Chapter 10

As their ship rumbled with take off, Chi helped Kakarot over to the bunk beds to finally get his wounds treated. Gently, Chi lowered him down on the lowest bunk and Kakarot sat on the mattress with a loud hiss. He breathed hard before Chi stepped away to look for medicine and supplies.

"It's not as good as a Saiyan healing tank but this should help numb your nose while I reset it. And then I'll give you some antibiotics before I clean your wounds." Chi explained as she turned towards Kakarot with a needle and a small jar full of morphine. Unfortunately, all she had on board was Earth medicine, her last trip home was too short to find anything more.

Chi looked up from the syringe to see Kakarot's face white and his eyes wide.

"What?" Chi asked.

"Get that away from me." Kakarot seethed and Chi stared at him confused.

"The needle?"

"Yes, the fucking needle!"

Chi glanced at the shot in her hand and then back at Kakarot before she busted out laughing, "Hold on. You're telling me that a Saiyan warrior like yourself is afraid of a needle?"

"Shut up!" Kakarot growled low.

Recovering from her laughing fit, Chi sighed and responded, "Well you're just going to have to suck it up because it's the only thing I have on board that will help."

"I'd rather sit here in pain then have that near me." Kakarot retorted and Chi shrugged before setting down the needle and morphine on the counter. Turning, she walked back over to Kakarot with the antibacterial medicine and a bowl of water with cloth so she could clean his wounds. Kneeling, Chi placed herself in front of Kakarot.

"If you want to be a big baby about it then fine. But resetting your nose is going to hurt a hell of a lot more without the morphine."

"Just get it over with."

Nodding, Chi leaned up and placed her hands on either side of Kakarot's nose. Counting to herself so Kakarot wouldn't expect when it would happen, Chi counted down and then snapped the bone back in place with a loud crack and shout from Kakarot. Chi sat back on her knees and gazed at Kakarot, who was panting in agony before his body relaxed once the pain subsided.

Silently, Chi grabbed the clean cloth next to her and dipped it into the bowl of water. Wringing out the soft, wet fabric, Chi reached up and began cleaning some of the blood off of Kakarot's face.

Kakarot closed his eyes in comfort as the cool water felt relaxing against his worn skin. His breathing slowed and Kakarot's body felt heavy against the cloth, the full extent of his injuries present. When Chi stopped, he opened an eye to see her dabbing another cloth with medicine from a small glass bottle.

"What the hell is that?" He asked.

"You trust me?" Chi whispered in front of Kakarot, the cloth inches from his cheek.

"Yes." Kakarot answered without pause. He trusted Chi with his life now but he still hated medicine.

"Then relax."

Exhaling, Kakarot tried to calm down and Chi got to work on tending to the rest of his bruises and cuts. Her movements were soft and gentle as she moved across his face. Carefully, Chi would pat a wound with water before directly applying the antibacterial with a cloth. Although the initial contact of the medicine on the wound stung, Chi was right when she said it would help with his pain, much to Kakarot's relief.

It was quiet with just the occasional splash of the water in the bowl next to Chi when she dipped the cloth in. Once she finished cleaning his face, she moved down to his bleeding, ravaged wrists, stopping for a moment to look at the evidence of his ordeal. A quiet, deep rage was building inside of Chi as she stared at Kakarot's cuts from the cuffs. She wished she could do more to ease his suffering and she chastised herself for not getting to Kakarot sooner.

Peering down, Kakarot sensed Chi's anger. He watched her carefully as she paused and examined his wrists before picking up the cloths and cleaning his wounds again. His raw skin burned against the medicine worse than before, but it helped to focus on Chi and her methodical movements. After she was stopped, Kakarot lightly grabbed Chi's hand in his and stared down her.

"Thank you." He whispered as he bore into Chi's big, brown eyes. They stared at each other and Kakarot absentmindedly looked down at Chi's lips, a sudden need to have her closer overwhelming his senses. Kakarot tensed and shifted, causing him to hiss in pain, ruining the moment.

"You need your rest." Chi ordered as she stood and helped guide Kakarot down on the bed, his earlier strength and resolve fading. His body was drained and tired, crying out for rest which Kakarot couldn't deny any longer. Laying down on the pillow, Kakarot felt his eyes grow heavy and he succumbed to sleep, with Chi looking on.

