Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from DBZ.
Chapter 4; Murderer in the Kitchen.
I awoke to golden sunlight spilling through the curtains and the strong scent of bacon and pancakes. I broke into a light sweat in the morning heat and pushed back the heavy comforter, just laying there for a few moments, spreading my limbs to cool down. Finally, I rose from the bed and looked in the dresser near my bed. Inside was a few pair of red pants and white long sleeved T-shirts. I assumed they were Gohan's and gladly took them. They were rather big, but they would do.
I walked to the kitchen, glad I remembered where it was. The first thing I saw was a huge pile of food balanced on the small table that looked as if it would collapse any minute. To either sides of the table were Gohan, Goku, and Goten stuffing food into their mouths as fast as their hands and mouths would allow them. Waffles, bacon, eggs, pancakes, donuts, hash browns, French toast, bagels, buttered toast, strawberries, apples, oranges, and much, much, more were being crammed into their bodies.
"Wow," I said, "I forgot how much they eat!"
Chichi was at the stove smiling and humming to herself. She turned at my entrance, "Here you go," she said cheerfully, handing me a large plate with five pancakes and fresh fruit to one side. "I saved a plate for you."
"Thank you, it looks wonderful," I replied gratefully taking the plate from her.
I sat and ate, but could only finish three pancakes and half the fruit.
"You gonna eat that?" Goten asked through a mouthful of various foods.
"Uh, no," I said watching him carefully. "Help yourself."
"Thanks!" he was so enthusiastic that food actually came out this time. He took the plate and began to eat.
I couldn't watch anymore. I was afraid I was on the verge of laughing or retching, two things I didn't feel up to.
"I'll be in my room." I told Chichi turning my back to the two Saiyins
Around lunch time I walked back into the kitchen, seeing Chichi. I came over to her to see she was preparing lunch for her boys.
"Oh," I said, "here, let me help you."
She looked up from the large rice cooker.
"No, you're our guest!" she insisted. "Besides, you saw how much they like their food."
"Look, they eat a ton. I cooked for myself back in my dimension since I was old enough to use an oven."
"Didn't your mother or father prepare meals for you?" she asked as I began cutting the carrots on the counter.
"Not really," I replied. "My foster mother didn't like me, so I decided it was better to learn quickly and stay out of her way. I moved out of the house when I was fourteen and into an apartment a friend had gotten for me. I've been living by myself for two years and I cooked my own meals."
"And your mother just let you go?"
"I think she was glad for me to be gone. Plus I never told her I was leaving. I just packed up and left in the night."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw her look at me with a mixture of what I thought might be remorse and somewhat shame. I was unsure why she had looked at me that way, but I ignored it for the time being.
"It was a lot better than living with my mother—that was almost impossible. Now I can cook for myself and live without depending on anyone."
We continued talking and cooking for a few hours when both boys came in from sparing. I suddenly felt like someone was watching me and looked around. Gohan and Goten were busy with their meal and Chichi had left the room. I felt my skin prickle all over and thought that maybe I shouldn't go for a walk after all. I began wandering around the house, going in and out of my room, then I found myself back in the kitchen. I sighed, I was restless and wanted to go outside, but my instincts told me to stay.
"Didn't you say you were going for a walk, Elizabeth?" asked Gohan, finishing washing the last plate.
"Yeah, but I'm not so sure I want to anymore," I replied.
"Why not?"
"I just have a bad feeling."
"I was thinking of going out for a while anyway, why don't we go together?"
I smiled softly. "Okay," I said gratefully.
We walked together occasionally talking, occasionally savoring the sounds and fragrances of nature. About twenty minutes after we had left the house, I saw something small and shimmering in our pathway. As I went to see what it was, Gohan stopped me.
"The chi doesn't feel right," he said, holding my arm.
I looked at the object the back to Gohan.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Is it not safe?"
"I don't know, it just doesn't feel...right."
I looked back at the object.
"Just let me see what it is, I'm curious."
Hesitantly, he let go of my arm and I walked toward the object glittering in the sun. Laying in the long grass was a flat red gem embedded in gold and attached to a golden chain. I gasped in awe, wondering who would be careless with such a thing. I stepped closer, but Gohan stopped me again.
"Elizabeth, we should leave, now."
"Wait a minute," I said absently, moving closer to the jewel.
I kneeled in the grass and reached out to touch it, my fingertips nearly reaching it. Suddenly, a tiny red bolt sprang from the gem and struck my hand with amazing force. With a cry of shock and pain, I fell backward and was rendered unconscious.
