Sabriena was still a little mopey, not quite herself over the next couple of days as she struggled to accept that both of her parents were now gone. She sat on the steps to the cabin, ignoring Dog as he nudged at her hand and Gohan landed in the yard in front of the cabin.

Goten grinned and ran straight to Sabriena, but paused when he saw the expression on her face. "Why are you sad?" he asked bluntly, tipping his head to the side.

Sabriena frowned slightly, her lip trembling again. "My daddy died," she answered in a soft voice. There was no point in hiding the truth from him. Child or not, he didn't need to be lied to and it was just the other day when he told her he understood about death. She wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand and drew a sharp breath through her nose to stop it from running.

Goten wordlessly crawled into her lap and hugged her neck. He didn't like seeing her sad. It broke his little heart and he thought he might cry for her. No, he would be strong for her. He screwed up his little face, refusing to cry. But when she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, tears slipped from his eyes anyway. Not from sadness, but from the warm comfort he so rarely got from anyone besides his father.

She turned him around after a moment and rested her chin on his head, watching Goku and Gohan talking in the yard with Tien. "Goten, I know you're little, but I wanna tell you something. You know, our parents don't stay with us forever. They all die at some point. That's why it's very, VERY important to spend as much time with your daddy as possible," she said in his ear. "Your daddy is the very best daddy in the world. And he loves you more than anything in this world. So you be good and tell him you love him, okay?"

Goten snuggled back into her arms, his little hands grabbed at them so he could wrap them around himself. He leaned back and looked up at her with his eyes big. "I'll be good. I tell Daddy every time I see him." A little blush grew across his cheeks and he fumbled for his next words, "And… um, Sabriena? I love you, too. So you don't have to be sad. I'll love you just as much as your daddy did, so you don't have to be sad."

Sabriena exhaled a shuddering breath and buried her face in Goten's unruly hair, squeezing him tightly. She couldn't help the tears that slid from her eyes. "I wish you were mine," she whispered.

Goten wiggled in her grasp and turned around again so he could put his hand on her shoulders and a small hand on her cheek, looking at her face, her eyes full of tears. "You… you want to be my momma too?" His eyes were big, innocent. There was a hope there behind them and he blushed, "I mean… you know… You don't have to be. You are a pretty awesome friend." He leaned forward and hugged her tightly, burying his face into her neck.

She hugged him tightly, wiping the tears from her face. What in the world had gotten into her? She never wanted to be a mother, but somehow this little person had wormed his way right into her heart and there was no denying it. She caught the men in the yard staring at her and she sat up straight suddenly, pushing Goten back a bit to look at him. She stared into his dark eyes that were exactly like his father's. "I'm hungry. You wanna help me make everyone some lunch?"

Goten's eyes lit up and a wide grin spread across his face, his question forgotten to him, "YEAH! Think we can make pancakes?! Bulma makes them for me whenever I go over to visit Trunks and we aren't feeling so great. They make everything better! Can you flip a pancake?! Can you teach me?" He took her hand and eagerly led her inside.

"What was that all about?" Gohan asked, his eyes wide as he watched his brother drag Sabriena inside the cabin. He'd never seen Sabriena affectionate before, especially not with a kid. His mind was blown. "She really did change, didn't she?"

Goku looked after them and smiled, "I think they bonded over food. Last time he was here, she really got him into the spirit of cooking. You should see that woman toss pizza dough. She and Goten really have something going there! " He looked back at Gohan, he was relieved. Maybe Goten coming over was good for Sabriena. He'd actually gotten her off of the porch and up and moving with a spark in her eyes. "Thanks for bringing him Gohan. Really. Did… did you find anything out yet?"

Gohan shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dad. With her dad's funeral and all that, I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. But I've still got him for three more days. I'll find out for sure. I helped him get dressed for bed the other night, though, and I didn't see any marks or anything. So that's a good sign, right?"

Goku looked back towards the house sadly. "Physical marks heal, Gohan. It's an easy thing to do if you have an extra senzu bean laying around the house." It hurt him to think that Chichi, if she had been doing this, she had been using precious senzu beans to do it. One senzu bean could have made all the difference with Krillin's life, but they had none that day to take with them into battle.

"It's the emotional marks I'm worried about." He shook his head, "I hope we were wrong. Even after all she's done, she's still your mother and Goten's mother. I really did love her all those twenty years. It hurts me to think that she would do such a thing to you or Goten." He ducked his head, "Or that I was too stupid not to notice it."

Gohan shook his head sadly. "I don't know what to think of her anymore," he said quietly. "She's just so controlling. I don't get it. I mean, she's always been that way, but it's getting worse. That much I do know."