As Kakarot slept, Chi tended to her own wounds which were minimal and changed out of Gine's old armor to take a shower. She stood under the shower head, letting the hot water wipe away all of the stress of the past two days. Their detour to Planet Vegeta did not go as expected by any means but it wasn't a total waste of time. Bulma had fixed the radar and they were now back on track to finding the last Dragon Ball, even if the next location was a week away. They were running out of time before the gala and the anticipation of finally facing Frieza began to weigh on Chi. The anxiousness of the upcoming confrontation used to consume Chi's every thought but now Frieza and the mission wasn't the only thing occupying Chi's mind.

Kakarot had opened her heart in ways that she didn't think was possible. When he kissed her, it set off a series of emotions that Chi finally came to peace with, but she still never got to finish what she wanted to say to him. She hoped that once he was better they could have that conversation again because there was still a lot more to be said.

Once she was done, Chi changed back into the black outfit Bulma created for her. It felt good to be clean and recharged. Before she walked to the front of the ship, she peered into the bunk bed, noticing that Kakarot was passed out, flat on his back and snoring heavily. Smiling, Chi glanced at him one last time before heading to the controls to make sure the ship's direction was on the right path.

The first full day back on the ship, Chi got back to her training while Kakarot slept and recovered, his body still worn and exhausted from having every ounce of his energy sapped. Chi expected that he'd be out for a bit.

What she wasn't expecting was to wake up to Kakarot struggling with his warm up the next morning.

Sweat dripped down his face into a small puddle on the floor below his head while his legs were leaning up against the wall. Aggravated, Chi jumped off the top bunk.

"What do you think you are doing!"

"I'm training." Kakarot responded in between labored breaths as he slowly lowered his head towards the ground, murmuring his count to himself.

"Like hell you are! You've barely recovered." Chi shouted as she stormed over to stand in front of Kakarot. His arms shook as he continued his exercise, ignoring Chi's concern."You need to get back to bed, Kakarot."

"I can't lay there and waste anymore time. That's fucking pointless."

"What makes you think that this will be productive, you can barely hold yourself up!"

Kakarot groaned as he fought through the burning ache in his arms, "I'm-." Suddenly, his arms gave out and he lost his balance against the wall, landing flat on his back with a thud. Frustrated, Kakarot panted and slapped the ground, "Dammit!"

"See?" Chi crossed her arms and glanced down at Kakarot laid out beneath her. He growled and slowly got up, taking his stance again to start over. "You're not going to get better if you push yourself too hard too soon!"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, alright Chi?" Kakarot snapped at her, throwing all of his frustration and anger at her.

Chi scoffed, "Hey, I'm trying to help you, alright? You don't have to be a dick about it." She turned away from him to make coffee, realizing that arguing with Kakarot right now would be like talking to the wall he was leaning against.

As Chi stepped away from him, Kakarot focused on his task. While he was sleeping and recuperating yesterday, Kakarot was haunted by nightmares. They mostly involved Vegeta finding the key to unlocking the legend and coming after Chi like he promised, brutally putting her down in front of Kakarot. After seeing that scenario replayed over and over, Kakarot was determined to not let that happen. Now, his primary purpose was to find that power and harness it, pushing himself past his limitations. However, this need wasn't purely to test his own strength. No, it was something more.

All his life, he's pushed himself to new heights and goals only for his own gain. Kakarot wanted to become the best and that drive fueled him to become better and he rose in the ranks, pushing past those who were deemed "stronger" than he was. This new goal was necessary. Unlike before where he became stronger for his own needs, now he had something or someone to fight for. The fear of not being able to protect Chi was new and terrifying, and he hated it. He's known fear before, he's felt it many times in battle but this was a new, horrible feeling that shook Kakarot. He couldn't afford to waste time and hope that his body healed quickly.

Sighing, Chi turned back to him towards him, "Look, I don't get why you are doing this. We have a week to get to the last Dragon Ball and then another week after that before the gala. You have time to rest and recover. I know you've been through a lot and maybe this is how you keep your mind off things but you really need to be careful. It's not going to be helpful if you reinjure yourself."

