Together Again

by Lady-Ravenhawk

Feared by the Gods themselves, the first humans to walk the earth were torn into two bodies, each one half of one soul. Destined to search for each other through their many lives lived upon the earth, neither remembers who they once were. That is until a fateful meeting reunites them as they work to save an innocent child from the years of abuse no one else was able to see.

11. Rose

Goku felt numb after Gohan left, insisting he wanted to fly home on his own. He looked down at the dirt between his legs where he had sat down on the ground, reaching out and tracing a nonsensical pattern into the earth before grabbing a dirt clod between his fingers and crushed it to dust. He felt so stupid. How long had Chichi been doing this and laughing at him behind his back? He thought back to every time he left the house when Goten would come running after him, wanting, begging to go with him?

Sabriena and Tien exchanged a look, taking hold of each other's hands and went to Goku, sitting on either side of him. Sabriena felt like there was a huge knot in her throat. She'd never liked Piccolo to begin with and now she felt validated in that decision. "That wasn't right of them," she said softly to Goku. "They shouldn't have kept a secret from you all these years."

"Shh!" Tien scolded her sharply. Now was not the time to talk down on Gohan or Piccolo. He put a hand on Goku's back, leaning slightly closer to his husband. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked kindly, concern on his face as he tried to catch Goku's eyes.

Goku shook his head as he still gazed down at the ground before he pulled his knees up to his chest, "No. I know why they did it. I probably would have found some way to screw it up and might have lost Gohan completely. Maybe it was better that I didn't know. Goten wouldn't have been born if they told me. I just, I can't believe she's been doing this all this time. I wonder how young Goten was when she first..." He closed his eyes and lowered his head to rest in his arms on his knees. He couldn't think about it. He wanted to grab Chichi and shake her shoulders until she told him why and when. When was the first time was she laid a hand on his poor boys? Goten, had he even been out of the crib before she first hurt him?

Sabriena leaned in to Goku, sliding her arm tightly around his waist. "I'm sorry, baby," she said softly. Tears burned her eyes as she thought about Goten, sweet innocent little Goten. She wanted nothing more than to go grab him from that foster home and bring him out to the cabin to live with them. "He's okay," she promised, "He knows his daddy saved him. He loves you, Goku."

Tien swallowed harshly, bowing his head to rest on Goku's other shoulder, his arm still across the Saiyan's back. He rubbed his hand up and down Goku's spine, wishing he had powers like Dende to soothe a broken heart, to ease a person's emotions. "You can't think about that now," he said quietly. "All that matters now is that she can't hurt him anymore. We all love you. Me and Sabriena, your kids, your grandson, your friends. We all know how much you give and what you do. And we love you for that."

Goku nodded, trying to take some solace from his mates, "Thanks. I don't think I can get through this without you." He sighed, his heart was still aching, broken to know that one of his best friends had lied to him. Piccolo was usually one of the first to tell him of Chichi's faults and when it counted the most, the Namek had let him down.

Tien moved to lay back in the soft grass, the warm summer sun shining hotly overhead. He tugged Goku to lay at his side, pulling Goku's head to rest over his heart. "Shhhhh," he soothed, lightly running his fingers through Goku's hair. "You've had a rough couple days. You just lay here and rest with us."

Sabriena curled up against Goku's back, wrapping her arm around his waist. She pressed her face into his hair, just behind his ear. "I know you," she crooned softly. "Now you stop thinking like that. Your kids think you're the best dad in the world. And it's true. You're so good with Goten. And Gohan loves you. Everything's going to be okay. I'll make it right somehow. Anything you want, you just ask, baby. Okay?"

Goku blinked away his tears, a few falling down to soak Tien's shirt. He curled in on himself. He nodded in response to Sabriena, slipping his arm on top of hers around his waist. "I love you guys," he said, the sadness unmistakable in his voice.

It broke their hearts to hear him like that and know there was nothing they could do to fix it for him. Tien squeezed him tighter. It wasn't doing him any good to hold it in, fighting his tears like this. "Cry," he said simply. "Go ahead and cry, Goku. Let it out. We've got you." He wished so badly that he could shelter his lovers from this sort of pain. He'd much rather be facing another war or another fight with a dragon than to ever have to see them go through this sort of emotional trauma It wasn't right. Goku didn't deserve this and his son for damn sure didn't deserve to endure such abuse. He knew that Goku loved his sons, but in that moment Tien wished that Goku had never met Chichi.

Goku felt the tears slip down his cheeks as he cried, his body shuddered with his gasps, "I want to go to him. Maybe if I could explain it to him, I'd feel better. Gods, I'm so sick of being taken advantage of. Just when I thought I was free from her, I find out all of this. Maybe I should ask Goten what he wants or if he would even understand it." He just felt. He didn't know. He wanted to curl in on himself and ignore the world for as long as he could.

Tien held Goku tightly as he cried, his own heart aching for his husband. Sabriena curled tighter against Goku's back, squeezing his waist, silent tears sliding from her eyes as she listened to him. "Maybe the caseworker will let you see him," Tien said softly. "Maybe you can talk to him. Even if he doesn't understand now, he will one day." He pressed a kiss to the top of Goku's head, rubbing at his shoulder, trying to comfort him the best way he knew how. "We'll get him back. I'll do anything you think needs to be done. I'm sorry I got upset yesterday. I know you did the right thing."

