I'm so happy with this chapter! I really love this story and where it's going, although I might have to change the rating to M.

Anyway! Here it is!

_

He couldn't stop thinking about the window in the cave. It had been three days and he hadn't gone back, but it didn't mean that his mind wasn't there. When he closed his eyes at night, he could still see the people standing in the glowing room while that girl danced in the middle of them, the sparkle from her dress flashing as the lights hit it.

Groaning, he rubbed his face with his palm. Why was this happening? Usually, he could empty his mind at the drop of a hat and refocus on what he wanted to think about, but now... now he was consumed with the thought of watching that girl.

_

She was going to do whatever she wanted. Paul never wanted pets. He was allergic to cats.

The small bell above the door to the animal shelter let out a soft ding as she stepped into the heated lobby. A short teenaged boy sat at the receptionist desk, dropping his phone out of view and looking up to greet her.

"Hello," His voice cracked in an almost cartoonish way, causing his cheeks to flush momentarily.

Isla smiled at him and leaned against the counter.

"Hey, I came to look into adopting a cat."

Screw Paul.

The selection of cats in the animal shelter was truly heartbreaking. A number of eyes followed her as she slowly walked down the isles, all of them begging for her to let them out of their small cages. Some of the cats even reached out to her, a couple snagging her cardigan with their claws as she passed. The boy followed, his hands stuffed uncomfortably in his jean pockets as he slouched a few steps behind her.

"Who do you have the hardest time getting adopted?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the columns of cages that lined the wall. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy shrug and cross his arms over his stomach.

"I dunno." His voice interchanged a high and low sound with the two words, causing him to clear his throat, "We get a lot of calls about black cats. They're super hard to catch, though. Usually, when we get there, they're already gone and nobody can find 'em."

Isla pursed her lips and nodded. The boy noticed her slight interest and continued quickly.

"Yeah, they get tortured a lot. I think it has to do with superstition, but I dunno. We have one if you want me to show you."

The woman's eyes flashed to the boy's. She could see him swallow hard as she smiled at him.

"I'd like that."

"Welcome to your new home, Rex."

Isla sat the pet carried down that she'd bought secondhand before going to the shelter. Slowly opening the metal door, she peered inside at the black mass that occupied the back of the box. After a few moments, two yellow eyes appeared in the form, filled with distrust. She sat back on her heels, giving the cat space.

"I understand. It takes time, doesn't it, buddy?" She said, standing and taking the little plastic water and food bowls out of a shopping bag and going to the sink to wash them. She decided to go with the name they gave him at the animal shelter, letting him hang on to something familiar. It suited him, she thought.

After supplying her new friend with food and water, Isla sat on her couch, session notes in one hand and cup of hot tea in the other. She knew that Rex would never be happy coming out of the carrier with her poking and prodding at him, so she decided to let him find his way naturally. That was the way Quinn helped her after she left Paul. She just made sure Isla's metaphorical food and water dished were filled and sat close by, ready to listen when the brunette needed it. After about an hour of review, she felt a soft tickle on the back of her neck. Her eyes shifted, catching a little flash of black scurrying down the back of her couch. A small smile fell over her lips.

"It just takes time."

_

Goku woke up earlier than usual. He rushed to get dressed, skipping steps on his way down the stairs and toward the kitchen where ChiChi had left his food bundle for lunch. Kissing his wife briskly on the cheek, he lifted off and flew toward the forested area where Isla's cave sat.

Butterflies bloomed in his stomach with anticipation. He'd decided the night before to check in on Isla. It had been some days since he'd seen her at the party. It was only logical that he be curious about how she was. He wasn't spying on her, he rationalized, he was checking on her. To him, the intent seemed to be the difference.

Dropping his food at the mouth of the cave, he got on all fours and crawled to his spot.

He blinked at the brightness of the light coming out of the window, letting his eyes adjust. She came into view, or really, the back of her head did. He saw the top of her hair, her bun peaking over the back of her couch. A cat jumped up next to the tuft of hair, batting at it playfully.

"Hey there, dude." A soft giggle came from the person the hair was attached to. Gradually, the person came into view until she was leaning on her elbows, snuggling her face into the fur of the cat and laughing at its aggressive affection.

Isla rose even more, making Goku think that her knees were now on the seat. She stretched her arms upward and yawned, the middle of her stomach exposed by her shirt inching up at the movement. Goku's eyes widened. Her skin was so pale and smooth. He fought himself to look away, trying to will away the wish for her top to inch up more.

