Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any other character in the story. Every character belongs to Toei and Akira Toriyama. The only things I own are the plot and any OCs.
Chapter 4
Goku awoke from his slumber and blinked his eyes a few times. Looking around this bedroom, the Saiyan couldn't pinpoint exactly where he was until yesterday's events suddenly came back to him. Instead of being the depressed guy that he had been since it all happened, a small smile soon came upon his face. In spite of all the things that had happened to him recently, he could now see that there was hope. There was hope to live again. There is another chance to be happy again. However, there was another part of him that still felt extremely terrible. Terrible for the way he treated his friends. Bulma, Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, Piccolo and Master Roshi etc.
They all wanted to help him get through this painful ordeal with his wife, and he kept pushing them away or treating them coldly because he wanted to be alone with his own thoughts. If there was something that he knew, they didn't deserve that.
Not at all.
Vegeta was right when he said that Saiyans shouldn't show such weaknesses. Ever since he departed from Mount Paozu, the Saiyan father had been masking his energy so none of them would be able to sense where he was. He felt like a coward for doing that. Goku took out the cell-phone that Bulma had given him and scrolled through the old messages he received from his friends who were expressing their concern for him. It tore him apart, seeing them worry about him and he's the one who kept pushing them away. Refusing their help. They hadn't sent him any more messages since then and Goku remembered when the others would visit him in Mount Paozu but he didn't make them feel like they were welcome in his home. He clearly told them he didn't want their help and would tell them to leave afterwards.
Who did he think he was to do that? He had no right especially since all they wanted to do was to help him. He now began to realize that his depression and horrible mood had affected them all.
Goku realized that he owed his friends an apology. Every single one of them. He would never be able to live with himself if he didn't. He made a mental note to call them when he had the chance. To him, doing this to his friends was completely unforgivable. He wouldn't blame them if they told him they didn't want to talk to him again.
The Saiyan's mind went back to Suno, his childhood friend. He couldn't get over the level of kindness she was showing him. It was on a whole new level and it was also something Chichi never really showed him since her attention was always on their sons and trying to get them to become scholars.
He recalled his first fight with Vegeta. His bones were all broken and he couldn't even move a muscle. Bulma and Master Roshi were kneeling down next to him on the ground and checking if he was okay. What did his wife do? She jumped over his broken body and rushed straight to Gohan. He could understand that she was worried about Gohan as their son was also injured in the battle, but she literally ignored him like he was trash and hopped onto the plane.
There was the time when she first saw him and Gohan as Super Saiyans. What did this woman do? She freaked out and called them monsters. Not only that, but his older son mentioned to him about how Chichi was training Goten while he was in the otherworld. He wasn't sure how she reacted to seeing their younger son turn into a SSJ for the first time, but he assumed that she had a similar reaction.
"Why am I still dwelling on the painful things that happened in my life? I just want to move on and be happy..." He closed his eyes in thought.
Suno didn't seem like the kind of person who would do any of the things his quick tempered wife would do. His friend was a kind hearted individual, completely selfless and was the kind of person who would stick her heart out for others if it was needed.
'It's... It's not necessary. I-I can make it to the house without one.'
'It's okay, just take mine. I don't want you to get sick from the cold. Okay?'
That soothing voice of hers... it always put him at ease, always reassuring him that things were going to be alright. He just felt safe with his friend and felt like he could trust her with his feelings and anything else that went on in his life.
An odd question occurred to Goku. Now that he and Chichi aren't together anymore, would he ever find a woman to actually love? He didn't really know at the moment. If he ever did find someone, he wanted someone who would love him for who he was and would always have his back no matter what situation they were in.
He didn't want another person who was selfish, manipulative and didn't care what was at stake.
Goku rose up from his bed and stared out the window for a couple of seconds, a small smile on his face. He couldn't believe that he forgot how cold Jingle Village really was. It was absolutely amazing how he was fine and hadn't caught a cold from that long walk to the house.
Those footprints he made while on his way here were no longer visible, having been covered up in layers of snow.
The sound of boiling pots and sizzling pans could be heard, breaking him out of his thoughts. He instantly knew that breakfast was being prepared right now and if there was any hope of getting the quantity of food he desired, he had to take a quick shower and head straight to the dining room.
Goku opened his bag and searched through it for clean clothing. He eventually settled for a blue jacket, a pair of gloves, baggy pants and snowshoes for the rough snow he would be walking in.
The Saiyan stepped inside the clean and spacious bathroom. He turned on the shower faucet and began to strip himself of his clothing before stepping into the bath. He was humming to himself as he was taking a quick, but relaxing shower.
He was done within several minutes and changed into the clothing he picked out earlier. Catching a whiff of the food cooking in the kitchen, the Saiyan could hear his stomach rumbling once more.
'Whatever's cooking downstairs is making my mouth water. I hadn't eaten anything since that huge lunch I had yesterday afternoon. Man, I can't wait to have some breakfast!'
He was at his bedroom door in a flash and soon had his hand on the doorknob. He opened it and the aroma of breakfast reached his nostrils once more, his stomach growling louder than before.
Goku hurriedly stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He could immediately sense two energy signals in the kitchen area. A smile soon crossed his face upon realizing that it was Kaiyo and Suno. His heart began to beat faster, and he didn't understand why. Was it because of his friend?
As he was approaching the kitchen, the sounds of laughter filled the air as both women were chatting nonstop.
"Alright Mother, I'm almost done with the pancakes. I haven't seen Goku this morning, so I wanna go check up on him."
"Okay sweetie. I'm sure a huge breakfast will cheer him up!"
"I think he's fine now after we were all in his room to console him. He has definitely cheered up, but I can take his food and bring it to him if he doesn't want to eat with us in the dining room."
The concern in her voice... it was making his heart melt. A unknown feeling began to rise up in his chest and he couldn't tell what it was.
He soon appeared in the kitchen doorway, startling the two women who just finished preparing breakfast and were now about to start setting the table.
"Hey guys!" Goku greeted with a cheerful smile.
"Oh, good morning Goku. You almost startled us there." Kaiyo responded to the greeting with a warm smile, putting a hand on her chest. "Did you sleep well?"
"Hehe, sorry about that. But yeah, I did have a good night's sleep!" He answered in embarrassment while scratching the back of his head.
