A/N: Thank you. Thank you so much. You guys are the best. The mobile site is awful for reviewing; I can agree with that! This story is going to have such a perfect, sweet ending that you might throw up. But I like happy stories every once in a while. The next chapter should be the ending but I might go off on a tangent again. :)
OH. For the next story, it will either center around Chi-Chi or an OC. I'm not sure which I want to do and you guys seem pretty torn, so let me know in a review what you'd like to see. I can go either route. Goku is going to be much younger; probably 20, but there won't be any Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Bulla, Marron, etc. Vegeta, Raditz, Turles, Tarble, and a ton of other Saiyans will be in it. It will take place in modern day. Chi-Chi isn't going to be a massive bitch if you pick her, though.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or anything affiliated with it.
-MalRev
Spectre
25
Everyone started shouting at once, leaving me staring blankly at Goku's slightly terrified face. He awkwardly pulled our hands off the table as Gohan leapt to his feet and pointed an accusatory finger, literally shaking with anger. They were all so mad that none of them were even sentient anymore: Videl was hiding her face in her hands, Vegeta lost control of his temper and turned Super Saiyan, and Bulla was sitting on the ground next to Bulma's feet while she yelled at Goku.
Married? Since when were we getting married?! I never agreed to that. I didn't even know he considered us to be in a relationship. Had he proposed to me somewhere down the line? Maybe I forgot. He could've done it during our first time or when I was going unconscious during the rain storm. I thought I paid a lot of attention to Goku but those words had somehow slipped by me.
Chi-Chi was cradling Goten in slack-jawed shock. She couldn't even move. I wanted to melt into a puddle and slither to the floor to die. The rage was spreading between everyone quickly—Pan was glaring at her grandfather in revulsion while Trunks's hair flickered gold. Soon Capsule Corp. really would be destroyed. Vegeta knocked over a chair and advanced toward Goku and me but mom stepped in his path with her hands still firmly planted on her hips.
"Sit down, you impetuous fool!" she bellowed.
Vegeta snarled and tried to push her aside but she blasted him back with a buffet of energy, literally forcing him into his chair. Mom tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked round the room as everyone slowly quieted down from the initial outburst. I was still staring into space, barely breathing.
Bulma pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "Context would be lovely."
Gohan pushed up his sleeves and snorted disdainfully. He steepled his fingers, glaring at his father over the tip. "Context? What for? We all know what's going on here. Dad did something stupid to hurt mom's feelings yet again. You all need to learn how to keep your hands off high school girls. Honestly, can I trust my daughter with any of you?"
"Quiet!" mom hissed. "My bloodthirst has not been sated by your brother. If you don't want to be on the bad end of a very angry 'sub-human,' I suggest you keep your mouth closed."
The room was quiet again. Goku's ears were turning red with embarrassment and he couldn't even meet my mother's eyes when she turned and looked at him expectantly. Her cold gaze shifted to me and I hid my face in Goku's arm without thinking. It was second nature now. All the demanding eyes on us were too much to bear. They could figure everything out from guessing, right?
Mom muttered to herself and gestured at Goku. "Well, since he's become oddly shy, I'll tell all of you what's going on. Firstly, to set the 'context' you all so desperately need, she—" Mom pointed at Chi-Chi, who looked like she'd turned to stone— "has been prancing around with that other human. The strange one who seems to get in the way without even trying. Yamcha?
"This was going on for a long time. Marron found out and encouraged Goku to stand up for himself, which he's still afraid to do. My daughter was lonely and found a certain degree of comfort in Goku so one thing ultimately led to another, as it always does. And, because he has taken from her that which can never be replaced, I have demanded he pay the price. They will be married.
"It is for Marron's happiness and protection." Mom folded her arms, walking slowly back and forth in front of the group. "It is not up for discussion. None of you have done your part in protecting my daughter. She has thusfar been attacked, bullied, and run away twice. I will commit to what must be done to ensure her eternal comfort, no matter what that costs any of you."
My whole body was shaking. Mom was forcing me to get married? Why? I mean, I understood her reasoning but it wasn't really fair. I hadn't even graduated high school yet. How did I know Goku was the person I was supposed to marry? He was still technically with Chi-Chi so it wasn't even legal yet. Come to think of it, I couldn't legally get married until I was at least sixteen. Right?
Goku was squeezing my thigh, eyes riveted on the countertop. "I… I just wanted to say that… well… Marron has shown me a lot in this short time." He swallowed, unable to look everyone in the eyes. "She's taught me to consider my own happiness and… um… she listens to me and understands what I say instead of thinking I'm just being silly. And she doesn't yell.