"Come on, Rexie." She said, pushing herself off of the sofa and giving Goku a look at her. It must have been her pajamas, he thought. She wore pink, cotton looking shorts and a black crop top. The soft curve of her waist and hips caught the Sayian's eye. He followed her as she left his view. She returned after a moment, a remote in hand. With a few clicks, music sprang to life from the speakers next to her TV. It wasn't a song that he recognized, but the beat was fast and the lyrics were sang quickly by a few unseen girls. He watched Isla's lips conform to the words in the song and soon her body was following the rapid beats. The cat simply sat on the back of the couch, its eyes following the girl as she moved near it.

Isla laughed as she danced around Rex. He watched her closely as she moved in time with the music, his ears laying to the side, giving him a look of confusion.

"You're gonna have to get used to this if you're going to live here." She said, swooping down to give Rex a peck on the head with her mouth, "I love dancing."

Swinging her hair, she turned and gazed at herself in the mirror. Copying the seductive expressions of the girls in the band she'd seen in the music video, she danced her way toward her reflection. Her hands moved slowly up her body, ultimately tussling her hair before returning to her hips. She jumped with the beat, mouthing the words as the song reached its climax.

A loud huff came from Rex as Isla collapsed on the sofa next to him, hanging her socked feet over the back of it. She smiled at him, scratching his ear and giving him another quick peck. He didn't seem to mind the noise and movement as much as she thought he would. He simply stood, his butt directly in her line of vision, and hopped onto the floor, making his way toward her bedroom for a nap.

Goku sat very still, absorbing what he'd just witnessed. He hadn't really seen anyone dance that way. Once, at a tournament, he saw some women dancing in bikinis at a booth on the side of the food stalls. They didn't look like this, though. The faces she made sent a shiver down his spine. He didn't know dancing could be so... seductive. Her body swayed, her hips wiggled, her hands ran up and down her own body.

The thought of her made his mouth water. He didn't know anything but food could make his mouth water, either.

_

ChiChi loved her husband. Well, she'd been with him long enough to grow fond of him. Love seemed to be too intimate and personal. She accepted that Goku would be a warrior first and second, her own spot being in third with their sons. What else could she expect marrying a Sayian? They were aliens that literally lived to fight and Goku certainly did. Her life was dedicated to helping him, but he needed to pull his own weight in the family while he wasn't dying for every one else in the world.

Lately, he'd really seemed to be trying to fit into the farming lifestyle she pushed him toward. He really didn't have any marketable skills, so farming seemed to be the ticket for him. Manual labor and free space to do what he could for them. For the past few weeks, he'd been getting up earlier and coming home later. She appreciated what he was doing and showed him in their bedroom.

He was more lively than usual, sending her farther and higher than she thought he could. Her body certainly enjoyed to attention he was showing her. She loved that part. Being married to a Sayian did have its perks.

"I'm so proud of you, Goku." She snuggled closer to him, her body breathless after their love making. Her hand gently lay on his chest while her head nestled into the crook of his arm. He looked over at her, the signature goofy smile he'd perfected plastered on his face. "Thank you for doing this for our family."

Goku looked back up to the ceiling, the smile fading away in an instant. He laid there for several minutes until he heard ChiChi's breathing change into a soft snore, letting him know she'd fallen asleep. Slowly, he slipped his wife's head onto a pillow and put his feet on the floor. He pulled his gi pants over his naked lower half, tying his belt around his waist.

Using Instant Transmission, he teleported himself to Isla's cave directly in front of the window.

A soft glow imitated from the glass. The room was dark, but her TV illuminated the room intermittently between pictures and black screens after commercials. He could see her small bun resting against the back of the couch, the back of her left hand making a pillow for her head. Her shoulders rose and fell slightly.

This gave Goku a sense of relief. She was safe, sleeping peacefully in her apartment. ChiChi was safe, sleeping peacefully in his home.

He teleported back to his bedroom, returning to his original position as ChiChi's pillow before pulling her closer and starting to drift out of consciousness.

"Everything is ok." He thought, his mind filling with haze. "The world is ok, for now."

_

Isla was proud of Rex for adjusting so well into her life. He'd fallen into step with her schedule, sitting in expectation at his food bowl right before she went out the door each morning before work and every evening when she got home. Mostly, he spent the rest of his time either climbing on and scratching furniture or sleeping on her clean clothes and made bed.

The weeks went by quickly as the two made a small family out of one another. Quinn came by for dinner once or twice a week, the first few times, sending Rex into a spiral. But he got used to her and enjoyed sleeping on her ample chest.

"Guess what Monroe did in our session today." Isla called from her place at the stove while Quintana shared her seat on the couch with Rex. The blonde tapped her lips playfully feigning ignorance and humming questioningly.