"Goku, you're here!"
Suno dropped the utensils she was holding, causing them to make a clattering sound on the kitchen counter. She then dashed towards her friend to wrap him in a bear hug. He wrapped his strong, muscled arms around her petite form in return. His hand then patted the top of her head and he looked down at her with a smile.
For some odd reason, he began to enjoy the feel of her body against his. They hugged each other during their reunion in West City and when she was consoling him yesterday but this hug felt different. He couldn't even explain this strange feeling tugging at him.
"How are you two doing today?" Goku asked as he let go of the strong embrace.
"We're doing alright. I was about to go check up on you since you hadn't come downstairs yet, and I was thinking of bringing your food to you just in case you didn't feel like eating with us." She replied as her fingers grazed the sides of his cheeks.
He removed her hands from his face and held them. "I'm here right now. I didn't mean to make you worried." It was then that he noticed she was wearing an apron and a pair of cooking mittens, and knew just how hard she was working to prepare all this food.
The two friends looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, completely lost in this moment.
Realizing that she had been staring at Goku, she stuttered. "I-I'm so sorry. I got distracted. Mom, let me help you carry the plates to the dining table!"
Suno hurried off to the kitchen to begin the process of setting the table.
Kaiyo had noticed the slight exchange between her daughter and Goku, but was confused. Why were the two of them staring at each other like that? She shrugged it off and went to help her daughter with placing everything on the dining table.
As Suno was taking plates from the kitchen and placing them on the dining table, she couldn't help but wonder what happened back there. All of a sudden she was staring into Goku's eyes and he was doing the same. It felt very unusual for her to something like that.
She wasn't sure if staring at her friend creeped him out but she couldn't help but dwell on it. What exactly did that mean?
The slight crush she had on him from the time they met as kids came into mind and she could feel it growing into something more.
'I can't tell Goku how I truly feel. At least not at this current point in time. He and his wife just broke up and he's gonna get divorced soon. What would he think if I just randomly said I have feelings for him? That would be inconsiderate of me. But when should I talk to him about it?'
Goku was also having a similar thought going through his mind. What was he thinking back there? It was only for a moment, but he and Suno stared into each other's eyes.
This had never happened to him before and he wasn't really sure what to make of it. He was almost convinced that she was just distracted by his presence. But the Saiyan warrior was getting the feeling there was more to that exchange than he thought. But the question is, 'What did it mean?'
Suno put a plate of toasted bread on the table. She noticed that her childhood friend was still standing there and gave him another smile. "Goku, you can take a seat if you like!"
"Sure thing."
He did as he was told, sitting down at the same spot as yesterday.
At that moment, Hiroshi and Eighter entered the room. They both gave a gentle smile, seeing a happy Saiyan in the dining room.
"I can see you're cheerful today." Hiroshi commented as he patted his shoulder and took his usual seat at the table.
Goku chuckled, eyeing the food before facing the old man once more. "I sure am. I'm ready to start a brand new day!"
Eighter picked a random chair and sat down, eager to have a conversation with him. "It's good to see that you're being yourself this morning."
"Thanks a lot. I appreciate that you guys are willing to give me your full support."
He could feel Suno hold his hand. "We'll always support you." The other hand was around his neck and her cheek grazed his. Soon enough, she let go of him as she still had to make sure he was comfortable before the morning meal.
"Thank you." He whispered to her, his voice showing affection.
Hiroshi pointed to the load of food on the dining table. "Why don't we get started on our breakfast before it gets cold? I'm sure our guest is pretty hungry."
"Well... you're not lying about that." Goku said as he felt his stomach rumble once more. "It wouldn't hurt to get some breakfast before I step out!"
He stared down at the delicious breakfast sitting in front of him. Pancakes, bacon, toasted bread, french toast, scrambled eggs, blueberry muffins, fried sausages, fried ham, some hot gingerbread cookies and a fresh fruit salad. On one tray sat a hot kettle of coffee with some cream and sugar on the side. Another tray had a kettle of steaming hot chocolate.
"Goku, what would you like to drink?" Suno questioned as her fingers gripped the handles of both kettles. "Hot coffee or hot chocolate?"
"I think I'll stick with hot chocolate!" The Saiyan said with a grin.
She giggled at him. "Okay. Bring your cup and I'll pour some for you."
He pushed his cup towards her. She immediately took a kettle and poured some hot chocolate in his mug, steam coming out of it. A spoonful of cream and sugar was added to the piping hot drink, along with some marshmallows and chocolate chips to enhance the flavor. He watched as she stirred the drink and pushed it back towards his direction. "Here you go. It's a little too hot, so be careful."
"Thanks." He lifted the mug and took a sip of his scalding chocolate. It seemed like she wasn't lying as his tongue felt like it was burning, but he could taste how rich and creamy it was. "This is pretty good."
"Well, I try." She removed her apron and hung it over her chair before sitting down with her best friend and the rest of her family.
With that out of the way, everyone began to dig into their breakfast. Goku as usual was stuffing the food in his face as he ate with an intense ferocity. He would put an empty plate and bowl down on the table before taking another one full of food. Looking down at the plate of blueberry muffins, he wasted no time in putting them in his mouth all at once. The Saiyan was eating nonstop without even catching his breath. He burped loudly, putting the last empty plate on the wooden table.
He patted his stomach and leaned back in his chair. "Man, that was great. I'm pretty much stuffed right now!"
Suno looked at him in shock before giving him a smile. "We're going to have to make A LOT more food since you have an endless appetite."
"I-I guess I can't help my food intake."
"Don't worry about it." Kaiyo spoke with an assuring smile before she stood up from her seat and began to gather the dirty plates.
Eighter began to do the same and headed into the kitchen once his hands were full of used utensils. He followed the gray-haired woman into the cooking area.
Once everything was in the kitchen sink Kaiyo, Suno and Eighter were busying themselves with cleaning everything. This time, Goku decided to help them out since he was fully rested while Hiroshi sat at the dining room reading a newspaper. They were washing everything in silence until-
"Goku, did you make any plans today?" Suno wanted to spend more time with her happy friend now that he was recovering from the whole situation.
He shook his head in response. "No, I haven't."
