After close to an hour of waiting for Kakarot to come back, Chi-Chi got off the horse he ditched her on and tied the animal to a tree. She rubbed her arms up and down as she trudged through the snow. In addition to not being keen on the lonesomeness of the trail, she felt a mixture of regret and guilt for saying what she had. There was a nicer way to put what she felt, but even she wasn't sure what her feelings for him were.
She wanted him, but it was wrong.
Wrong timing, wrong place, wrong situation, wrong company...
While Chi-Chi continued on, her confusion worsened. She was planning on apologizing to him, but she didn't know why. She had every right to deny his affection when she was still coping with the murder of her daddy.
But how come it hurt so bad to turn Kakarot away?
Life with him in another country was just as ridiculous as it sounded.
To be a schoolteacher, no doubt. And him, a sheriff. They'd both need to learn a new language before being able to do either. Where would they live? Would they need to build a home together from the ground up?
Why was she even imagining it!?
Chi-Chi cursed under her breath and rolled her eyes. Their little argument had gotten the best of her, and clearly time on the trail was making her lose her sanity for even picturing a life with Kakarot.
Sunnybellow was her new home, a fresh start, where people were expecting her to be in just three months. She paused mid step. People were also expecting her father. She clutched her chest as she felt a pang, realizing that she would need to explain what had happened to him.
Unless someone, somehow, had already spread the news.
Not wanting to frustrate herself further, Chi-Chi decided to worry about that when the time came and fought through the dried bristles of the wild bushes. Kakarot was upset, but he certainly wouldn't have traveled that far away from her. He had to be through all this somewhere...
"Howdy, stranger."
"Hm?" Chi-Chi ducked down slightly then arched an eyebrow at what came into her line of vision. A girl was standing awfully close to the cowboy. After the initial jealousy wore off, Chi-Chi's panic came into play when she caught sight of the gun behind the girl's back. One look at Kakarot's polite expression, it was clear that he wasn't aware of the weapon.
All it took was the mental image of her father in a pool of blood being replaced by the Saiyan in the same position to make her unbutton her coat hastily. She lifted the cold piece from her holster and held Kakarot's big iron. Keeping her breath steady despite the rise of pressure, Chi-Chi emerged from the bushes and stalked towards the woman. Shooting too far was risky for a beginner like herself, and she wasn't going to let Kakarot die when there was a chance she could prevent it.
Even if it meant damning her soul.
With her hands in the correct place to prevent her from falling with the recoil, Chi-Chi pulled the trigger. Her eyes widened when the bullet punched its way through the woman's back. The hole in its wake rapidly filled with red liquid. The victim's screaming had ended when she fell into the snow, choking to death on her blood until she stopped moving completely.
Chi-Chi looked up at Kakarot after swallowing hard at what she had just done. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Are you?"
"I don't know."
She placed the gun back inside her holster and took a deep breath. What kind of person was she to kill this random woman when she couldn't bring herself to shoot Vegeta when she had the opportunity in fear of not being able to live with herself? Vegeta had actually done something to her and this poor thing dead in the snow didn't do anything...
Chi-Chi forced herself to look up from the body into the eyes of the man in front of her once more. His dark irises were calling out to her, full of concern and the need to take care of everything.
The woman was going to kill Kakarot. And Chi-Chi shot her because she didn't want to lose him, too.
She stepped over the mess she made and wrapped her arms around him. He reciprocated the embrace by pulling her in tightly by the waist. She could hear the sounds of gunshots ringing in the distance and although it sent a shiver down her spine, the two didn't let go of one another.
"I'm so sorry, Chi-Chi," he muttered while resting his chin on top of her head. "You should have never been put in a position to do that. I shouldn't have left you."
When she pulled back slightly, his head moved so he could look down at her. She was just so relieved he was alive and present that the fact she now had blood on her hands was necessary rather than something to be guilty about. At least temporarily. "I wish I explained myself better, Kakarot. I don't love you," she frowned and reached a hand up to touch his cold cheek. "But I do feel something. Please give me time to figure out what that is."
Kakarot put his hand on top of hers and grinned. "Yes ma'am. I'll give you all the time you need."
"No more kisses, okay?"
"Not even one to thank you?"
"Afraid not."
"Damn."
Chi-Chi shook her head when he snapped his fingers. She released him and brought her attention back to the dead woman. Her smile faded as the sight along with the gunshots still going off was unsettling. It was for a rational reason, but she had actually killed someone. "I can't believe she's dead because of me."
