Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, nor do I have the desire to, I would screw it up and then people would hate me…*pout*

A/N: Sorry about that last chapter, I didn't realize that it was double posted but thanks for pointing it out. This chapter is still setting things up. Sorry it takes so long for me to update but I have a really busy schedule and school is evil, especially mine. 3 hours of homework a night is treacherous. Hope you enjoy the chapter! *grin*



What's so Wrong with Being Happy?

-Ow, my Face!!



When they arrived back at the palace, Chi Chi began to worry. If she took back her "hero" her family would think that she couldn't defend herself. And what would they think of her bringing the attacker home? It wasn't exactly the most desirable situation. She turned back toward Goku before entering the throne room and whispered as quietly as she could manage, "How did we meet?"

"What do you mean?" a confused expression crossed his face.

"I can't tell them that you saved me because they'll think that I can't defend myself."

"Well, I suppose I could have been giving a show of power or something…" he scratched his head and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

Chi Chi was a little bit unsure but figured that the story would convince her parents. They knew that she was looking for someone out in the city anyways. They had accepted the fact that she wouldn't marry any suitor's that had seen her yet and believed that if she really wanted to mess up her life it was her own fault. They had other daughters. So they would assume that Goku was a love interest, she wasn't sure of it herself but she thought him attractive enough. She pulled him along the rest of the hallway and into the throne room.

When they arrived in the room a couple of guards tried to take Piccolo from Goku, an obviously well intentioned gesture. But Goku would not be swayed from carrying his heavy burden over his shoulders. It didn't make sense to Chi Chi but she wouldn't question it.

The end of the carpet signaled that the people walking should kneel but Chi Chi seemed to ignore it. The king was her father though so Goku didn't take any chances. He bent down to one knee while Piccolo was still slung over his shoulder and the king was impressed.

Chi Chi stifled a giggle at the strange looking scene in front of her. Goku was at least a foot shorter and thinner than the man he carried so the burden on his shoulders seemed gigantic in comparison to his kneeling form. After she got her laughter under control she turned to her father and started explaining what had happened. Her fake story seemed to completely fool her father who thought it was simply delightful to have a mage in the palace staff, but he still wondered about one thing…

"What of your friend, young Goku? What would he do for the palace?"

"Sir, Piccolo was a member of parliament under the rule of the conquered kingdom of King Vegita. He could serve under you, he was known for his loyalty and was very smart about business."

"Well, that seems easy enough to do. You know, young mage, you can look at me. I don't really mind. And come to think of it, why should you kneel either?" The king was laughing good naturedly now, as his daughter had been a few minutes before.

Goku moved his gaze from the ground up to the face of the hospitable man who had agreed to give him a job. The king seemed almost like a joke. He had a huge structure. He was tall and very wide, his robes were dull and brown and his crown was a helmet with horns on the side. He figured that this must be the legendary Ox King. It would make sense, for the countryside was covered with livestock. He used to be quite a despotic ruler, striking fear into all of his subjects, but when he followed the example of other kingdom's and adopted a constitutional monarchy, parliament had let him know what the people thought of him. The Ox king, being kind at heart felt bad, and now his kingdom was known to be one of the happiest and fairest. Not to mention beautiful ('like his daughter', added Goku unconsciously). Goku allowed himself to smile at the king and thanked him very vigorously.

Goku stood up and turned around to be led to his and Piccolo's rooms. Chi- Chi knew Goku's would be next to hers without ever asking. Her father was very …kind, (I suppose you could call it that) when it came to the matter of men. He was a very lenient and kind man but was always worried about the safety of his children. Chi-Chi wasn't sure where Piccolo's room would be. There was a possibility that it would be next to Goku's but she wasn't sure her father would be to thrilled about a very large, strange man so close to her room. He hadn't met the him yet.

Chi-Chi smiled gratefully at her father and said a few words of parting, giving him a big hug, before leaving after the men and guards to go to her room.

Her father allowed his smile to grow substantially as his daughter trotted out of the room. He had a good feeling about that mage, even if Chi-Chi was lying about how they met. He figured she had a good reason. If Chi-Chi was wise in her marriage he and his wife decided they would support her, though she didn't know it yet. He hoped she chose the mage.

*~*~*~*~*~

Chi-Chi was happily strolling down the hall when she heard a loud growl from around the corner. Her smile quickly faded as her lips drew into a straight line. She stopped momentarily, to shocked to do much else, before crouching into a fighting stance. She smiled a little about how quick her reflexes were. When nothing came around the corner, she inched her way towards it. She knew something was there. She jumped around and kicked the threat in the face. She fell automatically back into her defensive stance and looked at the offender. It was Piccolo. His hood had finally fallen off when she kicked him and she gasped at what she saw.