Goku nodded, but moved to sit up and shook off his mates gently before he stood up. He wiped at his eyes quickly before he turned and headed down towards the river, lifting up into the air and flying towards the top of the waterfall. He moved to sit on a rock that jutted out of the water at the top, surrounded by the roar of the water. He looked up at the sky a moment before let his head drop into his hands and stared down at the water pounding into the river below.

---

Tien couldn't help but be rather amused at how busy his little cabin had become. They had started work on a barn with plans to get more livestock, namely a dairy cow. He didn't much care for having more animals, they meant a lot more work around the place, but he agreed with Sabriena that they could end up being beneficial in the long run. He just hoped the caseworker would see it the same way.

He didn't remember having this many chickens before, either, and he suspected Sabriena had purchased some from one of the farms near the village where they did their trading. He snickered to himself as he remembered a conversation with her about it just the previous day.

"Sabriena," he'd growled. "Where are all these chickens coming from?"

She'd batted her eyes innocently. "You're crazy, Tien. They just run all over the yard, you're just not keeping track."

They were currently working on a barn and corral for all the new additions to their little "farm." He nearly rolled his eyes, but if it made her happy and it helped Goku, then he wasn't going to complain. Next thing he knew, she'd be begging for ponies or something silly like that. And knowing her, she'd find a way to justify it, too.

Sabriena stepped back and wiped at her forehead with the back of her wrist. Digging post holes was not easy work, no matter how in shape you were. Tien was carefully measuring and sawing planks of wood for the rafters of the small barn, his shoulders and back turning a tanned red in the late morning sun. Goku straddled one of the rafters that had already been put in place, his feet kicking back and forth, hands on his hips as he waited for Tien to hand up the next bunch of wood. He wasn't much good at measuring and figuring out the pieces like Tien was (too much math for Goku's taste) but he could drive a nail in easily and in the proper place when Tien told him to.

"You look so sexy up there, sittin' there with no shirt on. You tryin' to torment me down here?" Sabriena teased, shielding her eyes with her hand as she looked up at him. Gods, he did look good up there with the sunlight dancing off his carved muscles, his skin the most delicious golden tan she'd ever seen.

Goku glanced down at her and winked, "Really, you're the one who is testing me!" He wasn't lying, he had a very nice view of her breasts from where he sitting.

Sabriena followed his gaze and grinned. "You know the best part about being a girl?" she asked. He shook his head. "Being able to play with boobs whenever I want!" she laughed and grabbed her chest, pushing them up and squeezing them for a second. The look on his face was priceless and Tien's saw slipped and clattered to the ground. She clapped her hands and threw her head back, laughing.

Goku's jaw dropped open and he nearly fell off of his perch, leaving him floundering a little bit as he watch her. "You keep that up and we'll never get the project finished before winter!"

"Oh you'll get it done," she answered, turning away from them and leaning far over in her cutoff shorts. "Cause you're not getting any until it's finished."

Tien swallowed as he looked at her. "Goku, man, we gotta work faster."

Sabriena slammed the wooden post into the hole and straightened up, pushing against her lower back. She grabbed her shovel and started packing the dirt in around the post when something caught her eye.

A white hovercar was landing near the cabin. Sabriena's heart stopped. "Oh shit," she muttered.

"Language, Sabriena!" Tien snapped. She'd been slipping a lot lately. She pointed at the car and Tien's eyes went wide.

"Oh shit," he breathed.

They all watched as a young woman got out of the car, a clipboard clutched in one arm. She was tall and slender, wearing a black dress suit with perfectly ironed straight leg pants, a short-sleeved jacket and glossy high heels. She had strawberry blonde hair that fell to her shoulders in big, loose, but perfectly set, waves. "Hello!" she called, giving a wave with her free hand. "I'm looking for a Mr. Son Goku? I'm not sure if I'm at the right place."

Goku lifted up and hovered down to the ground, grabbing a towel off the ground and rubbed his face trying to hide his nervousness, he wiped his hands off and gave the woman a smile and a wave back, "I'm Goku, you must be the caseworker?" He went over to shake her hand, "Hehe, you caught us in the middle of yard work." He looked her over, she had a kind look to her and she was younger than he thought. He was half expecting another heavyset woman with a scowl on her face. "Have you seen Goten at all? Do you know how he's doing?"

She smiled as she shook his hand, a light in her bright blue eyes. Her mouth seemed just a bit too wide for her pretty face and in her heels she was every bit as tall as Goku. "Hi, Mr. Son. My name's Rose. I did see Goten, he's doing just fine. He's with a very nice family."

Goku breathed a sigh of relief, letting his shoulders sag, "Thank the gods for that. Really,thank you. I've been worried sick about him." He smiled at her and waved Tien and Sabriena over, "Ah, Rose. This is my wife Sabriena and my husband Tien." He scratched the back of his head, " If we'd known when you would have been out, we would have cleaned ourselves up a bit!"