Kakarot's voice came from closely behind. He held onto her shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. She knew he understood exactly the different emotions she was experiencing. "We'll get through this. I truly am thankful you came to my rescue, princess. That could've been me."
His words didn't make her feel any better. She was now wondering about who this person was, her family or who she was leaving behind. "Did you know her?"
"Not really. She was the one who gave me that little piece of gold and told me about the river," Kakarot squatted down and checked her pulse to double check there was nothing left. "All I know is that she didn't come alone."
The river he was referring to was all the way back at Rose's, the cantina where she met the sheriff. Their eyes connected at the same time, knowing what one another was thinking. They started running back to where their horse was waiting. Kakarot threw his hand back at her without looking. Once she held on, they were moving at an even speed.
The way her fists rapidly hit him like the speed of a dust devil made Raditz believe she was taught in the art of bare knuckle boxing just like him. Launch got lucky a few times. Her knuckles were covered in his blood when she struck his jaw. She jumped back and raised her hands up to protect her face as she waited for him to finish spitting up.
"Is that all ya got, bastard!?"
Raditz really didn't want to fuck her up, but she wasn't leaving him with many options. Both were too invested in the fight to take advantage of the guns that were laying haphazardly on the snow. He sent a balled up fist into her stomach, causing her breath to leave her. When her knees buckled from the impact, Raditz wrapped one of his unfairly muscular arms around her neck in a chokehold. As she bit into his skin to fight against it, he growled from the sharpness of it and started punching her in the ribs with his free hand.
They released each other at the same time, with Launch now on all fours coughing up blood. Raditz rolled up his jacket sleeve to observe the mark she had left. Her teeth had gotten through his clothing and left the bite on his skin.
"Crazy bitch," he glared down at her as blood continued to trickle down her chin and into the pure winter whiteness beneath. "What the fuck is your deal? You mustn't have been too fond of that lawman of yours to hop on my dick the way you did."
When her face lifted up to reveal a mouth covered with crimson fluid, Raditz's eyes lit up. There really wasn't anything hotter than that. "You took what's mine, asshole!" her eyes were brimmed with tears, but they were more of anger than sorrow. "I loved Tien!"
"You're telling one tall tale, blondie. C'mon," Raditz smirked and leaned against the tree near him. "Let's hear the truth. There ain't nobody here but you and me."
For a second, he thought the widow was going to say how she really felt. Instead she let out a throaty scream and got back up on her feet. "Fuck," a fist was up near her temple. "You!" When she threw it, the Saiyan caught it with force. He slammed her back against the tree roughly and pinned both her wrists against the damp bark. His handling was far too powerful for her to break free no matter how hard she tried. He pressed down on her boots with her own to keep her legs from trying anything.
"Why can't you admit it?"
Launch's green eyes were icier than all the nature surrounding them. With her chest heaving due to the inconsistent breathing, she spoke to his lips that were near her own. "It ain't none of your business, bronco."
Raditz noticed her voice was a lot calmer and lower now. She was caving in. His own tone became darker, to which her forehead began to sweat. "You were just a married woman looking for something more, weren't you?" When she didn't say anything, he continued. "You didn't come all this way by yourself, gorgeous. Who brought you? Was it Sheriff Krillin?"
"Once again," she spoke through clenched teeth. "It ain't none of your business."
He chuckled and pushed her wrists tighter against the tree. "Oh, I think it is. 'Specially when there's a bounty on our heads. How many of you did he bring along?"
A mixture of blood and saliva were spit out towards his beaten face. "Fuck you, Saiyan."
"You bitch!" When the fluid got into his eyes, Raditz had to close them tightly to prevent any further stinging. As he was momentarily blind, he lost his footing. Launch lifted her knee up and struck him in between the legs, making it twice on this trip that he had been hit in the dick. She made a run towards her gun as Raditz sank to the ground, holding the area he ached with both hands.
He had come too far to the west to let this wild woman kill him now.
Raditz inhaled sharply and hobbled behind her. The pain growing in his testicles was making him wonder if he was ever going to be happy again. "Hey," his voice was high pitched and uneven. "Hold your horses, Calamity Jane!"
Launch turned around, gun in hand. She pulled the trigger while aiming it at his forehead for an instant kill, but her smirk turned downward when her weapon only shot blanks. She sweatdropped while looking between the empty barrel and the Saiyan.