For a moment, he didn't respond and Chi hoped she got through to Kakarot as he paused his exercise. But then Kakarot resumed with a fiery determination.

"I need to do this."


A few days later, Kakarot was ramping up his training and Chi looked on silently. They were coming closer to the Dragon Ball, and only had a day or two left before they would land and Chi was ready to complete this part of the mission.

She was also growing more frustrated with Kakarot. The last few days had been hard, Kakarot barely acknowledged her or her presence and only a few words passed between them as his priority seemed to only be training. When he did speak to her, he was an ass and it always ended in Chi walking away before she screamed at him. Chi decided that she should give him some space but her patience was growing thin with his silent treatment.

During his training, Chi observed Kakarot as he struggled. He kept pushing himself harder than she'd ever seen him and he was laser focused on a goal that Chi didn't understand. Kakarot seemed desperate, almost like time was running out and he was chasing something he couldn't get to. Sometimes, he wouldn't even sleep and Chi would hear his strangled grunts late at night, his refusal to quit was apparent. It felt like he was forgetting everything including Chi.

Kakarot stood in the middle of their makeshift training area on the ship, shadow boxing with the occasional shout. His strength had returned and his wounds started to fade. It seemed like his power had grown exponentially, which meant the rumor of Saiyans growing stronger after an injury was in fact true.

Chi had enough. Walking with purpose, she stood in front of Kakarot and slipped into her battle stance. Kakarot frowned, "What are you doing?"

"Fight me."

Kakarot rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this. "Chi-."

"Let's go. Try to get past me."

Kakarot sighed and took his stance. Sure, he's been training but sparring and training are two different things. Guess this would be a good test. Charging, he threw a jab at Chi, who dodged and blocked it, hitting his hand away. Growling, Kakarot went again, ducking under Chi's arm and this time landing a sharp blow to her side, causing Chi to cough. Furious, Chi grabbed his fist at her side and turned into his body before bringing her elbow sharply into his chest. Kakarot gasped and Chi drove her knee out in front of her and then threw her leg back, kicking him hard into the ship wall behind them. Dazed and angry, Kakarot seethed.

"What did that prove?!"

"That you're not ready!" Chi turned and glared at Kakarot as he leaned against the wall.

"I just need to train harder." He stated and Chi scoffed angrily as she stepped closer to him.

"Why? What is this obsession? Is it because Vegeta and his soldiers made you feel weak?"

"No." Kakarot bit back and Chi pressed closer.

"Then what is it? Because this whole time since we've been back on the ship, you've shut me out."

"Chi-."

"You've barely spoken to me. Did you even mean what you said back on Planet Vegeta?"

"Of course I did."

"Then why are you doing this. TELL me!" Chi shouted in his face.

"Vegeta threatened you!" Kakarot yelled back at Chi and they stilled, letting the words hold their weight as Chi stared at him with wide eyes.

"What?" She narrowed her eyes.

"He said that if he got the power of the Super Saiyan he would come after you. And I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen." Kakarot replied with a serious, fiery determination.

"I can handle Vegeta."

"No, you can't. Not if he becomes a Super Saiyan before I do. Think about it. It's an unknown power. A power that even Frieza fears."

Chi considered this. It was true, there was only one thing she knew that Frieza feared, and it was this legend. Aside from his obsession with finding the Dragon Balls and conquering planets, Frieza was determined to squash any mention of the Super Saiyan and he searched the galaxy to find more about the power. Bulma and Chi did everything they could to stop this pursuit and tried very hard to hide as much information from Frieza. That's why when Chi was first scouting out Kakarot, she knew she needed that map. If she presented Frieza's goons with both the Dragon Balls and the map at the gala, Frieza would have to see her. And then she'd have her shot.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Chi's head. Quickly, she raced up to the front of the ship where they kept the map and the Dragon Balls, leaving Kakarot behind confused.

Kakarot followed her, "Chi?"

"I knew I've seen that name before! I'm so stupid that I didn't recognize it until now. Of course." She muttered to herself as she pulled out the map, unrolling the old scroll against the panel. Chi scanned the map closely while Kakarot looked over her shoulder confused.

"Mind telling me what you're doing."