She blinked widely as they approached. "You have a polygamous relationship?" she asked.

Tien stepped up to Goku's side, drawing himself up to his full height, squaring his shoulders and crossing his arms across his bare chest as he stared down his nose at her.

"It's... uh... it's a pleasure to meet you both," she said, shaking Sabriena's hand and offering her hand to Tien, who watched her for a moment before he finally shook it.

Goku nodded, mentally smacking himself. Gohan was right, he was terrible at breaking news to people, "Yeah," He blushed, not sure if that was too weird for some people, but it was best not to keep anything from her. Still there was something about her that made him feel as though he could trust her. A gentle feeling that told him that she was the right person for this job, "So! Where do we start with this?"

"Well, it's my job to decide what is the best living situation for your son. I'll be visiting with you and your significant others from time to time. I'll bring Goten out, spend the day with you and see how everyone interacts. I'll be doing the same with his mother. Once the investigation is done, I'll make my recommendations to the judge who will make the ultimate decision about guardianship of Goten." There was a pull at her jacket and Rose jumped with a cry of surprise and spun around, stumbling backwards from the goat who had chosen that moment to chew on the caseworker's fancy suit.

Goku slapped a hand to his face, he had brightened up the moment the caseworker had said she would be bringing Goten out to spend a day watching them interact. And then Sabriena's goat got hungry. He laughed and bent down to catch the goat, "Sorry about that, she eats like it's her last day on earth, anything and everything! At least Zip hasn't mistaken you for a meal yet!" He glanced around the sky to see if his falcon had come back yet, but he was still out hunting for his own food. He looked at her nervously, not sure what else to do, "You tell us what you need and we will make it happen. Are you going to stay for dinner?"

"Uh, what? Dinner?" she blinked at him, confusion on her face. "Oh, no. I packed a lunch. And I'll be out of your hair before evening. You keep a goat? Is... is it a nice goat?" she asked, peering at the large brown and white creature with its big, floppy ears. "Who is Zip?" She wasn't sure she wanted to meet whatever animal might decide to "make a meal" out of her.

Goku chuckled, "Well, I'm still training him to listen for command, I can see if he will come back." He leaned over to the ground and picked up the heavy leather glove on the ground and slipped it on his hand. He let out a shrill, high pitched whistle into the air and waited for a moment before he frowned, "Ah… like I said. Still training him. Zip's my little falcon I rescued after a big storm. He's gonna help us hunt things like ducks, and anything else that's tasty!" He pulled his glove off and tossed it back on the ground, "You like animals?"

"I've never really been around them much before," Rose admitted nervously as she eyed the goat who leaned against Goku's leg. "Are they safe to be around? I don't know that I've actually seen a goat in person before."

Goku looked over at Sabriena and back down at the goat, scratching behind her ears, "Oh yeah, she just likes to eat random clothing. Sorry about that!" He smiled at her, and offered her a hand, "You want to say hello?"

"Um, o-okay," she said and let him take her hand. She hadn't been expecting this when she came out here. There was a brief mention in her notes that they lived in the middle of nowhere and had no utilities, but she hadn't expected to land in the middle of a petting zoo. "Hello," she said cautiously as her fingertips barely brushed the goat's neck.

Goku smiled and stood up, "She likes you! I wish all the animals would get along. Most of them do, but we have a mean rooster, best to stay clear of him. We have a switch to keep him in line when he tries to spur Sabriena. We are getting a cow here pretty soon too!"

Rose retracted her hand at the mention of the switch. She stood up straight and thumbed through the papers on her clipboard.

Tien clapped a hand to his face and turned away, heading back to work on the barn. This was a waste of time. With Goku's mouth, Chichi would have custody of Goten again by sunset.

Sabriena stepped forward under the pretense of taking Sibby from Goku, "Watch what you say!" she hissed in his ear. She drug the goat by the collar, "Come on, fat girl."

Rose seemed ruffled and she smoothed her jacket down. "A switch, you say? Where is it?"

Goku nodded and then paled as he realized what he said and he slapped his face, but he stood up anyway and walked towards the chicken coop, "This way, but it's only for the chicken. Sabriena's been chased and peck at and clawed by him so many times, we have to have something. We would never harm Goten with it. Never. It was how we figured out something was wrong. Sabriena had picked up the switch when she was showing Goten the nesting boxes and said he flinched from her.

Rose took the switch from him and inspected it. This was wider than the marks she'd observed on Goten and it had knots in the wood, which didn't seem to match up with the marks. Still, she had found no such item in Mrs. Son's house at all and it was more than a little coincidental that this was here. She felt that knot building in her throat as she looked at it. How could anyone hit a child with something like that? She looked at the man next to her. He had massively broad shoulders and more muscles than she'd ever seen on a person. Well, save for his husband whom she'd just met. His hulking size told her that if he'd hit his son in anger, surely the boy would have ended up in the hospital with far worse injuries, but still. She pressed her big lips together and handed the switch back to Goku. "You realize this looks more than a little coincidental?"