"Shit!" Launch swung it at his temple instead, but he knocked it out away after finding the strength to stand up straight. The luck these bastards had was astonishing. Raditz was now holding on tightly to her hand that once held her gun. She was grunting just rough enough that her breath was seen in the cold air. She was too angry to decide what to do with her free hand.
Raditz furrowed his dark brows together. He was put off by her sniffling, unsure if it was from the weather or tears that wanted to come out. "Did you really love your fella that much to come all this way to kill me?"
Launch's features softened, only slightly, at the quietness of his question. She wasn't about to give the outlaw her entire life's story. Growing frustrated again by her own emotions, Launch bared her teeth and dug her available nails into the side of his face, cutting him so deep he began to bleed.
"Fuck!" he released her other hand so he could grab her neck tightly. While he choked her, she continued to break through his skin. "You're off your mental reservation!"
They were bringing each other down slowly, hoping one would give in to the pain first and let go. Knees in the snow now, it was looking like they were both going to kill each other before that happened.
"Idiot," she gagged as he laid her down. Her back was instantly cold. "You're as ugly as homemade sin. You'll pay for everything one day."
"But not today," Raditz winced and groaned at the same time. Choking her wasn't doing the job. He released her neck and pulled her claws away from his ripped up cheeks. The blood coming down from the wounds fell onto her forehead as he looked down at her.
Both of them wild eyed, panting, and burning one another with their hateful gaze.
Both of them never turned on this much in their lifetime.
Launch reached up to hold the back of his head. She pulled him down to her and opened her mouth to let him in. Their tongues swirled around as they rolled towards Launch's horse. The animal neighed and moved out of the way when they bumped into its leg. She was now the one on top. Raditz squeezed her round, jean clad ass when she bit his lip. His other hand raked through her blonde hair while she sucked on the swollen flesh.
The only thing holding him back from finishing what they began that day at the river was the silence of the forest.
Kakarot was still missing.
And his dick really hurt like a son of a bitch.
His eyes opened and drifted up as she moved her mouth to his neck now. He saw a lasso dangling freely from a saddlebag.
"I think it's high time I show you how I like it, girl."
Launch allowed him to put her in his preferred position. She was on all fours, facing away from the horse. Her ass up was tempting, and it made him pause before grabbing the lasso. She figured he was taking his pants off and would be removing hers shortly after.
A perfect woman.
He sighed and got behind her. He could hear her gasp when he grabbed her arms and brought her backwards. She was blushing and intrigued about where he was going with this.
That arousal was quickly replaced with animosity when she felt her wrists being tied together with ropes.
"You fucking bastard!" she whipped her head over her shoulder to see him finishing up the job, and tightly. He moved so fast that she hardly felt her legs being bound as well. "I hate you!"
Raditz chuckled while gathering her up in his arms. She aired her lungs the entire way and bit his shoulder with gumption. He twitched at the sharpness but kept a firm hold on the cursing beauty. "Well I'm over the moon for ya, but there's someone I need to take care of."
Launch was gently placed right beside her horse against a dead tree. He kissed her forehead before walking away. As he left, the woman called out to him. "Raditz! You better pray the west puts an end to you before I do!"
"Oh, don't worry!" Raditz paused to wink at her. "I have a feeling we'll meet again."
Broly froze and stared at the leader of the Saiyans. Whoever did that sketch of him really knew the details. Everything was there; from the flame hair to the scowl. "How do you know my father's name?"
Vegeta lowered his gun slightly. The vigilante didn't seem too keen on shooting him. The rifle was still pointed at the sky. "That depends," always the one to be cautious, Vegeta needed to test him first. "How much do you know about me?"
"I know you're a Saiyan," Broly took in a deep breath and gestured to Yamcha. "And you've killed a lot of innocent people."
"This coward is a friend of yours?"
"Not really. He was in the cell next to mine."
Cell?
Vegeta hadn't recalled anyone saying anything about Paragus's son being in the hoosegow, or what the hell was even doing out right now a free man. Shit, he didn't know Paragus even had a son! "So you're out here hunting Saiyans with random strangers. Are you aware your father was a Saiyan?"
Broly's jaw clenched and unclenched. He had to live his entire life careful to not speak too much to others. His father never mentioned anything about being a Saiyan, yet the leader of them all knew who he was. There was also the body of one of the men that killed Paragus just a few feet away. "How about you answer some questions first before I get angry?"
