Chapter 5

Brought to you by Son Goshen, Joy's Canvas and Gue22

…

"So, how was your day Chichi?" Ox King enquired as he sliced into his steak.

Chichi had noticed that he liked chopping it into little pieces before shoving them into his mouth. He wasn't the most graceful of eaters and as a testament to this, a speck of barbeque sauce was visible on his large shirt.

Chichi was busy devouring all her food as usual, savoring all the different tastes that attacked her taste buds. It was still fascinating how it was possible to have all the different flavors come together to create a new explosive one. Still, even with all that going on in her mouth, her training still allowed her to follow what her 'father' was saying. She chewed quickly and swallowed before she spoke.

"My day was-" she grabbed her napkin and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. "My day was interesting."

Ox King continued staring at her, motioning for her to go on as he helped himself to some more food.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. What more was she supposed to say? Lowering her eyes, she helped herself to a loaf of garlic bread instead.

"Well?" the Ox King prompted. "Was it the job that was particularly interesting, or did you meet a cute guy?"

C-Cute…guy?

Chichi nearly choked on the bread in her mouth. Humph! She had no desire nor need for such a distraction. But of course, Ox King wouldn't know of it. She regarded him coolly as he chuckled at whatever it was that he had found amusing in his last sentence. Clearly he enjoyed amusing himself.

"I have been invited to a party," she informed him coolly.

"Ahh…" nodded the large man. "Would this be this big catering job for Bulma Briefs' cocktail party? Kuku was very excited about the contract."

"Yes," she went back to eating. It was clear to her that her boss and her new 'father' talked a lot.

Ox King did not speak for a while, which Chichi was glad for, she desired only to enjoy her meal in peace. But that peace were quickly shattered.

"This is strictly business, right?" his boisterous voice boomed. "Kuku didn't cross the line and ask you out on a date or something, did he?"

She noted how his tone had dropped into disapproval. She knew exactly what he was implying of course, well sort of… kind of. In an abstract and academic perspective only. And of course, the notion was preposterous. Chef Kuku? Inviting her out on a date? As if! The man could barely stomach her. "Neither. I've been invited by a customer; his name is Goku." she said between bites.

Ox King's eyes widened considerably, but Chichi chose to ignore them. She could feel him watching her as she continued to eat.

He didn't speak for a while, but the furrows on his face were a clear indication that something was up.

"Ummm, Chi-Chi," she detected a nervous undertone to his voice, "be careful, okay?"

Chichi looked up from her plate, confused. "Be careful? What do you mean father?" she used the term he'd been nagging her to use for the last three weeks – it always seemed to please him.

To her question, Ox King nodded awkwardly. "Well, yes." he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Sometimes, sometimes nice girls get… taken advantage of by boys." His cheeks turned tomato red.

Chi-Chi didn't get it. "What do you mean by 'taken advantage of?'" How could any guy take advantage of her? She was incredibly skilled and deadly. But then again, her 'father' didn't know that.

The large man dipped his head in embarrassment. "Like…you know…when boys touch you."

"Touch you?" she remarked thoughtfully. Could it be in some kind of martial arts technique, she wondered. Why was the man speaking in such riddles?

"Like…inappropriately."

"And why would they want to do that?" In her studies, one of the tactics they'd been taught was seduction, could he be referring to that?

"You know, when they think you look pretty… and…" he was getting more and more flustered she observed. "I'll just say like… if this boy gave you a lot of drinks and you started to feel dizzy or unable to walk or talk properly, and he wanted to take you home…"

She stared.

"Ummm… like… just, if he starts touching you in places you don't want, don't let him. Just… just don't have sex with the boy!" he bellowed.

She regarded his outburst with a bit of confusion. Why was he turning so red? And why was he fanning himself so much, it wasn't that hot at the breakfast table.

Chewing, she mulled over his outburst. Have sex with Goku, her? Another preposterous notion. Why on earth would she have sex with Goku? Would it somehow assist with her mission? No, she didn't see how. And she was certainly not in heat, so why would she? Her 'father' was clearly confused.

"Well, dinner was delicious. I will retire to my room," she announced, standing up. "Maybe I can convince Chef Kuku to make some of Rosa's bread at the Delish, I am sure it would meet with popularity."

Having said her peace, she left for the quiet of her room.

…

Vegeta Sei IV was not enjoying himself. Knowing where the beauty in front of him had been, he found no gratification in threading his fingers through her beautiful hair on this occasion. Pity, because Marron really had beautiful hair, and after the shitty day he'd had, the least he deserved was some mindless gratification.

He sighed. His damn pride again. His pride refused to allow this dalliance of theirs to continue, not now that he knew that she'd been with Brolly first.

"Damnation woman," he snatched his fingers back from her silky blue locks like they had been stung, turning away from her.

"What's eating you?" blue eyes regarded him coolly from beneath a veil of blue tresses. They were always like this - cool, clear…beautiful.

"None of your business," he snapped.

She was amused at his expense, that much was clear to him, damn woman.