The red haired woman tapped her chin in thought. "How about you meet some of the residents? I think this would be a good opportunity to know them better."
He nodded in agreement as he placed a now clean plate in the dish rack. "I hadn't thought about that, but it's a great idea. Maybe I can meet the mayor again and he could help introduce me to the village residents!"
"That's a wonderful idea!" Kaiyo said in enthusiasm, wiping her hands on a clean towel. "Why don't you three get ready?"
Eighter turned towards the two. "I'll be waiting for the both of you outside."
"Actually, I've already taken a shower before I came downstairs so I'll come along with you while we wait for Suno to get ready." Goku said to the android.
"Sounds great!" She spoke, wiping her hands on the same towel her mother just used. "You guys can wait for me outside while I go take a shower!"
The Saiyan and android headed to the front door. Eighter opened it, allowing Goku to step out before him. He shut the door and the two friends sat down on the porch, observing the cold weather and the very few people that were around.
"Mom, Dad? I'm going to my room to get ready quickly. See you guys later!"
Hiroshi smiled at his daughter. "Take care, honey."
Both parents watched as Suno dashed to her bedroom to take a shower in order not to keep her two friends waiting outside.
As soon as she found herself in her room, her mind began mulling over the way she stared at Goku this morning when they were getting breakfast ready. As much as she wanted to tell him her feelings, she knew she couldn't just yet. What if she ruined her friendship with him over some feelings she had ever since they met for the first time?
'I-I can't tell Goku that I love him. At least not yet. Besides, I don't think he shares those same feelings for me.'
Suno shook her head at those thoughts before picking out a set of winter clothing and walking into her bathroom to take a quick shower. Turning on the faucet, she took her clothing off in a flash and tried to think of something which would take her mind off of her friend.
Eighter and Goku were sitting together in silence, not knowing what to say to each other. They were watching people moving around the village and the little children playing with each other. It seemed to be a beautiful day for everyone here.
Goku's mind briefly pondered on his wife and their sons. He could only hope that Gohan and Goten were going to be alright in their mother's care considering he hadn't seen them in weeks, but he had faith that they would cross paths once more. His breakdown yesterday helped him realize that.
"Are you okay?"
He turned towards Eighter who was looking at him, deeply concerned.
Goku gave a genuine smile as he began to speak. "Yeah, I am. I was just wondering how my sons are doing, but I know they're fine and I'll see them again at some point."
He felt the android out a hand on his shoulder. "You will see them again. There's nothing for you to worry about."
"You're right." Goku smiled at his words before looking around them once more, enjoying the cold environment. "I really admire what you and Suno do for the village. When we were talking in West City yesterday, she told me that the both of you do volunteer work to help elderly people who are struggling to fend for themselves."
Eighter nodded. "That's true. The weather here in the village has been worse than it usually is. More and more people have been having difficulty finding food around here. Moving around is even harder and it sometimes just forces them to stay in their homes."
"That's when you and Suno stepped in."
"Exactly. Seeing how hard life is for some of these residents, we decided to help them. The cold is no problem for me at all since I'm a robot, but Suno has a much more difficult time dealing with it and I remember her getting sick and even injured a couple of times. Even though I keep telling her to stay back, she still insists on helping out. She's willing to take any risks in making them happy."
That had come as a complete shock to the Saiyan. "Really? She never mentioned this to me at all. I knew she had been working hard during all those years, but she was risking her own health in the process?"
"She sure was, and sometimes, her parents would constantly worry about her being out by herself late at night." His frown disappeared and a small smile then crept onto Eighter's face. "Honestly, I think your presence has made her a lot happier than she usually is. I sometimes hear her talk a lot about how brave it was for you to defeat an entire army and rescue the mayor from Muscle Tower. Suno doesn't know this, but almost every night I could hear her praying for your safe return to Jingle Village. She missed you a lot!"
'I can't believe it, Suno has wanted to see me again for so long? I had no idea.'
That strange feeling began to come back to him once more. He couldn't tell what it was, and it was becoming stronger than ever.
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard Suno come out through the front door, wearing clothing that would protect her from the cold. When Goku saw her, he couldn't help but notice how dazzling she looked especially with her red hair tied into a ponytail.
"Are you guys ready?" Suno asked them with a smile.
"We sure are." Goku answered before looking her up and down. "You're looking quite beautiful today and not to mention really adorable."
'Oh crap. Did I really say that?'
The compliment made her blush as she looked at him shyly. "Awww, thank you."
"No problem. Shall we get going?" He asked, trying to hide the shade of red threatening to show on his cheeks.
"Yeah, it shouldn't take us too long to arrive at the mayor's house!"
The three of them began walking side by side together, with Suno beside her friend with every step that she took. She was barely able to hide the blush on her face as she walked, thinking about the way her friend complimented her.
'Did Goku really tell me I'm cute? H-He's so sweet.'
The snow was becoming more rough as they were walking and thus had to be more careful in order not to fall into it.
The three of them continued walking only for Goku to notice that his red haired friend was toppling through the snow, causing him to become a little worried.
"The snow is so rough."
"Here, grab onto my hand." He held out his hand for his human friend to take.
Suno did so immediately seeing that she could fall through the snow any minute. When her hand came into contact with his, her feelings began to come back to her.
'Why am I like this? All Goku did was grab my hand so I wouldn't fall.'
They continued to walk for what seemed like hours when they stopped in front of a large building. It was a brick building shaped like an igloo which was pretty much like all the other houses here in the village.
"Goku, this is the mayor's house." Suno announced.
"Woah..." He inspected the building in awe, staring it up and down. "I've never been to this part of Jingle Village, and it's huge!"
Both Suno and Eighter smiled at their friend as he admired the building. Just yesterday, he was devastated over losing his family but right now, it seemed as if he was in completely good spirits which was amazing. They were both glad their friend was out of his depression.
"I think we can ring the doorbell now." Suno spoke up before moving closer to the door and pressing the red button next to it. At first nothing could be heard, so she pressed the alarm a second time and almost immediately, they could hear hurried footsteps approaching the door.
The door opened and it revealed a short, gray haired man wearing spectacles. He had a smile on his face when he recognized the two guests who visited him occasionally.
"Suno, Eighter! It's been a while. Please come inside."
Upon seeing the person who came along with them, he frowned in confusion.