"Umm, he told a young man that he needed to push through his traumatic childhood and get over it?"

Isla rolled her eyes, "Not this time."

She quickly pushed the contents of her pan, mixing the sautéed vegetables and beef together before putting it into a glass serving dish and placing it on the coffee table in front of Quinn. Opening the bag of tortillas and handing one to her friend, she smirked.

"He asked a teenage sex worker what 'hole she was trying to fill' with prostitution."

Quintana let out a barking laugh, causing Rex to dart away from her warm lap. She lifted a spoonful of the mixture into her tortilla and took a bite, letting out an exaggerated sound of enjoyment.

"We need to do fajitas more often."

Isla nodded, following her friend's movements. "I agree."

The two fell into silence, each taking their part of the meal for their own pleasure. Quinn's attention turned to the old black and white movie that flickered in front of her. Rebecca by Alfred Hitchcock. They'd seen it a dozen times together and it got better each time. Isla leaned back against the cushions, sighing.

"Do you ever feel like you're not where you're supposed to be?"

Quinn's head snapped toward her friend at the question, a confused smile on her face, "What?"

Isla sat up straighter, tapping her fingers against the soft upholstery underneath her.

"You know," she continued, "Like, you're just in a place that kind of feels ok but there are some edges that don't quite meet? Like putting an almost correct puzzle piece in a spot because you're trying to finish the picture and it's the only one left, but it looks a little off."

Quintana's smile faded as she stared at her friend, "You want to quit your job?"

Isla quickly shook her head, "No, but—"

"So you want to move to a new town?"

"No, Quinn, I—"

"Then what?"

Isla sighed once more, her hands flying into the air in frustration, "I don't know! I just have this urge to change."

"Change what?"

Isla's brow knitted together, "Just things! Everything!"

Quinn sat in Isla's presence for a moment, thinking of what to say before taking her hand and smiling softly, "Ise, you just got out a terrible relationship. You were repressed for 4 years. I know that the desire to fly into this freedom is tempting, but I don't want you to go off the deep end, ok?"

"But-"

Quintana motioned to Rex as he joined the women, making a place for himself beside Isla and laying down.

"You got a cat! Let's just take it baby steps for now."

Isla nodded, sending a curt smile to her friend before returning to their movie.

_

Saturday was Goku's favorite day to watch Isla's life in her apartment. She would wake up early and spend a lot of the day in her pajamas, dancing for him and Rex in her living room. However, this Saturday, she wasn't home.

Goku arrived at the window at his regular time, anxious to see his human in her natural habitat. He waited for half an hour, shifting in his seat in anticipation before he became worried. With every extra minute she wasn't there, his anxiety grew. He wasn't exactly the most patient person, but her absence was so jarring. If he were standing, he would be pacing but for now he had to sit and stare into the glass.

Trying to calm himself, he took a deep breath and waited. However, his calm turned to panic as his window dimmed slightly.

"No, no, no!" He almost jumped to his feet, but bumped his head on the roof of the cave. Maybe he needed more power to keep his window open? Did it even run on power?

He quickly centered himself, powering up to his Super Sayian form only to be met with the same dimness and his own expectant reflection. Powering down, he put his hands on the glass and willed it to come back to life, but failing when the light dimmed a bit more.

He needed help! He needed someone who knew more about space-time rips than he did. He needed someone who could help him understand why he was so worried about a random stranger he'd never formally met but was currently spiraling over.

"Vegeta!"

Goku appeared directly in front of the Prince of all Sayians, startling him and receiving a firm blow to the face as punishment. The Sayian prince had been spending his Saturday training as he always did. The gravity room at Capsule Corp that Bulma, his wife, had built for him assisted in helping him build his strength.

"Ow!" The taller Sayian whined, holding his cheek, "What was that for?"

"Good God, Kakarot!"

Goku's hand stayed planted on his affected cheek, trying to rub the pain away. Vegeta scowled at him, rearing back to hit him again only to be stopped by Goku waving his hands in surrender.

"No, no, Vegeta! I didn't come here to fight!"

The Prince crossed his arms across his chest, the scowl still staining his features.

"The what the hell do you want? I was in the middle of training."

Goku grabbed Vegeta's arm holding it fast as the shorter man attempted to pull away. The taller Sayian shot the shorter one a hard look, causing Vegeta to falter a bit. He hadn't seen Goku so serious outside of a battle.

"I need your help!"

Vegeta sighed and conceded, relaxing his muscle against Goku's grip. If he was this bothered, it had to be something important.

"This better be good, Kakarot."