*Tenshi, in an emotional fit from not owning the rights, falls out unconscious on the ground while Piccolo watches everything carefully*
Radditz: Why so blue, green man? Is it because you can do nothing to help your friend, or is it because your just plain ugly?
A/N: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! First off we are all aware of how utterly hott Piccolo is, aren't we? Radditz is merely making illusions for himself so that he can live blissfully unaware of true issues in his own little world. Poor, poor Radditz. However, let me make it clear that Radditz has got to be one of my all time favorite characters. I mean, he thinks he's so bad, it's just hilarious. He's better for a laugh than Vegeta is! Poor, poor Radditz. But to all of you who are fans of my disclaimers *frantically searches for fans about the empty room* oh well, for MYSELF, who is a fan of the corny dub line disclaimers, has something to reveal to you all. I thought that Radditz and Frieza were the worst dubbees, until I recently re-watched the Garlic Junior Saga. Garlic Junior makes Radditz and Frieza look nearly civilized...not quite, but almost. Garlic Junior is just TERRIBLE. If I could gain enough composure to even consider writing some of his lines I would, but I am literally unable because every time I try I keel over in unabashed laughter and indescribable embarrassment. Oh well, until next time you guys, this is CFDL Girl signing off!! (*Corny FUNi Dub Lines for those of you who have a hard time with acronyms....after all the Grand Kai just loves those!! BWUHAHAHA!!! Another funny FUNi insert...but I really like that one ^_^*)
Okay, Before we start I would like to clear something up for ya'll. I had NO idea that this story was going to turn out so controversial. I had never planned for it to be like that, but it ended up that way. I usually shy away from controversial stuff.... But I am standing my ground on this one. Yes, I am anti-abortion, but that's not so with interracially. I did print on my closing notes that I am not against it, but printed Chichi's view to expose the shortsightedness of some people. However not everyone reads the Authors Notes so I could see how it could be confusing. Just so you'll know where I stand on that. About the abortion thing, I want to say one thing. I do know what I am talking about. One person emailed me and told me I knew nothing of what goes on in an abortive clinic and I should stop trying to make myself look good. Well, let me clear that up: In my stories all medical conditions and/or statistics will be true life facts unless specifically stated otherwise. If I feel a certain way about a certain subject then I do because I have RESEARCHED the issue and KNOW a thing or two about the situation. So I 'aint just making things up for story's sake, okay? It would have been easy for me to print all of the stats in the story, but I felt that would have made it like an advertising campaign and that is not what I want to present with this story. However, I will say this; 90% of abortion clinics in the United States practice their surgeries with undertrained personnel. Although, that's not always so in hospitals if an abortion is done. I thought I'd say that so I could present both sides of the case, and not make it a one-sided factor. Before I exit this note, I would like to make clear the fact that I am not jumping on the people who have left me their beliefs in reviews, but the ones who emailed me and told me that I was making things up and flamed my story for something that was a hard-core, honest fact. The situation in the story may have leaned more towards the anti-abortion disposition, but the stats were honest, and so don't flame me for that. If you want to, like Radditz, live in a world of false illusions so you don't have to face the truth, that's okay, but what I said was written in stone and I don't care who disagrees with me because its what I know to be right. In short, Do I believe in abortion? No. Do I agree with you if you believe in abortion? No. Do I hate you if you believe in or have had an abortion in the past? No. I love everyone. I appreciate all of ya'll who read the story and commented, and I don't want you to quit leaving your opinions in reviews, neither am I flaming you for doing so, only the ones who say I don't know what I am talking about. If anyone ever wants to talk about anything, story-related or not, just send me an email and I'll be more than happy to chat. Thanks again to everyone, even to those who emailed me and told me I was stupid. At least they read the story, and that's all that really matters.
Sorry for boring you! On with Chapter Five!
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"Hey 'hon, better wake up, we're almost home." Goku whispered as he jostled his wife's sleeping from gently, and sighed as she barely stirred.
Ever since the ordeal with the doctors four days ago, it seemed like Chichi had slept more than she ever had before. Goku personally attributed it to the fact that the doctors had said that they wouldn't hold her overnight, yet she ended up staying over half the week. Chichi had told him that she couldn't sleep well in the hospital, but due to all of the medication that they had prescribed for her, she had been sleeping like a rock.