"Sshh...there." Chi cheered and grabbed the radar, punching some buttons before snapping her fingers in excitement, "Yes!"

"What is going on?" Kakarot asked with annoyance.

"Alright, it's all making sense to me now. While I was with Frieza, he was searching for a planet called Sedala. Bulma and I researched it and finally found it's location but we never told anyone. One of the many things we kept from Frieza. Anyway, after I um...borrowed the map from you-."

"You stole it." Kakarot interrupted and Chi glared at him over her shoulder before continuing.

"Anyway, before you caught up to me, I studied the map and I knew the name rang a bell but I couldn't place it since it was so long ago. Now with your renewed talk about the Super Saiyan, it finally clicked. This is where we can find it. If we can get it before we go to Frieza and I trick him into thinking we haven't found the Super Saiyan yet, then it would be even more advantageous for us. And if we beat Vegeta to it, even better. The best news is that it's only two days from the last Dragon Ball. It's a bit out of our way but I think it's worth it. What do you think?" Chi turned and stared at Kakarot.

When he first stole the map, Kakarot barely had time to analyze it before he crashed on Earth. Then Chi entered the picture and they were focused on finding the Dragon Balls so he kind of forgot about the map until he went home. Kakarot knew the planet's name, it used to be the Saiyan's old home but legend said that it was destroyed hundreds of years ago. If it's showing up on the radar then that must mean it's still here. Kakarot glanced at the map and then back at Chi with a big grin, "This is amazing. You're a genius, Chi."

Chi stood up, "I know. So it's settled. We get the Dragon Ball and then we make you a Super Saiyan. We've got time still, so let's get back to training so I can kick your ass again." Chi stated over her shoulder and gave Kakarot a wink before sauntering away.

Maybe it was the renewed hope and potential to beat Vegeta but Kakarot felt a new surge of excitement and energy. There was also a bit of relief knowing that he could get the power and keep Chi out of harm's way. Sure, he'd love to push himself to achieve this form instead of having it bestowed on him but if this is what he would have to do, then he'd swallow his pride. Kakarot followed Chi back to their training space and mimicked her fighting stance, smirking at Chi.

"What are you smiling at?"

Kakarot chuckled, "You'll see."

With a shout, Chi charged forward with lighting speed but Kakarot's renewed motivation sparked a new surge of energy. He sidestepped and grabbed Chi's shoulder and threw her down to the ground. Her body hit the tile and she gasped, blinking away the dizziness. When she regained her vision, Kakarot was on top of her, his forearm lightly against her throat with a cocky grin that Chi has come to enjoy.

Chi breathed hard, her chest rising fast, partially because of the attack and partly because of her current position. Kakarot's strong but firm body laid on her and his weight was somewhat comforting but she wanted him closer. Acting on instinct, Chi leaned up, pressing her lips hard against Kakarot's. A light groan escaped Kakarot's mouth with surprise but then he smiled against her lips, responding with more passion and need then Chi had. His forearm fell from Chi's neck as a hand cupped her face. Slowly, his other hand ran up her leg, and he stopped at her thigh, squeezing her flesh a bit before he spread her leg out so that he could slide closer but it was still not close enough.

He needed her and unlike their first kiss, he knew that she had the same feelings towards him. Chi wrapped her arms around his shoulders and deepened their embrace, lightly tugging on his wild mane eliciting a soft moan from Kakarot. He broke away to take a breath and he leaned his forehead against hers, the room quiet except for their heavy breathing.

"Kakarot." Chi whispered beneath him and he opened his eyes. Silence passed between them and soon a deep, primal need grew within Kakarot as Chi unwrapped her arms around his neck. He wanted to protect Chi and to make her his, making her scream his name. Kakarot searched her eyes for permission and Chi nodded, grinding her hips beneath Kakarot in an invitation. Sighing, Kakarot gazed down at Chi before softly kissing her lips, trailing his hand up Chi's arm to hold her arm firmly over her head as he locked his hand with hers.


A half an hour later, her cries filled the ship.

"Ah, K-Kakarot!"

Chi's loud gasp called into the room followed by deep grunts and low whispers of demand. The sounds of breathy moans and bodies slamming against one another accompanied the lull of the engine and soon the ship was silent, signaling the end.

