Disclaimer

The thoughts, feelings, and actions of the characters featured in this fanfiction are not in any way representative of me or my beliefs, nor do I condone anything they say or do. It's nothing more than a work of fiction.


Friday, September 12th, Age 774

After getting back from her daily run, Videl made it back home and flopped onto her bed. She had a good amount of homework to complete over the weekend, but for the moment, she just wanted to relax. Unbeknownst to her, however, she was about to receive a text message that would destroy any hope of relaxation.

She heard her phone vibrating on her desk, and sluggishly got up to look at it. When she saw who the message was from, she nearly had a heart attack. Chichi? Why is she texting me? How is she texting me? she wondered in confusion as she opened the message to read it.

The message read: "Hi Videl, it's Chichi here. We recently got a cell phone, which is what Im using to text you. I you are invited to come here tomorrow on Saturday. I'd like to talk to to you in person. Can I expect to see you tomorrow?"

.."I you are invited to come here?" ..Ignoring the 'I,' what kind of phrasing is that? Videl thought to herself, not knowing what to make of it. It wasn't just that sentence; the whole message was strangely written and loaded with errors, and it was clear that Chichi had typed and re-typed it all out multiple times.

Meanwhile, at the Son household...

"Ahh!" Chichi squealed. "Oh my God, I can't believe I sent it! I actually sent the message!" she practically shouted, before sitting up from her seat and looking down at the phone awkwardly. "W-what happens now? What do I do? What if I got the wrong number?" she wondered out loud. "..Is she gonna reply straight away? Or should I just wait?"

She was interrupted by a notification noise from the phone, which made her jump. She looked and saw Videl's reply: "Okay, I'll be there tomorrow at 2 pm. Is that alright?"

Her eyes zeroed in on the words "tomorrow at 2 pm," and her face darkened as the realisation hit her. "Videl's coming. Videl's coming here!" she said a bit too loudly. If Goten had been in the house at that moment, she'd have been in trouble. "..She's coming tomorrow. ..Now what do I do?" she wondered aloud, before looking around at the house.

"..This place is too messy for a guest! I have to clean!" she shouted in a panic before rushing out of the room to get her cleaning supplies.

Saturday, September 13th

"I'm heading out, Dad!" Videl hollered to Mister Satan before opening the front door to leave. "Be careful! Don't stay out too late!" he called out to her in reply.

Videl was nervous to say the least, but now was not the time to back down. This was what she'd been waiting for. Chichi was re-establishing contact with her. It was a great sign. After about an hour of flying, she reached the Son household and landed her aircraft outside.

Approaching the front door, she felt even more butterflies in her stomach. Is Goten going to be here? What exactly is Chichi planning? her thoughts went wild, before she snapped out of it. Focus. This is the moment you've been waiting for, she told herself.

She took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. "Oh, come in!" she heard Chichi shout from inside.

Videl clenched her fist. Here we go.. she thought as she turned the door handle, opened the door and walked into the house.

It hit her all at once - the memories, the emotions, the anxiety. But all of those were almost instantly replaced by the overpowering smell of delicious food being cooked on the stove. Suddenly, Videl's only concern was whether or not this food was meant for her. If it was, then her Earthly problems no longer mattered. All would be right with the world.

After closing the door behind her and leaving her shoes by the doormat, she walked further into the house, her eyes widening by the second. What.. is.. this?!

It wasn't just the food - Chichi had cleaned everything to the point of spotlessness, dressed up the entire house to look as fancy as she could, and was playing soft classical music on the stereo. Classical music?! What is she going for here? Videl wondered as she approached the kitchen, where Chichi was working on a stir fry. ..She has her hair down for once, Videl observed, before speaking. "..Um.. hi, Chichi," she said meekly.

Chichi turned and looked at her. "Hi, Videl. I'm glad you came," she said before turning back to the food she was preparing. The brief glance she gave her was all Videl needed to see that Chichi had dressed up for the occasion. Wearing a beautiful, form-fitting, blue Eastern dress, decorative gold earrings, and masterfully applied make-up, there were no two ways about it - Chichi looked stunning.

Wow.. she can be gorgeous when she wants to be.. Videl thought, suddenly feeling inadequate. Did I not dress up enough? she wondered, before shaking her head. No, I couldn't have known she was going to do all this!

"Have a seat at the table and I'll bring the food in a minute," Chichi told her, just adding the finishing touches to the food.

This confirmed that Videl would be partaking in whatever was creating this supreme smell. No matter what else the day would bring, Videl was at least satisfied with that. "Okay," she said, and went to go sit at the table. It was then she realised that the table was already fully set, with large plates, folded napkins, cutlery, and tall glasses. What's more, this was a table for two - Chichi and Videl.

Taking her mind off of the food for a second, Videl sat down and thought about what this meant. The two of them were about to sit down at a table by themselves, with Gohan and Goten nowhere to be found.

..Well, out of context, this seems more like a romantic date than anything, she mused, the thought bringing a grin to her face. ..But I don't think Chichi is a lesbian, so it must not be that. It must be..

Her thoughts were cut off by Chichi bringing the frying pan to the table and setting it on the pot holder. After serving Videl and herself, and pouring them some juice, Chichi sat down across from Videl and heaved a sigh. It was clear to Videl that she had been hard at work all day.

"Um, thank you, Chichi. For making all this," Videl said with a small smile.

