Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any other character in the story. Every character in the story belongs to Toei and Akira Toriyama. The only two things I take credit for is the Original Characters and the plot.

Chapter 2

2 weeks later...

"I'm telling you, he's no good. I'm glad I left him!"

"Just relax, okay? Take a moment to think about what you're saying. Are you sure you want a divorce?"

"Of course, I do. He's a lazy, good for nothing moronic battle ape who can't provide for his own family!"

Hearing that made her slightly angry. "Come on, don't do this. Think about the boys for once. They need their father!" She raised her voice at the woman.

"No, they don't need their stupid father who will only be a horrible influence."

"You can't be serious. Don't downplay him like that. Do you know the risks he took to ensure that the planet was safe!?"

"I don't care about the planet, but my children's education!"

"Why are you selfish?"

"I'M BEING SELFISH!? I thought you would support me, but it seems like you're on his side!"

"So what if I am? And you know what? I would never support a horrible person like yourself. You expect him to be the perfect husband. When he can't deliver, you mock and belittle him. What kind of a wife are you!?"

"SCREW YOU! With his lack of education, I'm surprised he knows what a divorce is!"

"I'm done listening to your nonsense, but it makes me happy to know that he finally found the courage to defy you. What a nuisance you are."

From that point, all she heard was screaming and cursing on the other end of the line. Bulma slammed the telephone on the receiver while fuming in anger. How dare this woman call and expect her to show any support after everything she's done? She took a deep breath, needing to take the time and really think about what would soon occur.

To say she was shocked would be a huge understatement. When Chichi called her to say that she and Goku were getting divorced, she almost dropped her phone. Goku and Chichi had been married for so many years. As she was listening to the longest rant, her jaw nearly dropped to the ground. That was the biggest bombshell dropped on her. She didn't ever think that her Saiyan friend would have the audacity to talk back to his wife, but it was about time that it happened as she thought that crazy woman was doing way too much damage to the family.

From what she remembered and witnessed, Chichi had a fiery temper and Goku would be the one cowering at her rage. What a turn of events. Truth be told, she didn't really like Chichi. Not once did she ever consider her as a friend. They may not have had any conflicts with one another, but that didn't mean they were friends. She started to dislike her ever since she randomly turned up at the 23rd World Martial arts Tournament and expected her 'prince charming' to remember her. He didn't even know about the true meaning of marriage back then. He thought it was some kind of food and went through with it even though he didn't know what it was at the time.

He was a man of his word.

She felt bad for her friend. She felt bad that he had to go through with the marriage. To the blue haired genius, it was an act of obligation. Not love. Goku was a naive person but he always tried to keep his promises, hence why he agreed to marry the short tempered woman.

On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel as if she could have stopped the marriage from happening. She had witnessed her best friend propose to Chichi without even understanding what this was going to entail. She should have stopped him from making the biggest mistake of his life and persuaded him to move on. She watched as her friend was being manipulated by some spoiled princess. 'Was their marriage really a mistake though? I mean, they DID have two wonderful kids together.'

She also thought that the woman had too much control over Gohan's life and knew this to be a fact because of when they first met Gohan. The first words Gohan said were 'I want to be a great scholar' At such a young age? It was very obvious that Chichi instilled it into Gohan's head and from what she heard, she was trying to do the same thing to Goten, not allowing him to make his own choices or follow his own path. As a mother, she should be supporting her sons dreams, not forcing them to go down a path they obviously didn't want to take.

Every time Chichi kicked Goku out of the house for some stupid mistake, she was nice enough to give him a room here at Capsule Corp where he stayed for a couple of nights and occasionally trained with Vegeta. It made her smile. The relationship between the two Saiyans changed over the years. They started out as rivals and then they became friends. Her husband seemed to respect Goku and acknowledged that the younger Saiyan was stronger than him.

'No way... she THREW you out of the house? Over something so stupid!?'

'Yep. I was living in a cave for a while with no homemade food, water or a warm bath. Sorry if I smell horrible.."

'No way, that's not right. Anytime she does this, you'll come here. You won't be sleeping on the cold hard floor anymore. I can give you food, water, clothing and a spare room to sleep in. Just DON'T go back to that cave. Please.'

'Are you sure there won't be any trouble if I stay here?'

'Are you kidding? You're my friend. Why would this be any trouble?'

'Thank you. I-I just don't know how long I can survive like this... I haven't had a good meal in days and she won't let me back inside no matter how many times I beg her.'

'No problem, now stay here. I'm going to get you some food to eat. Then I'll take you to the room you'll be sleeping in. There are some clothes in there already so you can take a shower.'

Those were the exact words they had spoken to each other the first time Goku came to Capsule Corp seeking help. He was in such a horrible condition. Exhausted, hungry and dirty... even his clothes would look tattered. She couldn't stand to see him in that position. She couldn't have him sleeping in some place where he didn't have access to these basic needs. All of this made her wonder if Chichi really cared about him or how he felt about things. But regardless, she was glad to have been able to help her friend when he reached one of the lowest points of his life.

