Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ at all!!
Ruthless:
Chapter 3: Fragile
"Edible. Yeah, that's the right word." Krillin looked suspiciously at his plate, while Bulma nibbled on some piece of... meat?
"Finish that up, Krillin, before Gohan steals it right from under your nose."
"It saves me a trip over to the food, and a long wait in the queue," Gohan explained happily to Krillin, who gave him a quasi-hurt look.
"I thought we had brought enough with us to even fill the famous Son's bottomless pits?" Bulma looked disbelievingly at the empty dishes in front of Gohan. If he continued like this, he would be eating as much as his father.
"Hey, I need the food! Mum says it's because I'm having a growth spurt!" Gohan looked longingly at Bulma's dessert. "Are you going to eat that?"
"No, you take it; I think that when I finish this... ah... meat dish, I'll be quite full."
"I can't believe you're actually eating that." Krillin muttered, while he picked at his own food.
"It's a new dish, so I try to encourage their... creativity. Anyways, it's quite good; you should not look to closely at it, I think. Besides, I can't cook at all, so who am I to complain?"
"Maybe we should try to convince ChiChi to take a job as a cook. Your mother makes the best food! I don't even understand why you eat with us."
Gohan frowned a bit, but then shrugged. "She doesn't always have time to cook for us... You know, as much as Dad eats, and she needs to do other things, so... And I like eating with you, most of the times it's much nicer because-" Gohan stopped, and bit his lip as he realized what he was talking about.
Bulma and Krillin looked at each other, then Krillin gave Gohan a nudge with his elbow. "I totally understand! Here, you don't have to wash the dishes!"
"Right," Gohan said quickly, smiling at them.
Bulma smiled sadly as she looked at Gohan. She couldn't help him much more than she already did now. She tried to ignore her feelings, but it still ate her up, seeing the boy like this.
"Hey, Guys!!" She was roused out of her thoughts by the sudden greeting. She tensed. Yamcha.
"Hey, Yamcha. What brings you here? I thought you usually used the mess halls at the upper levels." Krillin asked curtly. Though they were both members of the Special Forces, that didn't mean Krillin liked the man. In fact, he didn't like him at all. He looked at Bulma and saw a slow blush appearing on her cheeks. Why did Yamcha run into them?
"Oh, you know, change of scenery is nice once in a while. Fancy meeting you here." Yamcha took a seat next to Bulma, so he was facing Krillin and Gohan.
Bulma felt her cheeks heat up, and she quickly bowed her head over her empty plate. And saw her hands. Although she scrubbed them almost raw every evening, the grease wouldn't come of completely, leaving nasty stains. It had to wear off. She quickly hid them under the table. Thank the gods she had at least put on a nice sweater this morning. She tried to focus on the conversation between Krillin and Yamcha, who were talking about their training.
"So, you going to spar with the Saiyans."
"I don't know... I don't think so." Krillin answered.
"Come on! Afraid to get your ass kicked? There is much to learn from them. We can get stronger. Imagine the possibilities..." Yamcha had a dreamy look in his eyes.
"You want to train with the Saiyans?" That had left her mouth before she was aware of it, and Bulma knew her face was even redder, as Yamcha focused his attention on her. He gave her a lazy grin.
"Sure! I want to know how I fare against them!"
"But, but... Krillin said they are really strong..." Bulma started to fidget under his stare.
"Yeah, I'm sure he said so. But this is a great opportunity! Now that we and the Saiyans are allies, we can get our hands on their training methods! And think about it; we can do anything we want! We'll go after Frieza himself!"
"But... I don't think the Saiyans can be trusted," she said softly, sneaking glances at the man sitting beside her.
"Nonsense! Don't you have faith in your own father?" Yamcha asked, while he gave her another smile, watching her flushed cheeks.
"Well... I-I do not agree with him on this case. You know, it's such a major change for us, to have a treaty with the Saiyans. I think the Senate has made a very rash decision. I don't think they've thought it through..."
"Yeah, I heard about it. You and your dad had a fight about it, didn't you? You always had your own ideas." Yamcha leaned back into his chair, and watched as Bulma took a deep breath.