Vegeta wasn't a coward, but he also wasn't an idiot. The man in front of him was more than twice his size. He placed his gun that was already low on bullets inside his holster and threw his hands up in the air to show he wasn't playing any tricks. "Fine. Go ahead."
"Why is Zarbon right there?"
"Oh, him?" Vegeta scoffed. "You know him, so you must be clearly aware of how much of an asshole he is. It's been a long time coming. What else you got?"
Broly was taken aback by this behavior. Most people that knew Zarbon were dead before they could utter such words. Yet here this little man was, so proudly showing off the corpse like it was a trophy. "F-Frieza," Broly stuttered whenever he said the tyrant's name. "Isn't going to be happy with you."
A smirk grew slowly across Vegeta's face until it turned into a loud, cruel laughter. The man's comments got him so good his head went back and his shoulders shook. When he got back to standing straight, he motioned with one finger for Broly to follow him. They stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down. Broly's mouth slowly dropped open and he stared without blinking. Caught on the rocks was Frieza, dead as a doornail.
Broly brought his attention down to Vegeta, who stood with his arms across his chest. Just how crazy was this small Saiyan? "You did this?"
"Hell yeah."
"Aren't you scared about Cold and Cooler coming for you?"
Vegeta was a master of concealing fear and kept a straight face while looking up at the son of Paragus. Truth be told he had no idea where or when Cold and Cooler would becoming for him, and he would need to spend every day from now on glancing over his shoulder. The only thing he could do at the moment is dump the bodies in hope nobody would suspect him of anything. "I'll fuck 'em up, too. Any other questions?"
The little man was a crazy son of a bitch.
"You said my father was a Saiyan. How'd you know him?"
"Didn't know him too well, but he was partners with my own father. He'd disappear for long periods of time and come back for a shorter amount until he just stopped coming around. He kept you pretty hidden for us not to know he had a son."
"Oh," Broly reddened and rubbed the back of his neck. He had no idea Paragus was associated with the Saiyans, but he did know his father was terrified of Frieza after a deal had gone wrong and they stayed hidden. Everything was working out perfectly until the purple haired manic showed up outside their door. Murdered Paragus and threatened Broly to take blame for it or else he'd kill another person he loved. He wasn't going to say all of this to the little man, though. "Good at hiding I guess."
Vegeta rolled his eyes. All that waiting in silence just to hear that short response. "Is that it for your questions?"
The taller of the two nodded, and Vegeta continued. "Good. Now it's my turn. You have a name?"
"Broly."
"Alright, Broly. Want to help me throw that thing over the cliff?" he pointed at Zarbon. "We need to have him hit Frieza on the way down so both of them fall through the ice. Can't risk being caught right now."
Broly frowned. Vegeta didn't understand the severity of what he had done, but thankfully Broly's only issue was with Frieza and the fucker was dead now. He decided it wouldn't hurt to assist the man who had killed the source of all his problems. As if he weighed nothing, Broly lifted Zarbon over his shoulder and dropped him where Vegeta directed. The weight of the henchman was enough to knock the boss off the rocks.
The two watched as the bodies cracked through the thin ice of the river below and floated there. Hopefully by the time anyone came around, they would be deep under water and lost forever.
Vegeta glanced at Broly and smirked. "If I know you didn't already sell your soul to the good guys, I would have you join the Saiyans in a heartbeat. Your father can return any time as well. We're going to need all the help we can get at Devil's Pass."
Broly offered a half smile. He decided to keep his life to himself. "My job was to kill the Saiyans, but I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going to start off new with a friend of mine."
"Your job? What the fuck do you mean? Who hired you?"
"A sheriff by the name of Krillin," Broly's gaze went to the snow beneath him, not wanting to see Vegeta's face when he told him. "I'm so sorry. He got the big man already."
He risked a glance at the Saiyan to see that Vegeta had paled completely. Without another word, the outlaw woke up the horses to get the stagecoach moving hastily to the woods where he had left his gang behind.
Vegeta could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he saw Nappa laying down on his side in the distance. He stopped the stagecoach a few yards away, now also seeing Sheriff Krillin standing above the oldest Saiyan of the gang. He was tucking his gun back into his holster after finishing his job.
Not wanting to deepen the trouble he was in, Vegeta decided to sneak up from behind instead of shooting from afar. He got close enough to smack Krillin in the back of his head with his gun, and the short man fell into the snow unconscious.
"Come on, Nappa. We need to get out of here."
