A/N: So I decided to rewrite this story of mine, previously known as "In your hands".

I would appreciate any comment you have, ideas, hints or your thoughts. You always can reach me by reviewing or by simply writing me a private message. I'm willing to answer all of your questions as good as I can.

Any kind words you have are naturally appreciated as well! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the mentioned characters, only the plot of this story.

I hope you're enjoying this old/new story!

*Date: 18/03/2021*

In your embrace

by Red Crescent

Prologue

"Sometimes lives cross each other, without a special meaning, without a special reason. You think it may be because of pure coincidence, but it's not. So it seems that people just happen to meet. But this one peculiar moment of their meeting can change anything you knew. The result can be for the worst or the better. Nothing is actually predicted and nobody can foresee the things happening. Your choice is opening a specific path right before you until the moment arrives and you learn to understand the meaning of it all." The gentle voice of her mother washed over her while a rough and bony hand warmly brushed her black hair out of her face. The child had no idea what her mother was talking about.

Little did the child know that after this moment her mother would never be talking to her ever again. Her words – on the other hand – were going to accompany the child forever as well as the feeling of her mother's tender hand on her head.

xXx

Chichi watched with an empty stare how her belongings were carried away by strangers in blue uniforms. She still couldn't understand what happened. What had happened. It felt like these things weren't hers but those of someone else instead. She felt powerless. She hadn't eaten anything today and the other days she barely was even able to eat yet hold down whatever she chewed. Her eyes were red as she had cried permanently. But right now she was dry. No water wanted to come out of her eyes anymore. Couldn't.

Since her father had died she hadn't been able to pay whatever it was that wanted to be paid. Be it utility bills or heating costs. Her salary wasn't enough to hold up the status she was used to have. And although her father had been a rich salesman and had supported them financially completely he hadn't willed her with money but with a large dept instead. A dept she hadn't even known existed in the first place. Her only option was to sell the house she grew up in, in order to liquidate the sum.

The house she had grown up in and where she had found him in three weeks ago.

The remembrance of her father's dead face brought another wave of tears to her eyes. Where those came from she couldn't tell. The sob just erupted from her throat and she clasped her mouth with her hand instinctively to quiet down the cry. The men who were currently occupied to grab her last things wouldn't even glance at her yet even care. They just continued to empty the large house while Chichi remembered the way she had found her father, laying on the floor of their living room.

They way his blank eyes had been staring, the awkward position his huge body was in, the foul smell lingering in the air...all of it was haunting her ever since. She kept dreaming about it. Over and over again. It robbed her from a nights rest. She couldn't sleep anymore. She couldn't erase the image that had impregnated itself inside her mind.

The police said it had been suicide. The coroner wrote down in his report her father had killed himself with drugs and alcohol. Chichi couldn't believe even one word. Naturally. As his daughter she wouldn't allow herself to believe those words as she had known him longer than those strangers. Her father hadn't been someone who would have drowned his sorrow in liquor. He had been smiling continuously and he had been content with everything . He always had had hope…he would have never killed himself. Ever.

After all the things that had happened to Chichi, the few friends she had had turned away from her, her spirit had been broken and she had learned to be alone. It was new but not impossible. She always had been a fighter. Nothing ever was able to bring her down although with her father gone she was nearly at her personal end.

And after four months trying her best to survive, even her own house where she had grown up in inclusive her private things were taken away from her. She had nowhere to turn to, nowhere to go.

Except for this one address she kept hidden in her pockets...

Anything she could carry, anything that she had pushed into her bag and the things she wore were her everything now.

Honestly, she never had felt as hopeless as now in all of her twenty-two years.

"Hey, we're finished. Where's the key for the front door?"

Chichi's head snapped up and she looked with her sad big dark brown eyes into the face of a round man with a pimpled face and yellow eyeballs. You could smell from his breath that he was a heavy smoker.

"I'm sorry. What?" she was paralyzed and the words she had heard had sounded strangely hollow.

"I said we need your key." The man licked his lips in anticipation and scratched his butt in the process lazily. He really was a real gentleman, wasn't he? The sarcastic thought had left her brain before she could even think about it.

Chichi gazed at the small cold material he was talking about and weight it in her right palm. Memories flashed through her brain once again before she hesitantly gave the key into the awaiting hands of the guy right before her after she brushed away one last tear. She sniffled silently as the coldness of the metal left her palm and fell into the awaiting hands of another.