He inadvertently moved his attention from her to his pant pockets, which were bulging with bottles of medication they had ordered for her. The doctors had said that it would help her cope with several ailments, but the names of the maladies sounded foreign to him and he couldn't remember what each pill was for. All that he could manage to recall was how much she needed to take every day, how many pills were too many, and that it was imperative that they be administered to her every day. He squinted hard and tried to recollect the conversation that he had had with the doctor who prescribed her medicine. He smiled as the thick, Jamaican accent rang clearly in his head. He didn't know much about Doctor Maui, but his instincts about the physician were nothing but positive.
"So what you sayin' is that she needs to take two of these blue ones every six hours?" Goku interrogated.
"Yas'sir, it's important 'dat 'dese are taken on time every day." He answered kindly, yet with an air of importance in his tone.
"An' these pink ones, she only takes one of them once every day?" He asked doubtfully. Goku was very skeptical about this medication in particular, since the pills were much smaller than the others, but were to be taken less than the other medication as well. He didn't see how something so minuscule could help when taken in such small dosages. Maui nodded.
"Yas, only once a day, and it's very important 'dat she doesn't overdose on 'dese, their very powerful and could cause much harm if taken out of regularity."
Goku looked over all the assortments of canisters that were laying on the table in front of him. He didn't understand how all of this was supposed to be of any aid, but he accepted the fact that sometimes small things help a great deal. He grinned widely as he remembered his first senzu bean and how much better it made him feel.
"Hope these things work just as good." He thought.
Goku opened his eyes as he felt Chichi move against his side. She was finally beginning to stir after having slept for the entire whole ride home. He was just starting to feel relief that she was waking so easily, but his euphoria slowly faded as she only adjusted her position and curled closer against his side.
He would have begun to fret about waking her and her yelling at him had she not drawn his attention to the medicine that was peeking out of his pants pocket. He pulled out all of the bottles and counted them again to make sure he hadn't lost one yet. When Chichi had asked him to keep them for her, he felt extremely privileged as she never let him keep up with anything of significance. He really didn't want to lose anything with as much importance as this tiny container, because it would in turn cease his reign of responsibility where Chichi was concerned.
When the bright little cloud started slowing down, he knew that it was time to bring her to consciousness, even if he didn't wish to. He rocked her softly back and forth, hoping that the movement issued would beckon her awareness. She murmured softly, and he allowed his squirming to come more vigorously than before to entice her composure. She mumbled at him again, and he glanced down at her nonchalantly.
"Oh, I didn't wake you, did I?" He asked, trying to sound oblivious to the whole ordeal.
"Yeah, you did, and don't play dumb, I knew you tried to the first time. Get some new material." She bit sleepily.
"Well, we're home, in case your wonderin'." He said happily.
She opened her eyes wide, and warmed as she saw her small cottage. It's plain structure and confined features would have triggered brilliance for very few, yet at the moment, both husband and wife felt as if they were watching the rise of the magnificent sun itself.
The doctors had finally given their permission for the couple to leave the hospital. They had been home only one night since the whole predicament presented itself two weeks ago. It was hard to believe that merely a month ago their life was simple and there was little to worry over. Both of them wished fervently that all could be made mediocre once more, but now things couldn't be reversed, so there was really no use in wishing the past differently.
Goku hopped down from the cloud and hoisted Chichi after him, setting her gently on the ground. Usually, he would have carried her into the house, yet he had been made aware over his visit at the hospital that placing pregnant women in odd or unusual positions could emit problems and complications, so he thought it best that she walk for herself, though he held her arm for balance.
She was grateful for his assistance, yet annoyed in the same breath. Although she heartily needed his help, she shook his hand from her arm. Yes, she knew what her chances were, and she knew what the doctors had said about her needing help, and that's mainly why she resisted it. She resented the fact that she couldn't depend on herself wholly now, and rebelled subtly when Goku had tried to assist her in walking or sitting or whatever it was that she was struggling with. She had determined that if she didn't heed the problem, that it might evaporate. She couldn't deal with not being able to depend fully on herself.
While she had been in the hospital this last time, she had reviewed her actions and responses over her previous visit. She was mostly crying or screaming or both, and acting totally uncivil and unrefined. After a complete overview of it all, she was repulsed by her behavior. She had always been strong, inside and out, and acting that way made her look as if she was still a teenager.
"But I am still a teenager." She thought objectionably.