"I-it's just that I, I have a d-different opinion, and... and, the Saiyans have a really bad reputation. The races they've made treaties with are treated like slaves, and I don't want that to happen to us!"
Bulma heaved a deep sigh. Nothing came out the way she liked it. He was surely thinking she was really stupid. And inarticulate, boring, greasy and... She let out another sigh, and started to play with her food. She had completely lost her appetite.
"I don't know if the Saiyans have any time for you, Yamcha." Krillin said suddenly. Yamcha focused his attention on Krillin, and Bulma flashed him a relieved and grateful smile.
"How so?" Yamcha asked, while he gave the short man a bored look.
"Well, since they're going to train in the new Gravity Rooms..."
"Yeah, so?"
"You've felt the incredible increase in Goku's ki after he had been training for a couple of days at 50 times Earth Gravity. Hell, you know how much our ki has risen from our training in the GR. I bet the Saiyans will be fully informed about the Gravity Rooms, and what kind of exceptional results one can get from training in increased gravity. And we know what the motto of the Saiyans is; get Stronger, or Die. So, they'll be training in those Rooms until they drop. They won't bother to train with a 'weak human'."
"We spar inside of the Rooms, so I don't see what the problem is." Yamcha said irritated.
"I think you know what the problem is... If they all go through the g's as fast as Goku does, they will soon be far beyond our limits. If you try to train with one, even if they let you, you would be flattened."
"Right. Sure. I still say you're a coward. Already thinking up excuses to avoid a beating from them. Loser." Yamcha stood up abruptly, making the chair topple over, hitting the metal floor with a loud clatter. That attracted the attention of the people sitting and eating around them, and all watched as the scarred Z-fighter made a very dramatic exit.
"That went well," Bulma said softly, while Krillin snorted.
"He has such a big ego. Thinks he can take on everyone, while he can't even beat me!" Looking over the crushed expression on Bulma's face, he let out a sigh.
"I know how much you wanted to have him on our side, for him to see and understand what we're dealing with, but... He's so full of himself!"
"I... I know. But he's so very-" Bulma cut off her own words, and once again, she started to blush ferociously.
Krillin felt sorry for his friend. Very sorry. And he was quite angry too. Not with Bulma; it wasn't her fault. No, with Yamcha for being such a thick- headed asshole. He didn't say that out loud of course, for he didn't want to be rebuked for his language by Bulma *again*, nor did he want to hurt her feelings. She already did give herself enough trouble about it.
Gohan sat quietly, looking at the blush on Bulma's cheeks, and the pained and embarrassed look on her face. He really wanted to kick Yamcha. Maybe when he would go training with his father tomorrow morning, he'd ask Yamcha to spar with him. Then, he could really kick his as-, err, butt. It sounded like a good idea to him. Yamcha was purposely making Bulma uncomfortable. Everybody could see that Bulma liked him, *really* liked him, and he was using that to ridicule her. And Gohan *really* disliked him for that. Bulma didn't deserve that. Gohan frowned. He wondered why adults go through all the trouble of falling in love. And what for? People in love *kissed*. Gohan made a face. Kissing was icky. He didn't understand why they did it. He couldn't picture himself kissing with his friend Videl. She thought it was 'gross'. Every time they saw her parents kiss, she made a face to him, and yelled something like: "Eeeew!" That usually helped. His own parents almost never kissed; apparently his Mother found it icky too.
But Gohan figured that Bulma would like to kiss Yamcha, and hug him. Hugging was good. His father gave the best hugs in the world. But back to the problem. Yamcha was no good. Gohan knew that all too well. He always had many different girlfriends, and whenever Bulma saw Yamcha with one of them, she would quickly look away, with a sad expression on her face. And something else, although Gohan couldn't really tell what that was. Krillin said she was 'longing' for something Bulma thought she couldn't have.
Yamcha was stupid too. He would always get a faraway look in his eyes, whenever Bulma talked about something like a new invention, or something important that happened. And he was rude; he would just ignore her when he got bored, or when a pretty girl passed by and stopped to greet him.
