Chapter 22: Welcome Home
Yikes, almost a month since I updated this. This fic seems to be getting harder to write. Hopefully that will change and I'll be able update more often.
One quick note, in this fic Krillin never dated Maron (the blue haired ditz).
I do not own Dragonball Z.
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A ball of fire blazed across the sky leaving behind a trail of white that stood out prominently against the blue sky. Suddenly the ball of flame stopped in mid air above the Western Capital of the world. With the lack of movement the fire dissipated to reveal a ship. It slowly and gracefully descended from the sky and came to rest on the ground. The only sounds were the low hum of electricity from the ship's antigravity drive and the hiss of hot metal on damp grass.
After several seconds a ramp extended from the ship and its hatch opened to reveal the group that had left for Namek two months earlier. With them were two additional passengers. One of the new faces is that of someone those waiting at the bottom of the ramp have known since he wasn't much older then the two adolescents standing beside him.
Silence ruled over them as they watched with smiles on their faces as the group walked down the ramp and came to a stop in front of them.
"Hi guys!" Said Goku with his characteristic grin. "We're back!"
"G-Goku? But I thought that" Said Yamcha only to be interrupted by Chi-Chi.
"He did. But when I told him about the little addition to the family he changed his mind." Chi-Chi replied happily while holding a hand to her stomach. It is now quit evident that she is pregnant.
Roshi nodded his head in agreement while undressing Selene with his eyes. "That's nice and all, but who's this pretty lady?" He asked while reaching out with his hand. Unfortunately Bulma and Chi-Chi had somehow managed to forget about warning the woman about the lecherous old man.
Fortunately for her, Hercule chose that moment to change where he was standing and unknowingly put himself in the path of Roshi's hand. The large man jumped upon feeling something touch him between the legs. Looking down, he saw Roshi with a dazed look on his face. Apparently the man hadn't noticed that it was not a woman he touched.
"Sorry we're la" Krillin stopped in mid sentence as he and 18 landed. The short man was just in time to see his former master now seems to be interested in muscle bound air heads instead of women.
"UmMaster RoshiI didn't know you like guys." Goku said after several seconds of stunned silence, shaking the old man from his daze.
Roshi blinked and glared at his former student. "I don't you fool!"
"Then um," Goku scratched his head, "why did you just seem to enjoy it when you grabbed Hercule between the legs?"
"Iuh." He looked to see his still outstretched hand a few inches from Hercule, "damn it! Why the hell did you get in my way!?!" Yelled Roshi before lunging at the much larger man. "I could have" CLANG! Roshi fell to the ground, unconscious. A large lump on his head from where it had made contact with a frying pan.
Everyone with Saiya-jin blood paled slightly at the sight of the shiny metal object. The humans, except for Bulma and Chi-Chi, gulped. Piccolo smirked. And 18 looked on in a mix of confusion and amusement.
"Why Selene, I didn't know that youHercule!?" Chi-Chi's eyes were wide with surprise upon seeing the frying pan in Hercule's hand. It wasn't Selene that had hit the old pervert with the dreaded instrument but Hercule.
The man smirked at her, "After spending two months with you psycho women I thought it'd be best to use your method of controlling people stronger then me."
Bulma and Chi-Chi looked at each other. They didn't like being called psycho by anyone. But at the same time they knew that Selene and Videl wouldn't use a frying pan on someone. So that left Hercule to be the barer of the one thing capable of controlling a Saiya-jin. The two women shrugged before replying, "Ok."
The group of friends didn't know what to make of the scene. Never in all the years that they've known each other has any male used a frying pan to hit someone.
Goku was the first to shake from his surprise and turned to Krillin. His eyes widened slightly at noticing that his friend and Android 18 holding hands. "So Krillin, you finally found a girlfriend. I knew you would one day."
"And she's quite the looker too." Yamcha commented with a smirk. Krillin glared at him while 18 gave him a look that sent a chill down his spine. The former bandit could swear that the two are acting like Saiya-jins.
"Well I, unlike someone who shall remain nameless, thought it'd be best to have a girlfriend before Gohan does."