Even if it was true, she had never acted that way. Having to tend to a house and feed a family since she was five years old had pretty much dampened an effect for any kind of childhood she might have had. In turn she had always felt that she was peeking on adulthood ever since she was a child.
It had been hard, keeping up with her own life as well as the life of her father at such an early age....cleaning house, making dinner as well as finding it, and fighting back a flood of depression and memories.
She could remember her mother's arms that held her when she was sick and rocked her when she was sleepy. Her voice that radiated with exuberance when telling fairy tales and submersed itself in peace when she sang lullabies. Her brilliant, raven eyes and flowing hair silhouetted by a child's night light was all of the physiognomy she could recall by memory, although she had a handful of photographs of her that she kept tucked away in the top of her dresser drawer. She had loved her mother though she had often been loud and harsh, but she had always made up for her temper where it counted. Despite her knowledge of her own attitude, Chichi was still quite blind to how much she resembled her mother in looks and personality, perhaps because she could remember only fragments of her life with a maternal figure.
She shook her mental ramblings out of her head as she crossed the threshold of her cozy little doorway, and inhaled the scent of her own home. It seemed more inviting than it ever had, especially since she could stay here undisturbed for the next two and a half weeks before she had to go back to the hospital for a check up. Her grin split her face in twain as she sighed contentedly, and her eyes danced in appreciation for the luxury of having such an inviting home.
***
The silver moonlight filtered through the thin sash of the window and spilled itself all over the hardwood floor. The stars twinkled radiantly outside on the clear, midsummer nighttime sky, casting illumined shadows across the room on the opposite wall.
Chichi's eyes saw the spectacle, but her mind was elsewhere as it wandered in and out of her predicament. Half of the time, she was dwelling on her medical condition, the impending birth, and the gloomy predictions assessed to her by the medical personnel at the hospital. Yet, the other half of the time she was dreaming sweetly of her newborn baby, his glowing eyes and his chirpy voice. She hoped that the doctors could be wrong about his condition.
She had once known a girl long ago who had a child who was perfectly healthy, regardless that the doctors had said that he was going to suffer from several disorders. So she hoped and prayed every night that this would be the same with her baby, and perhaps it might be too soon to tell. Maybe five and a half months was too soon....hopefully.
She remembered the beautiful, sleeping infants that she and Goku had watched at the hospital a few days prior, and how they gurgled when they were pleased and wept when they were cranky. She wished nothing more than that for her own son. All of the children were so beautiful...
Then, a new thought entered her mind, one she hadn't thought of before and hadn't trudged up to Goku yet. She maneuvered her gaze upwards and saw him, eyes wide open and half smiling with his left arm folded behind his head and his right arm resting around her. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the peaceful moment, and absorbed completely by the dancing shadow of a limb silhouetted against the silver moonlight that was poured across the floor. She noticed at that moment something about his countenance she hadn't noticed before.
His eyes were much like the shape of her own, yet different in appearance. His facial structure was similar to hers, but not exact. His skin color was a tanned pink, while hers was ivory. She had always credited their differences to different genes, as one would compare different apples to the same tree; Not precisely precise, but definitely from the same source. However, her curiosity was abounding, and she found this a good time to interrogate him on things of his past he had not revealed to her thus far.
"Goku?" She sighed softly.
"Hmm?" He hummed in return, glancing at her from the corner of his eye though not assessing his head in her direction.
"Goku, What were your parents like?" She asked softly.
He glanced at her and shot her an odd expression, however it didn't lack in intensity. He looked as if no one had ever asked him this question before, and he struggled subconsciously to remember anything about his mother or father. When he was younger he thought about it frequently, but it hadn't christened his thoughts for a long time. After a few seconds he turned to her and answered with eyes that held no expression,
"I don't know, Chichi. I can't remember anythin' about them and Grammpa never told me." He answered emotionless.
"You mean you don't know anything? Your father's name, or what your mother looked like?" She interrogated in disbelief.
"Yeah, I don't know anything." He replied truthfully.
"But, you don't have a picture, a record of birth, anything?" She pressed on.
"No, Grammpa was all that I ever had. I can't remember anythin' about anyone before Grammpa." He shrugged.
"Well, was Gohan your mother's father, or your father's father?" She insisted.
Goku furrowed his brows and illustrated the same odd expression as before. "I....I really don't know. I don't know if he even was related to my parents at all." He answered honestly.