"Who is this guy you two brought along?" The bespectacled man took a good look at the guest that came with them.
"Mayor, I believe you know him. Take a look at his face and see if you remember him from somewhere!" Suno replied as she beamed at the old man.
His pupils widened in recognition as he finally realized who this man was. "Hold on a second... You're t-that boy who saved me from Muscle Tower didn't you? Your name is Son Goku. Am I right?"
He grinned as the mayor finally recognized him. "That's correct!"
The older man held out his hand for him to shake and Goku took it willingly.
"It's so good to see you again. Please come inside and we can all talk." The old man stepped aside to give his three guests room to enter the house.
The mayor guided them into the living room and gestured towards a nice looking couch for them to sit on. He then called in a person who he recently hired to take care of the house.
A young lady who was wearing a maid uniform appeared before them with a polite smile on her face.
"I would like you guys to meet Himari. I recently hired her to help around the house." The mayor gestured to the brunette who was standing before them. "I'm too old and can't do most tasks by myself, and she was looking for work so I offered her a job as my housekeeper and she agreed to take it on."
"It's very nice to meet you all..." Himari bowed to them politely.
The mayor pointed to his three guests. "This is Suno, Eighter and the one over there is Goku." She walked over to the guests and shook hands with them.
"Can I get you all something to drink?" Himari asked politely. "There's iced tea, hot cocoa, coffee and water."
The three guests had taken an immediate liking to her and it was clear to them that she deserved this job.
"A glass of water would be fine, thank you." Goku responded with the same politeness.
"I'll have the same thing!" Suno said in a cheerful voice.
"Me as well."
The young lady excused herself to go and get the glasses of water for the guests.
After Himari's departure, the mayor turned his attention back to his three guests. He gave the Saiyan a warm smile and asked, "How have things been holding up for you Goku? It's been years since we last saw each other."
Without mentioning the upcoming divorce since he wasn't ready to say anything yet, Goku told the old man how he had been faring. And then the three of them got into random conversations, laughter filling up the entire room. It was truly a great sight.
Class had just ended for the day as every student could be seen leaving the classroom after copying the math assignment that was due tomorrow. The teacher also left after giving a thorough explanation of the new topic they had learned. It made Gohan chuckle, considering that he already learned this topic before and that he was smarter than all of his teachers.
The whole room was empty with the exception of Videl, Sharpener, Erasa and Gohan. The Saiyan hybrid had finally mustered up the courage to tell his two blonde friends about his parents divorcing and the two of them decided to stay and console their friend for a while.
Erasa touched his shoulder for comfort. "Gohan, I'm terribly sorry about this. If you need anything... anything at all, just tell us."
"I'm with her on this one, brains. We're not leaving you when you're in trouble!" Sharpener said with boldness in his voice.
Gohan managed to give them a small smile. Despite their flaws, Erasa and Sharpener had become his closest friends during the time that he had been at Orange Star High School.
"Thanks guys. It really means a lot to me."
Erasa took a look at her wristwatch and let out an alarmed gasp. "I have to get going. Gohan, give us any new developments. Remember that we'll always be here for you!" The blonde girl removed her hand from the half Saiyan's shoulder, grabbed her bags and went out the door.
Sharpener watched his blond friend leave the classroom. "I gotta get going too. If you need to talk brains, feel free to call me. I'll see the both of you tomorrow!" He said, packing all his stuff in a jiffy and walking out the exit.
Following the departure of both his friends, Gohan turned to his girlfriend and sighed, "I'm going to Capsule Corp to have a talk with Bulma first before I go back home!" A grimace escaped from his mouth after those words, and he started to tap his pencil on his desk as he was lost in thought.
"Let me come with you."
"Videl, you don't have to..." Gohan began to speak but his girlfriend interrupted him midway.
She placed her hand on top of her partner's. "Remember that you're not alone. I'll help you through this."
Gohan and Videl were flying to Capsule Corp, the rush of air breezing against their skin. Gohan couldn't think about anything else except for his parents upcoming divorce. He just needed someone to talk to about this and he felt that Bulma may be able to provide some kind of help. Before going to school, he tried to sense his father's energy but was unsuccessful in doing so. He and Goten were dying to see him again. His mother had been treating the both of them horribly. Especially Goten. Almost every day, he'd have to hear him crying in his room.
Every time Gohan took a look inside the keyhole, he could see a huge stack of uncompleted homework on the wooden desk and his brother sobbing while staring out the window in complete distress.
It was becoming harder and harder to console his dear brother. He couldn't think of anything else to say which could help ease his brother's worries.
Gohan didn't blame him at all one bit. Goku was an important person in their lives and for their mother to prevent them from seeing him... it was outrageous to say the least.
As soon as Capsule Corp came into view, both he and Videl dropped down onto the ground. The first thing they saw was a blonde haired woman watering the plants leading to the doorway. The woman was Mrs Briefs, also known as Panchy. When she took notice of them, she gave a cheerful smile and waved to the couple.
"Hey Gohan, Videl!"
"Hey Mrs Briefs!" Gohan greeted the older woman, who had stopped watering the plants to address them. "Is Bulma around?"
"Of course she is!" Mrs. Briefs responded in her usually cheerful voice. "Why don't you two come inside and I'll go get her for you?"
The couple followed Panchy inside the Capsule Corp building. Once they were inside, the two sat down together on a couch in the living room and waited for Mrs Briefs to call her daughter.
Bulma was in her laboratory working on another invention. She momentarily stopped to wipe sweat from her forehead and dwell on the recent events.
Goku wouldn't talk to any of them and while she understood why her Saiyan friend was upset, he had been ignoring them for the longest time and the blue haired scientist didn't know what else to do.
All she had been doing was sitting here in her lab working on new inventions and tinkering around with old machines to distract herself from all this. To distract herself from the fact that her Saiyan friend would treat everyone coldly whenever they would offer him their help. She told Krillin, Yamcha and the others to not go and visit Goku in order for the depressed Saiyan to gather his thoughts.
The genius heard a knock on the lab door as she was working relentlessly.
"Come in..." Bulma sighed with tiredness in her voice, leaning back against her leather chair to catch her breath.
