Chapter 12

Magic beans, Old friends…

It didn't take long to reach the small stream of water; gingerly Goku laid ChiChi down near it. He ripped a piece of cloth from his pants because he already had used the shirt he had. He soaked the fresh water into the small fabric and then begun to pat away the clumps of blood in her ebony locks. Gohan watched intently, he was still lost in thought from his mother's words.

He couldn't shake the similarities between him and Goku, nor could he forget that his mother had called Goku Kakorrot when they first met. Was it possible that Goku was his father, or maybe just a deadly replica of his father? "Gohan is that you," came a groggy voice from behind.

"Mr. Krillen!" Shout Gohan as he leapt at him knocking him over.

"Heel boy," kid Krillen, as he tried his best to sit back up.

Nervously Gohan laughed as he got up and helped Krillen as well, "Sorry. We just didn't know if any of you survived. My mom is pretty knocked up, and 17 and that lady that was with him are missing."

"They are probably somewhere around here, I would have thought you guys didn't survive if anything cause you two were on the other side of the cave." Krillen patted Gohan's back, and then noticed Goku who was seating before ChiChi cleaning her wounds. "Wow, Goku you don't look like anything happened to you. ChiChi looks pretty beat up though, how about I help you?"

"Thanks!" Goku looked to Krillen his usual smile on his face, "I'm glad that you're okay. I just hope ChiChi will be too."

Krillen could see the worry that filled his features, the feelings he had for her was more than evident. Just seeing how carefully Goku cared for ChiChi and the worry embedded in him made Krillen feel sorry for him. How could a man help the woman he loved to find another man she loved? He brushed away the thought and quickly made his way over to Goku's side. His shirt was pretty tattered but there was more than enough left to be turned into a rag.

"How long has she been out?" asked, Krillen as soaked his shirt made rag in the stream.

"Five minutes now," Goku answered, his hands never stopping their work. He nearly had all the blood washed away, and could see the small gash on her head top. It ran along the side of her head, about an inch long and it was oozing blood.

"We don't know how long she been out either because when we got to her first she was out and then she woke up. She was only up for a second," added Gohan. Fear had brought Gohan from the questions that now circled in his mind with regards to his father. His mother didn't look good; he didn't know the least about wounds. "Mr. Goku? Is she going to be okay?"

Apprehensively he looked to Gohan; the anxiety in the young boy's eyes was more than enough to forget his own worries. "Yes," he answered, confidently.

Incredulously Gohan nodded, he watched closely as Goku washed away the last of the dried blood from her hair. Just the sight of his mother in her condition made him wish he could take back every time he ever went against her words. He wished he would have study a bit harder, had he of done that he just might have gotten to some medical books.

"Princess!" 17 yelled as he made his way over to the trio with 18. He held up his blonde replica sister her right arm over his shoulder and his right arm holding tightly to her waist for support. Quickly he pushed his sister to walk faster till they reached closer and he helped her to rest her back against a large tree and then made his way to ChiChi.

"Princess?" Krillen questioned. Where had the Princess been? It didn't take long to realize what he was talking about when 17 made his way to ChiChi. For the first time since he had joined Goku and Gohan he realized she no longer had blonde hair, he couldn't believe he missed that. "She is…she is the Princess!"

"There is no time for that," 17 lashed, as he peered at her over Goku's shoulder.

Krillen was flabbergasted since when did the Princess go out on quest as such? Why wasn't he included in knowing she was the Princess? She was the PRINCESS! He could nearly faint at the many things he did to her that he would surely have been killed for. "Get a hold of o-" Suddenly he remembered a bag that he had took from Mr. Roshi's hotel in case of an emergency.

Quickly he dug into his pocket until he felt the small bag and pulled it free, " Aha!" he shouted and opened it taking out a small bean. "I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier but I have something that will heal her!"

Everyone's attention was turned to the smaller man who now wore a proud smile on his round face, and a bean in his hand. "Ladies and Gentleman this is a senzu bean," he announced.

