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Hope you like a little Goku OOC cause that's what you got this chapter 3
——
Three days had passed since Isla's arrival when Bulma announced that she would be hosting a barbecue dinner for all of her friends. This knowledge immediately tied Isla's stomach into knots.
"I don't really like parties." She told the blunette, to which Bulma only waved her off and replied with a, 'Oh, you'll be fine.'
And that was it. She stood in the entrance of the closet of her bedroom, staring at herself in the full length mirror. She still wore the Capsule Corp clothing Bulma had given her a large stack of two days before. The ill fitting clothing was sufficient to cover her, but not really flattering and definitely not dinner attire. She made a mental list of every outfit she had in her closet at home that she would rather be wearing instead of sweatpants and a white tank top with canvas shoes. Not that she wasn't grateful for all that Bulma had done and was doing for her, but the thought of wearing that outfit to a group of strangers that were all going to be dressed not like basketball players on the way to practice made her palms sweat.
A soft knock at her door pulled her away from the thoughts and the reflection that was causing her to grow more and more uncomfortable with each moment of its gaze. Opening the door, she found Bulma, a wide grin planted on her face.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" Isla eyed her suspiciously. Bulma shifted her shoulders from side to side and continued her grin.
"How about we go shopping?"
Quickly shaking her head, Isla retreated back into her room.
"Oh no, Bulma." She said, her hands in front of her, "I don't have any money and you've done enough for me already. I'm not going shopping with you."
Bulma's lips dropped into a pursed frown.
"Oh shut up. It looks like you're going to be here for a while, so unless you want to continue to walk around in the Capsule Corp company swag we give to interns, you'll come with me." She said curtly before turning on her heel, "I'm waiting for you outside, so don't be long."
With that, Isla was left to stare at the empty space once occupied by the pushy blue haired woman. After she didn't return a few minutes later, Isla groaned in defeat and trudged out the door, locking it behind her.
——
Satan City was just like any other busy city Isla had visited on her world. A seemingly endless parade of cars, people buzzing from here to there, a cacophony of sounds. Bulma pulled Isla in and out of stores, pushing her into dressing rooms with as many outfits as she thought she could get away with. Finally, at the fifth store, Isla's nerves began to wear thin.
"How long do you expect me to be here?" She grumbled, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and fore finger. Bulma pulled her arms down in front of her, ready to catch the clothes she draped over them.
"You never know, Isla." She shrugged before pushing the woman into the cubicle behind her and sliding the curtain closed in her face. "You have to be prepared. Besides, there's going to be men at this party. Single, attractive, physically fit men."
Isla rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I'm sure we have those on my Earth, too."
"Like you'd know."
The sound of grunting and the shuffling of clothing items were heard as Bulma leaned against the frame of the dressing room. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face before calling back to her friend.
"You know, you could just stay here."
The sounds stopped immediately within the cubicle as Isla flung the curtain open to reveal an outfit of athletic shorts and a cotton tank top. She bit her lip, regarding her Bulma's hopeful but knowing eyes.
"I can't do that, Bulma." Isla's voice lowered as if she were telling Bulma a secret, but this is something the older woman had already thought of, "I have a family that cares for me and misses me. I have friends that are probably going crazy trying to find me."
'I know Quinn probably is.' Isla thought before dropping her gaze down to her clothes and shrugging.
"How does this look?" She asked, giving her friend a weak smile. Bulma appraised her, giving her a nod of approval before standing straight and walking back into the heart of the store.
"It looks good."
——
Isla had lunch in her room after the two women returned from their fruitful excursion—specifically, the balcony she had grown to love so much.
She told Bulma she had to organize everything they'd bought and put it away before that evening and the woman left her to her own devices. The truth wasn't far from that, but she really needed a moment to be by herself and think about their conversation.
Isla sat with her plate in her lap as she put her bare feet up on the metal railing and relaxed into the sandwich she had made. She thought it was turkey, but with the weird creatures she'd seen roaming around this world, she didn't really have a clue what she was eating. The only prerequisite she had for her food these days was that it tasted good, and, after having skipped breakfast, the mystery meat sandwich tasted better than anything she could have imagined.