Bulma saw that her mother had stuck her head through the door and sighed. "Mom, what is it? Can it wait until later if it's not important?"
"Sweetheart, Gohan and Videl are here to see you!" Mrs Briefs answered in her cheery voice.
Bulma's eyes nearly popped out of her head in shock. Gohan is here!? But what for?
The scientist got up and wiped her hands against the shirt she was wearing. "I'll be there soon Mom. Do you mind telling them to wait while I take a shower? I stink."
"Of course not honey. I'll tell them right away."
Gohan and Videl were munching on some chocolate chip cookies Mrs. Briefs had made for them. Two glasses of milk also sat on the table. When Panchy told them that Bulma was taking a shower, the two of them said they didn't mind waiting since they were in no rush to leave.
She offered them some cookies and milk, which the two had graciously accepted. They had also seen Dr Briefs walk through the hallways and they cordially greeted the old scientist. Now they just had to wait for Bulma.
Their long wait was soon over as they had seen the blue haired scientist come into view. She gave them both a tight smile.
"Gohan, Videl! It's good to see you two again. I'm sorry that I took so long but I'm here right now. Is there anything I can help you with?" Bulma asked, having a good idea as to why they're here.
"Well..." Videl started but she couldn't quite figure out the words to use. The human girl turned to her boyfriend. "I think Gohan will be able to explain this much better than I can."
Gohan took a deep breath before speaking. "I think you can figure out why we came here."
Her smile faltered as she knew the reason why the couple had come to see her. She had nothing but sympathy for both him and Goten as their parents were no longer together.
"Gohan, how have you and Goten been holding up? I know things have changed since your parents separated."
Bulma had a hard time getting those words out because she knew he had been in so much pain ever since then.
"You know, Trunks has been asking me why Goten doesn't come over anymore and I keep having to make excuses every time."
"Things aren't good at all. Ever since we left Mount Paozu, Mom's behavior has been beyond horrible. She's making Goten stay up in his room studying with almost no breaks at all, just like she did with me. Every time we both bring up wanting to see Dad, she goes ballistic. It's really bad."
Gohan took several sips of his milk before he continued to speak. As he was holding the glass, his hand began to shake so he quickly put it back down on the table to prevent himself from accidentally dropping it.
"She threatened to cut our food supply and ground us for life if we even tried to sneak off to see Dad. Every time I check up on Goten, I hear him crying and wishing for us to see father again. She's been trying to convince Goten how bad of an influence Dad is." He finished off that last sentence with a tone of malice in his voice.
"I feel as though Mom is planning something and I don't know what it is. I-I just can't sit around and do nothing. I have to do something!"
Videl squeezed Gohan's hand in an attempt to console him.
Bulma gasped. How could Chichi do this? How could she threaten them like that just because the children wanted to see their Dad? They had the right to see Goku. He was an important person in their lives.
"I sometimes hear Mom making phone calls and when I ask her about it, she just says it's none of my business. But I know it's not nothing." Gohan said. Every word that came out of his mouth pissed him off even more.
Bulma pondered on that thought for a minute. "Those phone calls you said your mother was making... they could be related to the upcoming divorce. She could be planning something related to that."
Videl suddenly jumped back in her seat as a sudden realization came to her. Gohan turned to his girlfriend and frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Could it be possible that Chichi might try to make Goku look bad in court? She already thinks that he was a terrible husband and father. Not only that, but Goten may actually be the center of the problem." She explained.
"How can Goten be the problem in this..." Bulma began to ask, but then she realized why Videl said that.
"Getting sole custody." Gohan replied as he was beginning to feel a little worried over this.
"I'm already a grown up, so I'm old enough to do as I please, but it won't be the same with Goten since he's still a child. The divorce procedure itself will be easy since both mom and dad want the divorce, but the court has to decide who gets custody of Goten. That is going to be a difficult one. Mom must have so much stuff up her sleeve by now. She could find a way to twist things around so everything will go in her favor!"
"Oh crap..." Bulma sputtered out. "What are we going to do?"
"We need to get in touch with Kakarot and discuss this with him."
All three of them turned around to see the Saiyan Prince standing there, a concerned look on his face. He had a towel wrapped around his neck as he had just taken a shower due to having a long day of training in the Gravity Room.
"Vegeta!?" Both Gohan and Videl said simultaneously as they hadn't expected him to show up at this very moment.
"Vegeta, how can we reach out to Goku? You know he's been depressed lately. He refuses to speak to us since we've gone to Mount Paozu several times and he demands he wants to be alone when we offer him our help. On top of that, Krillin and Yamcha said they tried to see him again this morning, but he wasn't there. You even tried sensing his energy level but you couldn't. That means Goku is suppressing his energy level so we won't be able to know where he is just by sensing him. And let's not forget how filthy the house was when we all paid him a visit!"
Bulma was already feeling drained from explaining this to her husband.
Gohan was in pain upon hearing this. His father had been in a horrible mood and refused to talk to any of them? And didn't try cleaning up the house since their separation? So this proves that his father hadn't been okay during the time that they hadn't seen each other. He had to figure something out. He didn't expect to hear that Goku hadn't been in good spirits.
"Bulma, why don't you just try calling him with that cellphone you gave him?" Vegeta suggested to his wife. "Surely he'd pick up."
"We've all sent him multiple text messages and he hasn't responded to any of them. Not even one. He may have seen the messages already but he chooses to ignore them. If Goku doesn't respond to our text messages, then there's no way he'd pick up a single phone call." Bulma quickly countered.
"There has to be a way we can get in touch with Dad. We just have to figure it out." Gohan mused, lost in thought.
All four of them had no clue what to do until Videl came up with a bright idea.
"Hey guys." She spoke up to get their attention. "I have an idea that just might work."
"You do?" Gohan asked his girlfriend. "Don't keep us in suspense!"
Videl composed herself before speaking. "So Bulma says Goku is impossible to reach by text messages when she or the others try to contact him and there's an even lesser chance of him picking up any phone calls from you guys. But what if Gohan gives it a try? Bulma, if you give Goku's contact number to Gohan, there's a high chance that Goku will pick up if Gohan's the one who reaches out to him and not any of us."
Bulma thought about it before a smile came upon her face. "That... That might work. Gohan has a better chance at making this work!"