Yamcha was just a 'lowlife scum'. That's what his Mother called him, and he agreed with her. So, he just had to find a way to get Bulma over him, and make her forget him. Then she would be a lot happier!
"You're coming, Gohan? I'll walk you home." Bulma was standing next to his chair, and as he looked down at his plate, he saw that his friends already had cleared the table.
"Okay! I think Mom is getting worried too!"
The three of them walked slowly through the corridors, and stopped when the reached a junction.
"I'll go and see if I can find Piccolo." Krillin bid his friends goodbye, and disappeared quickly.
"Mr. Piccolo is very worried." Gohan stated.
"Yes, he is. Kami wants to protect us more than anything, and Piccolo is very angered by the foolishness of the Senate. I think he's still meditating to control his anger and to think of a good battle plan."
"We're going to fight?!" Gohan looked stricken at Bulma.
"No, sorry, maybe not the right word. Err, what I mean is a plan of action, to keep an eye on our new allies, and to figure out a way of how we can keep them at a distance. If they get too close, if the know too much about us, we'll be totally helpless when they decide to ignore the treaty and just make us a part of their empire."
"So, we're going to be something like a... resistance group!!"
"I think you have to be in an actual war for that, but it sounds nice! Ok, Gohan, we'll be the Resistance Group!"
"Cool, we have a name! Now, we have to make up secret codes, and a secret language, and we have to make a hide-out, and have secret meetings!"
Bulma laughed at his enthusiasm. She cherished any innocence the boy had. He didn't understand the severity of the situation, yet. He would soon though. Gohan was much too smart not to notice the changes that soon would come. Still, she would try her best to protect him. She would do everything in her power to keep some of the child alive. He already was far too mature for his age.
"GOHAN!!" Both jumped at the loud shriek.
"Gohan!!! Where have you been?" ChiChi came to a stop just a foot away from her son, and looked down at him, hands at her hips.
"Well, I was eating with Bulma and Krillin. We were-"
"We had forgotten the time when we were working, and I asked if he would eat with us, ChiChi. I left a message." Bulma said softly against the woman.
"Oh. I forgot to check it. Goku and I had... a very important conversation. Have you heard?"
"Heard what, ChiChi?"
"About those Saiyans!"
"Several things, yes..." Bulma said carefully, not really knowing what to say.
"They asked Goku to train with them!! Even though they call him a retard, and a *disgrace* to his people, they want him to train with them!! As if he would ever want to do something with those barbarians! But imagine this; he actually wants to! He says it will be a challenge!! Maybe he'll even be allowed to spar with that arrogant prince!! He has totally lost his mind!" ChiChi's face was flushed with anger, and her voice had risen steadily in volume. Gohan looked worriedly at his mother, while Bulma mentally prepared herself for an ever greater outburst of Mount ChiChi. Lava flows next. Take cover!
"But if Dad wants to train with them..." Gohan tried. But it was the wrong thing to say. ChiChi drew in a deep breath and clenched her fists.
Take cover? Better run. Bulma took a step back.
"He will *not* train with them! I forbid it! I told your father so, but he didn't agree with me! He thinks it's a 'great opportunity'," She spat out disgustedly. She shook her head like she couldn't believe what she had been hearing. "It's not like he doesn't train enough already! He's almost never home! You know, only when it's dinnertime I see him! That's all I'm good for; cooking!! Well, he just can forget about it! If he trains just once with one of those big apes, he'll never set a single foot in my house again! He can go live with them!!" ChiChi was taking deep breaths, trying desperately to control her temper.
"You've said this to Dad? And what did he say?"
"He didn't say anything. Well, not anything worthwhile... He left. He said he was going to train!! The nerve of him!"
"Oh." Gohan looked at his feet, his shoulders slumped. Bulma shook her head.
"Gohan, you go inside, and get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll try to finish wiring that bot, so I don't want you to fall asleep. See you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure. Goodnight Bulma." He gave his mother a quick kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Mum."
Bulma watched him enter his home, then looked at ChiChi.