"Oh, what, this?" Chichi asked, before letting out a laugh. "This is a snack compared to what I usually make for Gohan and Goten," she remarked before laughing even more. "Oh, right, I forgot," Videl said, remembering the gargantuan appetites of the two brothers. "..Speaking of which.. they're not here right now, are they?"

"No, I told them to take a hike. Literally. Hah!" Chichi laughed. "They're off in the forest. I didn't tell Goten you would be here, obviously, but I did tell Gohan," She explained. "So, they won't be interrupting us. It's just you and me," she finished with a smile.

I was right, Videl thought, finally grasping the scope of this meeting. This IS the moment I've been waiting for, after all. ..I need to meet her head on and show her my game face.

"Of course, I did invite you here to talk to you.. but before that, I think we should eat," Chichi suggested. "I know it's not exactly a normal lunch, but I can at least guarantee that it'll taste good!" she said with a bit of a laugh. This broke Videl's concentration, and suddenly she was reminded of the glorious meal before her. "O-oh," she said. Oh! she thought. "..Well.. don't mind if I do," she said eagerly, before digging in and taking her first bite.

In just one moment, Videl was reminded why Chichi's food always was, even to this day, the best food she'd ever eaten. For one moment, she forgot all her troubles, and experienced pure ecstasy from this heavenly meal, prepared just for her by a real, living angel.

The next few minutes were a blur, but when Videl finally came down from her food high, her plate was clean, and her glass nearly empty. "Chichi, that was the best thing I've ever eaten," Videl said outright, making Chichi blush slightly. "..Thank you, Videl. I'm flattered."

Videl finished the last of her juice, and set her glass down.

"..Well. Maybe it's time we started the.. discussion," Chichi said calmly.

"..What did you want to talk about?" Videl asked, already knowing the answer for the most part.

"First of all," Chichi began, "let me just apologise, Videl. For treating you the way I did back in June," she said, eyes downcast. "..I think it's safe to say I overreacted," she posited. Videl thought so, too, but hearing Chichi acknowledge it made her feel bad somehow. "..N-no, you.." she sighed. "..You did what any mother would do. ..I was the one at fault, for keeping it all a secret from you," she admitted rather solemnly.

"No, I can understand why you wouldn't want to tell me. All teenagers are like that when they're in relationships. Or so I hear," Chichi said. "..I know my reaction back then might seem like a normal thing for a mother to do. But honestly, I surprised myself."

"..How?" Videl asked curiously.

"..Well," Chichi said, "I'm very protective of my children, like any mother. But in the past, I've only been protective when it came to real danger," she explained, before looking Videl in the eyes. "..My mistake was assuming that you were a danger, Videl," she said, taking Videl by surprise. "I was constantly looking for things to be worried about back then. Anything could become a threat to Goten if I thought enough about it. Public school, the forest, and then you. I was worried about everything."

Chichi looked down with a weak smile. "..My husband passed away before Goten was born, and.. something changed in me that year. Instead of raising Goten to be a scholar, like Gohan, I raised him the way his father would have wanted, and I taught him how to fight. Soon, he became like a miniature version of his father," she said with a laugh. It was clear to Videl that this was hard for her to talk about.

"These days, Goten is kind of like.. a piece of my husband that he left behind for me. He's like a precious.. memento. Of my Goku," Chichi said with a shaky voice. Seeing Chichi get so broken up about it was painful for Videl, who felt guilty, as if she was somehow the cause of her grief.

"So, I guess that's why I'm so protective and.. possessive, of Goten," Chichi explained. "But protecting him is only part of it. I have to also think about his happiness. ..And he's much less happy now, I can tell," she admitted sadly. "He tries to hide it, and tries to look strong for me. But I can tell he misses you deeply. ..I never should have doubted his feelings for you. Or your feelings for him."

Videl didn't know what to say. Of course she was happy that Chichi was acknowledging their relationship, but something in her words resonated with her beyond that. She didn't know how to respond in that moment, but she knew she had to say something.

"..That's.. how it is for me, too," Videl blurted out, surprising Chichi. "..I never knew my mother. And I was always jealous of the other girls, who had these great, loving relationships with their moms," Videl said, spilling her guts. "I think.. I grew up incomplete because of it. A part of me was missing. ..And that might explain my love for Goten. Maybe I felt a bit like I was his mom. I don't know," she said, before looking right at Chichi. "But.. one thing I do know for sure.. is that, ever since I met you, I always looked up to you.. as a mother figure."

Chichi was touched deeply. The truth finally coming out after everything that happened was almost too much for her. "Oh, Videl.." she said emotionally. "The truth is, I've always thought of you as the perfect daughter."

Videl smiled brightly, honoured by Chichi's moving words, and a tear fell down her cheek.

Later, as the sun began to set over the horizon, Gohan and Goten returned home to see Videl and Chichi hugging each other through the window. This brought a big smile to Gohan's face. They made up.. he thought to himself happily.

"Videl!" Goten said excitedly, as he ran up to the front door and swung it open. Chichi and Videl turned and smiled at him as he stood there, unsure of what to do, but beaming with happiness. "Well?" Chichi said to him. "Aren't you going to hug your girlfriend?" she asked with a happy giggle.

Videl held her arms out, Goten ran to her, and they shared a soul-satisfying embrace. Finally, after all this time, their wish had come true.

To be continued in Chapter 5