"Mind if I join you?"
She looked over her shoulder to see a familiar little black ball of fur slink its way toward her. Smiling, she pinched off a bit of the meat from her sandwich and put it down on the ground for Rex as she was so accustomed to doing at home. The cat quickly trotted to the morsel, devouring it in seconds.
"Where have you been, Rexie?" She asked, her eyes on the city outline but her hand down, fingers tickling the top and sides of her cat's head. After he grew tired of her affection, he hopped up on the railing.
"Oh," he said, laying his belly on the metal that had been warmed by the midday sun. "Here and there."
Isla smiled at him, "How mysterious."
Rex simply turned his attention to the city, "Not really, I've been asleep for the most part."
A chuckle emanated from Isla's throat. He hadn't changed a bit going through the portal, if you didn't count the talking part. The two sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the city.
"This place is amazing." Isla remarked, breaking the quiet and causing the cat to look toward her. "Bulma had asked me why I didn't just stay here. I told her it was because of my family and friends. But, really, the longer I'm here, the more connected I feel."
Rex nodded, "I know what you mean. I'm not very excited about going back to being a silent partner."
Isla frowned at her cat.
"We have to go home, Rex." She said, but it felt as though she was trying to tell herself rather than Rex.
Sighing, Isla smiled at her pet then turned her gaze toward the city once more and taking the last bites of her sandwich. Rex raised up, jumping from the railing and sitting beside her once more.
"If that's all the food I'm going to get, then I'll take my leave."
Without another word, the cat trotted back inside. Isla watched him leave, huffing as he crossed the balcony doorway.
"Not changed one bit."
Trunks had been an illusive character the first two days Isla was at Capsule Corp, but when Isla emerged from her room with a freshly bought outfit and an ache for more food front the kitchen, he was ready to make himself known to her.
She made her way to the fridge, taking out a few pieces of fruit and sitting down at the table to eat them.
"That's the girl I told you about." A not-so-subtle whisper came from the doorway as she peeled her banana and took a bite. Immediately, she knew it was Trunks. Attempting to hide an amused smile, she took another bite of banana.
"She doesn't look like she's from another universe! She just looks like a regular girl!" A second voice matched Trunks's harsh whisper, but was higher pitched. It came from the same spot, so she assumed he was showing her off as an exhibit to his friend.
"You both know I can hear you, right?" Isla called to them, staring straight ahead. After a few beats of silence, two little sets of feet floated into the top of her eye line. The few fleeting sights of Trunks she'd seen around the house, he'd been flying so she was used to the spectacle. However, what got to her was the second boy. He looked like a carbon copy of Goku, right down to the bright expression in his eyes. She smiled at the boy.
"Are you related to Goku?"
The boy grinned excitedly, "Yeah! That's my dad!"
Isla faltered a bit, but tried not react outwardly. She felt a strange tug in her chest as she took in the information. Goku had a son. That meant he probably had a wife, too. This was, to Isla, surprisingly...disappointing. Not that it had any affect on her situation, but, there was something inside of her that fell a bit sad hearing that news.
The boy in front of her was an undeniably sweet looking with his traditional outfit and wonder-filled demeanor. She liked him instantly and Trunks wasn't far behind him in the likability category. The two invited her to play with them, at that moment, she knew she was in with them.
——
"Trunks!" Isla walked down a row of topiary shrubs in the back yard of the house. She'd been calling his name for at least ten minutes as she and Goten made their way around the property. During the final game of hide and seek, she was the seeker. Goten was easy to find, his giggling giving him away as she passed by his hiding spot on behind the TV stand in the living room. The two exhausted their search inside the house before trying their luck outside.
"Com'on, Trunks! We give up!" Goten yelled as the two made their way near a couple of trees on the outskirts of the yard. Plopping down it the shade, Goten crossed his arms. Isla sat next to him, stretching her legs out in front of her.