"Well, he must have been if you called him 'Grandpa'. Why didn't you ever ask him?" She quizzed him intensely.
Goku looked at her sarcastically and answered, "Come on, Chi. I didn't even know what a girl was back then, so askin' about parents, I mean, it never crossed my mind until after Grammpa was gone." He retorted wryly.
"So what nationality were they? I mean, you must know that." She plunged on.
"Nationality?" He quirked an eyebrow, "You mean like what they were?"
"Yeah, exactly. You have to know because you must know what nationality you are yourself." She answered.
"Well, umm...I don't know that either." He muttered quietly. He hoped that his lack of racial backgrounds wouldn't get her riled up like he was imagining it would.
"So then what nationality are you?" She quested onward.
"I--uh...I guess the same as you, Chichi. Or at least the same as Grammpa Gohan." He replied.
"Well, that's what I figured. I don't know much about genealogy, but I just rationalized that 'Son' was a Japanese sir name." She stated, more to herself than to her husband.
After that, they lay quietly for a few moments, each one to their own thoughts, until Goku spoke up softly,
"Hey Chichi, if you didn't know what race I was, why did you marry me? I thought you didn't believe in that kinda' thing." He asked rather apprehensively.
"It didn't matter with you because I knew your origin was Asiatic." She yawned and rolled closer into his side. Goku was utterly confused at this point, and decided that he should ask now or else he might never know.
"What does that mean, Chichi?" He requested naively.
"It means that I knew you were oriental, and so that's okay. It's only when people aren't remotely close in skin color that it matters." She answered passively.
"Uh....so you mean it's okay because I'm oriental, but not okay if I was somethin' else?" His eyebrow arched again and he scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"Okay, get this." She stated as she rolled over to look him in the eye. "There are three types of people in the world, Caucasoid, Mongoloid and Negroid. Caucasians are white people, like people who live in the Western part of the world. Mongolians are like you and me, we have dark hair and eyes and our skin is a slightly different color than 'white' people. And Negroes have dark skin and eyes, darker than ours. So, if you had happened to be 'white' or 'black', then that would have been a totally different thing. But your not, your like me, so that's why it was okay. Do you understand?"
Goku nodded his head slowly. He understood what she was saying, but he didn't understand exactly why she felt this way. It didn't seem to matter one way or another to him. He had been all over the world and seen so many different people and it had never once occurred to him that they were anything but human despite their varied skin colors. He had always reckoned that people were just 'people', and this new wave of enlightenment was more than a little conflicting for him. But if Chichi had said it, it must be some form of intelligence...even though he felt only dumber for thinking that way.
Silence had been dominant for a few moments longer, and Chichi was slipping further into unconsciousness when Goku broke the silence once more, with a faint, low inquiry.
"Hey Chichi....if I wasn't Asian, would you have married me anyways?" He whispered.
Chichi didn't move though her mind raced, and even the mileage of her brain waves didn't come close to the accelerating palpitations of her heart. Finally she answered.
"Goku, that's silly. You are who you are and that's why I married you. Don't even dwell on something as pointless as 'could-have-been's.' I'm sleepy so I'm going to bed. Goodnight." She affirmed, rolled over and laid completely motionless.
"Um....Goodnight Chichi." He answered, though he didn't seek sleep. The whole conversation had made him terribly uneasy. He wished that she would have said 'yes' to his question and put his mind at ease. It wasn't that he doubted that she loved him, but he was beginning to doubt the vow that she had said in her own voice. Although he was very unsure of matrimony at the time when he had been dragged to the altar, he remembered everything with alarming recall.
"I promise to cherish you always and love you unconditionally, 'til death do us part."
"Unconditionally." He thought skeptically, "That's what I 'aint too sure of." His brows fell in an awkward expression for his features, and he tossed on his stomach warily and sought an uneasy rest.
Had Goku not asked that last question, Chichi felt she would have undisputedly have been in sleep's confinement at this point. It wasn't only his tone that tore at her, his awkward silence, or hesitant responses as much as it was the question itself. The day she had laid eyes on that scruffy twelve year old with his wild black mane and restless, contented countenance, her heart had never occupied her chest since. She was completely sold for him, and she would have waited forever until he came back to her. But could his appearance really mean that all of her feelings were in vain? Had he been of a different race, would her emotions have been any less pure or true?