Goku may not have been a perfect family man. But at least he did try. In his own way.

"What's on your mind Bulma?"

She turned around and noticed her husband was the one who had spoken. It still surprised her to know how much the Saiyan Prince had changed. He had gone from calling her 'woman' to actually using her name. The two would occasionally bicker from time to time, but they also had their moments where they would show love and affection around the others. It was an amazing transformation.

"Chichi just called. She mentioned that she and Goku are getting divorced." Bulma said, awaiting her husband's reaction.

"WHAT!?" He shouted, clearly shocked. This was the last thing he had expected to hear. Kakarot and the harpy were ending years worth of marriage?

"Vegeta, lower your voice!" Bulma scolded.

After doing what his human wife just asked, he sputtered. "H-How did this happen?"

After she explained Chichi's rant to him over the phone, the Saiyan Prince could only ask one question. "How is Kakarot taking all this?" He really was in a state of shock over the news of his former rival and his wife separating.

Bulma shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. I haven't talked to Goku yet. I'm worried about him and how he's taking this. Maybe I should go and see him. Wanna come with me?"

His face flushed red with embarrassment. "Why would I want to do that!?"

"Just admit it. You're concerned about him." She burst into laughter at seeing his expression. "Ever since Buu's defeat, you guys have been sparring partners and best buddies!"

"Fine, I'll come along..." Vegeta complied while letting out a groan.

He sometimes hated that Bulma knew all of his weak points and used it against him, especially when they were arguing. But on the other hand, he was somewhat concerned about his former rival and how he was handling his separation from the harpy.


Goku at this moment felt like he was a dead man. For the last few days, he hadn't thought about anything else but the fact that Chichi and his sons were no longer with him. He didn't do anything else aside from training outside. The refrigerator was almost empty. He didn't even know how to cook anything in the kitchen except for simple sandwiches. Every time he attempted to cook something aside from sandwiches, it always ended up in disaster. He had no idea how to operate any of the kitchen appliances and was pretty sure that he damaged some of them in his attempt to cook something. The blender, the microwave, the oven... they didn't work anymore due to his carelessness.

At this moment, the once ferocious Saiyan warrior didn't know what to do with himself. Training was the only way to get his mind off of things, but he ended up remembering everything after each vigorous training session. The more he thought about his current problems, the more shitty it made him feel.

He and his family were having dinner in peace that night, eating and talking nonstop. It was as if they really were happy together except they weren't. The moment he asks permission for something, all hell breaks loose. All the arguments they had... the constant bickering... he was sick of it all, and there were times where he felt like walking out of the marriage but whenever the boys came to mind, any thoughts about leaving his wife drifted far, far away. He was never happy with his wife no matter how many times he made it seem that way to his sons. Getting along with her was not an easy feat. The harder he tried, the deeper he sunk.

As his wife pointed out, his lack of a formal education was the reason why he didn't have an understanding for most things around him. He had mostly been taught how to survive in the wilderness on his own. His grandfather taught him how to read and write. But as the years passed, he began to learn things that he never knew about. Either from Bulma, Krillin, Roshi or from some stupid commercial on TV.

He didn't truly understand what love was even after he married Chichi. Goku understood the basic concept after Bulma sat down and explained it to him. Now there was one question Goku had been trying to answer ever since his wife and the boys left. He had been thinking about it for a long time but was never able to reach a conclusion. Until now, that is.

Did he love Chichi?

He only married her because he felt like it was the right thing to do. He deeply cared about her, but not the way a husband should love his wife. He showed great care towards her, but he wasn't truly in love with her the way he should have been. Goku felt extremely guilty as he had been married to someone he didn't truly love for so long. If he hadn't married Chichi, he probably would have been travelling around the world or would have found someone he could eventually fall in love with.

That was about it. Gohan and Goten were their only two children who were keeping him together with his wife. If it wasn't for them, he definitely would have left her when he had the opportunity. Her berating him on a daily basis was stressful enough as it was. They were supposed to be a couple, and yet he never felt any love or attachment to her. He knew for sure it was mainly because of the multiple times Chichi would yell at him for doing something stupid or the number of times she would make him feel like he's a piece of scum. That, and how they ended up together... he didn't even want to dwell on it.

And then there were his son's birthdays. Gohan wasn't allowed to have toys or any other gifts on his birthday. Courtesy of his mother, he could only receive books... in other words, work materials. Whenever she was asked about this, her excuse was always the same. Their son had to study and become a scholar without any distractions. Arguing with her about it was pointless because then his wife would threaten him afterwards if he pressed the issue even further. The last time this happened was on his son's fourth birthday... but long before Raditz's arrival on Earth.

One of the things he hated about her was that she always had this way of wrapping him around her finger, as if he was her slave. 'Was I really her husband or just someone to satisfy her every whim?' If there was one regret he had, it was not retaliating against her during the years they'd been married to each other. Chichi made him feel worthless. She was the only one who had that kind of effect on him. Her words hurt him emotionally but it's just that he never showed it and just tried to act like the happy go lucky guy that he had been for his entire life.