"Trunks! You win!" She made a last ditch effort to find Bulma's child before she went into panic mode. Her anxiety, however, was short lived by the soft rustling of the leaved above their heads, causing Goten and her to look up. At the top of the tree, Trunks sat on a branch, a smug smile on his face.
"You guys give up too easy." He smirked as he floated down the them, his feet thumping on the ground as he landed. Goten growled before pointing an accusatory finger at his friend.
"There was a 'no flying' rule! You broke it!"
Isla nodded in agreement, "Yeah! I told you I couldn't fly and we agreed on the terms before the game started. You're disqualified."
Trunks's face twisted in anger. "It's not my fault you can't fly! You two just don't have what it takes to win!"
Rolling her eyes, Isla chuckled.
"I definitely know who your father is."
"Yes, you do."
Vegeta's gruff voice interrupted the trio as he approached, his arms down by his side. His eyes landed on Isla. From every angle she looked at him, he seemed to be staring down his nose at her. Maybe it was just the judgement in his presence.
"Are you going to wear that this evening? It's filthy."
Looking down at herself, Isla was shocked at her appearance. Crawling around on the floor and in the dirt looking for the boys for the past two hours had left her looking absolutely disheveled.
"I guess not." She said, standing up and wiping the dust off of her lap.
Vegeta quickly turned his attention to Trunks.
"Boy, your mother has asked that you come inside and get ready. Why she sent me to tell you this is beyond me."
With that, Vegeta sharply turned and marched toward the house, presumably to also start getting ready for the party that evening.
Trunks let out a huff before looking over at Goten and intertwining his fingers behind his head.
"Come on, Goten. Let's go."
The two boys took off, leaving Isla.
The hours of playing with the boys had taken her mind off of the party, but with it now looming over her, she was trying to keep herself from throwing up from nerves. She showered quickly, trying to go over what she wanted to wear that evening. Finally, she decided to go with a casual sundress with thin straps and a cut out in the low back. A few swipes of make up, spritz of perfume, and a pair of sandals later and she was telling herself to walk out the door in the mirror.
Slowly, she made her way toward the sounds of laughter and dinner party music.
The crowd was small enough for the party to feel intimate. Bulma greeted her at the patio door, hooking her arm in Isla's and leading her around to be introduced.
A short, black haired man and his wife and daughter sat at the closest table, so that's naturally where Bulma went first.
"Guys," She started, waving politely, "This is Isla. She's from another universe. Isla, this is Krillin, his wife 18, and their daughter Marron."
The guy whistled in surprise, "Wow, another universe. You don't hear that every day."
Isla was taken aback by the fact that he spoke as if he was describing a dog riding a skateboard. However, before she could be too disturbed, Bulma had whisked her away to another table.
Names spun around in her head as Bulma introduced her to person after person. The man with three eyes was named Tien and the extremely white child with him was Chiaotzu. The guy with scars on his face was Yamcha and Master Roshi was the guy who put his hand up Isla's skirt only to receive a swift knock on the head by Bulma. Mr. Satan and Buu were the man with the upsettingly deep V-cut in his shirt that showed way too much chest hair and the big, pink marshmallow man, respectively. Finally, she landed at a table with a woman about her age holding a baby.
"I know it's a lot to take in, but it's about the same as your world, right?" The woman sent a sympathetic smile toward Isla as she bounced her fussing baby in the crook of one arm and patted her back with the opposite hand. Isla smiled back weakly.
"Actually," She said, shaking her head lightly, "It's not like this at all."
The woman's smile never faded as she quickly calmed her baby and leaned into the snuggle she was giving her mother.
"I'm Videl," She said softly, trying to avoid waking her daughter up, "And this is Pan. I'm married to Gohan, Goku's oldest son." She motioned to the tall, thin man in glasses laughing with Krillin.
The look on Isla's face must have been one of shock because Videl let out an understanding laugh.
"I know, I know. It's crazy to marry a Sayian." Videl chuckled, "But it's never boring."
