Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any other character in the story. Everything belongs to Toei and Akira Toriyama. The only two things that I own are the story and any OCs I put into the story.
Chapter 5
It was early morning in Jingle Village, and the sound of children playing outside could be heard. Goku sat up in his bed groggily and looked around, rubbing his eyes in the process. He opened his window curtains and saw a group of kids playing with a soccer ball. Drowsiness still filled his entire being but he forced himself to get up from bed. Putting his blanket sheets aside, he rearranged his bed coverings and put his dirty stuff in the laundry basket and walked to his bathroom while barefooted. After spending a decent amount of time in the restroom freshening up, he put on some footwear and decided to head to the living room to see if there was something he could do to occupy the time. When he reached the small sitting area, it was completely empty. A quick look at the clock told him that it was 7:00am.
Suno, her parents and Eighter were nowhere to be found. He couldn't sense them nearby which meant that they were still sleeping in their rooms.
'They must still be asleep. If that's the case, I'm on my own. But what can I do by myself?'
A remote control sat on the center table. He thought about turning it on and watching some TV, but he had never really shown much interest in it before except for the brief commercials he would watch. It was way too early and he had absolutely no intentions of disturbing anyone with the loud noise coming from the television. Besides, his mind wasn't on watching anything as there was something else which was bothering him.
Goku just flopped down on the soft couch and gave a loud sigh. It was at this very moment that he remembered the phone call he had with Gohan yesterday before having dinner with his female friend. He was happy to hear his son's voice again, but then from the way that his older son was talking to him, he knew things weren't alright.
There was this horrible feeling in his chest that something terrible was going to happen soon and he didn't exactly understand why, but it had to do with his soon to be ex-wife. Gohan's voice gave it away. The Saiyan was really hoping that his precious sons were going to be okay. He didn't want anything bad to happen to them since they meant a lot to him. If something happened to them, he didn't know what he would do with himself.
Goku closed his eyes and leaned against the couch while propping his hands behind his head. All of this was just messing with his mind.
'Man, I don't know what to do at all.'
He knew Gohan would be going to school anytime soon so he would have to wait until this afternoon to meet him at Kami's Lookout. His confidence was starting to quiver but he knew he had to be strong. He had to be strong to overcome whatever challenges he was going to face in court during this divorce hearing.
"I didn't know you would be up so early."
The Saiyan opened his eyes to see Suno emerging from her bedroom. He wasn't sure why, but he had been taking notice of how pretty she was even when she wasn't all dressed up. She had that cute smile on her face as she was approaching him.
'She's so adorable and beautiful. Wait... why am I thinking this way about her?'
He wanted to say something about it, but decided not to.
"I can be an early riser sometimes.." Goku said with a chuckle as his friend took a seat beside him on the couch. He noticed that she gave a happy sigh, seeing that they were the only ones who were around. "Anyways, good morning."
"Same to you!" The redhaired woman said to him cheerfully. "I woke up a little earlier than usual." As soon as she took notice of his distress, she became worried. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
He sighed as his eyes were facing the ground, not wanting to look at his friend right now. "My son called me last night and says he wants to meet up with me today..."
"I don't understand, shouldn't you be happy about this? You two haven't seen each other since you and your wife separated." Suno said as she tried to look at him, but he was still facing the floor and his black, spiky hair was covering his face.
She wasn't quite sure what was going on but she was going to hear what Goku needed to say since he needed all the support he could possibly get.
"It's not that I'm not happy to see him. It's just that... I don't think everything is okay with my sons. I know this because Gohan said so, but he wouldn't go into any details. He and Goten aren't fine at their new home. I get the feeling that something bad is going to happen and that feeling has to do with my soon to be ex-wife. I think she's been treating them much more horribly than she did when we were still living together as a family."
Goku paused. He actually had to stop talking because his voice started to feel heavy and he didn't want to start crying again like what happened when he first moved in.
Suno honestly didn't know what to say to that. "Whatever happens, you've got to stay strong. You need to have the strength to get through this."
He continued to remain silent, having no idea what to say.
Suno patted his back but he still didn't react. "This divorce case may be a brutal one, but have faith in yourself. I know you're a strong person. If you could take down an entire army, rescue the mayor and return to the village alive, then I know you can make it through a vicious battle with Chichi no matter what she says about you!"
He finally looked her in the eye. Unlike his wife, Suno actually had faith in him and believed that he could overcome any challenges. It felt great that he could talk to her about anything on his mind without feeling like he was nothing but dead weight.
"I don't know what to say... you've been a really awesome friend. Your kind words of encouragement is enough to boost my confidence!" He flashed her a bright, cheery smile.
"No problem. I'm always here for you." Suno smiled at him. "Do you have anything else you want to tell me? I can tell there's something else you want to get off your chest."
Goku didn't realize until now that she could read him like a book. She could see through him when he was trying to pretend that things were okay and try to dissolve whatever pain he was feeling. It was the reason why he had started to grow closer to her even though he still had to deal with the woman who caused so many problems for him and their sons.
The one thing Goku wanted to tell her about was his true origins. He wanted to wait until much later but it appeared he was going to tell her now considering that she could easily see through him. He wasn't sure how she was going to react to the news. Suno had been by his side through this whole thing and he wasn't sure how she would feel about this.
He took a deep breath and began to talk, hoping that it was going to be okay. Hoping that she wouldn't react badly just because he wasn't a human.
"There is actually something I've wanted to tell you which I was actually planning on doing so much later but I think it's okay if I tell you now. The truth is... I'm not a human. I'm from an alien race called the Saiyans."
Nothing could describe how shocked Suno was. When she looked into her friend's eyes, she could tell he wasn't joking. Then something occurred to her.
"When we first met, I noticed you had a tail. Does your ancestry... have something to do with that?" She managed to ask as she was finding it hard to believe that her friend wasn't a human at all.
Goku took a deep breath. "Yes, it does."
Suno nodded her head and allowed her Saiyan friend to tell the rest of the story without any interruptions. She would normally take his hand and hold it to comfort him, but just sat there in silence due to her shock of the newfound information.
Gohan was preparing himself for another day of school. The half Saiyan had just finished eating a delicious meal his human mother had prepared for him. As soon as he was done, he told her that he left one of his textbooks in his bedroom, but that was just an excuse to check up on his little brother before leaving the house.
He bent down a little and peeked through the keyhole of his brother's bedroom door and saw that his younger brother was working on some homework his mother had assigned to him earlier this morning. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.
"Y-Yes?" Goten's soft voice could be heard.
Gohan pushed the door open and sat next to the little boy. He ruffled his brother's spiky black hair.
"What's up, little bro?" Gohan questioned. He still decided to ask him, despite the fact that he already knew how his brother was feeling at the moment.
"Nothing much... except Mommy's driving me crazy with all this homework. I just want to go outside and play. No, I want to leave this house." Goten spat out, crushing his pencil into two in the process. "I hate living with mommy. She's a control freak. I want to live with Daddy!"
Gohan wasn't surprised to hear his brother say that. His eyes briefly stared at the broken pencil and admittedly, he wasn't expecting his brother to break it but could understand the anger so there was no way he was going to scold him for doing that. Even if it was wrong.
He let out a sigh, all the while wondering if he should say this to him. In the end, he figured that it would help calm him down.
"Don't tell mother about this but I'm going to meet up with Dad after school today. I'm sorry I can't take you with me to meet him but we're going to find a way to fix things. I promise."
"Okay!"
After taking a brief glance at his wristwatch, Gohan gave his brother a quick hug before sorting out all of the books in his bag and making sure he had everything he needed. "I have to get to school on time. Remember, don't say anything about this to mom. She'll get upset if we even mention Dad's name. Don't worry about this. When this is over, we'll get to be with father. I know he would want us to come live with him again!"
Hope was filling within him once more. "Thanks a lot."
Gohan stood up from the wooden chair, grabbed his bookbags and headed out the door, his resolve strengthening with every minute that passed. He was going to make sure that things would work out in their favor and not his mother's.
As soon as his older brother was out the door, the little boy stared at the pencil he just snapped in half. A flash of fear then appeared on his face as he realized what might happen when his mother caught sight of it.
'Oh no, Mommy's going to kill me if she sees that I broke it. Then she'll give me an earful and then she'll also...'