She shook those thoughts from her head and winced her eyes shut.
***
"Hey Goku Son, I've got good news!" Mira beamed as she strode from the examining room happily. Goku rose from his seat in the lobby, his heart palpitations calming as he soaked in the confidence that surrounded her being.
"What is it?" He hastily requested.
"It looks like Chichi is doing better than we thought! The doctors aren't going to give you much more hope than what you already have, since it's still early at this point, but I'm tellin' 'ya what I know, and from what I saw she's doing much better. I really believe that everything is going to be fine!" She smiled widely and slapped Goku playfully on the shoulder.
"That's great!" He replied enthusiastically, however his face wouldn't allow too much happiness to spread itself as he asked the dreaded follow-up question,
"Um...but how is our baby doin'? Is he any better than before?"
Mira's expression dawned a more serious look, yet she tried to maintain her optimism for her friend's sake.
"Well, Goku, we really don't know.....he's about the same as before."
"Well, do 'ya think he's gonna be okay, Mira?" His inquiry was so small and unsure that it reminded Mira of a small child. She wished to smile and give him a healthy dose of brightness, but she was all too aware of his unborn son's situation to give him false hope. But she didn't want to smash all of his aspirations either. It was a predicament that she did not wish to be in at the moment, yet she grinned a bit and chucked him playfully on the chin.
"If he's as tough as his daddy and tenacious as his mommy, then he's gonna be just fine. In fact, Mayo better watch out or he might come out and grab him in a headlock." She chortled slightly at her own humor, and spiting his current dilemma, Goku's lips lifted upwards in amusement.
"Welp, I guess you can go in and get your bride now, unless you'd rather stick around this lovely place for a while." She stated playfully.
"Thanks, but no thanks. We better be gettin' home, we have stuff to do." He answered as he started off in the direction of the examination room.
"Oh, that reminds me. I know you have been doing a good job of keeping an eye out for your wife and helping her around the house, but I really can't stress to you just how important it is that she take it easy, extremely easy. If she were to try to do things regularly then it could have some bad consequences. I just wanted to remind you." She added.
Goku nodded. "Yeah, I know."
"Good. Now get going, I don't like shady characters like you hanging around messing up my nice, clean hospital." She growled menacingly.
"Sure thing. See 'ya!" He giggled and trotted down the hallway.
***
The long, August days started to wind down, and they were scarcely forgotten before November had arrived. It seemed as if time had been thrown into speed cycle, turning the summer's heated breath into autumn's chilly fingers. The land was slowly dying, as the lush countryside spiraled from emerald to topaz in what seemed to be minutes. Thick sheets of fog took stead for sunny days, and rainy weather for cloudless skies. Winter was nearly there to bide, and all living things sought refuge in the cozy shelter of their own dens.
It had been a trying three months, but Goku was actually getting used to helping around, though he wished fervently for things to return to the way they were. Not that he minded helping Chichi, it just seemed that he could do nothing as good as she could, had she been able. And his ears rang constantly from being yelled at by her. It was true that Chichi had high expectations and a bad temper to go with them, but it was only magnified as her medical situation seemed to decrease as the months wore on, and the actual reality of living with an eight-month expectant mother was taking it's place.
But he had to be on his toes all the time or else she would actually try and do things herself. Ever since she had returned from the hospital several months ago it seemed as if she was always scurrying about trying to cook or clean, and it was wearing on his seemingly endless patience.
He had asked her not to do things that would require much manual effort, and then when she kept on doing them he was forced to tell her not to, and lately he had thrown his fear of her to the wind, and demanded her not to do anything else. His boldness towards her might have incapacitated her, had her anger not been as great as her shock. However, when she sat back and realized that her carefree Goku had begun threatening her, she decided maybe she should slow down just a little bit. After all, the baby was due next month, and though the doctors still gave her literally no chance, she still clung ferociously to the hope that she and her son would survive, and that they could live a happy, normal life without any complications. She had always pictured her life with glamour; A large, two-story house in the better part of a nice town, a rugged, romantic stallion for a husband, and a beautiful, talented, prodigy of a child. Now, however, she felt that life would be paradise for her with her small, quaint cottage in the abandoned countryside, her scruffy, juvenile bronco, and a son that might one day be able to walk, given successful physical therapy. That life seemed to her a dream, and hopefully, in a month more, it might become a reality.