Isla simply smiled and nodded in agreement, trying to hold in the sensation of deep confusion within her. Goku looked like he was around her age, and yet, he had two children—one of which was old enough to be married with a kid. Her mind was folding in on itself. That must have been one of the difference between humans and Sayians, but it still was overwhelming to try and comprehend. How old was he exactly?
"I don't know where Goku and ChiChi are." Videl's voice pulled Isla out of her mind's implosion. ChiChi must have been Goku's wife. Her heart quickened a bit at the thought of meeting her, making Isla's hands slick with cold sweat. She forced her unwarranted anxiety to subside. Why was she up in knots about this? She inwardly scolded herself before turning back to Videl, trying to think of something, anything to say.
"Your baby is adorable." Isla strained herself to use a casual tone and it seemingly worked as Videl cast a loving look down at her daughter.
"Thank you," She replied, turning her eyes to Isla once again, "Do you have any children on your world?"
Isla shook her head, "No, I don't. But, I work with kids. Not ones as young as Pan, but still kids. I have a big soft stop for them."
Videl adjusted Pan in her arms, "So, what do you do?"
Isla leaned back in her chair, a smile spreading across her face as she remembered the kids in the detention center. Her heart ached thinking that they would think she just abandoned them like others had done and that Quinn was taking her case load as well.
"I'm a behavioral assistant. I organize therapy sessions for doctors and help facilitate them. I work in a youth detention center with young criminal offenders. I love my job—er, loved my job."
Videl nodded, giving Isla a hopeful smile, "I'm sure you'll get back to them soon."
The two women chatted for a while, Isla taking in every aspect of Videl's world and sharing her own. Videl had actually been a fighter when she was a teenager, trained by her father Mr. Satan. She had gone to high school with Gohan and the rest was history. As much as she loved learning about her new friend, curiosity about Goku's wife still bit at the back of her mind. She found herself drifting away from active listening into checking around to see if they'd made an appearance yet. In a conversational lull, she found the perfect moment to strike.
"So what's it like being in the strongest family in the world?" Isla asked casually, Pan playing with her fingers as she wiggled them in front of her chubby face. Videl chuckled and let out a humorously exaggerated groan.
"I love being married to Gohan, but let me tell you, this family is kind of messed up."
Isla peeked at Videl through her lashes quickly before glancing back down at Pan.
"Oh?" Her innocent tone was awkward in her mouth. "How so?"
Videl leaned back in her chair, her shoulders slumping a bit.
"Goku is always gone training or dead. He was gone for almost all of Gohan's childhood, which he still has a hard time dealing with at times. Goten is pretty wild because he doesn't really have someone to look after him. ChiChi is always running herself ragged with housework or trying to provide some sort of normalcy for her sons and me. She's a very strong woman and very stubborn."
Videl sent Isla a look that she took to be a warning shot across her bow, "Don't get on her bad side."
Isla simply nodded sympathetically. Poor ChiChi. It was probably the hardest job in the world to be married to someone so absorbed in his own ambitions. Goten was a rambunctious boy, but he looked cared for and well-adjusted. Videl was so normal and funny that Isla could only imagine Gohan to be a good husband and father based on who he married. He obviously had lasting effects from being left alone with his mom at such a young age, but Videl seemed to be ok with that.
"Sorry we're so late everybody!"
Isla turned to see Goku and a petite, dark haired woman in a traditional outfit that almost matched Goten's walking toward the group. A few shouts of excitement rang out as they approached, Goku rubbing the back of his head and grinning.
"I lost track of time in the field, so I got home after we were supposed to be here."
The woman made a face, crossing her arms across her chest and frowning.
"I found you asleep on your tractor. You didn't lose track of anything except your work ethic."
"Finally, we can eat!" Krillin shouted before standing up and giving his friend a pat on the back. The two led a mass exodus to the buffet table, but Isla and Videl hung back to wait for it to clear some.
"Hi, Videl." ChiChi smiled at her daughter in law as she approached the table. Pan waved her hands in the air toward ChiChi causing her to squirm in Isla's lap. ChiChi didn't look especially old, only a few lines around her mouth and eyes to show her age or, given that she was married to Goku, her permanent stress level.