Goku smiled and wrested a hand on the former monk's shoulder. "I hate to break it to ya, but Gohan has had a girlfriend since right after the Cell Games."
Krillin blushed and dug his toe into the ground. It had taken him several weeks to find and gather enough courage to ask out Juuhachi-gou. He could feel 18 squeeze his hand ever so slightly. With a sigh he looked at his friend, "Speaking of Videl, you do know who her father is don't you?"
"Of course I do. I have lived in the same spaceship as him for a month." Goku replied with a slightly disgusted look on his face.
"What's the matter? Wasn't it any fun?" Yamcha asked with a smile.
"It was at times, especially when I saw that tape Gohan and Videl made. Man that was funny."
Krillin and Yamcha raised an eyebrow at their friend, "Tape?"
"KAKAROTT! I'LL KILL YOU! HOW DARE YOU TELL THEM HOW THE BRATS PUT ME IN THAT PINK DRESS!"
"But ummI didn't tell them." Goku replied while scratching his head. "You did."
"I" Vegeta stared at Goku with a red face while everyone who hadn't been on the trip failed to stifle their laughter. "You are DEAD!" The Saiya-jin leapt at Goku only to run headfirst into what felt like a brick wall. "Get out of my way brats! Or I'll"
"You'll what vegetable head? You know that Gohan and I are stronger then you." Videl interrupted, causing those who didn't already know of her abilities to do a double take.
"Y-y-y-your as strong as Gohan?" Krillin and Yamcha, having both suddenly developed a speech impediment, asked.
"Yeah, and I was the one that finished off Buu when I thought he had killed myGohan." The girl blushed at what she just said.
"Oh, so Goku is right. You and Gohan are boyfriend, girlfriend. Wow, a few more years and I could be a great grandpa." Ox-king said with a look of awe on his face.
"Dad, Gohan and Videl won't have a kid for," Chi-Chi looked thoughtful for a moment, "wellit will be more then a few years." She said before turning to glare at the two demi-Saiya-jins in question. "But it better NOT be TOO long."
Goku smiled at the embarrassed and annoyed look on the faces of Gohan and Videl. Barely a day went by on the ship when Chi-Chi hadn't mention marriage or grandchildren. The Saiya-jin smiled at the two adolescents before realizing that he could have a bit of fun with them. "Chi-Chi's right, son. We were eighteen when we had you. That's only seven years away."
"Wellwe uh"
"What Gohan is trying to say is that wewe um"
Everyone present burst into laughter, or in the case of Piccolo, Vegeta, and 18, cracked a smile. Neither Gohan nor Videl knew how to reply. Sure, they didn't want to be more then good friends right now. But who knew how they might feel in seven years? Maybe they would be much more then just good friends. But in the mean time their confusion made for some funny expressions on their faces.
"So what's happened around here since I, we have been gone? And what's with that fuzz on your head?" Goku asked his old friend. "Did some animal crawl onto your head and die?"
An amused smirk upturned the corners of 18's mouth while those that had remained on Earth laughed.
"No." Krillin grumbled with red stained cheeks. "I'm letting my hair grow out since Juu-chan thinks I'll be even more studly with hair." The former monk's choice of words caused the group to snicker and bite their tongues to keep from laughing out loud. "What?"
"Nothing." Videl replied.
"You just sounded like Roshi." Gohan added.
"No I did"
Roshi, groaning as he sat up, chose that moment to awaken. "Did anyone get the number of the bus that ran this studly man over?" He asked while rubbing his head.
"not. Damn it. I've spent way too much time around him. I really need to get a place of my own." Krillin finished with a red face.
Juuhachi-gou leaned down until her face was an inch from Krillin's. "And you WILL get your own place if you want me to be with you." She said before kissing him lightly on the cheek. "If you don't then I might just have to do a bit of house cleaning." The cyborg added while smirking at Roshi.
"Hey uh Krillin," Roshi gulped, "seeing as how you're a former student of mine and all I'd be more then happy to help you find a place of your own. How's tomorrow sound?"
"Sounds great!" Krillin replied with a smile while thinking, 'Finally, a place of my own! Well, a place for Juu-chan and me.' "Thanks 18. I owe you one." He whispered to the woman beside him.