He nodded and looked sad, "I didn't even think about it's just for the chickens. Why would I hide it from you because of that? I didn't hit my son with it. It makes me so sick to think that she." He stopped, he wasn't sure accusing chichi would help,"Whoever hit him, it makes me sick to my stomach." He looked up at her and straight into her eyes. He liked the light he saw in them, she was a kind soul and he smiled at that, "I know you just want to make sure he is safe. I want him safe too and if having this switch here isn't good for him, then I'll listen. But it's just for the rooster. Though, I suppose Sabriena could throw a shoe at him," he said thoughtfully. He wondered then if he should mention Gohan's house.

She stared hard at him, the concern in his eyes, the softness in voice as he spoke about his son. It was against everything she'd been taught, but she believed him for some reason. She grabbed her pen and started making notes on her paper. "I have to include it in my report that I found it here, Mr. Son." She could see the disappointed look on his face as she said it. "That doesn't mean I believe you are the one who hit him. Really, I won't be able to determine much about your relationship until I see you with Goten. Today, I'm just supposed to look around, make sure your home appears safe and clean, that you have enough food and space for him. That sort of thing."

Goku nodded, his goofy smile coming back and he stood up. Mentally making a note that he would have to really thank Sabriena and Tien later for their help. Maybe a massage, among other things. His nervousness fell away and he looked around, "Alright then, what would you like to see next?"

"Could we look inside your home?" she asked. He nodded and they started to walk towards the cabin. She eyed the chickens and wondered which one was the rooster? She didn't like the sounds of him much. Rose had never really been around animals before. This whole place was strange to her. The lack of a road, the openness of this place. But there was an odd sense of safety around her that she couldn't understand. "So, the report says you have no running water or electricity? How do you prepare meals?"

Goku led the way to the cabin, and pushed the door open for her, "Sabriena does most of the cooking. She went to college for it so its all really good. We cook in the fireplace or outside in the fire pit when its warm enough. She makes all kinds of things! Thanks to the chickens she can make pasta and heck we made pizza the other night when Goten was here. She was tossing the dough up in the air, twirling it around! It was really something! And Goten really got into it too. I've never seen him so passionate about helping Sabriena cook! You'll have to have lunch with us when you bring Goten out. Maybe we can get some matsutake mushrooms for then!"

She couldn't help the tiny smile that pulled at her lips. This man was something else. Incredibly enthusiastic, friendly, but a bit simple. Everyone knew those mushrooms only grew in the fall. She stepped into the cabin, unsure of what to expect. She was impressed with the cleanliness of it and with the simplistic warmth that seemed to radiate there. Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she walked, hugging the clipboard to her chest, peering around at their home. The polished furniture, the massive stone fireplace, the cast iron skillets hanging on the wall. It was so rustic and old fashioned. "I didn't know people lived like this," she said with the tiniest bit of wonder in her voice.

Her eyes fell on the shelves to the left side of the cabin and she walked closer to inspect them. Jars of dried herbs and spices lined the wall, there was a small work-counter there with tin plates and cups sitting on it. She pushed her glasses up on her nose as she looked at each labeled herb in turn. Seeing nothing that set off any red flags, she turned and looked at the beds. There was the big bed beneath the window and a few feet from the foot of this bed was a smaller one, pushed up against the wall there. "So Goten doesn't have his own room? This is the only room in the house?"

Goku nodded, "To be honest with you, before Sabriena and I came to live out here it was just Tien. Since she and I moved in he's made a lot of changes just for us. He built these new chairs and when we found out about Goten, we built the bed together so he could have his own place to sleep. Tien said if we built an additional room it would be too cold during the winter for him." Goku lost himself in thought, knowing that if Goten came to live with them, they would have to limit sleeping together. They couldn't do that in front of him, "They really are sacrificing a lot to help me make sure my son is safe." He said wistfully.

"Well, I have to admit your relationship is a bit unorthodox, but there's nothing in our policies about relationship status, unless one of your partners was hurting Goten. You said he flinched when your wife - Sabriena? - picked up the switch. You don't suppose she could have been the one to hurt him?" Rose asked as she wrote more notes to herself. She personally didn't care what sort of romantic relationship this man had with anyone else, as long as his son wasn't in any danger from them. And while his husband was an intimidating man, that didn't mean he was necessarily violent.

Goku shook his head, "No, it wasn't her. He also did it again when he accidentally dropped a glass mixing bowl and it broke." Gokus face twisted in sadness and anger, "He was so scared, so afraid we were going to beat him for it. When we asked him why on earth he thought we were going to, he just looked down and said he couldn't say."

Rose nodded and continued to write.

Sabriena came in the cabin, carrying a bucket of water with her. She gave Rose a sweeping look and made her way to the fireplace. She built up the wood and started working on getting a fire going. She couldn't help but to look down at her dirty cut-offs and worn out sneakers. She frowned as she realized she must have looked rather frumpy compared to the pretty, sleek caseworker who stood in her cabin.

Rose stopped what she was doing and stepped closer, watching with interest. This was new to her, too.

Sabriena paid her no attention and nursed the flames until a fire was burning brightly. "Honey, what sounds good for lunch? I'll make anything you want."