Chapter 4; Murderer in the Kitchen.
I awoke to golden sunlight spilling through the curtains and the strong scent of bacon and pancakes. I broke into a light sweat in the morning heat and pushed back the heavy comforter, just laying there for a few moments, spreading my limbs to cool down. Finally, I rose from the bed and looked in the dresser near my bed. Inside was a few pair of red pants and white long sleeved T-shirts. I assumed they were Gohan's and gladly took them. They were rather big, but they would do.
I walked to the kitchen, glad I remembered where it was. The first thing I saw was a huge pile of food balanced on the small table that looked as if it would collapse any minute. To either sides of the table were Gohan, Goku, and Goten stuffing food into their mouths as fast as their hands and mouths would allow them. Waffles, bacon, eggs, pancakes, donuts, hash browns, French toast, bagels, buttered toast, strawberries, apples, oranges, and much, much, more were being crammed into their bodies.
"Wow," I said, "I forgot how much they eat!"
Chichi was at the stove smiling and humming to herself. She turned at my entrance, "Here you go," she said cheerfully, handing me a large plate with five pancakes and fresh fruit to one side. "I saved a plate for you."
"Thank you, it looks wonderful," I replied gratefully taking the plate from her.
I sat and ate, but could only finish three pancakes and half the fruit.
"You gonna eat that?" Goten asked through a mouthful of various foods.
"Uh, no," I said watching him carefully. "Help yourself."
"Thanks!" he was so enthusiastic that food actually came out this time. He took the plate and began to eat.
I couldn't watch anymore. I was afraid I was on the verge of laughing or retching, two things I didn't feel up to.
"I'll be in my room." I told Chichi turning my back to the two Saiyins
Around lunch time I walked back into the kitchen, seeing Chichi. I came over to her to see she was preparing lunch for her boys.
"Oh," I said, "here, let me help you."
She looked up from the large rice cooker.
"No, you're our guest!" she insisted. "Besides, you saw how much they like their food."
"Look, they eat a ton. I cooked for myself back in my dimension since I was old enough to use an oven."
"Didn't your mother or father prepare meals for you?" she asked as I began cutting the carrots on the counter.
"Not really," I replied. "My foster mother didn't like me, so I decided it was better to learn quickly and stay out of her way. I moved out of the house when I was fourteen and into an apartment a friend had gotten for me. I've been living by myself for two years and I cooked my own meals."
"And your mother just let you go?"
"I think she was glad for me to be gone. Plus I never told her I was leaving. I just packed up and left in the night."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw her look at me with a mixture of what I thought might be remorse and somewhat shame. I was unsure why she had looked at me that way, but I ignored it for the time being.
"It was a lot better than living with my mother—that was almost impossible. Now I can cook for myself and live without depending on anyone."
We continued talking and cooking for a few hours when both boys came in from sparing. I suddenly felt like someone was watching me and looked around. Gohan and Goten were busy with their meal and Chichi had left the room. I felt my skin prickle all over and thought that maybe I shouldn't go for a walk after all. I began wandering around the house, going in and out of my room, then I found myself back in the kitchen. I sighed, I was restless and wanted to go outside, but my instincts told me to stay.
"Didn't you say you were going for a walk, Elizabeth?" asked Gohan, finishing washing the last plate.
"Yeah, but I'm not so sure I want to anymore," I replied.
"Why not?"
"I just have a bad feeling."
"I was thinking of going out for a while anyway, why don't we go together?"
I smiled softly. "Okay," I said gratefully.
We walked together occasionally talking, occasionally savoring the sounds and fragrances of nature. About twenty minutes after we had left the house, I saw something small and shimmering in our pathway. As I went to see what it was, Gohan stopped me.
"The chi doesn't feel right," he said, holding my arm.
I looked at the object the back to Gohan.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "Is it not safe?"
"I don't know, it just doesn't feel...right."
I looked back at the object.
"Just let me see what it is, I'm curious."
Hesitantly, he let go of my arm and I walked toward the object glittering in the sun. Laying in the long grass was a flat red gem embedded in gold and attached to a golden chain. I gasped in awe, wondering who would be careless with such a thing. I stepped closer, but Gohan stopped me again.
"Elizabeth, we should leave, now."
"Wait a minute," I said absently, moving closer to the jewel.
I kneeled in the grass and reached out to touch it, my fingertips nearly reaching it. Suddenly, a tiny red bolt sprang from the gem and struck my hand with amazing force. With a cry of shock and pain, I fell backward and was rendered unconscious.