He didn't want to think about the cruel things Chichi could possibly do to him. Taking the snapped pencil, Goten opened the window and tossed it outside before heading back to his seat.
Suno was completely stunned after she had heard the entire story from Goku. Neither of them were able to speak. He had told her about how he was found in the woods, hit on the head as a baby and raised by his Grandpa Gohan who then taught him martial arts. Followed by Master Roshi, Korin, King Kai, Kami and Mr Popo. He couldn't help but smile a little bit as he talked about what he had learned from all of them before telling his friend that three of his former teachers had the ability to see things from above.
She had heard everything. From when he first met his brother Raditz and found out about the Saiyans, from fighting Vegeta and Nappa, from heading to Namek and facing Frieza and his henchmen, to training on Yardrat and learning Instant Transmission, to training for the androids, training in the hyperbolic time chamber with Gohan and fighting Cell, and then dealing with Buu seven years later.
It was admirable to learn that her good friend sacrificed himself twice. The first time he died was to defeat his evil brother and the second time was to take down Cell even though he managed to survive that explosion on King Kai's planet. All of it was a mouthful to take in but after seeing the serious look in his eyes, she realizes that every word of it was true. There wasn't any possible reason why he would lie about this.
Not to mention that her best friend could transform into a Super Saiyan. He could transform. And she was even more curious to learn about the circumstances leading to his transformation.
Suno was about to ask him some questions about it when she noticed that he was avoiding eye contact with her and was just staring at a family picture on the wall. She could tell what he was thinking. He must have thought that she would turn against him just because he was a Saiyan and not a human like everyone else. No way.
There were some emotions she was feeling. Sadness, grief and sympathy at all the struggles he had been through over the years. But not anger or hatred towards him. It was hurting her to see her friend thinking that way.
She lifted a hand to touch his cheek.
"Hey, look at me."
The feel of her hand touching him as well as the sound of her soft voice was enough to turn his attention back to her. He could see that Suno was really concerned about him.
"What's important now is who you are. Not those past events. You must have thought that I would turn against you because you're a Saiyan, but that's not gonna happen. You're a good person. You always stick your heart out for others and you always want to help out when there's imminent danger. That's who you are. If your wife never showed you any gratitude for your heroic actions, then that's her loss. It just proves that she never deserved a wonderful person like you!"
Suno was letting out her feelings. Her voice remained firm and there was no sign of it faltering.
"I don't care if you're from an alien race. It's not going to stop me from lo-"
She stopped herself at the nick of time as she was about to say the word love. Her feelings really had to be put at the back of her head, knowing that Goku wasn't ready for that. He didn't need to be overwhelmed right now.
"We're friends. I'm not going to turn my back on you. Do you hear me? I could never despise you."
Goku just stared at Suno. He could see the fire in her eyes as she spoke. Her determination.
His human wife had never spoken like this before. She never said comforting words towards him as the only thing that woman really did was berate him or just insult him in front of their children. This wasn't the case with Suno as she hated seeing Goku in this kind of pain. She was trying to comfort him... to ease his worries.
Goku didn't realize that he needed this type of comfort until his reunion with Suno. She was one of the nicest women out there. He never got this treatment from Chichi but yet he was getting this from someone who wasn't his wife.
'I've made a decision. I'm not gonna leave her. I'm going to stay by her side. It's the least I can do for her after everything she's done for me.'
The Saiyan warrior didn't say anything as he looked at Suno again. He pulled her into a tight embrace and ran his hands through her red hair.
"Thank you so much. I needed that. I appreciate everything you're doing for me. You're one of the kindest people in my life." Goku said while he was embracing her.
"There's nothing you should thank me for." Suno replied, wrapping her arms around him as she returned the hug. "And while we're eating breakfast, you can tell the whole story to my parents and Eighter. They deserve to know as well."
"Don't worry, I'll tell them. Since you read my mind so well and knew that I was hiding something, I just decided to tell you first."
"No worries."
When they let go of their hug, there was a moment of silence between them. They both looked at each other before their lips slowly drew closer and closer.
Their little moment was interrupted when Kaiyo, Hiroshi and Eighter appeared. They had overheard the conversation and just like Suno, they didn't have second thoughts about their guest.
The two of them were startled and embarrassed by the interruption as they quickly untangled their arms from each other to address the three of them properly. Eighter just chuckled at the scene while the two parents just looked at each other in surprise. Kaiyo finally broke the silence with a smile.
"We were awake for awhile and we heard everything you told my daughter. It was a mouthful to take in, but we also don't think differently about you. You're a pure hearted person as my daughter just said. In fact, we admire the sacrifices you made in order to keep the earth and citizens safe."
"That's right, Goku." Hiroshi said in agreement.
"This doesn't change our opinion of you." Eighter added.
Goku looked at all three of them. It made him happy that he had their full support and right now, he wouldn't trade it for anything else.
"I thank you all. It really means a lot to me. And I was going to tell you all while we were eating but since you heard me talking, it seems like it's not necessary."
"It's okay."
With every second that passed, Suno was becoming more and more curious to learn as much as she could about her friend. Her curiosity was getting the better of her and she couldn't help but start pestering him with questions. "So Goku... ummm, you never told us how you first achieved Super Saiyan. How did it happen? What was it like transforming for the first time?"
The others came closer and sat down next to him on the sofa, wanting to know about everything as well.
He took a deep breath and began to explain the story. "The reason for that was because of my rage. Back on Namek, Frieza killed Krillin right in front of me. He literally made him explode. I just couldn't believe it. Then my anger started to consume me more and more until it finally came out as the Super Saiyan transformation."
Suno had a hand on her mouth in shock. "Oh my goodness... that monster killed your friend?"
Goku nodded. "Yeah, he did. But thankfully Krillin is alive now and is doing well for himself. I also have two more transformations beyond that. Super Saiyan Two and Super Saiyan Three."
"Did you achieve those through rage as well?" Eighter questioned.
"No, I didn't. Well actually, Gohan achieved his SSJ2 transformation through rage."
"And... how was it like for him?" Suno couldn't help but ask.
A chuckle escaped from his mouth. "I think that should wait until you meet Gohan. He can tell you how the experience was really like since he was the one to defeat Cell. But I didn't achieve my forms through anger like I did with SSJ. I got them from training in the otherworld."
"You were with King Kai in the otherworld, weren't you?" Kaiyo inquired.
"Exactly. For seven years after the defeat of Cell."
"And then you came back for that tournament." Hiroshi added.
"Yep. Baba only gave me one day on earth. Though the elder kai later gave his life to me so I could go and fight Majin Buu."
Suno smiled. "I'll bet you were really happy to see your family again."
Goku returned her smile as he remembered that fond memory. "Yeah. That was the day I first met Goten. I saw a little mini-me and I realized that he was my son."
"I'll bet he's an adorable little kid." Kaiyo said, imagining his physical appearance.
"He really is. He looks just like me when I was a kid. Except that he was much thinner than me at that age."
"Awww, it sounds like he really is adorable!" Suno gushed, wanting nothing more than to hold the child in her arms.
He laughed at her expression. "You'll see for yourself when you meet him."
They all just gave a smile at that. After they talked for a while longer Kaiyo addressed the android, remembering that there was something else which needed to be done. "Eighter, how would you like to help me with breakfast today?"
"Sure thing. I have no issues with that." He agreed.
"Are you sure the two of you can do it alone?" Suno asked them in concern. "It can get quite stressful making a lot of food in the kitchen."
"Honey, you don't have to help me today. Just spend time with Goku."
The way it was said startled the two friends. There was something in her mother's voice which Suno picked up on immediately and she could tell that her mother was implying something but she didn't know what.
"Y-Yeah, I guess we can spend some time together. What do you think?" He turned towards his redhaired friend and he was surprised to see her face as red as a tomato. "Are you okay?"
She snapped back to reality. "I'm fine. We can surely spend some time together. Maybe outside or we can just sit here and chat about other stuff!"
Goku scratched his head, not knowing which option to go with. "Well..." Then his stomach began to rumble which made them stifle a laugh. "I'd say we go outside, but I would rather not wander off while breakfast is being prepared!"