Goku's stomach growled loudly and he laughed, "You know me, I'll eat anything I can get. Tien and I trapped a couple of rabbits this morning! Nice plump little guys. Tien even showed me how to skin and clean them! The meat's in the cellar, you want me to get it for you?" He licked his lips at the thought of whatever she would cook. He hadn't had a bad meal from her yet. Not that he considered many things as a bad meal.

"Would you?" she asked kindly, "and grab some broccoli from the garden while you're out there?" She smiled when he nodded and headed out the door.

"So how long have you lived out here?" Rose asked.

"Little over a year," Sabriena answered, placing a grate in the fireplace and grabbing a big skillet.

"I must say, I've never met anyone who lives quite like you and your husband. Husbands?" Rose corrected herself, unsure of how to address them yet.

"Husbands," Sabriena confirmed, "And yeah, most people can't hack it out here." She mentally slapped herself for being harsh. She wanted Goten back as much as Goku did. Being rude to this woman was not going to help their case. Truth be told, Sabriena was feeling a bit insecure. Rose's beauty was stunning and here Sabriena was, sweaty and dirty from digging postholes, wearing an old tank top, cutoff shorts and sneakers.

"How do you think Goten would handle living in such a rustic environment?" Rose asked.

Sabriena closed her eyes, trying to keep her patience. "Well, he certainly seemed to have a blast the last time he stayed over. He was fascinated with the animals. And he loves to cook with me." She sighed and turned to cross the cabin and gather the spices from the rack and some potatoes from a basket sitting nearby. "I miss Goten."

Rose tipped her head to the side. "You love your stepson?"

Sabriena pressed her lips firmly together, but gave a sharp nod.

"Have you ever seen your husband be aggressive towards Goten?"

Sabriena narrowed her eyes. "NEVER," she growled as Goku re entered the cabin.

Goku lifted an eye at Sabriena, "You okay?" He walked over to her and handed her a basket with the broccoli and a separate one with the rabbits piled in it. He rubbed her back as soon as his hand was free. He could feel her frustration and he looked over Rose and gave her an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that. We're all a bit on edge after everything that's happened."

Sabriena tossed a cutting board on the table with a clatter, slapped a rabbit on it, and began to butcher it into quarters. "It's all Chichi's fault," she muttered. She was trying very hard to hold her temper in front of this woman, but everything was wearing on her. The hard work, the lack of sleep. Seeing this woman here made it all very real to her and she was painfully aware of how rough they all looked, of how the yard appeared with all the boards and tools and half-built barn. It all felt very hopeless to her in that moment.

"I understand," Rose said kindly to Goku. "It's very stressful for everyone involved." Her nose wrinkled slightly at the sight of the raw rabbit and her stomach churned when Sabriena grabbed it and twisted, the crunching sound of the spine made Rose gag. "Excuse me," she said hurriedly and ran out the front door.

"The hell got into her?" Sabriena asked.

Goku chuckled as he looked after her, "You were kind of taking it out on the rabbit. Not everyone loves the sound of bones popping out of place." He turned back to her and lifted her face with his hand, pressing the softest kiss he could on her lips, "Thank you for all that you are doing, have done, will do. Thanks for kicking my butt into shape about this. The house looks amazing. You and Tien are amazing. I couldn't have done this without you two." He took a moment and tucked her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head, "How about I give you and Tien massages tonight? I think you've earned it," he muttered.

She closed her eyes and leaned against his chest, listening to his heart for a moment. "That sounds like heaven," she murmured. She looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm just really stressed out." She pushed gently away from him and turned back to the rabbits. "You go on and deal with her. I'll holler at you when lunch is ready."

She pressed her lips to a thin line, looking sadly down at her hands as she worked. Why did that woman make her feel so insecure? Her jaw clenched and she gave her head the tiniest of shakes as she broke another rabbit spine, the twisting crunch more satisfying to her ears than it should have been.

Goku stepped outside, spotting Rose catching her breath outside by the fire pit. He walked over to her seeing her pale face and he chuckled, "Not your thing I take it. Sorry about that, just. Well, Sabriena's taken Goten's absence pretty hard. She just wants him safe too." He looked her shaken look, "Would you like some water? Might help settle that stomach."

Rose nodded, afraid to open her mouth. She'd never witnessed something so gross in her life. She gratefully accepted the water from him when he offered it. "I'm sorry," she gasped. "That was brutal." She took another gulp of water. "You're really going to eat that?"

Goku blinked at her wide eyed and innocent, "Well of course. Not raw, Sabriena's going to make something really tasty out of them. Are you vegetarian? I'm sorry I forgot to ask! If not, you'll have to have a small taste to see what I mean. She makes pasta that melts in your mouth and she grilled up some deer steaks the other night that were so tender." His stomach growled at him and he chuckled, "I'd better stop that. What else can I show you?"

Rose pressed her full lips tightly together again and nodded. "Vegetarian," she answered, her voice still slightly strained. She drew a calming breath and straightened up. "Perhaps we could look at the... uh... what is that he's building over there?" The smell of braised rabbit was starting to drift out of the cabin and she didn't much care for it. Rose's friend often teased her that she was a food snob, but really Rose just didn't like anything that had to do with eating another living creature.