"There is no time for your silly games," retorted 17, furiously.

"Ouch!" Krillen's smile disappeared for only a second, " I guess I might have deserved that? But I'm not playing a game- open her mouth Goku."

"Ok," agreed Goku.

"What no! Why would you just let him put a bean down the Princess' throat, she is already seriously injured we don't want to choke her!" 17 couldn't understand Goku at all, how he could so easily go along with Krillen.

"Well we don't have much to go off on and I trust him, give me the bean," Goku informed. Krillen handed the small bean to Goku and he opened up ChiChi's mouth and put the bean inside.

"You have to help her chew it," Krillen instructed.

Goku moved her jaws carefully and they could hear the crunching of the bean in ChiChi's mouth. Each person aside from 18, and Krillen was hoping with every ounce of their being that the bean would work. Krillen stood confidently awaiting for the results to show as he held tightly to the small bag filled with the magic beans.

Just as they were about to lose hope in the senzu bean ChiChi moaned and then her onyx orbs fluttered open. She gasped for air; the sun wasn't as bright as the last time however just as the last time she was staring into the eyes of her savor. Her body didn't feel as distorted as it had before instead she felt as if she was filled of energy. "Goku?"

"ChiChi-"

"Mom!" interjected Gohan and threw himself on her hugging her tightly.

ChiChi was gasping for air from the tight grip of her son, who instantly pulled back a blush staining his cheeks, "Sorry mom."

"It's okay," she exclaimed pulling him back on top of her. She still laid with her head in Goku's lap and now Gohan on top of her.

Krillen couldn't help but to feel proud. "I told you it would work," he exclaimed.

Goku couldn't help but to smile, he didn't know what he would have done if she didn't get better. With every second it was becoming harder and harder to press on knowing he would lose her. He was no one compared to the man she had once been with, he could only wish he were.

ChiChi was overwhelmed by the attention of all the men. She didn't remember everything that had happen but she was grateful that both Gohan and Goku made it out of the cave. She pushed herself up and away from the warmth of Goku, her mind lingered on the images of him. She wasn't sure if she had experience a dream or something deeper than that, but her suspicions of Goku being Kakorrot was fueled. She wanted to tell him what she had seen, she wanted to check the spot that she and Kakorrot had made together so long ago but she didn't want everyone to see. She most of all didn't want Gohan to be alarmed by her suspicions especially if they weren't real.

"ChiChi," weakly 18 called from the tree she rested against.

Instantly everyone turned to the slender woman, and Krillen made his way to her giving her a bean as well. She took it into her mouth and chewed and in matters of seconds she felt her energy being restored, swiftly she stood to her feet. Her face was void of emotions and her arms now crossed over her chest, her icy blue eyes focused of her smaller female counterpart. "I never imagined seeing you again," she informed, her words drenched in venom.

"I would have thought the same thing," added ChiChi, suspiciously.

"Pretty Princess," she spat, "with the perfect life. You were the reason my father was banished and subjected to live below land."

"I don't know what you are talking about and I don't think you know the full story behind your father's banishment!" ChiChi was taken back from 18's assumptions, she had never even spoke of Dr. Gero before.

"Lie!" 18 lashed, and launched at ChiChi.

Had the Princess not been skilled in martial arts she would have surely suffered from the blow that 18 came with. However, with ease she side stepped the blonde woman's right hook and 17 quickly jumped between his sister and ChiChi. "Stop!" he yelled, and instantly 18 ceased. "Sister she isn't lying to you, I'm not sure what you know but the truth is our Father was out for himself. He was banished from land strictly because he had unacceptable principles."

"Hmph," was 18's reply, her gaze never leaving ChiChi. She wanted so bad to strangle every last bit of life out of the woman's body. "You must be brain washed, or maybe you still like her but she was the cause. I remember clearly."

"Do you?" ChiChi, questioned. "I remember too and I remember you and me playing like we always had. However, we snuck into your father's lab because you said you seen the most awesome thing. So I followed you and when we finally made it inside, we witness your father administering serum into a man. Once he had finished he quickly covered up the capsule the man was in and kept it well hidden. It was you who said the first words, you who were shocked."