They all erupted into fits of laughter, not surprised at hearing that response from him. Eighter and Kaiyo excused themselves to the kitchen to get an early start on breakfast while Hiroshi walked off to the dining room to read the morning newspaper, leaving the two friends alone to do what they wanted together.
It didn't take them long to start a conversation. As she was stirring up a porridge on the stove, Kaiyo managed to turn her head back. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her only daughter was laying her head on Goku's shoulder and she could have sworn she heard them whispering.
She couldn't hear what they were saying due to how far away she was, but it was warming her heart to see how close they were becoming and could only hope that one day... Suno would get to be with the man of her dreams.
Little did she know, it might happen sooner than later.
Goku and Suno had finished eating breakfast and had taken a tour of the village together. They had talked with some of the residents for a while and Suno even showed her Saiyan friend an ice lake that wasn't far from where they were staying. He made a mental note to catch some fish there when he got the chance. Maybe he could do something to help these kind people if things become rough for them again.
'If there's a huge snowstorm again, I can help get some food supplies for these people. It won't be a problem at all with my strength!'
Despite the intense cold, Goku found Jingle Village to be extremely enjoyable and vowed to repay these residents for the immense kindness they showed him. He first needed to figure out how to approach this issue and set it in motion. There was one option that came to mind and if he approached this carefully, it could work. Perhaps he could try talking to some of the elderly people as well as the other residents and find out exactly what they needed, where to get the items from and getting it to them as quickly as possible. That seemed like the only plausible solution. But when should he carry it out?
Before he could think about it any further, they arrived back at the house. After knocking on the front door several times and receiving no response, the duo just decided to enter. Suno wobbled over to the nearest couch and wasted no time in sitting down as she could feel a great deal of exhaustion from all the walking they did.
Goku on the other hand, didn't feel tired at all and so he opted to stick around with his friend and take care of her. He took a seat on another empty sofa all the while wondering if he should get her a glass of water. She looked dehydrated and needed something to drink.
"I-I'm so tired..." Suno panted, her arms sprawled on the soft couch.
She wasn't surprised that Goku looked as okay as he did when they left and figured out the reason behind it. A quick look around revealed that there was no sign of her parents or Eighter around, but her eyes caught sight of a piece of paper lying on the dining table.
"Goku, can you please get that piece of paper for me?" Suno requested, not wanting to move a part of her body as she felt exhausted.
"Of course." The Saiyan could see that his friend was tired so he stood up and snatched the torn sheet without looking at what was written on it, figuring that it wasn't any of his business. He took a seat back at the living room sofa.
"Here."
She took it from Goku's hands and began to read what was written on it aloud.
Suno,
I decided to write you this short note in case you and Goku came back before us. Your father has gone off to work and Eighter and I are buying groceries from town to prepare supper. Don't worry about us. I'll be safe since Eighter provides good company and can easily handle any shady guys. We'll be home in a few hours.
Love Mom.
Goku shrugged. "Well, I guess we're the only ones here then."
"Yeah, we are."
Goku frowned at the way she said that. He was about to open his mouth to speak again when he heard his cellphone vibrating in his pants pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. It was Gohan. He let out a gasp, almost forgetting that his son was supposed to call him.
"Suno, excuse me. I have to take this call." Goku said to his friend hurriedly while the female just nodded her head in understanding.
The door was opened and Goku stood on the porch as he quickly answered his ringing cellphone. The voice of his son was heard clear as day.
"Hello Dad."
"Hey Gohan. Are you done with school?" Goku asked, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. His attention was on his son only and nothing else. Not even the blistering cold would stop him from hearing what his son needed to say.
"Yeah. I'm at Kami's Lookout now so you can come."
"Alright son, I'll be there. Please wait."
"Take your time, Dad." Gohan was trying hard to hide his excitement. He may be happy to see his father once again, but he wasn't going to allow him to rush through whatever he was doing. "Please take all the time you need."
"Don't worry, I'm on my way!"
After Goku hung up the phone, he stepped back inside the house. Suno was now in a laying position on the couch when she saw her friend re-enter the sitting area. Her head was buried deep into the pillow.
"What happened?" She asked, wanting to get up but wasn't finding the energy to do so. "Is everything okay?"
He eyed the tired woman on the couch before temporarily taking a seat next to her and intertwining their fingers together in a soft hold, making her blush a little.
"Gohan just called me and he said he's ready for us to meet. I would have loved for you to come along with me to meet him and my friends, but I know how exhausted you are so I'll let you get some rest."
It was taking every ounce of willpower she had to not blush at her hand being held by him. "That's fine. There are many other opportunities to meet them."
Goku simply nodded and removed his hand from hers before standing up and heading to his bedroom to take a quick shower. Next, he looked through his clothes for the appropriate clothing to wear. He eventually decided to wear a blue jacket with a shirt underneath it and a pair of jeans. He arrived back once he was sure he had everything.
"Alright Suno, I'm about to take off!" Goku said to his friend, ready to step out and meet up with his oldest son for the first time in two weeks.
"Take care!"
He gave her a thumbs up and headed out the door. Once he was outside, one thought just occurred to him.
'Should I fly or should I use Instant Transmission?'
Goku knew that using Instant Transmission would get him there in the blink of an eye but he had a lot of things to think about which he could do while he was flying. On the other hand... a smile came upon his face as he was about to do something he hadn't done in a very long time.
He gave a loud yell. "NIMBUS!"
Almost immediately, a yellow cloud appeared in front of the Saiyan. He looked on at it with a smile before hopping on it. The cloud soon took off into the skies at a fast pace, flying away from Jingle Village and into the busy cities.
The cloud flew through the sky and Goku enjoyed feeling the air against his cold skin. When he looked down, he could see multiple cities below him. He couldn't help but think about the times where he rode the Nimbus as a kid.
He remembered several times where he used to take Chichi rides on the flying nimbus when they were children and even when they were adults.
Speaking of her... the Saiyan grimaced when he thought about the woman who he was no longer living together with, but was still legally married to.
His soon to be ex-wife. He couldn't wait until he could finally start calling her his ex-wife. How was the divorce going to turn out? What events were going to occur?
What was going to happen to Gohan?
What will happen to Goten?
He shook his head, deciding not to think about that until he arrived at his destination.
The Nimbus Cloud was soon reaching Kami's Lookout. The sight of his friends was surely going to be a pleasant sight to see considering how he had been ignoring them and started living in a world of his own. A world where he wanted to do everything on his own... a world where he was alone with nobody around to help him.
Everyone present at the scene turned their heads around when they sensed a very familiar energy level approaching them. As soon as he saw everyone standing there and waving at him, Goku jumped off of the cloud and gave them that goofy grin they hadn't seen in a while.
"Hey guys. Long time no see!"
Bulma, Vegeta, Yamcha, Krillin, Android 18, Tienshinhan, Master Roshi, Piccolo, Dende, Mr. Popo, and even Mr Satan and Buu were there after Videl filled them on what was happening. And lastly, his own flesh and blood..
"GOKU!"
He gave them all a big smile. Bulma ran to him and was the first to wrap her arms around him in an embrace.
"Oh my goodness... Where have you been!?" She sobbed into his shoulder and gave him a bone crushing hug. He normally would have found it uncomfortable when someone gave him a hug that was tight, but today he decided to deal with it.
"I've missed you so much. It feels like it's been forever since we last spoke."
"I missed you too Bulma.." The guilt was starting to come back to him as he held his childhood friend in his arms. Although she had visited him once in his home, he still yearned for her presence.
He let go of his blue haired friend, grabbed both of her shoulders gently and looked at her.
"I'm here now."
"I know.."
"It's good to see you again, buddy!" Yamcha cheered at the sight of his friend, clapping his back.
Everyone except Vegeta took turns in hugging Goku. The Saiyan could clearly see how much they all missed his presence and how they missed him being himself. He exchanged pleasantries with Dende and Mr Popo warmly and they in turn gave him a smile.
And lastly, Father and Son locked eyes with each other. The two of them stared at each other intensely before Gohan started moving slowly towards Goku without saying a word until he was in front of him. He pulled him into a hug while letting a few tears slide down his cheeks.
The older Saiyan wasted no time in embracing his son. He almost wanted to cry but he didn't.
"I've missed you, Dad." Gohan said while hugging him, resting his chin on his father's shoulder. "I almost thought I would never see you again since that day.."