Goku walked with her over to the small barn they were building, "Sorry about the meat thing. I'll make sure she cooks something vegetarian for you when you bring Goten over." He looked over where Tien was working, his back was glistening in the sunlight as he worked, measuring out the rafters for the roof. Goku saw the posts holes over to the side, "Watch where you step. When you showed up, we were all working on this. Its a barn for the cow we are getting. Sabriena's really excited about that. We were hoping to have it finished before you got here." He laughed warmly, "The yard is kind of a mess with all of this stuff around!"

"Yes it is," Rose remarked. She was feeling rather sour after watching his wife man-handle those poor rabbits. "Rather hazardous, isn't it?" she asked, stepping around a pile of lumber.

Tien straightened up and turned to look at her. "Only if you don't know what you're doing."

Rose couldn't help but feel intimidated by this man. He was huge and carried himself with a strong confidence that gave her chills. He had a handsome face, but that third eye was unnerving. He walked towards them and Rose took and unconscious step back, her heel slipped over the edge of a post hole and she fell hard on the ground, her right leg wedged into the hole.

Goku's eyes went wide and he moved behind her to catch her before she hit the ground, but he winced at her cry of pain and looked to her ankle where it was stuck in the ground. It was bent at an unnatural angle. "Careful… easy. I got you. Tien can you get her foot out of there? If I set her down, it'll only twist worse."

Tien rushed over and gingerly pulled her leg from the hole. He felt as if he'd swallowed a block of ice. He didn't know much about legal systems or caseworkers, but when someone comes out to inspect your home for safety and they end up injured? This couldn't be good. "Let's get her over to the steps, Goku," Tien suggested.

"No," she gasped. "I can't stand the smell."

Goku looked over at Tien, "She's vegetarian." He shook his head and looked around, "We need to get something cold on her ankle and then elevate it." His mind went to the cold mountain spring that fed the waterfall. That would be cold enough. Then they could elevate her foot with a stump or something and wrap her foot up with some bandages. "You have any pain relieving salve and some bandages? I'll take her to the spring, get the cold water on the joint. That should stop the swelling some. Meet us up there?"

"Yeah, I got something that will numb it," Tien answered, gently lowering her feet to the ground, where she attempted to stand on her left leg. She wobbled on her heel and had to grab onto Goku's arm to keep her balance. "Ow," she whined softly. This was NOT how she had wanted to spend her day.

Tien headed into the cabin, inhaling deeply as he walked to the shelves. "Smells good, girl." A sudden thought struck him. "Hey, can you give us a hand? That worker twisted her ankle up real bad. Think you could heal her?"

Sabriena went to the window and looked out at Rose clinging to Goku's arm. "No, not feeling it today," she said simply and went back to the fireplace.

"What?" Tien growled, "Oh, come on. What's gotten into you?"

Sabriena wanted to say she didn't like that woman hanging on her husband's arm like that, but thought better of it. "Don't you think we'd do more damage than good if we showed off our powers?"

Tien thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, you're probably right." He grabbed the salve and a roll of bandages and headed back outside.

"Don't take long, lunch is almost ready!" Sabriena called after him.

Goku steadied her, "Is it alright if I carry you to the water? Can't have you walking on that just yet." At her nod, he bent down and picked her up bridal style, being careful so as not to jostle her foot any more than he had to. He saw Tien coming out of the cabin with the supplies and he smiled at Rose, "You're not afraid of flying are you?" He gently lifted up into the air and headed over to the top of the waterfall, back to the spring that was there. The deep blue of the water already had a change in the temperature of the air. The little grove was almost secluded from the rest of the world.

Rose gasped as he so easily lifted her against his chest and she threw her arms around his neck. She felt her face blush at the feel of his strong muscles. Oh goodness. But when he lifted into the air, she felt her heart stop. She wanted to scream at him to put her down, she was terrified of heights, but her voice caught in her throat and she couldn't make a sound.

Tien shook his head. So much for not showing off their powers. He quickly flew up and landed next to them. There was a large, flat rock that overhung the edge of the spring. "Set her here, Goku," Tien said and kicked off his boots before waded out into the water.

Rose was looking more and more disheveled with every passing moment. She looked very frightened as she clung to Goku's neck. "What... What just happened?" she stammered in shock. He had lifted into the air, but how? She blinked her wide blue eyes, looking very frightened.

Goku blinked at her, "We flew?" He laughed, his smile growing, "First time flyer huh? Sorry about that! I should have warned you. It's part of the training we do out here." He moved to set her down on the edge of the rock. "Let's get your shoes off. They look nice, probably don't do too well wet?" He reached down, still holding onto her, steadying her as he slipped her shoe off the injured foot and took off the other one before he eased the twisted ankle into the water. "There you go. How does that feel?" He set the shoes aside behind them on the rock. Her ankle was already starting to swell and he winced, "Ouch. Hang in there. You're doing great."

Rose felt like her head was spinning. People didn't just fly like that. And Tien was now standing at her foot, staring down at it.