He wasn't human at all! His ears were what first caught her attention. Large and pointed and.. green. There was some kind of make up he was wearing to conceal his green coloring and he didn't bother to put it on them. He was bald, obviously naturally and had antennae. There were no eyebrows, just bone structure. No lashes, no hair at all…His faced was fixed in a glare and his eyes were completely black. She just gaped at him for a minute while he shook his head.

"I'm just getting on everybody's good side today" he muttered to himself while rubbing his forehead. He realized his mistake when she noticed his long black fingernails. She finally shook herself out of her shock and screamed, using her full lung capacity. "GOOOOOOKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! WHAT DID YOU BRING IN MY PALACE!!!???? HE'S A MONSTER!!!!!"

"You do know I can hear you, right" … 'probably better than you can' Piccolo added on silently and rubbed his temples to get the ringing out of his head. His sensitive ears were close to the point of bleeding from her loud outburst and he wanted to blast himself to end the miserable headache he was feeling. Chi-Chi gasped for breath and ignored his comment, he deserved to hear it, he was a… a… he was different!

Goku ran into Piccolo's back as he rounded the corner. He growled and turned to the shorter man, "You're closer to her breed.. what's wrong with her?"

Goku just put his hand behind his head and laughed nervously, "I think you just scared her Piccolo."

"Scared her?" He looked at Chi Chi with one eyebrow ridge raised and sighed. 'at least she didn't faint like most do.' honestly, that was the only reason he wasn't quite sure she was scared. That, and his head was all muddled from the powerful buzzing filling it.

Chi Chi looked back and forth between the two warriors standing there, before her fear got the better of her and blackness took over her senses. The last thing she heard was an exasperated, "great" before she blacked out entirely.





*~*~*~*~*~*



"I'm not taking care of this Goku. You can just bring her back to her room yourself."

"I can't go into the room of a lady, Piccolo! I'm a guy!"

"What's that supposed to mean? You think it's better that she lies here out in the hall?" Piccolo was beginning to get really agitated with the man standing across from him.

"Well, I suppose you're right… but why don't you do it? You're the one who doesn't have a sex, it wouldn't matter if you did it."

Piccolo's patience was draining fast. "My room isn't as close as yours, and she scared of me. What if she woke up while I was carrying her to her room or while I was in there!?" He tried to keep his voice down and his patience under control but it was beginning to slip from his command by the end and his voice was raising. He clenched his teeth to keep from yelling at the black haired man across from him and continued. "Just pick her up and put.. her.. in.. her.. room."

"Alright, alright. Just calm down."

Piccolo growled as a response and stalked across the hall to his room, mumbling about looking in the mirror for wounds and getting another one. Before Piccolo shut his door, he added, "Meet me outside later to spar." It wasn't a question. His door slammed.

Goku chuckled softly to himself before he lifted Chi-Chi up and cradled her in his arms. Somehow he felt as though she belonged there but shook that feeling off quickly. 'I've got more important things to worry about.' He reprimanded himself. Bulma would be here soon to find him. She wouldn't be able to enlist him if he was working under the Ox King's rule but he had a feeling she would find a way to do it anyway. They had been friends for years but she was starting to scare him with her talk of "dragonballs", whatever those were supposed to be.

They were close to her room when Chi-Chi jumped up and grabbed onto Goku's Tunic. She buried her face in his chest and started whimpering, not quite realizing who he was, "Daddy.. is he gone, daddy? He's horrible. I don't know what made me let that Goku boy bring that beast here. Please tell me he's gone…" She started crying out of fear. She was obviously still dazed.

He wasn't quite sure what to do but he let his instincts take over. An arm came around to encircle her back and she calmed down. Listening to the heartbeat of her "dad" she snuggled into his warm body and fell directly into sleep. "I love you daddy," she mumbled in her dream. Goku just smiled down at her as he made his way to her room.

****____****____****----____----****----____----****____****____****



While Goku was bringing his princess to her room two things happened simultaneously. Piccolo, feeling his headache grow increasingly worse, exited through his window and flew out to the countryside. The other occurrence involved a blue haired girl entering the ox-king's capital city with her two bodyguards.



A/N: please please review. I would really appreciate it. Flames are welcome. Just tell me what you like, don't like, just say hi.. whatever you want.. please review though.

p.s. kami, I hate begging.