"I missed you too, son. I'm here right now." Goku said in a whisper as he rubbed his son's back while tightening their embrace.
He really missed his son's presence. After not seeing his son in almost three weeks, he finally had the opportunity to see him again. He was here, and he was in his arms once again.
The two of them looked at each other a moment longer before they let go of their hug.
Krillin was the first to break the silence. "So... how have things been going for you Goku?"
"Great, I suppose."
The flash of guilt appeared on his face again, remembering what he needed to do. "Before we get down to business, I owe you all an apology. I'm sorry for the way I treated all of you since this happened, with Chichi and I separating."
Goku paused for a moment as he was struggling to find the right words to use. He then felt his son's hand touch his shoulder, and looked back into Gohan's eyes. They didn't say anything, but he could tell that his son was reassuring him to say what was on his mind. The two nodded heads once more before the Saiyan spoke again.
He quickly wiped a tear from his eye. "I... I kept pushing you guys away when all of you were trying to help me. I needed time alone to think things through. I needed to get my thoughts together but I treated you guys so harshly. Neither of you deserved that. As a Saiyan, I shouldn't be showing such weak emotions and I was acting all depressed over this. Over the fact that I lost Chichi, Gohan and Goten. Can you all find it in your hearts to forgive me? I didn't know what came over me at the time."
He looked away from them in shame of his own actions. There was silence among the group until Yamcha spoke, catching his attention.
"Goku, there are no hard feelings. We knew you needed time to yourself but we also needed to make sure you were alright. It hurt seeing you refuse our help, but we understood that this was difficult for you. We'll always give you our full support no matter what!"
Videl chimed in, putting a hand on the Saiyan's shoulder. "Yamcha's right. We're all here for you."
Eighteen managed to crack a smile. "So am I. I'll do everything I can to help." Despite her harsh personality, the android had shown a softer side to her since she married Krillin and had their daughter Marron.
"Me as well." Piccolo replied. Even though he and Goku didn't always act like they were friends, the Namekian was sympathetic towards their new found situation.
"Don't forget about us!" Hercule Satan spoke up. Despite taking credit for beating Cell seven years ago, Mr Satan proved to have a good heart as he convinced everyone else to give Goku energy for the spirit bomb that beat Kid Buu.
"Buu here for you too!"
"I can't believe I'm saying this Kakarot, but you can count me in on this as well." Vegeta said while managing to form a smile at his former rival.
After everyone gave their words of encouragement, Goku could do nothing else but look at them. To have their reassurance that they all had his back was enough to put a smile on his face. He made a mental note to never push them away through difficult times. What were friends for?
"So Gohan..." Goku scratched the back of his head while he was looking at his son. "You didn't sound alright when we talked on the phone last night."
"Yeah, things aren't going well at home and with Goten." Gohan confessed, clenching his fist upon remembering the horrid treatment his little brother had been going through at the hands of their mother.
"What's going on with him?"
He sighed before speaking once more.
"He keeps asking about you. Every time he asks mother for permission to visit you, she snaps and makes him study in his room all day as punishment. Goten barely gets to eat any food and he's not even allowed to go outside and have fun. We figured that mom is up to something and I have no idea what it is, but we believe that it has to do with the upcoming divorce. We think she might be trying to twist things around and make you look like a horrible person in front of the judge."
Goku was shocked at this revelation as it this was something he hadn't thought about since then. So this is what Chichi could potentially do? Make him look like the bad one when he really isn't? And the way she's treating Goten? How could she?
"Damn it... I didn't think about this at all." He grimaced as both of his hands were clenched into fists. "I was so angry about everything that happened that it didn't cross my mind that Chichi would go this far to get what she wants and in the process, she would make me look like a terrible father. The way she's treating Goten is inexcusable and it sounds to me like she's trying to turn him into her personal slave!"
Bulma put a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. "Hey, don't think horribly about yourself. Despite all the mistakes you made, we all think you were a great father to Goten. He looks up to you."
Goku gave his friend a smile at her words. "I know that."
"The biggest problem now is Goten, and the reason why he's the problem is..." Bulma was cut off by Goku, who already knew what she was going to say.
"Obtaining sole custody of him." If he hadn't been learning so much over the years, then trying to figure that out would have been very hard.
"Exactly." Bulma responded with a nod. "The divorce proceedings itself will be easy since both you and Chichi want the divorce but since Goten is still a child, the court has to make a decision on which parent will get custody of him since he's not old enough to live on his own. We have to get around Chichi since we already know she could end up pulling a few strings to get what she wants. Her plan is most likely to make you look bad while making herself look good so she can get custody of Goten with possibly no visitation rights for you."
Gohan chose that moment to speak wanting to motivate him even further.
"Dad, I had a talk with Goten this morning and he says that he hates living with mother and even referred to her as a control freak. If he doesn't like living with her, then you should win custody of him. I and everyone else here think you're more than capable of taking care of him and giving the love that a child should receive from their parent. What do you say? Do you want sole custody?"
Goku closed his eyes, trying to think about what his older son just said. He loved Goten so much and he would never give his son up for the universe. Chichi wanted custody of him but was he going to allow that? She thought he was a shitty father but he knew he wasn't. He wasn't perfect but he did his very damn best, no matter what the Ox Princess thought of him.
They all seemed to believe that he could do it, but did he believe in himself? After that conversation he had with Suno today, he was certain that he could overcome any obstacles laid out for him in court. He wanted a chance at raising his youngest son as he was confident he could take care of him better than his wife could ever do. Goku would care for his precious son. His love for him was overwhelming.
Everyone present began to get worried as Goku wasn't saying anything. Tien took a step closer and asked, "Are you..." The three-eyed warrior didn't get a chance to finish his question as Goku began to speak once more.
A confident smile then appears on his face. "As long as I live, Chichi won't be hurting Goten any longer. You all wanna know why?"
"Tell us Kakarot."
"Because I'm going to get sole custody of him. I'm going to fight for my son and free him from the chains that woman placed on him. I'm certain that I can do a better job at raising Goten than that piece of trash could ever do. Now someone please tell me what normally happens during divorce and custody hearings. Just like I do in battle, I'm going to kick Chichi's pathetic ass in court!"
There were smiles on the lookout. Vegeta wasn't showing it but he was happy for his former rival, knowing that he had the power to get through this. Bulma almost cried tears of joy. Same with Gohan since he knew deep down that his father would want to live a happy life with the little boy.
"Now that's the Goku we know and love." Master Roshi said, genuinely proud of his former student.
Bulma took the initiative to explain, being the most knowledgeable on this stuff. "Most divorce cases will go off like this. When you are about to enter a courtroom, you have to leave a good impression. This means that you have to dress appropriately since people are going to judge you based on what you're wearing."
He nodded his head in understanding. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of dressing do I have to wear?"
"Something a little fancy. A dark suit and a tie would fit best." The blue haired scientist answered and began to chuckle at his look. "Come on, wearing a suit isn't that bad!"
Goku didn't feel pleased at hearing that, but he was going to suck it up. "I don't have a suit, which means I have to do the one thing I hate doing the most. Shopping. But..." He paused for a moment to consider his next words. "I'm willing to endure hours of going to malls or department stores if it means I have to look my best. What else do I have to consider? I'm willing to go through any risks if it means being with my son in the end!"
The Saiyan was being absolutely serious with his words. He loved Goten very much and he was going to take any kinds of risks if it meant his son would be by his side again... if it meant he would live a happy life with him again.
Gohan was proud of his father. He was going to help as much as he possibly could. Every person here on Kami's Lookout knew how serious he is.
"Also Goku," Eighteen spoke up. "Don't get into an argument with Chichi in the courtroom. No matter what she says, just keep your mouth shut. You'll get the chance to defend yourself, but they're likely going to study your demeanor which may be a contributing factor to you getting full custody of Goten."
Goku nodded his head. "If Chichi were to say something potentially nasty towards me, I have to keep quiet unless I'm given the opportunity to speak. Am I right?"
"Exactly." The blonde android was pleased that he was understanding the whole thing with no trouble at all. It was clear that the Saiyan father wasn't as dense and stupid as he thought he was. He had learned a lot over the years and it was helping him grow as a person.