"Lie!" 18 interjected, "Lie! That never happen there was no man there and my father never did anything of the sort. He never had a reason to hide anything! He was a good man." 18 was livid, she side stepped her brother and launch again at ChiChi this time Goku was her shield. "So I see you're a scared of me, Princess."

ChiChi rolled her eyes, "Me? You have it wrong I always remembered it being you who was scared of me. Why would you think I'd be a scared of you?"

"Why else would you have so man-"

"Enough!" 17 interrupted, he grabbed a whole of his sister's arm. He tried to tug her back however it seemed a little hard to do. She had a very slender figure but her power exceed her tiny frame. "18 you have to listen to me, she is not the enemy nor was she ever. I am your brother, you have to trust me."

18's gaze felt upon her twin brother, the vacant stare in them never leaving. "Why?"

"Simple. I don't know how much you could have seen or heard being in that tank, but Father wanted to kill me. I don't know what he did to you, but I bet it wasn't by choice. Our father wanted an army to take over the throne and to kill both ChiChi and her father. Can't you remember you two were best friend?"

" I got us both ice queam," the small chubby cheeked raven hair Princess exclaimed as she handed her friend an ice cream cone.

The blonde hair girl giggled as she took the ice cream cone and licked it, a smile spread across her lips. " This is my favborite!"

"I know silly your my best fwend," added the tiny Princess as she took a lick of her own.

18 grabbed her head in pain, the thought came so quick. It was hard to piece together everything, but she couldn't deny it. Her memory had once been something different; it had been one with the Princess taking away her favorite ice cream. However, the difference between them was more than enough to leave her perplexed. "I don't understand," she breathed as the world around her faded black.

Just as she was about to hit the floor Krillen rushed to her catching her. "Wow this is one tough cookie," he commented.

ChiChi looked down at the fallen girl, compassion filled her features. "Do you think your Father did the same thing to her as he did to the others?" She clung to Goku's right arm unbeknownst.

17 was still a little daze but he heard every word that ChiChi had said, he just couldn't place why his father would have used his sister. He frowned when he noticed the display of affection that ChiChi was sharing with Goku. He couldn't understand in the least why she even cared about the guy he was clueless. "Yes, I do believe that."

"Well no matter what he has done to her she is still herself," ChiChi exclaimed, "she is a good person."

Krillen looked at the sleeping beauty she was a sight to see, someone he never would have imagined seeing in all his life. She was everything he pictured the perfect girl to be. He struggled at first but finale managed to position her bridal style in his arms. He had the strangest feeling about this woman; she made it impossible to keep a straight face. It was obvious that he liked the blonde bombshell, from the blush across his cheeks to the sweat that was oozing from his pores.

"Are you okay Krillen?" Gohan asked.

Nervously Krillen laughed, " O..Of course," his cheeks burned a darker shade of pink. "Shouldn't we get moving?"

"That sounds like a good idea," ChiChi added. With no more said they waited patiently as Gohan took out the small radar and turned it on. Instantly a small dot begun to flash on the screen, and it didn't look to be no more than a few miles away.

" This is the last one, and then we will never have to be alone again," ChiChi informed Gohan. She smiled down at him, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Goku smiled on the outside but inside his stomach was twisting violently at the thought. He never felt so unprepared, he didn't know how it would be when her mate returned- but he did know it wouldn't be a happy ending for him. He watched skeptically as the two wore the biggest smile he ever seen, and his inside was slowly dying.

How could he live without them?

A/N: Hey! So as soon as I had seen 7 reviews I started on the fic, took a bit longer because I was slightly busy. I hope you guys enjoy! It is coming to an end VERY soon, so Yay and also I'm so thankful for everyone that did review! I don't want to have to constantly say REVIEW me a certain amount, so this time I'm just asking you to review. I appreciate them all whether their constructive criticism or just a good old complement! Any see you next time around!