"The Saiyans are dangerous, ChiChi. I don't trust them. Maybe it will be a good idea to let Goku train with them... he might hear some things."
"No. I won't let you talk me into this, Bulma. Goku's my husband, not some barbaric alien."
"Even though he is the sweetest man I've ever encountered, he *is* a Saiyan. He's strong because he's a Saiyan."
"I hate his strength. Why couldn't I have married a normal man?! If I had known then that he-" ChiChi stopped abruptly.
"If you had known then that he was an *alien*, you wouldn't have married him, would you?"
"Indeed." ChiChi gave Bulma a harsh stare. "I wouldn't have married him."
"But you stayed married to him, when we found out."
"Because I was pregnant."
"You could have raised Gohan alone."
"I didn't want to."
"Why? Why didn't you want to raise him alone?" Bulma pressed on, wanting to hear ChiChi finally confirm her suspicions.
"Because his father's an alien, and he's half alien too. I thought it might come in handy when Gohan would show some of his unknown heritage."
"Even though Goku remembers nothing of his people, nor their customs or upbringing."
"Goku has some instincts. Even then, he had some *instincts*," she sneered the words, while she gave Bulma a disgusted look.
"He is your son, ChiChi. And Goku loves you very much. He would do anything for you." Bulma tried.
"They're both aliens. Different."
"Can't you see beyond that?"
"It's hard." ChiChi turned around, and started for the door of her house. "I'm very glad you offered to tutor Gohan in mechanics. He will learn a decent job. He *will* not become like his father."
"Still, he has to train... Even if it's only to learn to control his ki. He's quite powerful, ChiChi." Bulma took a few steps towards the woman, who had stopped before the entrance to her home.
"I know." With that said, she walked inside and closed the door behind her, leaving Bulma alone.
Bulma felt angry, sad, indignant, disappointed, frustrated and tired at the same time. What could she do? She had no business meddling into ChiChi's and Goku's marriage. She didn't want to. All she could do was try to be there for Gohan. Children always were the victims in this sort of situations...
*****
So, this is chapter 3. Tell me what you think, because feedback is very much appreciated!!
Ruthless:
Chapter 3: Fragile
"Edible. Yeah, that's the right word." Krillin looked suspiciously at his plate, while Bulma nibbled on some piece of... meat?
"Finish that up, Krillin, before Gohan steals it right from under your nose."
"It saves me a trip over to the food, and a long wait in the queue," Gohan explained happily to Krillin, who gave him a quasi-hurt look.
"I thought we had brought enough with us to even fill the famous Son's bottomless pits?" Bulma looked disbelievingly at the empty dishes in front of Gohan. If he continued like this, he would be eating as much as his father.
"Hey, I need the food! Mum says it's because I'm having a growth spurt!" Gohan looked longingly at Bulma's dessert. "Are you going to eat that?"
"No, you take it; I think that when I finish this... ah... meat dish, I'll be quite full."
"I can't believe you're actually eating that." Krillin muttered, while he picked at his own food.
"It's a new dish, so I try to encourage their... creativity. Anyways, it's quite good; you should not look to closely at it, I think. Besides, I can't cook at all, so who am I to complain?"
"Maybe we should try to convince ChiChi to take a job as a cook. Your mother makes the best food! I don't even understand why you eat with us."
Gohan frowned a bit, but then shrugged. "She doesn't always have time to cook for us... You know, as much as Dad eats, and she needs to do other things, so... And I like eating with you, most of the times it's much nicer because-" Gohan stopped, and bit his lip as he realized what he was talking about.
Bulma and Krillin looked at each other, then Krillin gave Gohan a nudge with his elbow. "I totally understand! Here, you don't have to wash the dishes!"
"Right," Gohan said quickly, smiling at them.
Bulma smiled sadly as she looked at Gohan. She couldn't help him much more than she already did now. She tried to ignore her feelings, but it still ate her up, seeing the boy like this.
"Hey, Guys!!" She was roused out of her thoughts by the sudden greeting. She tensed. Yamcha.