"So," she spoke casually. "My little dalliance with Brolly is an issue after all," she chuckled. "It's my just reward for playing with boys."

It irritated him that she had taken to calling him a 'boy', like he was beneath her, but it irritated him even more that she'd guessed the reason behind his sour mood correctly. "Shut up and let yourself out Marron, I have no further use for you."

"So it would seem," she remarked, unaffected as always. With the grace of a courtesan, she slipped past him and headed towards the door. "I did warn you," she turned to him before she left. "You have only yourself to blame for getting attached... it's been fun."

And then she was out the door.

Vegeta gritted his teeth. This had nothing to do with attachment. He didn't give a damn about her, not at all, even if she was of the rare breed of blue and oceanic beauty that never failed to knock him on his ass. It's not as if there was a shortage of beautiful women that wanted to bed him, there was not. There was, in fact, a long list of them.

Pity his tastes had never quite outgrown their fondness for blasted baby-blue. For never was there a more accurate stereotype – from when he was a boy Vegeta had always, always hated the soft and girly color of pink, preferring to align himself, whether it be toy or clothing, with all that was cool, calm and collected blue. That damn fetish had stuck with him through and through, and now it was nothing but a handicap where women were concerned.

It was time to rid himself of this obsession. No more blue-eyed, blue-haired bimbos. Especially none that had lain with that parasite Brolly or any of the other so called 'heirs'.

Well, as with all experiences at least this little episode had taught him a little something about himself. He was far more selfish and territorial when it came to women than he'd given himself credit for.

No matter, if he couldn't play, then he might as well work. There was some dirty business that his idiot of a father had volunteered him for, and now was as good a time as any to make the arrangements.

…

The end of her first week at the Delish saw Chichi sniffing at the perfect cake. She was incredibly pleased with the scent that wafted to her nostrils. It had taken her hours to create this delicacy and the result was well worth it.

It had been three days since she'd botched up the Tuesday special but Chef Kuku had finally given her leeway by assigning her a solo project. He had gone to great lengths to detail every little step, taking nothing for granted. And if there was one thing Chichi could do, it was follow instructions to a tee, especially if those instructions had 'terminate' at the end of them.

"I must say this is a huge improvement from Tuesday's cakes," exclaimed the pastry chef as he eyed the sponge cake in front of him. He took a large frosting knife and began to dress the naked sponge in pink. Nicely smothered, he carefully wrote 'Congratulations' on it.

"What do you say we try it?" he smiled at her enthusiastically.

With a large knife, chef Kuku cut out six equal slices and placed them on different plates. He extended one to Chichi and placed a small dessert fork on the side.

Chichi eyed the flaky cake before glancing at her boss curiously. She kept her eye on his movements as he stabbed at his own piece and placed it in his mouth. Initially, he wore an uneasy frown, but with each chew, that frown grew into a joyous smile.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe how rich it is. With a little more practice it's bound to rival even my own! Have you been practicing since your last shift?" He enquired excitedly.

"No," she replied coolly, dark orbs shifting back to her own plate. Without any further hesitation, she stabbed at her piece and shoveled it into her mouth.

A multitude of pleasurable flavours exploded into every corner her mouth. The taste was almost heavenly... closing her eyes, she greedily polished the remainder. How was a nobody like her ever able to create something so delectable with her bare hands? This cake was definitely worthy of… something.

Chef Kuku laughed, she supposed she looked as foolish as she felt. No matter, he wouldn't be able to say she was useless now would he?

Watching him take another bite of her cake, she found that she could not help but feel awash with more pleasure and pride. She was aware that such feelings were foolish, but she felt them surfacing nonetheless. Chef Kuku did not restrain himself, he began to tackle another piece.

"You have some hidden talents there Chichi, I'm sure there's a natural culinary gift somewhere inside you. With a little more exposure, I'm sure I will find myself in Ox's debt for bringing me you to me."

The praise should have rolled off of her, but some part of her… basked in it. It just felt so... good.

"Well since I can trust you with making the specials," he beamed. "How about you get to it? We need five dozen before lunch and that's only an hour away.

Watching him head off, she allowed her shoulders to drop in relief. Finally, she had earned her keep. Ox King would no longer have to settle all her blunders with large sums of his own money. He would have no cause to be displeased with her; it was important to remain in his good graces, for if she were to fall out of favour with him…she could very well find herself back at The Clan. Her ability to fit into mainstream society would definitely be scrutinized, and if found lacking…

She shuddered.

No. She simply wouldn't allow it to happen. The ability to fit in was a required skill all on its own, and she had every intention of mastering it.

As she placed her empty plate into the sink she couldn't help but remember the reason she'd gained the opportunity to prove herself to Chef Kuku in the first place - Goku. That wild haired boy had managed to save her job and had possibly secured her freedom from The Clan and still she couldn't understand why he'd done it.

She hadn't done anything for him, and yet he had been willing to go out on a limb for her. She had heard about male attraction and how men in the world would go to any lengths for a beautiful woman, but that couldn't be the reason. She was far from beautiful, she was plain at best – a nobody.