Tien cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Gohan sighed, "She keeps coming by the house, telling us how we're doing everything wrong as parents. She thinks we've always got Phoenix dressed too hot or too cold. Lindsey's feeding him too much or not enough. He should've been bottle fed because breastfeeding him is 'inappropriate'." Gohan squeezed his face with his hand. "You should've heard the argument over that one. Lindsey and Mom were nose-to-nose screaming facts at each other. It was a nightmare."

Goku's face turned a slight shade of red. Now was NOT the time to remember that amazing night when he and Tien had been suckling from Sabriena. He shook his head, "Inappropriate? Isn't that what mommies are supposed to do?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm sorry Gohan. I guess without me around, your mother doesn't have anyone else to take her frustrations out on."

"She shouldn't have taken them out on you either," Tien said crossly.

Gohan looked curiously at Tien before lowering his eyes to the ground. There had been so much talk about how his mother had mistreated his father, but no one specifically said how. He knew she yelled and screamed at him all the time, threatened to leave him for years because of his training. He didn't know and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what else she had done. When he was younger, he thought that was a normal way to live. Now though, he saw how wrong his mother was. "You guys don't think maybe there's something wrong with Mom, do you? You know, like, mentally? I don't want to think that about her, but I can't help wondering if it's something she needs to see a doctor about. Maybe some medication would help her or something."

Goku tapped a finger against his lips as he thought. "I don't know. You're mother's always been a little violent." He swallowed, he didn't want to tell his son she had tricked him into a marriage. He loved his sons and he never wanted to go back and do it again without them. They were never a mistake.

He briefly wondered what a child between himself and Sabriena would look like and had to hold back the snort of laughter that the image he came up with was a super Saiyan. Her blonde hair, it made him kind of giddy to think that. "I don't think so. She's just got a different way of thinking, of how she was brought up."

Gohan's heart dropped. "Yeah, you're probably right." It would have been easier on his heart to think that his mother was sick, because sicknesses can be cured. To think that she was the way she was just because it suited her, hurt far worse. Sick you can fix. Evil, not so much. "I thought about talking to Grandpa about her, but," Gohan stopped and groaned, "I don't want to stress him out. He's gettin' up there in years, ya know? I can't do that to him."

"I think you should keep this as private as possible," Tien said. "If it turns out Goten's not safe staying with Chichi, then we can turn to others for help. I wouldn't say anything to anyone else just yet."

Goku nodded. If they were just being paranoid, it wouldn't do well to draw attention to Chichi, calling her a bad mother before it was proven. His stomach twisted. She would never let him see Goten again for sure if that happened. "Yeah, it's almost as bad as the lies she tried to spread about me after the divorce. Though maybe your grandfather knows something we don't. Maybe not outright ask him, but ask how mother was when she was younger or something." He shook his head, "I honestly don't know. I wish we didn't have to deal with everything at once." He looked back at the cabin where he could hear Goten talking excitedly to Sabriena, pots and pans clinking together, "Would it be alright if you two stayed for a bit longer? I think it's good for Sabriena that Goten stays. Even if she won't admit it."

"Lindsey took Phoenix and went to Jenny's. They said something about going shopping with Catie and Leelee. So, yeah, I've pretty much got the whole afternoon free," he laughed. "We can stay, on one condition."

Goku smiled and looked at him, happy they were staying, "Sure. Whatever you want. Just name it."

"I get to eat Sabriena's cooking. Goten swears it's the best."

Goku threw his head back and laughed, "How did I know that one was coming? Of course you can! I swear, I don't know how I lived without it! Tien tried to keep it a secret from all of us, I'm sure." He looked suspiciously over at his husband for a moment before winking at him, "Come on. Let's go see what they're making and if they need us to fetch any ingredients."

Goku had a sudden idea for Sabriena that night, he had seen the herb garden she had planted, the lavender was coming up and he wondered if there was a way to scent the hot tub water with it. Didn't girls put lavender in bath oils or something?

They headed for the cabin as they joked about eating poor Tien out of house and home, when a sudden shattering of glass from inside the cabin made them pause. "I'M SORRY!" Goten cried.

Goku's eyes went wide and he quickly opened the door to the cabin and easily spotted the broken glass on the ground, "Are you two alright? What happened?" He saw his son cowering against the wall, tears in his eyes. His hand up as if to protect himself.

"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" Goten bawled.

Sabriena was on her knees, picking up the shards of a broken mixing bowl, the pancake mix oozing across the floor. "Goten, it's fine," she said in a calming voice.

Tien bent down beside Sabriena to help her pick up the shards. He grabbed a couple towels to wipe up the batter before Dog tried to get to it. "You guys okay? You didn't get cut, did you?"

Sabriena shook her head. "We're fine. Just a little accident."

"Y-You're not g-gonna get the switch, are you?" Goten sobbed, scrubbing at his fearful eyes with his fists.