"Hey, Yamcha. What brings you here? I thought you usually used the mess halls at the upper levels." Krillin asked curtly. Though they were both members of the Special Forces, that didn't mean Krillin liked the man. In fact, he didn't like him at all. He looked at Bulma and saw a slow blush appearing on her cheeks. Why did Yamcha run into them?
"Oh, you know, change of scenery is nice once in a while. Fancy meeting you here." Yamcha took a seat next to Bulma, so he was facing Krillin and Gohan.
Bulma felt her cheeks heat up, and she quickly bowed her head over her empty plate. And saw her hands. Although she scrubbed them almost raw every evening, the grease wouldn't come of completely, leaving nasty stains. It had to wear off. She quickly hid them under the table. Thank the gods she had at least put on a nice sweater this morning. She tried to focus on the conversation between Krillin and Yamcha, who were talking about their training.
"So, you going to spar with the Saiyans."
"I don't know... I don't think so." Krillin answered.
"Come on! Afraid to get your ass kicked? There is much to learn from them. We can get stronger. Imagine the possibilities..." Yamcha had a dreamy look in his eyes.
"You want to train with the Saiyans?" That had left her mouth before she was aware of it, and Bulma knew her face was even redder, as Yamcha focused his attention on her. He gave her a lazy grin.
"Sure! I want to know how I fare against them!"
"But, but... Krillin said they are really strong..." Bulma started to fidget under his stare.
"Yeah, I'm sure he said so. But this is a great opportunity! Now that we and the Saiyans are allies, we can get our hands on their training methods! And think about it; we can do anything we want! We'll go after Frieza himself!"
"But... I don't think the Saiyans can be trusted," she said softly, sneaking glances at the man sitting beside her.
"Nonsense! Don't you have faith in your own father?" Yamcha asked, while he gave her another smile, watching her flushed cheeks.
"Well... I-I do not agree with him on this case. You know, it's such a major change for us, to have a treaty with the Saiyans. I think the Senate has made a very rash decision. I don't think they've thought it through..."
"Yeah, I heard about it. You and your dad had a fight about it, didn't you? You always had your own ideas." Yamcha leaned back into his chair, and watched as Bulma took a deep breath.
"I-it's just that I, I have a d-different opinion, and... and, the Saiyans have a really bad reputation. The races they've made treaties with are treated like slaves, and I don't want that to happen to us!"
Bulma heaved a deep sigh. Nothing came out the way she liked it. He was surely thinking she was really stupid. And inarticulate, boring, greasy and... She let out another sigh, and started to play with her food. She had completely lost her appetite.
"I don't know if the Saiyans have any time for you, Yamcha." Krillin said suddenly. Yamcha focused his attention on Krillin, and Bulma flashed him a relieved and grateful smile.
"How so?" Yamcha asked, while he gave the short man a bored look.
"Well, since they're going to train in the new Gravity Rooms..."
"Yeah, so?"
"You've felt the incredible increase in Goku's ki after he had been training for a couple of days at 50 times Earth Gravity. Hell, you know how much our ki has risen from our training in the GR. I bet the Saiyans will be fully informed about the Gravity Rooms, and what kind of exceptional results one can get from training in increased gravity. And we know what the motto of the Saiyans is; get Stronger, or Die. So, they'll be training in those Rooms until they drop. They won't bother to train with a 'weak human'."
"We spar inside of the Rooms, so I don't see what the problem is." Yamcha said irritated.
"I think you know what the problem is... If they all go through the g's as fast as Goku does, they will soon be far beyond our limits. If you try to train with one, even if they let you, you would be flattened."
"Right. Sure. I still say you're a coward. Already thinking up excuses to avoid a beating from them. Loser." Yamcha stood up abruptly, making the chair topple over, hitting the metal floor with a loud clatter. That attracted the attention of the people sitting and eating around them, and all watched as the scarred Z-fighter made a very dramatic exit.
"That went well," Bulma said softly, while Krillin snorted.
"He has such a big ego. Thinks he can take on everyone, while he can't even beat me!" Looking over the crushed expression on Bulma's face, he let out a sigh.
"I know how much you wanted to have him on our side, for him to see and understand what we're dealing with, but... He's so full of himself!"