The blue haired scientist reached into her pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen. She then scribbled down Goku's number on the paper and handed it to Gohan.
Gohan took the paper and looked at the number. His eyes were filled with joy. They finally had a solution.
"That's great thinking V." Gohan said to his girlfriend before he gave her an affectionate kiss on the lips. Vegeta couldn't help but give a small smile at the sight.
"Make sure you get started on this as soon as possible, Gohan." Vegeta said to the half Saiyan, the tone of his voice showing how serious he was. "I'm sick and tired of seeing your circus clown of a father depressed all the damn time over this!"
He now had a wide smile. "Yeah, I will. It's also a smart idea I don't make the call at home. If Mom overhears it, who knows what she could do. When Dad answers, I'll tell him to meet us at Kami's Lookout."
They were all elated at this great idea. Gohan once again thanked Videl for her quick thinking, giving her another kiss with her smiling and blushing in embarrassment at all the praise she was receiving.
A frown came upon the teenage girl's face. "Hold on a sec... Goku won't recognize your number when you call him and if he's still not in good spirits, he may choose to ignore your call like he did with the others."
"Oh... well, I'll try anyway and hope that he does answer my call even if there's a slim chance he won't."
"I sure hope he does." The scientist said sadly. "I hate seeing him the way he is right now."
"Kakarot better answer his damn phone!"
They all agreed on that course of action. It was their only best solution they have of reaching out to the Saiyan unless they decided to go look for him and that would take up a lot more time which they didn't really have since Chichi could do something unpredictable. He could be anywhere on the planet right now. Or maybe he left earth for another planet. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try another phone call which this time, would be coming from his own son.
"Hey Gohan..." Bulma had to wonder. "Do you think it's possible that your father will ever find someone he can actually love?"
The half Saiyan was shocked by the question but regardless, he thought about it. "I don't know. I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon especially with the divorce coming up. If Dad is interested in dating, I won't interfere with that. I think he should do what will really make him happy again."
He wanted to respect whatever decision his dad decided to make. "As long as he's happy, then I'm happy."
They all smiled as they agreed with what Gohan said. They could see how much he loved Goku and was glad the Saiyan hybrid wouldn't interfere with whatever his dad decided to do from this point onwards.
"Anyway, I think it's about time Videl and I get going. We have to do our homework and then I'll sneak off somewhere to make that phone call to Dad."
Videl mentally berated herself, having forgotten that they had some homework to complete.
"That's fine." Bulma said, rising up from the couch. "I'll walk you both out the door."
Vegeta excused himself to head to the bedroom he shared with his human wife while Bulma headed outside with the young couple.
After saying goodbye to her, they flew off into the skies. The genius still felt somewhat down. What if this plan didn't work? What if Goku didn't pick up his son's call? She sincerely hoped that they didn't end up having to search everywhere for him. But she couldn't lose hope just yet. Somehow... someway, they were going to turn things around in their favor. They had to find a way to turn the tables on Chichi.
Her mind then pondered on the question she asked Gohan. Would Goku ever find someone to love? Maybe in the near future, he would.
'I hope things will be okay and that you find true love someday, my friend.'
Bulma turned around and walked back inside the house, feeling the need to do something which would hopefully distract her from having any more negative thoughts about the plan they just came up with. She gathered the used plates and the two empty glasses and headed towards the kitchen area to wash them.
Goku, Suno and Eighter were on their way back home after the mayor introduced them to a few of the residents. The old man was delighted that the Saiyan wanted to know them better so he arranged to have him meet with a few of the residents. The people here at Jingle Village were so friendly and welcoming. He liked them a lot and he was looking forward to future interactions with them.
His mind once again went back to Suno, who was walking beside him. His human friend seemed to understand everything that he had told her so far. But what he really wanted to do was to tell her about his Saiyan heritage. He had told her about what was going on between him and Chichi but telling her about his true origins was going to be the hard part. He completely trusted Suno. He wanted to let her in on this. But how would she react? Would she still stand by him or would she turn away from him? Her parents needed to know this as well. His android friend as well. They all agreed to support him but how would they take this?
"Hey Goku."
Suno broke the silence which made the Saiyan look at her.
"Yeah?"
"Are you interested in building a snowman? I haven't done this in quite some time since a lot of work had piled up on me. I think we should have a little bit of fun before we go back home!"
Goku let out a chuckle. "I don't mind at all." He actually knew how to do this since he used to do it with Gohan when he was a kid. He got this.
"What about you Eighter?" She asked the robot. "Would you like to join?"
The android gave a smile. "Of course."
Goku had managed to make a giant snowman by grabbing fistfuls of snow and rolling them into three giant balls. He drew two dots as the eyes and he searched around for some twigs to use as it's arms. He just finished adding one last twig which would serve as the nose.
The Saiyan stood back to admire his handiwork as this brought back so many memories for him. During Christmas time and before, he would take time off training so he could spend more time with Gohan. The two of them would play in the snow, making snowmen, snowforts and getting into snowfights. A slight scowl appeared on his face as he remembered how his wife was driving their son crazy with finishing off his homework before Christmas. He was barely able to convince her to let Gohan go outside on Christmas Eve to attend that party Bulma was holding at Capsule Corp.
Suno had just finished making her snowman when she noticed Goku was finished and was staring at his own with a prideful look.
"That's one big snowman you made there!" She hollered after him. The red haired woman was walking toward her friend slowly and as she was getting closer to her friend, she accidentally slipped and fell.
"Woah!" Goku shouted as he tumbled into the snow.
Eighter noticed this and was rushing over to help them. "Are you two okay?"
They were both covered in snow and Suno was coughing as she struggled to sit up. Once she managed to do so, her face became as red as a tomato as she realized the position that she was currently in.
She was sitting on top of Goku. Her first instinct was to kiss him as she found herself leaning closer to him but she realized that wouldn't be a smart idea. She stopped herself and quickly got up from the position she was in and helped him get back up. What the hell was she thinking just now?
"Goku, I'm really sorry. I ruined your hard work didn't I?" Suno said with a sheepish look on her face. "I had no idea that was going to happen."
"Don't worry about it. The most important thing is that I'm having fun." Goku said to reassure his guilty friend. He then pulled her into a gentle hug and it warmed his heart when she hugged him back.