Chichi walked slowly to the window and laid her hand against the pane. The glass was slightly frosted and cold against her fingers, yet she was warmed by the low heat emitted all over the house from the fireplace in the next room.
She watched with absorbed interest as Goku worked, tying a long rope around the limb of an enormous tree in their front yard. At the end dangled a crude block of wood with frayed rope penetrating the sides with knots entangled securely beneath. He had occupied himself as the days for the birth drew near with odd jobs, such as rearranging the furniture in their room, carving a cradle, and in this case, hanging a swing. He knew that it would be years before their son could benefit from actually having one, but it gave his anxious hands work and idle mind thought so that he didn't have to dwell on the upcoming ultimatum. As much as he believed that everything would be fine, he still had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, an emotion foreign to his laid back personality, and certainly an unwelcome emotion at that.
Goku strode through the door of his small house, chilled and shivering from the cool south winds. It had been rumored that a cold front could perhaps be moving towards their region with snow flurries and sleet as the casualties. He hoped that it would pass them by, as cold weather could possibly bring sickness, and that was the last thing he hoped for at this time. It would enhance the chances of complications, and he certainly didn't want that for them right now.
"Goku, I got a letter from the hospital today." Chichi commented as Goku passed.
"What did they say?" He requested nonchalantly.
"It was just a notice that I need to come to the hospital again next week for a check up and an evaluation. However, Doctor Mayo wrote a footnote at the bottom."
"Oh? What did he say to 'ya?" He slurped as he downed a carton of milk he had extracted from the refrigerator.
"He said that we should consider getting a phone because he might need to contact me immediately sometime in the future in case he should find anything wrong because our mail system only delivers once a week." She stated flopping the letter carelessly down on the table.
"Tell Mayo he can pay for it if he wants us to get one so bad." He muffled as he crammed his mouth full of rice. Chichi mentally noted that she could nearly swear he was part hamster as he seemed to stuff himself full of immense proportions of food. She banished the observation and added,
"He does have a point."
"Yeah, I know it, but 'ya know we don't have the money for it now." He countered. Goku still wasn't acquainted well with finances, but he had faced the fact that money was tight and they couldn't spare any because of the medical bills they had been receiving.
"Well we might be able to if someone would find a job." She spat. He could tell by her recent drop in pitch that she was getting temperamental, and her understood clearly that if he didn't change the subject now, he would be hearing all about his many faults from now until the cows came home. He quickly changed topics while he still had an opening.
"Have you thought about what 'ya wanna name our kid, Chichi?" He asked.
Chichi's face contorted into a sarcastic grin. "Look, you know that I'm naming him Goku, so give it a rest."
"But Chichi, that's too confusin'! I should be the only 'me' around this house! Don't I even get a say in it?" He slurred, trying to get his piece in.
"What would you name him then?" She drilled.
"I'll think of somethin', but I don't wanna call him Goku!" He protested.
"Too bad for you, you'll just have to learn to deal with it." She snapped.
Goku was about to go back for another round, but decided that this was the time to 'keep his powder dry' if he wanted any peace....she was coming close to fuming, and he really didn't want controversy at the moment. He was about to change the subject once again when Chichi cut in a low, wistful voice,
"So are you ready to be a daddy?"
The mood in her voice had changed, and her disposition seemed peaceful. Usually when her disposition rotated so rapidly he was wary, but something about the way her face lit at the moment calmed him, and he sat down across from her, resting his chin on the high-back chair.
"I....I really don't know. I mean, I think so, but I never had a dad so it's hard to know what I'm supposed to be." He confessed truthfully, and Chichi noted more than a little diffidence in his voice. In an odd way, his insecurity made her feel less insecure about her new role as a mother. Goku had always been ready for everything, and now knowing that even he was having his doubts made her feel a little more prepared.
"What about you, Chichi, do 'ya think it'll be fun to be a mom?"
Chichi was a bit startled that he asked her, since he seldom asked her anything about her own personal opinion. She felt like telling him that she was totally ready, that she was absolutely prepared for motherhood....but something inside of her let her know that if there wasn't another person in the world who would understand her doubts, Goku would.
"I think it will be fun, but it will also be a lot of work....and I....I'm just not sure how it's going to be. I mean, I've always felt like a mother because I've had to play that role for so long....but now that it's actually about to happen....I just don't know what it will be like." She answered, her voice trembling subtly.
