A/N: Again, I don't own DBZ, or any of it's characters. I only own Tringa-
and I restate what I said last chappie: anyone who wants to steal her is
desperate. Or stupid...
Well, I haven't gotten any reviews yet, but I'm hoping against all odds I
will if I'm persistent enough. I do hope I don't screw with the
personalities too much- It's been a while since I've seen the series (any
of them) and I can't get hold of any manga... I'm a deprived child... If
you're gonna flame me, go ahead now. I'll deal with it. But I would much
prefer comments, hints, encouragement... something positive, Y'know?
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The little boy giggled at his father's slip up, and turned to Tringa. "I'm Goten!" He stated giddily. ChiChi clasped her hands together and smiled. She seemed to be waiting for the girl to speak. Tringa almost never spoke- except to Kedar. Nobody had ever been willing to listen to her broken speech, until Kedar. He'd helped her piece together her speech, and she'd actually talked for hours to him. But never to anyone else. She still didn't trust them.
Since Tringa didn't seem ready to say anything, Goku changed the subject and started talking again. "I'm actually sorry I didn't participate in that tournament. Vegeta would have won, if we hadn't made that deal with Hercule... But I would have liked to fight him. It's been a while!" Tringa's eyes lit at the mention of tournaments. There had been one just the other day- she hadn't been able to watch it.
"You participate in the tournaments?" She asked eagerly. The three of them seemed surprised (and pleased ) to hear her say something. Especially something they could relate to.
"Yeah! We both do, me and Goten. And a lot of our friends, of course... But I didn't join this one. Figured I'd let someone else have some fun." Goku grinned sheepishly. Tringa brought her hands together hopefully.
"You've *won* a tournament? Wow... I've always wished I could get into one... Kedar would never let me, though, even if we could afford it." She looked at the ground and bit her lip. Kedar had always hoped she'd find a home... Maybe this would be her chance.
"Do you think, maybe you could help me get into next years? If you've won, you must be strong! You could help train me, and I could do stuff for you to help out if you'll pay the entrance fees!" The adults looked at her small frame, and looked doubtfully at eachother. Goten seemed pleased at the idea.
"Yeah, Daddy! We could train her, and I'd have someone my own size to train with! Trunks is always training with his dad now... he never wants to with me! Please?" He gave his father those big, wide, kid eyes that most grown-ups could never resist. And Goku being so young at heart himself, he couldn't turn the boy down. "Can we keep her?"
"I don't see why we couldn't... But it'd be hard on you, Tringa. We're not the easiest people to get used to." Goku's wide grin said otherwise. At least, to Tringa's mind it did. It might be easier to live with them than by herself. But how would she let Kedar know where she'd gone?
"Goku! How can you agree to that? You don't even know anything about her! How would she get out to our place? What if her parents-" ChiChi flew into a rant. The little girl spoke up a few minutes in.
"I don't have parents." Her voice was soft, but it stopped ChiChi and Goku's fresh argument in it's tracks. The adults looked at her with a new light and perspective. Goten simply looked confused.
"How can you not have any parents? Everybody does... Don't they?" His wide, naive eyes went from Tringa to his mother to his father. Tringa shrugged at his question. She'd wondered the same thing time to time- but still came up with no answer as to where she was from or who her parents might be. If she had any.
"That's awful! Who's been taking care of you? You haven't been living on the streets! Why, I don't think there's a safe place on the streets for a young thing like you..." This revealation sent the woman on a whole new rave, and Goku watched her with amazement for a moment, before zoning his wife out and crouching down to Tringa's eye level.
"Well if that's the case, I'm sure you could come live with us, or our friends. We'll help train you if you want, but the important thing is that you're safe. That okay with you?"
Such a kind heart. People like Goku were hard to find those days- or any days, for that matter. Tringa nodded. But that still left the point of how to tell Kedar... Maybe they could help with that, too.
"I do have a friend who needs to know where I've gone. He's been looking out for me since I can remember." Which had only been for a few months, but they didn't need to know that.
Goku looked over his shoulder at his wife (who was still ranting away) and smiled down at Tringa. "Where is he? We can go find him. Maybe he can come, too."
Goten clapped his hands together. They were going to keep her! And maybe someone else, too! This would be so much fun... He couldn't wait to tell Trunks all about his new sister.
"He's with friends, across the city. I think I know where- but I'm not certain. Could we go?" Tringa asked. She wasn't sure what she would do if they couldn't find him, but didn't want to think about that. She couldn't leave without saying good-bye to her only friend.
Goku looked back at ChiChi, and shrugged. "It'd be better than waiting for her to calm down." Goten giggled, and tugged at his father's pant leg.
"Can I come, too?" He asked eagerly. Goku shook his head.
"No, I need you to keep an eye on your mother. Make sure she doesn't hurt anybody..."
Tringa wasn't sure if that was meant to be a serious comment or not, but judging by the look in the woman's eyes, she wasn't going to stop any time soon. Tringa looked up at her new 'friend'.