When he first met his wife, she was kind and sweet. During their first year of marriage, she continued to act like that towards him but after they had Gohan? She changed into a completely different person. When he brought up wanting to train his eldest son, Chichi quickly shot down the idea because in her mind, their son had to become a scholar. Needless to say, Goku was disappointed. He had no other choice but to accept the path his wife laid out for him.

He thought back to the time when he accidentally slapped his human wife through a wall. It was accidental on his part but now, he was glad he did it. He and Gohan had to train for the androids but Chichi was being difficult with him. There was no other way to reason with her. That's when she had first told him that studying was more important than the fate of the earth. It saddened him to hear her say that to his face, but unfortunately Chichi often said things which would hurt him and their sons.

As Goku sat there in pain and anguish, he remembered something else he had done in the past and couldn't tell whether it was smart or just plain stupid. Giving Cell a senzu bean. He had seen what his son was capable of and wanted him to unleash his full power, knowing that he had the potential to finish the job. Though there wasn't any ill intent behind that, it still made him question himself.

While his son was getting beat down by the monster, Piccolo called him out on his stupidity and told him that Gohan didn't like fighting. His son only went into the hyperbolic time chamber because he wanted to spend time with him. But after everything was over... after Cell was defeated and everything was brought back to normal, Gohan began to realize that he had to train so that he would be ready for the next new threat to the earth. He knew it was because of 'her' that Gohan slacked off on his training. His son didn't get enough time to train and he knew it was because of his wife. During the seven years he remained dead, he found out that Chichi enrolled Gohan into high school. He saw everything from the otherworld, and it didn't sit well with him.

That wasn't to say that his sons couldn't pursue their own dreams. He wanted them to do what really made them happy, but he also knew that their training needed to be made a top priority. He had no idea when a powerful villain would show up once again. Having witnessed almost every event from the otherworld, he knew Planet Earth was at peace during those seven years. He saw amazing things while he was dead. But still.

'Please Chichi, let me back inside. Give me another chance... I'm sorry, I promise I can do better...'

'No. NOW GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! I don't care where you decide to sleep from now on. Until you get yourself together, you're NOT coming back!'

That was the end of their argument as the angry woman slammed the door in front of him. He stood behind the door for a while, not knowing what to do. One look out the nearest window almost made him burst into tears. There his wife and sons were at the dining table, eating supper without him. They were all seated together at the round table and there was one empty chair. A chair he should have been sitting on. He could hear his sons begging for their mother to let him back inside, but she wouldn't give in. After that, they would just eat their meal in silence.

She held a bowl of spaghetti in front of the youngest. 'Here Goten, do you want seconds? Since your father isn't eating with us, you can have his portion of food.'

He slowly walked away after hearing that, trying hard not to cry. He spent long gruelling hours searching for a place to stay until he could convince his wife to let him come back. He eventually found a dark, musty cave to sleep in. He just stayed in there, eventually leaving to go and hunt for food. His body would become dirty and sweaty after training, but it wasn't like he could go back home to have a relaxing shower and a change of clothes. It became a little unbearable not being able to eat some homemade cooking or going days without showering. All seemed to be lost until he decided to fly to Capsule Corp in the hopes that Bulma would help him.

The look on the Saiyan's face turned into one of regret, remembering that horrible experience. Perhaps if he had been more aggressive... if he had shown the more serious side of him, then perhaps none of this would have happened. The night they had decided on a divorce was his breaking point. He may not have felt any pain from her throwing those cutlery at him, but he sure felt hurt from the words she said. In a way, this was similar to all the battles he had been in. Except this time, their words and insults had been their attacks and energy blasts. He laughed at that, but there was no humour behind it.

Goku's eyes slowly looked over at a picture that was sitting on the coffee table. It was of him, Chichi and Gohan. Taken during the early years of his eldest son's life. A tear slid down his cheek as that had been so memorable to him. He hadn't been there for Goten as a baby so there weren't any baby pictures of him and Goten. His regrets were starting to come back to him. If Goku could turn back time, he would do so in an instant and change everything.

He placed the photo down on it's spot and stared at it once more before grabbing a book of some sorts. He stared at it intently before realizing what it was. A flash of pain crossed his features when he remembered the contents of this book. It was titled; 'Memories of the Son Family'

He opened it and he saw pictures of him, Chichi and Gohan. There was even a photo of him, his wife and baby Gohan in a stroller. A tear fell down his cheek as he remembered that experience where they were walking together in the park. His eyes then noticed a photo of himself and Chichi when they got married. His human wife was in a white wedding dress with a veil on her head. He let out a grimace as he clenched a fist, seeing the way she was latched onto his arm on that day while he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

The rest were all the same thing. Photographs of the whole family spending time together... with the exception of Goten. There were only photos of him spending time with his older son until he became four years old. That was it. He didn't see anything else besides that.