Goku's eyes narrowed at that and he went over to his son and knelt down in front of him, "Goten, why would you think she would get the switch? She's not going to hurt you. It was an accident. Has..." He stopped himself. He couldn't bring himself to say it. He just knew he didn't want to hear those words out of his son's mouth ever again.

Gohan knelt beside his father. "Let me talk to him," he said softly. "C'mon buddy," he said, picking his brother up and carrying him outside.

Big tears slid down Goten's cheeks as he laid his head on Gohan's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Gohan," he whimpered. "I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't," Gohan said as he walked down to the river. "And everyone else knows you didn't. They're not mad at you." He sat Goten down in the shade of a big tree and sat in front of him. "Goten," he said in a soft voice, "Why on earth would you think Sabriena would use a switch on you?"

Goten looked at the ground and fiddled with some of the small, smooth rocks.

"Goten?" Gohan pressed.

"I'm not s'posed to say," Goten answered quietly.

A cold rage settled into Gohan's stomach. "You can tell me," Gohan said.

Goten's bottom lip trembled and he shook his head as more tears poured from his eyes.

"Goten, please, I can help you. I can make it better if you just tell me," Gohan pleaded softly. "Does... Does mom spank you with a switch?"

"Only when I've been bad," Goten whispered. He looked up at Gohan, his black eyes begging for understanding,."I try to be good! I don't mean to break things! I just can't control how strong I am. I break glasses when I try to pick them up sometimes. It makes Momma real mad. She calls me a monster."

"She what?!" Gohan gasped in horror.

Goku paced back and forth in the cabin and drug his fingers through his hair. He wanted so much to go down to the river and hear what Goten had to say, but he didn't want to make him clam up again. His mind kept playing over and over the way Goten had flinched. The pain in his voice as he begged not to be switched. It made his blood boil.

Sabriena cleaned up the last of the mess before getting out a new bowl, metal this time, and began to mix a fresh batch of batter. "It's my fault," she muttered. "I should've known better than to use glass. I wasn't thinking."

Tien shook his head. "This is bad." He couldn't believe the reaction from Goten. A worry settled into his chest that Goten hadn't been putting on a show for Sabriena the other day. That was real fear in his eyes, in his voice.

Gohan still sat down at the river, talking to his younger brother. "Where does she hit you, Goten? I don't see any marks or anything," he said, looking at him carefully.

"All over," Goten answered. "She makes the marks go away if we leave the house, though. She makes me eat beans. They taste awful."

Senzu beans.

Gohan closed his eyes and groaned. His dad had hit that one on the mark. "I'm so sorry, Little Man." He grabbed Goten up and hugged him tightly.

"Did Momma spank you when you were little?" Goten asked.

"Well yeah," Gohan answered, "but not like that. When did this start? After you guys moved away?"

Goten shook his head. "Momma's always spanked me like that. Daddy was out training, you were at school. Momma was mad you all weren't at home." He went quiet for a minute. "Why doesn't Momma love me, Gohan?"

Gohan's heart broke. He hugged his little brother, "She does love you. She just..." He didn't know what to say. He could feel his father's energy rising up at the cabin. "Listen, you sit here for a minute, okay? Don't go anywhere," he instructed, sitting Goten down on the riverbank as he stood up.

"Am I in trouble?" Goten asked.

"No," Gohan said firmly. "You're not." He glanced around and spotted the fishing poles leaned up against a tree. "Here, you sit here and fish for a minute. I gotta talk to the grown-ups real quick, okay?"

Goten's eyes lit up as he grabbed the pole. "I'll catch a big one, Gohan!"

The more Goku paced, the angrier he got. He was trying to run through a list of calming techniques Tien had tried to teach him for when the full moon came around, but it wasn't working. He couldn't believe this. Goten shouldn't have this problem in the first place. Mothers were meant to protect their children.

Now, when Sabriena needed him the most, so did Goten. He felt like a terrible father, he should have been around the house more. Maybe he would have seen something. He spotted Gohan coming back up to the house, the expression on his face was grim, and Goku's heart fell.

Sabriena saw Gohan walking up to the cabin as well and saw the worried expression on her husband's face. She rushed over to him, "Goku, whatever happens, we'll fix it," she said frantically. "Okay, baby? I'll make it better somehow. We'll fix it."

Tien grabbed her by her elbows, gently pulling her away from Goku, "Shh. Wait to see what Gohan has to say first." She let Tien pull her back over to the table and began mixing her batter again, her eyes flicking up at the door expectantly. Gohan was sure taking his sweet time coming in the house. She mixed faster, trying to work off some of her nervous energy.

Finally the door opened and Gohan stepped inside. He pulled his glasses off and rubbed at the bridge of his nose before he looked around. A lump formed in his throat as he looked at his father and he gently dropped his glasses on the table.