Goten was still sitting behind his desk, trying as fast as he could to finish his homework. After breaking that pencil and throwing it out the window, he had taken out another one and resumed his work but there was a problem, which would soon get him screwed over.
He was nowhere near done with his assignments.
His mother was elsewhere making phone calls and the youngest half Saiyan had a pretty good idea as to what it was all about. But who was she talking to?
Soon enough, she hung up the phone and a few seconds later, the little boy could hear footsteps nearing closer to his room and was well aware that he was screwed as he wasn't even halfway done with his homework and then after that, he had to study using a large amount of textbooks he never even read through before.
The little boy tried to pretend as if he was working and then the door slammed open.
There Chichi was, wearing that usual no nonsense look on her face. When she spoke, her voice matched her expression that it scared him to no end. "Goten, I hope you've finished that homework I gave you earlier. I don't want to hear any kind of bullshit excuses from you!"
The Ox Princess sat beside her son and began to take a look through his homework. A ballpoint pen was in her hand as she was grading his work. A gulp escaped from the little boy as he was watching her grade all of his work. It seemed like she was impressed with his performance at first, but that was only in the beginning. As she was marking off his answers with the red pen, she was starting to frown a bit. And the boy knew that he wasn't seeing things. She was making further progress. In other words, she would soon see his blank answer sheets.
Goten braced himself since he knew he wasn't going to be let off the hook. His mother was going to give him the biggest shouting session of his life and it wasn't going to be pretty. He hoped that he would get a small compliment from her about how he managed to at least get some of his test answers done correctly. But apparently, that was too much to ask for. He never received compliments from her, but only insults about how incompetent he was.
As she was looking through everything, the expression on Chichi's face turned into one of confusion, disbelief, disappointment and last but not the least? Anger. Those weren't exactly the choice of words Goten would use to describe how his mother was feeling right now. Her emotions were beyond anger.
"Goten..." Chichi growled. Her voice had a really sharp edge to it as she was on the verge of exploding. "You haven't even finished HALF OF YOUR DAMN HOMEWORK!"
"I'm so sorry mommy, it was too much for me to finish in such a short period of time. I'll try harder next time..."
Goten was close to sobbing as he was afraid of his mother's yelling. It was enough to make one bow down to her, to obey her every command. He wished he had gone with Gohan to see his father. Why did he have to be the one to endure his mother's nonstop screeching?
"You'll try harder next time, huh? You fall behind on your homework unless Gohan were helping you. Well guess what, Mr Useless? Your older brother isn't here so you're going to finish this homework WITHOUT HIM!" Chichi shouted into his ear while pulling it hard, making Goten wish that he was deaf so he didn't have to hear any more.
When he looked into his mother's stone-cold eyes, he could tell that she was being absolutely serious. Her face was red with absolute fury and she looked like she wanted to kill her son right then and there. Up until now, he had never been this afraid of her. It made him want to crawl in a corner somewhere and beg for forgiveness but that would make him look even more pathetic than he was now.
Tears were now streaming down the little one's face. "No, it's not like that mommy..." His body was shaking violently from fear. He could hear his rapid heartbeat as whatever his mother was about to do to him was inescapable.
The human woman simply laughed in his face, not believing that even for a second. She noticed that her son was terrified and was finding pleasure in seeing him that way.
"You were thinking about your good for nothing father weren't you? He's a stupid, idiotic person who can't even do the simplest of instructions, let alone take care of a family. He abandoned us for seven years and he was constantly leaving us to train all the time. Do you really want someone like that to raise you?"
"You're wrong mommy..." Goten said, while trying to stop his crying. The words left his mouth before he could stop them. He told himself over and over again that he would never talk back to his mother so that he didn't face her wrath, but today was not one of those times.
"Daddy doesn't behave like the kind of person you make him out to be. He's one of the most kind-hearted people I've ever met and to see you downplay him like that is just... it's just disrespectful. Gohan told me stories about how he saved the earth multiple times and I admire him for doing just that. We should be out training for the next big threat to the earth and not sitting down here doing all this useless work which is definitely not going to get me anywhere when this planet is destroyed!"
Chichi's mouth dropped open at the small rant from her son. Goten actually had the guts to talk back at her? How dare he!? Without warning, the angry mother raised a hand and slapped her son across the face twice, causing him to cry even harder.
"Next time think twice before talking back at me, stupid brat. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?" The angry human screeched. When she didn't receive any answer from him, she pulled into his ear even harder than the first time. "I DEMAND AN ANSWER WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!"
Goten still refused to speak to his mother, choosing to look out the window instead. This obviously infuriated her as she turned Goten's face around and slapped him again so hard.
Next, she clenched her hand into a fist and gave him a nerve wracking punch to the face, causing him to fall to the floor in shock. His body felt frozen as he couldn't bring himself to dodge his mother's punch. It was just too much as he felt the wind being knocked out of him.
He let out some violent coughs until saliva started dripping from the corners of his mouth and started splattering onto the floor, but the Ox Princess didn't seem to care about that and only the incomplete homework.
Chichi looked down at her son as if he were a disgrace. "Finish the rest of your fucking homework, and stop thinking about your deadbeat father. I'll see to it that you'll never see him again because I'm going to file for a divorce and get full custody of you. It will all happen soon!" A twisted smile formed as she saw him release a weak and painful cough.
Goten could see the smirk on his mother's face as he laid next to the small puddle of thick and gooey saliva. She was planning something. But what could it be?
As soon as Chichi reached the door, she turned back to face her youngest son with an evil smile, having no intentions of letting him off the hook so easily.
"Oh and by the way? As a severe punishment for your attitude just now, you won't be eating lunch or dinner. You're going to stay in here and finish ALL your homework and you'll study afterwards. Am I understood? You are NOT going outside this door! If you don't finish your homework, I might even have to cut your sleeping hours and make you work throughout the night!"
Chichi then stepped out the door and slammed it shut, leaving Goten all by himself. The Saiyan boy slowly rose up from the floor despite being in so much pain. One hand was on his stomach as he forced himself not to scream. He took slow steps back to his desk and took a pencil while trying to withstand the pain and not scream during his time alone in this hot, stuffy room. He wouldn't want his mother to start thinking that he was throwing a tantrum over doing all this ridiculous amount of work.
He was extremely horrified at his mother's words. Cutting his sleeping hours? Doing work during a time where everyone was supposed to be asleep?
'This isn't fair. This isn't fair at all... I-I can't live under these conditions. Mommy's a crazy slave driver...'
He could see tears dropping down on his homework sheets as he could do nothing but cry silently at this terrible treatment. With his hands shaking, Goten tried to get a firm grip on the pencil he was using and attempted to focus on the work in front of him but he couldn't.
All he wanted was to do something which wasn't related to studying. Whether it was to lie down, or go to Capsule Corp and play with Trunks. Unfortunately, if his mother saw him lying around and doing nothing, she would double the punishment she already gave him.
Due to his Saiyan hearing, Goten was able to hear his mother's voice nearby. It appeared to him as if she was talking to somebody. Deciding to listen in on this particular conversation, he stood up from his chair, tiptoed towards the door and silently opened it.
There, he saw his mother sitting on the living room couch making a phone call. One hand was laying on the armrest while the other was holding her cellphone. But what really scared him was the sadistic smile that creeped it's way onto his mother's face.
"Are things going according to the plan?" He heard his mother ask.
"My soon to be ex husband isn't going to see this coming. He's stupid and never had an education. That man doesn't know how to care for a child. You think I'm letting him get custody of MY SON!?" Chichi screamed into the phone like a crazed animal. "Bullshit!"
'Doesn't know how to care for a child? Daddy showed that he cares more about me than you ever did. I'd rather live with him than live with you.'
"He's going to be thrown under the bus. I'm going to fake my emotions, make up my stories and convince the court that I'm the better parent than that man. And then I'll have full custody of Goten with NO visitation rights from my ex!" Chichi then gave a maniacal laugh, which reminded Goten of an evil villain. "Goku doesn't give a damn about that stupid brat but I do!"
Goten clenched his fists. He couldn't hear what the other person was saying but his mother was clearly crazy. Who did she think she was to disrespect his father like that? Goku was a better person than she ever was.
The woman looked up at the ceiling with a smirk as she used a finger to twirl a strand of her hair.