Kakarot rolled off of Chi after a moment and they laid on the cold tile panting, sweat dripping off their bodies. Both of them stayed quiet in utter ecstasy, taking in the afterglow. The anticipation and build up was definitely worth the wait, at least Kakarot thought so. Judging from Chi barely being able to catch her breath, her body shaking still from her high, Kakarot would assume that Chi felt the same way. They turned their heads to each other and both had the widest smile on their face. Chi slid closer to Kakarot's side, absentmindedly tracing the various scars across his shoulder and chest.

He wrapped his arm around Chi to pull her tighter against his bare side, "That wasn't too rough, was it?"

Chi gazed up at him with a grin, "I'll feel that later but it was..unbelievable."

"Good. I'm glad I didn't hurt you too much," Kakarot winked, thinking back to their rather...aggressive moments earlier. "I forget that sometimes you're a human. Even if you are the strongest one I know."

"You know like two humans! Not much of a compliment." Chi teased and Kakarot rolled his eyes before squeezing Chi's side and rolling on top of her, playfully biting her neck, earning a loud giggle from Chi. Kakarot smirked against Chi's skin, carefully memorizing the melody. He's only heard her laugh a few times but everytime she did, he wanted to hear it again. Pulling away from Chi, Kakarot gazed down and his demeanor turned serious.

"I'm sorry I've been distant. I'm not used to talking about what's going on with me to anyone else."

"Well, you were kind of an asshole but I do the same thing, so I guess I can't be that mad."

Kakarot frowned, "I thought throwing myself back into training would help. It always had in the past."

"Hey, you can talk to me. I'll listen. I know it must be hard coming back from what happened." She whispered, her tone soft and comforting.

Kakarot sighed and shifted to lay flat on his back again, leaving some distance between him and Chi, unconsciously pulling away from her again, "It's not even what happened. Sure, it was painful but I've been through worse. I was powerless again, and I hate feeling like that. It just showed me that I still have further to go with my strength."

Chi glanced over at Kakarot and he suddenly felt a million miles away from her, the connection she felt in the afterglow of their first time gone. His gaze was troubled and far off, reliving painful memories.

Chi spoke up, "Your dad told me about...what happened."

Kakarot didn't answer initially and tension filled the space between them before he replied casually, "Guess you should have known." Chi noticed Kakarot's fist clenched at his side.

"Are you mad?" Chi asked bluntly.

"No, why would I be?" Kakarot continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"You seem like it."

"I'm not, I'm just," He exhaled sharply and turned to finally face Chi, his face somewhat softening, "I'm sorry. I don't know how to do this."

"Do what?"

"This." He waved his hands between them and continued, "I don't know how to be open with someone. Saiyans don't usually share their feelings and all that fluffy shit."

Chi scooted over to Kakarot and draped her arm across his chest, leaning on it to look down at him.

"I'm not good at it either which makes this harder for both of us. But, I think you know me well enough now to know that the fluffy shit isn't really my thing, so you won't have to worry about that."

Smirking, Kakarot weaved a hand through her wild, black hair. He loved when her hair was like this, he wished she wore it down more. "That's true. What I mean is that my first instinct is to internalize everything, to bottle it up. I'm not trying to shut you out, it's just a habit. No, I'm not mad that my father told you, I'm just not used to having someone know that about me. It makes me feel -."

"Exposed?" Chi interrupted and Kakarot's eyes softened as he nodded. She could understand what Kakarot meant. When he first found out about her past, it made her feel too vulnerable.

"I'm not used to it either, but we can figure it out as we go. But you don't have to hide anything with me."

Kakarot searched Chi's eyes and for the first time in his life, he felt accepted. He felt like Chi saw him like he saw Chi and that was liberating. Leaning up, Kakarot captured Chi's lips with his own, softly and slowly moving his lips against her soft, somewhat swollen lips from earlier. After a moment, Chi broke away and rested her head back on his chest as he played with her hair. Chi felt closer to him again as her head rose with his breaths but there was still one thing that bothered her. A brief burst of bravery made her speak up.

"For a moment, I thought you were distant because you regretted what happened...with us." She chuckled to hide her insecurity and looked off to the wall across from her.