Goku felt his stomach fall and he looked down at the grain on the wood table a second, trying to put his thoughts together before looking back up at his son. He swallowed hard, "Wh… What did Goten say?" He couldn't ask if it was true. He didn't want to believe that it was true, but somewhere deep down, he knew it was. He could see it in his son's eyes. His voice broke when he spoke, "Please, don't tell me its true."

Gohan sat down at the table, resting his elbows on it and covered his face with his hands. He hated everything about his mother at that moment. Tears burned his eyes as he gathered the courage to tell his dad the truth. He drew a deep breath and lowered his hands to look at his father. "It's worse than we thought," he answered.

The words hit Goku like a punch to the gut. "Worse?" he breathed out, "How can it be worse? She's beating him? Why… WHY would she do that to him?!" He pressed his hands to his face feeling his own tears welling up. "Is it because he looks like me? I should have paid more attention. I really am an idiot. I could have stopped this. I could have done something!"

"This has been going on for a long time. She's been doing this since before I ever even moved out, Dad," Gohan said, his voice dull. "We both should've seen it. Why do you think she always dresses him in long sleeves? Hell, half the time he was in bed before you or I got home!" He raked a hand through his hair. "Oh! Yeah, and you were right about the senzu beans. Goten says she gives him one if they're going to leave the house. He's not supposed to talk about it though."

Goku leaned on the table heavily, each word cut him more deeply than the last. "What do I do?" he asked."I can't let him go back there knowing this!"

"How's she getting the senzu beans?!" Tien demanded. "Those take so long to grow. Corin is the only one who has them. They're supposed to be for battle, not so she can cover up what she's doing!" Tien looked livid and Sabriena actually scooted away from him.

Gohan sat for a minute, realization dawning on his face. "Yajirobe has access to them. I bet she sweet-talked him into it somehow." The thought made his skin crawl.

Sabriena rounded the table to Goku, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "We'll figure something out. Gohan said he had three more days. We can figure something out by then, right Gohan?"

Gohan licked his lips and shook his head slowly, "We're gonna have to. I just don't know what. We can't let him go back to her."

Goku nodded, covering Sabriena's hand with his own, "Where's Goten? Still by the river?" Goku sighed, thinking through what they could do. "Maybe Bulma can help us come up with something..." He pressed his lips thin. "He can't go back to Chichi. What would she do to him?! What more is she going to do to him?"

"He said she calls him a monster," Gohan said. "She hits him when he breaks things, even if it was an accident. Or if he does his homework wrong. Dad, we've got to talk to Bulma. I'll keep Goten as long as I can, but there's only so much I can do. If Mom gets the law involved, my hands will be tied. We have to do something quick."

Goku's eyes snapped up at the word that came out of Gohan's mouth, his blood turned to ice, "What?" He stood up so quickly he knocked his chair over. His look was murderous and his voice was low, "What does she call him?!" He was so close to going over there right now and demanding answers, but that would only make things worse for Goten and Gohan. His sons had been through enough.

Sabriena gasped at Goku's outrage, but quickly composed herself and grabbed his face in her hands. "Baby," she said in a calming tone, "Shh. Breathe." Goku's eyes were fierce as he looked at her. "Go talk to Bulma. Take Gohan and Tien with you. I'll keep Goten here with me. This place is protected, there's nothing that can harm us here. We'll be safe until you all get back."

Goku let himself calm. Sabriena's voice, her eyes and her touch, he felt anger subsiding at her wish and he nodded. Looking deep into her eyes, his own flickering to the mating mark on her neck. They were all hurting it seemed. He was ready for a break. He just wanted everything to be perfect for once. Just once. "Take care of him for me. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Bulma jumped with a little scream as the three men appeared in her lab. "Jesus, Goku!" She gasped for air dramatically for a minute. "If you're looking for Vegeta, you just missed him." She was looking down at a computer screen as she spoke, clicking away at her keyboard.

The door behind them slid open and Trunks walked in. "Hey, man!" he grinned, throwing an arm around Gohan's shoulders. "Haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?"

Gohan sighed, "Dealing with my mother."

Trunks pulled a face and leaned over a bit to look at Goku, "She still giving you a hard time, Goku?"

Goku shook his head and he swallowed hard. "Bulma, I need your help. Please. It's Goten. Chichi… she's been..." he pressed his lips together, as if not saying it was going to make everything better. He pressed a hand to his face, subconsciously leaning back until his arm touched Tien's, "She's been abusing him… my son..." He closed his eyes against the cold fury that surged through him, the utter helplessness laying underneath it all. "She's been beating him. Calling him names and all for nothing."

"WHAT?!" Bulma and Trunks shrieked at the same time. Bulma spun around, her blue eyes wide with horror. "You... You're sure?" she breathed.