"How are we going to get there?" She asked. There were taxi's, shuttles, train systems... She wasn't familiar with any of them, and she wanted to be forewarned. Goku's expression didn't change and he picked her up.
"The easiest way- flying."
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The little boy giggled at his father's slip up, and turned to Tringa. "I'm Goten!" He stated giddily. ChiChi clasped her hands together and smiled. She seemed to be waiting for the girl to speak. Tringa almost never spoke- except to Kedar. Nobody had ever been willing to listen to her broken speech, until Kedar. He'd helped her piece together her speech, and she'd actually talked for hours to him. But never to anyone else. She still didn't trust them.
Since Tringa didn't seem ready to say anything, Goku changed the subject and started talking again. "I'm actually sorry I didn't participate in that tournament. Vegeta would have won, if we hadn't made that deal with Hercule... But I would have liked to fight him. It's been a while!" Tringa's eyes lit at the mention of tournaments. There had been one just the other day- she hadn't been able to watch it.
"You participate in the tournaments?" She asked eagerly. The three of them seemed surprised (and pleased ) to hear her say something. Especially something they could relate to.
"Yeah! We both do, me and Goten. And a lot of our friends, of course... But I didn't join this one. Figured I'd let someone else have some fun." Goku grinned sheepishly. Tringa brought her hands together hopefully.
"You've *won* a tournament? Wow... I've always wished I could get into one... Kedar would never let me, though, even if we could afford it." She looked at the ground and bit her lip. Kedar had always hoped she'd find a home... Maybe this would be her chance.
"Do you think, maybe you could help me get into next years? If you've won, you must be strong! You could help train me, and I could do stuff for you to help out if you'll pay the entrance fees!" The adults looked at her small frame, and looked doubtfully at eachother. Goten seemed pleased at the idea.
"Yeah, Daddy! We could train her, and I'd have someone my own size to train with! Trunks is always training with his dad now... he never wants to with me! Please?" He gave his father those big, wide, kid eyes that most grown-ups could never resist. And Goku being so young at heart himself, he couldn't turn the boy down. "Can we keep her?"
"I don't see why we couldn't... But it'd be hard on you, Tringa. We're not the easiest people to get used to." Goku's wide grin said otherwise. At least, to Tringa's mind it did. It might be easier to live with them than by herself. But how would she let Kedar know where she'd gone?
"Goku! How can you agree to that? You don't even know anything about her! How would she get out to our place? What if her parents-" ChiChi flew into a rant. The little girl spoke up a few minutes in.
"I don't have parents." Her voice was soft, but it stopped ChiChi and Goku's fresh argument in it's tracks. The adults looked at her with a new light and perspective. Goten simply looked confused.
"How can you not have any parents? Everybody does... Don't they?" His wide, naive eyes went from Tringa to his mother to his father. Tringa shrugged at his question. She'd wondered the same thing time to time- but still came up with no answer as to where she was from or who her parents might be. If she had any.
"That's awful! Who's been taking care of you? You haven't been living on the streets! Why, I don't think there's a safe place on the streets for a young thing like you..." This revealation sent the woman on a whole new rave, and Goku watched her with amazement for a moment, before zoning his wife out and crouching down to Tringa's eye level.
"Well if that's the case, I'm sure you could come live with us, or our friends. We'll help train you if you want, but the important thing is that you're safe. That okay with you?"
Such a kind heart. People like Goku were hard to find those days- or any days, for that matter. Tringa nodded. But that still left the point of how to tell Kedar... Maybe they could help with that, too.
"I do have a friend who needs to know where I've gone. He's been looking out for me since I can remember." Which had only been for a few months, but they didn't need to know that.
Goku looked over his shoulder at his wife (who was still ranting away) and smiled down at Tringa. "Where is he? We can go find him. Maybe he can come, too."
Goten clapped his hands together. They were going to keep her! And maybe someone else, too! This would be so much fun... He couldn't wait to tell Trunks all about his new sister.
"He's with friends, across the city. I think I know where- but I'm not certain. Could we go?" Tringa asked. She wasn't sure what she would do if they couldn't find him, but didn't want to think about that. She couldn't leave without saying good-bye to her only friend.
Goku looked back at ChiChi, and shrugged. "It'd be better than waiting for her to calm down." Goten giggled, and tugged at his father's pant leg.
"Can I come, too?" He asked eagerly. Goku shook his head.
"No, I need you to keep an eye on your mother. Make sure she doesn't hurt anybody..."
Tringa wasn't sure if that was meant to be a serious comment or not, but judging by the look in the woman's eyes, she wasn't going to stop any time soon. Tringa looked up at her new 'friend'.
"How are we going to get there?" She asked. There were taxi's, shuttles, train systems... She wasn't familiar with any of them, and she wanted to be forewarned. Goku's expression didn't change and he picked her up.
"The easiest way- flying."