Suddenly, the sound of five rumbling stomachs and one slightly quieter rumbling filled the air. The group of friends and family stared at Goku, Vegeta, Selene, Gohan, Videl, and Trunks.
"Sounds like it was a good idea we planned a party." Tien said with a smile as he landed and set the blue haired woman he had been holding in his arms on her feet.
"Hi Tien, Lunch!" Said Goku with a smile.
"It's been a long time since we've seen you Lunch." Roshi said with a smile as he approached the woman.
When he was within arms a light breeze blew some of Lunch's hair against her nose. The resulting sneeze caused several of the people present to prepare for the worst. But the sound of skin hitting skin filled the air. The sound is all too familiar to several of them. Launch had slapped the old pervert before he could try any of his old tricks. She may not of been around him in over fifteen years, but that didn't mean she didn't remember how he used to act.
"Not long enough since I saw you, Roshi." The blonde haired woman grumbled with amusement in her voice before turning to the others and smiling. "It's nice to see you all again."
A round of hellos followed before Chi-Chi noticed a girl about Gohan's age land next to Tien and Lunch. The girl's hair, a shade of blue about half way between that of Lunch and Bulma's hair, is pulled back into a ponytail with a few stray pieces left to hang down over her forehead.
"Sorry, but Rianna wanted me to seeoh wow" She said upon seeing Gohan. "What's you're name cutie? I'm Sakura." She asked after running up to him. In the process she, none to gently, pushed Videl aside.
If it weren't for his self-control and a quick telepathic comment from Videl Gohan probably would have decked the girl. The thought startled him slightly. Why did seeing Videl shoved around like that upset him so? He chalked it up to her being a close friend, not giving any thought to the bond between them that they would eventually complete. "Gohan."
Sakura giggled, "A very cute name for a very cute guy. You wanna know something? You're even cuter in person then you are in the pictures Daddy has of you." She said while batting her eyelashes at Gohan.
For some reason Videl couldn't entirely fathom her blood was boiling. She didn't really mind being tossed aside, nor was it Sakura's nerve grating perky attitude. It was the flirting. And it was reeking havoc with her young heart. For some reason she wanted to pound in the girl's face. Glancing at Gohan she saw that he felt the same way. ::Don't touch her. She's mine.:: Videl said through their bond.
Goku could feel the tension building in the air between the three adolescents. He could feel that Chi-Chi is not very pleased with the scene. And glancing at Selene, he could see that she to isn't happy about what's going on.
It was obvious that Sakura didn't notice the upset expressions of the faces of Gohan and Videl. Nor did Tien and Lunch seem to notice this. In fact the girl's parents seemed happy with the fact that their daughter appears to be taken with Gohan.
"Excuse me Tien, Lunch." Goku said, getting their attention. "But you might want to stop your daughter before something bad happens." A frown creased the man's face as he felt Gohan and Videl's kis slowly rise with each passing second.
"Oh don't be a fuddy-duddy Goku. She's just having fun." Lunch said with a smile while the slight smile in Tien's face turned into a frown. He didn't like the tone of Goku's voice.
"I know that. But Gohan and Videl don't see it that way. A bond formed between them a while ago."
At that Tien and Lunch paled. Both had heard how a Saiya-jin can get when their mate or potential mate is threatened or "messed" with.
"Well I'm sure you can stop them if they do anything." Lunch said.
Goku shook his head. "They are the two strongest people on this planet."
That little statement surprised Tien but he didn't let it stop him from acting. "Sakura, stop bugging Gohan and his girlfriend and come meet your old man's friends."
'Girlfriend?' Thought the blue haired girl with a pout. 'Just my luck that all the cute guys are already taken.' Then, as she looked back and forth between Gohan and Videl, she noticed the angered looks on their faces and it sent a chill down her spine. "Alright dad." She said nervously before walking away. But she quickly forgot about it upon seeing Bulma emerge from the large dome that is Capsule Corporation with a freshly changed Trunks in her arms. The girl squealed in delight before making faces at the little kid. Trunks giggled at her. "You know what. I think you're even cuter then mean old Gohan over there. And I bet you'll break a lot of girl's hearts when you're older."
