What to expect: The Continuing the story of Goku's life as a girl. Rikku (Goku) meets her brother Radditz, Nappa, and the intriguing Saiyan Prince Vegeta. In this installment you will get the story of Rikku's life between the Saiyan Saga and the Cell Saga.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry I didn't mean to confuse my viewers. Basically I wanted Goten to be in my stories because he's going to play a big part in "Why Can't We." Yes He's full saiyan, and yes he'll probably have an advantage over Trunks, but... I don't wanna give away too much. Just trust me I know where I want to go with this.

Thank you for the comments and I'll try to make things less confusing.

Why Can't You?

Chapter 37: Become a Super Saiyan in 9 months

~May~

Despite the doubts, complaints, and the worries of her friends Rikku knew what she had to do. If Vegeta and Trunks failed to defeat Cell she and Gohan were the only ones available to help. Baby, or no baby it was time to train.

The moment she and Gohan stepped through the door Gohan was overwhelmed by his surroundings. The air was hot and the gravity was heavier compared to what he was used to. He looked to his mom who seemed unaffected by the changes.

"Mom. Are you sure this is a good idea? What if something bad happens?"

"Relax Gohan. Trust me when I say that I know what I'm doing." She knelt down in front of him and stared him in the eyes. "It's just the two of us, and even though Trunks and Vegeta were in here a year we're going to cut that time down a bit. I need you to work ten times harder then before." He nodded, and she smiled. "Good, now things are gonna be a bit different. You have nine months of my time Gohan. In those nine months we're gonna be working on improving your skills as much as possible. After I give birth, we're leaving."

"You're gonna give birth in here? There's no doctors, and Chichi she-"

"I've been through this before Gohan. I know what my body is capable of and what I can do. I admit I'm a little nervous without any doctors, but I can guarantee that the baby will be just fine."

"How do you know?"

"I was pregnant with you once wasn't I?" She poked his nose making him twitch. "I didn't start showing until six months along. Even then the tissue around my belly was hard as a rock. Vegeta told me that saiyan pregnancies were much different then those of Earth deliveries. Some women gave birth on the battle field and then kept going. This is not gonna be as extreme. For one, I don't consider myself a saiyan because I was raised here on Earth. And two, I don't have any clothes or supplies to take care of the little one here for the extra three months. So we're leaving as soon as he's born."

"Okay."

"Now just because I'm pregnant it doesn't mean I want you to go easy on me. Like I said before our bodies are built to fight even during pregnancies." She sighed and rolled her shoulders. She was too tense. She had to remain calm throughout this or they wouldn't make it. She walked out into the void. "I don't want you to go out into this void without me. It's very easy for you to get lost."

"Okay, but it sure is big. It's like we're the only two people in the world."

"In this room, we are the only two people." She knelt down running a hand through his hair. "We're gonna be in here for awhile. I think we're gonna need to cut that hair of yours. Chichi will probably kill me, but it's a necessary evil. Luckily my hair hasn't changed since the day I was born."

"I thought you said you've cut your hair before."

"I have, but only when Bulma made me. She had this fascination with it. Luckily she grew out of it as I got older." She slid a finger over his locks and took a long deep breath. "Hold still." He finger glowed and the hair fell away leaving him with a short scruffy top that she had to admit made him look all the cuter. "There we are. Now I can see my handsome man without all that rug hiding his face." She rubbed his head for good measure making him laugh.

"Next on the agenda, I want you to become a Super Saiyan."

"What? Me?" Gohan's black eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'm not gonna be the only one to reach new levels." She put her hands on her hips as she spun around looking at the white empty space. "Our goal is to reach a new level beyond that of a super saiyan. So," she looks back at him. His expression was disbelief and cute to boot. "I want you to become stronger than me."

"What?" Now total shock filled his face. "Me stronger than you?"

"That's exactly what I want to see from you Gohan. We can do it together."

"I hope you're right. Mom, Trunks said I eventually become a Super Saiyan in the future, but I still die."

"Hey, don't believe everything Trunks tells you." She smiled down at her son. She spoke from experience on this. "A lot of things have changed since then. I was supposed to get sick and kick the bucket, but I'm still here."

"Oh yeah."

"It's all up to us Gohan. No more fighting with predictions or worrying about the future. Your mind has to be on the here and now. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I should warn you. I'm a stricter teacher than Piccolo. Think you can handle it?"

Gohan wanted to laugh at that. His mother was the nicest person he knew. It was hard to believe she could be strict. He touched his cheek where she had struck him when he had tried to take off and help Piccolo. It had been the first time she laid a hand on him outside of a sparring match. "Yes Ma'am."

"Good, then let's get started!"

