughter, reaching out for her hand.
Gohan nervously makes is way over to the family just as Marron begins to rattle off everything she's done tonight.
As she goes on, Gohan whispers to Krillin, "I'm so dead. I'm dead, right? I'm totally dead."
Before Krillin can respond 18 looks to the two and says, "We were having such a great night. You're worse than Krillin. Teddy bears, the two of you! Kami damned teddy bears. 6 bowls of ice cream and 3 hours past Marron's bed time." She sighs exasperatedly, still holding her daughter close. "I shudder to think what kind of father you'll be Gohan, if you have daughter you'll be just as helpless to her as Krillin is our Marron."
"Oh, come on babe!" Says Krillin, speaking on behalf of hapless fathers everywhere (future or otherwise). "Gohan at least managed to get her in her pjs. That counts for something right?" he finishes as he takes Marron from 18.
"We were just having fun hanging out mommy, don't be mad at Gohan. I'm the one who asked for all that stuff!" Interjects Marron, apparent innocence marring her face.
18 pats Marron on the head, smiling at her daughter. "Its ok Marron. I'm not angry with you, though don't think I don't know what you're doing." She said to Marron with a knowing look. 18 then looks to Gohan. "But I do know how that anger can be assuaged, what was it you were asking Gohan for before we came in Marron?"
"Go blonde! Go blonde!"
"And do you promise to go to bed after?" Asks 18.
"But mom!"
"Marron," says 18 sternly. The little girl ceases her argument, as 18 turn her attention to the half-saiyan baby sitter.
"Gohan, go blonde." 18 quietly demands.
"I'm not sure 18." Says Gohan.
"Oh, come Gohan be a good sport." Says Krillin.
"Do it Gohan, especially since Marron's supposed to be in bed." Says 18, with a deadly glint in her eye. Gohan tires to argue once more. But before he can utter a syllable, 18 closes the distance between her and Gohan. She gathers the back of his shirt in her hands, lifting the teen-aged saiyan by it effortlessly bringing him eye to eye as his feet dangle useless above the living room floor . "Gohan…"
"Um… baby?" Mutters Krillin.
"OK, OK, I'll do it," says Gohan, as he starts to fidget in 18's grip trying to free himself. Marron claps her hands together in merriment while in her father's arms, happy she's going to get her way one las time before having to go to bed.
Gohan makes his way to the middle of the living room, ready to gather his ki for his transformation into a super saiyan.
18 laughs perturbed at the young saiyan, "On the beach, kid, Kami."
Gohan makes his way to the beach, as per 18's order, whom has put down Marron to watch the spectacle of a Super Saiyan transformation. She stops a few feet away from Gohan clapping excitedly, Krillin coming up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders bracing her and with 18 bringing up the rear.
"You guys ready?" Asks Gohan. The Chestnuts all nod in the affirmative, as Gohan begins to gather his ki. "Brace yourselves."
Gohan unleashes a shout, short, but loud and powerful. The ki of Gohan's base form reaches its breaking point as it explodes beyond that limit, reaching into a seemingly endless reserve of energy. His hair raises with his ki, brightening as his energy reaches its apex. A torrent of wind accompanies the transformation, it would've been strong enough to knock little Marron across Kame Island had she not been held in place her dad. The wind dies down as the immense ki of Gohan's super saiyan form begins to even out.
Once his aura dissipated and ki completely evened out, Marron makes a break for the young super saiyan. "Marron!" Krillin yells after his daughter.
Gohan scoops the three-year-old up as the distance closes between them giggling all the while.
"Wow Gohan, your eyes are so pretty!" She said. Marron reaches for a tiny fist-full of his glowing golden hair. "Your hair's not as soft as when its black." She says with a small pout.
"Ok Bug, remember that promise to mom, time for bed." Says Krillin.
Marron looks to Gohan sadly, her time with her defacto big brother coming to an end.
"Say goodbye to Gohan, Marron," said 18, "I've got like 8 missed calls from Chi-Chi." She mutters to himself.
"Can you take a picture, mom? Please?" Begged Marron. "Then I promise, promise, promise I'll go to bed!"
Krillin goes for his own phone before 18 can respond. "I've got your back, love." He says to Marron before taking a pic of Marron and Gohan.
"Teddy bears." Says 18 exasperatedly.
"Thanks dad!" Marron yelled as she jumps from Gohan's arms, running up into Kame House to her room for bed.
"We'll be up in a minute Marron", yells 18 after her. "So, Gohan. This honestly could've been way worse, but thank you looking after Marron tonight. Babe?" She motions to Krillin.
Krillin reaches into his jacket pocket for his wallet, taking put a couple of zenni and handing it off to the super saiyan.
"Thank you, guys, really," says Gohan. "Call me again if you need a baby-sitter again."
18 laughs at the proposition as she makes her way to him, she hugs pulls him in a hug and kisses him on top of the head, "Next time I need a sitter I'll call Piccolo. He makes sure the children he looks after adheres to bed times." She finished with smile to young super saiyan.
"Thanks, Gohan, you did fine." Says Krillin, giving the super saiyan a hug of his own. "Give Chi-Chi and Goten my love."
Gohan waves to the two, pocketing the zenni and flying off.
18 sighs, "That kid, I swear he's as defenseless against Marron as you are."
"Hey!"