"Why don't we meet up later tomorrow and discuss things? Just give me directions to your place. There's no need to worry, I'll pay you back for this. My father is the Ox King. He is LOADED with money. You don't need to worry about a thing. In fact, he bought the house that I'm currently living in with my sons. Alright, I'll see you then. Things are definitely looking up for me!"
Chichi hung up the phone and gave a smile. It wasn't a kind hearted smile which would put a person's worries at ease. But rather, it was one that showed...
Pure Evil and Bloodlust.
Goten quietly slipped back into his room before his mother noticed his presence. As soon as the door was closed, he clenched his small fists.
Any respect he had for his so called mother had quickly dissipated after what he just heard. What happened to his mother... the woman who raised him for seven years? She changed completely. Sure, Chichi was horrible before but now she was even worse.
He needed to tell Gohan about this but his brother wasn't home and plus, he couldn't do it when his mother was in the house since she would most likely overhear their conversation and act accordingly. Something needed to be done about her right away.
'Daddy, I wanna live with you. I love you so much. More so than that evil witch!'
He grabbed his pencil and began working on the rest of his assignments even though he was having trouble concentrating due to what he just overheard. He couldn't concentrate. His opinion of his "mother" had changed drastically. The only thing he felt for her was...
Hatred. Pure Hatred.
Goku was starting to understand the gist of what was being explained to him. He was going up against his soon to be ex-wife, except that this wasn't going to be a martial arts fight. This was going to be a fight of who gets custody of their youngest son.
The slightly nervous Saiyan had to be smart about this. If he made one wrong move in the court, it could forever ruin his chances of getting full custody of Goten. If Chichi got custody of their son, he might be able to be granted generous visitation rights as Bulma explained but it wouldn't be the same as having his son there all the time with him. His wife accused him of being a bad father to his sons and he had to provide evidence that she was wrong in every possible way.
"Goku, I know it's a handful for you to take in, but everything we explained will surely be useful." Krillin assured his friend.
"I know that, that's why I have to play my cards safely. One screw up and I might never be able to see Goten again. I'm not going to let that happen. I have to think about the negative things Chichi has done to the family without revealing my true origins, otherwise the judge will pass it off as a joke. This is going to be hard but I have to try."
Goku was trying to sound as confident as possible, but he couldn't deny that he was somewhat afraid of what could possibly happen in court especially since he was aware that his wife could be a manipulative bitch. The explanations made things clearer for him, so now what was left for him to do was to mentally prepare himself and hope for the very best. Goku was sounding confident for the most part, but he still had his doubts.
"Goku." Mr Popo began to talk calmly. "You must have faith in yourself and you'll get through this. Chichi is a huge obstacle you have to overcome."
He gave a slight smile at those words. "I know that. It's a mouthful to take in, but I believe I can do it."
Before anyone could say anything, Goku's stomach began to rumble and that was when he remembered that he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast time. He felt slightly embarrassed for this happening when they were discussing a serious situation.
"Is there any food here, Mr Popo?" He asked while scratching his head nervously.
Everyone was chuckling at Goku's antics. It appeared the current situation didn't affect his overgrowing love for food. Gohan could do nothing but grin at his father who responded by doing the same.
Goku could be seen devouring plates of food Mr Popo had set in front of him. The Z fighters simply watched as he ate, not wanting to interrupt him. They weren't all that surprised he could eat that much given that they have all seen him consume a lot before. Sometimes they would find it revolting but today they didn't mind it. He finally set aside his last plate and quickly used a napkin to wipe his mouth as it was covered in food crumbs.
"It's getting late, isn't it?" Goku asked as he looked up at the night sky. He could see the stars that were beginning to appear. He really needed to get home as he was sure that a certain female was staying up past her bedtime waiting for him.
"Yeah Dad." Gohan answered, feeling somewhat dejected. It was time for his father to leave. The half-Saiyan didn't really want him to leave, but it was getting late and he was sure that his father would want to catch up on some much needed rest.
"Thanks guys for the support you've been giving me." Goku said to everyone with a smile. "I appreciate it."
"Hey Goku..." Eighteen was now wondering about this even though the blonde android was unaware this same topic had been brought up at Capsule Corp. "Have you ever thought about letting someone else into your life?"
"What do you-" Goku was about to ask and then he realized what she truly meant. "I really don't know about that. It's way too early to be in another relationship."
Deep down in his heart, he had a feeling that he already found this special someone but couldn't figure out who it was. Even then, he didn't know if it was wise to enter another relationship when he hasn't appeared in court. How could he know for sure? He didn't know how, but his instincts were telling him that.
"Dad." Gohan spoke up, causing the older Saiyan to become more attentive. "If you ever decide to start dating, we won't stop you. You should do what will truly make you happy again. You deserve true happiness not just with me and Goten, but with your real companion." He knew his father wasn't happy being married to his mom as she treated the whole family like trash but he was also aware that it wasn't too late for him to find love.
"Gohan's right about that one." Piccolo agreed. He may not understand a lot about human relationships, but he at least wanted his old enemy to find someone who was much better than her in every way.
Goku would be lying to himself if he said he was expecting to hear that from his friends. But he knew that they all wanted the best for him even if it was going to take time for it to happen. The Saiyan then turned his attention back at his eldest son which almost brought him to tears with how supportive he was. Without thinking, he walked towards Gohan and pulled him into a fierce, warm and protected hug. The teenager felt like he was in good hands as his father's arms were around him tightly.
"Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me. Maybe I'll find another woman when I'm ready, but for now you and your brother are my top priority." He didn't know what it felt like not being in a toxic relationship. He didn't know what it felt like being loved by someone and returning that same love. Maybe his true soulmate was out there and it was only a matter of time until he found her and began an actual relationship with her. As for how things will go down, he had no idea. He just had to be patient and see what the future had in store for him. 'They're right, I deserve to have a real partner. She must be somewhere. Perhaps I'll find her someday.'
He knew everyone wanted the best for him but to hear his own son voice those thoughts made him the happiest man alive. They let go of the hug, allowing themselves to breathe a little bit as that embrace had been a little too tight for the both of them.
"No problem Dad. You may have lost mother, but you still have me and Goten. This situation doesn't change our opinion about you. We both love you very much as your precious sons."
Goku pulled him into another tight embrace as if his life depended on it. "Thanks a lot. I don't know what I did to deserve two wonderful sons like you and Goten." He really meant that and would never ever backtrack on those words. The Saiyan father beamed brightly at his son before releasing him and firmly grabbing him by the shoulders. "When this divorce is over, things will go back to the way they were. We'll do camping, fishing, training and we can even fool around just like we used to do. It'll be just you, me and your brother."
Gohan returned his father's smile, liking the positivity he was displaying so far. "You can do this, Dad. Goten and I believe in you. I can't wait for us to go back to Mount Paozu and live a happy life together."
"We all have faith in you." Dende said encouragingly. "Believe in yourself and you can get through this."
Goku still couldn't believe just how much support he had from his friends and his wonderful sons. When he finally found his voice again, it was filled with so much appreciation. "I don't know what I would have done without you guys." He was truly grateful of the support they were giving him. Everybody was on his side and he knew that with their combined efforts, he would get through this. He wasn't alone in this.
Goku soon found himself calling the Flying Nimbus and watched as the yellow cloud was approaching the Lookout. He was about to hop on the cloud and head back home when Bulma called out to him.
"Wait up!"
His ears perked up and he turned to the sight of his blue-haired friend. "I'll be organizing a get together party very soon. It should help lighten up your mood about this whole situation. Will you be able to make it?"
"I'll be there." Goku answered while giving her a wide smile. "I wouldn't miss that for the world."
"Kakarot, you should stop by so we can have an intense sparring match." Vegeta spoke up as he stared at the younger Saiyan. "It's been a while since we had an all out battle."
Goku couldn't help but give his former rival a smirk, pumping his fist in the air out of excitement. "I'll be looking forward to it and when that time comes, I'm not going to hold anything back. It's going to be the most painful sparring session of our lives so you better be prepared!"
The Saiyan Prince cracked a smile at that as he was glad his former rival was slowly beginning to turn back into his old self again after everything that happened.