"I know you're unhappy, Chi-Chi. I don't want that. I'm unhappy, too, so I'm uh…" He scratched his head and turned his confused obsidian eyes to me. My heart leapt. He looked to me for answers now.
I smiled, tears brimming in my eyes. He wasn't going to be able to finish. He'd said all he could. It was just something else we needed to work on. His feelings had been repressed for so long that he couldn't draw them from a common spring as everyone else did. It was exciting trying to read him. I liked finding the emotion and pulling it out for him; helping him express himself the way everyone else did.
Then Goku's eyebrows drew together and he smiled confidently. He turned back to face all of them, proudly setting my hand on the table with his. "I'm learning to find my own happiness. It's sort of scary and I'm lost sometimes, but Marron puts me back on the right path. She encourages me. She wants me to feel things and tell her about them instead of putting on an act. It's weird when your torn open like that. You don't know if you can trust someone that much after learning what evil exists in the world.
"But I'm learning. It's gonna take a long time. A lot of you won't want to support us but I need to think of my own needs just this once. I've been putting other people first for so long that I've been ignoring myself. Chi-Chi isn't happy. That's okay. Like I said, I wish her nothing but the best. I just hope that all of you can come to understand that Marron and I deserve happiness, too."
And at that moment, I realized I wouldn't mind spending forever trying to figure him out.
No one said anything for a few minutes as Goku's words sank in. I felt surer of myself thanks to Goku's speech and could look up at my mother, who was smiling ever so slightly. It was a win-win for her. There was an obvious and painful age difference but Goku would be able to protect me from whatever harm came to Earth. He was invincible. Coincidentally, he was passionately loyal to the point of willingly taking demoralizing abuse for years on end. He wasn't going to leave me for the next best thing.
Gohan hung his head in his hands and Videl rubbed his back in slow circles. Vegeta had calmed down quite a bit but refused to look at his rival, opting instead to focus on his daughter, who was grinning. Bulma popped out a cigarette and lit it while she slowly shook her head.
Pan looked around the room angrily, then hopped to her feet. "Hey! Are all of you kidding me?! Grandpa is happy for the first time in forever and you're all blowing him off!" She pointed at Goku and I, impassioned by our similar circumstances. "I'm not going to lie and say it isn't a weird pairing but Marron didn't just fall of the turnip truck. I bet she knows grandpa better than any of you jerks.
"He's saved all of your sorry butts so many times we've all lost count. Vegeta! You always get in the way and makes things harder! He could've killed you when you came to Earth with that Nappa guy but he spared you because he saw goodness in your heart. Bulma! You two have been friends for years. How can you shake off grandpa finally telling you how he feels? He never does that. You should be encouraging him, not making him feel worse.
"Daddy! Where do I even begin?" Pan sounded a lot like Chi-Chi when she yelled. I moved closer to Goku's arm, terrified. "He's your father. When you were too busy messing around to kill Cell, grandpa willingly sacrificed himself to give you a second chance. He threw himself in front of ki blasts all the time so you wouldn't get hurt. He taught you how to be a warrior and tried his best to be there for you.
"Gosh, all of you need to get your heads out of your behinds. Be happy for grandpa. He and grandma never got along that well. So what? That's just how fate played things out. I didn't expect to fall in love with Trunks but y'know, there's nothing I can do about it now. So everyone needs to set aside their dumb opinions and celebrate the fact that so many things have been resolved today."
Again, there was an agonizing silence. Goku was growing nervous. He fidgeted with the edge of my shirt, desperate to get out of the room and go home. I waited to see if Pan's words would have any effect on everyone and maybe make things easier. It wouldn't be a smooth transition by any means but I didn't want to split our circle of friends down the middle.
"I'm happy for him," Bulma said to break the quiet. "But like you said, it isn't exactly normal. I think we all need time to get used to the idea. Can't say I'm surprised about Chi-Chi. Is she even breathing?"
"I should hope not. Treacherous wretch." Vegeta's calculating eyes burrowed into me, searching for any signs of weakness. "Perhaps you can keep this one around longer, Kakarot."
"Neither of us can say anything," Trunks said, speaking up for the first time. He winked at Pan and she smiled back at him. "We're all getting older now. We're going to have to deal with major changes like this so it's better that we face them head on instead of avoiding the problem."