His thoughts were interrupted when he sensed two familiar energy levels approaching him. He let out a sigh, flipping through a few more pages before finally closing the book and putting it back in it's rightful place.

'Oh great. What could they possibly want? I don't want to talk to anyone today. Damn it!' He kicked the coffee table hard, using so much strength that it almost broke into two. There was nothing else he wanted but privacy, and now he had company.

"Goku? Are you there?" The familiar voice of his blue haired friend could be heard.

"Come in." Goku responded in an emotionless voice. He didn't really want to talk to Bulma or Vegeta right now, but it seems like he didn't have a choice since they were already here.

The duo stepped inside the hot and stuffy house while noticing that it wasn't in a very good condition. Dust was everywhere and there were even some cobwebs in plain sight accompanied by a few spiders crawling around. They finally spotted their friend sitting in the living room, clutching his head. He obviously hadn't been himself judging by how he looked right now. For a while, Bulma had been wondering why he hadn't been coming to visit them and could have never imagined that she would be in his home to find him moody and low spirited.

"Goku, are you okay?" She asked her friend in a worried tone.

"Does it look like I'm okay!?" He snapped. Under normal circumstances he would have thought twice about talking to his friend like that, but he had been so angry and upset at everything that had happened thus far. "Chichi and I are getting divorced and she took our children with her. She took Gohan and Goten away from me! But other than that, I'm doing completely FINE!"

He removed his hands from his face and both of them could see how stressed out he was. They could understand that his and Chichi's separation was really hard on him especially since the short tempered woman took their sons with her, but this wasn't doing Goku any good. He was refusing to leave the house to come and visit them, or at the very least do something entertaining. The feeling of depression had taken control over him. Both Vegeta and Bulma didn't know who he was anymore. He just hadn't been the same ever since Chichi left with their children. It was like they were in front of a stranger and not a person who they both knew for years.

There were dark spots under his eyes, an indication that he hadn't been getting enough sleep lately and his face looked ragged. What happened to the happy go lucky guy that they once knew? What happened to the Saiyan warrior who was filled with so much energy? Despite how problematic he may have been in the past, Bulma didn't want to see him like this. She had to do everything she could to help him. This couldn't go on for much longer.

"Just look at what you've become, Kakarot! You haven't been yourself lately. Have you been taking care of yourself!?" Vegeta shouted, completely surprised to see his former rival so depressed. It wasn't like him at all. "Have you gotten up to even train? Or do something worthwhile!? That banshee of a woman may have left but you shouldn't be showing such weak emotions as a Saiyan!"

The Saiyan Prince thought it was disgraceful to see a fellow warrior in such disarray. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, smelling an awful odor coming from him which he assumed was the bad stench of sweat.

Goku turned to glare at his former rival with such an intensity that it shocked him. "Training doesn't do a DAMN THING! Do you seriously think it's easy to move on when your wife and two kids have left you!? I don't want to hear any bullshit about our Saiyan ancestry and how we shouldn't show such weak emotions. Whether I'm from a proud warrior race or not, I feel like complete shit right now Vegeta, and I don't need you to make it worse for me!"

"Please, calm down!" Bulma chided, while glaring at her husband who ignored it. "We just want to help you out as much as we can. What happened to you? The Goku I knew was a goofy, fun loving guy. Please come outside for your own sake. You shouldn't be living your life like this..."

Goku stared at the couple with a pleading look in his eyes. It was clear that he didn't want to talk to them, let alone see their faces.

"Please just leave me alone right now, both of you. It's too hard dealing with the way things are. Please leave me be. I need time to myself. I need time to think things through. I just... I just can't do this anymore." He tossed a pillow at the wall before breaking down in tears. "It... It's just too hard dealing with things. Chichi just decides to take my sons away from me... I don't know how... how I'm going to get through this..."

At this point Goku was just struggling to talk to his two friends. His wife... his kids... He lost them and now he didn't know what he was going to do with himself. "Maybe... Maybe I really am a crappy person. After all, I never had an education. The only reason I know most of the things I do now is because you and the others had to sit down in front of me as if I were still just a child and explain everything to me!"

Bulma was taken aback by his words. "Please don't say that about yourself. It's true that we used to give explanations for things most people already know, but you're not crappy nor dumb. Let us and the others help you. We can help you get through this. Try and get out of the house for a bit. I'm sure Gohan and Goten will come and see you as soon as they get the chance." She put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to calm him.

Her other hand rested on the couch as she was thinking of what else to tell him. The genius had nothing but sympathy for her friend, wanting to help him the best way she could but he was refusing to accept it.

He turned his attention away from her and just looked up at the ceiling, a habit he had developed since this all happened.

"No, they won't. I'm sure Chichi... won't give them the chance... to come and see me." Forming any coherent sentences was proving to be difficult for him. "She doesn't see that our children... mean a lot to me. I love them a lot... I-I thought I was doing what was right, but it turns out I wasn't..."