"You must be the girl that Goku found in the woods." ChiChi remarked, taking her granddaughter from the stranger and holding her close. "I'm ChiChi. His wife."
Isla could feel that ChiChi was a bit threatened by her, so she picked up one had in truce and held it up in front of her with a smile.
"I'm Isla, nice to meet you, ChiChi."
The older woman took the seat between Videl and Isla, snuggling Pan into her chest. She cooed at Pan, nuzzling her nose into the crook of her neck and blowing raspberries into her cheek.
"You're so lucky my Goku found you when he did." ChiChi remarked, turning her attention back to Isla. Her eyes flicked down Isla's body and then back up to her face. "You don't look like you have the black eye Bulma described anymore."
Isla's fingers flew to her cheek, brushing over it. Her lips pursed. ChiChi was right. She did have one of those when she first woke up, but, three days later, it had vanished without a trace. How did she heal so quickly? Maybe it had something to do with that thing in her chest.
"Yeah," Isla said absentmindedly, "It's gone."
"You just must be a fast healer." Videl chimed in, taking some of ChiChi's attention away from Isla. ChiChi simply nodded.
"I guess some people just are. Those Sayians, though, you could shoot one of them and they'd bounce right back. They heal so quickly, I barely have time to put a bandaid on one of Goten's cuts before it's gone."
"Come on, ladies!" Bulma stood behind Isla, putting both her hands on the woman's shoulders and leaning into the group. "Let's get eating before the guys have a chance to polish it all off."
——
By the time she had gotten back to her room, Isla could barely keep her eyes open. The party had been way more fun than she thought it would be, once she got over her initial shyness. She really hit it off with Videl, commenting that she would want to have lunch with her some time, but that she would probably be in her own universe by the end of the week. Videl simply laughed.
"Let's hope so. I know your people are missing you."
Isla had returned the sentiment, but something inside of her told her not to get too attached to the idea. Somehow, she kind of hoped she'd get to stay. She enjoyed the company of those people, however odd they may have been.
Pulling her dress over her head, she tossed it to the ground and made her way to the bathroom. Hot water relaxed all of her muscles, making her even more tired and off balance. She stumbled to her bed, towel wrapped around her loosely as she fell backwards onto it. Her slowly began to drift into sleep, her body feeling the familiar heaviness of exhaustion.
"You looked pretty tonight."
A familiar voice caused her to bolt upright, pulling the towel closed even tighter around her.
"What the fuck, Goku? Why are you in here?"
The tall Sayian made his way across the room from a dark corner. Isla squinted at him. He looked different than when he was laughing with his friends at the party. Something about his entire aura was darkened. As he closed in on her, Isla scooted backward on the bed toward the wall. One hand holding the towel closed, she pointed her opposite forefinger at him.
"Stay back." She tried to sound threatening, but the command came out more as a suggestion. This was met by a menacing chuckle from Goku. His knees sunk into the bed as he crawled toward her, grabbing her ankle and dragging her onto her back toward him. She fought to stay seated on her butt, but the Sayian was far too strong for her to struggle against. The harder she fought, it seemed, the more he enjoyed what he was doing.
"There's something about you." He said, his voice devoid of the usual jovial attitude, "You have something that I want."
Isla shook her head hard, "No, I don't have anything. You need to leave, Goku."
"I can smell it inside of you." The Sayian said, leaning his face down and ghosting his nose up her leg until it reached her upper knee where the towel blocked him from going any further. "I can smell that you're mine."
Isla's mouth ran dry as she wriggled, pushing her hand against his shoulder to distance herself from him.
"Please—"
Goku stopped, his head raising until he was face to face with her. His eyes had shifted from the dark, hard orbs they once held only seconds before into the soft grey ones that Isla had gazed into the night he saved her.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, Isla." He said, leaning back on his heels. His voice was softer now as his eyes fell to his open palms that rested in his lap. "I don't know why being around you does this to me. Sometimes, I just—I just want to—"
A swift kick to the chest from Isla sent the man tumbling to the ground. She had seen the moment he was distracted and decided to take full advantage. She had already let one man take her for a slave of his convenience, but this time, she was drawing a line. Standing on her bed, she saw Goku scramble to his feet with is hand clutching where her heels had struck.