Goku watched her appearance change as her conversation turned internal. Even though he wasn't quite sure what made him ask, or what made want to know, his voice involuntarily chimed in,
"What was your mother like?"
Chichi's eyes darted rapidly to meet his, and she looked more than a little bewildered at his request. He had never asked her about her life before, and she had never told him. She cleared her throat and whispered softly. Goku noticed how her ebony eyes suddenly looked very far off and her breath seemed to come from worlds away as she narrated.
"Mama was very pretty, Goku. She had big, black eyes like a cat's, and long, full eyelashes, like big butterflies resting on the edges of her eyelids. She had ivory skin, lighter than mine, which made her look nearly ethereal. Her smile could light a dark room, I swear. And she had the voice of an angel. She used to sing me to sleep every night with a lullaby that her mother sang to her, it was beautiful. I can still hear her voice in the back of my mind, it was rich and soulful, but sweet and still. She used to wear red lipstick, the color of the sky at dawn, and her teeth were straight and white. Mama loved daddy, but she was hard on him sometimes. She had a bad temper every now and again, but she didn't get mad with me very often. She was very smart, and taught me how to read when I was just a little girl. She worked me hard sometimes, but she let me take breaks every now and then to play. I always liked doing things that she considered 'being a tomboy', like climbing trees and catching frogs, but especially wrestling with my dad. She tried to make me act like a lady, to wear dresses and fix my hair, but it never lasted long with me. But for my fifth birthday, she made me a doll. I thought it was the prettiest thing I ever saw, and it actually made me want to act more like a girl.....especially after mama got sick."
Chichi's voice stopped suddenly as she felt a large lump spread through her throat. Goku had been watching her intently and wished that she would continue. But when he saw her stop, he merely reached across the table and took her hand.
"I'm sorry, Chichi." He purred sympathetically.
She nodded her head, "It's okay, it happened a long time ago, but even after all these years it's not easy." Goku fixed his gaze on her and nodded, though it was obvious through his eyes that he more than understood.
"I lost Grammpa, I know how it is."
"Why did you ask me about that? You've never asked me about my life before, or about mama." She asked quizzically.
"Well, your gonna be a mom soon, an' I don't remember mine. I don't have a whole 'lotta experience with moms, and I wanted to know what they were like." He answered.
"Do you ever think about your mom and what she was like?"
Goku was solemn for a moment, but nodded.
"Yeah."
"You don't remember anything at all?" She cooed.
"Sometimes I think I do, but it's so old and so distant, like I think it might have happened, but at the same time it's like it was happenin' to somebody else....I really don't know." He grinned slightly at his own recall.
"That's okay, I'm sure it will come to you someday." She tried to sound optimistic for his mood's sake.
"Yeah, maybe." He responded neutrally.
"Well, I need some sleep. You ready for bed?" She yawned and stretched her arms above her head.
"Yeah, I'll be on in a minute, you go ahead." He smiled at her as she struggled to her feet.
"Allright then, Goodnight." She pecked him sweetly on the forehead and waddled into her room. Goku had to admit to himslef that she looked pretty just then, with her stomach bulging and his Navy T-shirt hanging to her knees. She had to wear his clothes as of lately since they didn't have the extra zeni to spare to buy maternal wear, so they improvised, using his clothing as an alternative. Something about the way she struggled for each step, the way that she wavered and had to steady herself, and the look of embarrassment that dawned her face from the whole ordeal. Something about her swollen belly made her seem closer to him than he had realized. It was humbling almost, to know that there was someone on this planet that he had shared so much of himself with that he was actually living inside of her. And when others saw her walking down the street, or in the store buying groceries, and noticed the bump extravagantly protruding from her torso, he, in some way, felt proud and even a bit honored to walk beside her, defining the fact that her faithfulness belonged to him, and in turn they had together caused a whole new entity to have been conceived because of their loyalty to each other. It was really amazing, how much she had ended up meaning to him after only nine months of truly knowing each other. Sure she was scary, and downright cantankerous at times, but he had grown more attached to her than he had to nearly anyone else, and his feelings towards her were very different than his feelings for any of his other friends, despite the fact he had known them much longer.