Bulma didn't know whether to laugh or scowl at the girl. On one hand she seemed to be good with children. And on the other she didn't like the implication that her son would grow up to be like Yamcha. Not that she had anything against her ex but she wanted her son to be happy and she knew he wouldn't be if he was constantly being chased by girls.
Gohan and Videl were visibly relieved to have the girl out of their hair. Both adolescents froze in the middle of breathing a sigh of relief as realization dawned on them as to how they had acted. A deep blush crept onto their cheeks as they looked at each other.
"Where'd I put my camera." Chi-Chi said as she searched the pockets of her dress. "Damn it. It figures that I'd lose it right when I need it." She turned to ask Bulma for hers only to see that the woman has disappeared.
"No offence but she lost it a long time ago." Krillin whispered to Goku.
"I know. I was the one that took it from her." The Saiya-jin replied with a slight smirk.
Krillin gave his friend a questioning look, "You do realize I'm talking about her mind don't you?"
"Oh. I thought you meant something else." Goku said with a light blush staining his cheeks.
"Jeez Goku. Why would I say that she lost her camera a long time ago?"
"Her camera?" Goku said while scratching his head. "Oh yeah, I took that too. I figured she'd only use it to torture Gohan and Videl."
Now it was Krillin's turn to blush as realization struck him. "You know what Goku? Sometimes you're a lot smarter then you look."
"Thanks Krillin. IHey!"
The former monk chuckled at his old friend while 18 smirked. She had been listening to the entire conversation and had been wondering when Krillin would realize Goku had been talking about his wedding night and not about his wife being nuts or her lost camera. With a mischievous smirk she knelt down next to Krillin and whispered in his ear, "When the time is right you'll be the one to take mine."
Krillin's eyebrows raised in confusion for a second before his eyes widened in surprise and his face turned as red as a tomato.
18 chuckled at her boyfriend. Over the last few months she's learned that the good kind of being evil is much more fun then the bad kind of evil.
"I don't know about you guys but I want some food!" Chi-Chi said, giving up on her camera search. "I am eating for two ya know." She explained with a hand on her belly when she received several strange looks from the others. When no one moved to go inside Chi-Chi huffed and entered the large yellow dome.
With a few glances at each other everyone followed the woman inside and took a seat at a large table covered with delicious foods.
The sight and smell caused the Saiya-jins and demi-Saiya-jins to drool with barely contained restraint. They wanted to dig in and devour as much of the food as they could. Even Chi-Chi had a gleam in her eye that they usually only saw in Goku's.
Everyone seemed to be waiting for the pregnant woman to tell them to begin but that never happened for instead of portraying her usual role as referee for meals involving Saiya-jins, she quickly filled her plate and chowed down. Seeing this, everyone followed suit.
But the cacophony of clattering dishes and various sounds of eating died down slightly after a few minutes when those who had remained on Earth saw the way Chi-Chi is eating. Chi-Chi, usually the most mannerly of them all, was eating at a pace that would give Goku a run for his money. But the woman didn't seem to notice.
"Not hungry?" Goku asked his friends between bites.
"When did Chi-Chi start to eat like that?" Lunch asked.
"Huh?" The Saiya-jin looked at his mate but didn't see anything unusual about her eating habits. She did eat that way when she was pregnant with Gohan. Then it dawned on him. "Oh, well she does have a half Saiya-jin child in her."
"Did you eat that way when you were pregnant with Trunks?" Yamcha asked, as he turned to his former girlfriend.
The woman blushed from embarrassment, "Yea I did."
Everyone at the table who wasn't busy eating looked at each other before turning to look at Selene. All of them had one thing on their minds. What had she been like when she was pregnant with Videl?
I bet some of you were wondering when I'd get around to updating this since I've updated Last of Two Planets like four times since I updated this one. But there is a method to my madness. And that is to finish that fic so I can move on to another one. It's bad enough writing three at once and I don't want to try doing four.
I hope you enjoyed it and please review.
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