The worker shortly closed the door, took the key into his pocket and left in addition with his three colleagues without another word. In only seconds Chichi was on her own again. She stood before the wooden door and felt another tear stroll down her cheek; she knew it was the last one she would share today. With her fingertips she caressed the front door of her birthplace for the last time before she slowly turned around and went away. The black sports bag with her last remains clutched between her shaking fingers.

She had no idea where to go to now. She was really all alone now.

About thirty minutes later she sat down on the bench of the nearest bus station and took out the little paper she hid inside of her pocket ever since and stared at the words written there. That was the note her father had held in his hands as she had found him dead on the ground of their living room months ago.

Well, ex-living room to be specific.

Nobody knew she possessed it, she hadn't told the police about it. Her father had clutched it dearly that day, and on the other side of the paper he had scribbled down her name. So this note was obviously meant for her although she couldn't really guess what her father wanted her to do with it. Was it a hint to go there? And then what?

She sighed as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She was exhausted. But she needed a place to go to. A motel was out of the question as it was way too expensive for her; her monthly salary was already gone because she had paid for the funeral and all the other things; all of her savings were gone as well.

She was absolutely broke.

But going to the place - possibly of a stranger – just because her father recommended it? Would that be a wise decision? Well, maybe the person living there wasn't really a stranger because he or she had known her father?

Watching her wrist-watch Chichi noticed suddenly that it was way beyond the last bus to come. God damn cheap public transportation means! Cursing under her breath she lifted herself up and gazed right and left before she just decided to walk into any direction, still unsure about what was the best to do. Dawn had already past and the first signs of the night were glimmering above her. She was lucky a warm breeze was still lingering in the air. They had a pretty warm September this year,

When she actually got to the place the address was leading her to, she looked at a rather modern apartment-block. Gulping she read the numbers 301, her father had written down in his writing manner. He always had used to write like a robot, Chichi remembered smiling. But the memory didn't last long as she suddenly realized she wouldn't see him write down anything anymore. He was gone as was everything of him. Goodness, she felt so depressed lately...

When she heard someone make fun of her, her head snapped up and she glanced around. How long had she been standing here just looking at the note between her fingers? Her knees were shaking and she felt embarrassed due to the fact that a lot of passersby crossed her way and looked at her in a funny way. As if she was…well…lost. Not that their impression was wrong. She indeed was lost.

Breathing in and out deeply she tried to calm her beating heart down. She had nowhere else to go. She was at the bottom. Why not contact whoever her father knew? If this somebody had talked to him then he or she could help her, right? If not, Chichi could still leave and sleep..., well wherever was convenient. Yeah right! She told herself. Don't be a coward and just do it!

But although she told herself to stay strong, every step she made towards that actual address made her feel worse. Her feet were still shaking like crazy when she stood before the apartment door. The black massive metal door made her feel even smaller than she already did. She gulped once more, brushing one more time over her face lightly as if to make sure she had some color in her face. Lifting her finger slowly she stood still for a few seconds before she pushed down the button and waited. The sound of the clock could be heard from the outside and it echoed through her ear heavily.

When she suddenly heard big and wide footsteps, her fear began to take her over. Fuck. She had not thought about an explanation as at all. What was she about to say? Why hadn't she thought about the way to greet? Maybe it was a bad idea to have come here after all? She involuntarily felt her body turn in order to leave.

But then the door opened a little.

"Yeah?" a male voice questioned while one black eye glanced suspiciously at Chichi. She stopped midway in her tracks. Her throat felt dry as she swallowed down audibly, trying to make out the facial expression of the stranger behind the door.

With big and unsure eyes she stammered "He-he-hello. Uh…my name is Chichi Ox… and uh…" she looked to the side. How was she going to explain to him, that she had his address from her father who died - by the way - not long ago and that she didn't really know why she was here anyway?!

"How may I help you?" the man wanted to know. He sounded friendly; maybe because he saw she was not dangerous at all. But still his eyes analyzed her from head to toe suspicously. He didn't open the door fully as well.

"Well…" Chichi tried to start her explaining. "Uh….you see…my father gave me your address…" she fumbled the note out of her pocket and showed him the text written on it. "…well, it was more like I found it but he was having it and…uh…." She closed her eyes to scatter her mind "…uhm…what I want to say is that….uh….I think you…may be someone my father wanted me to meet…so now I'm here and…" she looked at the eye she saw through the slit in the door, her heart beat fanatically. He observed her so damn quietly; Chichi thought it was his way to decline her plea. "...gosh...I don't know what I'm doing..." She suddenly sighed more to herself than to him. "Maybe it's better if I leave again. I'm really sorry for disturbing you at this time…I don't know what I was thinking."