~July~

Training with his mother had become a harder task than Gohan had originally planned on. For two months they struggled against time and space pushing each other's limits and fighting the strength of their own will power.

After observing her son Rikku saw that the only thing holding her son back was his emotions. She remembered her own transformation and sought to mimic it for her son. She told him to imagine Frieza destroying all those that he loved and cared for, let his anger boil, and let his emotions take him to that power that dwelled deep inside him.

Gohan screamed as he powered up. His short hair spiking and his bangs flicking on his forehead. His mother watched him with serious, observing eyes. "Push deeper Gohan! Feel the emotions! Let them overwhelm you!"

Gohan shut his eyes trying to do as he was told. His body was tight and tender when he moved. He thought of his fight on Planet Namek. The unbearable pain he felt at the sight of all the lives Frieza had destroyed. He pictured his mother's contorted and anguished face as she held Vegeta to her breast when Frieza had killed him. All those emotions and all those hardships flowed into him fueling his anger and his rage and he felt his control slipping. In a snap of a finger his hair shot gold and then dropped to black. Gohan sank to his knees panting and aching.

Rikku smiled. He was so close. She kneeled down and rubbed his hair smiling. "You did well Gohan. You almost had it."

"I think you're right." Gohan panted his eyes clenched tightly together. He was almost too afraid to open his eyes, afraid that if he did everything he had just imagined would be real and right in front of him. "I think I'm getting the hang of it."

Rikku lifted Gohan to his knees and stroked his face soothing his eyes open. "I think that's enough for today, don't you?" At his disappointed face she giggled and kissed his forehead. "You don't wanna wear yourself out. We'll get a fresh start first thing tomorrow." She stands and pats her belly. "Come on, Goten and I are starving."

"Okay." On wobbly knees Gohan stood and walked with his mother to the kitchen. "I hope we have enough. The way you've been eating I'm surprised we've lasted this long." Gohan said his face bright and his lips holding in a giggle.

"Hey a woman's gotta eat." She grinned and searched through the contents. "Good thing Chichi taught me how to cook. Otherwise we'd end up eating burned rice all the time."

"Can't argue with that logic." He waited a beat before he answered. "Hey mom, what do you think Goten will be like in the future?"

"I don't know," Rikku boiled water before putting the rice in. "We can ask Trunks when we get back."

"If they're still alive." Gohan said grimly and Rikku narrowed her eyes back at him.

"Now that's no way to talk Gohan. Vegeta and Trunks can take care of themselves. They're powerful warriors."

"Yeah, but, what if Cell is more powerful?" Gohan clenched his fists and shut his eyes tightly. "What if he kills him, and everyone while we're in here?"

Rikku stopped her cooking and knelt down to hug Gohan to her chest. "Everyone will be fine, Gohan. I promise. Remember we won't have even been gone a day. If I know Vegeta and the others they won't let Cell get away with destroying anything."

Gohan nodded, but his inner feelings were too bright for Rikku not to see. He didn't trust Vegeta, and she couldn't blame him. The Saiyan Prince's actions had been wishy washy, and disorderly, but Rikku's always had faith in him. Gohan would learn that some people change with time. With all her heart she knew Vegeta will be broken from his ways.

"Now, let's finish that rice." She stood and turned and let out a yelp when the rice began to boil over and spill onto the stove. Smoke covered her face and she burned her hand spilling the rice on the floor.

"Ah well, I never said I could cook well." She laughed and Gohan too burst into laughter with her.

~ August~

He had done it! Gohan had finally reached the Pinnacle of Super Saiyan Strength! His body felt so light, so intense so fresh! He zipped through the void like a gold bullet his punches faster, stronger.

He wished he could say the same thing about his mother. He paused in his exercises to look over at his mother. She had been meditating in the same spot everyday, at the same time, for the past three months. He wondered if the baby was draining her energy, or if she was thinking on how to become an ascended saiyan.

When her eyes met his she finally stood and motioned him down. "Gohan, Come here and watch me."

Gohan slid from Super Saiyan form and floated down in front of his mother. He watched very carefully as his mother's eyes changed and her power shot through the roof. The wave of power knocked him back and her super saiyan glow was so bright it nearly blinded him.

She screamed, but it was more like a roar. The growling high pitched sound piercing his ears like a battle cry. When she stopped her power sent chills down his spine. She had done it! "You did it! Mom! You ascended!"

Rikku glanced over at him her eyes still serious and distant. "I could go a step further if I wanted." And she did. That chilling power shooting higher and higher until Gohan thought his head would explode. Rikku's body, more muscle than curve now, bulked further and tensed .her veins pumped hard and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

Gohan trembled seeing her. His mother no longer looked kind and delicate. In fact, she looked down right frightening. "Mom, your power is awesome. I know you can beat Cell."