"I... I know. But he's so very-" Bulma cut off her own words, and once again, she started to blush ferociously.
Krillin felt sorry for his friend. Very sorry. And he was quite angry too. Not with Bulma; it wasn't her fault. No, with Yamcha for being such a thick- headed asshole. He didn't say that out loud of course, for he didn't want to be rebuked for his language by Bulma *again*, nor did he want to hurt her feelings. She already did give herself enough trouble about it.
Gohan sat quietly, looking at the blush on Bulma's cheeks, and the pained and embarrassed look on her face. He really wanted to kick Yamcha. Maybe when he would go training with his father tomorrow morning, he'd ask Yamcha to spar with him. Then, he could really kick his as-, err, butt. It sounded like a good idea to him. Yamcha was purposely making Bulma uncomfortable. Everybody could see that Bulma liked him, *really* liked him, and he was using that to ridicule her. And Gohan *really* disliked him for that. Bulma didn't deserve that. Gohan frowned. He wondered why adults go through all the trouble of falling in love. And what for? People in love *kissed*. Gohan made a face. Kissing was icky. He didn't understand why they did it. He couldn't picture himself kissing with his friend Videl. She thought it was 'gross'. Every time they saw her parents kiss, she made a face to him, and yelled something like: "Eeeew!" That usually helped. His own parents almost never kissed; apparently his Mother found it icky too.
But Gohan figured that Bulma would like to kiss Yamcha, and hug him. Hugging was good. His father gave the best hugs in the world. But back to the problem. Yamcha was no good. Gohan knew that all too well. He always had many different girlfriends, and whenever Bulma saw Yamcha with one of them, she would quickly look away, with a sad expression on her face. And something else, although Gohan couldn't really tell what that was. Krillin said she was 'longing' for something Bulma thought she couldn't have.
Yamcha was stupid too. He would always get a faraway look in his eyes, whenever Bulma talked about something like a new invention, or something important that happened. And he was rude; he would just ignore her when he got bored, or when a pretty girl passed by and stopped to greet him.
Yamcha was just a 'lowlife scum'. That's what his Mother called him, and he agreed with her. So, he just had to find a way to get Bulma over him, and make her forget him. Then she would be a lot happier!
"You're coming, Gohan? I'll walk you home." Bulma was standing next to his chair, and as he looked down at his plate, he saw that his friends already had cleared the table.
"Okay! I think Mom is getting worried too!"
The three of them walked slowly through the corridors, and stopped when the reached a junction.
"I'll go and see if I can find Piccolo." Krillin bid his friends goodbye, and disappeared quickly.
"Mr. Piccolo is very worried." Gohan stated.
"Yes, he is. Kami wants to protect us more than anything, and Piccolo is very angered by the foolishness of the Senate. I think he's still meditating to control his anger and to think of a good battle plan."
"We're going to fight?!" Gohan looked stricken at Bulma.
"No, sorry, maybe not the right word. Err, what I mean is a plan of action, to keep an eye on our new allies, and to figure out a way of how we can keep them at a distance. If they get too close, if the know too much about us, we'll be totally helpless when they decide to ignore the treaty and just make us a part of their empire."
"So, we're going to be something like a... resistance group!!"
"I think you have to be in an actual war for that, but it sounds nice! Ok, Gohan, we'll be the Resistance Group!"
"Cool, we have a name! Now, we have to make up secret codes, and a secret language, and we have to make a hide-out, and have secret meetings!"
Bulma laughed at his enthusiasm. She cherished any innocence the boy had. He didn't understand the severity of the situation, yet. He would soon though. Gohan was much too smart not to notice the changes that soon would come. Still, she would try her best to protect him. She would do everything in her power to keep some of the child alive. He already was far too mature for his age.
"GOHAN!!" Both jumped at the loud shriek.
"Gohan!!! Where have you been?" ChiChi came to a stop just a foot away from her son, and looked down at him, hands at her hips.
"Well, I was eating with Bulma and Krillin. We were-"
"We had forgotten the time when we were working, and I asked if he would eat with us, ChiChi. I left a message." Bulma said softly against the woman.