Bulma tried to get through to him once more, but nothing seemed to be working. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I really am. But please, let us help you. You have to move on." She used two fingers to hold her nose as his bad body odor was reaching her nostrils. Was he really affected by this so bad that he hadn't bothered to take a shower? And judging by the state of his home, he had also neglected the housekeeping duties.

When he didn't reply, Vegeta took the initiative to speak. He made no effort in hiding his frustration at how he was choosing to live his life. He was stunned when he looked past his rival and into the kitchen area. A gigantic pile of dishes sat in the sink unwashed with a few flies swarming around them. To top it off, there were bits and pieces of wires lying around along with the broken appliances they were previously connected to. Some of the electrical outlets had smoke and burn marks on them. 'How could he leave his home in such a bad condition!?'

"I've told you many times before Kakarot! A Saiyan warrior does not succumb to such weaknesses. You have to move on. Things won't change if you continue to behave like this!" He yelled, trying to make his words reach the distraught Saiyan, but so far his efforts were proving to be futile. While the Saiyan Prince felt sorry for his former rival, he had to stop acting this way. It wasn't the end of the world.

A depressed Goku made no eye contact with his former rival, not knowing what to do anymore. Had he really given up? He could see his reflection through the screen of the small television. His white t-shirt was now covered in dirt, badly torn and there were holes in the brown pants he wore. His shoes had become worn out and defective. The spiky hair he usually kept neat was now unkempt with clumps and knots in it. Now it was greasy, a state it had never been in before.

"Even a Saiyan can experience these kind of emotions Vegeta. I don't understand how things... how things can change from this point onwards especially when I don't... when I don't have my two children beside me. We could have been camping, fishing, training or just goofing off. It's too much for me to take in right now, and you two have to understand. Can the both of you do me a favor and please leave me alone? I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

He avoided their gazes as he now faced the ground. Bulma gave a light sigh and removed her hand from the sofa when it became evident the depressed Saiyan warrior wasn't going to talk to them anymore. She glanced down at her hand and was horrified when dust had accumulated on this simple piece of furniture. Finally she gave a response but she sounded unhappy.

"I understand you'll need time to yourself so we'll leave right now, but don't forget this. If you ever need anything, we'll be there for you. Goku... you have to understand this. Everyone has to move on from their past experiences. You should do the same too. You and Chichi may be getting a divorce but the boys will come back to you... no matter how long it takes!"

"Kakarot, you should think about what Bulma just told you." Vegeta simply said, eyeing the pitiful state Goku was in. "Remember what happened after our first match? That bald head was about to kill me but you spared my life. If I could get a second chance at redeeming myself, then you deserve another chance at getting yourself back in shape. Always remember that."

They weren't sure if their words were enough to make him see reason, so it was up to him whether or not he wanted to change things for the better. As they were leaving, they could only hope that he was going to be okay.

He heard the sound of a jetcopter's engine turning on as well as his two friends getting on board. As soon as they were no longer in the vicinity, Goku took a look around. Why didn't they understand that he just wanted to be alone? He wanted nothing but peace and quiet. Looking back on all the mistakes he made in his life, there was no doubt in his mind that he was a failure. He was a true failure. He didn't know anything about maintaining a family and look what happened to him as a result. Goku always thought that he was doing the right thing but now, it turns out that he was actually doing more harm than good.

A glimpse at a photo near the front door reminded him of what he just lost. He slowly sank to the floor while crying louder than ever before. In a display of anger he knocked over the coffee table, causing it to fall with a resounding smash which reverberated not only through the house but the rest of Mount Paozu. It was followed up by nearby animals scurrying away in fear.

He had become a shell of his former self.


Classes were over for the day at Orange Star High School and Gohan stood outside the building while waiting for his girlfriend Videl Satan. He had been having a terrible day as the half Saiyan was barely able to concentrate on any of his lessons or even pay attention while having a simple conversation. Erasa and Sharpener had asked him if he was okay to which Gohan said yes. His two colleagues sat near him in class so they were able to get a good read on his emotions. His teachers also expressed their concern for him, but he didn't want to say anything to them. The fact that his parents were getting divorced was the biggest blow he's ever had to take. He loved them both dearly but admittedly, Gohan felt more close to his father than he did with his mother.

"Gohan?" The half Saiyan heard a female voice behind him.

He turned around to find Videl standing in front of him with a worried look. She knew that her boyfriend had been acting a little strange and was determined to find out what it was that was bothering him.

"Videl, there you are. I was waiting for you!" Gohan exclaimed at the sight of his partner.

"Gohan? What's going on? Even Erasa and Sharpener have noticed you've been acting a little off..." Videl sounded troubled by this.

Gohan clenched both of his fists at the question. She placed a hand on his shoulder to soothe whatever pain he was feeling.

"Hey, it's okay. You can tell me whatever's on your mind." Videl spoke in a calm voice as she patted his shoulder.