"Your voice is trembling Gohan." Rikku looked down at her form and wrinkled her nose.

"Well you do look a little… scary."

"You're right. I can't beat Cell in this form. It's too bulky. I have the power but I lose momentum. How can I defeat an opponent if I can't touch him?" she powered down, groaning a little as the muscle sunk back and revealed her curves. Rikku stroked her belly, a slight bulge had formed and she could feel her son's energy loud and clear now. "It takes more than brute strength to win a fight. Always remember that Gohan."

Gohan nodded and walked over placing his hands on her belly. "You too Goten. You remember that too." Rikku smiled down at him. His face was covered in sweat from his transformations.

"Another thing," She took a seat folding her legs and looking her son in the eye. "Transforming takes a lot of energy. It's not easy. You've been finding that out yourself haven't you?"

"Yeah," Gohan agreed.

"Transforming needs to become easier... More natural." She rubbed her chin then smiled. "here's a thought. Let's try staying super saiyan for a whole day. We'll slow down our training until it stops feeling so weird. Okay?"

"Yeah!" Gohan jumped up stretching his muscles. "I'll do the best I can."

"That's my boy." She rubs his hair. "Back to work then."

~Meanwhile in the outside world~

Who knew things would get this bad? Cell not only became perfect, but it was Vegeta who had allowed it to happen. Overwhelmed and confident in his ability he allowed Cell to absorb 18 in order to challenge Cell for the title of the most powerful being in the universe. In turn, Vegeta got the tar beat out of him, and Trunks challenged the newly perfect Cell with his own strength. Pushing his power to that of an evolved Super Saiyan he matched cell in Strength, but something had been missing. He had become too bulky. His lack of speed allowed Cell to have the advantage and take charge of the battle.

"Now what to do with you?" Cell spoke eloquently. His perfected form allowing that slur of a voice to improve and articulate in sound. He stared at Trunks with divine interest. "I am curious about one thing. How did you and Vegeta manage to get so powerful in such a short amount of time?"

Trunks stayed silent. His mind whirled to Rikku and wondered if she had gotten more powerful. It wasn't possible, not in her condition.

"Don't want to speak? Fine then, answer me this. If you had more time could you get stronger?"

"Maybe." Trunks finally answered his eyes cold. "Why does it matter?"

"Just curious I suppose. One last question. Where has Rikku been? I've been quite anxious to fight her. Has her condition prevented her from meeting me face to face."

"For your information, Rikku is training to defeat you! Make no mistake Cell, she will be the one to defeat you!" A bluff, perhaps, but he knew Rikku wouldn't take Cell's destruction sitting down. "She'll take you, no contest!"

"No contest, eh?" Cell laughed and felt a spur of adrenaline hit him. "A tournament then!"

"A tournament?" Trunks blinked in confusion. Wasn't Cell going to finish him off?

"The tournament will begin in 10 days. Consider yourself lucky." At his confused expression Cell went into fuller detail. "Long before you were born there was a competition known as the World Martial Arts Tournament. It was a contest amongst the worlds greatest fighters to see who would come out on top. Rikku herself was a champion of that tournament and often took part in the previous years."

Cell began to pace, the idea running through his head. "I'm going to revive it. Each member of your team will come to challenge me. I will fight one on one and when I win I will take on the next challenger."

Trunks listened his heart in a panic at the idea of this… massacre.

"Bring as many challengers as you can get." Cell laughed. "For the more people you have on your team. The more likely you are to survive."

~January~

Gohan stirred in his sleep. His body was hot and his mind fuzzy. He had been out for awhile. His latest training session had been intense, and even with his mother full and rounded with child she could still hit with punches that made his entire face sore. She had bounced their training regiment up and down depending on her mood and how her body was handling.

Goten often interrupted her meditations and exercises with sharp kicks that squeezed on his mother's bladder, and tugged on her hunger. If this kept up, they wouldn't last the rest of the month. It worried Gohan that she was still training even so close to her due time. He hoped that things wouldn't make a turn for the worse.

At the sound of his mother's cry he jolted awake and pulled the curtain back from his bed. He saw his mother on her bed her saiyan suit removed and a sheet wrapped tightly about her body. "Mom. What's wrong."

"Gohan," She wheezed and clutched her stomach. "It's time." her eyes, filled with pain lifted to her sons. Despite the pain she smiled shakily. "Goten's coming to say hi."

Will Rikku and Gohan be able to give birth alone, and what will happen when Vegeta finds out she disobeyed him? Find out next chapter… "Say hello to Goten."