Gohan gave a nod.

"Oh my god," Trunks groaned, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead. "The shit just never ends with her, does it?"

"Okay," Bulma said, "Okay, okay, okay, lemme think." She grabbed her coffee and took a shaking drink.

Goku felt exhausted, it was too much emotional stress for him right now. It felt like they had just dealt with the mess, rescuing Sabriena, saying goodbye to Chichi as he started his new life and then to top it all off, Sabriena's father's death. Adding to the cherry on top, Chichi was hurting Goten in the worst way possible. The only ease to his heart was that he knew Goten was safe in the woods with Sabriena. Part of him was half tempted just to keep him there. No one could harm him, the police would never be able to find the house to take him away. But then, what kind of life would Goten have?

Bulma downed her coffee and poured herself another cup, nearly swallowing it all down, too. "Easy, mom," Trunks scolded. "You're wound up enough as it is."

"You hush," she said. "We're going to have to call Child Protective Services."

"What?" Gohan gasped, "Why do we have to do that? Can't we just, you know, go back to court and get custody switched? Just let Dad have him!"

Bulma shook her head, "If it came out in court that your dad knew about this, and DIDN'T report it, they'd view that as neglect. Then they both could lose custody." She shuddered at the thought.

Goku winced at the thought as well. "But I just now found out about it." He sighed heavily; he didn't want to lose Goten and Bulma knew more about the legal system than he did anyway. She hadn't steered him wrong yet. "Tell me what I have to do. I can't stand to see my son like that again. I can't stand to see him cringe every time he makes a mistake."

Tien couldn't stop the thought that flashed through his mind and he spoke it aloud, "Just like you." He shook his head angrily. He'd had enough of that woman and the affect she had on the people around her. "Goten can live with us. Just don't give him back, Goku. It's as simple as that."

"It doesn't work like that, Tien," Bulma argued. "We have to go through the right process. Do it legally. If you guys just refuse to give him back, she could press kidnapping charges and all sorts of things!"

Tien scoffed. "As if they could keep any of us in a prison cell. And let them try to set foot on my land. Between me, Goku and Sabriena? HA! Not to mention the protective spells the girls put up. No one could touch that kid."

"Yeah, and then you'd all be outlaws," Bulma retorted, her hands on her hips. "Yes, that sounds like an excellent plan. That would be just peachy for Goten."

Goku was half tempted to agree with Tien on that one, the same thought having passed through his own mind. "No, I don't want Goten to have to go through that. It would be like he was trapped there with us. Never being able to get out and enjoy the world, go to college if he wanted to, training and participating in the tournaments." He swallowed harshly, "Why can't things just..."

He stopped himself. No, he couldn't say that. He definitely did NOT want things to go back to the way they were. "We need to make things right. Chichi isn't going to touch him again. I don't care what it takes. I just dont want to see Goten suffer any more. And I don't want her harassing you or Lindsey, Gohan. Or Phoenix. She's done enough."

"So was there a mark on him or something?" Bulma asked.

"No," Gohan answered.

Bulma sucked air through her teeth. "Dammit."

"What? You say that like it's a bad thing that my brother isn't bruised!" Gohan snapped.

"They're not going to do anything if there's no evidence, Gohan," Bulma said slowly, leaning towards him for emphasis as she spoke. "We can call them all day and night. If they can't see anything wrong, they're going to walk away."

Goku looked miserably at the ground, "She's been using senzu beans to cover up the truth, Bulma. He eats one and its like its never happened. " He felt sick. A terrible thought crossed his mind that they could put a mark on him, but he'd sooner die than harm his son. "I wish there was a way to see what has been done to him, but I'm not sure I could stomach the sight."

"Couldn't stomach something?" Lindsey asked in a teasing voice as she and Catie walked in, setting their shopping bags on a table. "C'mon, Dad, with your appetite, you can stomach anything." She grinned brightly, but her smile fell at the look on his face. "Oh gods, what's happened now?" she asked as she set the little carseat holding Phoenix on the floor.

Goku shook his head, "Not this." He looked over at his grandson, his eyes widened as he realized Chichi had babysat Phoenix before. He looked up at his daughter, "It's Goten. He just told Gohan this morning that Chichi's been beating him, calling him a monster. It's been going on for years. There's not a mark on him though." He threaded his hands through his hair, "I don't know what to do. I'm not giving Goten back this time! He isn't going back there until we make this right."

"She's covering up the marks by using senzu beans," Gohan explained further. "With no marks on him, we can't prove anything."

Lindsey chewed her lip for a moment, not knowing what to think. She knew that Gohan had brought Goten to the house to talk to him about this, but she didn't think they were going to talk about it today. "That bitch," she muttered under her breath. She slicked her hair out of her face, looking at Goku again. "The only person I can think of who might have an answer would be Gramma."