He didn't say anything for a few minutes. Videl decided to wait until her boyfriend was ready to talk, figuring that it was best to be patient with him.

"M-Mom and Dad are getting divorced..." He suddenly said in a pained voice.

All Videl could do was place a hand on her mouth in shock. Had she just heard that correctly? But why? What was going on? Goku and Chichi seemed like a perfect couple.

"How did that happen?" The worried girl asked, completely stunned by the news.

Gohan proceeded to tell his girlfriend every single detail of what happened from the night his parents were arguing to what was currently happening with him and his brother.

"I haven't heard from Dad ever since we left. Mom doesn't let us see him, and she's restricting Goten from leaving the house and expects him to stay in his room, twenty-four seven." Gohan explained. As he was recollecting these events, he could feel his eyes beginning to water. "E-Everything started after he asked mother if it was okay to train Goten and then things became worse from that point."

He loved his father very much and knew that he was still hurting from all this. "I just want to see my Dad again, Goten and I miss him so much. I told him that we'll come to Mount Paozu to visit but we haven't gotten the opportunity to go there even once."

Videl pulled Gohan into a comforting embrace, rubbing his back soothingly. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I'll be here for you. If you want, you could always try and sneak off to see your Dad and take Goten with you. Your mom doesn't have to know about it."

"I... I might try that soon." Gohan gave a sad smile despite his new found situation. "Thanks a lot, V!"

"You haven't called me that in a while."

"Y-Yeah.."

She blushed at the nickname he gave her before realizing that he was still sad. A warm and comforting hug entered the picture, bringing him closer to her and letting their bodies come into contact.

He was extremely lucky to have Videl as his girlfriend. She had been supportive of him ever since they got together and he knew that she would be there for him through this painful ordeal.

"I'll be here for you. You got that?"

"I know that, and I'm grateful for it."

Looking into each other's eyes for a few seconds, the two of them began to kiss passionately outside the school building, not caring if a student or teacher saw them in the process.


"Awww Mommy, can't I go outside for a while?" Goten pleaded with his mother. Chichi was losing her patience with her youngest son as he was supposed to finish up all of his homework before doing anything else and he was asking for a BREAK?

"No!" Chichi snapped as she was clearly angry with her son for asking such a question. "I told you Goten, you need to do your homework and study! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"But Mommy..." Goten whined. "We haven't had the chance to see Daddy ever since we left. Why aren't we allowed to see him!?"

"I already told you Goten, you need to finish up your homework and study!" Chichi screamed, giving her younger son a death glare which made him shake in fear. "And don't even think about sneaking off to see your good for nothing battle ape of a father! He doesn't know crap about maintaining a family. You won't be seeing him for a long time. Now get back to work or no DINNER for you today!"

Chichi turned around and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut. She had to get dinner ready by the time Gohan arrived back from school.

Goten slumped back in defeat. He could never win an argument with his mother. Things hadn't been the same ever since they left. His mother was treating both him and Gohan as slaves for goodness sake! Always studying. Never going out. The only thing they could do is to help their mother do chores around the house. He had never been so helpless in his life. But then again, he never had a choice in the matter when it came to their mother. Do this. Do that. It was the same damn thing over and over again.

"We're back!" Two voices could be heard from the living room.

Goten wanted to go and meet his brother who he knew brought Videl with him but he was afraid that if his mother caught him downstairs, he would be grounded for a month. He almost crushed the pencil in his hand as he grabbed his next homework assignment, trying to get his mind off of his controlling mother.

Gohan and Videl stepped inside and they were instantly greeted by the smell of delicious food wafting from the kitchen. The couple stepped inside to greet Chichi who was behind the stove cooking up a delicious dinner.

"Hey Mom." Gohan greeted with a fake smile. He wanted his mom to think his day went well. He didn't want her to believe anything was wrong.

"Gohan." Chichi temporarily placed the kitchen utensils on the table to wrap her son in a hug. "How was school today?"

"School was great." Gohan tried his best to sound happy, even if he really wasn't. He wasn't happy about any of this at all. They were practically forbidden from seeing their dad because their mother thought that he was a bad influence on them. As much as he hated thinking this way, it was the truth. She was delusional.

Chichi released herself from Gohan's embrace and noticed her son's girlfriend. "Oh hi, Videl. Would you like to join us for dinner today?"

"I would love to." The black-haired girl said with enthusiasm as she also wrapped the older woman in a hug.

Gohan looked around and asked, "Where's Goten? I don't see him anywhere." The half Saiyan had expected his brother to be here to greet him but he didn't find him in sight.

The moment Gohan asked that, Chichi's smile faded from her lips. "Oh, that. Goten is upstairs in his room doing schoolwork. I warned him that if he doesn't finish all of it, he isn't getting any dinner today!"

"Mom!" Gohan said shocked. "Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on Goten? After all it had only been two weeks since we moved out of Mount Paozu and he's still trying to get accustomed to our new surroundings!"