They let go of the embrace and not long after that, a mischievous smile appeared on his face. Without warning, he then threw a snowball and made sure that it came into contact with Suno's snowman, causing it to collapse on the ground with the snowballs used in it's creation slowly rolling away until a certain point.
Suno gasped once she realized what Goku had done. What the hell?
"What was that for!?" She cried out at the sight of her now ruined snowman... or what was left of it.
He was smirking at her. "Revenge. Did you really think you were going to get away with destroying mine?"
"It was an accident. I didn't mean to-" She stopped her apology midway when she noticed his smirk widen and glared at him. "Now I'm going to get you for doing that, jerk!"
"I'd like to see you try."
Suno began to chase her friend around, trying to catch him and tackle him to the ground. She would either end up falling deep into the snow or he would prove to be much faster than her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch Goku.
"Dammit, why can't I reach you?"
"Maybe because you're too slow and I'm way faster than you!"
"Ugh, I'll get you!"
"You keep on saying that when all your previous attempts were in vain!"
That seemed to reignite the fire inside of Suno and she ran after him as fast as her legs could carry her. He continued to laugh and mock her as she chased him around, but she wasn't going to give up.
Eighter gave a smile as he watched them, seeing how well the two interacted with each other. He knew Suno wasn't really angry about what happened but was just playing around.
The two parents sat in the small living room after eating some dinner. Thanks to the fireplace, the entire area was warm which made it the perfect place to just sit down and relax. Hiroshi was reading the evening newspaper while his wife was just sitting there with him, lost in thought.
"Hiroshi..."
The old man looked at his wife with concern as he could tell that something was bothering her. "What is it honey?"
"Do you think our daughter has feelings for Goku?" She asked, observing her husband's reaction.
Surprised by this question, Hiroshi placed the newspaper on the coffee table and looked at his wife. "What makes you think that?"
Kaiyo hesitated for a bit before speaking.
"The way she looks at him. I don't think Goku himself has noticed, but it's the way Suno looks after him. I know she's been concerned about him because of what he's going through but I think it goes deeper than that."
His eyes widened as he realized that his wife was onto something. "That might actually be true... based on what I've seen so far, it seems like she's showing some kind of affection for him. Something beyond their friendship."
A small smile appeared on her lips at the thought of her daughter being in love.
"If Suno wants to pursue a relationship with Goku, then I think she should go for it. He is a good person and if he's the one who can make our daughter happy then I think she should be with him. All I want is for her to find joy with the man she loves."
Hiroshi held his wife's hand softly. "This kind of stuff takes time. Goku has cheered up a lot but I'm sure he's still hurt from all of this. I don't think he likes her back right now, but maybe he'll return her feelings eventually."
Kaiyo nodded her head in agreement as she wanted the best for her only daughter but knew that the greatest things take time.
Their conversation was interrupted when the two parents heard Goku, Suno and Eighter come into the house. They gasped in shock upon seeing the state of Goku and their daughter as they were covered in snow.
"Oh my!" Kaiyo gasped when she saw the state they were in. "What were you two doing?"
"We were having fun in the snow. She's pretty salty because I ruined her snowman!" Goku pointed his thumb to Suno who gave him a glare, though it wasn't a real one.
He just bust out laughing at her expression. "It's quite amusing to see you worked up over this."
"Goku! I-It's not funny.." The embarrassed woman flustered. She gave him a playful smack on the head with him pretending to be in pain. "I can't believe you would do that!"
"Oof. That hurt me.." He mocked her before laughing once more.
Hiroshi looked at the state they were both in and noticed chunks of snow dropping onto the floor. "You two should get yourselves cleaned up before you dirty up the room."
The old man couldn't help but chuckle at the two. It was taking every ounce of willpower he had to not laugh so hard.
"We'll do that right away, Dad." She said, still embarrassed.
Goku and Suno hurried to their respective rooms while Eighter and the two parents looked on in amusement. Their friendship was getting stronger and stronger. Something about the two was slowly beginning to blossom.
Kaiyo held a hand to her mouth as she was holding back chuckles. "I admit it was funny seeing the both of them like that."
"Did you see how 'angry' she was?" Hiroshi stifled a laugh.
"Yes, I did. They were definitely having fun alright. Goku doesn't even look like he was fazed at all."
Eighter's eyes were glued to the huge chunks of snow on the floor. He then turned his attention back to the elderly couple. "I'll get that cleaned up right now!"
"No problem."
They watched as the android headed off to get the broom and dustpan. After sitting for a few moments in silence, they decided that it was time to get some rest.
"Do you want to get some sleep?" Hiroshi asked his wife, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You look a bit tired."
"Yes. I suppose we should go to our room. I don't think Goku and Suno have had anything to eat yet, but I'm sure they can find something in the fridge. There is enough food in there to satisfy Goku's huge appetite."
"That's fine."
With that being said, the elderly couple rose up from their seats and headed to their bedroom.
Suno had changed into clean clothes after taking another shower and thought about today's events. It was a lot of fun building snowmen with her friend and chasing him around after he destroyed her snowman. Not only that, but there was something else on her mind.
'You're looking quite beautiful today. Not to mention really adorable...'
The way he said it... Did it mean that Goku liked her back? Or was he only saying that just to be nice?
'It was just a compliment. There's no way Goku actually likes me as more than a friend. I would love for him to return the same feelings I have for him but... it's never going to happen, no matter how much I want it to come true.'
Then there was the fact that she was laying on top of her friend and had almost kissed him but she stopped herself as she wanted to consider Goku's own feelings if she did that. But there was another part of her that thought if she did go through with kissing him, then it would have been the most memorable moment of her life.
She was in love with Goku, and she couldn't control it.
The little interactions they had made her fall deeper in love with him. Goku was having a difficult time and she had promised him that she would always be there for him no matter what.
She knew she had to talk to someone about her feelings because she didn't want to end up hurting him or even worse, lose her friendship with him. He had become an important person in her life and she didn't know what she would do if if she lost him.
A wave of sadness filled her whole being and then Suno's eyes shot up upon remembering that the both of them hadn't eaten any dinner.
'Oh no. I have to go and find some dinner in the fridge for Goku. He must be hungry!'