Goku blinked over at Lindsey, tears unshed in his eyes. "You think she can really help us here? No one hardly understands how the senzu beans work, what if they can't be affected by magick?" He sighed and rubbed his face, "Still, it's the best option we have." He cringed, his mind coming up with another question that made him sick, "Are they…" He tried, but had to pause, "What's going to happen to Goten when we do this? Are they going to take him away from me, too?" He clutched at his heart, the thought of having his son ripped from him ripped at him in a way that made him gasp in pain. Tears slipped down his face. "Will I ever see him again?"

"I don't think they'll take him away from you, Dad," Gohan answered. "Especially if you're the one who calls them. Surely they'll see that you're innocent."

Lindsey wanted to snort at that. If they were calling CPS, there was no telling what would happen. She remembered those people coming to her own house after her father had died, wanting to remove her and her brothers from Shane's care, but she didn't mention that now. Goku looked worried enough as it was. "Maybe Gramma will be able to, you know, do something to stop that from happening, too," she offered. "She might not be able to do anything to help this situation at all, but you won't know until you ask her. If she can help at all, you know she will."

Goku found himself nodding. He felt numb, stupid, "Alright. We have three days until Goten has to go back to Chichi. We need to do it before then, but I would like one more night to spend with my son. If this is going to be the last time, you know, in a while." He looked up at Lindsey, tears in his eyes, "Will you come with me?"

She felt tears welling up in her own eyes for him. "Of course I will," she answered and stepped closer to hug him. "You and Goten come by the house tomorrow and we'll all go together, okay? I'll call Gramma tonight and let her know to expect us. That'll give her some time to figure something out. That sound okay?"

He nodded and wiped at his tears, "Sounds like a plan. Thank you, all of you. Maybe. Hopefully, this will be something that can be easily fixed."

Gohan nodded and picked up the carseat that held his sleeping son. "You keep Goten tonight," he said. "We'll see you tomorrow." He gave his dad a one-armed hug as Lindsey picked up her shopping bags. "We'll get this sorted out, Dad. I promise."

"Okay, ready… set… FLIP!" Sabriena laughed, guiding Goten's movements as they flipped another pancake over the fireplace. There were two big stacks on the table already, waiting for Goku and Tien when they returned. Okay, so breakfast for lunch wasn't something they normally did, but Goten had asked for pancakes and in that moment, she would give that little boy anything he asked.

Dog laid beside the fireplace, thumping his tail on the wooden floor, looking eagerly at Goten. He'd already snagged a couple of the pancakes that hit the floor and was waiting for more.

"Useless mutt," Sabriena teased.

Zip gave Sabriena an ungrateful chirp. Dog had tried to share the scraps, but the falcon just did not care for them at all. He settled down more on Dog's back, kneading into the soft fur and continued to watch for more appropriate snacks to come his way.

Goten's eyes sparkled as he kept adding to the stack of pancakes. "Wow Sabriena! We've made a lot! And there's still so much batter left! We're gonna feast!" He carefully watched as she heated the syrup and all the little tricks she seemed to do. The way she tasted to food, the way she would let him taste it as well and ask him what he thought it needed. It was so much fun. "Gosh, this is better than doing my homework," he said happily.

Sabriena snickered at him. "Yeah, homework sucks," she muttered as she poured out another pancake. "But you know, if you study something you like, it's not so bad. I liked going to culinary school." She nearly laughed at his quizzical look. "School for cooking," she explained.

Goten's eyes widened, "They have a school for just cooking? You mean you could cook all day?" His eyes sparkled at the thought, nothing sounded quite so amazing, "You think if I study really hard, I could become a cook one day?"

Sabriena grinned and ruffled his hair. "Of course," she said. "If that's what YOU want to do. Don't do it because I did it. You do whatever makes you happy when you grow up. If you wanna be a fighter like your daddy and Tien, or a doctor like your brother, or something completely different, it's up to you, buddy." She stepped back and let him flip the next pancake, but he overdid it a bit and it stuck to the ceiling. Sabriena doubled over with laughter as Goten blinked up at it wide-eyed. "Wait, wait," she laughed. "It'll fall on its own."

She and Goten stared expectantly up at the ceiling as the pancake seemed to slowly peel away from the rafter, the gooey side pulling away. It finally fell at the precise moment that Goku and Tien reappeared in the cabin and Sabriena didn't even have time to shout a warning before it landed on Tien's shoulder, splattering the side of his face with half-cooked batter.

Sabriena's eyes went wide and she clapped her hands to her mouth, staring at him in shock as he gave her a flat stare. "Really?" he asked.

Her mouth still hung open as she slowly lowered her hands from her face. "Tien, I-" But her words were cut off as Dog suddenly jumped up and flattened Tien on the ground to lick at him as Zip flapped his wings and flew up to his perch.