"No Gohan. As his mother I need to make sure that he gets all his work done before he does anything else." Chichi spoke in a firm voice. "Don't you dare argue with me about this, young man!"

Videl felt sorry for them. Not having their father around was really hurting, and from what she heard from Gohan back at school, Chichi was becoming a lot harsher than she usually was. Having had the chance to meet Goku at the tournament, she knew he was a pretty nice guy, and could see why everyone loved him. She understood why the boys looked up to him and felt bad after learning that Chichi wasn't allowing them to see him.

"I'm going to put my stuff in my room." Gohan spoke up to break the silence. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Sure thing, sweetie!" Chichi chirped as she put her cooking mittens back on. "I'll be setting the table for dinner. Videl, would you be so kind as to help me out?"

"Of course not. I'm always happy to help." Videl replied, although she would rather figure out how to aid the boys through this dilemma.

After putting his things in his room, Gohan decided to stop by his brother's bedroom to see how he was doing. As he was getting closer, he could hear the sound of sobbing which he instantly knew were coming from Goten.

The elder brother peeked through the keyhole and noticed Goten's head on the table. Gohan couldn't take it anymore, seeing his brother in such distress over their current situation.

He silently opened the door. "Hey Goten. May I come in?"

Goten raised his head and Gohan was able to see his face which was puffy and red. An indication that he was indeed crying. Gohan could pretty much figure out why. As much as he hated to admit it, their mother... their mother was becoming a total bitch.

"S-Sure." The younger brother managed to say through his sobs. He couldn't say anything else besides that.

Gohan took a seat next to his little brother. He placed a hand on Goten's shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I-It's Mommy. I asked her if I could take a break and she said no. And then I told her we hadn't seen Daddy in a while and she said we shouldn't even think about sneaking off to see our good for nothing father and that we wouldn't be seeing him in a long time..." Goten began to wail even harder. "I can't take this anymore. She's treating us like her slaves!"

A hidden anger was starting to arise in Gohan. Ever since his parents separated, Chichi refused to even talk about Goku and the times that she did, it was to talk about how shitty a person he was. Gohan knew that his father wasn't perfect, but to hear his mother talk about him that way disgusted him. In fact, he was starting to notice something was off with his mother and it was something he couldn't explain with words.

Gohan pulled his brother into a hug to comfort him and watched as he was letting out all his tears.

"Don't worry Goten, we'll figure out a way to see Dad without mom finding out. No matter how long it takes." Gohan was doing his best to assure him.

"O-Okay." He sniffled.

Gohan patted his brother on the shoulder and asked, "Would you like me to help you with your homework?"

"Yeah!"

The older Saiyan smiled at his brother. "Alright. Show me which ones you need help with."

Goten gathered all the homework assignments that were incomplete and showed it to Gohan who gave him another warm smile and said, "Awesome, let's get started!"

The two Saiyan brothers began to work with Gohan explaining tricky concepts to Goten, and smile at him when his brother gave him the correct answer. And after a while, the two of them were done. They had taken their time and looked through every single question which was answered correctly.

"I think that's the last bit!" Goten spoke as he checked through his papers, making sure that everything was complete.

"Alright. Let's go join Mom and Videl for dinner." Gohan ruffled Goten's hair and began to descend from the room with his younger brother following closely behind him.

The two entered the dining room to see Chichi and Videl setting the table.

"Gohan, there you are! I assumed you were in Goten's room since you hadn't come back." Videl commented to her boyfriend as she set a tray of hot potatoes on the dining table using a pair of cooking mittens the older woman gave her.

"Yeah, I was. Goten was having some difficulty with his homework and wanted me to help him out." Gohan answered, though he was the one who offered to help.

"Oh?" Chichi raised an eyebrow at that. "So I assume you're done already?"

"Yes, Mommy." Goten answered with a tight smile on his face. "Everything's complete."

"All right, let's sit down and eat!" She said in a happy voice. It surprised Gohan that she was able to change her mood from angry to happy in mere seconds. His mother had always been like that, but for some reason, he felt as if something bad was going to happen.

They all dug in, seemingly enjoying themselves despite everything that was going on.

When they were done, Videl offered to help Chichi with the dishes. When they were finished washing every single utensil and putting them in their appropriate places, she and her boyfriend went outside to talk in private. They walked together in silence until finally coming into view with the backyard of the home, as they were certain that Chichi wouldn't be able to hear them from such a far distance away.

Videl held hands with her boyfriend and asked, "Have you decided what you're going to do about seeing your Dad?"

"Not yet, but there has to be a way we can see him without mom finding out. I can't understand why she doesn't want us to see Dad. Just because they aren't living together anymore doesn't mean that she has the right to keep us away from him. This can't go on forever. There has to be a way!" Gohan told his girlfriend, contemplating on what to do. He still needed to talk in a hushed tone just in case his mother came outside looking for them.