Goku then jumped onto the Nimbus cloud and looked everyone in the eye. When he saw Gohan smiling at him, he wasted no time in giving a thumbs up before saying, "Until we meet again guys!"
They watched him as he took off into the sky until he couldn't be seen anymore. Then something occurred to Krillin. "Wait a minute..."
"What is it?" Yamcha asked.
"We never asked Goku where he was staying after he left Mount Paozu."
"You're right..." Roshi muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. "That's actually true. Where could he be staying right now?"
"Should it really matter where Kakarot is staying at the moment?" Vegeta asked the two as he stared at them intently. They both gulped, finding the gaze of the Saiyan Prince to be intimidating as they both nervously shook their heads.
Goku had just jumped off the Nimbus cloud after it reached his destination and began to walk back to the house. He started to quicken his pace, seeing that the weather was becoming a lot colder and his vision was almost blocked by the snowflakes in his path. The dim lights in the nearby cottages didn't help him see any better. As soon as he reached the house, he quickly knocked on the door and waited for an answer. He was starting to shiver and almost couldn't see anything. Footsteps could be heard approaching the door and the next thing he knew, it was open.
He was delighted when he saw who had opened the door for him. Suno stood in the doorway wearing her pyjamas and was smiling at him in relief. "Goku, you're back. I was wondering why you were taking so long!"
She looked past him for a moment and frowned as she saw that the weather was really terrible. There was no way she was going to allow her friend to stay outside any longer. Turning her attention back to him, she addressed him in concern. "The weather is a lot colder than usual. You should come inside before it becomes unbearable!"
The red haired woman stepped out of the way, giving the Saiyan enough room to enter. Suno shut the door once Goku was safely inside the house. He was starting to feel a lot warmer when he stepped inside and he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"Are you okay?" She asked him.
"Yes, I'm fine." Goku said with a smile as he walked towards her, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into a soft embrace, his strong arms around her securely. "How did your day go?"
"My day went well..." Suno murmured as she soon found herself returning his hug, snuggling her head into his chest. "I was helping my mother prepare dinner when she and Eighter returned from town with the groceries."
Goku released his friend from their hug and looked at her softly. "That's great, and I'm sorry if I made you worry."
"Hey, don't dwell on that anymore." Suno shrugged off his apology, gently grabbing onto his hand. "It's okay."
The human woman quickly let go of his hand after realizing that she was holding it. This action confused the Saiyan but he didn't say anything about it.
"Would you like me to serve you dinner?" She offered, gesturing towards the food sitting on the dining table. "I'm sure you're hungry after a long day outside."
"Thanks, but I just had a mouthful of food before I came back here." Goku said in his happy go lucky voice, patting his satisfied stomach. "I don't think I can take any more food this evening!"
Suno nodded at him in understanding. "That's fine."
"Sweetheart, who is it at the door?"
Kaiyo could be seen stepping out of her bedroom and into the sitting area. When she noticed the Saiyan, she gave him a warm smile. "Oh Goku. I didn't realize you were back. When Eighter and I arrived home, Suno told me you had left to go and meet up with your son. I suppose your journey was a smooth one?"
"It was. I was just discussing the divorce case with my friends and my eldest son Gohan." Goku couldn't contain his excitement anymore as he told both women what decision he made. "I love my son Goten very much and I believe I can take care of him very well. That's why I'm going to get sole custody of him, and when I succeed in doing so... I will move back into my house in Mount Paozu and live with him there."
At first, he wasn't sure when he was returning or if he would ever return, but now that he had his talk with Gohan and the others on Kami's Lookout, he was definitely going to move back once he freed Goten from Chichi's clutches.
Both Mother and Daughter were delighted to hear that. They had great faith that everything would turn out well in the end and he would soon be reunited with his two boys he held dear to his heart.
"That's great, Goku. We both know you can do it." Kaiyo encouraged, patting his shoulder.
"That's wonderful news!" Suno cheered for her friend. "You'll get custody of Goten. You have the support of your friends and your beloved sons!"
Goku couldn't help but smile at them. Ever since he arrived here in Jingle Village, these two had been supportive of him. If anything, he knew that he owed them for standing by him through his most difficult times.
The old woman could sense something else in her daughter. She could tell there was something bothering her and she already knew what it was after that conversation she had with her husband.
Now was the time to have a talk with her about it.
"Why don't you go to your room and rest?" Kaiyo suggested to him as a way to get him to his room so she could have a private talk with her daughter. "You've had a long journey. Don't let us keep you up."
Goku scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, you're right about that. I'll take another shower and go to sleep."
After saying goodnight to Suno and her mother, Goku headed to his room. He could hear the sound of utensils on the dining table as well as the refrigerator opening and he assumed that the leftover food was being placed in the fridge.
As soon as he was lying on his bed, he thought about everything that had happened today. The custody battle for Goten will be tough, but he was going to get full custody of his son whether Chichi liked it or not. Everybody was with him on this and it made him happy knowing that he had their support. No matter what happens, he was going to succeed.
Another thing that had been lingering on his mind was something Eighteen had said to him while he was still at the lookout.
"Have you ever thought about letting someone else into your life?"
Why did he have this feeling that he already found this special person? He had been here in Jingle Village for three days and during this time, he never left to see another woman. Well, he did spend time with some of the female residents but it wasn't for too long and that alone had him convinced it wasn't one of them. If he found his true companion, who was she?
If he were being honest with himself, it was killing him on the inside. The thought of having already found his true love when the divorce and custody hearing hadn't even happened yet was making him feel conflicted. He was supposed to prepare for that day, so why on earth was he thinking about another woman?
"Is everything okay, sweetheart?"
"Yeah Mom, everything's fine."
Goku was able to pick up on some voices from the living room thanks to his Saiyan hearing and he knew those voices belonged to Suno and her mother. He didn't understand why, but something at the back of his mind was instinctively telling him to go and listen in on whatever it was they were discussing.
Little did he know, he was going to discover something which would change his life.
He quietly moved to the exit door and silently opened it, wasting no time in heading to the living room. Once in view of the whole sitting area, he moved out of sight from the two women by taking cover behind a huge potted plant and listened to their conversation.
The first thing he saw was Kaiyo patting her daughter's back. It seemed as if she was upset about something."Suno honey, please tell me. What's wrong?"
"Mom, what are you talking about? I'm totally fine." She was trying as hard as she could to laugh this off.
"No you aren't." Her mother said sternly. "I can tell when something's on your mind. Since Goku mentioned moving back into his home after he got custody of his son, I could tell something was wrong!"
This caused Goku to frown. Suno was bothered by him moving back to Mount Paozu after getting custody of Goten? But why? Wasn't she happy for him?
"Alright, you got me..." She sighed. What else could she say especially when her mother could read her like a book? She had no other choice but to tell her mother the truth. The problem was with her feelings towards Goku.
After keeping it a secret for so many years, she had to come clean and there was nothing she could do to get out of this. Now she had no idea how to open up to her own family about something she kept to herself for so long. What was her own mom going to think?
"To be honest with you, I've had a crush on Goku ever since we met as children. I couldn't stop thinking about him ever since then. When we reunited again in West City, those feelings just resurfaced. The more we spent time together, the stronger my feelings for him became. That crush I had on Goku... it turned into love. Mom, I'm in love with him."
There, she finally said it and was now trying to hold back her tears. Kaiyo wasn't really surprised to hear this since she figured that out already but knew that she had to console her only daughter. A hand was on her back comfortingly while trying to figure out the right words to use.
"Suno, I didn't know about this. There was that one moment back when you saved Goku from that snowstorm. You asked me, 'Can we keep him?' I think those feelings were there since then. I thought you were only just excited about having him stay with us, but I believe that was just a slight hint of your feelings. And there was that one moment you and Goku stared at each other while we were getting breakfast ready."
Silence ensued and then Kaiyo gave a sigh, hating the fact that she had to say this to her daughter.
"Perhaps you should wait until Goku's divorce and custody hearing is sorted out and see if he shows any signs of having those same feelings for you before you tell him how you really feel."
"That's what I was thinking..." Suno took out a handkerchief and began wiping tears falling from her eyes.
"What kind of person would I be if I just confessed to Goku while he's going through a difficult time? I don't want to tell him now because I'm afraid of ruining the friendship we have. I don't want to end up hurting him. I have to put his feelings first before my own, even if it's going to hurt me for a long time."