When the body remained motionless, Vegeta's gun slipped from his hand and went down. He swallowed hard and moved in for a better look to see why his comrade wasn't getting up. There was a lot of red snow underneath Nappa and his cards were splayed all around him like he was forced to let them go.
Vegeta's throat was thickening when he fell to his knees beside the body of the man who took him in when he became an orphan at age fifteen. His hands that couldn't hold onto the gun were trembling when they reached for Nappa's neck. There was no pulse.
Nappa was dead.
Vegeta didn't turn around to see who had rode up behind him. He just removed his hand slowly and sat cross legged in front of his guardian.
"NO!" Raditz could be heard punching a tree from somewhere behind. There was a crack in his voice. "Fuck! They got Nappa!"
Vegeta toned out the mourning from the brothers that followed. There was pain ripping him up from the inside making him numb and it hit him harder than when his own father passed on.
After Krillin and Launch finished praying to the graves of Caulifla and Yamcha, they stood wordlessly by their horses and stared down at their worn out boots. When Krillin had come to, he untied Launch and that's when they discovered the bodies of their fallen heroes.
Krillin placed his hat on top of his head and made eye contact with Launch at last. She had a variety of bruises and cuts all over her body after surviving her scuffle with Raditz. Broly had either run away or joined the Saiyans, and the sheriff didn't know which was worse.
They had suffered a heavy loss, and weren't ready to face the Saiyans again.
"What do we do now?"
Krillin sighed and looked to the north. They wouldn't survive a showdown in Devil's Pass like this. He needed to head back to his own town. His wife and newborn child were still waiting for him there. Not only that, but Aces was there. Aces had Bulma. Bulma would be the key.
The trip would take three months for Krillin and Launch to return home. The Saiyans still had three months to get to Devil's Pass. Given the unlikely chance that they survive, it would be an additional six months for Vegeta to get back to Bulma.
It would provide plenty of time to figure out what to do then.
"Let's head home."
Linked arm in arm, Chi-Chi and Kakarot looked down the burial site. The four remaining members of the group that started in the north had spent the entire day making a hole big and comfortable enough to ensure an eternity's rest for Nappa. A rather gorgeous sunset on such a gloomy evening painted the sky around them. When Vegeta bowed his head and closed his eyes, the others did as well.
"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt," Vegeta's words caused Chi-Chi to crack one eye open. She couldn't believe a man like him knew prayer. The leader of the two other Saiyans cleared his throat and removed a flask from his jacket. "May the Master have mercy on Nappa's soul."
"Amen," Kakarot and Raditz said in unison while Chi-Chi repeated it shortly after. They watched Vegeta pour the whiskey on top of the soil. Where there was nothing left, he kissed it and held it up to the sky before putting it down.
There were no other words spoken, just exchanges of sad looks. They had traveled two days away from the location of Nappa's death and the entirety of the ride was just the same. Nobody had the words to say how they really were feeling but their faces said it all.
Although Chi-Chi did find some redeeming qualities about Nappa after he burned her books, she wasn't hurting over his death like the Saiyans were. Her anguish came from somewhere else. That woman, whose name turned out to be Caulifla, was somewhere rotting in the ground too. It was all Chi-Chi's fault.
When the day came for her to meet her maker's face, would she be suffering in contempt for taking the life of another?
If the roles were reserved and Caulifla killed Kakarot, would the drink girl of Rose's be wondering the same?
Did any of that matter to these people? Was this just another part of their life they had to endure to survive?
How could she feel less guilty?
All these questions were giving her a migraine. Chi-Chi sat down in the box of the stagecoach and held her head in her hands while her elbows rested on her knees.
"You okay, darling?"
She felt the stagecoach move as Kakarot sat beside her. He was giving her arm a friendly touch. She finally looked up at him after releasing a long, slow sigh. "I get why you were so depressed after killing that lawman. I feel like I'm going to suffer my whole life."
Kakarot let her fall into his chest and he held on while rubbing her back. He knew her pain all too well. Each time he fired his gun, he felt it deep within his soul. "You're not a bad person, Chi-Chi. The only reason you did it was to stop her from killing me. That sounds pretty forgivable to anyone you tell it to. Well, lessen they hate me."
Chi-Chi's muffled voice came out after she took in his words. "I really wish I did hate you. This would be so much easier."