She continued to encourage him. "I'm sure you'll find a way. I believe you will. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

"I will. Thanks for the support V!" Gohan gave his loving girlfriend a genuine smile.

"No problem."

After sharing a quick kiss with her boyfriend, Videl flew off to her home in Satan City. Gohan watched her until she was no longer in view and then he stepped back inside to check on his brother.

Goten jumped into his arms like a hyper child with Gohan smiling and ruffling his hair. It was a beautiful sight seeing two brothers trying to be in positive spirits even after everything that had happened.


Suno sat in the living room on a highchair near the fireplace where she knew she would be able to stay warm. The temperature here at Jingle Village was so cold that she had to wear thermal clothing. These days, she rarely ever left to go to the city unless her parents sent her to buy items for the house or if she was going to visit some friends who lived there. Most of her friends were here in the village. Other than that, she stayed at home or occasionally talked to the other residents of the village. The cold was just too much for her and thus she had to stay inside even if she really didn't want to.

Though she would sometimes leave on her own to try and find essential supplies for the elderly people, putting her life at risk due to the bad weather. She would be gone for hours and make her family worry endlessly about her. When she finally returned home one time after a long day of searching for food, she was in such terrible shape and even had some bruises. After recovering in the village's medical centre, she was reprimanded by her Mom and Dad for leaving the house alone without saying anything to them. They told her that if she wanted to go somewhere, she had to leave with Eighter who would serve as good company and protection.

After a while, they allowed her to go out on her own and promised them that she wouldn't put herself in harm's way again. There was no way she could blame them for doing it, being that she was their only daughter and they wanted to keep her safe.

Sighing at those past events, she just stared out the window looking at the night sky and all the beautiful stars that had appeared while drinking some hot cocoa she had prepared for herself before trying to sleep, but the hot drink wasn't really helping in calming her nerves down right now.

The red haired woman drank the last sip of her hot cocoa. Her parents and Eighter had just gone off to sleep so she was the only one who was awake. The reason why she was still awake at this time of the day was not only because there were so many things on her mind, but there was one person she couldn't stop thinking about ever since she met him.

Son Goku.

Ever since she saved him, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She saved him from an airplane crash, dragged him through a terrible snowstorm and brought him all the way to her house. She had given him hot cocoa, a blanket and she had stayed by his side. Goku saved her family from the Red Ribbon Army and she'll forever be grateful for that.

She wished to have spent more time with him after the RRA invasion, but her friend left the village right after. 'I make a new friend, and then he disappears. I wish he could have stayed a little longer.' But... she was happy for the little moments with him. He was a fun person. He was so cheery in spite of everything. She had a number of things planned for the both of them but it never worked out. She wanted to show him around the village, build snowmen with him and even attend school with him. But maybe it just wasn't meant to be. He must be pursuing his own goals. He probably had his own dreams and aspirations, so there was no way they would ever cross paths again.

During the short time she had known this mysterious person, she had developed a crush on him. She didn't think it would actually happen but it did. Suno had a crush on Goku which was slowly beginning to grow each passing day. Her feelings for him were growing and they hadn't seen each other in years.

There was a hint of sadness in Suno's eyes as she didn't know if she would ever see him again. She wanted to see Goku again. The urgent desire to meet her friend after many years of being apart was starting to overwhelm her.

'I need to stop thinking like that. There's no way he could possibly like me. After all, we hadn't seen each other in years. Maybe I should just forget about him. B-But I just can't do it so easily. I... I don't know what to do anymore. He's been gone for so long and he probably doesn't remember me. What should I do?'

Suno shook her head at the thought of Goku liking her the same way as she slowly rose up from the highchair she was sitting on to wash the cup she had just used before going to sleep. This was the same highchair her mysterious friend was sitting on when she rescued him.

As soon as Suno was laying in her bed with a blanket covering her, she tried to get some sleep but she couldn't. Her thoughts about Goku were preventing her from doing so. What was he up to?

'He's probably just moving on with his life. There's no way we can be more than friends. He wouldn't be interested in someone like me.'

The red haired woman looked up at the ceiling and visualized the image of the boy she met all those years ago. She still remembered what he looked like with him wearing those winter clothes and holding that power pole of his before running off to Muscle Tower.

She uttered out his name in a whisper, "Oh Goku..."

What Suno wasn't aware of was that fate would once again reunite her with her long time crush. But what was going to be the outcome of their reunion? Would it have a positive or negative impact?

(End of Second Chapter)


Author's Note: What did you like about the chapter? Let me know in the comment section below. When I first saw Suno in the OG Dragonball, she was so sweet and I thought her and Goku would have made a better couple. After finding no stories which featured them as a couple, it fueled me to write this one. I don't like Chichi at all.

Edit(April 3rd 2022): If anyone has noticed, I've edited this chapter, especially the part with Goku, Bulma and Vegeta. I just wanted to add a little more detail to show how upset he is over losing his family. I also extended the final part of the chapter where we see Suno make her first appearance. Hopefully, you guys like it!