"Get off!" Tien yelled, trying to push Dog away, but the big Great Dane was relentless. "You stupid mutt! GET OFF!" But he froze as he heard Sabriena scream with laughter and he propped himself up on one elbow, staring at her as Dog continued to lick at his ear. It was the first time he'd heard her laugh since her father died.

Goten couldn't stop his laughter as soon as he heard Sabriena's light humour flow through the cabin, warming the area. Goku stepped closer, looking at the mess on Tien's shoulder. "Oh! Are we having this kind of breakfast in bed again?" he asked and pulled Tien to his feet before swiping a spot of batter off his nose and licked his finger clean. "Mmm, now that's delicious."

Tien shook his head at Goku as Sabriena wiped her eyes. "Oh my god, that was too funny," she giggled. "Goten, I think we have enough pancakes now. Come on, let's eat." She carried the last of the pancakes over to the table and set down the warmed jug of maple syrup. She grabbed a rag and wiped the rest of the batter off of Tien before she kissed his cheek.

Tien grumbled at her, but he couldn't stop the slight smile on his face. At least Sabriena had laughed and that warmed his heart, despite all of the stress and drama surrounding them. He sat down in his chair and filled his plate. "This looks great, Goten," he smiled.

Goku could hardly believe it, he would never have guessed that in a million years, this was what Sabriena needed to help her work through the grief of her father's death. He felt horrible that now he was going to have to take that away. They had to work through it though, it wasn't going to be the end. Goten would be back to stay with them, he was sure of it. He ate a bite of his pancakes and his eyes went wide. "Goten, did you make these? They're so fluffy!" He poured more syrup over them and dug in, moaning at the taste. He chuckled, "Two cooks in the family now. See, Tien? This confirms it, they are fattening us up and we will be the main course one day." He winked at Goten.

Goten ducked his head and blushed. He was happy that his dad and Tien liked the pancakes. "Sabriena showed me how," he grinned. "She's, like, the bestest cook in the world!" He hungrily dug into his own food, eating so fast he managed to get syrup all over his face.

Sabriena laughed and shook her head at him. Taking advantage of his distraction, she looked at Goku and Tien. "So, did you get anything figured out at Bulma's?" she asked quietly.

Goku got a wet towel, carefully brushing off his son's face of the sweet sticky syrup, "Nothing more that could help us. Lindsey suggested that we take him to go see Arthusia tomorrow to see if there is anything she can do to reveal what the senzu beans hid away." He sighed, "They want me to call Child Protective Services. I just know Chichi's going to point the blame at me. That I was the one who hurt my son." He closed his eyes, the very thought of lifting his hand against his own flesh and blood made him disgusted.

Goten blinked up at his father. He'd been paying more attention to the grown-ups' conversation than they'd realized. "You didn't hurt me, Daddy!" he protested, pausing to look down as a bit of pancake fell out of his mouth. "Where are we going? Who are we going to see?" He felt a little bit scared. If someone undid what the senzu beans covered up, would Momma get mad? Would it hurt again? He didn't like the way the beans tasted, but at least they made the marks go away and quit hurting. He set his fork down, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore.

Goku saw the unease in his son's body immediately and he reached out, placing a warm hand on his back, rubbing him gently, "I don't know what's going to happen because of this, Goten. I'm so, so sorry. I can't ask your forgiveness for me not being there for you. Because I couldn't protect you from someone you shouldn't have needed protection from." He turned his son, moving him to sit in this lap and tilted the scared little face up to meet his own, "I am going to be honest with you, as much as I can. I love you, Goten. No matter what happens, I want you to remember that always." He kissed his cheek, "We are going to take you to Gramma's house. See if she can't show us exactly what Chichi has been doing to you."

He swallowed hard and slipped his fingers up into Goten's hair, holding him close as his tears fell, "Then, I'm not sure what will happen. You probably won't see much of us for a little, while the government tries to sort out what to do. Goten, I won't let Chichi harm you ever again."

Goten didn't like the sound of that at all. He didn't understand why he wouldn't be able to see his family, he didn't know who Gramma was, and he didn't want Momma to get in trouble. "But, I don't want that!" he protested. "Why can't I see you? What did I do wrong? Daddy, I'm sorry! I want to stay here with you! I'll be good, I promise!"

Tien frowned, shaking his head. Perhaps Goku had said too much, but he understood that he wanted to be honest with his boy. Goddamn Chichi for putting Goku in this position. Evil, vile bitch.

Goku smiled warmly at his son, holding him close and rocked him softly, "Goten, you are perfect, you've never done anything wrong. It's me. It's Mommy who need to answer for what has happened to you. And if that makes Mommy mad, then she only will have herself to blame. I," His words caught in his throat, "Goten… I don't know if I can forgive myself for not seeing this sooner. I want you to live a happy, healthy life. Doing what you want to do, enjoying family as much as you can. I have to do it this way, but cause if I don't," he choked up and closed his eyes as tears slipped down his cheeks, "I wouldn't be able to see you again."