"Ow, Isla!" He whined, his hand rubbing circles on the pained area, "What was that for?!"
The woman grit her teeth, "What was that for?! You come into my room, try and assault me, and now you're asking me why I defended myself?! Get out!"
Goku's expression turned from one of childish hurt to the look of a puppy that had been left on the roadside. Lifting two fingers to his forehead, he vanished. Isla remembered the trick from before and was slightly relieved that she didn't have to watch him do the walk of shame out of her door.
Angrily, she got up, mumbling curses to him and every other man in the existing universes. She shoved her arms into a night shirt and yanked on pajama bottoms, throwing back the covers and cramming herself into bed.
However, after a few moments, her angry energy left her body, leaving her with her clear thoughts. The look on his face right before he left struck her. He looked confused, hurt, even. She was confused, too. What was happening? It seemed as though neither she nor Goku had any answers, but with their meeting with Whis in a the near future, she kept her fingers crossed that Lord Beerus would have some.
——
The next day, Isla sat with Bulma at the breakfast table. She had woken up in the weirdest mood. Normally, she only ate some toast and eggs for breakfast, but that day she was wolfing down pancakes, fruit, and whatever else the poor cook had the misfortune to lay out for them. Bulma watched her as she sipped a cup of coffee.
"You might wanna slow down there, tiger. You might eat my tablecloth."
Isla stopped and looked down at her plate. The empty porcelain circle made her stomach growl, but she resisted its call. Instead, she nodded at her friend, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Sorry," She said, an apologetic smile on her face, "Guess I'm just really hungry today."
Bulma tilted her head, observing Isla for a moment, "Yeah, I guess so."
Thinking that her fight with Goku had triggered some sort of aggressive eating episode, Isla shrugged her consumption off. However, a few days later, she was still eating like she a bottomless pit.
"Who's going to explode now, girl?" Vegeta smirked as he watched her try to restrain herself at dinner. She simply huffed and forced her hand to put down her fork.
"You are if you keep filling that big trap of yours." She retorted. Slightly taken aback by her out of character comment, Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her.
"What is wrong with you?" He asked, "Are you menstruating?"
Isla glared at the prince, standing briskly and pushing her plate to the center of the table.
"No," She bit back at him, "Are you?"
Not giving him a chance to respond, Isla quickly left the room, not answering to Bulma calling her name or listening to how she responded to Trunks's question of what 'menstruating' was.
She sat on her bed, her back pressed against the wall. There was something wrong with her and it was starting to show. Her head pounded.
Laying on her side, she breathed slowly, trying to slow the pulsating rhythm of her brain against the sides of her skull. She groaned against the pressure.
Suddenly, her body was on fire. Her skin felt like every nerve ending was firing at once, sending her into a world of agony. Heat felt like it was pouring out of every pore in her skin and sweat was covering every inch of her body.
Even in her state of complete internal chaos, she knew she had to get Bulma. Bulma could help. Get to Bulma. Bulma can help.
She drug her body against the wall for support as she slowly hobbled down the hallway out of her room toward the blunette's lab. Every step felt like she was sinking into a lava pit, her feet set ablaze but never burning away into the sweet release of nothingness. Her joints ached, feeling as though she were walking with bone grinding against bone with no cartilage cushion whatsoever. Just a few more steps.
Her heart sang as she noticed light seeping out from under the doorway into the dark hall. She pounded her fist as hard as she could against the hard metal door, trying to get the genius's attention. Finally, the door swung open, letting Isla's body fall into a crumpled heap on the floor. As her vision faded away, the last thing Isla heard was Bulma screaming Vegeta's name. This must have been what death felt like. But, one thing she knew was that she was safe. Saved once again by a Sayian. In her dying moments, she was with her friends and she was safe.
——
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