His eyes flickered up at her. "You can stop looking at me like that," he stated, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Goku chuckled, "It's that third eye of yours. Plus you're not exactly… not intimidating." He smiled at Tien and reached out and gently gripped his shoulder, "She knows we're all on edge. Relax. You've done so much these past few days. Just relax." He looked back to Rose, "You could fly, too, if you wanted. It just takes some training." He gave her a goofy smile, "Might help the next time you come out here and we have post holes in the ground!" He patted her on the back, "I remember when Goten started flying."

"I must have hit my head," Rose muttered, trying to get to her feet, but Tien grabbed her shin and eased her foot back into the water. She shook her head, "This is so bizarre." Were these men playing tricks on her? There had to be a trick to it. But there were no wires, nothing for wires to attach to. "Goten can fly?"

Goku nodded, not getting that most of the world's populous didn't fly, "Yeah! Gohan taught him a few years ago. He's a natural at it." He smiled warmly thinking about Goten flying around in the yard that day, chanting that he was a bird. He chuckled at her, "This is a lot to take in, isn't it?" He watched her still kind of out of it. He reached down and dipped his hand in the cool water, carefully cupping it and bringing it to her lips, "Here have another drink. It will help you feel better. The water's not too cold on your ankle is it?"

She blinked uncertainly at him, but carefully sipped the water from his hand.

"Goku, she's going to have to sit here awhile," Tien said, gently touching Rose's ankle. "Sabriena's got lunch ready. She's gonna be mad if we're late. One of us should stay with her, at least. Or bring our lunch up here." Tien really didn't want to deal with Sabriena if they ruined lunch. He had enough on his mind without her being pissed off at the same time.

Goku smiled at Tien, "Go on and have lunch together. I'll sit with her. I'll eat when we get her patched up. I don't want to make her sick by eating in front of her." He was hungry, but if he could make her ankle better, then it was worth it. Though, Sabriena did cook what he had said he wanted. No. He had to make this right, "Tell her I'll make it up to her later, okay?" He reached out to take the salve and bandages from Tien.

"No, it's okay," Rose said. "She made you lunch. You can go ahead. Or bring it up here, like he said. I'll... I'll be okay."

Tien eyed her uncertainly, "You sure? You want something to eat?"

Rose shrugged. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry. This whole thing was turning out much different than she had anticipated. "I have a lunchbox in my car."

"I'll grab it for you," Tien offered and headed back down to the cabin.

Goku settled himself behind her, setting the supplies to the side, "Here. You can lean back on me if that's more comfortable." He peered over her shoulder and into the clear water, "How's it feeling?" He chuckled, "Bet you weren't expecting this when you came out here." He was a little sheepish, "Sorry about that. We don't normally have those holes in the yard. They'll be gone the next time you visit. That is if you think it'll be okay."

She leaned slightly forward, away from him. He was a little too friendly and while she found that endearing, it was rather unprofessional. "No, I certainly wasn't. Mr. Son, you have to admit, this is all really strange. Your relationship, the lack of electricity or running water or bathroom facilities. I... I've never been out of a city before and now here I am, in the middle of nowhere, being bitten by a goat, warned that there's a killer rooster running about, watching your wife rip animals apart by her bare hands, and then I nearly break my ankle and you FLY me up here to soak in a spring?!" Rose's voice was growing rather frantic as she spoke. She normally was a very calm, polite person, but she'd hit her breaking point.

Goku chuckled, "Sabriena was the same way when she first came out here. She was a real city girl, loved her cell phone, needed a tv on all the time, she loved noise. Cared only for herself. She was appalled when she learned Tien only had an outhouse for a bathroom. She was shocked that someone could live like this, too. Tien changed her into this wonderful caring woman. Though, I have to think that she was cooking rabbits before all that." He shook his head, "Yeah, we're rather different than most. I forget that most people aren't used to others flying around. The people I'm around the most all know how to fly. I just forget sometimes. Guess it takes a while to get used to it." He looked at her, "You not comfortable with all of this are you?"

Rose stared hard into the clear blue water. There was something about this man that she just couldn't figure out. There was an innocence in him, the way he spoke so openly and unguarded. She couldn't picture him hurting a fly, much less his own child. But everything about his situation was just so wrong. "No, I'm not," she said finally. She looked down at her ankle in the water. The coldness of the spring was making it go numb. He was so different than his ex. She had been very closed off with her answers and her body language had been forced. While her home seemed perfectly normal and tidy, there was a pronounced fakeness under it all that Rose didn't like either. But with Goku, he was an open book, even to the point of really incriminating himself, whether he was innocent or not. "To tell the truth, I don't know what to think of you or your ex-wife."

He sighed, looking up at the sky, "I hardly know what to think either." He got up and slipped into the water moving to her foot, gently taking it in his hands and gingerly feeling it. The swelling had gone down a little bit. He looked up at her, "They keep telling me I'm terrible at being subtle. I never learned to filter what I say. It's overwhelming to people, I know." He sighed, "I used to love her, even after she left me. She was the mother of my children, but after all this. I don't think I can stand the thought of her any more." He looked at her, carefully rotating her ankle gently to help loosen it up. He looked back towards the direction of the cabin. He had a question burning in his head, an idea Sabriena had given him, but he wasn't sure if he should ask Rose about it, "Can I ask you a question?"