Kaiyo put her arms around her crying daughter in a soothing way. She had never seen her so distressed like this.
"Your father and I did have a talk yesterday about you having possible feelings for Goku. We both agreed that if you want to be with him, you should, if he truly makes you happy. But maybe you should wait and see if Goku starts sharing those same feelings since he might not... feel the same way about you just yet."
Suno gave a light sigh, her shoulders slumped dejectedly while her mother's arms were around her.
"You're right. I have to wait a while. But at the same time, I feel like I shouldn't wait too long because if Goku goes back to his home, I would be left all alone battling my feelings because I wasn't able to confess to him."
Kaiyo could do nothing but continue to embrace her daughter, knowing how sad she felt at the moment.
"Honey, let's see how things play out between you two. Okay?"
"Alright. If you say so..."
Goku slipped out of his hiding spot behind the potted plant and went straight to his bedroom, being careful not to alert the two women that he was eavesdropping on their conversation. Back in his room once more he sat down on his bed, not focusing his attention on anything else. Not even the piles of dirty clothes he kept inside the laundry basket which were in dire need of washing. His attention was on only one thing.
Nothing could describe the shock he was in right now. He was just completely stunned by every single word he just heard. Suno was deeply in love with him. Not only was she in love with him, but his friend had those feelings for him ever since they met as children for the first time.
He then remembered that feeling he had of having found his real companion but could never figure out who she was. Had it been Suno the entire time? Was she the right one for him?
Feeling the need to put the pieces together, he thought back to when he met Suno as a little girl. She was this sweet and kind person who out of concern, dragged him out of a rough snowstorm. He recalled the little moments they spent together as children. They spent the night together in the same room and it gave them the chance to just talk. She even let him play with some of her toys. He felt happy spending time with his best friend... he felt safe and secure with her... like he could trust her with his feelings. He never felt that way with Chichi. Most of the time, he was afraid of opening up to his wife out of fear she would insult or belittle him.
He remembered how sad she felt when he had to leave. He felt sad too. Sad that he had to leave everyone behind and sad that he had to leave her behind. And not long after he returned from fighting the Red Ribbon Army safe and after devouring the baked bread she prepared for him, he gave Suno a hug and he saw that she was crying tears of joy at seeing that he was alright.
He wished their circumstances were different. He wished he had stayed behind and got to know Suno better. If it hadn't been for him leaving, he could have spent more time with her and maybe have the opportunity to know her hobbies and interests. That opportunity was wasted... thrown out the window. It angered him that she kept thinking about him and yet, he never thought about her all those years.
Another thing he loved about her was how hardworking she was. Hearing how far she was willing to go just to ensure that everyone was happy including him... that was one of the reasons why he became attracted to her. His friend was a resident of Jingle Village who in spite of not being rich, had a lot to offer. Her parents were lucky to have a daughter like her. Suno may not have a lot of money but how much money she had didn't matter to him. What really mattered to him was her good heart, and he was determined to help her out in any way he could.. return that same kindness she had been showing him.
Goku then thought about that strange feeling he had whenever he was around his friend. He was now able to identify what those feelings were. It... it was love. He was actually falling in love with her this entire time and he couldn't even realize it. This entire time he was clueless, and he felt like a total idiot for thinking that he might have fallen for one of the female village residents when his best friend was the one he was spending the most time with. He became good friends with them, but none of those women made him feel the same way Suno did.
He knew exactly why he loved her so much. Not just for her beauty but also because of how caring and selfless she was. He could see why everyone in the village liked her. She had been there for him and had been so understanding of his situation.
'I must have felt something for Suno back when we were kids. But I was just a naive child so I didn't realize about it back then. Those little moments we spent together years ago meant a lot to me and they still do. I value our friendship so much and I cherish every moment I spent with her. How different things could have been if I hadn't forgotten about her.'
Goku was now certain of what he wanted. The one thing he wanted was having Suno in his life and he didn't know what he would do without her. She was someone he felt would understand him very well which was unlike Chichi, who caused him a lot of pain and heartache during their marriage. He loved Suno very much and he didn't want to leave her after everything she did for him.
'The signs were all there but I was too oblivious to them. Not just the times I spent with her as a child, but what happened between us recently. The way Suno and I stared at each other at breakfast yesterday, how I complimented her looks when we were about to leave for the Mayor's house and how I held her hand when she was about to fall into the snow. Not only that, but we almost kissed twice. The first time was when she fell on top of me after we built our snowmen and the second time was after I told her everything I knew about the Saiyans.'
'How could I have been so stupid that I didn't notice these signs? I've been falling in love with her without even realizing it. I... I can't believe that I've been oblivious to my own feelings this whole time.'
Goku clutches his head in his hand tightly, ready to break down in tears being away from his love, but he wasn't going to do that. It wasn't too late to change things. But there was something else. Eighter's words were making more sense to him.
"Almost every night I could hear her praying for your safe return to Jingle Village. She missed you a lot!"
"Not only did she want me to come back, but she wanted me by her side..." He whispered aloud.
Suno was putting her feelings before his own even though she was hurting herself and while he admired her selflessness, it hurt him to know she was willing to put herself in more pain by keeping all of this a secret.
The way she was talking about how she would be left alone with her feelings when he went back to Mount Paozu... it broke his heart. She would have her parents and Eighter, but she still felt as if she would be lonely because she wasn't with the person she loved, and Goku knew that the one she cherished so much was him.
He then recalled the promise he made to himself early this morning. He told himself that he wouldn't leave her but that was before he made the decision to go back to his home. How was a relationship with her going to work with him being away from the village and spending time with the boys? It could work. He just needed to find a way to manage his time properly, because he didn't want to end up neglecting this lovely woman and making her feel like she was alone. She deserved his love and attention after everything she did for him... after this long, agonizing wait for his return back here.
His feelings soon came back to him and he was wondering how things would have been like if he ended up with Suno and not Chichi. His marriage with that overbearing woman felt empty. It was as if there was little to no meaning to it but with Suno, he felt nothing but undying love for the woman who had been by his side... comforting him while he was in pain from his separation from that horrible bitch.
Goku now realized his true feelings for his friend and he wasn't going to lose the opportunity to be with her.
Kaiyo and Hiroshi were in support of their daughter being with him even though her mother had just suggested that she should wait until his divorce was over. He wanted to be by her side... just like she was for him. To top it all off, the Z fighters were also in support of him entering a new relationship. In this moment, Goku could clearly remember Gohan's words at the Lookout.
'Dad, if you ever decide you want to start dating, we won't stop you. You should do what will truly make you happy again. You deserve true happiness not just with me and Goten, but with your true companion'
His son was right. He deserved to be happy. Although he would be glad to have his children by his side once again, he felt that the only way he was going to be truly happy was being with Suno. She was the one who made him truly happy, and she was the one who had managed to cheer him up during those three days despite the fact that he was still hurt from his current situation.
With that being thought out, Goku knew what he had to do. He wasn't going to wait any longer. Tommorrow, he had to let Suno know how he felt. Should he show or tell? Should he convey his feelings for her through his actions... by doing nice things for her? He wasn't quite sure how he was going to do it, but knowing that she was in love with him for so long was enough to make him act on his feelings too.
He could hear an inner voice in his head telling him to do it and knew he had to act before it was too late. There was no room for hesitation.
Goku found himself wiping a few tears from his eyes as he now knew what he really wanted. He was going to make everything come true for the both of them. He was going to make it a reality, and he was going to show Suno just how much he really loved her.
'To think that it would take time for me to find the love of my life when she's been right in front of me this entire time... it doesn't matter if the divorce process hasn't started yet or if I haven't sat through the custody hearing. We'll be together soon enough, my love.'
(End of Chapter 5)
Author's Note: What did you guys think? Let me know what your opinions in the comment section. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. It was one of the longest ones I've ever written and I actually planned it long before I even started writing it. I'm quite satisfied with how it came out.
I also thought that Goku figuring out his feelings towards Suno and his new found resolve to confess would end the chapter nicely. If you guys have any ideas, don't hesitate to tell me. Whatever ideas you guys give may help me in planning future chapters. If your idea is used, I'll give you credit. Until the next chapter!