"That would make me a hypocrite as well," Videl sighed. "You've grown up so much, Pan. I'm proud." She elbowed her husband in the ribs and he shrugged morosely.
Mom's eyes scoured the room for any signs of dissention but everyone seemed to be at least halfway on board, which meant she could move things along. She turned back to face Goku and I, a small smile touching the corners of her mouth. Was she actually happy about us being together? That didn't seem right. She wanted to punish me for acting so dumb over the past month.
I waited for her to scream and yell, but she walked around the edge of the counter and yanked me out of my chair into her arms, crushing me in a peculiar sort of hug. Goku giggled as I gasped for air, tears pricking my eyes. She could break me in half but I wouldn't have minded. I was getting a rare embrace.
Mom set me back down and brushed off my shoulders as she blinked rapidly. "I suppose it's time for me to go. I'll be back in a few months to help you plan for the wedding. Goku's divorce needs to go through before anything can move ahead. So… stay safe, Marron. I've learned that what's best for you isn't always what's best for me. Your fiancé and I had a good, long talk while we pounded on Goten. But don't think being married means you don't have to go to school."
Me, married. To Goku. If someone told me how things would pan out, I would've died laughing before I could've watched everything unfold. All of my friends would be dating different guys, trying to find the right one, and I'd be going home every night to make dinner with my husband. I'd be set apart from the other girls. Mom was crafty enough to mesh my punishment and reward into one event.
"I'll take good care of her," Goku said. "No matter what."
"I know." Mom held me at arms' length, taking in my appearance. "You should probably go back to the house and pick up your things. We don't want you in that shirt all day."
I rubbed my eyes. "I'm gonna tomorrow. I'm so tired. All I want to do is go home and sleep. Thank you, mom. I'm happy you understand."
"Your father and I will be back home," she said. "I think being in a familiar place will help him feel more relaxed. You're welcome to visit anytime, which won't be hard when you have instant transmission at your disposal. I'm not sure if he should go to the wedding but we'll see about that when the time—"
"There's no need for anyone to leave."
We turned to see a tall man with a white turban wrapped around his head cradling a bundle in his arms. He had green skin and pointy ears—this was Piccolo, the Namekian dad talked about sometimes. Goku grinned excitedly, waving to his friend while the others all appeared equally happy to see him. Piccolo carefully shut the door behind himself and eyed Chi-Chi draped over Goten on the floor.
"Don't tell me anything," Piccolo said, gazing around the room. "I heard it already. Dende and I have been busy for a long time now trying to sort out all this nonsense for you. Now you can all use Shenron as a crutch like you did in the past."
"Um… the Dragon Balls disappeared a long time ago," Goku said sheepishly.
"Trust me, we've looked," Gohan added. "They'd be great to have right now."
Piccolo rolled his eyes and knelt down on the floor, untying the bag he was carrying. All of us leaned forward with mutual awe as seven gleaming orange orbs clinked together, rolling quietly across the hardwood floor. The comfortable chatter that started up died out as we all started to realize what this meant. The Dragon Balls were back. We were all invincible again.
"Dende was able to destroy the old set," Piccolo said. "We tried to find them but realize it wasn't gonna happen after a few years of searching. Shenron is the same. He can grant three wishes and I'm sure he's just dying to see all of you standing below him again begging for help."
Mom crouched down to pick up the One Star Ball and held it with tears in her eyes. I knew exactly what she was thinking. We could use them to wish dad's illness away. Heck, she'd probably make him immortal after everything we'd been through. Fear coursed through my veins as everyone scooped up various Dragon Balls, disbelievingly making sure they were real. Would it change things between Goku and I? Mom and dad and I could all be happy now. I didn't need to go away.
The Four Star Ball seemed to find its way to Goku and he admired it while Gohan leapt to his feet to hug Piccolo, making the Namekian grunt in distaste. Bulma tossed the Two Star Ball up in the air and turned her gaze to mom, who was still staring at her own Dragon Ball in shock. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen them. Sometimes I wondered if they were a figment of our imagination.
"I think we all know who gets first wish," Bulma said. "It'd be nice to have baldy hanging out with us again. After that, it's all up to you guys."
Everyone laughed and Goku pulled me back into my chair, casually curling his arm around my waist. He set the Four Star Ball in front of us and soon everyone was adding their own to the group. They flickered and the weak daylight outside grew darker. I watched the orange glow reflect off my mother's tear-streaked cheeks and hoped her dream wouldn't become my nightmare.