Kakarot didn't laugh. He hadn't since finding Nappa. He did however smile small as he pushed her back to see her face. "Wanna try to eat something? The guys are starting a fire." Much as it messed them up badly, it was nice to be able to have a fire at night again knowing the sheriff wasn't on their tail anymore.
"I'm not sure I'll be able to."
"Yeah," Kakarot breathed in and out while losing the smile he was trying so hard to keep. "Me either. But we need the heat."
Chi-Chi followed him down and they walked in silence to where Raditz and Vegeta were eating bread and beans they had inside the saddlebags. After Frieza had taken the majority of their belongings - which were mainly Chi-Chi's and Ox's - they were running low on supplies. They would have to make a stop somewhere first thing in the morning.
Raditz passed a can of dried fruit over to Chi-Chi, who took one nipple and was too nauseous to eat any more. Kakarot was able to eat some beans before thoughts of Nappa prevented him from finishing the can.
"You know what I just thought of?"
Vegeta chewed and swallowed. "What?"
"Do you remember when we put ketchup on our mouths and laid on the side of the trail?"
While Vegeta remained stoic, Raditz grinned and snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! Those folks pulled their wagon over and were screaming their heads off thinking someone killed us. Then we'd jump up and scare the shit out of them!"
"Mmhm," Kakarot was now smiling too. "And that one psycho chased us all the way back to Aces demanding to talk to Pops! Damn were we lucky that Nappa pretended to be him!"
"Shit, Pops would have made coats from our skin if we he knew we were fucking around with those people."
As they laughed, Chi-Chi noticed Vegeta hadn't looked up from his can. While the brothers continued to share memories that included him, he never once cracked a smile. It only made him appear more emotionless than before.
Kakarot was figuring it wasn't making him happy to think of Nappa so he cleared his throat after they finished laughing. The only sound soon after was the cackling of the fire. Not wanting to look at Vegeta, Kakrot noticed a stick by Chi-Chi's boot and picked it up.
"Can I show you something?"
When Raditz realized he was speaking to him and not Chi-Chi, his eyes widened and he got up off the blanket that was keeping him warm. "Is it worth my time?"
"Maybe," Kakarot pointed the end of the stick at the snow. "Grab your lantern, will ya?"
As Raditz did so, Kakarot began writing down letters when he saw the glow. He pointed at each one and said the letter name and sound. When he was done, he looked up at his older brother.
"So, whaddya think?"
Raditz wasn't sure why, but he felt a lump in his throat looking down at what Kakarot had written in the snow. "That's your name…You wrote your name?"
"Yup! Chi-Chi taught me!" he clicked his tongue and winked at her. "She's the best school ma'am there ever was. I reckon I'll be able to read sentences by the time we see Pops."
Kakarot was surprised by the sudden embrace his brother had dropped down to give him. Chi-Chi could see Raditz's face from where it appeared on Kakarot's shoulder. He mouthed a teary eyed 'thank you' to her. Chi-Chi gave him a thumbs up back, already knowing how smart Kakarot really was.
During the family moment, Vegeta was making coffee by holding a small pot filled with water and roasted Arbuckle beans over the flames until it boiled. Raditz went and got a horseshoe to drop inside to see if it sank or not. When it didn't, it meant the coffee was ready.
Still silent, Vegeta poured the black liquid into their canteens. Chi-Chi was the only one who didn't take him up on the offer. Never able to drink the tough liquid down without a little sugar, Kakarot picked up the jar of white grains and sprinkled more than some into his canteen. He took one sip and spit up the coffee all over the place.
"This is the worst one you've prepared yet, Vegeta! Yuck!"
"Fuck you, Kakarot! I made it the same as always!"
"He did," Raditz vouched for him and raised his canteen. He always drank his black. "It's the same as usual."
Kakarot licked the back of his palm as if that would rid the awful taste. "Why was mine so crappy?"
Chi-Chi arched an eyebrow and lifted the jar he had grabbed. She bit her lip and pointed to the word on the jar. "Sound these out for me."
Kakarot narrowed his eyes and took the jar from her. Holding it by the flames, he began. "Sssss. Aaaaah. Ulllllll. Tuh. Sss-aaah-ullll-tuh. Ss…" he blinked. "Salt?"
"Good job!" she squeezed his knee and giggled. "You put salt instead of sugar in your coffee!"
"You fucking dumbass!"
As embarrassing as it was, Kakarot found himself elated instead. Not only did he get Chi-Chi to laugh, but Vegeta too. It was the first time in days for both of them.