Goten didn't understand and he buried his face in his dad's shirt, trying not to cry as he hugged him tightly. He felt like he was being punished for something and he didn't know why. He should've kept his mouth shut like Momma told him to. He should never have told Gohan about the switch or the senzu beans. He just wanted this to all go away.

Sabriena drew a long breath through her nose and exchanged a look with Tien. "You know, Bulma can get a hold of just about anything," she said. "I bet she could get us some of that acid Vegeta keeps talking-"

"No," he cut her off, although he rather thought Chichi deserved it and then some. He finished off his lunch and pushed his plate away. They needed to stop talking about this and they needed to find something fun to do before they went through with this plan. He wanted Goten to enjoy his time with his father today. "Why don't we go for a walk?" he suggested as he got to his feet. "It's a nice day out. We can just spend some time together, how about that?"

Goku breathed a sigh of relief; thank goodness Tien had a level head between the three of them. "Yeah, let's go teach Goten how to find those mushrooms and a few berries. And I'll see if I can't get Zip to bring us down something tasty. All three of us?" He bitterly thought, that maybe if Goten paid attention, he would know enough to survive out in the woods with good food to be had.

Goku went to Zip's perch and strapped on the soft leather glove Tien made for him and slipped his little helmet to cover his eyes, "Good boy!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bit of dried meat as a reward. "This is going to be fun! We can roast whatever we find around the campfire!"

Tien stretched out by the campfire, chewing a piece of the roasted rabbit Sabriena had fixed for dinner. It was a late dinner for them, having spent most of the day in the woods. He felt a pride in his heart as he looked at his family. He nearly snorted. He never would have dreamed that he'd have a family of his own, but here they were. They'd foraged in the woods, bringing home all sorts of edible plants to make a salad for their dinner, Zip had hunted several rabbits and Goten had eagerly found more of the mushrooms than any of the rest of them had.

He was full and sleepy, the stress getting to him more than it should have. They'd walked all over his property that day, up the mountain and back down, talking about anything and everything except Chichi and what would happen tomorrow. It was calm and peaceful, the fresh air doing all of them some good and he couldn't help but wonder if the spells that blessed his land had an affect on them as well. Whatever the case, he felt considerably better and he knew his mates did, too.

Goku smiled at his son who was yawning loudly and fluffed out the bedding for his little man, "Here we go! You look tuckered out, kiddo." He said as he carefully tucked him into his bed, "I'm so proud of you kiddo, you did amazing out there."

Goten smiled up at his daddy and gave him a kiss on the cheek, before he nervously looked around and blushed when he saw Sabriena, "Ah… Mrs Sabriena, can I…" He blushed terribly, "Can I sleep between you and my daddy? Please?"

Sabriena smiled at him. "Sure, munchkin," she grinned as she laid down and stretched an arm out to him. She sighed as he laid down and she wrapped an arm around him, pulling his back to her chest and curled around his tiny form. She nuzzled into his hair, staring over his head into the fire. She didn't understand where this had come from, why she suddenly had changed and felt so motherly towards him, but at the moment she was too tired to analyze it. She kissed the top of his head. "You're such a good boy, Goten," she said softly to him. "You did a great job in the woods today."

Goten couldn't stop the smile sound of triumph from his voice, that was altered by a yawn, "You really think so!?" He giggled and snuggled against Sabriena, sighing happily, "Thanks Sabriena," He said sleepily and laid his head back down into the soft covers.

She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Go to sleep," she whispered as Tien laid down behind her and Goku laid on Goten's other side. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise."

A Note from the Authors: We just thought we'd give a little shout-out to our reviewers for being so fucking awesome!

Amkula: You know we love you. Thanks for being (somewhat) patient as we edit our chapters. And hide those brownies so the little ninja stops stealing them!

Reign of Sorrow: Funniest. Fucking. Comment. Ever.

GreenSaiyan: You gotta keep up! LOL! We work fast, like ninjas. And it was alcoholism that killed Mr. Schuler (this section of the story was a true story. Except Sabriena's father actually died in the hospital, not at home. Miss him. He was an awesome guy.)

dbzfangirl1: I'm not entirely happy with how quickly her dad's death came on. I was hoping to include him more in the last story, but it just didn't seem to fit. Sorry if this seemed like it came out of the blue. Thanks for being a faithful reviewer, darlin'!

Nancy101: There is much sadness in this story. MUCH. SADNESS. But hopefully we balance it enough with some cutesy squeeeeee moments with Goten and a good amount of romance. ;)