"No wait! You said...you got my adress from your Dad?"

Chichi turned around again, as she already had gotten three steps away from him. She nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah…he held it in his hands when I found…when I found his…his..." she couldn't talk any further as the pictures of his body came across her mind again. Water automatically exploded from her eyes and she watched in shock how the tears poured down and colored the ground she was standing on dark. And here she had thought she wouldn't share another tear today. "I'm sorry…I…I don't know why I'm crying now..." She hiccupped while burying her face into her palms. Hadn't she cried enough already?

"Are you alone?"

She shook her head yes as brushed the flowing tears away with the back of her hands.

"Do you have a place to go to?"

She shook her head no as a rather loud hiccup left her mouth.

She heard him sigh before the door suddenly swung to the side, opening up for her. "Come on in, girl."

Her disbelieving eyes couldn't get any wider. She sniffled and hiccupped her last sobs down as she saw how a man with unruly black hair and a rather friendly yet tired facial expression showed her the way inside. His grey shirt clung to his wide torso like a second skin and his blue trousers hung lazily from his hips, covering his legs completely until only his feet were seen. He was barefoot.

With his head he motioned her to come inside before he stepped to the side to make room for her to enter. Chichi wasn't able to think twice about his invitation. Normally you wouldn't follow someone you don't know at all. You learn to stay away from strangers. But wasn't she a stranger to him as well? And wasn't he the one taking a risk by letting her in?

Chichi took all of her courage and with little steps obliged his plea to come inside. Her heart pulsated right through her once the door closed right behind her, the heavy click of the lock taking her out of her trance.

"Follow me." He commanded as he went past her and led the way to his living-room. Chichi followed him and glanced around the corner, never letting go of her heavy bag. When she finished observing the room she was suddenly standing in, he already had sat down in a black wide couch, his elbows on his knees, his gaze entirely on her. She just stood there, her head on the ground, her thoughts in turmoil.

She felt awfully out of place and kind of unrequested.

"Sit down." He offered her and ruffled through his hair, sighing in the process. His head flopped behind him and he massaged his temples. He looked rather stressed out. Chichi was immediately conscience-smitten but followed his instructions nontheless and sat down on the small couch opposite of him. Her body was ready to leave instantly again.

He didn't even look at her as she felt a bit dumbfounded and played with her fingers nervously.

"Show me the note again." He demanded tiredly and Chichi hesistantly reached the paper towards his awaiting hand. When her fingers brushed his, she involuntarily followed with her eyes his arm up to his shoulder and back down again. Her face heated up and she looked down as soon as she noticed what she was doing.

Hearing him murmur something to himself, he caught her full attention again.

"I'm sorry if I'm…uh…troubling you in any way. I just wanted to know why my father gave me your address. I'm going to leave as soon as possible again, I promise."

The gaze he shot towards her silenced her immediately. It wasn't that he silenced her out of will, but his onyx eyes were so deep, Chichi feared she would bite her tongue in the process of saying something while looking into them.

He scratched his chin. "I can't remember giving my address to anyone the last few months. But either way, you have it. And I can't let you go alone out there. It's past 10.00PM, going out now could have you killed."

"But…" she protested, not knowing what her "but" should consist of.

"You have nowhere else to go to, right?"

She nodded slowly, unable to look at him. "That's true, but …"

"You can sleep in the spare room I've got, I don't mind it."

"But…"

"Then it's decided. You can stay here until we know why you even are here. I know it's sudden and staying at the place of a stranger must be completely new to you, but you don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. And you don't seem like you want to hurt me either." he boyishly grinned in order to help her relax.

"I...don't know what to say." She admitted. She felt embarrassed by his friendliness. How could he be so trustworthy? He smiled at her and stretched his back a little.

"Just say yes."

"But…I just can't invite myself in..."

"Don't concern yourself with it; it's absolutely no trouble. I'm Goku by the way." He reached his hand out and smiled reassuringly. A small smile escaped her lips as she grabbed his rough, warm hand and squeezed it halfheartedly. She had no other choice but accepting his offer, right? He didnt seem like he would accept a No either.

She had no idea what was going to happen to her from now on.

She had the feeling her whole life would turn 180° from now on.

But if it would be for the worst or the better was still to be decided...