Shaking off the irrelevant thoughts, she decided it'd be best to tackle the task at hand.

…

"For the last time Bulma, I'm not going to attend that stupid party!" Krilin yelled.

"Okay! Okay! Jeez! No need to yell Grumpy, I get it." Bulma snapped right back at him. "I just thought Goku could use some moral support that's all. You know how much he's looking forward to spending time with his Chichi. Right Goku?"

"Uh…heheh…well yeah, kinda," said Goku, sheepishly scratching his head. "But Krillin doesn't have to come if he doesn't wanna."

"Whatever," muttered Krilin. "Anyway, you're in the hands of Capsule's Home Security now, time for Goku and I to get lost."

"Aww, Krilin, but Bulma's mom hasn't even given us snacks yet!"

"You know what Goku, you can stay if you want. I'm out." he said grumpily, shoving his hands in his pockets more than just a little violently as he headed out.

"Jeez Krilin! What's the big rush?" she regarded him with something akin to exasperation.

He sighed, she was right be exasperated with the way he had been acting lately. He hadn't been himself since she'd made her romantic intentions about that bastard Vegeta Sei known. The best he could do was remove himself from her presence until the disquiet storm raging inside him quelled. Hopefully her grand plan to seduce the bastard tomorrow night would fail, and then things could get back to normal by the time he re-assumed duty on Monday.

"No particular rush," he said more calmly. "Thought we'd get out of your hair so you could start thinking about what to wear for tomorrow and so on. I doubt Sei will be impressed by any old garb you know?"

"Krilin, you're right!" she screeched. "You're right! I haven't finalized my plans for tomorrow at all. I will not be caught unprepared!"

"See?"

"Does this mean we're leaving?" Goku didn't look too happy about the prospect.

"Out!" Bulma shoved them out with vigour, just as Krillin had known she would.

Now he could get Goku home. It was worth one more shot to talk him out of this promise he'd made to Bulma.

…

She washed her hands, cleansing them off sticky batter before she stripped out of her apron and hat. The kitchen was spotless after having have had her way with it, with only the lingering smells of freshly baked goodness remaining.

She liked this smell she decided. If Ox King permitted, she might even venture into Rosa's kitchen at home and try out a few ideas. Now that she'd figured this whole baking thing out, she found it rather… relaxing. Not a bad way to kill time.

Satisfied that all was in order, she stepped outside to await Ox King. Sure enough, the little hover car was already out front.

"Hi, Sweetie!" the large man called out with his loud voice.

She only nodded, as she opened the door and took a seat. He seemed to find a new endearment for her every day. She could tell by the expression on his face that he was pleased with her; within the little time that she'd stayed in his house she had made it her business to study the large man.

"Kuku just called me with the news," he exclaimed. "I'm very excited that you were able to fit in here, sometimes it takes a few tries before one can find the right place. I'm just happy you did!"

It irritated her that his enthusiasm was starting to filter into her. She would have to be careful whilst in his presence. "He made a request," she started. "That I come in earlier from now on. He wishes to train me properly. Will you permit me?"

She must have said something wrong because the large man's face immediately fell. Spirits she didn't even know she was holding in, promptly sank. So, he wouldn't allow her this small pleasure.

"It is not a question of whether or not I permit it Chichi, it is a question of whether or not you want to. If it will make you happy, then you should seize this opportunity okay?"

Happy? He seemed rather fond of saying that to her, she found the notion rather peculiar.

She had nothing to say to that, so she quietly nodded as she settled herself in the car. She felt rather like a blob of apple-cranberry stuffing sitting in the small space that was overfilled by the large man.

"Say you got a letter today in the mail, it's in the glove compartment," Ox King informed her happily as he expertly pulled them up into the air, the hover car cruising at a leisurely pace.

Ah. She thought dully. She knew exactly what it would be. She opened the small compartment and pulled out a white inconspicuous envelope.

It would be her first mission on the outside.

It didn't take long to reach the mansion, and when in the safety of her large room, she carefully opened the package.

Inside was a picture of a man with a dull face and blue eyes. Her trained eyes scanned over his face dispassionately. He didn't look like much, but his face was already committed to her memory. She turned the picture around and memorized the instructions scribbled in an alphabet and language only those raised by The Clan would recognize.

She pulled out one other piece of paper – confirmation of payment made to the account she now held under the name 'Chichi Mau'. It was the standard cut promised for each job – twenty thousand Zeni. She didn't know, nor have any desire to know how much The Clan kept for themselves.

Satisfied that everything was in order she took her sweet time tearing up the envelope, the photograph and the payment transcript into tiny little pieces, not unlike the crumbly flakes of pastry she had worked with that morning. Practically shredded, she scooped it all up and flushed everything down the toilet.

This would be an easy one since it required no cover ups. The client did not want it to look like an accident. They wanted it to look like exactly what it was – cold blooded murder garnished with a calling card.

There was only one slight problem - how could she be discreet when she would be fulfilling her debt to Goku on the same night?

…