Kakarot glanced down at his chest to gauge her expression, he hated that his selfishness made her think that he was avoiding her and what happened between them on Planet Vegeta. Yes, he was testing his limits and pushing his body to the brink to get stronger for himself but he also was training to keep her safe. Kakarot knew Chi could take care of herself but everything inside of him still shouted and told him that no matter what, he would protect this woman.

Chi had changed Kakarot. He wasn't the same person he was when he first met her or even when he left his planet. Without evening knowing it, Chi made him a better man and made him have something other than himself to fight for. While he was a Saiyan commander, he only fought to get a profit and then he'd rinse and repeat. Kakarot never had to defend something, he never had to think beyond himself. With Chi, he found himself wanting to get better for her. She gave him strength and focus while also making him feel vulnerable. Kakarot thought back to what his father and him talked about on the roof, and he finally understood now what his father meant.

Gently, he hooked his hand under Chi's chin to bring her to face him, "Chi, I would never regret us. Never."


When they finally found the last Dragon Ball, it was so anticlimactic that Chi almost started to laugh once she boarded the ship. For a good chunk of her life she's been chasing after these balls and this is it? She knew that it wasn't the end but it was somewhat frustrating.

Once they took off to get to Sedala, Chi and Kakarot continued their training, understanding that after Sedala, the real fight was just on the horizon. Frieza's gala was any day now and they had to be ready. Chi pushed herself to a limit that somewhat concerned Kakarot but he didn't say anything. He knew how much this meant to her, and if this was how she wanted to prepare for it then he couldn't stop her.

They trained together as a team, a unit. He taught her as much as he knew about battle strategy and Chi soaked it in, acknowledging that Kakarot's natural battle acumen was an asset that she needed to learn from.

"Alright, we've been over this before, let's see what you can do." Kakarot stated seriously, nodding at Chi to show him what she learned. Chi stared at Kakarot with determination as he stood across from her. They've been sharpening Chi's movements because although she was already excellent at attacking and fending off attacks, Kakarot noticed plenty of times that she usually exposes her weak spots frequently during fights.

Shouting, Chi came at Kakarot quickly, and they spared hard, no punches pulled. Chi knew that Kakarot was faster and stronger now, and it was honestly hard to keep up with him. Chi hoped that without either of them wearing their heavy chest armor that she'd be able to close the gap between her speed and Kakarot's. Chuckling against her attacks, Kakarot gave her a cocky grin that caused Chi to grit her teeth. She charged and Kakarot caught her fist and spun her around, locking her tightly against his bare chest.

"You're getting sloppy." He whispered into her ear, his breath ticking Chi's skin as his fingers brushed her exposed side.

Chi struggled against his hold, "Shut up."

"Chi, you get too angry and it throws everything off. From your form to your discipline. You make yourself too vulnerable. So focus." He continued and lightly kissed the skin behind her ear before pushing her away from him.

"Again." Kakarot stated and crouched into his stance.


After two days of traveling, they finally arrived at Sedala and the planet looked like it was decaying as the ship made its descent into the atmosphere.

"Are you ready for this?" Chi asked and Kakarot nodded. They talked about at length what the legend could mean. Chi knew that if it was a choice of obtaining this power on his own or having someone give it to him, Kakarot much preferred the later but they both knew that this could seriously help their odds in defeating Frieza. The only thing was that they didn't know what to expect.

Landing on the rocky, grey surface of the desolate plane, Kakarot and Chi stepped down from the ship and Chi pulled out the old map. Following the map's directions, Kakarot lifted Chi into his arms and flew them far from the ship.

"The map says it should be in that cave over there." Chi shouted over the wind, pointing to a cave tucked into a mountain.

"Alright, let's go." Kakarot nodded and landed, setting down Chi before entering the cave. He was anxious to finally see what this legend was after hearing about it for most of his life.

Kakarot led the charge and they crawled through the muddy, damp cave. It was old and musty. Chi and Kakarot lit up a small ball of ki in their palms to see what was in front of them and Chi muttered, "This place reeks."

"Stay on guard, Chi." Kakarot responded and Chi rolled her eyes in annoyance, "I know."

Glancing down at the old paper map, Chi instructed. "It should be right-."