The flustered woman walked out of her room and into the kitchen area. She opened the fridge and searched around for some food. Upon finding nothing that was cooked, she quickly took out some raw rice, vegetables, beef, fish and chicken.
As the rice was cooking on the stove, Suno was dicing the vegetables and was doing so as quickly as possible. She thoroughly washed the meat and seasoned it before placing it in the oven to cook.
'Maybe Goku would love some vegetable fried rice with some grilled meat. I just need to make sure to prepare it in large quantities since he has a huge appetite!'
With that thought in mind, she continued to prepare dinner for the both of them.
Goku had just finished taking a hot shower as he was now laying on his bed, lost in his own thoughts. The first thought on his mind was when Suno accidentally tripped and fell. She was laying on top of him, and Goku saw that she was leaning closer to him. He began to realize something.
Was Suno about to do what he thought she was going to do?
The Saiyan was now struggling with the kind of feelings he had for his red haired friend. He couldn't figure out what they were and it was starting to bother him. All he knew was that he had this weird feeling whenever he was around her. What did those feelings mean right now? Should he just brush them off?
'Maybe this is nothing. She and I are good friends so maybe I'm just overthinking this.'
Goku didn't think he'd ever get over Chichi this quickly. He had Suno and her family to thank for that and instantly knew that his friend cared about him more than his own wife did.
'Her words of assurance, the smile she always has on her face. Her never ending kindness... I always feel happy whenever I'm with her. I don't know why I told her she looked adorable this morning, but she really appreciated that compliment. If it made her happy, then it's all that matters to me.'
However, his smile began to falter as he was soon reminded of his upcoming divorce. He didn't know when the court date was, and he was concerned about what Chichi could say. Perhaps he should wait until the divorce is settled before trying to figure out what those weird feelings he was having for Suno were.
Those thoughts were interrupted when he heard his cell phone ringing. He grabbed hold of it and looked at the caller ID. On the screen showed the words, 'Unknown Number'. He gave a slight frown as the only people who had his contact number were Bulma and the other Z fighters.
"An unknown number..." Goku mused in thought. "I wonder who could be calling me."
Goku picked up his ringing cellphone and immediately heard the person speak.
"Hello?"
A wave of shock and surprise overcame him when he heard his caller's voice. He just didn't think he would ever see or hear from him again since that day.
"G-Gohan?" Goku stumbled on his words as he held his cellphone tightly in his hand. He rose up from his laying position and sat up on his bed.
There was a pause at the other end of the line. Then Gohan spoke again.
"How have you been doing Dad? I went to see Bulma at Capsule Corp today and she told me you haven't been yourself ever since we... left. She said everyone goes to Mount Paozu to visit but you demand to be on your own and you're extremely hostile especially when they offer you help. They've also been sending you texts but you haven't been answering them at all. Krillin and Yamcha went to see you again this morning but you weren't there. Hell, I tried to sense your energy before going to school this morning but I couldn't feel anything. Vegeta had the same results when he also tried to sense you. If I'm being honest, I didn't think you would even pick up my call."
The Saiyan thought he could hear sadness in his older son's voice and it was making him feel bad.
"You've been depressed. I had the feeling you weren't going to be the same again after we moved out but I didn't think it would be that severe!"
Goku gave a light sigh, the look of guilt soon appearing on his face again. "I know that son. I wasn't finding it easy to move on ever since your mother and I decided to get a divorce that night. I know I've been pushing them away and I feel terrible for it, but I needed time to myself. I needed time to think things through. Staying at Mount Paozu was too painful for me so I had to leave for the time being. I couldn't stand living there on my own. It would just remind me of the painful memories we had together."
"I understand and I don't blame you for it. There's a lot we need to catch up on. Is it possible we can meet up tomorrow at Kami's Lookout? You know, to discuss things."
"Of course. I'll meet with you tomorrow. By the way, how are things going at your new place of residence? How is Goten? Is he doing okay?"
Goku couldn't resist asking about his youngest son. He was now worried about Goten and figured that Chichi had been treating him worse than she did when they were still living together.
"..."
When Gohan didn't answer, Goku asked the question again. He was starting to get worried. "Son, is everything okay? Did something happen?"
"Dad, the truth is... things haven't really been going well. I'd rather discuss it if you'll meet us at Kami's Lookout tomorrow. Everyone else will be there." He said with a little hesitation in his voice which Goku was easily able to pick up on.
"All right Gohan. I'll meet you at the Lookout tomorrow afternoon. Call me when you're there, okay?"
"I will. I love you Dad." Gohan couldn't help but say those words to his father.
Goku smiled at that, even though nobody was there to see it. "I love you too son."
After saying their goodbyes, father and son hung up.
Goku was silent for a moment after that phone call. He knew things hadn't been going well because Gohan had hesitated to answer him, and he could pretty much figure out why things haven't been turning out well for him and Goten. He could only hope that things would turn out okay in the end after he divorces Chichi.
When this divorce was over and done with, he would finally be free to do as he pleases. He wanted to be able to still see both of his sons. He wanted to still be able to go fishing, camping and train with them like he used to in the past. The only problem is that his soon to be ex wife might forbid them from coming over to see him.
'I just want to see you guys again.' He thought to himself.
The smell of rice, vegetables and meat cooking reached his nostrils. Once he heard his stomach rumbling, he realized that he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast time.
Goku could sense Suno in the kitchen by herself preparing dinner. A blush appeared on his cheeks at the thought of being alone with his friend and he wasn't quite sure why that was the case. 'Why do I feel this way about her?'
He shook his head as he focused his thoughts back to the current situation at hand. The Saiyan knew he had to be prepared for whatever is going to go down. He needed the strength to get through this. Goku needed to be strong for himself and his sons.
Gohan and Goten needed him to be there in their lives. There was no way he was going to let them down.
(To be continued)
(End of Fourth chapter)
Author's Note: Another chapter well done. Remember to leave your comments in the comment section and I'll try to address them at the beginning or at the end of each chapter. What do you guys think will escalate when Gohan and Goku meet again? As I'm writing the upcoming chapters, I'll also be looking at the comments so any suggestions you guys put in may or may not be used in the story. But if they are used, I'll be sure to give you credit for it. Remember, constructive criticism is appreciated. I'll see you all in the next chapter.