Maybe being a father wouldn't be so tough, and maybe she could help him out when he found it hard, since she basically knew what a dad had to do. And although he knew very little about maternal care, he figured that he could help her out, too. Maybe helping each other was what 'parenthood' was all about, and suddenly, he didn't feel so apprehensive about being a dad anymore.
However, his role of husband was making him fidgety, as he let his mind wander to what the alternative to the birth might be, and he found it harder, now, to be the one that she could depend on.
"Especially if things don't work out so well." He thought.
***
"Hey Chichi! I'm goin' to the store! Don't get yourself into trouble!" Goku yelled as he bounded out of the door towards the village.
"Bye, Goku, take your time." She answered unenthusiastically. When she felt that he was gone she started trying to sit up, but stopped when Goku stuck his head back through the door.
"Don't get up from the couch and don't worry about getting the laundry out to dry. When I get back I'll go upstairs and get the pins to hang them up. Please don't try and go up there, or do the dishes, or sweep, or mop, or dust, or do any of that stuff. I'll be back in about twenty minutes. Just lay there 'til I get back, and when I do I'll take care of all of that. Bye!" He waved and dashed down the mountainside.
Chichi waited for a moment and then struggled to get up again. She hoisted herself off of the couch and began to stagger.
"There's no way I'm going to sit on that couch all day! I've been doing things for months that he has no idea about! He's just paranoid. I swear if I couldn't do things for myself I'd go crazy...and besides, Goku can't get the dishes clean no matter how hard he tries! He doesn't even soak them before washing." Chichi added vehemently, as if not soaking the dishes could be added as the eighth deadly sin. She wandered around momentarily before looking waywardly up the staircase.
"I need to get up there and change clothes, I've been in this shirt since yesterday! Oh well, while I'm up there I guess I could grab those clothespins to hang the wash...." And no sooner had the thought whirled around her head than she had already ascended half of the way.
When she had changed and made herself presentable, she began to search for the clothespins. They weren't in their proper place, and she credited it entirely to Goku's competence.
After searching halfheartedly she found the pins near the book shelf, and she snatched them triumphantly and began her extreme task of limping down the stairs.
Her venture was going well, until she found herself relying too much on her own coordination, and she didn't look before going on to the next step. Before she could even make an attempt to stop herself, she felt her ankle twist the second before she lost her footing entirely.
***
Goku was more than five miles down the road walking through the small country store and sorting through mounds of produce when he felt a dramatic decrease in a very familiar ki.....
The shop keeper had never seen anyone bound out of the door so fast.
***
"CHICHI!!!" Goku screamed at the top of his lungs as he neared the little house. He threw the door open so hard that it ripped off of the hinges completely and flew into the wall in the next room. He plodded rapidly through the house, searching frantically for his wife and her excruciatingly low ki level.
"CHICHI!?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He screeched desperately when he found the couch unoccupied. His mind was racing nearly as fast as his heart, when he turned the corner and saw her...
She was lying on the floor in convulsions, hot tears drenching her face and guttural moans escaping her throat. He was with her in a stride. He hit his knees and cradled her head, trying unsuccessfully to figure out what she had happened. His shaking hands rattled her, and he interrogated in a frenzy,
"CHICHI?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" He felt a large lump assemble itself in his throat, and it doubled its volume when he saw her clothing stained with crimson.
She writhed spastically, and he wasn't even sure if she was conscious, until she gained enough composure to mutter,
"The...baby's...coming...NOW."
Then she fell limp in his arms.
A/N: Okay, if you weren't mad at me before for taking nearly TWO MONTHS to update then I bet your mad at me now. How cruel can I possible get? Well, I got terrible writers block on this chapter, but now I am inspired to write. I can't give an exact time slot anymore on how long these chapters will take to be updated, since I can't guarantee anything and don't want anyone to look for it at that specific time if I can't promise it then. But I WILL promise this, the next chapter will NOT take two months to write. I am finally getting to the good stuff so I'll try and be a nice author and update sooner. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, and to those who have read. God bless you, and leave me a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Sorry to those of you who haven't received an email from me in a while, I'll try and be better about that. Just think of this as my big, fat Christmas present to you guys. Ya'll have a safe holiday and a Merry Christmas. And remember, Santa will leave a lump of coal for you if you don't review!! Just kidding. God be with ya'll this holiday season, and may you get all you wished for. (If anyone gets Budokai for PS2 I'll KILL you since I don't have one yet!!)