The feel of his strong hands on her ankle sent a shiver up Rose's spine. It was as though she could feel a raw power within him that was so strong it could overwhelm, yet his touch was so gentle. She drew a breath through her nose, studying his face. "Yes," she said softly.

Goku felt nervous, Sabriena's warning to not seem so meek, so eager to see his son go to Gohan's, "I don't want you to misunderstand what I mean when I ask this. I love my son. I want nothing more than to have him come here to live with me and my family here. I would give anything for that, but I don't want to just think that's the only way." He looked at her, hoping she would understand, "He's my son and I dont want to leave anything to chance. If by some chance you decide that this home isn't right for him, is there a way or would it be possible for me to have custody of my boy and then have him live with my oldest 's brother?" He sighed, he was probably just making a bigger mess of things.

Rose was quiet for a moment as she thought about it. "Mr. Son, if your home is determined to not be suitable for Goten, the judge isn't going to award custody to you. However, it is our goal, MY goal, to keep your family together if at all possible. If Goten cannot go back to his mother, and if he cannot come here, there is the option of him staying with a relative. But only so long as THAT home is determined to be acceptable. Your oldest son would have to agree to a home study as well." She looked apologetic as she said it. All too often she had seen relatives deny their family and the children adopted out to new homes with people they barely knew. Little Goten had been so hopeful and full of life when she'd gone to see him, despite the hideous marks on his face and back. How could someone not love a boy like that? He'd be snatched up in the system faster than an eye could blink.

Goku nodded his understanding and was grateful that she understood as well, "Thank you." He smiled at her, "Gohan already told me that if it does come to that, he would be more than happy to do what it takes to give his little brother a good home" He sighed, feeling better. He felt tears welling up in his eyes and he took a moment to wipe them away and he gave a watery laugh, "Sorry. Im out of my element. I really didn't know what to expect. I half expected you to be like that older woman who came to capsule corp and had that stern grumpy look that would have put Tien to shame. "

"Stern, grumpy?" Rose paused and laughed. "You must mean Barb. You have to understand why she is the way she is. She's been working for CPS for a very, very long time. You have to consider all the children she's seen. We get calls every single day about children who are being abused and neglected, Mr. Son. Some of them are even worse than even your son. You'd look a little grumpy, too if you had to see that day in and day out." Her voice trailed off and her blue eyes went sad. "I've only worked here a couple years. It can wear on you. All those children... the babies..."

Goku's eyes snapped to hers, his eyes wide and then a slight anger behind them, "Babies?!" He hissed, he pinched the bridge of his nose and he shook his head, "Why would anyone hurt a baby? They are completely defenseless! They count on their parents to protect them, not hurt them!" He took a calming breath, his mind mulling over it a moment before he looked back up at Rose and offered a sad smile, "You save them, you and her and your co-workers. Doesn't that make it worth it? To know that at the end of your day you've saved, improved the life of that child?" He had a new growing respect for her. He was starting to understand what she was about. She was unbiased, fighting for those who couldn't, "You'll do whats best for my son, I can't ask for more than that." He moved her leg in the water, carefully lifting it up and out of the water, inspecting it, "This is going to be sore for a few days. You'll have to go home and keep it elevated. Cold compresses are the best for this kind of thing." He reached over and grabbed a bandage, using it to pat her foot dry so he could start applying the salve

"It's nice to hear that someone understands," she said with a small smile. "Most parents treat me like I'm some sort of monster that comes to steal their child away. I just can't stand to see any living thing hurt. That's why I don't eat meat," she finished sheepishly. "My friend gives me a hard time about it. It just breaks my heart to see anyone or anything suffer. I just want to help these kids." Her eyes fluttered shut for a second at his touch. "I want to help Goten. That's all that matters to me."

Goku nodded, "Its not easy to stand up for what's right. You must be a very strong person to do so. Don't let anyone tell you different. How could someone call you a monster. You are an angel to the children you help." He carefully worked the salve into her ankle, feeling around the lump and concentrating on working the mixture into that area. He stopped and washed his hands off in the water, shaking them dry before he reached for the bandage and expertly wrapped her ankle up, "There. Thats not too tight is it?" He looked at her toes for any bluish nails.

Rose wiggled her toes slightly. "No, that's perfect. Thank you." She carefully laid her leg over the knee of her other one and looked around, appreciating the spring for the first time since they'd flown there. It was breath-taking. The gentle sound of a waterfall as the spring spilled over the lip of the land, the birds singing overhead, the cool shade from the surrounding trees and the damp coolness of the spring itself made the air heavy and comforting. "I thought places like this only existed in fairy tales," she breathed dreamily.

Goku washed his hands in the water again before cupping his hands and taking a drink of the cool water, sighing happily. He lifted himself out of the water and sat next to her, "Half the time I think I'm dreaming to have been so lucky to be here." He let out a long contented sigh before he stopped and leaned his head back and laughed, warm and bubbly, coming from his chest, "Can you just imagine? This would make one heck of an interesting fairy-tale!"

She raised her eyebrows and gave a nod. "I just hope it ends in happily ever after."