"There." Kakarot interrupted and stopped. Ahead of them, a small black pedestal sat under a beam of sunlight. Creeping forward, the pair walked towards the object.

"Is this it?" Chi asked bluntly and Kakarot continued to desperately search around.

"This can't be." Kakarot responded and Chi peered closer at the top of the pedestal. Inscribed in a language she did not recognize, Chi called Kakarot over, "What's this? Maybe more directions?

"No, it's old world Saiyan...it says within." Kakarot read the symbol quickly, clearly frustrated.

"Maybe it's within the stone then?" Chi responded and directed her hand at the pedestal, blowing it up easily with ki. Once the rubble and smoke disappeared, it revealed nothing.

"It's empty." Kakarot growled and Chi put up her hands to try to calm him down.

"Maybe it's the wrong cave, alright! Relax."

"No, this has got to be the spot." Kakarot angrily sighed and then grabbed a piece of the black stone and chucked it against the cave wall with rage, "Dammit!"

Kakarot's chest heaved and Chi grabbed his hand, refocusing him. "Hey. Let's look around to see if we find anything else, alright. It's not over yet."

He nodded and Chi lit her hand with energy again to see the path in front of her, Kakarot close behind. Exciting the darkness, Chi squinted at the light for a moment before she stopped.

Kakarot was too focused on finding the Super Saiyan's location that he bumped into Chi. "What-." He followed Chi's gaze to see a figure in front of them.

"Vegeta." Kakarot hissed and stepped forward, putting his arm out in front of Chi.

Vegeta snickered, "You thought you could escape and I wouldn't find you? Kakarot, destiny has brought us here to finish what we started. And once I'm done with you, I'll finally claim my birthright and be a Super Saiyan."

"You sick son of a bitch!" Chi screamed and pushed past Kakarot's arm, storming up to Vegeta but Kakarot quickly caught and held Chi back as she shouted, "I heard you've got an issue with me, what does Bulma have to say about that you fucking asshole! And after what you did to Kakarot, I should make YOU pay."

"I've never liked you, that's never been a secret. Besides, Bulma's the only one who'd miss you." Vegeta sneered and Chi fought against Kakarot's iron grip.

"Oh I can't wait to tell Bulma, she will never forgive you for even THINKING of doing anything to me."

"Who says Bulma would find out? I can easily pin it on Kakarot. The secret will die with you two then."

Chi stopped fighting Kakarot's grip on her as her eyes went wide but Kakarot kept his hold gently on Chi's arm in case she stormed towards Vegeta again. Every bone in Kakarot's bone tensed as deep anger rose from inside him. He was going to end this, right now.

Whispering in an even tone, Kakarot lightly squeezed Chi's arm, "You've got to get out of here. Right now."

Chi glared up at Kakarot, "What? No, I'm not leaving you."

"Chi-."

"No, I won't.'

"I can't fight him with you here, Chi!" Kakarot angrily shouted.

"Kakarot." Chi protested and finally Kakarot tightened his grip on her arm, hoping this would show her how serious he was.

"I can't lose you, I'm not strong enough." Kakarot pleaded and Chi searched his eyes to see that he meant what he said. She'd be a liability and Chi finally realized that, although she hated it. Chi nodded and Kakarot released his grip, motioning Chi to leave with a tilt of head.

Hesitating, Chi went to speak but she was speechless as she tried to find something to say before she left. Instead, she began to walk away until a firm, calloused hand grabbed her elbow, pulling her backwards. Strong lips crushed her own as her body was brought closer to Kakarot's chest, his hand holding the back of her head. She leaned up on her tippy toes and placed a soft hand on his body as they both expressed what words couldn't. Finally, Kakarot broke their embrace, holding Chi tightly against him before he spoke softly, "I'll find you."

"You better." Chi replied with a smile before Kakarot released her from his arms. He watched her jog off towards the direction of their ship. Her absence left him feeling empty but then he focused his attention on Vegeta, turning to face him with a hard expression.

Vegeta chuckled, "Ready to die, Kakarot?"

No, he had too much to do, still so much he wanted to say to Chi. He won't be losing this battle. Kakarot smirked and dropped in his fighting form, "No way."