"Oh. I forgot to check it. Goku and I had... a very important conversation. Have you heard?"
"Heard what, ChiChi?"
"About those Saiyans!"
"Several things, yes..." Bulma said carefully, not really knowing what to say.
"They asked Goku to train with them!! Even though they call him a retard, and a *disgrace* to his people, they want him to train with them!! As if he would ever want to do something with those barbarians! But imagine this; he actually wants to! He says it will be a challenge!! Maybe he'll even be allowed to spar with that arrogant prince!! He has totally lost his mind!" ChiChi's face was flushed with anger, and her voice had risen steadily in volume. Gohan looked worriedly at his mother, while Bulma mentally prepared herself for an ever greater outburst of Mount ChiChi. Lava flows next. Take cover!
"But if Dad wants to train with them..." Gohan tried. But it was the wrong thing to say. ChiChi drew in a deep breath and clenched her fists.
Take cover? Better run. Bulma took a step back.
"He will *not* train with them! I forbid it! I told your father so, but he didn't agree with me! He thinks it's a 'great opportunity'," She spat out disgustedly. She shook her head like she couldn't believe what she had been hearing. "It's not like he doesn't train enough already! He's almost never home! You know, only when it's dinnertime I see him! That's all I'm good for; cooking!! Well, he just can forget about it! If he trains just once with one of those big apes, he'll never set a single foot in my house again! He can go live with them!!" ChiChi was taking deep breaths, trying desperately to control her temper.
"You've said this to Dad? And what did he say?"
"He didn't say anything. Well, not anything worthwhile... He left. He said he was going to train!! The nerve of him!"
"Oh." Gohan looked at his feet, his shoulders slumped. Bulma shook her head.
"Gohan, you go inside, and get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll try to finish wiring that bot, so I don't want you to fall asleep. See you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure. Goodnight Bulma." He gave his mother a quick kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Mum."
Bulma watched him enter his home, then looked at ChiChi.
"The Saiyans are dangerous, ChiChi. I don't trust them. Maybe it will be a good idea to let Goku train with them... he might hear some things."
"No. I won't let you talk me into this, Bulma. Goku's my husband, not some barbaric alien."
"Even though he is the sweetest man I've ever encountered, he *is* a Saiyan. He's strong because he's a Saiyan."
"I hate his strength. Why couldn't I have married a normal man?! If I had known then that he-" ChiChi stopped abruptly.
"If you had known then that he was an *alien*, you wouldn't have married him, would you?"
"Indeed." ChiChi gave Bulma a harsh stare. "I wouldn't have married him."
"But you stayed married to him, when we found out."
"Because I was pregnant."
"You could have raised Gohan alone."
"I didn't want to."
"Why? Why didn't you want to raise him alone?" Bulma pressed on, wanting to hear ChiChi finally confirm her suspicions.
"Because his father's an alien, and he's half alien too. I thought it might come in handy when Gohan would show some of his unknown heritage."
"Even though Goku remembers nothing of his people, nor their customs or upbringing."
"Goku has some instincts. Even then, he had some *instincts*," she sneered the words, while she gave Bulma a disgusted look.
"He is your son, ChiChi. And Goku loves you very much. He would do anything for you." Bulma tried.
"They're both aliens. Different."
"Can't you see beyond that?"
"It's hard." ChiChi turned around, and started for the door of her house. "I'm very glad you offered to tutor Gohan in mechanics. He will learn a decent job. He *will* not become like his father."
"Still, he has to train... Even if it's only to learn to control his ki. He's quite powerful, ChiChi." Bulma took a few steps towards the woman, who had stopped before the entrance to her home.
"I know." With that said, she walked inside and closed the door behind her, leaving Bulma alone.
Bulma felt angry, sad, indignant, disappointed, frustrated and tired at the same time. What could she do? She had no business meddling into ChiChi's and Goku's marriage. She didn't want to. All she could do was try to be there for Gohan. Children always were the victims in this sort of situations...
*****
So, this is chapter 3. Tell me what you think, because feedback is very much appreciated!!